Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
The present invention relates to a method for spreading
seeds on soils covered wlth living plants and/or dead plant mater-
ial while simultaneously preparing seed beds, when required,
and for subsequently covering the preferably pressed in seed
grains in one and the same mechanized operation, and an agri-
cultural apparatus for carrying out the method.
In the past few years combinations of implements for
loosening soil, preparing seed beds and tilling in one operation
have become known. In these implement combinations the soil is
undercut, raised, coarsely loosened by wing-shaped loosening
shares and crushed by rotating tools installed behind said shares.
The soil is then levelled by a mouldboard and superficially
compacted by a subsequent clod breaker or by a packing roller.
A drilling machine, which is connected thereto or mounted thereon
and which can also be provided with disc shares puts the seed
grains into the crumbled and precompacted soil in the same
operation. Brushers which are known per se cover the seeds with
loose s~il.
These combinations of implements perform e~cellent work
on any light soil which is not covered with large quantities of
~ living or dead plants, manure, maize or cereal straw, etc. How-
ever, on heavier soils which are also covered with large quanti-
ties of green manure or straw they have the disadvantage that they
leave a soil structure which is either too coarsely lumped or is
too loose and in which the seed grains easily pass too deeply
into the soil or dry up in the interstices without being in in-
timate contact with the fine soil so that the plants sometimes
emerge irregularly or too thinlv spread or do not grow at all.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to
provide a rnethod and combination of implements for field work
which alleviates the disadvantages of conventional combinations
of implements. It is a particular object of the ~resent invention
. ~ ,~
to prepare, in one operation, tilled soils which are overgrown
with lar~e quantitles of plants such that they are ready for seed-
ing, to spread the seeds and to cover them uniformly with a mix-
ture of fine soil and the plants or crop residues which previously
covered the surface of the field in such a manner that the
germinating and growing plants, for example, cereals, maize, can
grow through -this mulch layer~
Accordingly, the present invention provides a method
of spreading seeds on soil covered with live or dead plants,
comprising advancing agricultural machinery over the soil, clearing
plants from the soil therewith, spreading seeds onto cleared soil
with a seed distribution device on said machinery, transporting
the plants over said distribution device and depositing them on
the soil behind said distribution device to cover the spread seeds.
By means of this method according to the present inven-
tion and with this novel combination of implements sdils, parti-
cularly those with a plant growth (for example, with a catch crop),
can be tilled in one operation. Furthermore, if these soils
are loosened to an ade~uate depth prior to the tilling or during
the growth of the catch crop, then, as experience has shown they
are ina particularly friable state. Thic state permits tilling
the main crop (to be grown subsequently) after flat working
of the soil in such a manner that the seeds are deposited on
and pressed into the untouched soil which remains after crushing
of the upper laver of the soil, and are covered with the mixture
of friable soil and plant residues. ;~
The invention willnow be described in more detail, by
way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings,
in which:-
Figure 1 shows a combination of implements in part-
sectioned lateral view;
Figure 2 is a rear view of the combination shown in
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Figure l;
Figures 3 to 7 show various alternative embodiments
of the arrangement shown in Figure l;
Figure 8 shows a further variant of a seeding device
according to the invention; .,
Figure 9 shows the same structural design in the oppo-
site direction of rotation;
Figure 10 shows a further variant of a seeding device
accordin~ to the invention; and
Fi.gures 11 to 13 show lateral views of various combina-
tions of implements for use with the seeding devices shown in
Figure 10.
As is evident from Figures 1 and 2 the combination of
i.mplements comprises a box support beam 1, on which there is
mounted a holding means 2 for a vertical rod 3, at the lower end of
which is mounted a loosening share 4. The rod 3 is installed
between the planes of rotating prongs 6 which are mounted on a
rotating shaft 5 and follow paths of motion ~. Furthermore, the
attachment device 8 for coupl.ing to the upper and lower guides
of a tractor (not shown in detail) and a seed hopper 9 are also~
secured to the suppor~ beaml. A conveyer 10 has a transverse
portion located in the bottom of the seed hopper 9. The convey-
er 10 also comprises a lateral feed portion 11 extending down-
wards from thehopper g and connected to atransverse portion 12
moving in the opposite direction to that of the portion in
the hopper 9 and which is disposed above or adjacent a small
storage space 12a. The transverse conveyer portion 12 and the
storage space 12a communicate with the seeding member 13 which
can have seeding shares 14, and form the lower limit of an open-
ing 35, which is laterally bounded by the feed conveyer portion11 and a return conveyer portion 22.
In operation, soil and any plants growing therein is
separated by the shares 4 and ejected rearwards through the
opening 35 via a guide track 4a termlnating in front of the top
edge of the transverse conveyer portion 12. The ejected mixture of
soil and plants "G" is intercepted by a covering hood 15 so that
it is ejected behind a pressure roll 16 on~o the seeds "S"
deposited on surface 36 from which the top soil layer "A" has been
removed but which has otherwise remained unworked.
The prongs 6 receive the soil layer undercut by the
loosening shares 4 as well as any plants growing therein or
straw, etc., deposited thereon and throw it rearwards via the
slide 4a in a direction inclined from below to the top so that at
least a portion of the thrown-up mixture of soil and plant resi-
dues drops to the ground after passing over the pressure roll 16.
When desired, the seeds are not spread directly on the unworked
soil surface 36 but they are spread into loose, fine-crumb soil.
This can be achieved by correctly adjusting a baffle plate 17
so that the thrown~up soil-plant mîxture "G" is divided in such
a way that a portion of the mixture drops to the ground in front
of the seeding device 13,14. The seeds deposited on this loose
soil layer can then be pressed directly into the loose soil ahead
- of the pressure roll 16 and are covered with the rest of the soil-
plant mixture deflected by the covering hood 15.
It is also feasible to divide the thrown-up soil-plant
mixture into three portions, a first portion being deposited as
loose soil ahead of the seeding device on the surface 36 which
remains unworked. This can be achieved, for example, by forming
the slide 4a of rod-shaped elements 4b as shown in Figure 4.
A second portion is deflected by the baffle plate 17
to the seed grain deposited bv the seeding device so that this
loose soil is pressed in together with the seed grain. A third
portion is thrown against the covering hood 15 so that it can
cover the seeds pressed into the loose soil with additional
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plant material.
~ he conveyer 10 for the seeds shown in Figure 1 and 2
- is deslgned as a tubular chain conveyer in which guide rolls
(not shown) are disposed. One of the guide rolls is driven in
a known manner and pulls a conveying chain or a rope 20 having
entrainer disks 21 through the tube, so that the seeds are
transported in the bottom portion of the seed hopper 9, for
example, in a direction from the left to the right, then down-
wards in the vertical feed tube 11 and subsequently from the right
to the left through the seeding device 13,14. Seed grains
thus pass continuously lnto an intermediate container 12a which
thus always remains filled since the rest of the grains continuous-
ly move on in aleftward direction. Grains which are not requi~ed
are returned to the seed hopper 9 by the return conveyer 22.
In the seed hopper they are recirculated by the transverse con-
veyer portion 10.
As shown in Figure 3, instead of using a continuously
circulating tubular chain conveyer for conveying the seeds, e.g.,
a gravity ~.ube 18 may be connected to the transverse conveyer
por~ion 10 of the seed hopper 9 and the excess grains can be re-
turned from the lower transverse conveyer 12 via an elevator 19
to the seed hopper 9.
Furthermore, any other constructional variant of
conventional conveying means which can be assembled to form a
system in which the free opening 35 is maintained is applicable.
The alternative embodiment shown in Figure 4 differs
from that described hereinbefore primarily in that a different
frame construction 1' is em~lo~ed in which the holding rod 3'
for the loosening shares 4' are secured to the front of the
frame 1' and the shares 4' engage the soil ahead of the circular
path 7' of the preferably fle~ible prongs 6' of the rotary culti- -
vator unit 5',6',7'. ~n this case, some kind of cover frame 23
having a mouldboard 23', or the like, connected thereto is used
instead of a simple covering hood.
Furthermore, the contact pressure of a pressure roll
16 can be varied by means of an adjusting spindle 3~ which acts
on a tie rod 41' of the feed roll 16. Figure 4 shows a mountlng
support 42 for stripper 43 on the roll 16.
The embodiment shown in Figure 5 shows a variant which
concerns the manner of breaking up the soil. In this case the
loosening shares 4 and the slide elements 4a and 4b are dis-
pensed with and replaced by a rotary cul*ivator 5" having pre-
ferably flexible prongs 6" whose circular path 7" and the cir-
cular path 45 of a crusher 44 fitted with prongs are approximately
tangential. The crusher, as an intermediate conveyer member,
bridges the free space between the cultivator 5",6" and the lower
transverse conveyer shaft 12 and maintains frictionless trans-
port of the stripped-off to~ soil.
As the Figures 6 and 7 show, in the presence of verv
large plant stands "Pf", particu].ary cereal-maize straw, a flail
mower 29 can he connected in series with the implement c~bination
according to Figure 1. The ~lail mower can eject the organic
material over the seeding device 12,13,1~ onto the completely
tilled field. This has the advantage that a larger thickness "A"
of the soil layer undercut by the loosening shares ~ can be
selected when required and that the seeds are embedded exclusi-
vely in fine soil.
The organic plant material is thrown over the entire
apparatus onto the completely tilled seed bed 50 that before
this material decomposes or serves as food ~or the soil organisms
and bacteria it forms a mulch cover, which provides shade for the
soil and pre-wilts first . In order to prevent heavy crumb
material from sticking in too long a discharge channel 28 of the
flail mower 29, a conveyer belt 33 is provided which conveys this
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material so far to the rear that it can drop onto the soil directly
behind the roll 16. At the front en~ of the belt 33 a short lower
channel wall 34 is provided and the covering hood 15 is slightly
pulled up at the end as shown by the broken line 15' or the end
comprises a movable panel as shown by reference 15'l~
The conveyer channel 28 and the channel wall 34 pass
through the opening 35, which is enlarged in this embodiment,
and is inclined from the bottom to the top, since the seed
hopper 9 is disposed in front of and above the flail mower 29 and
above the support tube 29 in order to provide a favourable
centre of gravity for *he entire combination. The carrying tube
26 and the main support beam l are connected to each other via the
auxiliary frame 27. The gear connections are indicated by the
positions 24 and 24'. Furthermore, between the mulching device
29,3n,31 and the rotary tiller 5,6 or 5',6' an intermediate
conveyer, stripper 25, or the like may be provided, and the
circular paths 7 and 32 may be tangent and bridge the space there-
between.
Finally, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, it is within
the scope of the present invention to clear the seed hed 36
from remnants of decayed plants "S" in order to spread seed
grains and -then to cover it again using a pick-up roller ~7 having
a support 48 and prongs 46 controlled in the path 37 and/or flex-
ible-prongs. The lower transverse seed conveyer 12 with the
seeding members 13,14 is then guided inside the pick-up roller
37,47, to which a baffle plate 28 can be assigned in the usual
manner. The sense of rotation of this pick up roller is in or
against the direction of travel.
Since the tilling of any field overgrown with plants
or covered with lar~e quantities of straw or other organic
refuse may be carried out in a single operation without having to
maintain the so-called "waiting period" of several weeks, which
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heretofore has been considered necessary because of the decom-
position of crop residues mixed with the soil, in future, almost
any field can always remain covered during the entire year
either with main crops or with catch crops. ~nis improves the
shading of the soil, the enrichment with nitrogen and the acti-
vation of the soil and reduces the expenditure for ploughing in
crop residues or grubbing the soil or tilling it by rotary culti~
vator which seemed necessary heretofore to free the soil surface
from plant remnants prior to sowing the succeeding crop.
The novel method avoids the unfavoura~Le effects of
ploughing, grubbing or tilling by rotary tiller, as applied
heretofore, for example, on the soil horizon, on the water conser-
vation or on the interference with the fauna of the soil. There-
fore, the novel method provides an appreciable increase in the
net production of biomass in agriculture for both the production
of food and the producbion of energy and raw materials.
Since the novel method reduces not only the expendi-
ture of energ~ and the consumption of fuel, commercial fertilizers
and plant protection products, but also contributesdecisively to
maintaining soil fertility to avoid erosion and leaching as well
as to promote the enri-~hment of the humus content even in inten-
- sively used soils, it constitutes a substantial advance in the art.
Wherever the rotary cultivator prongs 6 operate with
the loosening shares 4 the radially flexible prongs 6" shown in
Figure 5 and described hereinbefore should normally be used.
Otherwise there is a danger that pieces of rock might become jammed
between the shares 4 and theprongs 6", This danger is reduced to
a large extend by the use of flexible prongs since they can turn
aside and these parts thus are no longer subject to damage.
Finally, embodiments of the invention which can be used
with one of the conventional pneumatic seeders are shown in the
Figures 10 to 13. Thus, for example, this kind of pneumatic seeder
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~6~
is represented dia~rammatically in Figure 10 in plan view. The
seeder has a central seed hopper 55, which is disposed above the
implement 49,50 or 51,5~ Eor preparing the seed bed and from which
air-seed tubes 56 extend laterally downwards on both sides and
are so diverted outside the discharge opening 57 of the implement
49,50 or 50,51 that they extend below the discharge opening 57
towards the centre of the implement. Each tube is slightlv
longer or shorter than its adjacent tube in order to distribute
the discharge openings for the seeds 56a uniformly over the
operative width.
The otherconstructional units such as sowing shares,
pressure roll, mouldboard, etc., are the same as those in the
other embodiments and, therefore,they are not shown in detail.
The use of this kind of pneumatic seeder has the
advantage that no new hopper, no additional transverse conveyer
elements in the hopper and no separate; seeding devices with
additional transverse conveyers must be produced by that known
or existing component parts can be used.
With this kind of seeder broaclcast sowing as well as
band sowing and row seeding can be carried out.
The lateral view according to Figure 11 shows a com-
bination of elements which is feasible when using pneumatic seeders.
The implement for preparing seed beds comprises a rotary
cultivator ~9 with cutters 5û extending on the ground against the
direction of travel. The cutters throw!the soil to the rear onto
a lift or transport roller 51ro*atin~ in the opposite direction of
rotation. The -roller is fitted with wide prongs or continuous
bars 52 which form fans with each other. The soil thrown to the
rear by the cutters 50 is embedded in these fans and carried
upwards.
The roller 51 rotates so fast that the material is thrown
by the centrifugal force over the stripper edge53 towards the -
g _
rear so that some of it drops to the ground behind the seed pipes
56 and ahead of the press-on roller 54 and some drops to the
ground behind the roller 9.
As a simplified variant of this embodiment Figure 12
shows the same setup as in Figure 11 but with the difference that
the rotary tiller 49,50 installed ahead of the mounting support
58 has been omitted. In this case the bars 52 of the transport
roller 51 can be designed as wide scoop prongs or fan-forming
scoop bars, which operate at relatively low speed exclusively
in previously tilled soil or soil readied for seeding, raise
the top soil layer with the mulch material thereon and eject
it to the rear over the seeder 56 disposed closely above the soil
surface. This variant has the advantage that a certain neriod
of time may pass between the preparation of the seed bed and the
cultivation.
Finally in the variant according to Figure 13 the
transport roller 51,52 has been omitted and the rotary cultivator
~9 with its cutters 50 is disposed directly ahead of the stripper
edge 53 of the seed pipes 56. It is clear that in this case the
cutters 50 convey the tilled-off soil to the rear over the seed
members 56 under the covering hood 59, said cutters 50 rotating
in the direction o~ travel.
Furthermore, the variants shown in the Figures 11 to
13 operate more simply and reliably than the embodiments in
which the cultivator ~rongs operate above scraping shares or
similar loosening elements extending in the soil. In these variants
there exists the danger that the tools becomejammed even if the
prongs of the cultivator rotors are made of flat spring steel
having good conveying action.
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