Patent Abstract:
A cultivating and seeding machine is provided with a seeding unit and a tillage device and/or a land roller. The seeding unit is provided with a seeding actuator, the tillage device is provided with a tillage actuator and the land roller is provided with a land roller actuator. The seeding actuator regulates the sowing depth of the seeding unit, whereas the tillage and land roller actuators regulates the downward pressure of these two implements, respectively. A controller having a memory loaded with information for adjusting the working implements, controls the various actuators in response to these data records.

Full Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention is directed to an agricultural cultivating and seeding machine, having a frame that is provided with tillage devices and/or a land roller and at least one seeding unit, wherein actuators are provided for adjusting the working depth and/or the working pressure of at least two different working elements.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Seeder machines equipped with tillage devices, also designated as cultivating and seeding combinations, are known in the prior art. They can be used after a plowing or stubble operation. In many seeder machines the working depth of the seeding units and/or tillage devices can be changed.  
           [0003]    For example, in the Väderstad Rapid F seeder, the depth setting of the disk pair can be adjusted to a pre-set delivery depth by hydraulic cylinders. The Horsch DS/D 6 seeder comprises tillage devices on an equipment carrier that can be hydraulically adjusted in height. The Amazone Airstar Xpress drilling machine makes it possible to adapt the share pressure, and the pressure on the rake that follows the share, to the particular soil conditions hydraulically. Its tillage device, which is mounted in front, can be mechanically adjusted in height. DE 198 21 394 A describes a cultivating combination in which a tillage device can be adjusted in height relative to a carrier frame. A height-adjustable land roller is provided on the back side of the cultivating combination, on which roller the cultivating combination is supported.  
           [0004]    The coupling of several elements of seeders to each other and adjusting them in common is also known. Thus, DE 198 04 293 A, DE 198 06 467 A and DE 198 55 937 A suggest fastening seeding shares, with spring-suspension roller elements in front, to a share frame. The share frame can be adjusted in height, relative to a carrier frame of the cultivating combination, by a coupling device. Thus, the seeding share and the roller elements are jointly adjusted in height. DE 196 20 016 A discloses a cultivating combination in which a land roller and tillage devices are fastened to a common frame fastened to the main frame. The land roller can be adjusted in height relative to the tillage devices such that its position defines the working depth of the tillage devices. DE 196 41 765 A additionally suggests that the height of the drawbar in such a cultivating combination be adjusted in order to adjust the working depth of the tillage devices or a leveling track in front of this equipment. According to DE 198 36 780 A, a land roller that is height-adjustable and defines the working depth of the tillage device is associated with the tillage device of a cultivating combination. The land roller is adjusted in height jointly with the tillage device.  
           [0005]    In sum, it can be determined in the prior art that either different elements of the seeder are adjusted individually, which has the disadvantage that changing adjustment of several elements, which can be necessary if the soil properties change or the seed changes, is complex and time-consuming; or several elements are mechanically coupled together. This, however, limits the degree of freedom.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a cultivating and seeding machine having a controller that can bring several working implements readily into their respective working positions.  
           [0007]    The cultivating and seeding machine is provided with a seeding machine and a tillage device and/or a land roller. The seeding machine is provided with a seeding actuator for controlling the sowing depth of the seeding machine. The tillage device is provided with a tillage actuator for controlling the tillage downward pressure of the tillage device. The land roller is provided with a land roller actuator for controlling roller downward pressure. In the illustrated embodiment the actuators are hydraulic cylinders, although rotating hydraulic or electric motors can also be used. At least two of the actuators are connected to a controller that controls the operating parameters of the actuators. The controller controls the flow of pressurized hydraulic fluid to the actuators with or without feedback from an appropriate sensor. The controller is loaded with data records containing information for adjusting at least two of the actuators. The actuators, and with them the working elements, are respectively brought into the positions required using the data records.  
           [0008]    It is possible in this manner to bring several working elements of the cultivating combination into their prescribed positions by retrieving a single data record. Operation of the cultivating and seeding machine is significantly simplified.  
           [0009]    It is not absolutely necessary to store complete data records for controlling all actuators if the data records are derived by the controller from stored data. Thus, for example, data dependent on the soil type can be filed in a table, and data records can be retrieved from another table using this table or calculated algorithmically using appropriate mathematical instructions. The advantage is a reduction of the amount of data to be stored and the possibility of interpolation. It is also conceivable to derive the parameters for two working elements from the selectable data for one working element. Thus, the operator can input a value for the sowing depth and the controller can set the pressure of the land roller and the position of the tillage devices using the selected sowing depth.  
           [0010]    In an especially simple embodiment of the invention, the data records can in particular be retrieved by an operator manually. The data record considered to be significant, as a function, e.g., of the soil type, soil moisture or of other conditions is selected by a keyboard or a touch-sensitive screen or by speaking.  
           [0011]    As an alternative or in addition, a map can be stored in which the data records, or data from which the data records can be derived, are stored as a function of the particular position. The data is retrieved from the stored map using the actual position of the cultivating combination, or of a vehicle pulling it, determined by a position detection system (e.g., GPS, DGPS or some other satellite system or an inertial navigation system), and [said data is] used to control the actuators.  
           [0012]    The soil type, soil moisture, air and/or soil temperature, type of seed, and weather conditions such as the current or forecast amount of rain, solar radiation, etc., or any combination of these can be cited as data on which the operating values of the actuators can be dependent. Using suitable computer instructions, the data records for defining the prescribed operating values for the actuators are determined from this data, which can be input or detected by appropriate sensors or transmitted by remote data transmission.  
           [0013]    During road travel and/or in headlands, the operating values of the actuators of the cultivating combination differ from the operating values when working a field since in these instances the working elements must be raised. In order to facilitate the work for the operation it is possible to design a data record to be retrieved for headland or road travel. This can be effected by manually pressing a key or by using a position detection system that makes it possible to recognize, using a map, whether a field is to be worked or a headland or a road is to be traveled.  
           [0014]    Such a position detection system avoids unintended double working of a section of a field by comparing the actual position with stored information about the already worked areas. If the comparison shows that the particular area being traversed has already been worked, the working elements are automatically moved to a non-operational position. A manual override control is of course conceivable. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
       [0015]    [0015]FIG. 1 is a side view of a cultivating combination in accordance with the invention, coupled to a tractor. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0016]    [0016]FIG. 1 shows an agricultural cultivating combination  10 . It comprises frame  12  that is supported by ground engaging wheels  14 . The front of the frame  12  is provided with a forwardly extending tongue  16  that is coupled to a hitch  20  extending rearwardly from a tractor  18 .  
         [0017]    A seed hopper  22  is mounted to the frame  12  in front of ground engaging wheels  14 . A seed meter, not shown, meters the seed contained in the seed hopper. The metered seed is then transported to seeding units  24  by seed hoses, also not shown. Each of the seeding units  24  comprises a furrow opener  26  in the form of a disk, a plow share  30 , and closing wheels  28 . The plow share  30  has a passage defining a seed tube for receiving metered seed from the seed hoses and directing the metered seed into the planting furrow formed by the furrow opener  26 . The closing wheels  28  close the planting furrow with the metered seed contained therein.  
         [0018]    A plurality of seeding units  24  are supported on the transversely extending tool carrier  32 . These seeding units  24  are arranged side-by-side on the tool carrier  32 . The tool carrier  32  is supported on and extends rearwardly from frame  12 . The seeding units  24  are pivotally mounted to the tool carrier  32  so they can pivot about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tool carrier  32 . The pivot angle of the seeding units  24 , and thereby the sowing depth, is fixed by seeding actuator  34  in the form of a hydraulic cylinder, extending between mount  33  on frame  12  and arm  35  coupled to seeding units  24 .  
         [0019]    A carrier frame  36  is fastened to the bottom of frame  12  in front of seed hopper  22 . Carrier frame  36  holds pivot frame  38  that can pivot about horizontal pivot axis  44  that extends transversely to the direction of travel. A tillage device  42  in the form of a disk harrow is supported on this pivot frame  38  via U-shaped spring  40 . A tillage actuator  46 , in the form of a hydraulic cylinder, is arranged between frame  12  and pivot frame  38 . The tillage actuator  46  defines the pivot angle of pivot frame  38  about pivot axis  44 . Tillage actuator  46  can be operated with an adjustable pressure and in this manner controls the tillage downward pressure with which tillage device  42  acts on the ground. In place of the illustrated disk harrow, any other tillage device  42  can be used.  
         [0020]    Mount  48  is pivotally attached to the carrier frame  36  and pivots about a pivot axis that is parallel to the pivot axis  44 . In the illustrated embodiment, the mount  48  is located behind the tillage device  42 . A land roller  50  in the form of a tire packer is attached on the lower end of the mount  48 . A land roller actuator  52 , in the form of a hydraulic cylinder, extends between carrier frame  36  and mount  48  and defines the pivot angle of mount  48 . Land roller actuator  52  can be loaded with an adjustable pressure and in this manner controls the roller downward pressure with which land roller  42  acts on the ground. Instead of a tire packer, any type of roller could be used, e.g., oblique-rod packer rollers, tubular-rod packer rollers, disk packer rollers, toothed packer rollers, spiral packer rollers, and polygon rollers. Land roller  50  could also be designed as a front tire packer or support roller wherein the roller supports at least a part of the weight of the cultivating combination. In addition, the rollers  50  can also control the depth of penetration of the cultivating combination, in the course of which wheels  14  should be lifted up during a seeding operation. Instead of the rigid attachment of land roller  50  to mount  48  as shown, a spring may be interposed between the mount  48  and the rollers  50 . Also, each individual wheel of land roller  50  could be controlled via an associated actuator  52 .  
         [0021]    It should be noted that U-shaped springs  40  connected to pivot frame  38  are arranged on both lateral ends of tillage device  42 . Also, mounts  48  are arranged on both lateral ends of land roller  50  and are connected to carrier frame  36 . Tillage device  42  and land roller  50  can be composed of three or more sections arranged side by side, of which the outermost can be folded up in a known manner for road transport. Appropriate drives in the form of hydraulic cylinders are to be provided for this purpose.  
         [0022]    A rake  66  is connected to the carrier frame  36  between the tillage device  42  and land roller  50 .  
         [0023]    Tractor  18  is provided with controller  54  for directing pressurized hydraulic fluid to and from actuators  34 ,  46  and  52  from pressurized hydraulic fluid source  58  by means of hydraulic lines, not shown. The controller  54  controls this flow by a valve device  56  preferably containing proportional valves. In the embodiment shown, actuators  34 ,  46  and  52  are double-acting hydraulic cylinders in order to be able to lift up the working elements of cultivating combination  10  in headlands or during road travel. However, single-acting hydraulic cylinders are also conceivable. Controller  54  is thus designed to set the pressure of actuators  46 ,  52 . Information about the position of actuator  34  is supplied to controller  54  via a sensor  60 , so that the sowing depth of seeders  24  can be regulated by controller  54  by means of valve device  56 .  
         [0024]    Signals containing information about the actual position of tractor  18  is supplied to controller  54  from satellite receiver antenna  62  designed to receive GPS (global positioning system) signals. A target value map is filed in memory  64 , this having been prepared on a computer before a tilling event and transferred in any manner (by an exchangeable data storage medium such as a diskette or in a wireless manner) to memory  64 . The target value map was prepared using available information about the type of soil, type of seed and various other parameters to be taken into consideration when tilling. The farmer can test and modify the above. The map contains site-dependent information about the pressure of tillage device  42  on the ground, the pressure of land roller  50  on the ground and the sowing depth.  
         [0025]    Data records containing information about the prescribed pressure of tillage device  42 , the prescribed pressure of land roller  50 , and the prescribed sowing depth are read out from the target value map in memory  64  when tilling a field using the information generated by satellite receiver antenna  62  about the correct location. A recalculation for compensating the offset between the position of satellite receiver antenna  62  and cultivating combination  10  or its working elements  24 ,  42  and  50  is also possible. Actuators  34 ,  46  and  52  are controlled in accordance with the data records by control  54  and valve device  56 . Constant contact with the ground and a uniform, optimally adjusted soil pressure are possible by controlling the pressure of land roller  50 . Actuators  34 ,  46  and  52  are caused to lift up the working elements of cultivating combination  10 , that is, tillage device  42 , land roller  50  and seeding device  24  at the headlands at the edges of a field.  
         [0026]    Having described the preferred embodiment, it will become apparent that various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the accompanying claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 0