GRANULATE PORTIONING MEANS

Abstract

The invention relates to a granulate portioning means (10) for an agricultural spreading machine, comprising: a portioning rotor (30), which is designed to combine granulate grains during a rotational movement to form granulate portions; a housing (12), in which the portioning rotor (30) is arranged, wherein the housing comprises a housing main body (14) and a housing cover (16); and an electric drive device (18) for rotational driving of the portioning rotor (30).

Claims

1. A granulate portioning means (10) for an agricultural spreading machine, comprising a portioning rotor (30) which is designed to combine granulate grains during a rotational movement to form granulate portions; a housing (12) in which the portioning rotor (30) is arranged, wherein the housing (12) comprises a housing main body (14) and a housing cover (16); and an electric drive device (18) for rotational driving of the portioning rotor (30); characterized in that the electric drive device (18) is fastened to the housing cover (16), and the housing cover (16) and the electric drive device (18) are components of a removable portioning module (20) which is assembled on the housing main body (14) in a non-destructive and reversibly detachable manner.

2. The granulate portioning means (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the portioning rotor (30) is a component of the removable portioning module (20).

3. The granulate portioning means (10) according to claim 2, characterized in that the portioning rotor (30) is secured to the portioning module (20) against falling out when the portioning module (20) is removed.

4. The granulate portioning means (10) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the electric drive device (18) has a drive housing (28) which is fastened to the housing cover (16).

5. The granulate portioning means (10) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the portioning module (20) has an inlet opening for granulates to be portioned by means of the granulate portioning means (10).

6. The granulate portioning means (10) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the portioning module (20) comprises at least one wall portion (26b) of an outlet channel for granulate portions to be discharged from the granulate portioning means (10).

7. The granulate portioning means (10) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by one or more positioning members by means of which the portioning module (20) can be positioned with repeat accuracy in an assembly position on the housing main body (14) for assembling on the housing main body (14).

8. A portioning system (50), having an air separator (52) into which an air-granulate flow can be introduced and which is designed to separate air from an introduced air-granulate flow; and a granulate portioning means (10) which is connected to the air separator (52) and is designed to produce granulate portions from an air-granulate flow which has passed the air separator (52); characterized in that the granulate portioning means (10) is designed according to any of the preceding claims.

9. The portioning system (50) according to claim 8, characterized in that the air separator (52) is connected to the portioning module (20) of the granulate portioning means (10).

10. An interchangeable system for an agricultural spreading machine, having a granulate portioning means (10) having a removable portioning module (20); and a band placement module (70) comprising a replacement housing cover (72); characterized in that the granulate portioning means (10) is designed according to any of claims 1 to 7, and the band placement module (70) is designed to be non-destructively and reversibly detachably assembled on the housing main body (14) for converting the granulate portioning means (10) from a portioning configuration to a band placement configuration instead of the portioning module (20) and, in the assembled state, to pass an air-granulate flow through the housing (12) of the granulate portioning means (10) comprising the replacement housing cover (72) without forming portions.

11. The interchangeable system according to claim 10, characterized in that the band placement module (70) has an inlet opening for the air-granulate flow to be passed through the granulate portioning means (10).

12. The interchangeable system according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that the band placement module (70) comprises a plug receptacle (78) for receiving a connector plug.

13. The interchangeable system according to any of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that the band placement module (70) comprises at least one wall portion (74b) of an outlet channel for an air-granulate flow to be discharged from the granulate portioning means (10).

14. A method of operating an interchangeable system, in particular an interchangeable system according to any of claims 10 to 13, having the step of: generating granulate portions by means of a granulate portioning means (10) of the interchangeable system, wherein the granulate portioning means (10) has a portioning configuration during the generation of granulate portions, in which a portioning module (20) is assembled on a housing main body (14) of the granulate portioning means (10); characterized by the steps of: converting the granulate portioning means (10) from the portioning configuration to a band placement configuration by replacing the portioning module (20) with a band placement module (70), so that in the band placement configuration the band placement module (70) is assembled on the housing main body (14); passing an air-granulate flow through the granulate portioning means (10) without forming portions, wherein, during the passing of the air-granulate flow, the granulate portioning means (10) has the band placement configuration in which the band placement module (70) is assembled on the housing main body (14) of the granulate portioning means (10).

Description

[0022] Preferred embodiments of the invention are explained and described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, In the figures:

[0023] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a spreading unit with a portioning system according to the invention;

[0024] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the spreading unit shown in FIG. 1 after detaching the portioning module of the granulate portioning means of the portioning system;

[0025] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the portioning module and air separator shown in FIG. 2;

[0026] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view from behind of the housing main body of the granulate portioning means shown in FIG. 2;

[0027] FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of a band placement module of an interchangeable system according to the invention, including an air separator;

[0028] FIG. 6 shows a side view of the spreading unit shown in FIG. 1 after the portioning module has been replaced by the band placement module shown in FIG. 5.

[0029] FIG. 1 shows a spreading unit 100 for spreading granulated material on agricultural land. The granulate can be fertilizer, for example.

[0030] The spreading unit 100 comprises a carrier element 102, on which a disk coulter 104 is arranged. The disk coulter 104 is used to create a placement furrow into which the granulate can then be placed.

[0031] The spreading unit 100 further comprises a portioning system 50, wherein the portioning system 50 comprises an air separator 52 and a granulate portioning means 10. The air separator 52 is designed as a cyclone. The granulate portioning means 10 is supplied with an air-granulate flow passing through the air separator 52. Inside the air separator 52, an air portion is separated from the air-granulate flow. The air portion separated by the air separator 52 can be set via an adjustment on the air separator 52.

[0032] The granulate portioning means 10 is used to produce granulate portions, which can then be conveyed via the placement line 106 of the spreading unit 100 in the direction of the placement furrow produced by the disk coulter 104.

[0033] A housing main body 14 of the housing 12 of the granulate portioning means 10 is fastened to a carrier member 108 of the spreading unit 100. A portioning rotor 30 is arranged in the housing 12 of the granulate portioning means 10, wherein the portioning rotor 30 combines the granulate grains introduced into the housing 12 of the granulate portioning means 10 to form granulate portions by means of a rotational movement. The housing 12 further comprises a housing cover 16 which is fastened to the housing main body 14.

[0034] The granulate portioning means 10 also comprises an electric drive device 18 for rotationally driving the portioning rotor 30 arranged in the housing 12. The electric drive device 18 is an electric motor.

[0035] The electric drive device 18 is fastened to the housing cover 16. The housing cover 16, the electric drive device 18 and the portioning rotor 30 are components of a removable portioning module 20. The portioning module 20 is assembled to the housing main body 14 in a non-destructive and reversibly detachable manner.

[0036] FIG. 2 shows the spreading unit 100 with the portioning module 20 removed. The air separator 52 is attached to the portioning module 20 and can be removed from the housing main body 14 together with the portioning module 20. The housing cover 16, the electric drive device 18, the portioning rotor 30 and the air separator 52 can therefore together be removed from the housing main body 14 and fitted to the housing main body 14.

[0037] The electric drive device 18 has a drive housing 28 which is fastened to the housing cover 16. The electrical components of the electrical drive device 18 are located in the drive housing 28. The drive housing 28 is connected to the housing cover 16 via screw connections in a form-fit and/or force-fit manner. In other embodiments, the drive housing 28 can also be connected to the housing cover 16 in a form-fit manner or can be an integral component of the housing cover 16.

[0038] The portioning module 20 has an inlet opening for granulate to be portioned by means of the granulate portioning means 10. The inlet opening is arranged at an inlet connection piece 22, wherein the inlet connection piece 22 is a component of the housing cover 16. The portioning module 20 further comprises a wall portion 26b of an outlet channel for granulate portions to be discharged from the granulate portioning means 10. The housing main body 14 also comprises a wall portion 26a of the outlet channel, so that the outlet channel is formed by the wall portions 26a, 26b of the portioning module 20 and the housing main body 14.

[0039] FIG. 3 shows that the portioning rotor 30, as a component of the portioning module 20, can be removed from the housing main body 14 together with the housing cover 16. The portioning rotor 30 is secured to the portioning module 20 against falling out when the portioning module 20 is removed, so that handling of the portioning module 20 is simplified.

[0040] The portioning rotor 30 has two rotor blades 32a, 32b arranged on opposite sides, wherein the rotor blades 32a, 32b, during a rotational movement of the portioning rotor 30, combine granulate grains located in the housing 12 of the granulate portioning means 10 to form granulate portions.

[0041] The portioning module 20 comprises assembly hooks 34a, 34b which can be inserted into hook receptacles 36a, 36b on the housing main body 14. When the assembly hooks 34a, 34b are inserted, the assembly hooks 34a, 34b together with the hook receptacles 36a, 36b form a hinge via which the portioning module 20 can be swiveled towards the housing main body 14 and away from the housing main body 14.

[0042] FIG. 4 shows that the housing main body 14 of the granulate portioning means 10 is screwed to the carrier member 108 of the spreading unit 100. The carrier member 108 has a circular cut-out into which a circular protrusion of the housing main body 14 can be inserted for positioning the housing main body 14.

[0043] FIG. 5 shows a band placement module 70 of an interchangeable system having a replacement housing cover 72. In addition to the band placement module 70, the interchangeable system also comprises a granulate portioning means 10 with a removable portioning module 20. The granulate portioning means 10 can be designed, for example, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4.

[0044] The band placement module 70 is designed to be non-destructively and reversibly detachably assembled on the housing main body 14 for converting the granulate portioning means 10 from a portioning configuration to a band placement configuration instead of the portioning module 20 and, in the assembled state, to pass an air-granulate flow through the housing 12 of the granulate portioning means 10 comprising the replacement housing cover 72 without forming portions. The portioning configuration is shown in FIG. 1, for example.

[0045] The band placement module 70 comprises assembly hooks 76a, 76b which can be inserted into the hook receptacles 36a, 36b of the housing main body 14.

[0046] FIG. 6 shows the granulate portioning means 10 in the band placement configuration. The band placement module 70 has an inlet connection piece 80. The inlet connection piece 80 has an inlet opening for the air-granulate flow to be passed through the granulate portioning means 10. The replacement housing cover 72 of the band placement module 70 further comprises a wall portion 74b of the outlet channel for an air-granulate flow to be discharged from the granulate portioning means 10. In the band placement configuration of the granulate portioning means 10, the outlet channel is formed by the wall portion 26a of the housing main body 14 and the wall portion 74b of the band placement module 70.

[0047] The band placement module 70 comprises a plug receptacle 78 for receiving a connector plug. In the portioning configuration (see FIG. 1), the connector plug is used to make electrical contact with the electrical drive device 18 in the portioning module 20. In the band placement configuration, the connector plug is not used, so that it is protected from damage and contamination by inserting it into the plug receptacle 78 on the replacement housing cover 72.

[0048] The housing cover 16 of the portioning module 20 and the replacement housing cover 72 of the band placement module 70 each comprise three pins 38a-38c, 82a-82c, which are used to position the portioning module 20 and to position the band placement module 70 on the housing main body 14, respectively. The housing main body has pin receptacles 40a-40c into which the pins 38a-38c, 82a-82c on the portioning module 20 or on the band placement module 70 can be inserted for positioning with repeat accuracy of the portioning module 20 or the band placement module 70.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0049] 10 Granulate portioning means [0050] 12 Housing [0051] 14 Housing main body [0052] 16 Housing cover [0053] 18 Drive device [0054] 20 Portioning module [0055] 22 Inlet connection piece [0056] 26a, 26b Wall portions [0057] 28 Drive housing [0058] 30 Portioning rotor [0059] 32a, 32b Rotor blades [0060] 34a, 34b Assembly hooks [0061] 36a, 36b Hook receptacles [0062] 38a-38c Pins [0063] 40a-40c Pin receptacles [0064] 50 Portioning system [0065] 52 Air separator [0066] 70 Band placement module [0067] 72 Replacement housing cover [0068] 74b Wall portion [0069] 76a, 76b Assembly hooks [0070] 78 Plug receptacle [0071] 80 Inlet connection piece [0072] 82a-82c Pins [0073] 100 Spreading unit [0074] 102 Carrier element [0075] 104 Disk coulter [0076] 106 Placement line [0077] 108 Carrier member