Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
llZti.588
This invention relates to an improved seed sower.
In order to fully describe the invention, reference is
made to Australian Patent Specification 25666/67 which forms a
good example of prior art. This invention refers to a planter
having a drum or cylinder with spaced holes about its periphery.
The drum rotates and at any time part of the periphery communicates
with a hopper which stores a supply of seed so that single seeds
are picked up by each spaced hole. The interior of the drum has
a suction applied so that seeds are retained in position in either
respective holes as the drum rotates.
Difficulty has been experienced in planters of the type
disclosed in Specification 25666/67 because the seeds were subject
to a scraper which scraped the seeds from their respective holes
in order for the seeds to be released and fed into a planting
mechanism or share. Normally the scrapers were in the form of
blade type wipers or brushes and succeeded in breaking the seeds,
or only allowing in separating the husk of the seed from the core
and, subsequently succeeded in destroying germination. Also clog-
ging of the holes occurred and this meant that the clogged hole
could not pick up a seed on its following revolution thereby result-
ing in regular "misses".
An object of the invention is to provide a seed sower
which alleviates the above-mentioned problems of the prior art.
The seed sower of the invention includes an apertured
driven pick-up member in the form of a rotatable drum having spaced
apertures in communication with a suction means and which apertures
move through seed storage means in such manner that single seeds
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are picked up at the apertures by suction and held over each aper-
ture and caxried to a discharge locality and released for planting,
characterized in that the pick-up member is hollow and is provided
with an internal sealing member having an exterior surface which
contacts the interior of each filled aperture adjacent the dis-
charge locality thereby sealing off the suction and releasing
each seed at the discharge locality, said internal sealing member
comprising a rotatable roller having a rotational axis which is
spaced from the rotational axis of said drum, said roller being
provided with a plurality of outwardly extending tines on the
exterior surface thereof, each of said tines being arranged to
project through an adjacent aperture of the rotatable drum when
that aperture is adjacent the discharge locality and thereby assist
in releasing the held seed from its respective aperture.
By contacting the interior surface of each filled aper-
ture, the exterior surface of the internal member seals off the
suction which is usually applied from the interior of the pick-up
member with the result that the seed is no longer held by the
suction in its associated aperture and thereby falls through a
discharge outlet.
Preferably the exterior surface of the roller is of a
resilient nature as this enhances the desired sealing action.
Each tine may have an outer sheath of resilient material
to enhance the sealing action of the roller. Alternatively each
tine may have a non-resilient outer surface but the area of the
sealing roller which surrounds each tine may be of a resilient
nature.
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Most desirably the sealing roller is freely rotatable
and is rotated by the above-mentioned tines which engage with an
associated aperture of the pick-up drum when it rotates.
In another variation the roller and drum may be provided
with gears to maintain accurate meshing of the tines with the
spaced apertures in the drum.
Reference is now made to preferred embodiments of the
invention as shown in the attached drawings, wherein
FIG 1 is a side elevation of a seed sower constructed in
accordance with abasic principle of the invention;
FIG 2 is a section view of the seed sower illustrated
in FIG 1 along the line 2-2;
FIG 3 is a sectional view of the seed sower illustrated
in FIG 2 along the line 3-3; and
FIG 4 is a sectional end view of a modified seed sower
constructed in accordance with the invention.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OE THE PREFERRED EMsoDIMENT
In the drawings, the sower 10 includes pick-up drum
11, driven by any appropriate drive means such as sprocket
wheel 12 and drive sprocket 13. The drum is in communication
with a suction pump (not shown) introduced through connector
conduit 17 which is engaged with an upwardly extending pipe
18 as shown. The drum 11 rotates on bearing 19. There is also
shown sealing roller 16 having an outer sheath or band of
resilient material 15.
As the drum rotates, its outer surface is brought
into contact with seed 14 in hopper 20 though the suction
applied to the interior of the drum Il through conduit 17.
Individual seeds through the suction are applied onto apertures
21 spaced around the drum 11 and thereby carried around the
exterior surface thereof as shown in FIG 1.
At the predetermined point, the seed is released by
means of roller 16 sealing the seed from the suction applied
to the interior of drum 11, by the action of sealing band 15
which protrudes slightly into the apertures 21 and further
assists in removal of seed.
In FIG 2 it will be noted that roller 16 rotates on
bearing 22 supported by a cranked shaft 23 with leve~ 24
fixed to its outer end. The shaft 23 is rotatably supported
by bearing 30 which is fixed to rearwardly extending tubular
portion 25 of sower 10. The shaft 23 passes through rear
plate 26 of sower 10. Lever 24 is supported by screw 27 at
its top end and by shaft 23 at its bottom end as shown.
By turning the cranked shaft 23, the position of
roller 16 relative to the interior surface of drum 11, can be
varied thereby providing for adjustment of pressure exerted on
the drum 11 by roller 16. By locking lcvcl 24 in a fixed
position by means of screw 27, a fixed and predetermined
pressure can be maintained between roller 16 and drum 11.
There also could be provided other appropriate pressure
adjustment means than that specifically described - i.e. by
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use of compression or tension springs, slide or equivalent arrange-
ment.
In FIG 4 it will be noted that roller 16 is provided
with tines 28 which as shown are so arranged on roller 16 that
they positively clear apertures 21 and also protrude therethrough
when the roller band 15 contacts the interior surface of the drum
11. The tines assist the releasing action of the roller 16. Thus,
if a seed or portion of a seed becomes wedged in an aperture 21
and is not released by the sealing action of the roller, that seed
or seed portion will be dislodged by a tine. The tines 28 may
have a resilient sheath as described previously. The seeds fall
through discharge passage 29 as in FIGS 1-3.
The resilient material utilized in this invention may
be of any appropriate type such as rubber. The sealing roller
can be of any convenient diameter or width and can be loaded onto
the inner drum surface by a mechanical crank spring or the like
to create sufficient contact to seal with apertures from the suc-
tion applie~.
It will also be appreciated that seeds sown in accordance
with the invention can be sown at a regular spacing and at a
regular rate thereby increasing crop yields.
It will further be appreciated that multiple lines of
apertures 21 may be provided about the periphery of drum 11, as
well as a single line of apertures or, alternatively, the apertures
21 may be provided in a random fashion about drum 11 if desired.
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