WO2013183988A2

WO2013183988A2 - Dosing device

Info

Publication number: WO2013183988A2
Application number: PCT/NL2013/000031
Authority: WO
Inventors: Wouter BRENNINKMEIJER
Original assignee: PELLEBOER, Hendrik, Albert
Priority date: 2012-06-06
Filing date: 2013-06-05
Publication date: 2013-12-12
Also published as: WO2013183988A3; NL1039655C2

Abstract

Dosing device being arranged for on farmland with high precision dosing of granular products (30), such as seed or fertilizer granules; the dosing device comprising a storage reservoir (31) and a rotatable dosing disc (32), i.e. cell-wheel, which dosing disc on its mantle surface (33) is provided with dosing chambers (34), i.e. cells for receiving the granular product (30) from the storage reservoir (31) and for dispensing, i.e. dosing, of the products; wherein a brush-wheel is provided which in use rotates in the same direction as the dosing disc (32).

Description

Title: Dosing device

The invention relates to a dosing device arranged for on farmland dosing of granular products, such as seed or (manure) fertilizer granules, the dosing device comprising a storage reservoir and a rotatable dosing disc, i.e. cell-wheel, which dosing disc is provided on its mantle surface with dosing chambers, i.e. cells for receiving the granular product from the storage reservoir, and for dispensing - in other words dosing - of the product; a brush-wheel is arranged on the upper side of the dosing disc, the brush-wheel being provided with radially extending bristles, which are in contact with the mantle surface of the dosing disc, the axis of rotation of the dosing disc and the axis of rotation of the brush-wheel are oriented substantially horizontally and parallel to each other.

The invention also relates to an assembly of a manure injection device arranged for injecting liquid (stable) manure below the farmland surface and to a dosing device for granular products.

The invention also relates to a method for combined precision fertilization and dosing of granular products into farmland. The device and the method according to the invention are particularly suitable for both grassland and arable land.

Such a dosing device is known from Dutch patent application 7117553, in which a sowing apparatus (seeder) is disclosed, comprising a cell-wheel having cells i.e. dosing chambers arranged in its mantle surface. Seed grains are sown separately or counted sown by rotating the cell-wheel with its mantle (circumferential) surface on the surface of the (agricultural land) farmland. In order to prevent multiple dispensing of seed from a single cell is ensured that each cell i.e. dosing chamber is provided with only one seed grain. The cell-wheel is provided with narrowing recesses, such as conical bores, and with a compressed air system with which, by means of a mouthpiece, an airflow is blown at a small angle into the cells, so that the excess grains are blown from the cells i.e. dosing chambers. This solution has the disadvantage that in order to guarantee a good accurate dosing of the seed additional air connections and/or air pumps or air fans and/or vacuum systems with their associated electrical connections are necessary on the dosing device and/or the tractor unit. Moreover, the use of air pressure or vacuum has the disadvantage that chemicals, present on the seed or granular product, are emitted to the ambient. Therefore there is a need for a precision dosing system for granular products that by means of integrated or linked mechanical auxiliary devices, without use of air pressure or vacuum, each time exactly dispenses one seed granule per dosing chamber, or another granule such as a manure granule.

From Dutch patent NL1015182 a particularly advantageous combination is known of a manure injection device and a sowing device, wherein simultaneously fertilizing and sowing (or planting) is carried out in one cultivation operation of the soil with two or more ploughing devices (ploughs), parallel arranged at a distance transversely in the driving direction. Should for example com to be sown, then the mutual distance between the two furrows, formed by two ploughs, can be set to the desired width. Adjusting the subsurface level of the seed feed tube to the desired depth sets the sowing depth of the seed.

In FR2365285-A a seeder or fertilizer spreader is described having a dosing disc for precision dosing of granular products like grain of corn. At the upper side of the dosing disc a brush-wheel is pressed onto the dosing disc by means of a spring. As a result, this brush-wheel counter-rotates with respect to the dosing disc, thereby cleaning the dosing chambers after dispensing the granular material. This prevents accumulation of the grains in the dosing chambers, but does not prevent that two or more grains are dispensed per dosing chamber. Moreover (agricultural) chemicals are spread into the environment by the exhaust airflow resulting from the negative pressure (vacuum) produced in a venturi tube used for dispensing the granular product.

Therefore it is an object of the invention to provide for a user-friendly, conveniently and easily detachable dosing device for granular products, which enables high precision dispensing of one seed grain or one other product grain per dosing chamber, without applying an airflow thereby preventing distribution of chemicals, such as plant protection products present upon seed.

This object is achieved by the invention in providing a dosing device with a dosing disc, a brush-wheel being arranged on the dosing disc, wherein the brush-wheel in use rotates in the same direction as the dosing disc.

By using a brush-wheel, rotating in the same direction as the dosing disc, for brushing the mantle surface of the dosing disc, all the additional, that is to say, the second and third granules are removed from the dosing chambers and fed back to the outlet of the storage container. Thereby is furthermore ensured that each dosing chamber is provided with exactly one granule.

In particular the brush bristles of the brush-wheel are extending into the dosing chambers up to a height, which is determined by the height occupied by a single granular product in the dosing chamber. Thereby all excess granules are easily removed, while the grain to be dispensed is not removed from the dosing chamber.

A preferred embodiment is characterized in that the mantle surface of the dosing disc between two dosing chambers is provided with a profile, which slopes into the two dosing chambers; preferably the mantle surface is provided with a curved shape, or with a pitched roof shape, wherein pitched roof-shaped teeth being formed out of two adjacent tooth surfaces, wherein in the circumferential direction the tooth surfaces diagonally slope down into a dosing chamber. Consequently the granular products will not remain lying onto the mantle surface of the dosing disc, so that the brush hairs can more easily remove the excess granules from the dosing chambers.

Preferably two or more dosing discs are provided, wherein at least two dosing discs are displaced relative to each other over half the distance between the dosing chambers around the common axis of rotation. As a result, alternating dosing or sowing of seed or other granular products is enabled with a multi- or duplo-disc. The dosage amount per rotation of the dosing discs is multiplied by the number of dosing discs. Alternatively, simultaneously accurately dosing is enabled of two or more products such as seed and fertilizer granules. When dosing only one product, the dispensing speed is doubled by the use of a duplo-disc and by using a multi-disc the dispensing speed is increased proportionally by multiplication with the number of dosing discs applied.

In particular the storage reservoir is provided with a partition so that the first and the second dosing disc each are able to dispense a different granular product. By applying a partition in the storage reservoir, two different products can be dosed at the same time such as simultaneously two different seeds or fertilizer granules or simultaneously a seed and a granular fertilizer product.

The invention also relates to a an assembly of a manure injection system arranged for injecting liquid (stable) manure below the farmland surface and of a dosing device for granular products; and to a method for combined precision fertilization and dosing of granular products into farmland. Combining both items of equipment into a device according to the invention is based on the inventive consideration (insight) that an improvement of fertilizing and sowing is possible if after injecting manure into the created furrow a granular product is introduced - such as seed granules - immediately followed by (completely or as much as possible) closing and covering up of the furrow. In addition to the well-known advantage that by injection of liquid manure the typically emergent odour nuisance will not exceed unacceptable limits, now simultaneously with a single pass over the farmland the soil can be ploughed / cultivated, fertilized and sown and thereby costs can be saved. Moreover, this prevents that (agricultural) chemicals, for example, present on the seed, will disperse over the area.

Therefore it is furthermore an object of the invention to provide for an improved method for simultaneously fertilizing and seeding, wherein with high precision the manure in a liquid and/or granular form in a single pass can be dosed, and wherein the seed granules and/or granular products can be dispensed on the optimum sowing depth into the agricultural land.

For this purpose, the method provides for the following steps:

• providing a narrow (knife-sharp) furrow in the farmland with a soil coulter disc;

• injecting liquid manure into the farmland with a manure injector comprising a discharge nozzle on a small chisel plough;

precision dosing of granular fertilizer and/or seed into the furrow with a dosing device comprising two dosing discs and a partition within the storage container, the dosing discs each being provided with different granular product for dosing; wherein brushes on a brush-wheel remove excess product from the dosing chambers by rotating the brush-wheel in the same direction as the dosing discs;

pushing back the ploughed farmland soil into the furrow by a running wheel.

By firstly injecting the liquid manure into the furrow and then with the dosing disc dosing of the granular products - such as granular fertilizer or seed grains - into the furrow, and subsequently closing -by driving- the furrow, permits simultaneously precision sowing and fertilizing in one pass. This results in time and cost savings and additionally in an increase of the accuracy of the sowing, both in terms of the sowing depth as well as of the amount. Furthermore, spreading of the injected manure and/or chemicals on/from the granular products is prevented.

Additionally with the method according to the invention it is possible to carry out a so- called two-stage fertilization, aiming at an improved (out)growth of the plant. For that purpose the initial fertilization for the young plant is therefore applied at the top of the soil, near the surface. For the purpose of the subsequent (out)growth of the plant, the principal fertilization is applied at maximum depth.

It is of importance that care is being taking to ensure that constant control of the depth of the manure injector is maintained, i.e. the underground outflow area of the manure must be established such that, despite the working pressure, the manure will not or only slightly evaporate (generating malodour nuisance) at the ground surface level, thereby rendering manure spreading perfectly permissible.

This inventive idea is achieved in that the slightly open furrow is covered up or pressed closed by means of the rear-coupled dosing device, immediately after the manure (from the stable) is applied into the layer of grassland or farmland, into a pre- made relatively deep furrow of small width, in other words immediately after the injection of the manure and the dispensing of the granular product. As a result the emission of (mal)odour causing gases (ammonia, thereby also better use of nitrogen) and/or of (agricultural) chemicals from the covered and pressed down layer to ambient will be minimal, and therefore strictly admissible. Furthermore the dosed seed or another granular product cannot not be disturbed or moved e.g. by the wind or by animals such as birds.

The assembly for use in the new method must additionally comply with the stringent requirement that unevenness's in the terrain must be overcome and that in passing random obstacles of some height, when creating the furrow, locally no interruption must occur of the underground injection of liquid manure and/or of the dispensing of the granular product.

Therefore, there is also a need for a manure injection device that allows for creating a furrow track and a soil surface following ground pattern in a straight line, and wherein moreover the device is able to make gentle or sharp bends.

A single manure injection device according to the invention consists of a fixed machine frame that is pivotable about at least a horizontal pivot axis attached to a lifting device behind the container vehicle filled with liquid manure. Onto this fixed machine frame are furthermore mounted: in height adjustable running wheels, a rotatable soil coulter disc, a relatively small chisel plough, an injection tube for liquid manure. Between the machine frame and the horizontal pivot axis a hinged parallelogram construction is located having a stop determining the limit for sagging of the machine frame when it is lowered. The parallelogram construction is provided with two uprights and with two girders (beams), which are mutually pivotally connected to each other. Applying a steel rotary coulter (cutting) disc has the advantage that the friction surface with the ground is small, as compared to a much greater friction surface on a plough-share. Advantageously a minimum of ground displacement will occur, which also is associated with a minimum of damage to the ground structure by the cutting disc while the penetration depth is optimal, in particular in heavy clay soil having a very hard upper layer.

The energy savings obtained by drawing a furrow, i.e. providing a track, by using the coulter disc and a small underground chisel plough instead of a normal plough-share, may amount to more than 30% because there is no or hardly any displacement of the ground. In the event injection of liquid manure has to be applied into heavy clay having a substantially dry top layer being harder than sand or peat soil, the downward pressure exerted by the manure injection device must be increased in order to ensure a fast penetration of the coulter disc. Normally, the pressure to be exercised (penetration) amounts to e.g. 80 kg/cm²; for heavy clay soil the pressure e.g. must be at least 25 kg/cm² or more. This extra pressure may be exerted by means of additional weights, but also by means of additional mechanical or hydraulic or pneumatic pressure means suitable for the purpose.

Object of the invention is therefore also to provide for an improved assembly with which uniform furrows are drawn and with which the desired width and depth is maintained, by realizing a constant depth of penetration of the soil coulter disc so that with high precision the manure - in liquid or granular form - can be dispensed and/or the seed grains can be dosed in the optimal sowing depth of the farmland.

This object of the invention is achieved with an assembly of a manure injection system arranged for injecting liquid (stable) manure below the farmland surface and of a dosing device for granular products; the assembly is arranged to be attached behind a manure container for liquid manure, the manure container being moved by a towing vehicle, the manure injection device comprising:

- a machine frame comprising: a soil coulter disc for providing a narrow (knife- sharp) furrow; a first running wheel front-mounted in the driving direction before the soil coulter disc, and a parallelogram construction for coupling with the manure container;

- a manure dosing-frame comprising: a chisel plough, arranged for the dosing of liquid manure, the chisel plough being provided with a discharge nozzle which is coupled to an injection tube;

wherein two parallel hinged suspension arms are provided between the manure injection device and the dosing device for granular products. With these measures precision fertilization and dosing can be guaranteed, even on uneven farmland.

Preferably the machine frame and the manure dosing-frame can be coupled and decoupled by means of quick-connect elements. This makes it possible to quickly convert the assembly in order to be used for any other application.

In particular a spring mechanism is provided between a upright and a girder of the parallelogram construction, thereby enabling the manure injection device to overcome or take care of the unevenness's and/or obstacles within the ground surface to be cultivated resulting in a smooth movement; thereby in use enabling the manure injection device to maintain a constant subsurface penetration depth of the soil coulter disc and of the behind-mounted small chisel plough, resulting in a following movement the manure injection device through the furrow and the soil surface.

In particular a support bracket is provided on the first upright of the parallelogram construction, the bracket extending in the direction of the second upright, the bracket at its end is interconnected with the lower girder by means of a vertical compression spring, preferably the support bracket is provided with a support arm which is supported upon the bottom of the first upright.

By applying a support bracket extending parallel to the girders, which may be further reinforced by another support bracket, a larger torque is obtained, and during small unevenness's and/or obstacles a greater downward force is exerted by the compression spring on the machine frame comprising the soil manure coulter disc and the chisel plough.

In an advantageous embodiment a drive system is provided with which the brush- wheel and/or the dosing disc is rotated by means of rotation of the front running wheel.

In particular, the drive system comprises chains and sprocket-assemblies; wherein on the manure dosing-frame two sprocket-assemblies each having two sprockets are provided, mutually interconnected by a second chain; the lower sprocket-assembly drives with a third chain a sprocket assembly on the dosing device, preferably the axes of rotation of the sprocket-assemblies of the third chain are located exactly in the centre of projection lines, which extend between the pivot axes of the two parallel extending suspension arms. Applying a mechanical drive system eliminates the necessity for the use on the dosing system of compressed air or the use of electric motors, vacuum pumps, air blowers, with the corresponding connectors. By disposing the axes of rotation of the sprocket- assemblies exactly in the middle of the (projection) line segments stretching between the pivot-axes of the support arms, the chain will not be tightened or lose tension when the dosing device is hinging up and down caused by the unevenness's.

In particular, a cultivator is provided on the chisel plough, at the rear side in the driving direction,

The cultivator has two wings, wherein each wing is provided with a downward extending fin; wherein the fins are at an angle with respect to the driving or ploughing direction, so that the soil between the fins is moved towards each other into a narrow sowing-ridge.

By applying a cultivator the ground is crumbled better so that the seed or granular product is better absorbed in the soil.

In order to be able perform the spreading and injecting of liquid manure and the dosing of granular products in the way referred to above, two or more assemblies according to the invention simultaneously draw two or more furrows at a mutual distance of for example 50 cm; while the chisel plough, which follows the coulter disc, operates at a depth of approximately 12 - 30 cm. It is important to correctly adjust the depth for preventing root damage of the crop on grassland and also for preventing burning of the roots of the crop by the stable manure or the granular manure.

The invention will be hereinafter further elucidated by means of constructional details of the combined soil injection device and the drawing of an embodiment of the device whereby features and other advantages will come forward.

Figure 1A schematically shows a side view of an assembly of a manure injection device with a rear-coupled dosing device, which is mounted behind the lifting device of a manure container;

Figure IB shows a further developed and connectable embodiment of the assembly of Figure 1A with a drive system;

Figure 2A is a schematic side view of the dosing device according to the invention;

Figure 2B shows a perspective view of the dosing device from the rear side of Figure 2A; Figure 3A and 3B show the dosing device of Figures 2A and 2B with removed housing of the dosing disc;

Figure 4A shows a perspective view of the dosing disc and the brush wheel according to the invention;

Figure 4B shows, in a detail from Figure 4A, the brush wheel and the mantle surface of the dosing disc;

Figure 5 shows a plan view of the cultivator of the chisel plough.

In Figure 1A a towing vehicle (not shown) is the power source for an attached manure container 2, which is only schematically shown. At the rear frame 3 of the manure container 2 a manure injection device 4 is mounted on a horizontal mounting beam 6, which is attached to the lowerable / liftable frame 7 of the manure injection device 4 at the rear of the manure container 2. A manure injection device, see Figure 1A, consists of a fixed machine frame 8, which by means of a hinged parallelogram construction 9 and by means of four pivot points 10, is connected with the horizontal mounting beam 6.

The machine frame 8 is provided with a vertical extension piece 14, which at its lower end has a pivot 15 in which the shaft 16 of the coulter disc 17 is bearing-mounted. The machine frame 8 is extended to the rear by a plate-shaped angular portion 18, on which the small chisel plough 20 is mounted at the correct distance from the (cutting) coulter disc 17 and at a certain height from the bottom side. By means of tube 21, liquid manure can be dispensed under pressure. By means of coulter disc 17 and the chisel plough 20 a furrow is drawn in the farmland, in which furrow liquid manure or a granular product can be inserted such as seed grains.

The front running wheel 27 can be adjusted in height, relative to the fixed machine frame 8, so that the depth-setting of the coulter disc 17 in the soil to be treated is adjustable in height from e.g. 10 to 30 cm, depending on the depth of the roots of the crop (grass). It is in this way possible to prevent lifting of grass sods in the pasture by the chisel plough 20. The chisel plough thereby only pushes aside the soil in order to simultaneously create space for the liquid manure flowing out.

In Figure 1A, the lifting device 13 is shown and also the manure spreader 24, which by means of hoses 28 is connected to the injection tubes 29 of the parallel provided ploughs having manure injection devices.

The parallelogram construction is formed by two vertical and two horizontal girder(beam) elements, which are mutually pivoting; a first upright 11', a second upright 11"', an upper girder 11" and a lower girder l l'^v. Between an upright and girder, in Figure 1 first girder 11' and lower girder l l^iv, a compression spring mechanism 44 is provided, such that the compression spring 44 is compressed when the upright and girder move towards each other due to unevenness's and obstacles on the farmland. Because the compression spring 44 is compressed, a greater force is exerted on the machine frame 8 comprising the coulter disc 17 and the chisel plough 20, so that as a result of this increased force the pre-set depth can be well maintained.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 1A, the compression spring mechanism 44 is attached to the lower girder ll'^v at the bottom side. Furthermore a support bracket 12 is provided, extending horizontally, parallelly to the girders. If desired the bracket may be supported by a support arm 45, which in this embodiment extends from the first upright 11' to the support bracket 12. This increases the torque exerted, as a result of which the compression spring 44 can exert a greater force onto the machine frame 8.

The plate-shaped part 18 is provided with a suspension arm 22 (i.e. coupling rod), for coupling with the dosing device 42 for granular products. The dosing device comprises a dosing disc 32, a storage reservoir 31 for granular products 30, a housing 19 for the dosing disc and a rear running wheel 25. By pressing, the rear running wheel 25 pushes the furrow closed after injection of the manure and after the dispensing of the granular product.

In Figure 1A the two running wheels 25 and 27 are shown moving over the surface of the soil. The (cutting) coulter disc 17 is partly below the surface, and the small chisel plough 20 with the outlet of the injection tube 29 is entirely underground. After the treatment of the grassland (tillage) traces thereof still are slightly visible but after a very short period the furrows will be completely closed and afterwards it is hardly visible that a treatment has been performed.

In Figure IB, a further developed embodiment is shown of the combined assembly for fertilizing (fattening), ploughing and dosing. The reference numbers correspond to those used in Figure 1A. The machine frame 8 in Figure IB is provided with a manure dosing-frame 56, which by means of quick-connect elements 55 can be coupled to, and decoupled from, the machine frame 8. The hollow tube 21 for the injection of the manure is attached to the manure dosing-frame 56. The dosing device for granular products 42 is pivotally connected to the manure dosing-frame 56 by means of a parallelogram construction, comprising two suspension arms 22.

In this embodiment the dosing disc 32 is mechanically powered from the front running wheel 27 by means of a drive system, comprising an assembly of chains and sprocket- assemblies, 50'-5 -50^ιν 51^v provided with one or more sprockets. This drive system may also optionally be configured using (V-)belts 50 and (V-)belt discs or pulleys 51 or by using toothed belts 50 and toothed pulleys 51.

In the embodiment of the drive system shown in Figure IB two sprocket-assemblies 51', 51'" are provided on the manure dosing-frame 56. The sprocket-assemblies each having two sprockets and being interconnected by a second chain 50". The upper sprocket-assembly 51' is driven by the front running wheel 27 by means of a first chain 50'. The lower sprocket-assembly 51"' drives with a third chain 50"' a sprocket- assembly 51^IV (having two sprockets) located on the dosing device 42. Preferably, the axes of rotation of sprocket-assemblies 51"', 51^lv of the third chain 50"' are arranged exactly in the middle of projection lines, which extend between the pivot axes of the two parallel extending suspension arms 22. As a result the third chain 50'" between these two sprocket-assemblies 51"', 51^iv remains tensioned, despite the fact that the dosing device pivots up and down due to unevenness's on the surface of the farmland. From sprocket 51^IV runs a chain 50ⁱ upwards to the brush-wheel 35 and a chain 50^v downwards to the dosing disc 32. Due to this construction, the brush-wheel 35 and the dosing disc 32 both rotate in the same direction, whereby on the mantle surface of the dosing disc 32 the bristles (brush hairs) of the brush-wheel 35 move in the opposite direction with respect to the direction of movement of the mantle surface of the dosing disc. As a result the excess granular products are swept from the dosing chambers by the bristles, so that each time only one granule per dosing chamber is dispensed.

The first chain 50' between the machine frame 8 and the manure dosing-frame 56 is kept tensioned by means of chain tensioner 57. When the manure injection device 56 must be disconnected from the machine frame 8, it is sufficient to remove the chain tensioner 57 from the first chain 50' to allow for sufficient clearance being provided in order to be able to remove this first chain 50' from the sprocket 51' located on the front running wheel 27, so that subsequently, by means of the connect elements 55, the manure dosing-frame 56 can be disconnected quickly and easily.

In Figure 2A and 2B, the dosing device 42 is shown in more detail. Figure 2B is a rear side view of Figure 2A in perspective. Granular product 30, such as seed or fertilizer granules, is introduced into the storage reservoir 31 via the opening. If the (tractor) towing vehicle pulls the manure injector forward over the (farm)land (see Figure 1A and 2A), the running wheels 25, 27 and the dosing disc 32 rotate counter-clockwise, according to arrows A. The dosing disc is a so-called cell-wheel, which at its mantle surface 33 is provided with cells, or in other words dosing chambers 34. In each dosing chamber 34 one grain, such as a seed or fertilizer granule, is inserted. This granule leaves the dosing disc when the dosing chamber on the mantle surface is rotated downwards to the bottom side and the mantle surface is in contact with the farmland.

Premature falling down of the granule from the dosing chambers is prevented by the housing of the dosing disc 19 extending over a large part of the front of the dosing disc. When each time exactly one granule is disposed into a dosing chamber (singulation), it is possible to dispense very accurate, or in the case of seed grains, to sow very accurate. Dosing errors will therefore not easily occur, skipping of a seed is undesirable because the yield of the piece of land will decline; dosing of two or more seeds is also undesirable because then the cost of seed will increase at identical crop yield.

It is therefore necessary to apply a mechanism that ensures that there is always exactly one seed or a grain in the dosing chamber introduced. There are systems known on the basis of compressed air/vacuum, which allows excess grains to be blown or sucked away. These systems have the disadvantage that additional means are needed on the manure injection device, such as vacuum pumps, air pumps or blowers, additional piping, for feeding or suction of the air, or for the provision of electricity. Moreover, (agricultural) chemicals, e.g. present upon seed, may be distributed over de surrounding environment through the air used.

In Figures 3A and 3B, the housing 19 of the dosing disc of Figures 2A, 2B is removed so that the mechanical system is visible for dosing one grain per dosing chamber. The granules in the storage reservoir flow down through the outlet to the part of the mantle surface of the dosing disk, which is moving upward from the ground.

The dosing device according to the invention comprises a brush-wheel 35, which is provided with radially projecting bristles from the brush mantle surface, with which excess grains are removed, and which also ensure that all the dosing chambers are provided with one granule.

In order to achieve this goal, the brush-wheel 35 is provided with an axis of rotation 36, so that the brush-wheel 35 rotates in the same direction as the dosing disc 32. As a result, on their mutual contact surface the brush-wheel and the dosing disc have an opposite direction of movement. The outer surface of the brush-wheel thereby sweeps with its bristles, contrary to the direction of rotation of the mantle surface of the dosing disc, the excess granules back into the direction of the outlet of the storage reservoir, thereby providing simultaneously the pre-located (unfilled) dosing chamber with at least one granule. In Figure 4A and 4B, the brush mechanism is shown in more detail. Figure 4B is an enlarged view of the perspective view of Figure 4A. The dosing device is pulled to the right, or is rotated by a (chain) drive train, so that the dosing disc rotates counterclockwise, according to the arrows A. The brush-wheel 35 also rotates counterclockwise, identical to the direction of rotation of the dosing disc 32, so that on the contact surface the displacement direction B of the brush-wheel is opposed to the displacement direction A of the dosing disc.

In the dosing chambers 34, at the bottom thereof, a granular product 30 can be inserted. The mantle surface 33 of the dosing disc between two dosing chambers 34 is provided with a surface having a profile that, in the circumferential direction to both sides, slopes down to the adjacent dosing chambers 34. The mantle surface can be provided with a curved shape, such as a spherical or cylindrical shape, but in this embodiment as shown in the figures, the mantle surface is provided with a pitched roof with two pitched roof-shaped teeth 39 having tooth surfaces 40', 40". The grains are thereby prevented to remain lying on the mantle surface, as they are always being forced to slip into one of the two dosing chambers. Excess granules are removed from the dosing chamber 34 by the brush-wheel 35 and the bristles 38 and thrown back into the direction of the outlet of the storage reservoir. As a result of the sloping (pitched) roof form of the teeth 39 of the dosing disc, a number of grains will be transported to adjacent (non-filled) dosing chambers, located before the dosing chambers under or near the brush-wheel, opposite to the direction of rotation of the dosing disc.

Because the brush bristles 38 of the brush-wheel 35 are (partially) extending into the dosing chambers 34, approximately up to the height of the granular product to be dispensed 30, is ensured that only one grain is present in the dosing chamber 34 (singulation), when the chamber is positioned opposite to the ground surface. The granules are dosed by means of a free-fall from the dosing chamber onto the ground surface.

The brush-wheel 35 is preferably mechanically driven, for example by a chain drive system from the front running wheel 27 or from the dosing disc.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 4A and 4B two dosing discs 32', 32" are provided, which are coupled to each other with an intermediate disc 43. Each dosing disc 32', 32" is provided with dosing chambers 34. The dosing discs are displaced (rotated) relative to each other about the common axis of rotation 37 over about half the distance between the dosing chambers, so that alternating granules can be dosed. In order to be able to dose two different types of granules at the same time, such as two kinds of fertilizer granules or two types of grains of seed - or seed grains and fertilizer granules -, a separation or the partition 41 is provided in the storage reservoir.

With the assembly as shown in Figure 1A, comprising a manure injection device and a coupled dosing device for granular products, in a single pass simultaneously liquid manure can be injected into the soil and seeds can be sown. This saves on fuel and also on the number of hours worked on the land. Thereby soil structure and fertility of the soii is better preserved and less soil compaction will occur. Furthermore the capillary rise of water is maintained. The carrying capacity of the soil is also retained, which is advantageous during harvesting. There is no need for ploughing so the sod will remain intact. For farmland having a top layer of clay above a peat layer, there is no need to mix the two types of soil so that the clay layer will remain on top. When applying the assembly according to the invention, additional ploughing and cultivating is not necessary. Also (weeds) spraying is not necessary after fertilizing and seeding in one pass according to the invention, because the sod remains intact and no new seed (of unwanted plants i.e. weeds which can germinate at the surface) is transported to the surface.

In Figure IB a cultivator 26 is shown, provided at the rear side of the chisel plough 20. The cultivator crumbles the top layer of the farmland and gathers it in a narrow ridge so that the seed or granular product is better absorbed into the ground. In Figure 5, an advantageous embodiment of a cultivator 26 is shown in more detail. The cultivator 26 is provided with two wings 61, each wing being provided with a downwardly extending fin 62. At the front side of the cultivator a coupling element 63 is provided for a (mobile) link with the chisel plough 20; the coupling element in Figure 5 is configured by means of three chain links. The fins 62 are at an angle with respect to the drive or plough direction of arrow P, so that the ground between the fins 62 is moved towards each other into a narrow sowing-ridge.

Claims

1. Dosing device arranged for on farmland dosing of granular products (30), such as seed or fertilizer granules; the dosing device comprising a storage reservoir (31) and a rotatable dosing disc (32), i.e. cell-wheel, which dosing disc is provided on its mantle surface (33) with dosing chambers (34), i.e. cells for receiving the granular product (30) from the storage reservoir (31) and for dispensing, i.e. dosing, of the product; a brush-wheel (35) is arranged (31) at the upper side of the dosing disc (32), the brush-wheel being provided with radially extending bristles (38), which are in contact with the mantle surface of the dosing disc (32), the axis of rotation (37) of the dosing disc (32) and the axis of rotation (36) of the brush-wheel (35) are oriented substantially horizontally and parallel to each other; characterized in that the brush-wheel in use rotates in the same direction as the dosing disc (32).

2. Dosing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the brush bristles (38) of the brush-wheel (35) are extending into the dosing chambers (34) up to a height, which is determined by the height occupied by a single granular product (30) in the dosing chamber.

3. Dosing device according to any of the preceding claims 1 - 2, characterized in that the mantle surface (33) of the dosing disc between two dosing chambers (34) is provided with a profile, which slopes into the two dosing chambers (34); preferably the mantle surface (44) is provided with a curved shape, or with a pitched roof shape having pitched roof-shaped teeth (39) being formed out of two adjacent tooth surfaces (40', 40"), wherein in the circumferential direction the tooth surfaces slope down towards the dosing chambers.

4. Dosing device according to any of the preceding claims 1 - 3, characterized in that two or more dosing discs (32', 32") are provided, wherein at least two dosing discs are displaced relative to each other over half the distance between the dosing chambers around the common axis of rotation (37).

5. Dosing device according to claim 4, characterized in that the storage reservoir (31) is provided with a partition (41) so that the first and the second dosing disc (32', 32") each are able to dispense a different granular product.

6. Assembly of a manure injection system (4) arranged for injecting liquid (stable) manure below the farmland surface and of a dosing device (42) for granular products (30) according to any one of the preceding claims 1 - 4; the assembly is arranged to be attached behind a manure container (2) for liquid manure, the manure container being moved by a towing vehicle, the manure injection device comprising :

a machine frame (8) comprising : a soil coulter disc (17) for providing a narrow (knife-sharp) furrow; a first running wheel (27) front-mounted in the driving direction before the soil coulter disc ( 17), and a parallelogram construction (9) for coupling with the manure container (2);

a manure dosing-frame (56) comprising : a chisel plough (20) arranged for dosing of liquid manure, the chisel plough being provided with a discharge nozzle which is coupled to an injection tube (21);

characterized in that

two parallel hinged suspension arms (22) are provided between the manure injection device and the dosing device for granular products.

7. Assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that the machine frame (8) and the manure dosing-frame (56) can be coupled and decoupled by means of quick- connect elements (55).

8. Assembly according to claim 6 - 7, characterized in that a spring mechanism (44) is provided between a upright (11') and a girder (11") of the parallelogram construction (9), thereby enabling the manure injection device to overcome or take care of the unevenness's and/or obstacles within the ground surface to be cultivated resulting in a smooth movement; thereby in use enabling the manure injection device to maintain a constant subsurface penetration depth of the soil coulter disc (17) and of the behind-mounted small chisel plough (20), resulting in a following movement of the manure injection device (4) through the furrow and the soil surface.

9. Assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that a support bracket (12) is provided on the first upright (11') of the parallelogram construction (9), the bracket extending in the direction of the second upright (11'"), the bracket at its end is interconnected with the lower girder (l l'^v) by means of a vertical compression spring (44), preferably the support bracket (12) is provided with a support arm (45) which is supported upon the bottom of the first upright (1 ).

10. Assembly according to one of the claims 6 - 9, characterized in that a drive system is provided, with which the brush-wheei (35) and/or the dosing disc (32) is rotated by means of rotation of the front running wheel (27).

11. Assembly according to claim 10, characterized in hat the drive system comprises chains (50'-50'^v) and sprocket-assemblies (51'-51^v); wherein on the manure dosing-frame (56) two sprocket-assemblies each having two sprockets (51", 51"'), are provided, mutually interconnected by a second chain (50"); the lower sprocket-assembly (51"') drives with a third chain (50"') a sprocket assembly (51^IV) on the dosing device (42), preferably the axes of rotation of the sprocket- assemblies (51"', 51^iv) of the third chain (50"') are located exactly in the centre of projection lines, which extend between the pivot axes of the two parallel extending suspension arms (22).

12. Assembly according to one of the preceding claims 6 - 11, characterized in that a cultivator is provided on the chisel plough (20), at the rear side in the driving direction (P).

13. Assembly according to claim 12, characterized in that the cultivator (26) has two wings (61), wherein each wing is provided with a downward extending fin (62); wherein the fins (62) are at an angle with respect to the driving or ploughing direction of the arrow (P), so that the soil between the fins (62) is moved towards each other into a narrow sowing-ridge.

14. Method for combined precision fertilization and dosing of granular products into farmland comprising the steps of:

providing a narrow (knife-sharp) furrow in the farmland with a soil coulter disc (17);

• injecting liquid manure into the farmland with a manure injector comprising a discharge nozzle (19, 21) on a small chisel plough (20);

• precision dosing of granular fertilizer and/or seed (30) into the furrow with a dosing device (42) comprising two dosing discs (32', 32") and a partition (41) within the storage container (31), the dosing discs each being provided with different granular product for dosing; wherein bristles (38) on a brush-wheel (35) remove excess product (30) from the dosing chambers (34) by rotating the brush-wheel in the same direction as the dosing discs;

pushing back the ploughed farmland soil into the furrow by a running wheel (25).