Applicant: Savino VURCHIO
Technical field The present invention relates to a compact planting machine, suitable for motor-hoes, motocultivators, farm tractors and other light farm vehicles. In the state of the technique, concerning the above mentioned applications, there are already some realizations. Generally, these machines are self-propelled or drawn by others farm vehicles; they are made of a structure, resting on two axles - front and rear axle - and comprise planting units with rotary drums containing the vegetable plants to be transplanted; furthermore, they are provided with seats for the operator and need a driver. The drawbacks of the known applications are that they require a driver and, because of their high inertial loads, need to be dragged by another heavy vehicle; which make their use quite expensive.
Disclosure of the invention The invention solves the previous technical problems being a compact not self-propelled planting machine, suitable for motor- hoes, motocultivators, farm tractors and other light farm vehicles, and characterised by a driving system, which consists of at least a front extensible small wheel; said wheel connecting to a lever, which, by means of a fork, acts on a hydraulic distributor; such distributor allows the vehicle change of direction by means of a hydraulic cylinder, located close to a steering joint; for this reason said machine does not need a driver. Another aim of the invention is its optimised layout due to the fact that the planting unit with rotary drums is automatically moved, both drums translation and rotation. These and other advantages will be pointed out in the detailed description of the invention that will refer to the tables 1/2 and 2/2 in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown. It is exemplifying and not restrictive.
Way of carrying out the invention With reference to the above mentioned tables: • Figures 1 and 2 represent the invention driving system in three views; • Figure 3 shows the top view of a hydraulic steering detail; • Figure 4 schematically represents the hydraulic driving circuits of the steering and the planting unit; • Figure 5 shows the moving system of such planting unit. The planting machine consists of a frame, one or more seats for the operators, who regularly load at least one planting unit with rotary drums (7) with small vegetables, an axle equipped with two wheels, a hydraulic driving circuits for the steering and the planting unit, and a kinematical system for the drum translation and rotation. The main feature of the machine is its driving system: referring to Figs. 1 and 2, it consists of one or more small driving wheels (1). Located at the front of the machine, a system of levers (12) and a relaxation cable (12') allow the wheels to stay on the ground or suspended, and to be connected to an articulated quadrilateral (13). The quadrilateral engages a lever (2) and (as in the shown example), by means of a fork (14), activates a hydraulic distributor (3); said distributor allows the vehicle change of direction by means of a hydraulic cylinder (4), located close to a steering joint (11). Nevertheless, the machine is provided with an alternative, safe driving system. In fact, when the small wheel (1) is suspended, the operators can also drive the distributor (3) and the hydraulic cylinder (4) by means of a lever and a related distributor (16), located close to the operators' seats. Beside the main novelty, that is the driving system, the planting machine has further original solutions. In fact, the hydraulic driving circuit comprises an oil reservoir (6), which is located inside the frame of the machine. The circuit also comprises a hydraulic pump (5), a plurality of pipes for delivery and recirculation, a hydraulic distributor (3), which controls the hydraulic steering actuator (4), and a second hydraulic distributor (9), which controls the hydraulic actuator (8) of the planting unit with rotary drums (7). Also the planting unit (7), which is a known product, presents original solutions. It can assume two positions - "up" and "down" - and its motion is controlled by the hydraulic cylinder (8). Furthermore, it proceeds by means of a kinematical chain, moved by a wheel of the rear axle; through toothed gears and chains the motion reaches the drums axle (15). The transmission ratio between the planting unit and the machine axle can be changed, just varying one of the gears. Lastly, the rotary planting unit (7) can rotate around its axle (16) when in "down" position it engages one of its toothed gear with a toothed gear of the machine frame (as shown in Fig. 5). Another new feature is the possibility of modifying the intrarow plant spacing varying the distance of the small driving wheel (1) from the machine longitudinal axle, by means of the telescopic bars (17) and (18), located outside of the articulated quadrilateral (13).