GB2196822A

GB2196822A - Manually operated seed sowing device

Info

Publication number: GB2196822A
Application number: GB08625027A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Reginald Ernest Smalley; Michael Andrew Smalley
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1986-10-17
Filing date: 1986-10-17
Publication date: 1988-05-11
Anticipated expiration: 2006-10-17
Also published as: GB8625027D0; GB2196822B

Abstract

The device is suitable for sowing excessively fine seed into multiple compartment seed trays and comprises a body 1 containing a tube 10 within which is received a manually rotatable rod 11. The rod contains one or more dimples 12 which, upon rotation of the rod, can be brought into register with an inlet opening 13 through which the dimple fills wit seed from a reservoir 14, and an outlet opening 15 through which a metered quantity of seed is dispensed into an outlet tube 16. The rod is biassed into the outlet position by a spring 19, and the device is provided with a pair of opposed runners 6 so that it can be stood upon the tray. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Seed sowing device The aim of this invention is to provide a handheld device which is capable of quickly and accurately delivering a measured quantity of seed into a seed tray or the like.

According to the present invention this aim is fulfilled by a hand-operated seed sowing device comprising a body including a seed reservoir and a seed outlet and containing a rotatable rod provided with a seed metering recess, the rod being manually rotatable between a first position in which the recess is in register with the seed reservoir to fill with seed and a second position in which the recess is in register with the outlet, through which the seed is delivered.

The rod preferably includes a plurality of seed metering recesses each co-operable with a respective seed reservoir and outlet.

The device is preferably provided with support means for supporting the device on a seed trny.The support means may be in the form of runners or feet which rest on opposite ends of the tray, and guide means may also be provided to guide the device along the tray.

The invention includes any novel combination of the features disclosed herein.

The invention will now be exemplified with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a seed sowing device in accordance with the invention, and Figure 2 is section ll-ll of Fig. 1.

The device comprises a longitudinal body 1 of rectangular section. Two legs 2, 3 in the form of flat plates depend from opposite ends of the body 1 and these are joined to the body by strengthening webs 4, 5 respectively.

A pair of parallel L-section runners 6, 7 are joined to the lower end of the legs 2, 3 respectively, the runners being longer than the width of the legs as shown in Fig. 2. A further L-section piece 8 is secured to one of the runners 7 with one limb 8a depending below the runner and the other limb 8b extending outwardly to act as a handle.

The body 1 has an axial drilling 9 to receive a circuiar tube 10. A rod 11 is rotatably received as a close fit in the tube 10 extending beyond both ends of the body 1. The rod has a row of ten dimple-like recesses 12 to align with apertures 13 in the wall of tube 10, each of which in turn communicates with a respective reservoir 14 opening on the upper face of body 1. Tube 10 also contains a further row of outlet apertures 1 5 diametrically opposed to apertures 13. These communicate with a set of ten tubes 16 which extend through the bottom face of body 1. The upper end of the tube is flared and the bottom end terminates just above the lower face of runners 6, 7.

Above handle 8b the rod 11 carries a pushon stop 17, and the opposite end of the rod is provided with a finger grip 18. A spring 19 is tensioned between anchorages 20 and 21 provided on one side of the rod adjacent to grip 18 and on runner 6 respectively. The rod carries a peg 22 which permits the rod to be rotated against the action of spring 19 between a second position defined by contact of the peg with a stop 23 and a first position defined by contact with a further stop 24. In the first position the dimples 12 are in register with reservoir apertures 13 and in the second position they are in register with outlet apertures 15.

Reservoirs 14 are closed by a transparent strip 25 held against the top surface of body 1 by fingers 26, 27.

In use the reservoirs 14 are filled with seed and the runners are placed on opposite ends of a multi-compartment seed tray (not shown) with limb 8a in contact with the end of the tray. The user holds handle 8b in one hand and grip 18 in the other and aligns the tubes 16 with the first row of compartments. He then rotates the rod 11 against spring 19 to the first position so that a metered quantity of seed falls into each of the dimples 12. He then releases the handle so that the rod rapidly returns to the second position under the action of spring 19 and delivers the seed through the outlet apertures 15, down the tubes 1 6 to the appropriate compartments.

The abrupt contact of peg 22 with stop 23 ensures that all the seed is dislodged from the dimples. The user then slides the device along the tray guided by limb 8a until the tubes 16 are aligned with the second row of compartments. The procedure is repeated untii all the compartments are filled.

The rod can be replaced by one with different sized dimples 12 by removing stop 17 and unhooking the spring from one of its anchorages. Different quantities of seed can thus be metered depending upon the size of seed in use. The device is suitable for sowing exceedingly fine seed such as lobelia so that the need for pricking out young seedlings is avoided.

1. A hand-operated seed sowing device comprising a body including a seed reservoir and a seed outlet and containing a rotatable rod provided with a seed metering recess, the rod being manually rotatable between a first position in which the recess is in register with the seed reservoir to fill with seed and a second position in which the recess is in register with the outlet, through which the seed is delivered.

2. A device according to Claim 1, in which the rod includes a plurality of seed metering recesses each co-operable with a respective

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Seed sowing device The aim of this invention is to provide a handheld device which is capable of quickly and accurately delivering a measured quantity of seed into a seed tray or the like. According to the present invention this aim is fulfilled by a hand-operated seed sowing device comprising a body including a seed reservoir and a seed outlet and containing a rotatable rod provided with a seed metering recess, the rod being manually rotatable between a first position in which the recess is in register with the seed reservoir to fill with seed and a second position in which the recess is in register with the outlet, through which the seed is delivered. The rod preferably includes a plurality of seed metering recesses each co-operable with a respective seed reservoir and outlet. The device is preferably provided with support means for supporting the device on a seed trny.The support means may be in the form of runners or feet which rest on opposite ends of the tray, and guide means may also be provided to guide the device along the tray. The invention includes any novel combination of the features disclosed herein. The invention will now be exemplified with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a seed sowing device in accordance with the invention, and Figure 2 is section ll-ll of Fig. 1. The device comprises a longitudinal body 1 of rectangular section. Two legs 2, 3 in the form of flat plates depend from opposite ends of the body 1 and these are joined to the body by strengthening webs 4, 5 respectively. A pair of parallel L-section runners 6, 7 are joined to the lower end of the legs 2, 3 respectively, the runners being longer than the width of the legs as shown in Fig. 2. A further L-section piece 8 is secured to one of the runners 7 with one limb 8a depending below the runner and the other limb 8b extending outwardly to act as a handle. The body 1 has an axial drilling 9 to receive a circuiar tube 10. A rod 11 is rotatably received as a close fit in the tube 10 extending beyond both ends of the body 1. The rod has a row of ten dimple-like recesses 12 to align with apertures 13 in the wall of tube 10, each of which in turn communicates with a respective reservoir 14 opening on the upper face of body 1. Tube 10 also contains a further row of outlet apertures 1 5 diametrically opposed to apertures 13. These communicate with a set of ten tubes 16 which extend through the bottom face of body 1. The upper end of the tube is flared and the bottom end terminates just above the lower face of runners 6, 7. Above handle 8b the rod 11 carries a pushon stop 17, and the opposite end of the rod is provided with a finger grip 18. A spring 19 is tensioned between anchorages 20 and 21 provided on one side of the rod adjacent to grip 18 and on runner 6 respectively. The rod carries a peg 22 which permits the rod to be rotated against the action of spring 19 between a second position defined by contact of the peg with a stop 23 and a first position defined by contact with a further stop 24. In the first position the dimples 12 are in register with reservoir apertures 13 and in the second position they are in register with outlet apertures 15. Reservoirs 14 are closed by a transparent strip 25 held against the top surface of body 1 by fingers 26, 27. In use the reservoirs 14 are filled with seed and the runners are placed on opposite ends of a multi-compartment seed tray (not shown) with limb 8a in contact with the end of the tray. The user holds handle 8b in one hand and grip 18 in the other and aligns the tubes 16 with the first row of compartments. He then rotates the rod 11 against spring 19 to the first position so that a metered quantity of seed falls into each of the dimples 12. He then releases the handle so that the rod rapidly returns to the second position under the action of spring 19 and delivers the seed through the outlet apertures 15, down the tubes 1 6 to the appropriate compartments. The abrupt contact of peg 22 with stop 23 ensures that all the seed is dislodged from the dimples. The user then slides the device along the tray guided by limb 8a until the tubes 16 are aligned with the second row of compartments. The procedure is repeated untii all the compartments are filled. The rod can be replaced by one with different sized dimples 12 by removing stop 17 and unhooking the spring from one of its anchorages. Different quantities of seed can thus be metered depending upon the size of seed in use. The device is suitable for sowing exceedingly fine seed such as lobelia so that the need for pricking out young seedlings is avoided. CLAIMS

2. A device according to Claim 1, in which the rod includes a plurality of seed metering recesses each co-operable with a respective seed reservoir and outlet.

3. A device according to Claim 1 or 2, provided with support means for supporting the device on a seed tray.

4. A device according to Claim 3, in which the support means is arranged to rest on opposite edges of the tray.

5. A device according to Claim 4, in which the support means comprises runners that extend transversely of the rod to rest on the opposite edges of the tray.

6. A device according to Claim 3, 4 or 5 provided with guide means arranged to abut a side face of the tray for guiding the device along the tray.

7. A device according to any preceding claim, in which the rod is rotatably received as a close fit within a circular tube.

8. A device according to any preceding claim, in which the or each seed outlet communicates with a downwardly extending outlet tube.

9. A device according to Claim 8, in which the or each outlet tube is internally flared at its upper end.

10. A device according to Claim 8 or 9 as appended to any of Claims 3 to 6, in which the lower erred of the or each outlet tube terminates adjacent to the level of the lower face of the support means that rests on the tray.

11. A device according to any preceding claim, in which the rod is biassed into the second position in which the recess is in register with the seed outlet.

12. A device according to Claim 11, in which the bias means comprises a spring extending between an anchorage on the side of the rod and a fixed anchorage to bias the rod into the second position, and the rod is manually rotatable into the first position against the action of the spring.

13. A device according to any preceding claim, in which the first and second positions are positively defined by contact of abutment means rotatably associated with the rod with a respective pair of fixed stop means.

14. A device according to any preceding claim, in which the rod is manually rotatable by means of a rotatable finger grip associated with an end portion of the rod that projects from the said body.

15. A device according to Claim 14, in which there is handle means projecting from the opposite end of the body to the finger grip.

16. A device according to any preceding claim, in which the or each seed reservoir is upwardly open and is provided with a removable cover.

17. A hand-operated seed sowing device which is substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.