GB2309147A

GB2309147A - Seeding machine

Info

Publication number: GB2309147A
Application number: GB9700407A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Tore Vataker
Original assignee: Vefi AS
Current assignee: Vefi AS
Priority date: 1996-01-17
Filing date: 1997-01-10
Publication date: 1997-07-23
Also published as: DK4097A; HU9700122D0; HUP9700122A2; PL317958A1; NO300611B1; FI970078A0; EE9700022A; GB9700407D0; NO960209D0; SE9700055D0; FI970078A; NO960209A; SE9700055L

Description

The present invention relates to a seeding machine comprising a seed hopper and a rotary roller, which roller is in the form of a cylindrical tube having throughgoing holes or slits, which holes or slits are provided in one or more rows along the longitudinal axis of the roller, where the holes or slits in each row are evenly spaced apart and the rows are evenly spaced apart, and where each hole or slit is connected to a vacuum source.

There is known a seeding machine of the type described above consisting of a rotary roller having holes, which is located in a seed hopper. The roller is supplied with vacuum, so that the seeds will cling thereto. The depositing of the seeds in plug trays or pots takes place in that under the roller a scraper is provided which scrapes the seeds loose from the roller, so that they fall freely into each individual pot in the plug tray. A disadvantage with this machine arises in cases involving small seeds which lie partly inside the holes in the roller or edged seeds. What happens in such cases is that the scraper cuts off the seeds, resulting in unsatisfactory sowing.

The present invention relates to a seeding machine comprising a seed hopper and a rotary roller, which roller consists of a cylindrical tube having throughgoing holes or slits, which holes or slits are provided in one or more rows along the longitudinal axis of the roller, where the holes or slits in each row are evenly spaced apart and the rows are evenly spaced apart, and where each hole or slit is connected to a vacuum source, characterised in that the roller is furthermore provided with a compressed air supply for supplying compressed air to one row of holes or slits, and that there is provided one or more funnels which extend across one row of holes or slits.

The compressed air supply for the supply of compressed air to one row of holes or slits in the roller is preferably in the form of one or more compressed air chambers located close to one row of holes or slits in the roller, and which is located immediately adjacent to the inner surface of the cylindrical roller.

The compressed air chamber or chambers extend preferably across one row of holes or slits in the roller.

The seed hopper extends preferably across the width of one row of holes or slits in the longitudinal direction of the roller, and extends preferably across at least one row of holes or slits in the peripheral direction of the roller.

The seed hopper preferably comprises a compressed air nozzle provided to blow air towards the outer surface of the roller.

The seeding machine preferably comprises a rotary marker roller having pins for marking sowing holes in a plug tray, which marker roller is located after the seed hopper in the direction of motion of the roller.

The marker roller is preferably connected to the roller in such a way that the marker roller is moved synchronously with the roller.

Below the seeding machine there is preferably provided a conveyor belt for conveying the plug trays underneath the seeding machine.

The conveyor belt is moved preferably synchronously with the marker roller and the roller, preferably continuously.

The invention will be explained in more detail below with the aid of an exemplary embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings. which show a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Figure 1 shows an embodiment of the seeding machine seen from above.

Figure 2 shows a section along line A-A in Figure 1.

An embodiment of the inventive seeding machine is shown in Figures 1 and 2. The illustrated seeding machine consists of a rotating, hollow roller 1 having one or more rows of throughgoing holes 2. The interior of the roller 1 is connected to a vacuum source, so that air is sucked in through the holes in the roller 1. Inside the roller 1 there is provided one or more stationary chambers 3 for the supply of compressed air. The stationary chamber or chambers 3 may be in the form of a compressed air chamber which extends across the length of one row of holes or slits 2 in the longitudinal direction of the roller 1. Compressed air and vacuum are supplied by means of a compressed air supply pipe 5 and a vacuum supply pipe 4, respectively. The compressed air supply pipe 5 is located inside the vacuum supply pipe 4.The vacuum supply pipe 4 is provided with holes or slits 6 so that the interior of the vacuum supply pipe 4 is in fluid communication with the interior of the roller 1. The nozzle or chamber 3 for the supply of compressed air is connected to the compressed air supply pipe 5.

The outlet of the nozzle or chamber 3 rests immediately against the inner surface of the roller 1 and a gasket or sealing means 7, e.g., made of nylon, is preferably provided between the nozzle outlet or the chamber 3 and the inner surface of the roller 1.

The holes 2 in the roller 1 must be adapted to the seeds which are to be sown, i.e., the diameter of the holes in the roller 1 must be smaller than the diameter of the seeds in order to ensure that only one seed clings to each hole 2.

On one side of the roller 1 there is provided a seed hopper 8 in the form of a funnel which rests immediately against the roller 1, optionally with the aid of gaskets or sealing means. In the seed hopper 8 there are provided one or more nozzles 9 directed towards the roller 1, in order to blow away any excess seeds which have become attached to the roller 1. This nozzle or these nozzles are connected to an air supply pipe 10.

On the other side of the roller 1 there is provided one or more funnels 11 which rest immediately against the roller 1. The purpose and location of the funnel or funnels 11 will be explained in more detail below.

Next to the funnels 11, on the side facing away from the roller 1, there is preferably provided a marker roller 12. This marker roller 12 is provided with a plurality of pins 13, similarly spaced apart and in the same number along the longitudinal axis of the marker roller 12 as the holes 2 in the longitudinal axis of the roller 1. This marker roller 12 is connected to the roller 1, e.g., by means of a toothed belt, chain, toothed wheel or the like, so that the marker roller 12 rotates synchronously with the roller 1. The purpose of this will be explained in more detail below. At one or preferably both ends of the marker roller 12 there are provided toothed wheels 15. These toothed wheels 15, which along the periphery thereof may have knobs, teeth, studs or the like, will be capable of resting against the upper edge of each pot in the plug tray so that when the plug tray is conveyed underneath the seeding machine, the marker roller 12 will rotate, and with it the roller 1.

When using the device, a so-called plug tray 14, i.e., small pots filled with growth medium, which are interconnected so as to form a tray that is, e.g., 10 pots in width, is placed on a conveyor belt (not shown). The centre distance between the pots corresponds to the distance between each of the outlets of the funnels 11 and the centre distance between each of the pins 13 on the marker roller. The seed hopper 8 is filled with seeds, and compressed air and vacuum are supplied respectively to the compressed air pipes 5, 10 and the vacuum pipe 4. The conveyor belt is then started so that the plug tray will begin to pass underneath the seeding machine. The toothed wheels will rest against the upper edge of the pots, and when the plug tray 14 is moved, this will result in a rotation of the marker roller 12 and the roller 1.When the first row of pots in the plug tray is positioned under the marker roller 12, the pins 13 will be inserted some way into the growth medium in the middle of the pots thereby making a small depression in the growth medium where the seed will be placed later. The part of the roller 1 which is in the seed hopper 8 will suck up seeds in each of the holes 2. Any excess seeds which have become attached to the holes 2 in the roller 1 will be blown away with the aid of the nozzle 9 so that there is only one seed in each of the holes 2. The roller 1 rotates clockwise in Figure 1.When the roller has rotated approximately a half revolution as shown in Figure 1, the compressed air from the chamber 3 will blow the seeds which are clinging to the holes 2 in the roller 1 loose from the roller 1, and the seeds will fall down in their respective funnel 11. At the same time, a row of pots in the plug tray 14 is conveyed underneath the outlet of the funnels 11 so that each seed will fall down into its respective hole in the middle of the pot. The roller 1 and the marker roller 12 then rotate, and the conveyor belt conveys another row of pots forward so that the next row of pots can be filled with seeds.

This takes place preferably continuously.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, a conveyor belt is not used to convev the plug trays forward. Instead, the seeding machine can be placed on the plug tray 14 and pulled forwards manually.

Claims

Patent c l a X m s

1.

A seeding machine comprising a seed hopper (8) and a rotary roller (1), which roller (1) is in the form of a cylindrical pipe having throughgoing holes or slits (2), which holes or slits (2) are provided in one or more rows along the longitudinal axis of the roller (1), where the holes or slits in each row are evenly spaced apart and the rows are evenly spaced apart, and where each hole or slit (2) is connected to a vacuum source, characterised in that the roller (1) is furthermore provided with a compressed air supply for supplying compressed air to one row of holes or slits (2), and that there is provided one or more funnels (11) which extend across one row of holes or slits (2).

2.

A seeding machine according to Claim 1, characterised in that the compressed air supply for the supply of compressed air to one row of holes or slits (2) is in the form of one or more compressed air chambers (3) located next to one row of holes or slits (2), and which rests immediately against the inner surface of the cylindrical roller (1).

3.

A seeding machine according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that the compressed air chamber or chambers (3) extend across one row of holes or slits (2) in the roller (1).

4.

A seeding machine according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that the seed hopper (8) extends across the width of one row of holes or slits (2) in the longitudinal direction of the roller (1), and extends across at least one row of holes or slits in the peripheral direction of the roller (1).

5.

A seeding machine according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that the seed hopper (8) comprises at least one compressed air nozzle (9) arranged to blow air towards the outer surface of the roller (1).

6.

A seeding machine according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that it comprises a rotary marker roller (12) having pins (13 for marking the sowing holes in a plug tray (14), which marker roller (12) is located after the seed hopper (8) in the direction of motion of the roller (1).

7.

A seeding machine according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that the marker roller (12) is connected to the roller (1) so that the marker roller (12) is moved synchronously with the roller (1).

8.

A seeding machine according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that below the seeding machine there is provided a conveyor belt for conveying the plug trays (14) underneath the seeding machine.

9.

A seeding machine according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that the conveyor belt is moved synchronously with the marker roller (12) and the roller (1), preferably continuously.

10. A seeding machine comprising a hollow cylindrical roller having a cylindrical wall with at least one throughgoing hole therein and having a rotation axis.

first and second stations angularly spaced apart about said rotation axis, means for rotating the roller about said rotation axis so that the or each hole is moved sequentially through said stations on rotation of the roller, a seed hopper positioned at said first station, suction means for applying reduced pressure to the inside of the roller so as to suck one or more seeds against the outside of the or each hole during the period of time, during each roller rotation, that the hole is at said first station in communication with the interior of the seed hopper and so as to retain any such seed against the outside of the hole until the latter is rotated to the second station. and interrupt means at said second station for interrupting the reduced pressure applied by the suction means on the or each hole during the period of time that the hole is at said second station so that any seed previously retained by suction against the outside of the hole can be released.

II. A seeding machine according to claim 10, in which said interrupt means comprises pressure means for supplying compressed air to the or each hole when the latter is rotated into said second station.

10.

A seeding machine constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.

11.

A seeding machine comprising a hollow cylindrical roller having a cylindrical wall with at least one throughgoing hole therein and having a rotation axis, first and second stations angularly spaced apart about said rotation axis, means for rotating the roller about said rotation axis so that the or each hole is moved sequentially through said stations on rotation of the roller, a seed hopper positioned at said first station, suction means for applying reduced pressure to the inside of the roller so as to suck one or more seeds against the outside of the or each hole during the period of time, during each roller rotation, that the hole is at said first station in communication with the interior of the seed hopper and so as to retain any such seed against the outside of the hole until the latter is rotated to the second station, and interrupt means at said second station for interrupting the reduced pressure applied by the suction means on the or each hole during the period of time that the hole is at said second station so that any seed previously retained by suction against the outside of the hole can be released.

12.

A seeding machine according to claim 11, in which said interrupt means comprises pressure means for supplying compressed air to the or each hole when the latter is rotated into said second station.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows

1. A seeding machine comprising a seed hopper, a rotary roller in the form of a cylindrical pipe having throughgoing holes or slits arranged in one or more rows along the longitudinal axis of the roller, the holes or slits in each row being evenly spaced apart, and each hole or slit being connected to a vacuum source, one or more compressed air chambers resting immediately against the inner surface of the cylindrical roller and located next to. for supplying compressed air to, one row of holes or slits, and one or more funnels which extend across one row of holes or slits.

2. A seeding machine according to claim 1, in which the compressed air chamber or chambers extend across one row of holes or slits in the roller.

3. A seeding machine according to claim l or 2, in which the seed hopper extends across the width of one row of holes or slits in the longitudinal direction of the roller and extends across at least one row of holes or slits in the peripheral direction of the roller.

4. A seeding machine according to one or more of the preceding claims, in which the seed hopper comprises at least one compressed air nozzle arranged to blow air towards the outer surface of the roller.

5. A seeding machine according to one or more of the preceding claims, further comprising a rotary marker roller having pins for marking the sowing holes in a plug tray, which marker roller is located after the seed hopper in the direction of motion of the roller.

6. A seeding machine according to claim 5, in which the marker roller is connected to the first-mentioned roller so that the marker roller is moved synchronously with the first-mentioned roller.

7. A seeding machine according to one or more of the preceding claims, in which, below the seeding machine, there is provided a conveyor belt for conveying plug trays underneath the seeding machine.

8. A seeding machine according to claim 5 or 6 or claim 7 when dependent on claim 5 or 6, comprising means for moving, preferably continuously, the conveyor belt synchronously with the marker roller and the first-mentioned roller.

9. A seeding machine constructed and arranged substantially as herehlbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, Figures l and 2 of the accompanying drawings.