AGRICULTURAL TOOL UNIT FOR RAPID CONVERSION OF A COMBINATION SEED DRILL HAVING A TRAILED OR FINE-GRAIN SEED DISPENSER TO AN ON-DEMAND SUPPLY SYSTEM AND VICE VERSA
20220312665 · 2022-10-06
Inventors
Cpc classification
A01C7/081
HUMAN NECESSITIES
International classification
Abstract
Agricultural implement assembly, for the rapid transformation of a seed drill with a drilling or dragging dosing device, volumetric supplier to an on-demand supplier and vice versa, including at least one hopper containing a granular input, such as grains, seeds or granules of agrochemicals, and a delivery device arranged under the hopper. This device has a structure consisting of two physically delimited areas. A seed box is formed by side walls that delimit its width, a bottom wall, a rear wall with the air inlet from the fan, and a front partition that has at least the passage of the seed to the area where the dragging rotor is eventually located for the case of drilling work, or to the area where the containment slope is located for the case of on-demand supply.
Claims
1. An agricultural implement assembly for rapid transformation of a seed drill combined with a dragging or drilling seed dosing device to a supplier on demand and vice versa comprising: at least one hopper containing a granular input and a delivery device arranged below and in communication with said hopper, said delivery device comprising an air box and at least part of the seed delivery box, said air chamber having respective side walls delimiting its width, a bottom wall, a top wall in communication with the seed chamber from the hopper, a rear wall having the inlet of an air current, and a front partition establishing at least one outlet for at least one granulated input dragging air current from said air box in communication with the structure of the seed injection box, wherein attached against said front partition and at least part of said top wall of the air chamber is arranged a selectively removable seed injection chamber, using holding means and copying the aforementioned profile of the front partition and top wall, said injection chamber defining two interchangeable and distinct injection chamber constructions; in a first of said injection chamber constructions the same is formed at least by a first chamber wall attached to the front partition of the air box, a second chamber wall separated from the first by establishing a passage between both walls and a bottom, said first continuous injection chamber wall being formed by a blind wall that copies the profile of the top wall of the air chamber, and portions of side walls; determining at least part of said roof or vault of the injection chamber a communication of the interior of said injection chamber with the seed box which in turn communicates with the bottom of the hopper, establishing the entry of the inputs from the hopper to said seed chamber and from there to the injection chamber; in portions of the side wall of the air box and above the roof or vault thereof there are seats of a respective end of the axis of a cylindrical body, with selectively detachable holding and releasing means, said cylindrical body being rotatable about its axis inside the seed chamber, and interposed and facing the communication between said hopper and seed chamber, said cylinder determining mechanical dragging means of the inputs towards said seed injection chamber and forming a drilling delivery device therewith; in a second of said injection chamber constructions, said drilling is formed by a first chamber wall attached to the front partition of the air box, a second chamber wall spaced from the first by establishing a passage between both walls and a bottom, said first continuous injection chamber wall being at least partly permeable to the passage of a second air current from the air chamber into the seed chamber, which copies the profile of the top wall of the air chamber, having a roof or vault of the continuous injection chamber of the second injection chamber wall and portions of side walls; a partition being disposed in adjacencies to the top end of the first wall of the injection chamber projecting towards the ceiling or vault of said injection chamber, establishing a passage between the free edge of said partition and said ceiling or vault, a partition defining a retention slope by overflow of the granulated inputs, forming a supply device on demand; establishing for both interchangeable configurations of said injection chamber and within it, between said first and second walls, at least one communication substantially aligned with the at least one outlet of the main air current of the air box, the second wall of the seed injection chamber having at least one air outlet in communication with the deposition means of the granulated inputs to the ground.
2. The agricultural implement assembly according to claim 1, wherein the side walls of the air box extend forward establishing respective wall portions spaced apart from each other and following said front partition, seated between said two walls the sides of the injection chamber.
3. The agricultural implement assembly according to claim 1, wherein the aforementioned extensions of the sides of the air box are vertical and parallel to each other, with the linking and holding means of the seed injection chamber being selectively detachable therefrom arranged below the aforementioned seat of the axis end defining a support and pressure relationship of the first vertical chamber wall against the front partition of the air chamber;
4. The agricultural implement assembly according to claim 1, wherein the seed injection chamber defines a drilling or volumetric delivery device composed by said chamber by a first vertical chamber wall, a second vertical chamber wall, establishing between both a vertical chamber, and side walls, presenting a plurality of partitions separated from each other and arranged between both side walls, determining between each pair of said partitions the inputs to the interior of the injection chamber and all of them in communication with the outlet of the bottom of the hopper; said first vertical chamber wall has a plurality of air inlets communicating with open passages at both ends and in direct axial alignment communicating with respective air outlets of the air box present in the front partition thereof; the first vertical chamber wall is arranged attached against the front partition of the air box; above the sides of the injection chamber has a housing in the form of a semicircular notch wherein it houses the dragging cylinder linked by its ends to the extensions of the side walls of the delivery box seating in selectively detachable linking means.
5. The agricultural implement assembly according to claim 1, wherein the seed injection chamber defines an on-demand delivery device, said injection chamber being formed by a first vertical chamber wall attached against the front partition of the delivery box and a second vertical wall, a vertical chamber being established between both; the first vertical chamber wall has a top edge in accordance with the crowning of the front partition of the delivery box, folding there backwards with an opening or passage that delimits the corresponding vault area of the air box against which it is attached, to then be continued obliquely upwards in a passage coinciding with the exit of seeds from the hopper; inside the vertical chamber there is a slope whose crest defines a spillage edge of the seeds which fall inside the vertical injection chamber; said vertical injection chamber has a plurality of open passages at both ends in alignment and axial communication with respective air outlets in the front partition of the delivery box determining the transport of the seeds towards the dosing means proper to the seed drill.
6. according to claim 1, wherein the selectively detachable holding means from the aforementioned injection chambers are defined by a pair of opposed and aligned blind slots arranged with their inlet mouths located on the top back of said vertical sides extension of the air chamber, settling in the slots of each side a body of which two separate cantilevered wings are joined and parallel to each other and arranged to one projected on the other; in each of the aforementioned wings are made two blind bottom elongated notches facing each other on a same straight line, leaving between each bottom of each pair of axially aligned notches a wing portion of a width equivalent to the width of the slot, so that the notches of one of the wings corresponds vertically aligned with the notches of the other overlapping wing, determining said slots housing seats of the aforementioned central portions of each wing; the aforementioned body has a screw whose thread fillet couples in a complementary thread fillet in a passage of the body, seating the protruding end of the screw against the second front wall of vertical chamber by pressing the first wall of the injection chamber against the partition of the air box.
7. The agricultural implement assembly according to claim 1, wherein the selectively detachable holding and releasing means the respective axis end of the cylindrical body that rotates on its axis are defined by a pair of respective circular clamps, each pair of clamps being arranged in a vertical plane against the external face of each substantially parallel and vertical wall of the delivery box, the bottom half-clamp being solidary of said wall while the top clamp component pivots hinged with respect to the bottom clamp component, the ends being opposite to that of the aforementioned joint provided with reciprocal closing means; in its closed clamp condition, the interior of each clamp portion has respectively a semi-cylindrical inner seat that defines corresponding circular bearing tracks, aligned and coaxial to the axis of the aforementioned cylinder, within which the respective stub is seated arranged at each end of the dragging cylinder.
8. The agricultural implement assembly according to claim 1, wherein the vertical chamber of the volumetric delivery device is completed with an independent plate selectively attachable against the second vertical chamber wall, the same being retained against it by a bottom holding means defined by a series of tabs on each of which a recess is delimited, said tabs being horizontally projecting from a small plane extended between both wall portions at an extension of the sides of the delivery box, the corresponding projections being seated at each said recess practiced on the bottom edge of the aforementioned independent plate; while above, said independent plate is linked by a pivoting arm arranged at each top end of the plate in the other slots, of the pair of slots present at the top edges of the extension of the side of the delivery box, said independent plate being provided with outlets of the air currents matching axially with the air outlets practiced in the corresponding vertical chamber.
9. The agricultural implement assembly according to claim 8, wherein said independent plate has two notches coinciding with the displacement path of the adjustment pressure screw of the vertical chamber, determining the free passage of the end of said pressure screw, said top linkage arms being housed in the slots arranged upstream regarding the slots wherein the holding means of the vertical chamber are housed.
Description
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
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PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE COMPONENTS OF THE VERTICAL CAMERAS
[0060] With the sole purpose of providing a more finished vision of the components that make up both constructions of the vertical cameras, respectively volumetric and on demand, a series of photographs that illustrate them is attached for information and clarification purposes only:
[0061] Photograph A illustrates a front view of both components of the vertical chamber of the volumetric delivery device next to the already assembled roller;
[0062] Photograph B illustrates a slightly rear top view of both components of the vertical chamber of the volumetric delivery device next to the already assembled roller;
[0063] Photograph C illustrates a rear view of both components of the vertical chamber of the volumetric delivery device next to the already assembled roller;
[0064] Photograph D illustrates a slightly perspective side view of both components of the vertical chamber of the volumetric delivery device next to the already assembled roller;
[0065] Photograph E illustrates a rear view of the vertical camera component of the on-demand delivery device;
[0066] Photograph F further illustrates a rear view of the vertical camera component of the on-demand delivery device; and
[0067] Photograph G illustrates a perspective view of the vertical camera component of the on-demand delivery device.
[0068] Prior to the detailed analysis of the accompanying Figs. of the preferred exemplary embodiments, it is considered useful to make the following considerations related to the structure and operation of the components of the invention with the result obtained.
[0069] As already explained, the present invention consists of a structure consisting of two physically delimited areas. One of the areas, called “Seed Box” as already mentioned, has a direct connection with the containing hopper receiving the granular material therefrom, generally supplied by gravity and an area hereinafter referred to as the “air box” which has a connection with a blowing fan.
[0070] The “seed box” consists of respective side walls continuing the sides of the air box that delimit its width, a bottom wall, a rear wall that in the constructional arrangement of the examples has a cleaning gate and at least one seed passage to the area where the “dragging rotor” is eventually located for the case of drilling work or, to the area where the “containment slope” is located for the case of an on-demand supply. For the constructional arrangement of the example, the front partition has a plurality of outlets that can be selectively closed rapidly and without the use of tools for the purpose of using said outlets based on the number of furrows of the implement. The top face of the seed box is open and communicates with the containing hopper.
In the “air box” the air current is conveniently directed towards different outlets in order to act on the seed mass according to the working mode.
[0071] In particular, without limiting this, the present invention employs two air currents, one called “main current” and another “secondary current”. The air enters the air box of the device from a blowing fan. On the front wall of said box, there are the outlet ports of the “main current” while, on the top part of said wall, there is a passage through which the “secondary current” circulates. The “secondary current” crosses a seed mass and is again joined to the “main current” inside the vertical seed injection chamber generating a “dragging current” that will transport the material to its final destination. In said chamber, both in the “drilling” working mode and in the “on-demand supply” embodiment, the granular material is deposited so that it is dragged.
In the case of the “drilling” working embodiment, the material is delivered from the “seed chamber” to the “injection chamber” due to the dragging action generated by a mechanical element or dragging dosing system.
[0072] For the “on-demand supply” working embodiment, the material is delivered to the “injection chamber” due to the effect of the air currents that intervene in this working embodiment. According to the illustrated non-limiting examples and according to the aforementioned application AR P20180101923 the “secondary current” of air passes through the seed mass from the bottom of the seed chamber or the roof of the air chamber communicating with the above, through a screened plate, causing a sustenance effect of the seeds, in order to facilitate the dragging towards the “injection chamber”. The flow of the secondary current is regulated by a mechanism defining a flow rate register, mechanically limiting the passage section.
[0073] The “main current” comes from the “air box” and enters the “injection chamber” by at least one port. The joining of the “secondary current” with the “main current” generates the “dragging current” which leaves the injection chamber through at least one port communicating directly with at least one conduction pipe via which the transport of the material is carried out.
[0074] For the purposes of being able to carry out the transformation of the system from the “drilling” working embodiment to a system in the “on-demand supply” working mode and vice versa, the present invention defines two functional sets that are timely exchanged in a simple way and without the use of tools and confer the condition of working in two different ways to the system simply opting for the placement of one or the other.
[0075] Both the called “drilling module” and the “supply module” have constructional and functional features specific to each working embodiment, however, their geometry allows them once installed in the “delivery device” to couple to the piping of the delivery circuit to transport the granular material to its destination.
[0076] The “drilling module” consists of a space physically delimited by at least one bottom, side walls and a first front wall communicating with the “seed chamber”. The rear face is open and is in communication with the “injection chamber”. For the constructional arrangement of the example and without this constituting a limitation, the rear face has a wall of low height that rises from the base acting as containment for the granular material. Within this defined space, the “mechanical dragging” element (rotor) is housed. Said element, receives the granular material from the seed chamber and due to its rotating action, it displaces a certain amount of granular material in each rotation, delivering it in free fall towards the “injection chamber”. Said injection chamber has at least one inlet port that communicates directly with the “air chamber” and at least one outlet port that communicates with the circuit piping. Once the granular material enters the “injection chamber”, the air current from the “air chamber” drives it into the delivery circuit piping through the outlet port.
[0077] The “supply module” consists of a space physically delimited by at least one bottom or base constituted by the aforementioned perforated or screened surface, side walls and a first front wall communicating with the “seed chamber”. The rear face is open and is in communication with the “injection chamber”. For the constructional arrangement of the example and without this constituting a limitation, this face has a wall of low height that rises from the base acting as containment for the granular material hereinafter referred to as “containment slope”. The “containment slope” aims to retain the granular material that enters from the “seed chamber” due to the effect of gravity by depositing itself inside the chamber of the “supply module” according to its natural slope. The material will be kept in a resting state maintaining its natural slope until the air currents that put the on-demand supply system into operation act thereon.
[0078] The secondary current coming from the “air chamber” enters the “supply module” through the perforations of its base and passes through the seed mass generating a sustenance effect on the seeds.
[0079] The “injection chamber” has at least one inlet port that communicates directly with the “air chamber” and at least one outlet port that communicates with the circuit piping. Through the inlet port, an air current enters from the “air chamber” at high speed. This air flow, called “main current” generates by “Venturi” effect, a negative pressure area at the top of the injection chamber. This negative pressure varies its intensity depending on the speed with which the air passes through the “injection chamber”. The maximum air speed condition within the “injection chamber” occurs when the circuit piping is clear at its end, i.e. without accumulation of granular material in the secondary hopper. In this condition of maximum speed and, therefore, maximum negative pressure in the top of the injection chamber, the seeds of the surface of the seed mass retained by the “containment slope” tend to be dragged towards the injection chamber. This condition is favored by the effect of the “secondary current” since it generates a sustenance effect minimizing the amount of energy necessary for the material of the surface to be dragged towards the injection chamber. Both the “secondary current”, which passes through the seed mass, and the main current generating the negative pressure and the dragging effect, are joined to exit through the outlet port forming what is called a “dragging current”.
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[0083] According to the present invention, this generic air chamber box (10) has its side walls (13) continued downstream of the direction of the air current (4) by means of respective parallel wall portions (19) extending substantially vertically forward in a short distance, having at their top edges two blind vertical slots (20) and (21).
[0084] In the construction of the volumetric delivery device (30) of the invention that is installed against the front partition (16) (downstream) of the box (10), seen in
[0085] Preferably, this volumetric delivery device (30) is completed by a plate (41) which is attached against the downstream wall (38) or outer wall of the chamber (31), substantially vertical plate which is also linked thereto in the parallel wall portions (19). Ideally this plate has so many open pipes (41) at both ends and aligned with the passages (36) of air outlet with the seeds. (See arrow at the right end of
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[0087] Against each of the sides (13), in axial alignment with the circular recess (29) the existence of respective circular hemi-clamps respectively (26, 27) is observed, which in the Fig. are observed in their open clamp condition, ready to receive the corresponding end of the dragging cylinder (70) (not illustrated in this Fig.). The bottom portion (26) can remain fixed to the outside of the wall (13), and at its rear end the folding portion (27) is articulated. The top end of (26) has coupling means (28) linking both clamp components (26, 27) to each other in a secure closing relationship. Each clamp portion (26, 27) has, respectively, a semi-cylindrical inner seat (71,72) that defines the track within which the respective stub of the dragging cylinder (70) rotates about its axis. By closing the components (26, 27) of each clamp on the stub, the cylindrical body (70) is left with a single degree of rotating freedom.
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