FR2788657A1 - Agricultural seeding apparatus, comprises a sowing mechanism and integrated roller assembly with an adjustable mounting bracket - Google Patents

Abstract

The seeding apparatus comprises of a seeding wheel assembly (10) to which is attached a roller wheel assembly via a mounting arm assembly (70). The mounting plate assembly (81) has an upper extension (80) to which is mounted a bracket assembly (91). This bracket maintains the roller wheel at the desired height. The height of the bracket can be adjusted by locating the free end in a number of holes (82) located on the mounting bracket.

Description

The present invention relates to an assembly consisting of a device

  of grain deposit in the soil for seed drill and an associated press wheel.

  It also relates to a seed drill equipped with at least one such assembly.

  In the present description and in the claims, the expression “

  term "grains", including seeds and fertilizers in the form of granules, deposited

  in the soil by machines combining a supply of fertilizer with sowing.

  Many types of seeders with a grain deposition device

  in the ground, are also equipped with a press wheel associated with each device.

  The latter may consist of a ploughshare, possibly combined with a disc

  furrow opener, with means for feeding the grains to be deposited in the ground.

  The function of the press wheel, always located at the rear of the deposition device when considering the direction of movement of the seed drill, is to compact the soil / grain mixture. Indeed, an intimate contact between the grains and the earth

largely promotes germination.

  In known devices, the height of the press wheel relative to the ground is adjustable. In fact, depending on the nature of the grains and the hardness of the soil, it is necessary to vary the height of the soil on the grains to obtain better germination. As an indication, this height is 5 cm for peas, 2 cm for wheat

and 1 cm for rapeseed.

  The corresponding state of the art is for example illustrated by

  documents FR-A-2,332,692, US-A-4,893,572, 5,562,054 and 5,562,055.

  In another known device, the height adjustment of the plom-

  beuse is obtained through the use of a pivoting part forming cams, with eccentric facets. In certain cases where the plot to be sown consists of moist, clayey soil, this sticks to the press wheel, so that we are

  faced with jamming problems.

  With the above devices, it is of course possible to disassemble the wheel

  sealer to make it inactive, to avoid these jamming problems.

  However, in such a case, it is understood that a significant time is spent dismantling all of the wheels which equip the seed drill with, correspondingly,

  the obligation to store them when you do not want to use them.

  The present invention aims to overcome these drawbacks.

  In other words, it aims to provide an assembly consisting of a device for depositing grains in the soil for a seed drill and an associated press wheel,

  the latter can be made inactive or inoperative without having to dismantle it.

  So the wheels are always available to the user, who can

  put into service when desired, especially depending on humidity conditions -

  which may vary during the day -.

  According to a secondary objective, it aims to provide the means to do this.

  simple, easy to use, without requiring prior learning.

  According to a particularly important characteristic of the invention, this assembly is remarkable in that the said wheel is provided with means able to allow its retraction without dismantling, in an inoperative position, in which

  it is not in contact with the ground during the grain deposition operation.

  The wheel can therefore be made inoperative without disassembly.

  In a preferred embodiment, said press wheel is worn

  by an arm articulated on said grain deposition device.

  According to an additional characteristic, said depositing device is provided

  of a ploughshare possibly associated with a furrow opening disc.

  According to another possible characteristic, the means for retracting the wheel act by lifting the arm in a vertical plane. In other words, you can go from the retracted position to the active position of the wheel, with a simple movement

  from the bottom arm up, in a vertical plane.

  In a particularly advantageous manner, said adjustment and retraction means are one and the same means. So, we limit the number of pieces on

  the whole, so that we simplify and streamline its operation.

  According to other advantageous and non-limiting characteristics of the invention: - these means comprise, on the one hand, a series of holes made in a support piece secured to the deposition device, and by a removable rod capable of being selectively engaged in one of said holes; - Said rod is capable of being brought against the upper edge of the arm for the purpose of adjusting the height of the press wheel relative to the ground, or against its

  lower edge for placing the press wheel in the retracted position.

  In a particularly preferred embodiment, said rod is constituted by a first branch of a U-shaped piece, the other branch extending above the arm and being articulated around its own axis relative to said piece of support. Thus, when the wheel is in the retracted position, the "U" piece "embraces" the support arm of the wheel to hold it in place. In addition, this embodiment has the advantage that the base of the U-shaped part can serve as a handle for the

maneuvering of the latter.

  According to a variant, said "U" -shaped part is provided with a spring capable of urging it to hold the first branch engaged in the corresponding hole of the

support piece.

  Finally, the invention also relates to a seed drill equipped with at least one

  assembly conforming to one or other of the preceding characteristics.

  Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent on

  reading of the description which will follow of a particular embodiment. This

  description will be made with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

  - Figures 1 and 2 are perspective views of an assembly according to the invention, its press wheel being respectively shown in working positions and retracted (inactive) - Figures 3 and 4 are side views of the 'set of Figures 1 and 2,

  in place on land to be seeded.

  The assembly 1 shown in the figures has a general structure known as

  itself and is part of a row drill.

  The direction of movement of the seed drill is symbolized by the arrows f.

  The assembly essentially comprises a furrow opening disc 10. This disc is curved and rotatable, its axis of rotation 11 extending horizontally and transversely relative to the direction of movement of the seed drill. The face of the disc visible in the drawing is the concave face. The axis 11 is integral with a support member 2, itself attached to the rest of the seed drill. The latter has not been shown in the figures,

  so as not to burden them unnecessarily.

  The set also includes other equipment, which are all located

  on the side of the concave face of the disc 10.

  It is in particular a seed conveying element 3, consisting of a tube 31 and an inlet flange 30 in the form of a funnel. The tubing extends to the lower part of the disc and is extended at this level by a member 4 which acts as a ploughshare, sheltered by the concave disc 10 and wedged against it to brush against it without braking it. This organ, usually designated by the term "skimmer", has the function of supporting

  agner the grains to the bottom of the furrow and ensure quality planting.

  At the back of each "skimmer" 4 (when we consider the direction

  advancement f of the seed drill), an articulated valve 5 is provided which has an anti-

  tamping, that is to say to prevent the soil from entering the "skimmers" when the seed drill is lowered towards the ground at the start of the plot. It automatically rises as soon as

the seed drill advances.

  On the support member 2 is articulated, around a horizontal and transverse axis 72, an arm 7. This axis extends parallel to the axis of rotation of the disc 10. The arm 7 is removable, since its immobilization in translation relative to axis 72

  is made by a removable pin 73.

  This arm 7 is bent and has two branches 70 and 71 which form an obtuse angle between them. The second branch 71 is generally directed downwards when

consider Figures 1 to 4.

  At the free end of the branch 71 is rotatably mounted, about an axis 62, a press wheel 6 formed of a thick core 60 and a peripheral coating

61, for example rubber.

  In a manner known per se, it is the height adjustment of the wheel 6 which will make it possible to more or less compact the mixture of soil and grains G previously sown. To the aforementioned support member 2 is also fixed a support piece or adjustment plate 8 which is directed vertically, parallel to the arm 7, between the latter and the disc 10. This plate generally extends towards the rear and the top of the disc, when considering the direction of advance f of the seed drill. The upper part of the

  plate is referenced 80, while its lower part is referenced 81.

  In a manner known per se, the assembly of the present invention comprises means for adjusting the height of the press wheel relative to the ground, and in accordance with a particularly important characteristic, this wheel is provided with means capable of allowing it to be retracted without disassembly, in an inoperative position

  in which it is not in contact with the ground during the seed deposition operation.

  In the embodiment described here, the adjustment means and

  retraction are the same means that we will describe below.

  These means include in particular a series of elongated holes 82 formed in the upper part 80 of the adjustment plate. More precisely, these holes are arranged in an arc of a circle along the edge of the plate 8, also shaped as an arc

  in circle, closest to wheel 6.

  The aforementioned adjustment and retraction means also comprise

  a removable rod 91 capable of being engaged in one of the holes 82.

  In the example shown here, this rod 91 is constituted by the first

  one-piece branch - or stirrup - in the shape of a "U", the other branch 92 extending

  above the arm 7 and being articulated relative to the adjustment plate 8 around its

own axis 95.

  The base of the stirrup 9 is referenced 90.

  More specifically, the branch 92 extends in the angle of the upper part 80 of the plate 8 opposite the edge where the holes 82 are arranged. It will be noted that the arc of

  the circle along which the latter are arranged is centered on the axis 95 of the branch 92.

  The radius of this arc corresponds to the mutual spacing of the two branches

91, 92.

  The branch 92 is extended on the other side of the plate 8 by a part 93, at the end of which is provided a head 94. On the rod, and bearing on the head 94 and the plate 8, is mounted a compression spring R which urges the part 9 so as to

  always bring it back to plate 8.

  In the example illustrated, the head 94 is a nut screwed onto the portion

  end (threaded) of part 93.

  The stirrup 9 can be produced by simple shaping (folding in "U") of a

round iron.

  The section of the branches 91 and 92 and the base 90 of the part 9 is therefore circular, its dimensions being adapted so that the free end of the branch 91

  can penetrate with a slight play in one of the holes 82.

  This end is advantageously chamfered (frustoconical) to be

  easily center in the selected hole.

  It is easy to understand, in particular by observing FIG. 1, that by gripping the part 9 by its base 90, which then acts as a handle, and by pulling on it in the direction of the arrow h, the branch is brought out 91 from one of the holes 82 in which it was previously engaged. By then rotating this branch around the axis 95 in the direction of the double arrow j we can then bring the branch 91 selectively in front of another hole. By interrupting traction, said branch engages

in the corresponding hole.

  The series of holes serves as visual cues, so it is easy to adjust all the wheels to the same height. It will be noted that the branch 91 is capable of being brought against the upper edge 700 of the arm. This is the situation in FIGS. 1 and 3. The press wheel is then in the working position, since the "U" -shaped part 9 limits the raising of this wheel and,

  correlatively, determines the height of its sinking into the ground.

  Figure 3 illustrates a sowing operation.

  The disc 10 and the razor 4 open a furrow and deposit the grains G therein. This furrow is immediately covered by the earth, which collapses inside the furrow, covering the grains G with a layer of earth C. then comes the press wheel 60 which compacts this layer, as symbolized by the arrows F, to make good contact between the grains G and the soil S. Subsequent leveling can be carried out in a known manner by means

a portcullis not shown.

  Depending on the nature of the soil, its moisture content, and the type of grain, the farmer will be able to choose the correct position of the press wheel and engage in

  Consequently the rod 91 in the most suitable hole 82.

  The rod 91 is also capable of being brought against the lower edge 701 of the arm 7. This is the position of FIGS. 2 and 4 in which the part 9 "embraces" the arm 7, and the holding captive between its branches 91 and 92. The press wheel 6 is thus retracted, without having been dismantled, in an inoperative position in

  which it is not in contact with the ground during the grain deposition operation.

  You can move from one position to another with simple, quick gestures to

  run and without disassembly of the wheel and its support arm.

  It should be noted that the lower part 81 of the adjustment plate 8 is provided with a guide member 83 formed by an upwardly oriented vertical finger 84 which is fixed to the plate 8 by a bent part 85. The spacing between the finger 84 and the plate 8 is such that the arm 7 can slide in and move there vertically, with little play. The main function of this member is to keep the plane of the wheel constantly aligned with the grains , even in sowing trajectories in curves. In addition, it prevents

  untimely deformation of the arm 7 in a horizontal plane, as a result of a side impact.

  In the example described here, the rod 91 capable of being engaged selectively-

  ment in one of the holes 82 is an integral part of a "U" bracket. However, in another embodiment, it could be a simple locking finger or any other

  means capable of locking the arm 7 in the desired position.

  In the case of a locking finger, it bears against the upper edge 700 of the arm 7 when the wheel is in the working position, and supports the arm by its edge

  lower 701 when the wheel is retracted.

  Finally, in yet another variant, the means for adjusting the height

  of the press wheel could be separate from the retraction means.

Claims (9)

  1. Assembly consisting of a device (1) for depositing grains (G) in the soil (S) for seed drill and an associated press wheel (60), which comprises means for adjusting its height relative to the soil (S), characterized in that said wheel is provided with means (8, 9) able to allow its retraction, without disassembly in an inoperative position in which it is not in contact with the ground (S) during the grain deposition operation.   2. Assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that said press wheel (60) is carried by an arm (7) articulated on said device (1) for depositing grains (G).   3. An assembly according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said deposition device (1) is provided with a ploughshare (4) possibly associated with a disc (10) furrow opener.   4. An assembly according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the retracting means (8, 9) of the arm act by lifting the arm (7) in a plane vertical.   5. Assembly according to one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that   that said adjustment and retraction means are one and the same means (8, 9).   6. The assembly of claim 5, characterized in that these means comprise on the one hand, a series of holes (82) formed in a support piece (8) integral with the deposition device (1), and by a rod removable (91) susceptible   to be selectively engaged in one of said holes (82).   7. The assembly of claim 6, characterized in that said rod (91) is capable of being brought against the upper edge (700) of the arm (7) for adjusting the height of the press wheel (60) relative to the ground (S), or against its   lower edge (701) for placing the press wheel (60) in the retracted position.   8. An assembly according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that said rod (91) is constituted by a first branch of a U-shaped piece (9), the other branch (92) extending above of the arm (7) and being articulated on its own axis relative to said support piece (8).   9. An assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that said "U" -shaped part (9) is provided with a spring (R) capable of urging to maintain the first   branch (91) engaged in the corresponding hole (82) of the support piece (8).   1 0. Seed drill equipped with at least one assembly conforming to one of the claims 1 to 9.