GB333645A - Improvements in or relating to seed drills - Google Patents

Abstract

333,645. Leake, H. M. May 21, 1929. Seed-drills.-A seed feeding or distributing device for a seed drill comprises a cylindrical seed receiving box or casing having an ejection aperture in its peripheral wall, an internal baffle member screening the aperture except from one peripheral direction, and a feed member rotating about a vertical axis .and carrying the seeds peripherally behind the baffle for ejection through the aperture. The seeds pass from the bottom 1 of the hopper through tubes 2 to the cylindrical casing 3 each containing a conical or other rotary feed member 6. The squared spindle 7 carrying the member 6 passes through a bevel wheel 8 meshing with a bevel wheel 17 on the squared part of a shaft 18 driven from the axle through gearing 19, 20. The spindle 7 is supported by a spring 14 and has a rounded pip 15 at its upper end engaging with a toothed wheel 16 on the shaft 18, to cause the feed member 6 to be vibrated vertically. The shaft 18 is movable longitudinally by means of a handle 2 so as to throw all the wheels 16 in or out of engagement with the pins 15. Each casing 3 is provided with two chamfered discharge apertures 25 opening into cups 26 at the upper ends of coulter tubes 27. The cone 6 may have a concave or other surface. A ring 28 in the casing carries baffle members 29 extending inwardly into contact with the cone 6 and having stepped, lower outer edges. The surfaces of the steps may be inclined or horizontal. By adjusting the rings 28 angularly the extent to which the baffle members cover the discharge openings may be regulated. The rings are adjusted by moving a bar 32 lengthwise by means of a screw operated by a hand-wheel 36, arms projecting from the rings engaging with swivelling eye members on the bar 32. A pointer on the bar 32 co-operates with a scale marked with lines corresponding to the different kinds of seeds. The tops of the casings 3 may be open or closed. A rotary bevelled disc with plain or serrated edges, and arranged below a fixed cam, may form the feeding-member; or the cone 6 may have a roughened or serrated edge. The feeding-member may be vibrated laterally instead of vertically; or the casing may be vibrated axially by the engagement of rollers with teeth on the face of a rotary disc. The casing 3 may be rotated instead of the cone 6. According to the first Provisional Specification the bevelled edge parts of the feeding-discs may be in the form of interchangeable rings. and spring - controlled coulters may be pivoted on the feeding-devices and arranged so that the seed supply may be cut off by turning them about their pivots. According to the second Provisional Specification rotary spindles carrying feeding-discs may be vibrated by the engagement of rollers with teeth on the surfaces of rotary discs.