MACHINE FOR BEDDING OUT GERMINATING UNITS COMPRISING SEEDS OR GERMINATED SEEDS AND ARRANGED SUCH THAT THEY FORM A TAPE

Abstract: A machine for bedding out germinating units comprising seeds or germinated seeds and arranged such that they form a tape. The machine comprises a frame (1) being connected to the tool carrier (2) of a tractor by means of a tow bar (5). A front wheel (6) adjustable in height as well as a plant unit (9) with a plough share (11) are mounted on the frame, said plough share producing a furrow (12) in the ground. A pair of compressing wheels (13) compressing the furrow are placed behind the plough share. A lowering wheel (15) for the tape is mounted in the plough share. This wheel (15) can roll on the bottom of the furrow (12). A tape supply container (22) is mounted above the lowering wheel and rearwardly displaced relative thereto. An internally smooth guide pipe (24) is mounted between the tape supply container and the lowering wheel (15) in such a manner that it is directed tangentially towards the top side of the circumference of said lowering wheel. The tape (20) can pass through the guide pipe when moving from the supply container (22) to the lowering wheel (15) and subsequently continue about said lowering wheel and downwards into the furrow (12). The tape is in the horizontally flattened state put down in the furrow and pressed down therein by the lowering wheel (15). As a result a reliably operating bedding out is obtained with a good contact between the germinating tape and the soil. In addition a very accurate positioning of the tape with respect to depth is obtained in the soil.

Description: Title: Machine for bedding out germinating units comprising seeds or germinated seeds and arranged such that they form a tape. Technical Field The invention relates to a machine for bedding out germinating units comprising seeds or germinated seeds and arranged such that they form a tape, said machine comprising a frame connectable to the tool carrier of a tractor by means of at least one tow bar, and which comprises a front wheel adjustable in height and optionally a skim coulter. Background Art DK-PS No. 168725 discloses a machine for bedding out plants and comprising a skim coulter and a plough share for producing a furrow and placed behind said skim coulter. A pair of compressing wheels are arranged behind the plough share, said compressing wheels closing the furrow once a tape with plants has been bedded out in said furrow. The tape is placed edgewise in the furrow. When this machine is used for bedding out a germinating tape, it is very difficult to achieve a sufficient contact between the soil and the tape. Furthermore, it is difficult to adjust the tape correctly with respect to height in the furrow. Brief Description of the Invention The object of the invention is to provide a machine of the above type which allows an improved contact between the germinating tape and the soil, and which also ensures an accurate putting down with respect to depth of the tape in the soil. The machine according to the invention is characterised in that a plant unit is mounted on the frame, where the plant unit comprises a plough share for producing a furrow, and where the plant unit further comprises a pair of compressing wheels arranged behind said plough share and adapted to close and compress the furrow produced by the plough share, and that a lowering wheel for the tape is mounted in the plough share between the side plates of said plough share, where the lowering wheel is of a width at least corresponding to the width of the tape, and where said lowering wheel can roll on the bottom of the furrow, and that a tape supply container is provided in a supporting frame on the plant unit above the lowering wheel and rearwardly displaced relative to said lowering wheel, where said tape supply container preferably comprises zigzagged tapes, and that an internally smooth guide pipe is provided between said tape supply container and said lowering wheel in such a manner that it is directed tangentially towards the top side of the circumference of said lowering wheel, whereby the tape can pass through said guide pipe when moving from the tape supply container to the lowering wheel and subsequently continue about said lowering wheel and downwards into the furrow, where the tape in the horizon- tally flattened state is put and pressed down by said lowering wheel. As a result, the tape is pulled off in a very reliable and careful manner when the machine is moved forwards by means of a tractor. When the front end of the tape is buried in the furrow, this portion of the tape is retained in the ground. When the machine is subsequently pulled forwards by the tractor, the portions of the tape placed inside the supply container are pulled out of said supply container and through the above guide pipe without involving any significant friction between the tape and the guide pipe. In addition the guide pipe ensures that the tape enters a correct position relative to the lowering wheel when the tape reaches said lowering wheel in such a manner that said tape in the horizontally flattened state, viz. in horizontal position, can be put down in the bottom of the furrow so as there to be pressed down by the lowering wheel. According to the invention a roll may be provided after the supply container on both sides of the tape dispensing outlet of said supply container, and a plurality of brushes arranged in pairs may be provided between the latter and the guide pipe, said brushes co-operating in separating tape bendings being coherent due to adhesion to the outermost bending and thereby unintendedly being pulled out of the supply container, whereby the supporting frame of said supply container may optionally be provided with a vibrator for vibrating the tape towards the dispensing outlet of the supply container. In this manner it is ensured that the tape is pulled out in a correct and lenient manner. The risk of tape portions being wedged in the guide pipe has been highly reduced. The vibrator is particularly suited for protection against a wedging of the tape at the dispensing outlet of the supply container. Moreover the guide pipe may according to the invention comprise a funnel-shaped inlet area and be of a rectangular cross section, the corners of said cross section, however, being rounded. As a result the friction between the tape and the guide pipe is additionally reduced, and the tape is oriented in a position in which it in the horizontally flattened state abuts the circumferential surface of the lowering wheel. The plant unit may according to the invention be provided with a hexagonal bar to be mounted in a hexagonal sleeve on the frame, whereby it is possible to easily mount, dismount and adjust the plant unit with respect to height in the frame. Finally, injectors may according to the invention be mounted on the frame in front of the plough share for stirring fertilizers into the soil, especially for replacing the fertilizers used for biodegrading the tape in the soil. In this manner it is possible in a very simple manner to compensate for the loss of fertilizers caused by the biodegradation of the tape in the soil Brief Description of the Drawings. The invention is explained in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a side view of an embodiment of the machine according to the invention during operation, Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of a tape supply container, Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a guide pipe, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of a lowering wheel. Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention The machine illustrated in Fig. 1 is suited for bedding out germinating units arranged such that they form a tape and comprising seeds or germinated seeds. The machine comprises a frame 1 connected to the tool carrier 2 of a tractor not shown by means of a tow bar 5. A front wheel 6 adjustable in height is mounted on the frame 1. As shown, a skim coulter 7 can also be mounted on the frame 1, and after said skim coulter 7 a plant unit 9 is mounted, which comprises a plough share 11 for producing a furrow 12 in the soil receiving the germinating units to be bedded out. The plant unit comprises a pair of compressing wheels 13 behind the plough share 11, said compressing wheels closing and compressing the furrow 12 produced by the plough share 11. A lowering wheel 15 for the tape is mounted in the plough share 11, said lowering wheel being of a width at least corresponding to the width b of the tape 20. The lowering wheel 15 can roll on the bottom of the furrow 12. A tape supply container 22 is provided in a supporting frame 29 on the plant unit 9 above the lowering wheel 15, said tape supply container 22 being rearwardly displaced relative to said lowering wheel 15 and preferably being upwardly open. The tape 20 is preferably zigzagged in this tape supply container 22. An internally smooth guide pipe 24 is mounted between the tape supply container 22 and the lowering wheel 15, said guide pipe being directed tangentially towards the upper end of the circumference of said lowering wheel, where the tape 20 can pass through said guide pipe when moving from the tape supply container 22 to the lowering wheel 15 and subsequently continues about said lowering wheel and downwards into the furrow 12. The tape is horizontally flattened on the cylindrical surface of the lowering wheel 15, which means that said tape is put down in the horizontally flattened state on the bottom of the furrow where it is pressed down by the lowering wheel 15. As illustrated in Fig. 2, a roll 27 can be provided after the tape supply container 22 on both sides of the dispensing outlet 26 of said tape supply container. In addition, a plurality of brushes 25 arranged in pairs can be provided after the rolls, said brush- es co-operating in separating coherent tape bendings on the tape 20 by retaining the tape bendings unintendedly being pulled out of the supply container by adhesion to a tape portion. The supporting frame 29 can optionally be provided with a vibrator not shown, which ensures that the tape is vibrated at a tolerably uniform speed towards the dispensing outlet 26 of the supply container. As illustrated in Fig. 3, the guide pipe 24 can comprise a funnel-shaped inlet area and be of a rectangular cross section, the corners of said cross section, however, being rounded. As illustrated in Fig. 4, the tape is moved by the guide pipe downwards onto the circumferential surface of the lowering wheel 15. Subsequently the tape follows said circumferential surface until it reaches the bottom of the furrow 12 whereafter it is covered by soil. As shown in Fig. 1 , the plant unit 9 can be provided with a hexagonal bar 28 which is mounted in a hexagonal sleeve 30 on the frame 1. Injectors not shown can be mounted on the frame in front of the plough share for stirring fertilizers into the soil, especially for replacing the fertilizers used for biodegrading the tape in the soil. The machine operates in the following manner: When the machine is pulled across the ground by means of the tractor, and when the front end of the tape in the supply container 22 has been bedded out, the tape 20 is pulled out of the supply container 22 through the guide pipe 24 and onto the tread 15a of the lowering wheel 15. As the lowering wheel 15 rolls across the ground, the tape is pressed downwards into the furrow 12. The compressing wheels 13 ensure that the soil pushed aside by the plough share 11 is again pressed downwards into the furrow. A smoothing board can optionally be mounted on the rear end of the frame, said board ensuring that the soil above the furrow is completely smoothened. The invention may be modified in many ways without thereby deviating from scope of the invention.

Claims: Claims 1. A machine for bedding out germinating units comprising seeds or germinated seeds and arranged such that they form a tape, where the machine comprises a frame (1) connectable to the tool carrier (2) of a tractor by means of at least one tow bar (5), and where said machine comprises a front wheel (6) adjustable in height as well as optionally a skim coulter (7), c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that a plant unit (9) is mounted on the frame (1), where the plant unit comprises a plough share (11) for producing a furrow (12), and where the plant unit further comprises a pair of compressing wheels (13) arranged behind said plough share (11) and adapted to close and compress the furrow produced by the plough share, and that a lowering wheel (15) for the tape (20) is mounted in the plough share between the side plates of said plough share, where the lowering wheel (15) is of a width (b) at least corresponding to the width (b) of the tape (20), and where said lowering wheel can roll on the bottom of the furrow, and that a tape supply container (22) is provided in a support- ing frame on the plant unit above the lowering wheel and rearwardly displaced relative to said lowering wheel, where said tape supply container preferably comprises zigzagged tapes (20), and that an internally smooth guide pipe (24) is provided between said tape supply container (22) and said lowering wheel (15) in such a manner that it is directed tangentially towards the top side of the circumference of said lowering wheel, whereby the tape (20) can pass through said guide pipe when moving from the tape supply container (22) to the lowering wheel (15) and subsequently continue about said lowering wheel and downwards into the furrow where it in the horizontally flattened state is put and pressed down by the lowering wheel. 2. A machine as claimed in claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that a roll (27) is provided after the supply container (22) on both sides of the dispensing outlet (26) thereof for the tape, and a plurality of brushes (25) arranged in pairs is provided between the latter and the guide pipe, said brushes co-operating in separating tape bendings being coherent due to adhesion to the outermost bending and thereby unin- tendedly being pulled out of the supply container, whereby the supporting frame of said supply container may optionally be provided with a vibrator for vibrating the tape towards the dispensing outlet of the supply container. 3. A machine as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the guide pipe (24) comprises a funnel-shaped inlet area and is of a rectangular cross section, the corners of said cross section, however, being rounded. 4. A machine as claimed in one or more of the claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the plant unit (9) is provided with a hexagonal bar (28) to be mounted in a hexagonal sleeve (30) on the frame (1). 5. A machine as claimed in one or more of the claims 1 to 4, characterised in that injectors are mounted on the frame (1) in front of the plough share (11) for stirring fertilizers into the soil, especially the fertilizers being used for biodegrading the tape in the soil.

Inventors: AHM POUL HENRIK, AHM, POUL, HENRIK
Applicants: AHM POUL HENRIK, BENTLE PRODUCTS AG, AHM, POUL, HENRIK
Application year: 1999
Main classification: A01C7
IPC codes: A01C7