Patent Description:
Seeding machines are used in agriculture to deposit single seeds in the ground in order to grow plants in a field. Based on local position or speed sensors of the seeding machine or satellite-based positioning systems like GPS, the seeds may be deposited in desired positions in the forward direction of the seeding machine in order to achieve optimal growth conditions for the plants. Adjacent seeding units of a seeding machine may be synchronized to deposit the seeds in the soil in the transverse direction on a common line or in a desired pattern.

If tramlines can formed to extend in the transverse direction to the travel direction of the seeding machine to leave lanes without seeds, then hoeing and fertilizing can be performed on the field in two transverse direction, even if the distance between adjacent plants is smaller than the width of a tractor tire, avoiding or at least reducing the amount of spray chemicals for weed reduction.

In single grain seeding machines, the mechanical drive of seeding units is switched off if required to provide tramlines extending in the travel direction of the seeding machine or to avoid overlap on already-sown areas. This switch-off requires relatively complicated mechanisms, and may not work sufficiently reliably and with the required speed if it were attempted to be switched off and on relatively fast just to skip a single seed to provide the transverse tramline.

In a drill style machine, the machine may feed the grain between the seed dispenser and the respective seed tube leading the seeds into the furrow by means of vacuum back to the grain tank in order to switch the seeding operation off in the headland.

Other embodiments may remove a pressure differential on a seeding disk to switch seeding off at headlands, or have a seeding disk consisting of two parts that can be rotated with respect to each other to provide different hole patterns and thus seed distances.

A seeding machine that can be controlled to provide tramlines in a direction different from the planting direction, for example in a direction enclosing an angle of <NUM>° or another suitable angle, in a simple and reliable manner, and also one which is suitable to relatively high travel speeds of the seeding machine, would enable transverse tramlines.

As an example, <CIT> discloses a system for creating an agricultural tramline, wherein the system comprises an agricultural planter, an application executing on a computer terminal, one or more seeding units mounted on the planter, a location sensor, and a planter control system, whereby an operator can use the application to create a file specifying the location of a desired agricultural tramline on a plot of land, which is downloaded from the computer terminal to the planter control system, and where the planter control system uses the location of the desired agricultural tramline and location information from the location sensor to enable and disable the plurality of seeding units, such that the area of land corresponding to the desired agricultural tramline is not planted with seed. Such system is limited to be used for seed meters of conventional seed output, without the combination of driven seed disc and driven seed delivery systems.

A planting unit for a seeding machine comprises a seed supply and a driven seed meter adapted to receive seeds from the seed supply and to dispense a singularized seed to a seed delivery system adapted to deposit the seed within a furrow in the ground of a field. The driven movement of the seed meter is adapted to be controlled by an electronic control unit such as to achieve a pre-defined pattern of the seeds in the field and the planting unit is adapted to skip dispensing of seeds at locations at which a tramline extending in an angle to the travel direction is to be provided according to the pre-defined pattern. The planting unit further comprises a seed branch-off assembly. The seed branch-off assembly is adapted, upon receipt of a signal from the control unit, to take a seed out of the seed delivery system and to feed it back to the seed supply to provide the skip.

The seed branch-off assembly might be adapted, upon receipt of a signal from the control unit, to withdraw a seed out of the seed delivery system by suction and to feed it back to the seed supply using an air stream.

The above and other features will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings.

The detailed description of the drawings refers to the accompanying figures in which:.

Like reference numerals are used to indicate like elements throughout the several figures.

At least one example embodiment of the subject matter of this disclosure is understood by referring to <FIG> of the drawings.

In <FIG>, a tractor <NUM> with a seeding machine <NUM> is shown. The tractor <NUM> comprises a chassis <NUM> supported on steerable front wheels <NUM> and driven rear wheels <NUM>. The seeding machine <NUM> comprises a number (in the embodiment shown: four) planting units <NUM> supported on a transverse toolbar <NUM>. The toolbar <NUM> is supported on a support arrangement <NUM> connected to a three-point hitch of the tractor <NUM> with two lower rods <NUM> and one upper rod <NUM>. In another embodiment, the seeding machine <NUM> could be supported on its own wheels and connected by a drawbar to a hitch of the tractor <NUM> or be a self-propelled unit.

Control of the planting units <NUM> is performed by an electronic control unit <NUM> which is connected to a positioning system receiver <NUM> provided on the roof of the tractor cab <NUM> and a user interface <NUM> within the cab. The user interface <NUM> can be a virtual terminal according to ISO <NUM>. Operation and control of the planting units <NUM> by the electronic control unit is described in detail in <CIT>.

Details of a planting unit <NUM> that can be used in the seeding machine <NUM> are shown in <FIG>. The planting unit comprises a seed meter <NUM> and a seed delivery system <NUM>. The seed meter <NUM> is a disk- or bell-shaped element with apertures <NUM> distributed in the vicinity of its circumference. The seed meter <NUM> is driven by an electric motor <NUM> to rotate around its symmetry axis (arrow <NUM>), which is angled at about <NUM>° to the horizontal, and collects seeds from a seed supply <NUM> in its apertures <NUM> when they run through the seed supply <NUM> during the lower part of their rotation. At the top of the rotation of the seed meter <NUM>, a seed transport device <NUM> in the form of a wheel with fingers <NUM> distributed around its circumference, freely rotating its symmetry axis, removes the singularized seeds <NUM> from the apertures <NUM> such that they are transferred to the seed delivery system <NUM>. The seed delivery system <NUM> comprises a brush belt <NUM> for transporting the seeds <NUM> into a furrow <NUM>, which is opened by suited furrow openers of the planting unit <NUM> and closed after the seed <NUM> has been deposited. The brush belt <NUM> is entrained around two wheels <NUM>, <NUM>, the upper one of which being driven by an electric motor <NUM> to rotate in the direction indicated by arrow <NUM>. The planting unit <NUM> of <FIG> is described in more detail in <CIT>.

The position of the seeds <NUM> in the furrow is controlled by the speeds of motors <NUM> and <NUM> which are controlled by the electronic control unit <NUM>. Normally, the speed of motor <NUM> is controlled such that the speed of the brush belt <NUM> corresponds to the forward speed V of the tractor <NUM>, such that the seeds <NUM> rather fall down from the brush belt <NUM> at its lower return point, i.e. the horizontal speed component vH indicated in <FIG> is relatively low, but it would also be possible to expel the seeds with a larger horizontal speed, if useful. The spacing and positioning of the seeds <NUM> along the furrow <NUM> is thus normally defined only by the rotational position and speed of the drive shaft of motor <NUM>. The control unit <NUM> can be operated such that all planting units <NUM> work in a synchronized manner, such that adjacent seeds <NUM> in the lateral direction are deposited on a line as indicated in <FIG> or in another desired pattern. Herein, fine-tuning of the control of motors <NUM> and <NUM> can be performed based on sensors (not shown, but for example <CIT>) detecting the position of the seeds <NUM> in the furrow <NUM>. Also the seed positions achieved on adjacent passes can be synchronized, as indicated in <FIG>. The achieved rectangular pattern of seeds <NUM> and thus plants on the field has the advantage that hoeing and fertilizing can be performed in the forward direction V tractor <NUM> has during seeding and also in the direction extending transversely thereto. It should be noted that any other pattern of the seeds would be possible, like a diamond-shaped pattern (as shown in <FIG> of <CIT>), by appropriate control of the motors <NUM> and <NUM> of the respective seeding units.

However, it is useful to provide a number of tramlines <NUM> in the transverse direction, i.e. skip deposition of seeds <NUM> at certain positions to leave parts of the field free from plants allowing a tractor or other vehicle to drive transversely to the direction v. The transverse direction can enclose an angle of <NUM>° with the planting direction v or another suitable angle, as mentioned above. Other tramlines (not shown in <FIG>) can also be provided in the forward direction v of the tractor <NUM> during seeding, as known in the art.

While it is relatively easy to simply switch the motor <NUM> and optionally motor <NUM> off to provide the tramlines in the forward direction v during seeding (see <CIT> and <CIT>), this approach would hardly work in a satisfactory manner for the transverse tramlines <NUM> as shown in <FIG>, since deceleration and acceleration of motor <NUM> requires more time than available, at least when planting at a relatively high speed in the area of <NUM>/h or faster. The present disclosure thus proposes a number of possibilities to avoid this problem.

The embodiments of the seed meters <NUM> shown in <FIG>, do not form part of the invention and provide a mechanical solution to for providing the desired skip during seeding for forming the tramlines <NUM>. In the embodiment of <FIG>, which does not form part of the invention, a number of apertures <NUM> are closed by elements <NUM>. These elements <NUM> can be permanently fixed to the seed meter <NUM>, for example by leaving away the respective apertures <NUM> where elements <NUM> are to be provided during manufacture of the seed meter <NUM>, or by inserting and permanently fixing the element <NUM> in the respective aperture <NUM>. It is also possible to have the elements <NUM> releasably fixed in the respective aperture <NUM>, for example by turning them into a thread of the seed meter <NUM>. In order to change the position of the skips defined by the elements <NUM>, the entire seed meter <NUM> can be exchanged with a different one having elements <NUM> at other positions or no elements <NUM> at all or the elements <NUM> can be removed and inserted at other positions. It should be noted that all metering elements <NUM> of all planting units <NUM> of the seeding machine <NUM> need to have their elements <NUM> at the same position in order to achieve the pattern of <FIG>, what can be achieved by appropriate control (synchronization) of all motors <NUM> of all planting units <NUM> by the control unit <NUM>.

In the embodiment of <FIG>, which does not form part of the invention, the elements <NUM> are movable (shiftable in the radial direction) between a first, inactive position as shown and a second, active position in which they close an aperture <NUM> to provide the desired skip for producing the tramlines <NUM>. In this embodiment, all apertures <NUM> or a suitable subset of the apertures <NUM> can be provided with a movable element <NUM> as shown in <FIG>. It should be noted that all metering elements <NUM> of all planting units <NUM> of the seeding machine <NUM> need to have their elements <NUM> at the same position in order to achieve the pattern of <FIG>, what can be achieved by appropriate control (synchronization) of all motors <NUM> of all planting units <NUM> by the control unit <NUM>.

One embodiment, which forms part of the invention, is shown in <FIG>, wherein an opening <NUM> is provided in a side wall of a housing <NUM> of the seed delivery system <NUM>, along which the brush belt <NUM> transports the seeds <NUM>. A conduit <NUM> is connected to the hole with a first end and to a valve <NUM> with its second end. The valve <NUM> is adapted to be moved by an actuator <NUM> between an inactive position as shown in solid lines in <FIG> and an active position as shown in dotted line in <FIG>. Downstream the valve <NUM>, a vacuum air pump <NUM> is located, which is connected with its outlet to the seed supply <NUM>, either directly or indirectly via a larger seed tank (not shown), from which the seeds are successively fed to the seed supply <NUM>, as known in the art. The actuator <NUM> is controlled by the electronic control unit <NUM>, which during operation sends a skip signal to actuator <NUM>, commanding actuator <NUM> to move the valve <NUM> into the active position once a seed <NUM> that would otherwise be deposited at a position where the tramline <NUM> is to be provided is approaching, transported by brush belt <NUM>, the opening <NUM>. The respective seed <NUM> is thus sucked off the brush belt <NUM> and fed back to the seed supply <NUM>, providing the desired skip in the seeds <NUM> producing the tramline <NUM>. Afterwards, the control unit <NUM> commands actuator <NUM> to move the valve <NUM> into the inoperative position.

Reference is made again to <FIG>. The skip in the seeds <NUM> to provide the tramlines <NUM> can also be achieved by appropriate control of the speed of the seed delivery system <NUM>. In this embodiment, which also does not form part of the invention, the motor <NUM> of the seed delivery system <NUM> is driven and controlled by the control unit <NUM> to reduce the speed of the seed transport and stop the seed transport, to provide the skip. Thus, motor <NUM> is controlled by the electronic control unit <NUM>, which during operation sends a speed reduction signal to motor <NUM>, commanding motor <NUM> to reduce the speed of the brush belt <NUM> of the seed delivery system <NUM> once a seed <NUM> that would otherwise be deposited at a position where the tramline <NUM> is to be provided is approaching, transported by brush belt <NUM>, the outlet of the seed delivery system <NUM>. The respective seed <NUM> is staying on the brush belt <NUM> and not delivered into the furrow <NUM>, providing the desired skip in the seeds <NUM> producing the tramline <NUM>. Afterwards, the control unit <NUM> commands the motor <NUM> to move the brush belt <NUM> of the seed delivery system <NUM> with the normal speed, such that the seeds <NUM> are sown again at the desired positions. Since during the time when the brush belt <NUM> of the seed delivery system <NUM> was running with reduced speed or standing still to provide the skip, because motor <NUM> still runs at its normal speed, two seeds <NUM> have been delivered by the seed meter <NUM> to the brush belt <NUM> of the seed delivery system <NUM>, the brush belt <NUM> of the seed delivery system <NUM> will have to be driven by motor <NUM> with twice the normal speed in order to achieve uniform spacing of the seeds <NUM> in the furrow once the two seeds <NUM> with reduced spacing on the brush belt <NUM> approach the outlet of the seed delivery system <NUM>. To avoid this, it would be possible also to reduce the speed of motor <NUM> during the time when the brush belt <NUM> of the seed delivery system <NUM> was running with reduced speed or standing still to provide the skip.

In the embodiment shown in <FIG>, which also does not form part of the invention, the seed transport device <NUM> with its fingers <NUM> can be moved by an actuator <NUM> between an active position, shown in solid lines, and an inactive position, shown in dotted lines. While the fingers <NUM> of seed transport device <NUM> is in its active position removing seeds <NUM> from the apertures <NUM> of the seed meter <NUM>, as in the previous embodiments, the fingers <NUM>' of the transport device <NUM>' are spaced from the apertures <NUM> in the inactive position and cannot remove the seeds <NUM> from the apertures <NUM>. The seeds <NUM> thus do not reach the seed delivery system <NUM> and also not the furrow <NUM> when the seed transport device <NUM> is in its inactive position. The actuator <NUM> is controlled by the electronic control unit <NUM> and commanded to move the seed transport device <NUM> into the inactive position once a seed <NUM> that would otherwise be deposited at a position where the tramline <NUM> is to be provided is approaching, transported by seed meter <NUM>, the seed transport device <NUM>. This particular seed <NUM> is thus not removed from the aperture <NUM> of the seed meter <NUM> but is taken down again to the seed supply <NUM> and reaches the seed transport device <NUM> at a later point in time. Afterwards, the control unit <NUM> commands the actuator <NUM> to move the seed transport device <NUM> into its operative position, such that the seeds <NUM> are sown again at the desired positions.

In the embodiment shown in <FIG>, which also does not form part of the invention, a seed removal device <NUM> is provided to mechanically remove a seed <NUM> from an aperture <NUM> of the seed meter <NUM>. An actuator <NUM> of the seed removal device <NUM> is activated upon receipt of a signal from the control unit <NUM> to provide the skip. The seed removal device <NUM> is thus like a finger that can be moved by the actuator <NUM> between an inoperative position spaced from the apertures <NUM> of the seed meter <NUM> and an active position in which it engages into an aperture <NUM> and knocks a particular seed <NUM> out of this aperture <NUM>. The seed <NUM> then falls down into the seed supply <NUM>. The actuator <NUM> is controlled by the electronic control unit <NUM> and commanded to move the seed removal device <NUM> into the active position once a seed <NUM> that would otherwise be deposited at a position where the tramline <NUM> is to be provided is approaching, transported by seed meter <NUM>, the seed removal device <NUM>. Afterwards, control unit <NUM> commands actuator <NUM> to move the seed removal device <NUM> into its inoperative position, such that the seeds <NUM> are sown again at the desired positions. In another embodiment, the seed removal device <NUM> can be a transport device <NUM> moved by an actuator <NUM> like shown in <FIG>, but mounted at the position of the seed removal device <NUM> of <FIG>.

In the embodiment shown in <FIG>, which also does not form part of the invention, a seed removal device <NUM> is provided to pneumatically remove a seed <NUM> from an aperture <NUM> of the seed meter <NUM>. The seed removal device <NUM> comprises an air outlet <NUM> connected to an air pump <NUM> driven by a motor <NUM> controlled by the control unit <NUM>. If the motor <NUM> is working, it drives the air pump <NUM> which provides an air stream to the seed removal device <NUM>, which blows a seed <NUM> out of an aperture <NUM> of the seed meter <NUM>. The seed <NUM> then falls down into the seed supply <NUM>. The motor <NUM> is controlled by the electronic control unit <NUM> and activated shortly before a seed <NUM> that would otherwise be deposited at a position where the tramline <NUM> is to be provided is approaching, transported by seed meter <NUM>, in order to blow the particular seed <NUM> out the aperture <NUM>. Afterwards, control unit <NUM> commands motor <NUM> to stop, such that the seeds <NUM> are sown again at the desired positions.

It should be noted that the seed removal device <NUM> could be positioned, instead of being in the vicinity of the seed meter <NUM> to remove seeds <NUM> during their travel from seed supply <NUM> to the seed transport device <NUM> out of the aperture <NUM> of the seed meter <NUM>, positioned to remove the seed from the aperture <NUM> immediately after it has left the seed supply <NUM>, i.e. directly above the seed supply <NUM>. In another embodiment, the pneumatic seed removal device can be located close to the seed transport device <NUM> or remove the seed <NUM> from the brush belt <NUM>.

An embodiment of this disclosure according to this invention includes a planting unit for a seeding machine, comprising a seed supply, a driven seed meter adapted to receive seeds from the seed supply and to dispense a singularized seed to a seed delivery system adapted to deposit the seed within a furrow in the ground of a field, wherein the driven movement of the seed meter is adapted to be controlled by an electronic control unit such as to achieve a pre-defined pattern of the seeds on the field and the planting unit is adapted to skip dispensing of seeds at locations at which a tramline extending in an angle to the travel direction is to be provided according to the pre-defined pattern, and includes a seed branch-off assembly adapted, upon receipt of a signal from the control unit, to take a seed out of the seed delivery system and to feed it back to the seed supply to provide the skip.

In one embodiment, the seed branch-off assembly is adapted, upon receipt of a signal from the control unit, to withdraw a seed out of the seed delivery system by suction and to feed it back to the seed supply using an air stream.

In another embodiment, the seeding machine comprises a toolbar supporting a number of planting units spaced in a direction transversely to a travel direction of the seeding machine, all planting units controlled by the electronic control unit.

While particular embodiments have been shown and described, it is clear to the skilled man that modifications are possible within the scope of the appended claims.

Claim 1:
A planting unit (<NUM>) for a seeding machine (<NUM>), comprising:
a seed supply (<NUM>); and
a driven seed meter (<NUM>) adapted to receive seeds (<NUM>) from the seed supply (<NUM>) and to dispense a singularized seed (<NUM>) to a seed delivery system (<NUM>) adapted to deposit the seed (<NUM>) within a furrow (<NUM>) in the ground of a field;
wherein the driven movement of the seed meter (<NUM>) is adapted to be controlled by an electronic control unit (<NUM>) such as to achieve a pre-defined pattern of the seeds (<NUM>) in the field and the planting unit (<NUM>) is adapted to skip dispensing of seeds (<NUM>) at locations at which a tramline (<NUM>) extending in an angle to the travel direction is to be provided according to the pre-defined pattern,
characterized in
further comprising a seed branch-off assembly, the seed branch-off assembly adapted, upon receipt of a signal from the control unit (<NUM>), to take a seed (<NUM>) out of the seed delivery system (<NUM>) and to feed it back to the seed supply (<NUM>) to provide the skip.