GB1603967A

GB1603967A - Apparatus for picking out single particles from a supply

Info

Publication number: GB1603967A
Application number: GB1965078A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Agence National de Valorisation de la Recherche ANVAR
Current assignee: Bpifrance Financement SA
Priority date: 1977-05-13
Filing date: 1978-05-15
Publication date: 1981-12-02
Also published as: DE2821361A1; FR2390772B1; FR2390772A1; BE867072A; DE2821361C2; NL7805209A

Description

(54) APPARATUS FOR PICKING OUT SINGLE PARTICLES FROM A SUPPLY (71) We, AGENCE NATIONALE DE VALORISATION DE LA RECHERCHE (ANVAR), a body corporate organised under the laws of France, of 13, Rue Madeleine Michelis, 92522 Neuilly-Sur-Seine, France, 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:- The present invention relates to the picking out of particles by suction and, especially, to seed drills, in which the seeds are picked out by suction by means of tubular nozzles.

Its essential purpose is to provide apparatus which can prevent the or each suction nozzle picking out several particles at a time, even in the case of particles such as plain seeds of oblong shape which are difficult to pick out one by one.

According to the invention, there is pro vided a method of picking out particles contained loose in a receptacle, the method comprising applying an upward force to the particles in the receptacle, so as to form a cloud of particles suspended in the ambient medium whithin the receptacle, and repeatedly inserting a suction nozzle into the cloud of particles to pick out individual particles repeatedly.

Preferably, the suction nozzle is inserted into the receptacle periodically and the means for applying the upward force to the particles operated discontinuously in synchronism with the nozzle.

In a preferred embodiment, pulses of air are passed through the mass of particles to apply the upward force.

The particles suspended in the air form a sort of cloud in which it is very difficult for the suction nozzles to pick out several particles at a time because the latter move relative to the nozzle, colliding with one another, and only that which is readily sucked by the nozzle remains held thereby.

In applying the invention to seed drills, one can obtain "monogranular" sowing even for oblong seeds like those of lettuce or chicory.

Advantageously, with seed drills or other apparatus with several suction nozzles, one provides one receptacle per nozzle and the receptacles have the form of funnels whose tubular portion is connected to a pulsator.

The funnels may have several interchangeable tubular portions of different diameters, and one can provide on the seed drill several sets of suction nozzles of greater or larger orifice, so as to be able to adapt the apparatus to seeds or other particles of different dimensions and shape.

In the case of relatively small seeds or other particles, the bottom of the receptacle is advantageously formed by a screen sufficiently fine to retain the seeds. With larger particles, like the seeds of tomatoes, melons etc., the particles preferably lie in the receptacle on a flexible membrane which is deformed periodically, for example suitably by air pulsation.

The invention can, amongst other things, be applied to sowing of all sorts of seeds, whether the latter be plain or coated. It is of particular interest in seed drills combined with soil tampers whose rhythm it can follow without difficulty.

In the case of sowing of plain seeds, one can combine with the seed drill and its feed apparatus a distributor for sand or other suitable materials for covering over the sown seeds, to facilitate their germination.

In addition means can be provided for periodically depositing quantities of seeds or other particles in the receptacles to permit prolonged operation of the apparatus.

The following description, with reference to the accompanying drawings given by way of non limiting example, will make better understood how the invention is put into effect, the details which appear, in the drawings as much as in the text, of course being part of the said invention.

Fig. 1 is a schematic view, in vertical section, of a series of receptacles in the form of funnels, in the particular case of the application of the invention to a seed drill.

Fig. 2 is an analogous view of a first example of a pulsator mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a similar view of a variant pulsator.

Fig. 4 is a partial section of a picking out apparatus equipped with a hopper with a seed meter.

Fig. 5 is a view analogous to Fig. 1, showing the receptacles with a membrane.

In the embodiment of Fig. 1, the picking out apparatus, which serves as an apparatus feeding seeds for a seed drill, comprises a structure 1 which the fixing members 2 allow to be adapted, for example by screws, to a seed drill of which there have been shown only the suction nozzles 3. These nozzles can be of any known type. They end in a point and are traversed by a channel 4 connected to a suitable source of suction.

In the example shown, there are seven nozzles disposed parallel and equi distant in the same vertical plane.

The structure 1 presents a series of receptacles in the form of funnels 5 disposed vertically in line, equal in number to the nozzles 3 and with the same spacing. The tubular portions of the funnels are provided with fine screens 7 permitting the passage of air but preventing that of the seeds 8 which are deposited in the funnels.

The tubular portions 6 of the funnels 5 are each connected by a flexible pipe 9 to a bellows 10.

In the example of Fig. 2, this bellows comprises a first disc 11, provided with seven tubes 12 to which the tubes 9 are respectively connected, and likewise with a second disc 13. The corrugated body of the bellows is for example fixed on the discs 11 and 13 by jubilee clips.

The disc 11 is fixed, whilst the disc 13 is solid with a shaft 14, pivoted at 15 to the end of an oscillating lever 16.

The lever 16 can turn about a fulcrum 17, parallel to the axis 15, and this fulcrum is mounted on a support 18 which can run the length of lever 16 by means of a guide mechanism comprising a nut 19 solid with the support 18 and engaged on a threaded shaft 20 which can be turned in the fixed end sup ports 21 and 22 relative to which it cannot move longitudinally. The lock nuts 23 permit fixing of the fulcrum in the required position corresponding to the desired amplitude of the strokes of the bellows.

At its other end, the lever is mounted, by means of a ball bearing 24, on a connecting rod 25, pivoted elsewhere to crank handle 26 of a sprocket wheel 27 forming part of a gear 28 driven by a small motor 29. All of the members: disc 12, supports 21 and 22, sprocket wheel 27, motor 29 are fixed on a suitable structure 30 of which only some parts have been shown.

The operation of the seed feeding apparatus described may be as follows: There is disposed in each of the funnels (or as the case may be in certain of these only) a certain amount of seeds 8 (left-hand of Fig. 1). Normally the seeds fall to the bottom of the funnel where they are retained by the screen 7. When a puff of air arrives by the tube 9, the seeds are carried upwards.

Naturally, the movements of the bellows are regulated so that the seeds are not expelled but simply suspended in the air to form a sort of cloud in the funnel without escaping therefrom.

The movements of the suction nozzles 3 are synchronised with those of the feed apparatus, so that each nozzle dips into the cloud and picks out therefrom one seed and one alone. Good results are obtained with a frequency of the order of several pulses per second, for example four.

The "drill bottom" obtained is only a few grams, which is remarkable especially in the case of fairly heavy seeds.

Fig. 3 shows a modified pulsator in which the intensity of the pulsations of the bellows is regulated by other means.

The pivot 17 and the lever 16 can be fixed.

The disc 11 by which the bellows is connected to the pipe 9 is solid with a casing 31 on which the body of the bellows is fixed.

This case is pierced by a lateral opening in which is mounted a tube 32 solid on the one hand with a bent air intake tube extended longitudinally into the bellows and on the other hand with an exhaust valve 34 that may be shut or open more or less to regulate the delivery of air pulsed by the bellows into the tube 9.

One can thus regulate the delivery of the pulses without modifying the amplitude of the movements of the bellows.

Fig. 4 shows schematically an apparatus which permits, periodically, the deposition of quantities of seeds into the funnels 5.

This apparatus comprises a hopper 35 disposed above the funnels and which is closed at the bottom by a rotary cylinder 36 carrying above each of the said funnels one or more recesses 37 (two in the present example) which refill and empty periodically as the cylinder turns, depositing the seeds 8 into the corresponding funnels, along an inclined plane 38. The small felt pads 39 are provided at the bottom of the hopper to ensure a seal between it and cylinder 36.

Fig. 5 shows a variant, more especially intended for the feeding of a seed drill with fairly large seeds, such astheseedsoftomatoes, cucumbers, melons etc.

The structure 1 is formed of two superposed blocks 40, 41, held together for example by bolts 42. The two blocks fit together at about the mid height of the frustum of the cone of the funnels 5 and they are joined on both sides of a relatively flexible membrane 43 which serves as an intermediate base to the funnels.

At rest, the seeds 8 lie in each funnel on the membrane which curves downwardly when the bellows draws air in and is pushed out, on the contrary, when the bellows compresses, thus throwing the seeds in the air.

These two phases of operation have been represented at the left of the Figure.

For raising the membrane and similarly, as the case may be, the upper part, one may use the apparatus as in the example of Fig. 1, if the funnels are provided with screens 7.

It will be understood that the embodiments described are given only by way of example and that one may modify them, particularly by substitution of equivalent techniques, without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A method of picking out particles contained loose in a receptacle, the method comprising applying an upward force to the particles in the receptacle, so as to form a cloud of particles suspended in the ambient medium within the receptacle, and repeatedly inserting a suction nozzle into the cloud of particles to pick out individual particles repeatedly.

2. A method according to claim 1 in which the particles are contained in a receptacle in the form of a funnel.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2 in which the particles are contained in a plurality of receptacles.

4. A method according to any of claims 1, 2 or 3 in which a single suction nozzle is used with the or each receptacle.

5. A method according to any of the preceding claims in which the or each suction nozzles is inserted into its associated receptacle periodically.

6. A method according to claim 5 in which the means for applying the upward force to the particles operates discontinuously in synchronism with the nozzle or nozzles.

7. A method according to any of the preceding claims in which pulses of air are passed through the mass of particles to apply the upward force thereto.

8. A method according to claim 7 in which the particles lie on a screen when at rest.

9. A method according to any of claims 1 to 6 in which the upward force is applied to the particles by displacing a surface at the bottom of the or each receptacle.

10. A method according to claim 9 in which the said surface is formed by a flexible membrane which is sandwiched between two superposed parts which form the or each recetacle.

11. A method according to claim 9 or 10 in which the surface is flexible and is displaced by means of pulses of air.

12. A method according to claim 7 or 11 in which the pulses of air are provided by bellows operated by a reciprocating mechanism.

13. A method according to claim 12 in which the reciprocating mechanism includes a lever whose fulcrum is displaceable to regulate the amplitude of the reciprocating movement.

14. A method according to claim 12 or 13 in which the delivery of the bellows is regulated by means of an exhaust valve.

15. A method according to any of the preceding claims in which quantities of the particles are deposited periodically in the or each receptacle.

16. A method according to any of the preceding claims in which the particles are seeds.

17. A method for picking out particles contained loose in a receptacle, the method being substantially as hereinbefore described.

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

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. about the mid height of the frustum of the cone of the funnels 5 and they are joined on both sides of a relatively flexible membrane 43 which serves as an intermediate base to the funnels. At rest, the seeds 8 lie in each funnel on the membrane which curves downwardly when the bellows draws air in and is pushed out, on the contrary, when the bellows compresses, thus throwing the seeds in the air. These two phases of operation have been represented at the left of the Figure. For raising the membrane and similarly, as the case may be, the upper part, one may use the apparatus as in the example of Fig. 1, if the funnels are provided with screens 7. It will be understood that the embodiments described are given only by way of example and that one may modify them, particularly by substitution of equivalent techniques, without departing from the spirit of the present invention. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A method of picking out particles contained loose in a receptacle, the method comprising applying an upward force to the particles in the receptacle, so as to form a cloud of particles suspended in the ambient medium within the receptacle, and repeatedly inserting a suction nozzle into the cloud of particles to pick out individual particles repeatedly.