GB2176983A - Agricultural apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

Granular material e.g. fertiliser from a container (1) is positively urged e.g. pneumatically through a feed conduit (8) to a placement member (14) which is positioned so as to place the granular material below the soil surface in the desired location in relation to the position or intended position of a crop. Conveniently the apparatus is mounted on a vehicle with the container being mounted at the front thereof and the placement member mounted at the rear thereof. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Agricultural apparatus The present invention relates to apparatus for use in placing a granular material below a soil surface and to a method of using such apparatus.

In a number of agricultural uses it is desired to administer an active material accurately below the soil surface, examples of such active materials including fertilisers and insecticides. The large scale application of granular material, for example granular fertiliser, has proved to be somewhat relatively inefficient in that active material is not positioned undersoil where it can be of greatest benefit. An optimum location for the positioning of the active material can be determined, depending inter alia on the nature of the crop to be treated, the nature of the soil and, of course, the nature of the active material.For example in treating potatoes with granular fertiliser it is unsatisfactory iffertiliser is placed too near to the potato for 'scorching' can result; neither is it satisfactory if fertiliser is placed too far from the potato as the usage of fertiliser is inefficient leading to increased cost and/or reduced crop yields.

The present invention solves this problem of the prior art by providing an apparatus that provides accurate undersoil placement of granular material.

Accordingly the present invention provides an apparatus for placing a granular material below a soil surface which comprises: (i) a container for said granular material, (ii) at least one placement member for placing said granular material below the soil surface, (iii) a feeder for supplying said granular material from said container to said placement member or members, said feeder comprising means for positively urging said granular material to said placement member or members.

In general terms granular material is fed from a container through a feeder system to the placement member or members, the end or ends of which is/ are disposed below the soil surface, said end or ends having an aperture or apertures to permit the granular material to be placed in the soil at the desired position. The apparatus is moved across the soil surface thus forming lines of deposited material. Thus in another aspect the present invention provides a method of placing granular material below a soil surface which comprises supplying granular material from a container to a feeder, and positively urging the granular material through the feeder to a placement member, an end of which is disposed below the soil surface, said end having an aperture through which the granular material is placed in the soil.

The feeder comprises means for positively urging the granular material to the placement member or members. We have found it convenient to use pneumatic means, that is wherein the granular material can be carried along a feeder conduit to the placement member or members with the aid of an air-stream, suitably generated by a fan.

In addition the feeder system can suitably comprise a meter for control of the rate of egress of granulated material from the container. Such a control meter can be variably set to suit the nature of the crop, soil, ingredient, etc, and can be powered by suitable means, e.g. an electric motor or a hydraulic motor. In particular the control meter can be linked to the rate of movement across the soil surface of the apparatus and this can be most conveniently performed by means of a ground wheel geared to the control meter. Such gearing can be adjustable for greater control.

The placement member or each of said placement members is designed so as to penetrate the soil to the required depth. As, in use, the apparatus is movable across the soil surface each placement member will cut through the soil. Suitably, therefore, a leading cutting edge is provided on each placement member to facilitate the movement through the soil. Granulated material is fed to each placement member and distributed therefrom. In one aspect the material is distributed downwards from the end of the placement member furthest from the soil surface. In a preferred aspect the material is distributed from an aperture in a trailing edge of the placement member, in this way better results are achieved. Preferably the placement member is a conventional coulter.

As stated hereinbefore the placement members can be designed to penetrate soil to the required depth. This depth may vary from use to use. In addition if there is a plurality of placement members they can be spaced apart by a distance dependent on usage, for example the distance between adjacent rows of crops can vary according to the crop. Thus in a preferred aspect of this invention each placement member is adjustable so that the position of distribution of the material is variable in a controlled manner. In one suitable aspect each member is adjustable in a vertical plane. In another suitable aspect each member is adjustable lateraily in relation to the direction of intended movement of the apparatus. In order to permit ready adjustability of the placement members the feed conduits are fiexible.

There is no limitation, beyond practicalities of size, to the number of placement members: suitably one, two or four are provided. Although a plurality of placement members could be fed from one feed conduit, for example with one airstream generating fan, we have found more consistent results with one feed conduit feeding each placement member.

Preferably also each feed conduit has a separate control meter.

Normally the apparatus of this invention is mounted on a vehicle, in particular a tractor, and a particular use of the apparatus of this invention is in combination with a tractor-mounted planter or seeder. In such a combination conveniently the container for granular material, for example fertiliser, is positioned, for example mounted, at the front of the tractor, the placement member or members is/are positioned, for example mounted, at the rear of the tractor and the planter-is positioned to the rear of the placement member or members.

This arrangement has the advantage of providing better balance to the tractor, the front mounted container counterbalancing the rear-mounted equipment. In one embodiment the placement member or members can be mounted on the planter or seeder. In an alternative, preferred embodiment the placement member or members is/are mounted on a toolbar frame which is positioned between the tractor and the planter.

In an alternative aspect the front-mounted container can be provided with a feeding system leading to the rear-mounted planter or hopper. In such a mannerthefront-mounted container can act as a reserve supply for material to be distributed from a conventional rear-mounted planter or hopper, such distribution being in the normal way.

In such manner the carrying capacity of the tractor is significantly increased.

An embodiment of the invention is now described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a schematic view illustrating the principal components of one form of the apparatus in combination with a tractor and potato planter; Figure 2 is a plan view of part of a row of potatoes; Figure 3 is a cross-section across line X-X of Figure 2.

Referring to Figure 1 there is shown a container 1 mounted on the front of tractor 2 by means of two bars 3 positioned on either side of the tractor and bolted thereto. Container 1 has walls 4 and a sloping base 5. At the centre of base 5 is an aperture connected to a chamber 6 in which is centrally positioned a rotatable star wheel meter 7. Chamber 6 is connected to feed conduit 8 by means of exit aperture 9. A fan 10 is located at one end of said conduit 8 so that when operated (by means not shown) a venturi effect is created at exit aperture 9.

Means for rotating the meter 7 comprise a geared pulley 11 capable of being driven by ground wheel 12. The pulley 11 is rigidly connected to the container 1 and to the ground wheel 12 by means of struts 11 a, 11 b respectively. Feed conduit 8 has a flexible portion 13, enabling convenient positioning with respect to the tractor, and leads to coulter 14 which is fixed to toolbar 15 by means of bolts. Toolbar 15 is bolted to the rear of tractor 2. In addition toolbar 15 has bolted thereto a potato planter 16. Coulter 14 has a leading V-shaped cutting edge 17 and a trailing edge 18. In the trailing edge 18 is located an aperture 19 for distribution of material.

In use the tractor 2 is driven in a forward direction.

The groundwheel 12 rotates through interaction with the ground and drive pulley 11 which in turn rotates the starwheel meter 7. This meter 7 feeds granulated material from the chamber 6 to exit aperture 9 where the material is drawn into an airstream generated by the fan 10 (operated automatically by tractor hydraulics). Material is carried through feed conduit 8 through the coulter 14to be distributed accurately in the earth through aperture 19. In this embodiment potatoes can be conventionally planted at the same time by means of the rear-mounted potato plant 16. The relative positioning of the potatoes and granular material, for example fertiliser, can be accurately controlled by lateral and/or vertical adjustment of the coulter 14 (by means not shown).

Figure 2 shows a plan view of part of a row of potatoes 20 and distance x is the lateral distance of potatoes from lines 21 a; 21b of granulated material for example fertiliser. This distance is, of course, controllable by adjustment of coulters 14.

Figure 3 shows a cross-section of the row of Figure 2 and two adjacent rows, the lateral distance x and vertical displacement of lines 21 of granular material are shown. Distance y is also controllable by adjustment of coulters 14.

Claims (8)

1. Apparatus for placing a granular material below a soil surface which comprises: (i) a container for said granular material, (ii) at least one placement member for placing said granular material below the soil surface, (ii) a feederforsupplying said granular material from said container to said placement member or members, said feeder comprising means for positively urging said granular material to said placement member or members.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the means for positively urging comprise pneumatic means wherein the granular material is carried along a feeder conduit to the placement member or members by means of an air-stream.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the airstream is generated by a fan.

4. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 comprising a control meter, responsive to the rate of movement across the soil surface of the apparatus, that controls the rate of egress of granulated material from the container.

5. A vehicle comprising apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4 having positioned at the front end thereof the container for granular material and having positioned at the rear end thereof the placement member or members, said container and said placement member or members being connected by a feed conduit or conduits.

6. A vehicle having positioned at the front end thereof a container for granular material and having positioned at the rear end thereof a second container for granular material, and which comprises a feeder for supplying said granular material from one of the said containers to the other of the said containers, which other container has means for placing granular material on to or below a soil surface, said feeder comprising means for positively urging said granular material to said other container.

7. A method of placing a granular material below a soil surface which comprises supplying granular material from a containerto a feeder and positively urging said granular material through said feeder to a placement member, an end of which is disposed below the soil surface, and placing said granular material in the soil through an aperture in the end of said placement member.

8. Apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to, and illustrated by, the drawing.