CA1160109A - Distributor for a single-seed seeding machine of the succion type - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF DISCLOSURE
The invention relates to a distributor of the succion type for a single-seed seeding machine with a rotary apertured disk .
The distributor 2 includes an apertured disk 5 rotating in a casing 4 and two adjoining selector plates 16 and 17 pivoted at 13 on the casing and provided with alternate projections 26,31 spaced on their edges extending along the path of motion of apertures 6 in disk/so as to border said path,the relative angular positions of the two plates being adjusted by means of a single lever 14 provided with cams and pivoted at 15 on casing 4.
Application to the single-seed seeding machines of high accuracy.

FIGURE 1.

DA.

Description

()9 The present invention relates to a distributor for a single-seed seeding machine of the succion type.
The invention applies more particularly to the disk-type distributors of p-neumatic seeding machines.
The maJor problem to be solved on this type of seeding machine is that of seed selection by the machine distributor whereof the apertured disk should carry one single seed per aperture. The solution of this problem involves both the seed-catching effect of the succion apertures in the distributor disk and the member for double seed reJeCtion, hereinafter called selector,provided on modern seeding machines.
In a known single-seed seeding machine, as described in particular in French patent 1,208,202, gripping of the seeds by the succion apertures in the distributor disk is facilitated by a stirring action exerted by a stirrer having blades which rotate parallel to the disk. Selection is effected by ad~ustable paddles in staggered positions on both sides of the path of motion of the seeds carried by the distributor, said palles defining a passageway and acting to radially ~oggle the packs of seeds bound or,to the succion apertures alternately towards the center of the disk and DA. -2-.

~6u~og towards the periphery thereof. This selection system fails to be completely satisfactory in as much as the stirrer does not push the seeds towards the dlsk but drives them parallel to the latter,and also as the packs of seeds bound onto the succion apertures are Joggled but once in each direction ,this being in some cases found insufficient.
In another improved single-seed seeding machine,as described in particular in French patent 1,585,445,the seed stirriny in the reservoir ad~acent to the carrier disk is also effected as previously parallel to this disk,but the adJustable selection paddles of the previous seeding machine were replaced by a selector plate cut with saw-teeth so as to form a plurality of successive slanted ramps having their apices in gradually closer relati~nship to the succion apertures in the distributor disk~ With this arrangement,the packs of seeds caked onto the succion apertures are sub~ected to a series of successive impacts which will cause the packs to revolve on themselves and will bring forth the fall of the seeds thrown off their balance. While this arrangement is satisfactory,it will be noted that with this selector plate,the seed packs are only pushed in a single radial direction,either towards the center of the distributor disk,or on the contrary towards the periphery thereof,and this may give advantage to some seeds located in a privile~ed position within the pack bound onto the succion aperture.

The purpose ~ ~e present invention is therefore to provide a distributor for a single-seed seeding machine wherein the feeding of seeds to the apertured distribution disk as well as the removal of 5 ~ double seeds bound onto the same succion aperture of this disk are improved.
The succion type distributor for a single-seed seeding machine according to the invention includes a rotary distribution disk provided with a circular row of apertures, a casing having its interior divided by the disk into two adJacent enclosures whereof one acts as a seed reservoir and the other, lying along a portion of the path of motion of the disk apertures,constitutes a succion chamber,a double-seed removing device applied against the disk along the path of motion of the apertures and a stirrer located in the seed reservoir adJacent to said disk,the double seed removing device consisting ~ainly of two ad~oining selector plates pivoted at one end on the casing and so disposed as to have one edge lying along the path of motion of the distributor disk apertures, each of said edges being provided with a plurality of successive pro~ections extending radially towards said apertures, said proJections of one plate being locatedlon one side of said path while the proJections of the other plate are offset and located on the opposite side in front of the gaps between the proJections of said one plate.

)9 Preferably,the selector plates are hinged about a common pin which is secured to the casing adJacent to the periphery of the distribution disk and extends at right angle to the latter,said plates extending from their hinge pin in a direction opposite to that of rotation of the disk.
Preferably,the distributor according to the invention includes means for adJusting the relative angular positions of the two selector plates,said adJusting means mainly consisting of a lever which is pivoted on the casing and provided with cams offset on either side of the pivot pin of said lever,said cams being accommodated in corresponding terminal recesses provided in the plates at the ends thereof opposed to their pivoted connections with the casing.

Since better accuracy in seed selection is also related to better catching of said seeds by the succion apertures during passage thereof within the reservoir,the invention also provides for orienting the axis of rotation of the stirrer in a direction parallel to the plane of the distribution disk so that the stirrer rotation will move the seeds towards the disk.
This preferred arrangement makes it possible,according to the invention,to cause the ~tirrer to be driven by the distr~bution disk itself through simple coupling means arranged therebetween . Preferably,said coupling means consist either of a roller made of a material having a high coefficient of friction such as rubber,said roller being mounted on the axis of rotation of the stirrer and rolling on the disk,or still of a pinion fast with the stirrer shaft and a plurality of recesses provided in a circular row in the disk about its axis of rotation, so that the teeth of the stirrer will mesh with said recesses~
The invention will now be described in more details with reference to specific embodiments disclosed by way of non restrictive example and shown on the accompanying drawings,wherein:

Fig.l is a diagrammatical sectional view of a distributor for a pneumatic seeding machine according to the invention;
Fig.2 is an exploded perspective view of the double seed removing device in the distributor of figure 1;
Fig.3 is a front view of this same double seed removing device of figure 2;
Fig;4 is a side view of the removing device of figure 3, Fig.5 is a fragmentary view of the lower distributor portion having the stirrer according to the invention located therein,and Fig.6 is a sectional view of the distributor in figure 5 through the stirrer axis,along line VI-VI of said figure As shown in figure l,the single-seed pneumatic seeding machine according to the invention comprises in the conventional manner,such as described in particular in French patents 1,208,202 and 1,585,415 whereof the )9 specifications should be regarded as incorporated herewith, a seed hopper 1 lying over a suc~ion type distrlbutor 2 in turn located above a lower ploughshare 3 for cutting furrows in the ground,the assembly being carried by a conventional chassis not shown.
The distributor 2 consists in known manner of a casing 4 having its interior divided into two ad~acent enclosures by a rotary distribution disk 5 provided about its periphery with a circular row of apertures 6 and rotating about a central shaft 7 rotatably driven by gears not shown,and a universal ~oint ~ effecting coupling with the P.T.O.,one wheel of the seeding machine or any ~
other member for providing a rotational speed proportional to the speed of travel of the seeding machine. One of the enclosures partitioned by disk 5 communicates with an outlet at the bottom of hopper 1 and acts as a seed reaervoir 9,while the other enclosure 10, also laterally partitloned by disk 5,is connected through a hose 11 to a succion source not shown and acts as a succion chamber, said latter enclosure 10 extending circumferentially about a ma~or portion of the path of travel of apertures 6 in the distribution disk 5,from the interior of the seed reservoir 9 formed by the first enclosure to the lower portion of the distributor.
2S Arranged in a manner known per se at the upper portion of said distributor is a double-seed removing device 12 of elongated shape which is applied against the distribution disk 5 and lies in a circular arc about ~. A,~ V9 the path of motion of the apertures 6 in said disk. This removing device 12 is pivoted on casing 4 about a pin 13 secured in close proximity to the periphery of disk 5 at right angle to the latter,and an adJusting lever 14, also pivoted on the casing 4 of the distributor about a pin 15,permits to adJust the spacing between the castellated edges of device 12 and the circular path of motion of the succion apertures 6 in the distribution disk.
When said succion apertures 6 of disk 5 move between the seed reservoir 9 and the adJacent succion chamber lO,they catch by succion one or more seeds in the reservoir 9 and carry them out from the latter to the upper portion of the distributor where the packs of seeds bound onto the succion apertures meet the successive teeth of the removing device 12 whereby they are ~oggled and caused to revolve on themselves about the succion aperture axis,being thus desintegrated. Those seeds in the packs which are thrown out of their balance will be freed under the repeated impacts imparted thereto and will fall back in reservoir 9.
The last seed remaining on the succion aperture which is moving under the removal device 12 has then an opportunity to assume a correct position onto the aperture where it is firmly held,whereby it is enabled to continue its motion to the bottom of the distributor where the succion chamber 10 is interrupted and the apertures 6 in the disk move through an unobstructed area wherein both sides of disk 5 are subJected to atmospheric pressure. Since the ~ 6~ )9 succion is then released from apertures 6,the carried seed will be freed and fall between the ploughshare blades within the furrow cut by ploughshare 3.
Such as shown more especially on figures 2,3 and 4, the double-seed removing device according to the invention mainly consists of two selector plates 16 and 17 , of a pivot pin 13 force-fitted into a hole 18 provided in the distributor casing 4 close to the periphery of apertured sik 5,and of an adJustment lever 14 pivoted about a pin 15 which is force-fitted into a hole 19 provided in casing 4 close to the edge of apertured disk 5,said lever 14 being provided with two cams 20 and 21 located in offset positions on either sides of the pivot hole 22 crossed by pin 15. Both cams 20 and 21 have the shape of a circular disk and are adJoining.
Selector plate 16 is elongated and its end located upstream with respect to the direction of rotation of disk 5 is bifurcated and provided with a notch 23 for accomodating cam 20 of lever 14.The downstream end of plate 16 is provided with a pivot hole 24 which ls crossed by pin 13.The edge 25 of plate 1~ which faces distribution disk 5 is incurved with a curvature substantially equal to that of the path of motion of the succion apertures 6 of disk 5 and is provided with evenly spaced pro~ecting studs 26 extending towards said path of motion of apertures 6,their edges 27 facing said apertures being slightly slanted obliquely to said path of motion.

. -- ~

The second distributor plate 17,which i~ adJa-cent to plate 16,has generally the same shape as the latter and also includes a bifurcated upstream end provided with a notch 28 for accomodating cam 21 of lever 14 and a downstream end provided with a pivot hole 29 which is crossed by pin 13. Its edge 30 facing disk 5 is also incurved with a radius of curvature close to that of the path of motion of apertures 6 and is also provided with studs 31 ~ evenly spaced as to be interposed between the studs 26 of plate 16 when the two plates are adJacent.

That portion of plate 17 as includes the edge 30 provided wi~h the studs 31 is stamped and offset with respect to both ends of said plate 17 so that,when the two plates 16 and 17 are brought together,only the terminal portions of plate 17 are applied on plate 16,while the central portions provided with the studs remain slightly spaced from each other in two parallel planes.
In its assembled position,plate 16 is applied against disk 5 so that the succion apertures 6 will move past the slanted edges 27 of studs 26 whlch all lie on the same side of the path of motion of the apertures,e.g.
on the outer side in the embodiment shown. With a view to have the studs 31 of the ad~oining plate 17 also applied against disk 5 and to have their terminal edges also located close to the path of motion of the succion apertures in the disk and on the side of said path opposite to the studs 26 of plate l~,said studs 31 are bent down inwardly in hook-shape so as to have their terminal portion 32 substantially located in the same plane as studs 26 !1 ~l6(~1V~3 of plate 16,viz.in the plane of disk 5.
Upon assembly of both plates 16 and 17 of device 12, the path of motion of succion apertures 6 of disk 5 is bordered by a double series of studs 26 and 31 alternately disposed on both sides of said path. Since the two plates 16 and 17 are pivoted about pin 13 which is fitted in hole 18 at right angle to the plane of disk 5, it is possible , by angular adJustment of said plates,to move simultaneously studs 26 and 31 closer to or farther from the path of motion o~ succion apertures 6. This adJustment is provided by means of lever 14 rotating about its hinge~5 and acting on plates 16 and 17 through the two cams 20 and 21 accommodated in notches 23 and 28 respectively,pivotal motion of said lever causing a ~aw-like opening or closing motion of the two plates which results in broadening or narrowing of the wedge-shaped passageway between the opposite rows of studs 26 and 31.It will be noticed that said passageway is funnel-shaped and tapers off in the direction of rotation of disk 5 so that the seed selectlon becomes more and more severe as the packs of seeds bound onto apertures 6 advance between said opposite rows of alternating studs.
The operation of the selection device according to the invention may be easily understood.
The aggre gates of seeds bound on the succion apertures 6 of disk 5 are successively and alternately knocked,on the one hand,by the edges 27 of studs 26 which push back said aggregates toward5the center of the disk and cause them to rotate clockwise and,on the other hand, by the ends 32 of the opposite studs 31 which,contrarily, push back said aggregates outwardly and towards the disk periphery and cause them to rotative anti-clockwise.
The seed packs thus knocked about and alternately ~oggled in one direction,then another,experience successive losses of those seeds which are out of balance until they only retain,at the outlet of removal device 12 ,one single seed which,due to its prixiledged location at the center of the succion aperture,was able to withstand the repeated impacts of the device without being eJected.
In operation,the angle formed between the two plates 16 and 17 remains constant and lever 14 is locked.However, in case the type and size of seeds is changed,variation of said angle between the two plates is possible by pivotal motion of lever 14 about its pin 15.
To further improve seed selection and avoid double seeds on a single succion aperture,provision is also made according to the invention for correctly locating the seeds on the apertures as soon as they are caught in the seed-box for,when a seed is perfectly positionned onto its succion aperture,it acts to substantially wholly mask the same,thereby preventing succion of a second seed,this avoiding the need to subsequently remove the latter.

.09 Consequently,to improve the catching action, provision is also made according to the invention ~or promoting seed stirring in the seed reservoir ,especially by pushing the seeds towardsthe distribution disk by means of a stirrer which rotates about an axis subst-an`tially parallel to the plane of the disk.
As shown in figures 5 and 6 ,the distributor according to the invention includes,within the interior and at the lowerPrtin of the seed-box in casing 4,a stirrer 33 provided with stirring paddles 34 and ~ounted on one end of a shaft 35 which is provided at its other end with a toothed pinion 36. Shaft 35 is rotatably mounted in parallel relationship to the plane of distribution disk 5 in a plain bearing 37 supported by the wall of the distributor casing 4.To effect rotational dr~ve of stirrer 33,distribution disk 5 is provided with a circular row of recesses 38 tsee figure 5)which are evenly spaced all around the central axle 7 of the disk,the teeth of pinion 36 fa5t with the stirrer shaft 7 meshing with said recesses 38 in such manner that rotation of disk 5 causes simultaneous rotation of stirrer 33 which has its paddles 34 located at the succion apertures 6 and push the seeds towards the latter.
It will be noticed that with a stirrer specifically arranged according to the invention,i.e.
rotating about an axis which is parallel to the plane of the disk,it is possible to ~rive said stirrer by means of the disk itself and to suppress any idle gearing.

il~6~09 Alternately,the pinion 36 keyed on stirrer shaft 35 as well as the recesses 38 in the distribution disk may be replaced by a mere roller of a material having a high coefficient of friction,such as rubber,keyed on shaft 35 of stirrer 33 and applied on the face o~ disk so as to effect transmission of motions by frictional contact.
It will be understood that the scope of the invention is not limited to the sole embodiment described above by way of non restrictive example,but extends to every modified embodiment only differing therefrom by constructional details.
Thus,in partlcular,the two selector plates 1~ and 17 may be used to effect seed selection along two distinct concentric rows of succion apertures,instead of a single circular row,each selector plate being associated with one particular row while there is but one selection ad~ustment which is carried out through a single adJustment lcver. In this case,to avoid that the excess of seeds removed from the outer row o~ succion apertures should fall on the inner row of apertures and be sucked again without possible subsequent removal,the last effective stud in the direction of disk rotation should belong to the selector plate associated with the inner aperture row.

Claims (7)

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1.A distributor of the succion type for a single-seed seeding maching including a rotary distribution disk provided with a circular row of apertures,a casing having its interior divided by the disk into two adjacent enclosures whereof one acts as a seed reservoir and the other,lying along a portion of the path of motion of the disk apertures,constitutes a succion chamber,a double-seed removing device applied against the disk along the path of motion of the apertures and a stirrer located in the seed reservoir adjacent to said disk ,characterized in that the double seed removing device consists mainly of two adjoining selector plates pivoted at one end on the casing about a pin at right angle to the distribution disk and so disposed as to have one edge lying along the path of motion of the apertures of said disk,in that each of said edges of the selector plates is provided with a plurality of successive projections extending radially towards said apertures,and in that said projections of one plate are located on one side of said path while the projections of the other plate are offset and located on the opposite side in front of the gaps between the projections of said one plate.

2.A distributor according to claim 1, characterized in that said selector plates extend from their pivot pin in a direction opposite to that of rotation of the disk and have such arrangement and mutual positioning that the two confronting rows of projections along the edges of said plates define a funnel-shaped passage which tapers off in the direction of rotation of the disk.

3.A distributor according to either of claims 1 and 2,characterized in that it includes means for adjusting the relative angular positions of the two selector plates.

4.A distributor according to claim 3, characterized in that said adjusting means essentially consist of a lever pivoted on said casing and provided with cams offset on either side of the pivot pin of said lever,said cams being accommodated in corresponding terminal recesses provided in said plates,in the ends thereof opposed to their pivotal connections with said casing.

5. A distributor according to claim 1,characterized in that said stirrer in the reservoir rotates about an axis substantially at right angle to the axis of rotation of the distribution disk and in that rotational coupling means are provided between said disk and said stirrer.

6.Distributor according to claim 5,characterized in that said coupling means consist of a pinion fast with the stirrer shaft and of a circular row of successive recesses provided in the disk about the axis of rotation thereof,the teeth of the stirrer pinion meshing with the recesses in said disk.

7.Distributor according to claim 5, characterized in that the coupling means consist of a roller made of a material having a high coefficient of friction,mounted on the stirrer shaft and rolling on said disk.