WO2008004864A1

WO2008004864A1 - Device and method for manuring land

Info

Publication number: WO2008004864A1
Application number: PCT/NL2007/050305
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jan Tjalma
Original assignee: Veenhuis Machines B.V.
Priority date: 2006-07-03
Filing date: 2007-06-26
Publication date: 2008-01-10
Also published as: EP2034814A1; NL2000121C2

Abstract

A method for manuring land, wherein a vehicle (1) is driven over the land and manure is carried to a manure distributing unit (3) connected to the vehicle (1) by means of a manure supply hose (7), which manure supply hose (7) is paid out from a hose buffer device (8) connected to the vehicle (1) and laid on the ground (4) in a first direction of travel and which is lifted from the ground (4) and wound up on the hose buffer device (8) in a second, opposite direction of travel, and wherein the manure supply hose (7) is laid on the ground (4) near one of the two lateral end of the manure distributing unit (3) , seen in the first direction of travel .

Description

DEVICE AKD METHOD FOR MANURING LAND

The invention relates to a method for manuring land, wherein a vehicle is driven over the land and manure is carried to a manure distributing unit connected to the vehicle by means of a manure supply hose, which manure supply hose is paid out from a hose buffer device connected to the vehicle and laid on the ground in a first direction of travel and which is lifted from the ground and wound up on the hose buffer device in a second, opposite direction of travel.

Such a method is known from US 5,833,007. Generally, a manure tank comprising a manure distributing unit hitched to a tractor is used in manuring farmland, which manure distributing unit is usually mounted to the rear of the tank. On a soft surface, however, there is a risk that the wheels of such a heavy tank will sink into the ground, and consequently a long manure supply hose, for example having a length of 200 m to a few kilometres and a diameter of about 100 m, is used in such case, which hose is connected to a central manure storage container or a manure storage pit, with the tractor dragging the hose over the ground, whilst a pump pumps the manure through the hose to the tractor and the manure distributing unit mounted thereon.

Problems that occur in this regard are the fact that the hose is dragged over the ground, causing wear and/or soiling of the hose, that the manure is spread over the land in an undesirable manner and that the farmland and/or the crops present thereon are damaged. In addition, large forces may be exerted on the hose and/or the device. Especially when the tractor must turn round at the end, making a 180 degree turn, the hose exerts large lateral forces on the tractor, causing the tractor to lean over. Another problem that may occur is that the hose becomes entangled in the manure distributing unit in such turns, as a result of which the manure supply may be blocked or parts may be damaged.

The device that is known from US 5,833,007 does not exhibit a number of the above drawbacks, because it pays out the hose from a reel and lays it on the already manured land behind the device without dragging it over the ground. Said device is not very suitable for manuring farmland in two directions, however. The hose must first be wound onto the reel again when the device drives back again. Then a new strip of land can be manured. Valuable time is lost in this way.

Another method that might be used with said device is to have the device make a 180 degree turn at the end of a strip and drive back in the other direction over an adjacent strip whilst the hose is being wound onto the reel. In that case the hose is dragged sideways over the already manured strip of land to the strip that is to be manured, however, resulting in the problems as described above.

The object of the invention is to provide a device for manuring land which does not exhibit the above drawbacks and which is suitable for manuring the land in two directions of travel.

In order to accomplish that object, the manure supply hose is laid on the ground near one of the two lateral ends of the manure distributing unit, seen in the first direction of travel. The hose is thus not laid on the manure, so that it will soil less easily. Furthermore, the method makes it possible to have the device make a 180 degree turn at the end of a manured strip whilst the lateral end of the manure distributing unit is being held above a fixed position where the hose leaves said unit, so that the hose will not be dragged over the ground. Then the hose can be wound up while driving in the other direction, whilst a new strip is being manured. The manure supply hose is thus lifted from the ground near one of the two lateral ends of the manure distributing unit upon driving in the second, opposite direction. The manure supply hose is filled with manure when it is wound onto the buffer, so that manuring can take place continuously.

The manure supply hose is preferably guided to one of the two lateral ends of the manure distributing unit with the aid of guide means. Said guide means are preferably movably mounted on the manure distributing unit, in such a manner that the manure supply hose can be moved from a first end of the manure distributing unit to the other end of the manure distributing unit. In this way it will be easy to select the side of the manure distributing unit from which the hose will be paid out. The guide means are preferably mounted on an arm, which has a length of about half the lateral length of the manure distributing unit, and which is mounted near the lateral centre of the manure distributing unit, being pivotable in horizontal direction. Other solutions for moving the guide means are also possible, however, such as movably mounting the guide means on laterally extending guide rails thereof. Preferably, the guide means can be moved between the two extreme positions by motor-driven means.

The buffer device preferably comprises a rotatable reel, which is preferably motor-driven and which preferably comprises an end pipe, which is rotatably connected to the reel at one end, at the location of the axis of rotation thereof, and which is connected to the manure distributing unit at the other end, in such a manner that the manure can be carried to the manure distributing unit via said end pipe. The manure supply hose preferably has a length of 200 - 800 m and is usually connected at the end remote from the manure distributing unit to a pump for supplying the manure. If necessary, this may take place by means of an intermediate, additional hose, which may be several kilometres long.

The invention further relates to a device for manuring land, comprising a driven vehicle, a manure distributing unit and a manure supply hose connected to the manure distributing unit, said device further comprising a buffer device capable of alternately paying out and winding up the manure supply hose while driving, characterised in that the device further comprises guide means arranged for guiding the manure supply hose to one of the two lateral ends of the manure distributing unit before it is paid out by the device while driving.

The invention further relates to a manuring device to be hitched to a driven vehicle, comprising a manure distributing unit that can be connected to a manure supply hose, said manuring device further comprising a buffer device capable of alternately paying out and winding up the manure supply hose while driving, characterised in that the device further comprises guide means are arranged for guiding the manure supply hose to one of the two lateral ends of the manure distributing unit before it is paid out by the device while driving.

The invention will now be explained in more detail on the basis of embodiments shown in the figures, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic, perspective view of a manuring device;

Figure 2 is a schematic top plan view of the manuring device of figure 1 during various stages of the manuring of a plot of farmland.

As shown in the figures, a device for manuring land comprises a tractor 1 and a manuring device 2, which is hitched to the rear side of the tractor 1. The manuring device 2 drives over the farmland via wide wheels 9 and comprises a laterally extending manure distributing unit 3, in this embodiment a manure injection unit. For a description of such a manure injection unit reference is made to Dutch patent publication NL 192183. The invention may also be implemented on a device by which the manure is sprayed above the ground 4, for example, instead of being implemented on a device comprising a manure injection unit 3.

The manure injection unit 3 comprises several manure injectors 5, only a few of which are shown in figure, which are connected to a distributing head 6 by means of distributing hoses (not shown) .

The device further comprises a motor-driven reel 8 for paying out and winding up a manure supply hose 7 while driving. The diameter of the hose 7 is about 100 mm, the length is generally at least 200 m. The other end of the manure supply hose 7 is connected, if necessary by means of an additional manure supply hose connected thereto, which may be several kilometres long, to a manure storage reservoir or a manure pit, from which a pump pumps the manure through the hose 7 to the manure distributing unit whilst said manure distributing unit is driving over the land.

The distributing head 6 is connected to the hose 7 by means of an end pipe (not shown) which is connected via a rotary coupling to an end of the hose 7 extending into the shaft of the reel 8.

The device further comprises a pivoting arm 10, to which guide means 11 are mounted, which guide means guide the hose 7 to the end of the pivoting arm 10. For the sake of simplicity the guide means 11 are represented as rings in the figure, although they preferably comprise guide wheels, so that the hose will experience less resistance. The pivoting arm 10 has a length that amounts to approximately half the length of the manure distributing unit 3 and is mounted above the centre of the manure distributing unit 3, being pivotable in the horizontal plane. The pivoting arm 10 can be pivoted between two fixed positions by means of a driving motor, viz. between a first position, in which the hose 7 is guided to the left-hand end of the manure distributing unit 3, and a second position, in which the hose 7 is guided to the right- hand end of the manure distributing unit .

Figure 2 shows the manner in which the device can be used in practice for manuring a plot of farmland. In a first direction (shown in situation A) the hose 7 is paid out from the reel 8 while manure is being pumped therethrough and guided to the left-hand end of the manure distributing unit via the guide means 11 before it is laid on the ground. As the dotted lines illustrate, the hose 7 may also be selectively guided to the right-hand end of the manure distributing unit 3 by means of the pivoting arm 10. Upon arriving at the end of a strip of farmland to be manured, the device makes a 180 degree turn, keeping the left-hand end of the manure distributing unit 3 positioned (more or less) above a fixed point (shown in situation B) . In this way the hose 7 is prevented from being dragged over the ground. After the turn has been completed, a strip of land on the side of the hose 7 adjacent to the already manured strip can be manured by means of the device (shown in situation C) . In that situation the hose 7 is wound on the reel 8 from the left-hand end of the manure distributing unit via the guide means 11 on the pivoting arm 10 while manuring, without the hose 7 being dragged over the ground.

Claims

CIAZMS

1. A method for manuring land, wherein a vehicle is driven over the land and manure is carried to a manure distributing unit connected to the vehicle by means of a manure supply hose, which manure supply hose is paid out from a hose buffer device connected to the vehicle and laid on the ground in a first direction of travel and which is lifted from the ground and wound up on the hose buffer device in a second, opposite direction of travel, characterised in that the manure supply hose is laid on the ground near one of the two lateral ends of the manure distributing unit, seen in the first direction of travel.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the manure supply hose is lifted from the ground near one of the two lateral ends of the manure distributing unit upon driving in the second, opposite direction.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the manure supply hose is filled with manure when it is wound onto the buffer.

4. A method according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the hose buffer is a reel that is rotated for wind up or paying out the manure supply hose.

5. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the manure supply hose is guided to one of the two lateral ends of the manure distributing unit with the aid of guide means.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the guide means are movably mounted on the manure distributing unit, and wherein the manure supply hose can be moved from a first end of the manure distributing unit to the other end of the manure distributing unit.

7. A device for manuring land, comprising a driven vehicle, a manure distributing unit and a manure supply hose connected to the manure distributing unit, said device further comprising a buffer device capable of alternately paying out and winding up the manure supply hose while driving, characterised in that the device further comprises guide means arranged for guiding the manure supply hose to one of the two lateral ends of the manure distributing unit before it is paid out by the device while driving.

8. A device according to claim 7, wherein said guide means are movably mounted on the manure distributing unit, in such a manner that the manure supply hose can be moved from a first end of the manure distributing unit to the other end of the manure distributing unit.

9. A device according to claim 7 or 8, wherein said guide means are mounted on an arm, which has a length of about half the lateral length of the manure distributing unit, and which is mounted near the lateral centre of the manure distributing unit, being pivotable in horizontal direction.

10. A device according to claim 7, 8 or 9, wherein the buffer device comprises a rotatable reel for winding up and paying out the hose.

11. A device according to claim 10, wherein the buffer device comprises a motor, which is connected to the reel for rotating the reel.

12. A device according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the buffer device comprises an end pipe, which is rotatably connected to the reel at one end, at the location of the axis of rotation thereof, and which is connected to the manure distributing unit at the other end, in such a manner that the manure can be carried to the manure distributing unit via said end pipe.

13. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the driven vehicle comprises a tractor.

14. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the manure distributing unit comprises a manure injecting device or a manure spraying device.

15. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the manure supply hose preferably has a length of 200 - 800 m.

16. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the manure supply hose is connected to a pump at the end remote from the manure distributing unit.

17. A manuring device to be hitched to a driven vehicle, comprising a manure distributing unit that can be connected to a manure supply hose, said manuring device further comprising a buffer device capable of alternately paying out and winding up the manure supply hose while driving, characterised in that the device further comprises guide means are arranged for guiding the manure supply hose to one of the two lateral ends of the manure distributing unit before it is paid out by the device while driving.