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Title:
PROCEDURE IN A SEED DRILL FOR MARKING THE DRIVING POSITION FOR SUBSEQUENT WORK OPERATIONS AND A DEVICE FOR PERFORMING THIS PROCEDURE
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2005/041635
Kind Code:
A1
Abstract:
Procedure and device in a seed drill (2) for marking the driving position for subsequent work operations. A tramline marking device (30) is activated at certain predetermined bouts (B, E, H, K) and in the following bouts (C, F, I) the bout marker (20, 22) not being used for marking the driving position for the next bout (D, G, J) is activated to mark the driving position for subsequent work operations.

Inventors:
STARK CRISTER (SE)
Application Number:
PCT/SE2004/001565
Publication Date:
May 12, 2005
Filing Date:
October 27, 2004
Export Citation:
Click for automatic bibliography generation   Help
Assignee:
VAEDERSTAD VERKEN AB (SE)
STARK CRISTER (SE)
International Classes:
A01B69/02; A01C7/08; (IPC1-7): A01C7/08; A01B69/02
Foreign References:
GB2198022A1988-06-08
EP0826296A21998-03-04
US4289256A1981-09-15
EP0193804A11986-09-10
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
Byström, Ola (Box 85, Väderstad, SE)
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Claims:
Claims
1. A procedure in a seed drill for marking the driving position for a subsequent work operation, which seed drill (2) comprises at least one tramline marking device (30), two bout markers (20,22) which are alternately activated for marking the next driving bout for the seed drill (2), which tramline marking device (30) comprises a seed blocking member (32), characterised in that the tramline marking device (30) is activated at certain predetermined bouts (B, E, H, K) and in that at the following bouts (C, F, I) the bout marker (20,22) not being used for marking the driving position for the next bout (D, G, J) is activated to mark the driving position for subsequent work operations.
2. A procedure according to Claim 1, characterised in that the tramline marking device (30) is activated by signals from a control entity (40), that the signals are given at certain bouts according to a predetermined sequence, which sequence is selectable and stored by an operator in the control entity (40).
3. A procedure according to Claim 2, characterised in that the predetermined sequence can be overridden by the operator.
4. A procedure according to either of Claims 23, characterised in that a low lift transmitter sends an insignal to the control entity (40) at the starting and ending of a bout.
5. A device for performing the procedure according to any one of Claims 14, characterised in that the bout markers (20,22) are comprised of a hydraulically manipulated marker arm (24) with a marking member (26) arranged at one end.
6. A device according to Claim 5, characterised in that the marking member (26) is soil cultivating.
7. A device according to Claim 5, characterised in that the marking member (26) is comprised of a marker disc.
Description:
Procedure in a seed drill for marking the driving position for subsequent work operations and a device for performing this procedure The invention relates to a procedure in a seed drill for marking the driving position for subsequent work operations in accordance with the ingress of Claim 1, and a device for performing this procedure according to the ingress of Claim 5.

Background of the invention Current seed drills often comprise a tramline marking device for subsequent work operations. The aim is to create a track on the sown field that can be used as an aid in subsequent work operations. Such work operations are usually spreading of fertiliser or crop protection chemicals. Tramline markers should be able to be used both before emergence of the drilled crop and while it is growing to maturity.

A common way of creating tramlines is to shut off certain seed feed nozzles, suitably those arranged directly behind the towing vehicle (tractor) wheels, after a certain specified number of bouts have been driven across the field. In addition, a further tramline marking organ, often in the form of soil cultivating discs, is used to create some form of visual track in the same position behind the seed drill.

In subsequent work operations, the tractor driver can follow the tramlines by using the visual markings in cases where the crop has not had time to grow, or by using the tramlines developed in the form of unsown crop created by the seed shut off.

In subsequent work operations, it is common to use an implement with a working width that forms an even multiple of the working width of the seed drill. If for example the working width of the subsequent work implement is three times that of the seed drill, the tramline marking can be activated on every third bout driven with the seed drill. It is also common to control the tramline marking from a control entity where the activation sequence can be stored.

These known solutions accordingly comprise two systems for tramline marking, which leads to them being rather expensive and to a certain degree complicated, with many component parts.

Aims of the invention The aim of the invention is to create a procedure and/or a device that provides simpler and more cost effective tramline marking, but that can still be used both before and after crop growth.

Summary of the invention The aims of the invention are achieved by a procedure according to Claim 1. Hereby, a tramline marking device comprising a seed blocking member is activated at certain predetermined bouts and at subsequent bouts the bout marker that is not activated for marking the next bout for the seed drilling operation is activated. This makes it possible to use one of the bout markers at a time when it is not needed for its ordinary task, i. e. marking the next bout for the seed drilling operation. The bout marker in this

position instead creates a marking corresponding to the previous bout of the seed drilling operation, accordingly in the same position as the tramline marking device with seed blocking. This hereby achieves a tramline marking effect that it is possible to use both before and after the crop has grown, without the need for a separate soil cultivating bout marker.

Through a device according to Claim 5 with a bout marker comprising a hydraulically controlled marker arm with a soil cultivating member, a marker is achieved that is adapted to both its tasks.

Claims 2-4 and 6 and 7 describe the advantageous detailed solutions that allow for easy and operator friendly use.

The further characteristics and advantages of the invention are described in more detail below with the aid of an embodiment example and drawings relating thereto.

Drawing summary Figure 1 shows a seed drill drawn by a tractor.

Figure 2 shows schematically the work sequence of the seed drill.

Detailed description of an embodiment example Figure 1 shows a seed drill 2 drawn by a tractor 4. The seed drill 2 comprises a container 6 for seed and in certain cases also for fertiliser. From the container 6 the seed is led by connections (not shown in Figure 1), commonly pipes, to one or several distributor heads 8 with a plurality of outlets through which the seed is led in tubes 10 out to the seed coulters 12 arranged at a frame section 14. A fan 16 is arranged to generate an air stream that transports the seed from container 6 to the seed coulters 12.

A carrying wheel entity 18 is arranged behind the frame section 14.

A tramline marking device 30 is arranged in one or a plurality of the distributor heads 8. The tramline marking device 30 comprises a seed blocking member in the form of flaps 32 or valves to block the seed to certain predetermined tubes 10 that lead to the seed coulters disposed directly behind the wheels of the tractor 4. The task of the tramline marking device 30 has been described previously.

Two bout markers 20,22 are arranged on the frame section 14. Figure 1 shows the left bout marker 22 activated. The bout markers 20,22 are manipulated by a not shown hydraulic cylinder and comprise a marker arm 24 at end of which is arranged a soil cultivating member 26 in the form of a marker disc. The task of the bout markers is to mark a groove in the soil that the tractor driver can use as a guideline on his next bout, with the aim of achieving work bouts of the seed drill that are arranged edge to edge.

Activation and inactivation of both the bout markers 20,22 and the tramline marking device 30 is controlled by an electronic control entity, here arranged at the driver's place in the tractor 4.

That described above comprises known technology.

The procedure according to the invention is described below with reference to Figure 2.

Figure 2 shows schematically part of a field where the operator begins seed drilling at a starting point corresponding to the lower left-hand corner of Figure 2. The tractor 4 draws the seed drill 2 in a bout A where the right bout marker 20 is activated to mark the driving position for the next bout B.

At the end of bout A, the operator raises the seed coulters for turning on the headland.

At point A2 the seed coulters have been raised so high that a not shown low lift switch indicates raised seed coulters. In this position, the right bout marker 20 is inactivated and thereby folded in. When the operator has turned the equipment on the headland and lowered the seed coulters to working position at point B1, the low lift switch is again activated, whereby the left bout marker 22 is activated and unfolded for marking the driving position of the next bout C. This turning procedure is already known.

In the driving position for bout B tramline marking is desired. Therefore the tramline marking device 30 with flaps 32 is activated at point B2. Hereby two'tracks'are created in the form of unsown seed indicated by 50. During bout B, the operator accordingly follows the track marked as a groove or similar created by the right bout marker 20 during the previous bout A.

At the end of bout B, the left bout marker 22 is folded in. At the starting point Cl of the subsequent bout C, the right bout marker is activated for the next bout D. At point Cl the left marker is also activated according to the invention and thereby creates a mark between the tramlines 50 from bout B.

During bout C the right bout marker 20 is accordingly used for marking the bout position for the subsequent bout D while the left marker is used for marking the driving position for a subsequent work operation on a later occasion such as fertiliser spreading. Hereby, on the next occasion the farmer can therefore use the markings from bout marker 22 if the crop has not had time to grow, or alternatively use the tramlines 50 that appear when the crop has had time to grow.

At the end C2 of bout C, both bout markers 20,22 are folded in and at the start D1 of the next bout D the left marker 22 is again activated.

Work then proceeds according to this sequence until the entire field is seed drilled.

Accordingly, the right marker 20 is used during bouts A, C, E, G, I, K for marking the respective subsequent bouts B, D, F, H, J, while the left bout marker 22 is used during bouts B, D, F, H, J for marking the respective subsequent bouts C, E, G, I, K. The bout markers 20,20 are therefore used alternately for marking of the next driving position.

Figure 2 also shows that the tramline marking device 30 is activated at bouts B, E, H, K and that the bout marker not used in the subsequent bouts C, F, I, for marking the driving position for the next bout D, G, J is instead activated for marking the driving position for the subsequent work operation.

When the farmer is ready to carry out the next work operation, the tramlines can be used for bouts B, E, H, K. Thus in this case every third bout was tramlined during seed drilling. This means that the farmer can use a fertiliser spreader (or other desired implement) with a working width three times greater than the working width of the seed drill, for example a 12 m wide fertiliser spreader can be used after a 4 m wide seed drill.

Both the bout markers 20,22 and the tramline marking device 30 are controlled by signals from the control entity 40 depending on in-signals from the low lift switch representing start and end of the bout. The control entity 40 is programmable so that the operator can select at which predetermined bouts tramline marking will occur and at what intervals. The operator can accordingly adapt the sequence to the different working widths of his own implements. The programmed sequence can also advantageously be manually overridden by the operator. This is desirable for example in cases where the operator wants to raise the seed coulters over the limit of the low lift switch without having reached the end of the bout, as when encountering obstacles in the form of drain wells or similar.

The invention can be varied within the frame of the patent claims. It can accordingly be employed on seed drills of different designs, such as with mechanical seed feed. In addition, the bout markers can be designed in different ways, for example as paint sprayers, even though the soil cultivating embodiment described is preferable for reasons of cost and function. Seed blocking can also be designed according to a plurality of known or closely related ways.