GB2176083A

GB2176083A - A blade for a sowing and/or fertilizing device

Info

Publication number: GB2176083A
Application number: GB08612840A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Matti Ilmari Heikkinen
Original assignee: Suomen Sokeri Oy
Current assignee: Suomen Sokeri Oy
Priority date: 1985-05-28
Filing date: 1986-05-27
Publication date: 1986-12-17
Also published as: FI852119A0; NO862102L; FI852119L; GB8612840D0; SE8602415D0; SE8602415L

Abstract

A blade, e.g. a fertilizing blade, connectible via a spring (4) to a sowing and/or fertilizing device comprises an elongate member (1) and a blade body (2) positioned behind the blade member (1). The elongate blade member (1) extends in the direction of travel and has a rectangular cross-section. The blade body (2) has a width at its front edge no greater than the width of the blade member (1) and preferably has a width substantially the same as that of the blade member. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A blade for a sowing and/or fertilizing device This invention relates to a blade, e.g. fertilizing blade, for a sowing and/or fertilizing device, said blade comprising a blade member connectible to the device by spring means and a blade body positioned in alignment with and behind said blade member in the direction of travel of the device, said blade body being arranged to deliver discrete material, e.g. fertilizer, from a container of the device into a groove made in the ground by the blade member.

Principally two types of fertilizing blades are previously known. Finnish Patent Application 832 412 discloses a fertilizing blade comprising an elongate blade member of an essentially even width and extending in the direction of travel of the fertilizing blade, a blade body being connected to the backward edge of the blade member so that fertilizer grains are introduced into a groove made by the blade member through said body. The blade body is considerably, about three times, broader than the blade member, whereby the fertilizing blade is formed by a long narrow blade member and a broad blade body, the lower edge of which is in a conventional manner positioned above the lower edge of the blade member.

A disadvantage of this kind of known blade is that the forward sides of the blade body protrude sideways of the blade member and break the sides of the groove made by the blade member in the earth, as a result of which some soil slides back to the base of the groove straight behind the blade member. This results in vertical scattering of the fertilizer grains, whereby part of the fertilizer may remain quite on the surface, which decreases the crop level.

Another known basic type of blade is disclosed in Swedish Patent Specification 46 822. The blade according to this publication comprises a relatively short blade member which is rounded or sharp and attached to a blade body of a substantially equal width. A disadvantage of this type of blade is that it does not move linearly in the soil but follows a winding course due to the variation in the hardness of the soil. The blade can be displaced in the sideward direction since it similarly to the blade of the present invention, is connected to the fertilizing device by means of a spring. The winding course of the blade may result in fertilizer being applied to a seed row; furthermore, the fertilizer, due to the vertical scattering thereof, may turn the seeds or crop being fertilized yellow on account of its high concentration if it makes contact with the seeds or crop.As a result of the use of a short blade member, soft moist soil may immediately fall back into the groove behind the blade member, thereby preventing the fertilizer from getting to the base of the groove. In addition, this kind of soil may even clog the blade.

The aim of the present invention is to provide apparatus for making a groove in the ground and depositing discrete material, e.g. fertilizer, in the formed groove so that it gets to the base of the groove.

According to the present invention there is provided a blade, e.g. a fertilizing blade, for a sowing and/or fertilizing device, said blade being connectible to the device by spring means and comprising a blade member having a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape, the long sides of which are arranged to extend in the direction of travel of the device, and a blade body positioned in alignment with and behind said blade member in the direction of travel of the device, said blade body being arranged to deliver discrete material from a container of the device into a groove made in the ground by the blade member and having a forward edge no wider than the width of the blade member.

The blade according to the present invention comprises a rectangular blade member and a blade body having at least approximately the same width as the blade member or a front edge width no greater than the width of the blade member. It has been unexpectedly found out through experimentation that such a structure ensures that the discrete material, e.g. fertilizer, being deposited gets to the base of the groove. This may be due to the fact that the elongate blade member both makes a groove with unbroken edges and urges the blade to move linearly. In addition, the blade body does not break the groove edges, because it does not protrude sidewardly from the blade member but, instead has merely approximately the same width as the blade member or only increases in width very gradually.All these matters together ensure that the groove is always unbroken and clean when the discrete material, e.g. fertilizer, falls into the groove and the blade body is always positioned in alignment with the groove, by virtue of which the discrete material will always fall to the bottom of the groove.

A preferred embodiment of a blade according to the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure l is a side view of a blade according to the invention, and Figure 2 is a sectional view of the blade along the line ll-ll of Figure 1.

Figures 1 and 2 show a fertilizing blade of a sowing and fertilizing device (not shown). The fertilizing blade comprises a solid, elongate blade member 1, a tubular feed chute or blade body 2 positioned behind the blade member in the direction of travel of the blade, and a spiral-like spring 4 attached to the blade member and the blade body by means of a connection piece 3, one end of the spring being arranged to be connected to the body of the sowing and fertilizing device. The forward edge of the blade member is further provided with a wear-resistant layer 5 attached thereto by welding.

For the compensation of the wearing of the point portion thereof, the blade member is vertically adjustable by means of openings 6 provided at its upper end.

The cross-section of the blade member 1 is substantially rectangular in shape as can be seen in Figure 2. In the embodiment described the length of the blade member in the direction of travel of the device is approximately four times the width thereof (i.e. the cross-sectional length is approximately four times the cross-sectional width). Further, the blade body 2 positioned directly behind the blade member has at least substantially the same width as the blade member, the width increasing gradually from the front edge towards the backward edge. In addition it will be appreciated that the front edge of the blade body 2 is no wider than the width of the blade member 1. By virtue of the blade structure, the blade member makes a groove with steady walls or sides which are not broken by the blade body, either.In the direction of travel the elongate blade member also prevents the blade following a winding course due to any variation in the hardness of the soil. In the illustrated embodiment, the rear edge of the blade body 2 is wider than the width of the blade member 1 but can be regarded as being substantially or approximately the same width thereof. The front edge of the blade body 2 is no wider than the width of the blade member 1. The gradually increasing width of the blade body 2 is so gradual as not to damage to a harmful extent the groove made by the blade member 1.

In use, the blade shown moves from the right to the left in the drawing, whereby the blade member 1 makes a groove into which the fertilizer falls from the blade body 2 which is in communication with a fertilizer container (not shown) of the device through a conduit (not shown).

It is to be noted that the ratio of the cross-sectional length of the blade member 1 to the crosssectional width thereof may differ from that described above. However, the length should preferably be at least twice the width. Instead of the separate wear-resistant layer 5, the forward edge of the blade member can be hardened.

The invention has been described with particular reference to a fertilizing blade for use on a sowing and fertilizing device. However a blade according to the invention could be designed for forming a groove in the earth and for enabling the depositing of any discrete material (not necessarily fertilizer) in the groove so formed. Thus the blade could, for example, act as a seed coulter for sowing seeds via the blade body 2. In this latter case the blade could be fitted to a sowing device or to a sowing and fertilizing device.

Claims

1. A blade for a sowing and/or fertilizing device, said blade being connectible to the device by spring means and comprising a blade member having a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape, the long sides of which are arranged to extend in the direction of travel of the device, and a blade body positioned in alignment with and behind said blade member in the direction of travel of the device, said blade body being arranged to deliver discrete material from a container of the device into a groove made in the ground by the blade member and having a forward edge no wider than the width of the blade member.

2. A blade according to claim 1, in which the blade body has substantially the same width as the blade member.

3. A blade according to claim 1 or 2, in which the ratio between the long and the short sides of the rectangular cross-sectional shape of the blade member is more than 2 to 1.

4. A blade according to any of the preceding claims, in which the width of the blade body gradually increases from the forward edge to the rear edge of the blade body.

5. A blade for sowing and/or fertilizing device constructed and arranged substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawing.

6. A blade according to any of the preceding claims, in the form of a fertilizing blade for a sowing and fertilizing device.

7. A sowing and/or fertilizing device including at least one blade as claimed in any of the preceding claims.

8. A fertilizing blade for a sowing and fertilizing device, said fertilizing blade comprising a blade member connected to the fertilizing device by means of a spring and a blade body positioned in alignment with and behind said blade member in the direction of travel of the fertilizing device, said blade body being in communication with a fertilizer container for introducing the fertilizer into a groove made by the blade member, characterized by a combination of the following features known per se: - the blade member has a rectangular cross-sectional shape, the long sides of which extend in the direction of travel of the fertilizing device, and - the blade body has at least approximately the same width as the blade member.