GB2176084A

GB2176084A - A seed sowing device

Info

Publication number: GB2176084A
Application number: GB08613217A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Taisto Kullervo Ravantti
Original assignee: Suomen Sokeri Oy
Current assignee: Suomen Sokeri Oy
Priority date: 1985-05-31
Filing date: 1986-05-30
Publication date: 1986-12-17
Also published as: SE8602474D0; GB8613217D0; SE8602474L; NO862169L; FI852201L; FI852201A0

Abstract

A seed sowing device comprising a body (1) defining a seed passage (8), a blade (2) attached to the body (1) and a roller wheel (7) situated in the immediate vicinity of the seed passage which moves in a groove made by the blade (2) and presses the seeds against the base of the groove. The invention is intended to prevent loose soil falling into the groove between the sowing blade and the roller wheel, as a result of which the seeds cannot be properly pressed against the base of the groove. Harrow tines (6) may be positioned behind the roller wheel. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A seed sowing device This invention relates to a sowing device for a seed sowing apparatus or drill, the sowing device being of the kind comprising drill means having groove-forming blade means and a body connected to the blade means and defining a seed passage enabling deposition of seeds into a groove formed by the blade means and a roller wheel rotatably attached to the drill means and positioned behind the latter in the direction of travel of the seed drill for pressing seeds deposited via said seed passage against the base of the groove made by the blade means.

It is known that optimal seed germination conditions prevail when the lower surfaces of seeds make contact with a relatively compact, moist soil, a layer of loose air-containing soil then being placed over the seeds to prevent evaporation of the moisture. Such an air-containing layer of loose soil is easily warmed up by the sun so that the seeds become warm as well as being moist. In order to obtain such germination conditions, seed sowing devices or seed drilis are provided with roller wheels which move in grooves made by the seed coulters or drill means to enable the seeds dropped into the grooves onto the base of the grooves to be pressed against the base of the grooves.

Danish Patent Specification 109,659 discloses a known seed drill or sowing device provided with a roller wheel. In this known seed drill the roller wheel moves in a known manner behind the drill means and is connected to the latter by means of a bar arrangement which allows the roller wheel to be displaced in the sideward direction.

A disadvantage of the above described known seed drill is that the soil slides down into the groove from the sides thereof behind the drill means, as a result of which the seeds are at least in some places covered with a thin layer of loose soil. Thereafter the roller wheel moves along the base of the groove, pressing the seeds against the base through the loose soil, wherefore the effect of the roller wheel is small. The seeds are not pressed against the soil and, besides, a soil layer is formed over the seeds, which is relatively compact and warms up slowly.

Another disadvantage of this known seed drill is that vertical scattering of the seeds may occur.

When the seeds are dropped onto the base of the groove, the seeds may bounce up and are then often covered in the soil at different depths so that some seeds remain in places removed from the moist sowing base and out of reach of the roller wheel.

An aim of the present invention is to provide a sowing device for a seed drill, which device ensures that deposited seeds are placed on the base of the groove and pressed against it.

According to the present invention a sowing device of the kind referred to is characterised in that said roller wheel is situated in the immediate vicin ity of the seed passage.

Because the roller wheel is in the vicinity of the seed passage and preferably mounted on or attached to the body of the sowing device, the seeds drop out in the immediate vicinity of the drill means and roller wheel. This is advantageous in that the soil cannot slide down into the groove formed by the drill means and onto the seeds before the roller wheel has pressed them against the base of the groove. Furthermore, vertical scattering of the seeds can be totally prevented because the upward movements of the seeds are restricted by the roller wheel, which follows immediately after the seeds have been dropped out into the groove.

In addition, the sowing device does not clog when in use as in the case of most sowing devices. Further, the rotary motion of the roller wheel tends to keep the seed passage open. On soft soil the roller wheel acts as a supporting means to prevent the seed from being positioned too deep.

The roller wheel is particularly efficient if it forms the backward limiting face of the seed passage.

A preferred embodiment of a sowing device according to the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 is a side view of a sowing device according to the invention, and Figure 2 is a front view of the sowing device shown in Figure 1.

Figures 1 and 2 show a sowing device for a seed drill, the sowing device comprising a drill means or seed coulter having a hollow body 1 defining a seed chute and a blade member 2 attached to the body. A seed conduit 3 in communication with a seed container (not shown) of the seed drill is arranged to deliver seeds to the upper end of the seed chute defined by the body 1. A shank 4 of the sowing device in turn is connected to the blade member 2, the front portion of the shank being connected to the body of the seed drill. Each sowing device is also provided with an afterharrow 5 which has two teeth or tines 6 positioned behind the groove-forming seed coulter on the sides thereof.

A wheel 7 is rotatably mounted on, or supported from, the body 1 of the sowing device by arms 9.

The wheel 7 and the blade member 2 of the sowing device define therebetween a narrow passage 8 for the seeds. The lowest point of the wheel is positioned slightly below the lowest point of the blade member 2. In addition adjusting means (not shown) may be provided for adjusting the position of the wheel in the vertical direction, depending on the soil type. The wheel 7 suitably has a width no greater than the width of the groove formed by the seed coulter or drill means.

The sowing device according to the invention operates in the following way. When the sowing device is moving from the right to the left in Figure 1, the blade member 2 of the seed coulter or drill means forms a groove in the soil. Seeds flowing through the seed conduit 3 pass into a space defined between the side walls of the body 1 and fall onto the base of the groove made by the blade member 2. Immediately after the seeds are deposited onto the base of the groove formed in the soil, the roller wheel 7 moves over them pressing them against the base of the groove. Because the roller wheel 7 is in the immediate vicinity of the seed passage 8 and forms the backward limiting surface of the seed passage 8, any seeds bouncing up from the base of the groove hit the broad wear surface of the wheel 7, see Figure 2, and immediately drop therefrom back to the base of the groove in front of the wheel. By virtue of the short distance between the blade member and the wheel, there is not sufficient time for the soil to slide down into the groove before the wheel presses the seeds against the base of the groove.

Lastly the teeth or tines 6 of the afterharrow 5 smooth the soil, displacing a soft tilled layer of soil over the seeds.

Other forms of groove-forming blade members may be employed in other embodiments of the invention although the described "Suffolk" type blade member is the preferred form of blade member.

Claims

1. A sowing device for a seed drill, said device comprising drill means having groove-forming blade means and a body connected to the blade means and defining a seed passage enabling deposition of seeds into a groove formed by the blade means and a roller wheel rotatably mounted to the drill means and positioned behind the latter in the direction of travel of the seed drill for pressing seeds deposited via said seed passage against the base of a groove made by the blade means, characterized in that said roller wheel is situated in the immediate vicinity of the seed passage.

2. A sowing device according to claim 1, in which said roller wheel forms the backward limiting surface of the seed passage.

3. A sowing device according to claim 1 or 2, in which said roller wheel is rotatably supported from means attached to the said body.

4. A sowing device according to any of the preceding claims, in which the lowest surface of the roller wheel is positioned beneath the lowest surface of the drill means.

5. A sowing device according to any of the preceding claims, in which the roller wheel is no wider than the width of the drill means.

6. A sowing device according to any of the preceding claims, in which a harrow is provided having tines positioned rearwardly of the roller wheel.

7. A sowing device constructed and arranged substantially as herein described with reference to, and as illustrated in, Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawing.

8. A seed drill having at least one sowing device according to any of the preceding claims.

9. A method of sowing seeds in soil comprising forming at least one groove in the soil, depositing seeds via a seed passage into the groove and pressing the deposited seeds into the base of the groove with the aid of a roller wheel running in the groove and situated in the immediate vicinity of the seed passage.

10. A sowing blade for a seed sowing device, said blade comprising a body defining a seed passage, a point portion connected to said body, and a roller wheel rotatably mounted to the sowing blade and positioned behind said blade in the direction of travel of the device for pressing the seeds against the base of a groove made by the blade, characterized in that said roller wheel is situated in the immediate vicinity of the seed passage.