Low Power Seeding Unit.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Agricultural implements, in particular seeding units used on seed planting machines to open a trench in the soil and deposit seeds with or without fertilizer, then to cover them, and which normally use a plurality of these units, separated by an adjustable distance and attached to a tool bar on an autonomous vehicle, or as is more common, which is propelled by a tractor with sufficient power for sowing and/or fertilizing large plots of land.

STATE OF THE ART AND PROBLEMS TO RESOLVE

Normally, large lots are seeded through the use of seed planting machines, generally configured by a plurality of seeding units operationally connected to a chassis or toolbar which is powered by a tractor. For a number of years now, there has been a trend toward using larger and larger machines in order to achieve greater productivity from the machines. The application of direct seeding techniques seeks to implement soil conservation techniques. Basically, a seeding unit consists of a hopper where the seeds are loaded, although this depends on the type of seeder used, a metering system that enables the discharge of one seed at a time and at a specific distance from one another, at the front part a turbo disk or blade with symmetrical tangential fluting for cutting the remaining residue and not burying it, and one or two trench-opening disks for making a first opening of the trench, for depositing the seeds, since depending on the characteristics of the soil either alternative is appropriate, one or two gauge wheels that enable the depth of the trench and consequently the depth of the seeds to be controlled, and finally, a closing wheel that closes the trench such that the seed is completely covered by the soil. However, the use of turbo disks involves a significant requirement for power due to the resistance of the soil to penetration and to the friction therewith, and as the number of seeding units used in the configuration of the machine increases, the power needed to pull them is ever greater, thus requiring tractors of increasing power and greater fuel consumption per hectare seeded. It should also be pointed out that the use of these seeding units involves greater weight of the machines in order to be able to penetrate the soil and avoid the reaction of the soil to penetration by repelling the disks and not allowing them to carry out the cutting and subsequent opening of the trench.

Currently, so-called “precision agriculture” offers new technological tools for ensuring with greater accuracy the moment the seed is released so that its distribution is homogeneous, measuring the moisture of the soil and establishing the most appropriate depth of the trench based on the type of seed to use, reducing compaction of the soil to ensure that the trench and seed are appropriately covered. It also facilitates monitoring different variables, the possibility of using images from satellites or captured by drones to prepare working maps, or to reduce the use and cost of supplies.

However, there are no major developments for reducing the necessary power for pulling a seed planter, in spite of the energy problem and the need to reduce environmental pollution worldwide. Moreover, for small producers to be able to access tractors with greater power for seeding their lot represents a great financial effort, whether direct seeding or the traditional method is used.

There are patents that offer solutions, such as patents US11324161 B2, US10512209B2 and US9795077B2, all owned by Kinze Manufacturing, the principal purpose of which is to ensure the uniform distribution of seeds at the desired depth, but which also propose to replace the wheels used for moving the seed unit by two tracks, which are actuated by motors which act on said tracks and assist in the advance of the machine. The purpose of the tracks is to maintain the distance between seeds, cover the trench and reduce compaction of the soil over the trench, because by having a greater support surface area on the soil, the pressure on the covered seed is reduced. Moreover, the publication “AR120308A1 Powered clearing disks, control system and method of use,” of Deere & Co., presents a seeding unit with a stubble cleaning brush or disk actuated by a motor whose speed of rotation can be varied to make clearing more efficient, based on different variables such as the height of the clearing disk, the forward speed of the machine, the amount of residue, etc., but that does not assist in propelling the seeding unit forward. There are also, especially in recent years, documents of self- propelled seed planters such as the case of American patent US11076525B2, of Agco International GmbH which proposes an automatic seed planter that moves autonomously and deposits the seeds precisely, but which is usable for seeding plots other than large plots of land. Something similar may be said with respect to utility model documents for seed planters propelled by a person, and which in the case of documents CN207476179U and CN215835905U incorporate a motor to facilitate the advance of the machine and reduce the effort of the operator of the equipment.

In other words, there is a need for seeding units that contribute to the advance of the seed planter in order to reduce the power and fuel consumption of the tractor or autonomous vehicles propelling the assembly of seeding units when it is desired to seed lots of large dimensions, whether by the traditional method or by direct seeding.

From the point of view of efficiency in the use of power, there is great inefficiency in the tasks for which the pulling elements are used. The power applied at the tractor is lost in the powertrain, being reduced by some 50% when it reaches the point of application (work implements). Therefore, if this power is applied directly at the point of work, the efficiency in requirements for power and energy consumed may be increased substantially. In turn, there is the need to considerably increase the weight of the tractor in order to be able to transmit power, preventing the slippage thereof, an issue that very negatively impacts the conservation of the soil by increasing the compaction thereof. This principle is the reason for which the innovation seeks to achieve a reduction in the power required, transmitting the power as closely as possible to the point of use, which in this case is the seeding unit which is presented as self-propelled.

Consequently, a subject-matter of the invention is to reduce power consumption during the seeding process on large lots through the use of seeding units having means that propel them forward in a synchronized way. Another subject-matter of the invention is the use of at least one motor that propels the seeding unit forward.

Another subject-matter of the invention is to be able to combine the use of more than one motor applied to diverse components of the seeding unit in order to achieve a greater reduction in the power of the means that propel said components.

It is yet another subject-matter of the invention to have an electronic controller that enables all the motors of the different seeding units to be synchronized in order to achieve greater propulsion and reduce the power needed from the means that propel said seeding units.

Another determining factor in the requirements for power and energy are the forces needed to open the trenches and cut the stubble. In particular, the forces required by the turbo blades are high due to the opposition of the soil to penetration and to friction. As was previously mentioned, this results in greater weight of the machinery and great effort of the tractor to transform that pressure into work for opening the trench. Furthermore, the opening of the trench by the trench-opening disks is carried out by plastic deformation thereof, a process requiring much power and energy.

It is due to this that another subject-matter of the invention, in addition to selfpropulsion of the units, is to give active movement and to transmit power to the turbo disks and trench-openers so that the soil penetrating process is reduced as a result of work of removal and cutting of material instead of plastic deformation, as well as reducing the efforts from friction due to the relative speed of the soil and the machinery.

Another object of the invention is to have a mechanical system that drives the turbo disk, gauge wheels and closing wheel of each of the seeding units attached to a toolbar.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The subject-matter of the invention is a seeding unit connected to the toolbar of an agricultural seed planting machine, characterized by having means that propel it forward in order to reduce the power and consequent fuel consumption of the autonomous vehicle or tractor that pulls it, there being various possible embodiments for achieving said subject-matter.

The innovation may be configured in different ways and applied to seeding units whether or not they use a turbo or cutting disk, whether they use one or two gauge wheels, one or two trench-opening disks, and obviously a closing wheel of the trench opened by the disks.

In a preferred embodiment, it has a motor that drives the turbo or cutting disk mounted on the front of the machine and which is used to cut the remainder of agricultural materials left on the ground and to generate a first opening of the trench. Obviously, in the event it is decided not to use this disk because the characteristics of the terrain do not require it, this embodiment is excluded.

A second preferred embodiment incorporates a motor mounted directly on the shaft of the closing wheel, at the rear of the equipment, which enables the seeding unit to be propelled forward, it further being possible to connect said wheel to the gauge wheels that normally are used to determine the depth of the trench that the trench-opening disks must open, thus comprising an alternative to this second embodiment. In other words, by this innovation the closing and gauge wheels, in addition to fulfilling their traditional role in this type of product, are transformed into wheels that pull forward, and consequently the design of these wheels also differs from the traditional one.

A third preferred embodiment involves the connection of both gauge wheels to the respective trench-opening disks beside them, by means of a pinion and gear ring system, but ensuring that said connection is not lost in spite of the irregularities of the terrain, etc., and which is shown in greater detail in Figures 3 to 8. In this way, and from the power generated by the closing wheel, the gauge wheels can be actuated, which in turn actuate the trenchopening disks, reducing in a greater measure the necessary pulling power. The active work of the turbo disk and the trench-opening disks that now have active cutting movement also considerably reduce the necessary power.

A fourth preferred embodiment includes a motor mounted directly on each of the gauge wheels in such a way that forward thrust is provided by them. Moreover, like the previous preferred embodiment, the trench-opening disks can also be powered using the same coupling system.

A fifth preferred embodiment involves mounting a motor directly on each of the trench-opening disks, and a sixth preferred embodiment is to have a wheel connected to the closing wheel, the gauge wheels and the turbo disk through a mechanical coupling system, as shown in Figures 10 to 12.

All these alternatives are presented in greater detail through the following figures

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is a front view in perspective of the subject-matter of the invention.

Figure 2 is a rear view in perspective of the subject-matter of the invention in which the motor that drives the turbo disk can be seen.

Figure 3 is a side view of the subject-matter of the invention that shows the linkage between the gauge wheel and the trench-opening disk

Figure 4 is similar to the previous one, but with a motor that directly drives the gauge wheel and the trench-opening disk beside it.

Figure 5 depicts the gauge wheel and the trench-opening disk connected thereto.

Figure 6 shows in greater detail the linkage between the gauge wheel and the trench-opening disk beside it.

Figure 7 makes it possible to see how the continuous connection is ensured between the gauge wheel and the respective trench-opening disk. Figure 8 is a vertical view of any one of the enclosures that contain the connection means between the gauge wheel, the motive source that drives it and the respective trench-opening disk.

Figure 9 is a view of the trench-opening disks with their respective motors mounted.

Figure 10 is a view in perspective of the mechanical control system used.

Figure 11 is a side view of the subject-matter of the invention with the mechanical control system used.

Figure 12 is a view of the mechanical system that connects the drive wheel that powers the disks and wheels of each seeding unit of the machine.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a seeding unit that makes it possible to reduce the power of the autonomous vehicle or tractor that pulls the seed planting machine, which is configured with a growing multitude of seeding units and which can be configured in different embodiments, including combining some of them. Basically, the invention incorporates one or more motors that propel the closing and/or gauge wheels of each of the seeding units and provide movement to the turbo blade and trench-opening disks, so that working in synchronization together through the use of an electronic speed controller, they propel the assembly forward for the wheels, and consequently the power of the tractor pulling the machine is reduced, and provides movement to the disks that work the ground, reducing the energy requirement since less plastic deformation of the worked soil is required. It is even possible to regulate the speed of said wheels, such that the speed thereof is or is not equal to the speed of advance imposed by the tractor. In turn, motors may also be included in some embodiments that act on the disks of the seeding unit to reduce the necessary power for cutting the debris often left on the lot to be seeded, and/or to open the trench for depositing the seeds.

The following figures explain in greater detail the features of the subject- matter of the invention in the different embodiments thereof.

Figure 1 is a front view in perspective of the seeding unit, the subject-matter of the invention, which depicts a first embodiment showing the turbo disk or chopper (1) at the front of the unit, the motor (2) that drives it through the shaft (3), one of the trench opening disks (4), one of the leveler wheels (5) and the closing wheel (6). In this way the power of the tractor is reduced because the turbo disk acts by cutting and not by friction against the soil, as occurs in this type of product in the current state-of-the-art. For its part, the motor (2) may be electric, hydraulic, combustion or hybrid and may have an internal or external speed sensor connected thereto, possibly through an electronic controller. All the turbo disks of the different seeding units that make up the structure of the seed planter rotate at the same speed, which in turn may increase or decrease the speed depending on the type of disk used, or the type of soil of the lot to be seeded, and the type of materials that are found dispersed over the lot to be seeded. It is also possible that this first preferred embodiment be added to the other possible embodiments, as explained in the following figures, for the purpose of reducing to a greater degree the power of the vehicle that pulls the machine.

Figure 2 is similar to the previous one. except that the cover has been removed of the belt or chain (7) that connects the motor (2) through the shaft (3) to the turbo disk (1), thus showing that its operation depends on the torque generated by said motor (2). Also, one of the rear plates that supports the closing wheel (6) has been removed, making it possible to see that a motor (8) is mounted on the shaft thereof, the function of which is to power said wheel to propel the seeding unit, reducing in this way the power needed for pulling the machine and thus constituting a second preferred embodiment. It should be mentioned that the closing wheel (6) has a multitude of protuberances or studs to prevent slippage on the ground. In addition, it can be observed that said motor (8) is connected through a flexible shaft, chain, belt or cardan (9) to the gauge wheel (5); in this way said wheel also works to propel the seeding unit, thus providing an alternative to this second preferred embodiment of the invention. For this reason, the gauge wheels also have protuberances or studs to prevent slippage on the ground. As previously indicated, the motor (8) may be electric, hydraulic, combustion or hybrid and may have an internal or external speed sensor connected thereto, possibly through an electronic speed controller. All the closing wheels of the different seeding units that make up the structure of the seed planter rotate at the same speed, which may or may not be synchronized with the forward speed of the tractor or autonomous vehicle propelling the group of seeding units, preventing skidding and propelling them forward. The following figures make it possible to understand what the motor (8) does to drive the gauge wheels, since in reality two of them can be used, which in addition to fulfilling their conventional function of limiting the depth of the trench generated by the trench-opening disks, now perform the function of propelling the seeding unit forward, and possibly propelling the trench-opening disks, as can be seen in the figures.

Figure 3 is a side view of the subject-matter of the invention which makes it possible to view the motor (2) mentioned in the previous figures, the gauge wheel (5) connected to the chassis of the seeding unit by means of the support (10) and which is powered by the motor (8), not shown in this figure, through the flexible shaft, chain, belt or cardan (9). It can also be observed that the gauge wheel (5) has on the inner side thereof a gear ring (11) that connects to a pinion (12) mounted on the shaft of the trench-opening disk

(4). In this way, the motor (8) that pulls the closing wheel (6) propels the gauge wheel (5) which in turn propels the trench-opening disk (4). Furthermore, this comprises a third embodiment of the invention.

Figure 4 shows a fourth embodiment of the subject-matter of the invention, which involves placing a motor (13) directly on each one of the gauge wheels

(5) for propelling the seeding unit, and which — as in the previous figure — also makes it possible to propel the trench-opening disk (4) through the pinion (12) connected to the gear ring (11). Obviously, said motor (13) may be electric, hydraulic, combustion or hybrid and may have an internal or external speed sensor connected thereto, possibly through an electronic speed controller. All the gauge wheels (5) of the different seeding units that make up the structure of the seed planter rotate at the same speed, which may or may not be synchronized with the forward speed of the tractor or autonomous vehicle propelling the group of seeding units, preventing skidding and propelling them forward.

Preferred embodiments three and four use the same mechanical system for connecting the different components that propel the seeding unit, which is explained in greater detail in the following figures.

Figure 5 is a view of the gauge wheel (5) isolated from the rest of the seeding unit, in which can be seen the support (10) which connects it to the chassis of the implement, the shaft (14) through which the impelling force is transmitted from the motor (13) or from the motor (8) mounted on the closing wheel (6) through the flexible shaft, chain, belt or cardan (9), and which is inserted into an enclosure that has a first cover (15) and a second cover (16), coupled together by a pair of bolts (17). The crown or gear ring (11) can also be observed mounted on the inner side of the ring (18) inserted into the tire of the gauge wheel (5), and which has a track (19) the function of which is explained in figures 6, 7 and 8. Also observed in the present figure is one of the trenchopening disks (4), and an enclosure similar to the one recently described, but connected to the shaft of the trench-opening disk (4), and which in the previous figures was not shown in order to facilitate the understanding that from the motor (8) or (13) it was also feasible to act on the trench-opening disk (4) in order to reduce the power needed from the tractor to open the trench into which the seeds are to be deposited. It can also be observed that the cover of the gauge wheel (5), in contrast to the usual one of this type of component, is not smooth, but has studs since it has a very important function in the invention of acting as tractor. Obviously, the shape of the stud shown in the figure is for illustrative purposes, but the invention is not limited to the type of model of stud shown.

The next two figures make it possible to understand the linkage between the trench-opening disk (4), the gauge wheel (5) and the propulsion means.

Figure 6 is similar to the previous one, with the difference that the first cover (15) has been removed from the two enclosures, showing that there is a pinion (20) mounted on the shaft (14), which is related to the gear ring (11), and which has a multitude of supports (21) that are supported on the track (19) of the ring (18), inserted in the tire of the gauge wheel. The upper end of the supports (21) is inserted into the first cover (15), not shown in this figure. In the next figure the function of said supports will be explained in more detail. In this way, when the shaft (14) rotates, it makes the gauge wheel (5) rotate precisely by the ratio between the pinion (20) and the gear ring (11), and which by the connection of said gear ring with the pinion (12), mounted on the shaft of the trench-opening disk (4), also makes it rotate.

Obviously, it is essential to ensure that the linkage of the gear ring (11) with the pinions (20) and (12) be maintained continuously in spite of the unlevel ground, untilled soil, etc. This is explained in the next two figures. Figure 7 shows the ring (18) that is inserted in the tire of the gauge wheel (5), not shown in the figure, with the track (19) of one side thereof and the gear ring (11) inside it, the shaft (14), the pinion (20), the first cover (15), the second cover (16), and the bumpers (21), connected to their respective covers (15) or (16), and which on the other end thereof are to be supported on the tracks (19) of the ring (18) at each side thereof. It should be noted that the pinion (20) is positioned horizontally midway between the bumpers (21) of both covers (15) and (16), and thus the bumpers (21) ensure that contact is not lost between the pinion (20) and the gear ring (11), as will be seen better in the next figure. Moreover, everything explained in this figure for the enclosure in which the motive force provided by the motor (8) or (13) is applied, is also applied for the enclosure that makes it possible to impel the trench-opening disk (4) through the linkage of the gear ring (11) with the pinion (12).

Figure 8 is a vertical view of the ring (18) in which it is observed that the four visible bumpers (21) are supported on the track (19), pressing the gear ring (11) at the centerline of the covers (15) and (16), and in other words ensuring that each gear ring (11) is maintained continuously connected to the pinion (20), given the importance that said connection has for the pulling function of the gauge wheel. The same can be said with reference to the pinion (12) and the connection thereof to the gear ring (11) to ensure that it also continuously propels the trench-opening disks (4). In this way it is ensured that as long as the connection is maintained between the drive motor (8) or (13) applied to the seeding unit and the propulsion received by the gauge wheels (5) and the respective trench-opening disks (4), since normally, if it is applied to direct seeding, the ground where the machine is working was not previously worked and consequently has irregular levels, stubble, etc., that make the seeding unit lurch, etc.

Figure 9 shows a simplified diagram of a fifth preferred embodiment of the subject-matter of the invention. Specifically, it can be seen that each of the trench-opening disks (4) has a motor (22) mounted thereupon that propels each of them, thus reducing the power needed from the autonomous vehicle or tractor that propels the machine. As with the previous embodiments, the motor may be electric, hydraulic, combustion or hybrid. In this case, it is also possible for the electronic controller to regulate the speed of rotation of these disks based on the type of soil on which the machine is operating, the forward speed, etc.

Figure 10 shows a sixth preferred embodiment of the subject-matter of the invention, in which is depicted, in perspective, a group of seeding units connected through their respective parallelograms to a toolbar (23) which in turn has a hexagonal shaft (24) which is driven by a wheel (25), and which also is connected by a flexible cardan system (26) to the respective gauge wheels (5), trench-opening disks (4) and closing wheels (6) through its respective flexible cable, chain, belt or cardan (9) of each seeding unit with which the machine is configured. In this way, and by a mechanical force generated by the wheel (25) the mechanical power of the tractor or autonomous vehicle is reduced, which, connected to the bar (23) pulls the seeding units, since chains, belts or a common cardan are used as means of transmission to each seeding unit. An alternative to this sixth embodiment is not to act on the closing wheel (6).

Figure 11 is a side view of the previous figure, which makes it possible to better see that there is also a flexible cardan, chain or belt (27) that connects the shaft (24) and the mechanism for actuating the turbo disk (1), which was not properly visible in the previous figure.

Finally, Figure 12 makes it possible to see in greater detail the linkage between the wheel (25) and the hexagonal shaft (24), which is achieved by means of a pulley (28) and the belts or chains (29) and (30). Another alternative would be to have a suitable gearbox for this function.

In summary, the subject-matter of the invention may be formed through six different embodiments, five of which use motors and the six using the propulsion generated by a wheel actuated by the advance of the machine. With respect to the five embodiments that use motors, each of them may be applied independently or combining two or more thereof, depending in each case on the type of terrain on which the machine must operate, while in all cases an electronic controller may be used that receives a signal indicating the speed of each of the drive motors, so that each controller may automatically adjust its speed in a synchronized way so as to propel the assembly forward, ensuring that they have the same speed as the vehicle that is propelling the seed planter and thus reducing the necessary power from said vehicle. In turn, the electronic controller may also determine the speed of the turbo or cutting disk and of the trench-opening disks with respect to the forward speed of the machine based on the type of terrain and of the energy efficiency desired to achieve in working the soil.

Finally, given the features of the subject-matter of the invention in any of the embodiments thereof, it can be affirmed that the compacting of the soil will be reduced with the commensurate advantage for the better development of the plant and the environment. This is substantiated because in this case the different components of the seeding unit are not dragged over the plot of land to open the soil by plastic deformation, but rather the ground and stubble are cut by the speed of the turbo disk and the trench by the speed of the trenchopening disks, so downward pressure is not necessary. This makes it possible for the units and the seed planter to be constructed with lighter materials, and consequently less compaction is generated, and of course there is a reduced requirement for power, using energy with the consequent fuel savings and improvement of overall sustainability of the system by reduction of emission of greenhouse gases.