GB2277665A - Seed sowing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

A seed sowing machine for mounting on a tractor, comprises a funnel-shaped seed container (17) having a central bottom outlet (19) with a proportioning member (20), and with sowing blades (15) on a following blade rail (50) and with a pneumatic feed mechanism (24), which feeds the seed from the container into a rising feed pipe (27) with a distributing head (30) and sowing lines (31) connected thereto and to each of which is connected a sowing blade (15). To facilitate filling and emptying, at least the container (17) with a fixed blade rail (50) cam be moved from an operating position close to the tractor rearwardly or transversely to the direction of travel to one side into a filling position. <IMAGE>

Description

Sewing Machine Tlle invention rbl L)t 5 to n sewing machine d! drill .'iccord i ng to the preamble of claim 1. The invention is also directed at a sewing machine or drill as part of on agricultural implement combination according to claim 32.

A sewing machine (DE 8,111,590 U1) comprises a support frame, a seed container fixed thereto, a plurality of sewing blades arranged in one or more row form and fixed to a blade rail, as well as sewing lines in which the seed from the container is supplied to the sewing blades. The sewing machine is coupled by means of corresponding connections on the support frame to the three-point linkage of the tractor. In an operation preceding the sewing process the soil and seed bed must be prepared with cultivation implements. Apart from single-purpose machines, implement combinations of a cultivation machine and a sewing machine have become widely used. The leading tools such as e.g. rotary harrows, disk harrows, pulverizing means and the like loosen the soil to the desired extent, so that the seed discharged by the following sewing blades encounters a perfe ctly prepared seed bed. Such implement combinations cause special problcms when attached to the three-point linkage of a tractor, because as a result of their considerable weight and the seed charge they give rise to a significant overall weight. Although this high weight is unimportant during sewing, because the implement combination runs on support wheels whose track width is adapted to the tractor track, considerable forces are required for lifting out the implement combination and the high weight behind the tractor and the resulting centre of gravity position have an unfavourable influence on the travel or movement. Therefore the aim with such implement combinations is to install the seed container as close as possible to the tractor, which means that the container is positioned above the implement unit with the cultivation tools and is therefore very high.

In known sewing machines there are usselltial 1y Lwo operating principles. Sewing mrlchincs operating according to tl)C gravity principle are constructed as box-type sewing machines (I)i 3,0()5,639 C2, DE 8,111,590 111). They have an elongated, box-like seed container, which is positioned transversely to the direction of travel and determines the working width. Box-type sewing machines suffer from a number of disadvantages which will not be discussed here.

In the case of pneumatic sewing machines according to the preamble of claim 1 (EP 0,338,647 Al, DE 9,111,810 U1) the seed is discharged centrally from tic container by means of a single proportioning member and passes into a central rising feed pipe in which it is conveyed upwards by the forced air. At the upper end of the feed pipe is provided a distributing head, to which is connected a number of sewing lines corresponding to the number of sewing blades. The seed passes from the distributing head in the downward sewing lines to the sewing blades, so that initiully the proportioning procedure is simplified. It is also possible to achieve greater working widths, because the sewing lines are passed outwards well beyond the tractor width and by means of flap or swing linkages can be given the width permitted for road transportation behind the said tractor.

As has already becn intimated, the seed container must be positioned as close as possible to the tractor for optimizing the centre of gravity for travel. As the sewing lines are lead rearwards and the sewing blades are successively arranged in two or three rows, Lie container must be placed correspondingly high above the sewing lines. In the case of implement combinations constituted by the sewing machine and cultivation tools this means that the container must be even higher, namely above the implement unit with the cultivation tools. As a result, in both cases, the filling opening or edge of the container is correspondingly high. Therefore the container can no longer be filled without additional aids. Since, up to now, seed is mainly handled in sack form, i.e. filling takes place manually, treadboards are placed e.g. above the sewing blades (El' 0,338,647 Al), or use is made of loading ramps (DE 9,111,816 U1) or other loading aids, e.g. lift romps (DE 8,111,590 U1).

The aforementioned disadvantages are reduced in a known box-type sewing machine (DE 3,105,639 C2) in that the latter with the sewing blades is suspended by means of a stecring linkage on the implement unit with the cultivation tools. During sewing the sewing machine runs in a lowered operating position behind the cultivation implements and for travel can be pivoted by the steering linkage into a raised position close to the implement unit. Although for travel tis gives a relatively favourable centre of gravity position and the container is relatively low in the operating position, the filling, emptying and calibrating checks are impeded by the sewing lines unloading behind the container, the blade rail and the sewing blade arrangement. In addition, during sewing the machine is very long.

It is known in the case of a box-type sewing machine (DE 309,899A) to tilt the trough-shaped seed container from the upright operating position into a horizontal position so as to be able to empty the container. However, the container cannot be filled in this position.

On the basis of a pneumatically operating sewing machine according to the preamble of claim 1, with an optimized position of the centre of gravity of the sewing machine for travel and sewing, the problem of the invention is to permit simple filling and emptying, whilst improving accessibility for carrying out a calibrating check, for emptying, as well as inspection and maintenance of the proportioning members.

According to the invention this problem is solved by the characterizing features of claim 1. The construction according to the invention is based on the principle of at least displacing the container and differentiating between the operating position and the filling position, so that the container can be brought into the most favourable position for sewing and travelling, namely as close as possible to the tractor, as well as for filling, emptying, calibrating checks and maintenance, namely as far as possible towards the outside. A lateral displacement of tlie container is advantageous with long and more particularly following cultivating tools, c.g.

harrows, whereas in the case of a singlc-purpose machine or short cultivating tools a rcarward displacement is possible. In this case the filling position can be chosen in such a way that the container is immediately above the sewing blade or bchind the latter, so that there is no impediment to access to the filling opening by the sewing blade or lines. Therefore there is no need for treadboards, transfer bridges, loading aids, etc. In addition, the funnel-shaped container outlet is free in the downwards direction, so that it is readily accessible for inspections or repairs to the proportioning members, agitator shaft, etc. A calibrating check can also be carried out in a simple manner, because for this purpose a receptacle can be easily placed below without being impeded by other components. In the same way the emptying of the seed container is facilitated, because a collecting vessel can be easily brought below the container outlet.

According to claim 2 the container is placed in a filling position which is lower than the operating position. This has the advantage that filling is even casicr and the container outlet is close to the ground.

Advantageous embodiments permitting a displacement of the container are characterized in claims 4 and 5.

In the embodiment according to claim 6 the pneumatic feed device with the sewing lines or their sections up to the blade rail are lowered into the filling position together with the container.

This presupposes an e.g. hydraulic drive for the fan, which is independent of the tractor.

Claim 7 characterizes a preferred embodiment of the invention, which is based on the principle of the constructional separation of the seed container from at least part of the pneumatic feed or conveying device, so that in practice the sewing machine comprises two units.

The unit formed by the container, as a result of this constructional separation, can be moved from its operating position above the sewing lines optimized with respect to the gravity position and which is close to the tractor into a lowered filling position, whereas most of the pneumatic system remains in the operating position, so that the masses to be moved are small.

The above advantages also apply to a sewing machine as a singlepurpose machine, but are particularly pronounced in the case of an implement combination comprising a sewing machine and an implement unit with cultivating tools upstream of the sewing blades and in which the seed container in the operating position is positioned above said implement unit from which it can be moved downwards into the filling position.

It is admittedly known in the case of implement combinations with a pneumatic sewing machine (CII 445,177 A), to spatially separate from one another the conveying mechanism and the seed container, namely the storage container is placed on the tractor and the rising feed pipe with the distributing head and sewing lines are attached to the three-point linkage of the tractor, optionally with further processing implements and between the container or fan and the feed pipe is provided a conveying line, but in this case the container is not moved and there is no centre of gravity position problem as in the case of a sewing machine or implement combination completely mounted on the three-point linkage. Tn another known constr uction (DE 8 708 456 111) the fan, container and rising i og feed pipe are arranged in succession. This leads t a vcry unfavourable centre of gravity position, because Lhe c()nt-i i ncr cannol lle i nstal lell close to t1le tractor. In addition, it is either n0L I,ossil,le or only possible with great difficulty to fill the container from the rear, because the rising feed pipe behind the container is in the way.

In the embodiment according to claim 8 only the container is moved into the filling position, whilst the entire pneumatic feed mechanism remains in the operating position. As the bottom outlet is free in the filling position, no further measures are required for a calibration check or for emptying.

With the features of claim 9 the complete pneumatic conveying mechanism is constructionally separated from the container, so that the overall conveying mechanism always remains in the operating position. The indentation in the container offers the necessary freedom of movement for container movements. Despite the indentation the useful container volume is no smaller than in the case of conventional pneumatic sewing machines, because the volume lost through the indentation is substantially or completely compensated by the fact that the dead volume formed within the container up to now as a result of the rising feed pipe, distributing head and sewing line portions connected thereto is eliminated.

Unlike in the case of many known sewing machines the distributing head having the features of claim 11 is located outside the container and only the rising feed pipe is located within the latter. This leads to the advantage that the container can completely empty and seed does not remain on constructions within the container. The sewing lines connected to the distributing head can also be freely lead rearwards and no openings are needed in the container walls.

Finally there is a larger useful volume for the container.

A particularly advantageous embodiment is characterized in claim 13, which permits an automatic closing of the separating point between the "container" unit and the "conveying mechanism" unit. For docking the container or the concomittantly moved components with the rising feed pipe, in the vicinity of the separating point can be provided corresponding entry guides with soft elastic seals or packings. Optionally it is possible to provide a locking mechanism which automatically drops in in the operating position and which is opened before moving the container into the filling position.

,If the separating point is located on the bottom outlet of the container, said bottom outlet will be constructed in such a way that it opens when travelling forwards and docks on a correspondingly rearwardly directed opening of the delivery chamber. If a separating point is located at the upper end of the rising feed pipe above the container, it is e.g. formed by an inclined section of the line permitting a problem-free raising and docking.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is characterized in claim 14, in which the container cover remains on the machine and only the container is moved. On lowering the container is automatically separated from the covering and on raising it is automatically applied from below to the cover. This offers the advantage that the container is already open in the lowered filling position without having to open or remove a cover or cover part. Unlike in known sewing machines, there is also no need for two-part hinged covers.

The mass to be moved is reduced by the cover weight.

This construction offers the advantageous possibility of fixing the rising feed pipe and distributing head together with the cover and only providing the indentation for said pipe on the container, so that in practice all the functional parts of the sewing machine remain in position and movement only takes place to the component, i.e. the container1 which is to be favourably positioned for the filling process.

According to claim 16 the container can be pivoted from the operating position into the filling position, which e.8. takes place by means of 8 lever gear, which is appropriately a four-bar gear, whose base is located on the implement unit and whose guide rod acts on the container. The container forms the connecting rod of the four-bar gear. With regards to their rclative position and construction, the guide rods can be optimized in such a way llsat in the operating position the container is just above the implement unit with the cultivating tools, whilst the container can describe a maximum path rearwards or sideways, but maintains its upright position. The lever gear is preferably driven by a hydraulic cylinder, which is connected to the tractor hydraulics.

It is obviously also possible to provide in pairs two lever gears preferably on either side of the travel direction laterally of the container1 so as to satisfactorily guide the latter during displacement. Such a gear pair can be driven by a single, but optionally also by two hydraulic cylinders.

Instead of a displacement by pivoting, according to claim 20 the container can be linearly moved from the operating position into the filling position and this can take place on a sloping plane which is inclined rearwards or sideways from the tractor. The container can be moved on linear, inclined guides, which can form part of the support frame. To said frame parts can be connected extensions for forming the complete guides. Without the said extensions the support frame can also receive the container in fixed form, so that a conventional sewing machine is obtained and from it it is easily possible to produce a machine according to the invention using the unit construction principle.

Embodiments for constructionally bringing about the displacement of the container on rails forming the guides are characterized in claims 24 and 25.

During a sliding or displacement of the container on guides or rails positioned on either side of the same it must be ensured that the container does not tilt and therefore become locked. On the drive side this is e.g. brought about by the features of claim 26. The hydraulic drive only acts in one direction, namely from the filling position into the operating position, whereas in the reverse direction the container only acts by gravity. For this purpose it is only necessary to open the main cylinder. Instead of this it can be provided that one cylinder acts as the pushing cylinder and the other as the pulling cylinder on the container, so that the latter is driven in both directions.

In the embodiment according to claim 28 the hydraulic motor transfers its torque to the transversely positioned driving shaft, so that the rolls on either side of the container are driven with the same force. This construction is particularly suitable when using rolls profiled in toothed gear-like manner.

If the container runs on guides, it must be secured in the operating position against raising tluc to travel movements. For this purpose it is possible to use counterrolls or stops positioned below the guides. It is also possible to provide instead of this rearwardly open pockets into which the rolls run on reaching the operating position. There is no need for such a securing system if, in preferred manner, the cover is fixed and supported on the support frame.

In this case the cover fulfils the securing function, because the container engages from below against the cover in the raised operating position.

The invention is described in greater detail hereinafter relative to non-limitative embodiments and the attached drawings, wherein show: Fig. 1 a diagrammatic side view of a first embodiment of the implement combination in the operating position.

Fis. 2 a representation corresponding to fig. 1 in the operating position and partly in section.

Fig. 3 a view corresponding to figs. 1 and 2 in the filling posi tion.

Fig. 4 a diagrammatic side view of a second embodiment of the implement combination.

Fig. 5 a plan view of the seed container and the guides of the implement combination according to fig. 4.

Fig. 6 a diagrammatic view of the embodiment according to fig.

4 in a modified construction.

Fig. 7 a diagrammatic side view of a third embodiment of the implement combination.

Fig. 8 a plan view of the seed container and the guides of the implement combination according to fits. 7.

Fig. 9 a side view of a third embodiment of the implement combin ation.

Fig. 10 a view from the rear of the embodiment according to fig.

9.

The drawings only intimate the tractor 1 with the rear wheels 2 and the three-point linkage 3. The three-point linkage 3 with its lower rods 4 and an upper rod 5 is used for connection of the implement combination 6, which has an implement unit 9 with cultivating tools coupled by means of the connections 7,8 to the linkage 3, as well as a sewing machine 10. The implement unit 9 has upstream cultivating tools, e.8. in the form of rotary harrows (figs. 1/4) or cultivator tines (fig. B), disk harrows or pulverizing means 12, which are mounted in a gearbox 13. The drive e.g. of the rotary harrows 11 takes place from tlic power take-off shaft 14 of the tractor 1.

The pneumatic sewing machine 10 belonging to tlle implement combination has sewing blades 15 following the cultivating tools 11,12 and which in the embodiment shown are arranged in three-row form on a raisable and lowerable blade rail 50 and are followed by smoothing means 16. The machine also has a seed container 17, which has a funnel or hopper-like construction and is provided with a filling opening closed by a flap 18 or the like. The hopper walls taper to a bottom outlet 19 open in the direction of travel (fig.

2). In the vicinity of the bottom outlet is provided a proportioning member 20 in the form of a proportioning roller, which discharges the seed quantity desired for the sewing blades. The proportioning member 20 can be controlled in speed-dependent manner e.g. by means of a concomittantly rotating tail wheel 21 in direct form or by means of its own drive and an electronic control. In the vicinity of its bottom the container 17 also has an agitator 22, which can also be driven by the tail wheel 21. The proportioning member 20 is followed by a cleaning brush 23 located on the container outlet.

The sewing machine also has a pneumatic feed or conveying mechanism 24, which is supplied by a fan or blower 25, which provides the feed air in a vertically upwardly directed manner. For feeding the proportioned seed into the pneumatic feed mechanism 24 a delivery chamber 26 is provided, to which is connected a rising, vertical feed pipe 27. The delivery chamber is connected to the bottom outlet 19 of the container 17 and for this purpose has an injector 28, into which ambient air is sucked by means of a gap 29 on the top of the chamber 26. The seed taken up by the feed flow in the delivery chamber 26 at the end of the rising feed pipe 27 passes into a distributing head 30 located above the container and to which is connected a number of sewing lines 31 corresponding to the sewing blades 15 and e.g. in radial or star-like manner. The sewing lines 31 pass in downwardly and rearwardly inclined manner to the sewing blades 15. These are hose lines, which allow a flexible guidance.

As can be gathered from fits. 2, in this construction the entire pneumatic feed mechanism 24 is positioned outside the container 17. To this end the container 17 has an indentation 33 running centrally rearwards from the front panel 32 and in which is located the rising feed pipe 27. This indentation 33 is only slightly wider than the diameter of the pipe 27. The distributing head 30 is positioned above the container 17, which is constructionally separated from the feed mechanism 24. In the area between the container outlet 19 and the delivery chamber 26, a separating point 34 is provided for this purpose and permits a functional separation of the container 17 from the pneumatic feed mechanism 24.

On the container 17 engages a lever gear, which in the represented embodiment has two approximately parallel guide rods 35, which are articulated at 36 or 37 to the implement unit 9 forming the base of the lever gear. One end of the guide rods 35 acts by means of joints 38,39 in the vicinity of the front panel or wall of the container 17 close to the tractor. With the lever gear is also associated as a drive a hydraulic cylinder 40 and the latter is e.g. connected to the tractor hydraulics. It can be a two-stage hydraulic cylinder, which acts on a lateral member 41 of the front rod 35 and at the same time is supported in articulated manner at 36 on the implement unit 9.

In the operating position shown in figs. 1 and 2, the container 17 is positioned directly above the implement unit 9 with the cultivating tools 11,12 and close to the tractor. By means of the rod 35 the container 17 can be moved out of the operating position represented by continuous lines above the implement unit 9 rearwards into the lowered position indicated in dot-dash line form in which, as shown in fig. 3, the filling opening 12 closed by the flap 18 or the rear filling edge 43 is at an easily accessible height.

In the represented embodiment the bottom outlet 19 is directly above the smoothing means 16, so that it is accessible without being impeded by the sewing lines 31 or sewing blades 15 and in particular below the outlet 19 can be placed a vessel 44 for a calibrating check or for emptying the seed container 17. From the filling position shown in fig. 3, after carrying out the work (filling, calibrating, emptying, repairing), the container 17 can again be pivoted by means of the hydraulic cylinder 40 into the operating position according to figs. 1 and 2 and the container moves substantially parallel to itself. In order to be able to satisfactorily dock with the delivery chamber 26 the container 17 or its bottom outlet 19 towards the end of the pivoting movement, on the outlet 19 or the opening 45 corresponding thereto can be provided guide parts 46 corresponding to the chamber 26 and which can also be equipped with a soft elastic seal (fig. 3).

On moving the container 17 out of the operating position and into the filling position (figs. 1 to 3) and vice versa, the implement unit 9 and the blade rail 50 with the sewing blades 15 and smoothing means 16 remain in position. In this embodiment the entire pneumatic feed mechanism 10 remains in its position close to the tractor and consequently only the container is moved.

In the embodiments according to figs. 4 to 8 the same parts are given the same reference numerals and are only subsequently described to the extent as is necessary for the understanding thereof.

In the embodiment according to figs. 4 and 5 the container 17 is linearly movable on an inclined plane between the operating position indicated in continuous line form and the filling position indicated in dot-dash line form. For this purpose rails 51 are provided on either side of the container and the front end thereof is close to the tractor and the rear end thereof projects beyond the sewing blade 15 or smoothing means 16 and are rearwardly inclined. On both longitudinal sides of the container are provided rolls 52, which in this embodiment are constructed in toothed gear-like manner and are located on a common shaft 53. The profile of the rolls 52 engages in corresponding recesses 54 on the rails 51. The recesses 54 are spaced from one another in accordance with the pitch of the teeth on the rolls 52. The common shaft 53 is driven by a hydraulic motor fixed to the container 17 by means of a continuous drive 56, e.g. a chain drive. Therefore the container can be moved between the two positions shown in fig. 4. The container 17 is either supported on the rail 51 by means of a pair of further profiled rolls, which are only rotatably mounted on one axis, or a further pair of rolls 57 is mounted on the container and e.g. runs on a planar surface of the rail 51. however, as shown in fig. 4, two pairs of such rolls 57 can also be provided. They are only used for guidance purposes, whereas the profiled roll 52 fulfils the driving function. In order to secure or guide against any vibrations the said container 17 during operation, it is possible to have a counterpressure roll 58 below the rail 51. however, instead of this it is possible to have pockets 59 on the guide rail, which are entered by the rolls 57 in the operating position.

The embodiment according to figs. 4 and 5 differs from that according to figs. 1 to 3 in that the rising feed pipe 27 is largely located within the container 17, i.e. substantially perpendicularly traverses the latter, whilst the distributing head 30 is once again positioned above the container. In order to be able to move the container 17, alongside the separating point 34 in the vicinity of the container outlet and the delivery chamber 26, there is a further separating point 34 immediately below the distributing head 30 and which are in each case cut in such a way that the separating points open if the container is moved into the filling position and the said separating points are closed again by the docking process when the container is moved into the operating position. Thus, in this case the distributing head 30 with the sewing lines 31, together with the delivery chamber 26 and the fan remain in position close to the tractor, whereas the portion Of the feed pipe 27 within the container is also moved. Thus, tlie distl-ibllLing head 3() is siiltportcti by means of a support 60 on the implement unit 9, whilst the guide rails 51 are supported by means of the support 60, together with a further parallel support 61 on the implement unit 9.

At 61 the rail

In known manner the synchronous cylinders 65 comprise a main cylinder 66 with an inlet and an outlet 67, as well as a second cylinder 68, which is connected by a line 69 to the main cylinder 66. If the main cylinder 66 is made pressureless at the connection 67, under gravity the container 17 can run downwards into the filling position. however, if pressure is applied by means of the connection 67, then the pistons run synchronously in the two cylinders 66,68 and move the container 17 out of the filling position and into the operating position.

It is immediately apparent that the construction according to the invention can also be realised in the case of a simple sewing machine, which is constructed in single-purpose manner. Such a singlepurpose machine has a support frame with the connections 7,8 for the three-point linkage 3 and the frame receives the container 17.

In the same way as described hereinbefore the container can be guided or supported on the support frame, in order to permit a movement from the operating position into the filling position.

Apart from the container 17, it is also possible to move the entire pneumatic feed mechanism 24 and the sewing lines 31 from the operating position into the filling position and then only the blade rail 50 with the sewing blades 15 and the smoothing means 16 remain in position. No constructional separating point need then be provided between the container and the pneumatic feed mechanism.

In the embodiment according to figs. 9 and 10 the implement combination 6 has a support frame 70, on which are placed the cultivator tines 11, rotary harrows, respectively pulverizing means 12 and harrows 71 following the sewing blades 15 and extending far to the rear. The support frame 70 is supported by means of support wheels 72 and can be lifted out by means of lift cylinders 73 synchronously with the raising movement of the three-point linkage 3. With such a construction of the implement unit, i.e. when behind the sewing blades considerable space is required for the following harrows 71, the container 17 is moved from vlle operating position above the implement unit 9 shown in fig. 9 transversely to the travel direction and sidoways into the lowered filling position (fig. 9).

To this end, once again rails 51 are supported by means of supports 60 on the support frame 70, which in this case are arranged in parallel upstream and downstream of the container and are sideways inclined. The container 17 runs by means of rolls 52 on rails and, as described, can be driven by means of hydraulic cylinders. here again the rails 51 have a separating point 61, so that the portions of the rails 51 located above the implement unit 6 can be connected by means of the supports 60 to the support frame 70, whilst the outwardly located portions can be coupled or can be flapped inwards.

In the lowered position the container can easily be filled from three sides or can be emptied at the end of sewing. Equally easily it is possible to take a calibrating check, because the container outlet 19 is downwardly free.

In the embodiment according to figs. 9 and 10 the container 17 has a cover 74, which by means of the support 60 is received by the frame 70 and is therefore fixed. To said cover are connected the rising feed pipe 27 and the distributing head 30 of the pneumatic feed mechanism, so that the latter can also remain fixed and it is only necessary to move the container 17, which is open at its top 75. The connection between the opening 75 and the cover 74 is formed in such a way that the container 17 can be lowered downwards and can also be raised from below against the cover 74 and there is a complete closure in the operating position.

In this case only the container 17 has the indentation for receiving the rising feed pipe 27 described relative to figs. 2 and 3. How- ever, it runs from the ri8ht-hand side wall of the container 17 in fig. 10 in the direction of the container centre. In addition, the separating point 34 between the container outlet 19 and the delivery chamber 26 is positioned in such a way that it is possible to laterally dock the container 17 with the pneumatic feed mechanism (fig. 10). Thus, in this embodiment only the open container with its components is moved, whereas its cover 74 and the entire pneumatic feed mechanism remain in the operating position.

Claims (32)

1. Sewing machine for threc-point mounting (3) on a tractor (1), having a support frame and a funnel-shaped seed container (17) received by the latter and which has a central bottom outlet (19) with a proportioning member (20), and with sewing blades (15) on a following blade rail (50), as well as with a pneumatic feed mechanism (24), which has a delivery chamber (26) connected to the container bottom outlet with an injector (28), a central rising feed pipe (27) connected thereto and with a distributing head (30) located on its upper end and rearwardly leading sewing lines (31) connected to the latter and to each of which is connected a sewing blade (15), characterized in that at least the container (17) in the case of a fixed blade rail (50) can be moved from an operating position close to the tractor subst antially parallel to itself in the rearwards direction or trans versely to the direction of travel to one side into a filling position.

2. Sewing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that on moving from the operating position into a lower filling position the container (17) can also be lowered.

3. Sewing machine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that in the rearwardly lowered filling position the container (17) is located in the area immediately above the sewing blades (irk).

4. Sewing machine according to any one of the claims 1 to 3, chara cterized in that, at least in the operating position, the conta iner (17) is loosely supported on the support frame.

5. Sewing machine according to any one of the claims 1 to 4, chara cterized in that the container (17) is supported by means of movable members (34) on tlle support frame and is displaceable by means of the latter.

6. Sewing machine according to any one of the claims 1 to 5, chara cterized in that the pneumatic feed mechanism (24) with the sewing lines (31) can be moved together with the container (17) out of its operating position and into its filling posi tion.

7. Sewing machine according to any one of the claims 1 to 6, chara cterized in that between the container (17) and the pneumatic feed mechanism (24) there is at least one constructional separa ting point (34) and that from the operating position in which the separating point (34) is closed, the container (17) can be moved into the filling position, accompanied by the opening of the separating point (34) and in which, considered from the container (17), the components of the feed mechanism located on the other side of the separating point (34) remain in posi tion.

8. Sewing machine according to any one of the claims 1 to 7, chara cterized in that the separating point (34) is positioned in the vicinity of the bottom outlet (19) of the container (17) and only the latter is movable.

9. Sewing machine according to any one of the claims 1 to 8, chara cterized in that the container (17) has an indentation (33) extending from one of its side walls towards the container centre and which is only slightly wider than the diameter of the rising feed pipe (27) and which is in turn located within the indentation (33) when the container (17) is in the operating position.

10. Sewing machine according to claim 9, characterized in that the indentation (33) is parallel to the longitudinal axis of symmetry of the container (17).

,

11. Sewing machine according to any one of the claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the distributing head (30) is positioned above and the rising feed pipe (27) within the container (17) and that the separating point (34) or one of the separating points is located between the upper edge of the container (17) and the distributing head (30).

12. Sewing machine according to claim 11, characterized in that the container (17) is displaceable with the components of the pneumatic feed mechanism (24) positioned upstream of the separ ating point (34) or between the separating points.

13. Sewing machine according to any one of the claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the separating points (34) have a constru ction permitting the automatic docking of the container (17) or the concomittantly moved components during the displacement thereof into the operating position.

14. Sewing machine according to any one of the claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the cover (74) closing the top of the container (17) is supported in fixed manner on the support frame (70) and only the container (17) can be moved into the lowered filling position.

15. Sewing machine according to any one of the claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the rising feed pipe (27) and the distrib uting head (30) with the cover (74) of the container (17) are fixed and only the container (17) had the indentation (33) for the rising feed pipe (27).

16. Sewing machine according to any one of the claims 3 to 13, characterized in that the container (17) can be pivoted from the operating position into the filling position.

17. Sewing machine according to any one of the claims 3 to 16, characterized in that the container (17) can be pivoted by means of a lever gear forming the movable members.

18. Sewing machine according to any one of the claims 1 to 17, characterized in that the lever gear is a four-bar gear, whose base is placed on the support frame and whose guide rods (35) engage on the container (17).

19. Sewing machine according to any one of the claims 1 to 18, characterized in that the lever gear is driven by a hydraulic cylinder (40).

20. Sewing machine according to any one of the claims 1 to 15, characterized in that the container (17) is linearly slideable or movable from the operating into the filling position.

21. Sewing machine according to claim 20, characterized in that the container (17) is movable on linear, downwardly inclined guides (51).

22. Sewing machine according to claim 21, characterized in that the guides (51) are part of the sul)l)orl frame and said support frame parts can be extended downwards.

23. Sewing machine according to claim 22, characterized in that the guides (51) are constructed as rails positioned on either side of the container (17).

24. Sewing machine according to claim 23, characterized in that the container (17) runs on the rails (51) lxy means of tread rolls (57).

25. Sewing machine according to claim 23, characterized in that the container (17) runs on the rails (51) by means of rolls (52) profiled in tooth gear-1ike manner and which are provided with recesses (54) having the spacing of the profile pitch and corresponding to the profile shape of the rolls.

26. Sewing machine according to any one of the claims 19 to 25, characterized in that the drive for moving the container (17) is constituted by hydraulic synchronous cylinders (65), whereof in each case one (66,68) is positioned on one side of the cont ainer (17) close to the rails (51).

27. Sewing machine according to any one of the claims 19 to 26, cltaracterized in tl'at one cylinder (66 or 68) acts as the push ing cylinder and the other (68 or 66) acts as the pulling cylin der on the container (17).

28. Sewing machine according to any one of the claims 19 to 25, characterized in that the drive for moving the container (17) is constituted by a hydraulic motor (55) positioned thereon and which acts on a driving shaft (53), on which are located the facing rolls (52) on either side of the container.

29. Sewing machine according to any one of the claims 1 to 28, characterized in that the container (17) is secured at least against upwardly directed forces in the operating position.

30. Sewing machine according to claim 29, characterized in that for securing the containers (17) with the rolls (52) are associ ated at least two countcrrolls (58) positioned below the guides on either side of the container (17).

31. Sewing machine according to claim 29, characterized in that for securing the container (17) are provided rearwardly open pockets arranged on the guides (51) and into which run the rolls (52,57) on reaching the operating position.

32. Use of a sewing machine according to any one of the claims 1 to 31, as part of an agricultural implement combination (6), which has, apart from the sewing machine (10), an implement unit (9) which can be mounted on the three-point linkage (3) of the tractor (1) and which has cultivating tools (11,12) upstream and optionally downstream of the sewing blades (15), the seed container (17) and its support frame (60,61) being positioned above said implement unit (6) and the container (17) is movable from the operating position above the implement unit (9) into a lowered filling position.