MARKING UNSOWN SEED DRILL ROWS

Abstract: In a seed drill having tractor wheel track eradicators (13), coulters (1) that sow rows of seeds along the line of the tractor wheel tracks (T), and tramlining means (4,5) that serves to stop the supply of seed to said coulters (1) to form tramlines on selected bouts; said track eradicators (13) are lifted out of work when sowing a bout with tramlines so that the tractor wheel tracks (T) remain and form a mark along the unsown rows. Preferably, said coulters (1) are also lifted out of work with the track eradicators (13) so as to avoid disturbing the tractor wheel tracks unduly.

Description: Marking Unsown Seed Drill Rows Technical Field This invention relates to a seed drill and a method of operating a seed drill to produce marks along unsown rows so that these rows can be used as track,s or tramlines for tractor wheels in subsequent agricultural treatment operations before emergence of the crop makes the unsown rows visible. It is now common practice to provide seed drills with tramlining means that operates to stop the delivery of seeds to selected coulters during selected bouts so as to produce crop free tracks or tramlines for the passage of the wheels of a vehicle that is subsequently to treat the crop, for example, by spraying or spreading fertilizer or insecticide. Also, it is known to provide seed drills with pre-emegent markers that operate in synchronism with the tramlining means to mark unsown rows so that they are visible and can be used before the crop emerges. Our British Patent No. 2 050 784 discloses a drill provided with tramlining means and pree ergent markers that are hydraulically operated. Necessarily, such markers are located at the rear of the drill behind the coulters and any harrow that might be fitted. It is -also conventional practice with seed drills to provide wheel track eradicators in the form of spring tines or the like that are aligned behind the tractor wheels so as to till the soil ready for sowing. In the case of a trailed drill, the eradicators are ovably mounted so that they can be lifted out of work for turning on headlands or for transport of the drill. Disclosure of the Invention An object of the present invention is to provide an improved method and means for use with a seed drill to mark unsown rows, especially a method and means that is suitable for use with a mounted drill and avoids or reduces loading at the rear of the drill. According to the present invention, in a seed drill having tractor wheel track eradicators, coulters that sow rows of seeds along the line of the tractor wheel tracks, and tramlining means that serves to stop th supply of seed to said coulters to form tramlines on selected boutsy said track eradicators are lifted out of work when sowing a bout with tramlines so that the tractor wheel tracks remain and form a mark along the unsown rows. Preferably, said coulters are also lifted out of work with the track eradicators so as to avoid disturbing the tractor wheel tracks unduly. It will be appreciated that the invention simply requires means to lift the track eradicators out of work when sowing a bout with tramlines, and that the same means can lift said coulters at the same time. There is therefore, no need to provide separate pre-emergent markers that would load the rear of the drill. Description of the Drawings The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a schematic side view of part of a fully mounted drill showing a track eradicator and coulter adapted to be lifted out of work together. Figure 2 is a front elevation of the track eradicator and coulter of Figure 1, and Figure 3 is as schematic plan view of part of the drill of Figure 1, showing the tramlining system. Best Mode of Carrying Out the Invention The embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 is especially applicable to a fully mounted drill fitted with a tramlining system and tractor track eradicators. The coulters 1 are mounted across the width of the drill on a cross-bar 2, each coulter being pivotally connected to the cross-bar so as to trail behind it, and a tension spring 3 being provided beneath the pivot point between the cross-bar 2 and the coulter so as to urge the coulters downwards. The tramlining mechanism enables the seed and fertilizer spouts associated with selected coulter assemblies to be automatically shut off from the seed and fertilizer hoppers on selected bouts during the sowing of a field. As can be seen more clearly from Figure 3, one seed spout and one fertilizer spout on each side of the centre-line of the drill have their spout shutters 4 controlled by the tramlining mechanism so that they are shut-off when tramlining, thereby leaving two rows of seeds and fertilizer undeposited to form tramlines in the growing crop. The distance between these tramlines is chosen to correspond to the track width of the tractor drawing the drill and the track width of the tractor to be used in subsequent crop treatment. A single-acting hydraulic cylinder 5 controls each shutter 4, and the pair of cylinders 5 controlling the seed and fertilizer shutters associated with each coulter assembly are connected in series with a control valve 6 via conduits 7 and 8. The control valve 6 is controlled in turn by a cam 9 of a bout counting mechanism 10 so that the valve is open for non-tramlining bouts and passes a supply of pressurised fluid from line 11 via conduit 12 and conduits 7 and 8 to the cylinders 5. Pressurisation of the cylinders 5 opens the shutters 4 and allows seed and fertilizer to be etered to the corresponding coulters. On pre-selected tramlining bouts as registered by the bout counting mechanism 10, the valve 6 is closed and cuts off the supply of pressurised fluid to the cylinders 5 so that the latter remain closed and shut off the supply of seed and fertilizer to the corresponding coulters. The bout counting mechanism 10 comprises an indexing mechanism that is indexed round a set amount each time the coulters are lifted out of work by the linkage at the rear of the tractor. Tractor track eradicators 13 are also mounted on the cross bar 2, one behind each wheel of the tractor on which the drill is mounted. Each eradicator 13 comprises a pair of spring steel tines 15 which are rigidly mounted on an inverted channel-section member 16 that is a vertically movable sliding fit over the cross-bar 2. Both carrier members 16 are supported at the outer ends of a pair of pivoted arms 17 that are pivotally connected to the cross¬ bar 2 about a common pivot axis 18 on the centre-line of the drill, and extend outwards one either side of the centre-line, A hydraulic cylinder 19 controls the position of the arms 17 and is fixedly mounted with the piston rod 20 extending vertically in alignment with the pivot axis 18 of the arms. A pair of pivot links 21 connect the lower end of the piston rod 20 to a midpoint of each arm.17 so that extension of the rod 20 when the cylinder is pressurised thrusts the eradicators 13 downwards into work with the channel-section carrier members 16 engaging over the cross¬ bar 2. When the cylinder 19 is de-pressurized, a tension spring 22 connected between the links 21 contracts to pull the links together and lift the arms 17 and eradicators 13. The cylinder 19 is connected to the conduit 8 of the hydraulic system of the drill as shown in Figure 3 so that it is pressurised and " de-pressurised with the tramlining cylinder 5. In normal operation when not tramlining, the cylinder 19 is pressurised and the track eradicators are effective to remove the tracks T of the tractor before the coulters sow seed along these tracks. However, when tramlining, the cylinder 19 is de-pressurised and the track eradicators are held out of work so that the tractor tracks persist, the supply of seed and fertilizer to the associated coulters in alignment with the eradicators then being cut¬ off. In order to prevent the coulters that are in alignment with the eradicators from disturbing the tractor tracks when tramlining, these coulters are also connected via pivoted links 23 to the carrier member 16 so that the coulters are lifted out of work with the eradicators. Each link 23 is connected to the carrier member 16 so that the axis of the pivot connection 24 is coaxial with the axis of the pivot connection 25 of the coulter to the cross-bar 2. This ensures that the coulter will pivot in the usual manner when the carrier member 6 engages over- the cross-bar to thrust the track eradicators into work.

Claims: Claims 1. A method of marking unsown rows when using a seed drill having eradicators that remove the wheel tracks of a tractor behind which the drill is coupled, coulters that are adapted to sow rows of seeds along the line of the tractor wheel tracks, and tramlining means that serves to stop the supply of seed to said coulters to form unsown rows on selected bouts; characterised in that said method comprises operating the track eradicators (13) in conjunction with the tramlining means (4,5) so that the track eradicators (13) are lifted out of work when the tramlining means stops the supply of seed to said coulters (1) , thereby leaving the tractor wheel tracks (T) undisturbed by eradicators along the unsown rows. 2. A method as claimed in claim 1 in which said coulters (1) are operated in conjunction with the tramlining means (4,5) and track eradicators (13) so that said coulters are lifted out of work with the track eradicators. 3. A seed drill comprising eradicators adapted to remove the wheel tracks of a tractor behind which the drill is coupled, coulters that are adapted to sow rows of seeds along the line of the tractor wheel tracks, and tramlining means that serves to stop the supply of seed to said coulters to form unsown rows on selected bouts, characterised in that actuator means (19) is provided that links operation of the track eradicators (13) with the tramlining means (4,5) so that the track eradicators (13) are lifted out of work when the tramlining means (4,5) stops the supply of seed to said coulters (1) , thereby leaving the tractor wheel tracks (T) undisturbed by the eradicators along the unsown rows. 4. A seed drill as claimed in claim 3 in which said actuator means (19) further links operation of said coulters with the tramlining means so that said coulters are lifted out of work with the track eradicators. 5. A seed drill as claimed in claim 4 in which the track eradicators and said coulters are linked mechanically (13). 6. A seed drill as claimed iα claim 5 in which the track eradicators (13) are fixdly mounted on a carrier (16) which is pivoted about an axis (18) extending in the direction of travel of the drill when in work. 7. A seed drilll' as claimed in anyone of claims 3 to 6 in which the track eradicators (13) and said coulters (1) are mounted on a common cross-member (2) of the drill. 8. A seed drill as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 7 in which the tramlining means (4,5) is operated by a hydraulic control system (5 to 8) and in which said actuator means (19) comprises hydraulic actuator means that is connected hydraulically to said hydraulic control system (5) . 9. A seed drill as claimed in claim 8 in which the tramlining means (4,5) is operated by a hydraulic actuator (5) that is depressurised to stop the supply of seed to said coulters, and in which said actuator means (15) is connected to said actuator (5) and is de¬ pressurised to lift the track eradicators (13) out of work. 10. A method of marking unsown rows when using a seed drill substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanyinq drawings. 11. A seed drill substantially as herein described with reference to th accompanying drawings.

Inventors: BAILEY ALFRED JOHN, BAILEY, ALFRED, JOHN
Applicants: MASSEY FERGUSON MFG, MASSEY FERGUSON SERVICES NV, MASSEY-FERGUSON MANUFACTURING LIMITED, MASSEY-FERGUSON SERVICES N.V.
Application year: 1986
Main classification: A01C7
IPC codes: A01B37, A01B69, A01C7