Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SEED CENTERING DISTRIBUTION DEVICE
Field of the Invention
This invention relates to pneumatic seed and
fertillzer distribution devices in agricultural implements.
More particularly, this invention relates to a device for
efficiently and uniformly distributing and centering seed
and/or fertilizer or granular herbicide for entry into a
primary distribution manifold.
Background
Modern farming techniques call for the pneumatic
conveying of seed, fertillzer and granular herbicide from a
bin supported by a wheeled cart, commonly called an air
seeder, to seed lines located on a tillage tool, and finally
to the soil. A centrifugal blower, located on a prlmary
distribution line, is primarlly used to pneumatically convey
metered seed and fertilizer. Generally the primary
distribution tube distributes the seed and fertilizer to a
primary manifold whlch then in turn sends the seed and
fertilizer to secondary seed distribution manifolds which in
turn distrlbute the seed and fertilizer to tertiary seed lines
and seed boots located on the knlves or sweeps of the tillage
tool.
The problem whlch has exlsted ln the art since its
conception is uneven distrlbution of seed. To produce a
uniform crop, which will maximize yield probability, seed must
be evenly distributed across the wldth of a seed distribution
implement.
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To counter this problem, a number of conflguratlons
or arrangements for the prlmary seed dlstrlbutlon conveyance
tube have been used. Most, however, requlre heavy turbulence
to mlx and dlstrlbute the seed and/or fertlllzer or granular
herblclde. Thls heavy turbulence, unfortunately, requlres a
great deal of power from the blower used to pneumatlcally move
the seed along.
In addltion, a second serious problem exlsts wlth
heavy turbulence of the seed, namely damage to seeds whlch are
delicate or fragile, such as lentlls, peas and canola.
One such apparatus whlch was lnvented to center and
evenly dlstribute seed ls dlsclosed and clalmed ln Canadlan
Patent No. 1,167,704 and lts U.S. counterparts USP 4,575,284
and USP 4,685,843 - lssued to Kelm. The lnvention dlsclosed
ln these patents is a seed dlstrlbution apparatus for
centering the seed whlch uses concentrlc annular rolls of
dlmpled projectlons, each row belng offset from each ad~acent
row. Inwardly dlrected rounded pro~ectlons center the
granular materlal belng conveyed by the conduit. The
proiectlons attempt to center the dlrection of the blown
granular material into the primary distribution head. Since
heavy turbulence ls necessary, damaged seed and large amounts
of power needed to effect the distribution are drawbacks of
this invention.
In Canadian patent 1,170,918, lssued to Symonds for
~lr Flow Seeders, the primary condult lncludes, between the
particulate materlal lnlet and a prlmary dlstrlbutlon location
across the lower face of the conduit, a flrst deflectlng veln
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which deflects seed upwardly and a second deflecting vein
which deflects seed downwardly. Each vein ls adiustable about
a substantlally vertlcal axls preferably from the outslde of
the tube. There is also a plurality of vertlcally oriented
veins used to divide the seed into a number of dlstrlbutlon
channels. One of the problems wlth thls second lnventlon is
that it is not adapted to center the seed as it travels a
horizontally disposed distribution tube to a vertlcally
disposed portion of the distribution tube.
It is an ob~ect of the present lnventlon to provlde
a seed centerlng and dlstrlbution device which uses much less
energy to distribute the seed and/or fertilizer or granular
herbicide. As a result there is less turbulence and less
damage to the seed.
It is a further ob~ect of the present invention to
provide a device for moving the seed along a horizontally
disposed distribution tube up through a vertically disposed
distrlbution tube to a primary distribution manifold while
keeping the seed/fertilizer centered at all times.
The present invention comprlses a centerlng system
which is provided by a primary conveyance pipe with a
plurality of centering rings and a centrally located baffle or
vein. The baffle or vein divides the seed stream as it moves
about a 90~ angle. The centering rlngs are annular and
sloped. The width of these rlngs on the downstream slde is
thicker than the width of the rings on thelr upstream sides.
In longitudinal cross section the rings slope inwardly at the
downstream slde, thereby moving the seed, in operation, from
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the sides of the circular conveyance pipe to the center of the
conveyance pipe. Generally, one or more rings are placed
upstream of the centrally located angular baffle and two or
more rings are placed on the downstream side of the centrally
located annular baffle. Thus, when the seed finally moves
vertically towards the prlmary manlfold, lt reaches the
manifold at the center of the pipe and is deflected equally
throughout the secondary distrlbution llnes.
Therefore, this invention seeks to provlde a
conveyance devlce for use with agrlculture pneumatic seedlng
lmplements, and belng adapted to evenly distribute seed and/or
fertilizer or granular herbicide to the soil, comprislng: a
prlmary hollow conveyance tube; sald tube including a
generally horizontally disposed elongate first portion; said
flrst portlon belng downstream of and ln open communlcatlon
with a discharge tube of an air seeder; said discharge tube
being adapted to receive predetermined amounts of seed and/or
fertilizer or granular herbicide from said air seeder; said
seed and/or fertilizer or granular herbicide being
pneumatically conveyed out of sald discharge tube to sald
flrst portlon by a blower means located at the opposite end of
said discharge tube; said prlmary hollow conveyance tube
further including a transitlonal second portion and a
generally uprl~ht thlrd portlon sa~d second and sald thlrd
portions being downstream of said first portion; and said
third portion being in open communication with a primary
distribution manifold; said primary hollow conveyance tube
havlng disposed withln itself at least one sloped centering
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ring; said centering ring pro~ectlng inwardly to an increasing
extent from its upstream side to its downstream side such that
in operatlon when seed and/or fertilizer or granular herbicide
is pneumatically conveyed through said conveyance tube, said
seed and~or fertilizer or granular herbicide, upon contact
with said upstream side of said centering ring is directed
towards the center of said tube.
The invention also seeks to provide a seed and/or
fertilizer or granular herbicide centering and distributlon
device for use with agricultural implements including: a
distribution tube, including an upright section, for
pneumatically conveying said seed and/or fertilizer or
granular herbicide; said tube includlng at least one lnner
annular sloped pro~ectlon; sald pro~ection being of a width
such that a downstream edge of sald proiectlon extends further
towards the center of sald tube than an upstream edge of said
projection.
The invention can be more particularly described in
conjunction with the following drawings wherein:
Figure 1 is a side view of a cultivator equipped
with seed lines and belng hitched to a standard air seeder;
Flgure 2 ls a longltudinal cross section of the
primary distrlbutlon plpe; and
Figure 3 is a detailed view of a portion of Figure 2
marked as III.
In Figure 1 an air seeder shown generally as 1 is
equipped with a fertllizer bin 2a and a seed bin 2b.
Fertilizer and seed are metered to a primary distribution tube
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3 by means of known metering augers shown as 4. These
metering augers 4 are located at the ~unction of the bottom of
the seed and/or fertilizer or granular herbicide bins 2a and
2b, and the primary conveyance tube 3. Seed and/or fertillzer
or granular herbiclde are mlxed and conveyed forwardly by
means of a centrlfugal blower 5 which is located to the rear
of prlmary conveyance tube 3. Prlmary conveyance tube 3 ls
made up of a horlzontally dlsposed portlon 6, an obllque
angled transitional portion 6a, and a vertically disposed
portlon 7. After the seed ls blown downstream through
sections 6, 6a, and 7 of tube 3, lt enters the prlmary
dlstrlbutlon manlfold 8, from whence lt ls distrlbuted to a
plurality of manifold tubes 9, and then into secondary
dlstrlbution tubes 10.
From the secondary distribution tubes 10, the seed
follows through a right-angled course through right angled
elbows 11 to secondary manlfolds 12. Thereafter, the seed ls
evenly dlvlded lnto a plurality of tertiary seed distrlbutlon
tubes 13 to seed boots 14 where lt ls then blown lnto a furrow
created by knlfe or sweep 15 on a cultlvator or another soll
working implement.
Prlmary seed and/or fertllizer or granular herbiclde
dlstrlbutlon tube 3 has a flexible ~oint 16 whlch ls generally
made of a fle~ible rubber couplln~. This coupling i~
necessary to allow bendlng of seed dlstrlbutlon tube 3 when
the cultlvator and alr seeder turn around a corner or are
movlng over uneven ground. To the rear of the cultivator is a
hltch 17 whlch ls coupled to a front hitch 18 of the alr
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seeder. Generally the connection between the two hitches is
immedlately below the flexible ~oint 16 of primary
distribution tube 3.
As seen in greater detail in Figures 2 and 3, the
primary dlstrlbutlon tube 3 with lts horizontally dlsposed
section 6 and vertically disposed section 7 is equipped with a
plurality of annular sloped rlngs l9a, l9b and l9c. These
rlngs are adapted to move the seed 27 and fertilizer 28 lnto
the middle of the tube 3. As partlcularly shown ln Flgure 3,
sloped annular rlng l9a, as well as rings l9b and l9c, are
located on the inner walls 23 of conveyance tube 3. The
downstream portion 25 of annular rlngs l9a, l9b and l9c is
thlcker, i.e. it proiects further inwardly into the conveyance
tube 3 than the upstream portion shown as 26.
One notes that the thlckness of the sloped ring l9a
at the upstream edge 26 is very small. In fact, if the inside
diameter of the sloped ring l9a at lts upstream edge 26 is
compared to the inside diameter of the hollow conveyance tube
3, one would find that the former inside diameter is the same
as, or slightly less than, the latter lnslde dlameter of the
tube 3.
Also ln Figure 3 one notes that the downstream edge
25 is at a right angle to the inner walls 23 of hollow
~onveyance tube 3, that ls to say, perpendlcular to the
longltudlnal axls of tube 3.
Thus, the airflow is directed inwardly towards the
center of the conveyance tube 3 in order to centrallze the
seed and/or fertlllzer 27,28.
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As a further measure for evenly distributing seed
andtor fertilizer or granular herbicide, a centralized baffle
ls located withln tubes 6 and 7. It is comprised of a
horlzontal portlon 20, an obllque portlon 21 and a vertical
portion 22. Thus, the seed is moved from a horizontal
dlrectlon to a vertical dlrectlon in a split stream such that
approximately even amounts of seed and/or fertilizer or
granular herbicide are on each side of the baffle.
Thereafter, sloped centering rlngs l9b and l9c centrallze the
seed such that lt is evenly dlstrlbuted when enterlng manlfold
8 prior to being conveyed through manifold distribution tubes
9. Flnally, as shown in greater detall in Figure 2, a
coupling hitch pin 24 is used to connect the air seeder hitch
18 to the cultivator hltch 17.
Although a preferred embodlment of the invention has
been shown, any comblnatlon of sloped annular rlngs and
baffles is contemplated by the lnventlon and ls within the
splrlt of the lnventlon.
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