GB2119616A

GB2119616A - Disinfecting device in a sowing machine

Info

Publication number: GB2119616A
Application number: GB08308000A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Matti Ilmari Heikkinen
Original assignee: Suomen Sokeri Oy
Current assignee: Suomen Sokeri Oy
Priority date: 1982-05-11
Filing date: 1983-03-23
Publication date: 1983-11-23
Also published as: SE8302666D0; FI72250C; DE3314526A1; GB2119616B; FI72250B; GB8308000D0; FI821660A0; SE8302666L; FI821660L

Abstract

A disinfecting device disposed in the seed hopper of a sowing machine comprises a disinfectant magazine 5 located above the feed openings 2 of the seed hopper, a disinfectant feeding means 6 and a mixing means 7. The disinfectant is mixed more uniformly with the seeds if the mixing means 7 is situated in a mixing chamber 8 extending from the bottom of the seed hopper 1 to the level of the mixing means 7. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Disinfecting device disposed in the seed hopper of a sowing machine This invention relates to a a disinfecting device disposed in the seed hopper of a sowing machine and comprising one or more disinfectant magazines located in the seed hopper, feeding means located under said disinfectant magazines at the feed openings of the seed hopper, and mixing means located between each disinfectant feeding means and feed opening of the seed hopper.

According to a plurality of studies, various plant diseases and/or vermin can be efficiently controlled by means of disinfection or dusting of cereals and other useful plants and thereby both the amount and quality of the crop can be improved. It has also provided that disinfection can improve the germination and sprouting especially of cereal seed of poor quality.

Most commonly, dry or liquid disinfection is carried out as a separate step in connection with the dressing of the seeds either immediately after grading or only after intermediate storage. In this case the seeds are treated several times, which may impair the germination. In addition, -disinfected seeds must be stored. Because the disinfectants are toxic substances, the distinfected grain must be kept apart from any other grain.

These disadvantages are eliminated by means of the planting machine according to U.S. Patent 4,037,759 in which disinfection is carried out in connection with planting. Above each feed ,opening in the seed hopper of the planting machine is disposed a disinfectant magazine, from which the disinfectant is distributed by means of a feeding means into the seeds flowing towards the feed openings in the seed hopper. Between disinfectant feeding means and the feed openings is disposed an agitator mechanism which extends in the longitudinal direction of the hopper and consists of fingers which are mounted on a longitudinal rotating shaft and by means of which the disinfectant is stirred into the seed batch.

However, practical experiments have proved that the agitator mechanism is not capable of mixing the disinfectant uniformly with the seeds but that some of the seeds remain totally without disinfectant while other seeds receive too much disinfectant.

The object of the present invention is to provide a disinfecting device which is disposed in the seed hopper of a sowing machine and by means of which the disinfectant will be more uniformly mixed with the seeds. The disinfecting device according to the invention is characterized in that each mixing means is located in a mixing chamber extending from the bottom of the seed hopper at least to the level of the upper part of the mixing means. By placing the mixing means in mixing chambers which are open in the upper end the seeds are forced to flow through the mixing means which are located under the disinfectant feeding means.This ensures that no such seeds will get into the feed openings of the seed hopper which have flown downwards between the disinfectant feeding means and have thereafter moved longitudinally of the seed hopper along the bottom of the hopper and have therefore avoided disinfection.

The guiding effect of the mixing chamber is particularly efficient if the chamber is formed of a tube which extends from the disinfectant feeding means to the bottom of the seed hopper and in which the side walls are provided with openings on the portion between the disinfectant feeding means and the mixing means. By means of the openings it is thus possible to accurately control the flow of seeds. In addition, it has been noted that the free falling of disinfectant onto the seeds flowing into the tube is, in view of a uniform mixing of the disinfectant, more advantageous than if the seed flow is in immediate contact with the disinfectant feeding means.

Another preferred embodiment is characterir.ed in that the mixing chamber tube is rectangular and in that each side is provided with an opening, the portion of the wall above said opening being bent so as to be inclined inwards and downwards. Due to the rectangular cross-section of the mixing chamber, the mixing means can act over the entire cross-sectional area of the mixing chamber tube, which is advantageous with respect to the mixing.

The inclined portion of the wall promotes the flow of seeds into the mixing chamber.

In its simplest form the mixing chamber can be constructed so as to consist of two walls transverse with respect to the longitudinal direction of the seed hopper. The obliquely upwardly rising walls of the seed hopper in this case form the front and rear wall of the mixing chamber. This embodiment is very inexpensive .o manufacture but yet, in a decisive manner, improves the mixing capacity as compared to a seed hopper which is open over its entire length.

One preferred embodiment of the disinfecting device according to the invention will be described in the following in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the lower part of the seed hopper of a sowing machine, and Figure 2 is a cross-section of the lower part of the seed hopper.

The bottom of the seed hopper 1 of a sowing machine is provided with a row of feed openings 2 in which rotating feed rolls 3 are located. A seed pipe 4 is provided under each feed opening, the number of said pipes in general being one or two for each seed line.

Inside the seed hopper 1, above each feed opening 2, is a disinfectant magazine 5 under which a disinfectant feeding means 6 is located.

Said feeding means is designed according to theproperties of the disinfectant. For example, a powdered disinfectant can be dosed by means of a toothed roll means according to the Figures while, when using a liquid disinfectant, the roll means is replaced with dosing pipes and nozzles. Between each disinfectant feeding means 6 and feed opening 2 of the seed hopper is disposed a mixing means 7, which ensures the flow of the seeds and the mixing of the disinfectant with the seeds.

According to the invention, a vertical tubular mixing chamber 8 is positioned at each feed opening 2 in the seed hopper. The mixing chamber is at its lower end connected to the seed hopper at the edges of the feed opening so that the seeds can enter the feed openings only through the mixing chambers 8.

The mixing means 7 are located in the lower part of the mixing chambers and, above the mixing means, the chambers are provided with four openings 9, one on each side of the mixing chamber of a rectangular cross-section. Above the opening 9, the mixing chamber extends up to the disinfectant feeding means 6. The portion 10 of the wall above the openings 9 is bent so as to be inclined downwards and inwards.

By means of the invention, the seed flow flowing from the seed hopper 1 into the feed openings 2 of the sowing machine is guided through the mixing chamber 8. In this way an efficient mixing of the disinfectant with the seeds will be obtained in a limited space because all seeds will have to pass through the mixing chambers.

However, differing from what has been described above, each mixing chamber can be formed of two partition walls mounted transversally in the seed hopper and corresponding to the side wall of the mixing chamber perpendicular to the plane of the drawing in Figure 1. These partition walls, however, preferably extend only to the level of the lower edge of the openings 9. The mixing chamber tube can, of course, be of any other cross-sectional shape than described above.

Instead of a plurality of disinfectant magazines 5, only one magazine can be used in which an opening is provided at each mixing means.

Claims

1. A disinfecting device disposed in the seed hopper of a sowing machine and comprising at least one disinfectant magazine located in the seed hopper, disinfectant feeding means located under said disinfectant magazines at the feed opening of the seed hopper, and mixing means located between each disinfectant feeding means and feed opening of the seed hopper, wherein each mixing means is located in a mixing chamber extending from the bottom of the seed hopper at least to the level of the upper part of the mixing means.

2. A disinfecting device according to claim 1, wherein said mixing chamber is formed of a tube which extends from the disinfectant feeding means to the bottom of the seed hopper, the side walls of the tube being provided with openings on the portion between the disinfectant feeding means and the mixing means.

3. A disinfecting device according to claim 2, wherein said mixing chamber tube is rectangular in cross-section, and in that each side is provided with an opening, the portion of the wall located above said opening being bent so as to be inclined inwards and downwards.

4. A disinfecting device according to claim 1, wherein said mixing chamber is formed of two walls transverse with respect to the longitudinal direction of the seed hopper.