GB1586722A - Agricultural drills and drill attachments - Google Patents

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL DRILLS AND DRILL ATTACHMENTS (71) We, RUSTON'S ENGINEERING COMPANY LIMITED, a British Company, of Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to agricultural drills and drill attachments. Agricultural drills are used on farms for sowing seed in spaced rows, and may also be used for distributing fertiliser either in conjunction with the seed or in a separate operation; Known agricultural drills are provided with a hopper which extends across substantially the whole width of the drill between the ground-engaging wheels. If fertiliser is to be distributed at the same time as the seed, the drill is provided with two separate parallel hoppers, both extending across the width of the drill. In either case, the seed is fed from the hopper to a series of coulters for insertion into the ground.

The normal method of filling such a drill is to open the lid which is provided above the hoppers, to lift a sack of seed or fertiliser from an adjoining trailer, to stand on a foot-board provided behind the hoppers, and tip the contents of the sack into the appropriate hopper and spread it along the length of the hopper. These operations involve considerable physical effort and time. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an agricultural drill in which the hopper or hoppers can be filled with less effort and in a shorter time than known drills. It is a further object of the invention to provide an attachment for an existing agricultural drill to facilitate loading of the hopper or hoppers.

The invention consists in an agricultural drill comprising a first hopper extending across at least a substantial part of the width of the drill; means for distributing the contents of said first hopper on or in the ground; a second hopper which extends across a smaller part of the width of the drill than said first hopper; and means for distributing the contents of said second hopper along the length of said first hopper.

It is to be understood that with an agricultural drill in accordance with the invention, it is only necessary to empty the contents of the sack into the second hopper in a single operation. The drill itself then distributes the contents of the second hopper along the length of the first hopper, thus saving the operator considerable time and effort.

Preferably the means for distributing the contents of the second hopper along the length of the first hopper are in the form of an auger extending along the length of the first hopper and located at, or near, the top of the first hopper. Alternatively the distributing means may be a chain-and-flight conveyor, or a reciprocating paddle conveyor.

Preferably the second hopper is located over the first hopper at one end of the first hopper. Thus the conveying means takes the seed or fertiliser from the bottom of the second hopper and spreads it evenly along the length of the first hopper. When the conveying means are in the form of an auger, the auger may be enclosed in a tube, parts of the underside of which are cut away to allow the material being moved by the auger to fall into the first hopper at locations spaced along the length of the auger. Alternatively, the auger may be open and may operate by spreading the upper part of the contents of the first hopper along the length of the auger.

Preferably the means for distributing the contents of the second hopper along the length of the first hopper are driven by an hydraulic motor connected to the hydraulic drive system of a tractor by means of which the drill is moved across the field. As already stated, it is preferred that the second hopper should be located at one end of the first hopper and, in the normal construction, the second hopper will therefore be located close to one of the ground-engaging wheels of the drill. Accordingly, to assist the operator in loading the second hopper, a platform is preferably provided over this ground-engaging wheel.

Methods of performing the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a drill in accordance with the invention having two augers enclosed in tubes; Figure 2 shows a drill in accordance with the invention having two open augers; Figure 3 shows a perspective view and a side view of additional apparatus which may be incorporated in a drill as illustrated in Figure 2; and Figure 4 is a plan view of part of the drill illustrated in Figure 1.

The drill illustrated in Figures 1 and 4 includes a first seed hopper 1, and a first fertiliser hopper 2. A second hopper 3 is associated with the first hopper 1, and a second hopper 4 is associated with the first hopper 2. An auger 5, in a tube 6, extends from the bottom of the second hopper 3 along the top of the first hopper 1, and an auger 7, in a tube 8, extends from the bottom of the second hopper 4 along the top of the first hopper 2. The lower part of each of the tubes is cut away at three spaced locations along the length of the tube, as indicated for example, at 9 and 10. The hopper 3 is provided with a removable cover 11, and the hopper 4 is provided with a removable cover 1.

As is conventional, the drill is provided with a pair of ground-engaging wheels 13 and 14, and means 15 for attachment to the towing hitch of a tractor. The drill is also provided with means (not shown) for distributing the seed and fertiliser from the hoppers 1 and 2 into, or over, the ground.

To enable the drill to be filled conveniently, a foot-board 16 is provided over the ground-engaging wheel 14. Thus the operator can drive the drill alongside the trailer holding the seed or fertiliser and step from the trailer to the foot-board 16 to tip the contents of the sack into the hopper 3 or 4 as required.

As can be seen from Figure 4, the shafts 17 and 18 of the augers 5 and 7 are driven by a hydraulic motor 19 connected to the hydraulic system of the tractor to which the drill is attached. The driving shaft 20 of the motor 19 carries two pulleys 21 and 22. The pulley 21 is coupled by means of a belt 23 to a pulley 24 on the shaft 18, and the pulley 22 is coupled by means of a belt 25 to a pulley 26 on the shaft 17. It will be seen that the motor 19 is slidably mounted on the foot-board 16 and may be moved laterally by means of a control lever 27 or alternatively it can be pivotably mounted. If the control lever 27 is moved in the direction of the aroow 28, the motor 19 will also be moved bodily in the direction of the arrow 29, with the result that the belt 25 will be tightened, and the belt 23 will be slackened.

Thus, with the lever 27 in this position, the shaft 17 will be driven in the direction of the arrow 30 by the motor 19. If the lever 27 is moved in the opposite direction, the belt 23 will be tightened, and the belt 25 will be slackened so that the shaft 18 will be driven in place of the shaft 17.

It will be understood that the lever 27 is moved in the direction of the arrow 28 to cause the motor 19 to drive the auger 5 when seed is being poured into the hopper 3 to fill the hopper 1. Similarly, when fertiliser is being poured into the hopper 4, the lever 27 will be moved in the opposite direction so that the auger 7 will be driven in place of the auger 5.

The drill shown in Figure 2 is generally similar to that shown in Figure 1 except that the two augers are not enclosed in tubes.

Instead, the two first hoppers are provided with a cover 31 defining two inverted channels 32 and 33 in which the respective augers 5 and 7 run. Thus, in this arrangement, the material is spread progressively down each of the first hoppers by the respective auger running on the top of the material.

In this embodiment, a hydraulic motor not shown) drives two pulleys on a shaft 34.

Belts 35 and 36 pass around the pulleys on the shaft 34, respective pulleys on the shafts 17 and 18, and a pair of idler pulleys 37. In this case, the idler pulleys are movable by means of control means (not shown) to cause selective driving of the shaft 17 and the shaft 18.

With the embodiment illustrated in Figure 1, it is possible for the operator to see how much seed and/or fertiliser is in the first hoppers but, since the first hoppers are covered in the arrangement shown in Figure 2, the operator will not necessarily know when the drill is full or when it needs to be refilled. Accordingly, it is preferred that an indicating device as shown in Figure 3 should be incorporated in the arrangement shown in Figure 2.

An indicating device is provided in each of the first hoppers 1 and 2, but only the device provided in the hopper 2 is illustrated in Figure 3. This device includes a plate 41 located in the vicinity of the end of the auger shaft 18 remote from the drive pulley 24.

The plate 41 is hingedly attached to the cover 31 by means of two lugs 42, and has a slot 43 which embraces the auger shaft 18.

The plate 41 has an indicator stem 44 welded to one side at a suitable angle so that it can pass through a slot 45 in the cover 31.

When the hopper 2 is empty, the plate 41 will fall by gravity or under the influence of a spring (not shown) until a restrictor lug strikes the cover 31. In this position, the indicator stem 44 will protrude a minimum distance from the slot 45 as indicated by the full lines in Figure 3. When the drill is being filled, fertiliser will pass along the hopper until it reaches the plate 41 and, as the fertiliser is driven along by the auger 7, it will raise the plate 41 so that the indicator stem 44 will protrude further from the slot 45 as indicated by the dotted lined in Figure 3.

Thus the protruding stem will give a visual indication that the hopper is full.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. An agricultural drill comprising a first hopper extending across at least a substantial part of the width of the drill; means for distributing the contents of said first hopper on or in the ground; a second hopper which extends across a smaller part of the width of the drill than said first hopper; and means for distributing the contents of said second hopper along the length of said first hopper.

An An agricultural drill as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the second hopper is located over the first hopper at one end of the first hopper.

3. An agricultural drill as claimed in Claim 1, or Claim 2, wherein said means for distributing the contents of the second hopper along the length of the first hopper are in the form of an auger extending along the length of the first hopper and located at, or near, the top of the first hopper.

4. An agricultural drill as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the auger is enclosed in a tube, parts of the underside of which are open to allow the material being moved by the auger to fall into the first hopper at locations spaced along the length of the auger.

5. An agricultural drill as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the auger is provided with a cover defining an inverted channel in which the auger runs.

6. An agricultural drill as claimed in any of the preceding Claims, wherein said means for distributing the contents of said second hopper along the length of said first hopper are driven by a hydraulic motor.

7. An agricultural drill as claimed in Claim 2, wherein a foot-board is provided adjacent to the second hopper.

8. An agricultural drill as claimed in any of the preceding Claims, comprising two first hoppers and two second hoppers associated with respective ones of said first hoppers.

9. An agricultural drill as claimed in Claim 8, wherein an auger extends from the bottom of each of the second hoppers along the top of the respective first hopper.

10. An agricultural drill as claimed in Claim 9, wherein the drive shafts of the augers extend through the end wall of the respective first hoppers below the second hoppers, and wherein a pulley is provided on the end of each of these shafts.

11. An agricultural drill as claimed in Claim 10, including a hydraulic motor arranged to drive said augers selectively through respective belts.

12. An agricultural drill as claimed in any of the preceding Claims, including a cover for the, or each of the, first hoppers, and means for indicating when the first hopper, or each of the hoppers, is full.

13. An agricultural drill as claimed in Claim 12, wherein the, or each, indicating means includes a plate located in the vicinity of the end of the auger shaft remote from the drive pulley, said plate being hingedly attached to the cover.

14. An agricultural drill as claimed in Claim 13, wherein said plate has a slot which embraces the auger shaft, and an indicator stem which passes through a slot in the cover.

15. An agricultural drill substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (15)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. full lines in Figure 3. When the drill is being filled, fertiliser will pass along the hopper until it reaches the plate 41 and, as the fertiliser is driven along by the auger 7, it will raise the plate 41 so that the indicator stem 44 will protrude further from the slot 45 as indicated by the dotted lined in Figure 3. Thus the protruding stem will give a visual indication that the hopper is full. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. An agricultural drill comprising a first hopper extending across at least a substantial part of the width of the drill; means for distributing the contents of said first hopper on or in the ground; a second hopper which extends across a smaller part of the width of the drill than said first hopper; and means for distributing the contents of said second hopper along the length of said first hopper.

An An agricultural drill as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the second hopper is located over the first hopper at one end of the first hopper.

3. An agricultural drill as claimed in Claim 1, or Claim 2, wherein said means for distributing the contents of the second hopper along the length of the first hopper are in the form of an auger extending along the length of the first hopper and located at, or near, the top of the first hopper.

4. An agricultural drill as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the auger is enclosed in a tube, parts of the underside of which are open to allow the material being moved by the auger to fall into the first hopper at locations spaced along the length of the auger.

5. An agricultural drill as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the auger is provided with a cover defining an inverted channel in which the auger runs.

6. An agricultural drill as claimed in any of the preceding Claims, wherein said means for distributing the contents of said second hopper along the length of said first hopper are driven by a hydraulic motor.

7. An agricultural drill as claimed in Claim 2, wherein a foot-board is provided adjacent to the second hopper.

8. An agricultural drill as claimed in any of the preceding Claims, comprising two first hoppers and two second hoppers associated with respective ones of said first hoppers.

9. An agricultural drill as claimed in Claim 8, wherein an auger extends from the bottom of each of the second hoppers along the top of the respective first hopper.

10. An agricultural drill as claimed in Claim 9, wherein the drive shafts of the augers extend through the end wall of the respective first hoppers below the second hoppers, and wherein a pulley is provided on the end of each of these shafts.

11. An agricultural drill as claimed in Claim 10, including a hydraulic motor arranged to drive said augers selectively through respective belts.

12. An agricultural drill as claimed in any of the preceding Claims, including a cover for the, or each of the, first hoppers, and means for indicating when the first hopper, or each of the hoppers, is full.

13. An agricultural drill as claimed in Claim 12, wherein the, or each, indicating means includes a plate located in the vicinity of the end of the auger shaft remote from the drive pulley, said plate being hingedly attached to the cover.

14. An agricultural drill as claimed in Claim 13, wherein said plate has a slot which embraces the auger shaft, and an indicator stem which passes through a slot in the cover.

15. An agricultural drill substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.