WO2005072508A1

WO2005072508A1 - Device for planting seed(ling) tape

Info

Publication number: WO2005072508A1
Application number: PCT/NL2005/000056
Authority: WO
Inventors: Peter Lerink; Jan Wondergem
Original assignee: Miedema Landbouwwerktuigen- Fabriek B.V.
Priority date: 2004-01-30
Filing date: 2005-01-26
Publication date: 2005-08-11
Also published as: NL1025363C2

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (1) for planting tape (2) containing, for example, seeds or seedlings in the ground (3), said device (1) comprising a frame (7), a holder (9) for the tape, and a guide chute (10) by means of which a furrow (11) can be formed in the ground (3) and tape (2) from the holder (9) can be introduced into the ground (3). At least the portion of the rear part of the guide chute (10) that is present in the ground during operation is narrower than the front part of the guide chute (10). In this way the furrow (11) being formed is closed to a certain extent before the tape (2) is introduced therein, and a better abutment between the tape (2) and the ground (3) is obtained.

Description

Device for planting seed (ling) tape

The invention relates to a device for planting tape containing, for example, seeds or seedlings, for example, in the ground, said device comprising a frame, a holder for the tape, and a guide chute by means of which a furrow can be formed in the ground and tape from the holder can be introduced into the ground. International patent application WO 00/00009 discloses a machine by means of which a so-called seed (ling) tape is placed edgewise in the ground. The machine comprises a frame (indicated at 2 in the figures to WO 00/00009) , to which inter alia the following components are attached: a supply container (4) for a zigzag tape (6) , a plant unit (14) comprising a plough (18) for forming a furrow (19) in the ground, and an obliquely disposed pin / rod (20) for redi- recting the tape (6) from an obliquely forward and downward direction to a horizontal and rearward direction just above the bottom of the furrow (19) . When the machine is pulled forwards, the tape (6) is pulled out of the container (4) and downwards into the furrow (19) . A pair of compressing wheels (26, 28) is placed behind the plough (18) for closing and compressing the furrow (19) . Planting forms a critical phase in the process of growth. If the seeds or the seedlings are exposed to a lack of moisture too long or if they are covered with too much soil or clods, the plants may die off. The object of the invention is to improve the device as referred to in the first paragraph. In order to accomplish that object, the device according to the invention is characterized in that at least the portion of the rear part (seen in the direction of movement of the device) of the guide chute that is present in the ground during operation is narrower than (the corresponding portion of) the front part of the guide chute. Preferably, the width of the rear part of the guide chute corresponds at least substantially to the sum of the local thickness of the side walls and to 80% to 150%, preferably 90% to 130%, of the thickness of the tape in unloaded condition. This aspect achieves that the furrow being formed is closed, at least can be closed, to a certain extent before the tape is introduced therein, as a result of which a better abutment between the tape and the ground is obtained and instability of the relatively narrow tape in the relatively wide furrow is reduced or even eliminated. Preferably, the device comprises means for carrying along an amount of soil during operation. Said soil may be referred to as "buffer soil" and is used for closing the furrow in a controlled manner and forming a sufficiently solid ridge. Said closing and defined supplying of the buffer soil is further improved if said means comprise a downwardly and rearwardly sloping surface, e.g. a plate, wherein the rear edge of said surface preferably extends until or beyond the rear end of the guide chute and/or wherein means are provided for moving the soil that is being carried along sideways in the direction of the guide chute. Furthermore, the guide chute is preferably coupled to the aforesaid means for carrying along buffer soil, in such a manner that when said means move upwards or downwards, the guide chute will move along therewith to at least substantially the same extent. This leads to an efficient depth adjustment, i.e. the depth of the furrow being formed relative to the upper side of the ridge being formed and the planting depth remain substantially constant. In another preferred embodiment, the guide chute comprises a pin for redirecting the tape from an obliquely forward and downward direction to a horizontal and rearward direction just above the bottom of the furrow, which pin has a diameter of more than 18 mm, preferably in a range from 20 to 50 mm. Since the furrow being formed is, in accordance with the invention, closed at least to a certain extent be- fore the tape is planted therein, the front side of the guide chute can be designed to have a greater width without the planting of the tape being affected too much. A relatively wide pin can be used in that case, which leads to fewer ten- sion variations in the tape or hitches in the tape movement than is the case with the usual pins (in the. prior art, the diameter of such pins is about 15 mm) . The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the figures, which schematically show an embodiment of the invention. Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a device according to the invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are a top plan view and a rear view, respectively, of the right-hand half of the rear side of the device according to Fig. 1. Figs. 4 and 5 are a top plan view, a side elevation and a front elevation of means for carrying along buffer soil and moving said buffer soil sideways during operation. In the figures, identical parts and parts having the same or at least substantially the same function are indicated by the same numerals. Figs. 1-3 show a device 1 according to the invention, also referred to as seed (ling) tape planter, by means of which a number of tapes 2, eight tapes 2 in this embodi- ment, can be planted simultaneously in four beds 3.

Seed (ling) tape may consist of, for example, two glued- together strips of a biologically degradable material. Between said strips, seeds (e.g. for lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, industrial tomatoes, onions or the like) are pro- vided in spaced-apart relationship, which seeds may be enveloped in a rooting medium, a moisture-retaining substance and/or nutrient and protective media. Seed (ling) tapes are described in detail in European patent application No. 0 182 263. The front side of the planter 1 is provided with a three-point linkage 4, by means of which the planter 1 can be hitched to a tractor (not shown) , one or more soil prepara- tion implements, such as a rotary harrow or cultivator 5, front supporting wheels 6 and a compound frame 7. The various parts of the actual planter are directly or indirectly attached to said frame 7. Said parts comprise rear supporting wheels 8, holders 9 capable of angular adjustment, in which trays carrying zigzag tape 2 are present and which are each provided with a supply for the tape 2 to respective guide chutes 10 (partially illustrated in dotted lines) , by means of which furrows 11 can be formed in the ground parallel to the direction of movement of the planter 1 (Fig. 3) and tape 2 can be introduced into the ground from the holders 9. To that end, each of the guide chutes 10 is provided with an obliquely disposed pin 12 (Fig. 2) for redirecting the tape from an obliquely forward and downward direction to a hori- zontally rearward direction just above the bottom of the furrow 11 in question. In this example, the pin 12 has a diameter of 25 mm and is provided with a Teflon™ coating. Both aspects contribute to an even guidance of the tape. The front part of the guide chute mainly functions as a plough or a coulter and is relatively wide, for example about 5 cm. The rear part is mainly formed by a chute of U-shaped section. This part is considerably narrower, for example of about 1.5 cm, and mainly functions as a guide for the tape. In order to introduce the tape into the ground in the stablest manner possible, the guide chute is preferably kept in a horizontal position, at least during operation. The guide chutes 10 are attached to a consolidating cover 13, which is pivotally connected to the frame 7 near the rotary cultivator 5, and which can be placed in a more or less forwardly inclined position, therefore, so as to be able to take up the correct working position during operation, independently of the working depth of said rotary cultivator 5. During operation, the consolidating cover 13 carries along part of the soil that has been loosened by means of the ro- tary cultivator 5, also referred to as buffer soil. As is shown in Figs. 4 (in dotted lines) and 5, the cover 13 comprises a rearwardly and downwardly sloping plate 14, the rear edge of which preferably extends beyond the rear ends of the guide chutes 10. Tape is introduced into the ground at these ends. The plate 14 has a bend, in such a manner that the rear part of the plate 14 includes a smaller angle with the hori- zontal (the ground surface) than the front part of the plate 14. Preferably, said angle is smaller than 10 degrees, so that the buffer soil that is being carried along is slightly compressed by said rear part. The rear edge of the cover 13 is provided with recesses 15 at the location of the chutes 10, which recesses on the one hand prevent the planted tape or the seedlings being damaged by said edge and which on the other hand make it possible to place soil against the sides of the tape 2 while the tape is still present under the plate 14. Front baffles 16 are attached, e.g. welded, to the bottom side of the cover 13, in line with the supporting wheels 8, which baffles converge, forming an edge at the front side. The baffles 16 diverge in rearward direction, blending with parallel (rear) baffles 17, which, together with the rear side of the plate 14, define the shape of the respective ridge 3. The plate 14 and the baffles 16 and 17 are made of a metal, preferably stainless steel. During operation, the rotary cultivator 5 loosens soil and the guide chutes 10 form furrows 11. The aforesaid front baffles 16 move the loosened soil towards the centre and the rear part of the guide chutes 10. Since said rear part is narrower than the front part of the guide chute 10 by means of which the (wide) furrow is formed, the furrow 11 formed by means of said front part is largely closed already. Since the guide chutes 10 are moreover asymmetrically arranged in pairs, with the narrower rear parts flanking the centre of the ridge to be formed, the closing of the furrows by means of the baffles 16 is further simplified. The tape is thus placed in narrow furrows, so that the tape is effectively prevented from being pulled out of true or falling over. In addition to that, sufficiently solid ridges are formed by means of the rear part of the upper plate 13 and the rear baffles 17. In order to further increase the effectiveness with which the furrows 11 are closed, the centre of the front baffles 16 (seen in the longitudinal direction) is preferably positioned at least substantially near the transition from wide to narrow of the guide chutes 10. Since the guide chutes 10 are attached to the cover 13, upward or downward movement of the cover 12 will cause the guide chutes 10 to follow said upward or downward move- ment to at least substantially the same degree. In this way a depth adjustment is obtained in an efficient manner, i.e. the depth of the furrow being formed relative to the ridge being formed, and thus the planting depth, will remain substantially constant. The pivoted connection of the guide chutes to, for example, the upper plate (14) , in such a manner that said chute can pivot upwards at the end of a working run, achieves that any soil that remains behind between the upper plate and the chute is scraped loose, which helps to form regular fur- rows . Means, such as pins, may be disposed behind the guide chutes, e.g. on either side of the aforesaid recesses (15) , which means are pulled through the ground during operation, in such a manner that the soil is pushed in the direction of the tape being planted, into closer abutment therewith. The invention is not limited to the embodiments as described above, which can be varied in many ways within the scope of the invention as defined in the claims. Thus, the guide chute may be built up of several parts instead of being in one piece, and comprise a coulter at the front side, for example, and a chute for guiding the tape at the rear side. Furthermore, irrigation pipes may be placed in the ground during planting, or water may be supplied, e.g. via the guide chute or via a separate pipe provided with an outlet opening. An additional effect of the administration of water via the guide chute is that the tape is lubricated in this manner.

Claims

CLAIMS l.A device (1) for planting tape (2), containing, for example, seeds or seedlings in the ground (3), said de- vice (1) comprising a frame (7) , a holder (9) for the tape (2) , and a guide chute (10) by means of which a furrow (11) can be formed in the ground (3) and tape (2) from the holder (9) can be introduced into the ground (3), characterized in that at least the portion of the rear part of the guide chute (10) that is present in the ground during operation is narrower than the front part of the guide chute (10) .

2. A device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the width of the rear part of the guide chute (10) corresponds at least substantially to the sum of the local thickness of the side walls and 80% to 150%, preferably 90% to 130%, of the thickness of the tape (2) in unloaded condition.

3. A device (1) according to claim 1 or 2 , which comprises means (13) for carrying along an amount of soil during operation.

4. A device (1) according to claim 3, wherein said means (13) comprises a downwardly and rearwardly sloping surface, e.g. a plate (14) .

5. A device (1) according to claim 4, wherein the rear edge of said surface (14) extends beyond the rear end of the guide chute (10) .

6. A device (1) according to claim 5, wherein the rear part of said surface (14) includes a smaller angle with the horizontal than the front end of said surface (14) .

7. A device (1) according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the angle that the rear part of said surface (14) includes with the horizontal is smaller than 10 degrees.

8. A device (1) according to any one of the claims 3-7, wherein the guide chute (10) is coupled to the aforesaid means (13) in such a manner that when said means (13) move upwards or downwards, the guide chute (10) will move along therewith to at least substantially the same extent.

9. A device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, which comprises means (16, 17) for moving the soil that is being carried along sideways in the direction of the guide chute (10) .

10. A device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein means, such as pins, are disposed behind the guide chute (10) , which means are pulled through the ground (3) during operation, in such a manner that the soil (3) is pushed in the direction of the tape (2) .

11. A device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the rear part of the guide chute (10) is positioned off-centre relative to the front part.

12. A device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the guide chute (10) comprises a pin (12) for redirecting the tape (2) from an obliquely forward and downward direction to a horizontal rearward direction, which pin has a diameter of more than 18 mm, preferably in a range from 20 to 50 mm.