RU2846518C1 - Device for accurate sowing of seeds into cassettes - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: agricultural machines.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to the field of agricultural and forestry machine building, in particular, to forestry, agricultural and selection equipment for high-speed accurate automated sowing of seeds into cassettes. Device for accurate sowing of seeds in cassettes comprises a pusher for moving cassettes with cells filled with a peat substrate, a vibratory table with guides used to feed seeds from a hopper to hollow shaft (9) for capturing seeds, in which, parallel to its axis of rotation, one row of through nozzles is made with a pitch equal to the pitch of the guides, and located coaxially with the guides. Seeds gripping hollow shaft (9) on one side is plugged with a hub, which shaft rests on a bearing providing radial and axial fixation of the shaft. Toothed pulley is fitted on hub shaft to transmit torque and precise displacement from step motor via toothed belt drive. On the other side, the seeds gripping hollow shaft (9) has a hub with a through axial hole, in which support unit a pneumatic nozzle is installed, connected to the excess pressure-vacuum three-position pneumatic valve (21) output (33), connected to ejector (22), which operation algorithm allows to create negative pressure, excess or atmospheric pressure inside hollow shaft (9) of seeds capturing for the purpose of capturing, transferring and dropping of seeds by nozzles, as well as blowing of nozzles.

EFFECT: good germination capacity of seeds, dropping of seeds and blowing of nozzles is provided due to change of negative pressure inside the hollow shaft of seeds gripping to excess pressure, which makes it possible to increase speed, reliability of gripping and transfer of seeds, thus increasing productivity.

1 cl, 2 dwg

Description

Field of technology

The invention relates to the field of agricultural and forestry engineering, in particular to forestry, agricultural and breeding equipment for high-speed, precise automated seeding of seeds in cassettes for the purpose of growing seedlings with a closed root system of various tree species for the purpose of reforestation and afforestation, agricultural crops and other plants. It can be used in conveyor lines for high-precision, high-speed automated seeding in forest seed centers, forest nurseries, greenhouses, and laboratories.

State of the art

There are known devices for seeding into cassettes, in which seeds from a hopper or tray are transferred to the cassette cells using pneumatic shafts (drums) with nozzles, or nozzles fixed to a bar, on which a vacuum is created, which ensures the capture and retention of seeds on the surface of the drum by nozzles, or nozzles fixed to a bar, until they are dropped into seed tubes or seed receivers for subsequent transfer into cassette cells pre-filled with a nutrient substrate with prepared wells (see, for example, the URBINATI SIGMA 80 conveyor lines ( https://urbinati.info/en/products/sigma80/ ), etc.). Such devices are quite common and provide a high degree of automation of the technological process of seeding into cassettes.

One of the disadvantages of such devices is the insufficient accuracy of seed capture. Often, one nozzle randomly captures several seeds at the same time, which are then transferred together to one hole in the cell, or some of the nozzles do not capture seeds, which leads to missing cells intended for sowing.

The most successful precision seeding devices by BCC (Bjorkemar Consultation and Construction, Sweden) are also known, in which the seeds are captured by the shaft pockets, the seeds are transferred to the seed receiver by turning the shaft, and then returned to their original position. The seeds are held in the pockets by their own weight and begin to fall out into the seed tubes of the seed receiver after the shaft has turned more than 90 degrees. The shaft has a number of specially shaped depressions - pockets, into which the seeds are placed, moving towards these depressions along horizontal guides perpendicular to the shaft due to the vibration of the table and guides. During the capture of seeds, the bases of the shaft depressions are at the same level with the guides and the seeds moving in front fall into the depressions of the shaft. The seed guides are made as a single unit with the vibrating table, to which the seeds are fed and dosed from the hopper due to the adjustable gap between the lower edge of the hopper outlet and the vibration of the table.

This device is highly productive, but does not allow for precise seed capture due to seed shape deviation. This principle is suitable for capturing granular seeds of uniform shape, which leads to higher prices.

The closest analogue of the claimed invention, taken as a prototype, is a device for precision seeding for growing seedlings of pine, spruce, fir and other trees with a closed root system for the purpose of forest restoration and afforestation, given in the article "Device for precision seeding for growing seedlings with a closed root system" (see Collection of articles of the All-Russian scientific and practical conference "3D Technologies in solving scientific and practical problems", pp. 200-203, Siberian State University named after academician M.F. Reshetnev, Krasnoyarsk, 2023. https://elibrary.ru/item.asp?id=59430322&pff=1 ).

The precision seeding device comprises a conveyor for moving and fixing cassettes with cells filled with a peat substrate, a working hollow seed capture shaft, inside which a vacuum is created. The seed capture shaft is made of a pipe, one side of which is plugged with a disk with a short shaft (hub), the shaft rests on a ball radial bearing, providing radial and axial fixation of the shaft, a toothed pulley is installed on the shaft to transmit torque from the stepper motor to it by means of a toothed belt transmission. On the other side, the hollow shaft has a hub with a shaft with a through axial hole to create a vacuum inside the hollow seed capture shaft. From the outside, a pneumatic fitting is screwed into the axial hole of the support unit (cover), to which a pneumatic polyurethane tube is connected, going to the ejector, creating a vacuum using an air compressor. The cover is fixed on the device body and is a support bearing unit for the working seed capture shaft. The working shaft has longitudinal rows of holes (nozzles) for capturing, holding and transferring seeds from a tray (hopper) adjacent to the drum to seed receivers with a scraper that removes seeds from the drum, directing them into the cassette cells through seed pipes. The vacuum seed capture drum and conveyor are driven by stepper motors, which allows for precise synchronization of the drum and pusher movements using an electronic control system.

The prototype device ensures high productivity of the seeding process, is relatively simple, but has insufficient accuracy of seed capture and transfer into the cassette cells, due to the chaotic arrangement and orientation of seeds during seed capture by the nozzles of the working shaft from the adjacent tray. In addition, when removing seeds from the shaft surface mechanically using a scraper, cases of mechanical damage to the seeds cannot be excluded, which reduces germination.

The objective of the invention is to develop a domestic high-speed module for seeding into cassettes, dropping seeds into the cells of the cassettes without mechanical damage, ensuring good seed germination.

The technical result of the invention consists in ensuring good seed germination, seed discharge and nozzle blowing by changing the vacuum inside the hollow seed capture shaft to excess pressure, which makes it possible to increase the speed, reliability of seed capture and transfer, increasing productivity.

The technical result of the invention is achieved in that the device for precise seeding into cassettes contains a pusher that ensures the movement of cassettes with cells filled with a peat substrate, a vibrating table with guides used to feed seeds from a hopper to a hollow seed capture shaft, in which one row of through nozzles with a pitch equal to the pitch of the guides and located coaxially with the guides is made parallel to its axis of rotation, wherein the hollow seed capture shaft is plugged on one side by a hub, the shaft of which rests on a bearing that ensures radial and axial fixation of the shaft, a toothed pulley is installed on the shaft of the hub for transmitting torque and precise movement from a stepper motor by means of a toothed belt transmission, on the other side the hollow seed capture shaft has a hub with a through axial hole, in the support unit of which a pneumatic fitting is installed, connected to the output of a three-position pneumatic valve of excess pressure-vacuum, connected to an ejector, the operating algorithm of which allows create a vacuum, excess or atmospheric pressure inside the hollow seed capture shaft for the purpose of capturing, transferring and throwing seeds by nozzles, as well as blowing out the nozzles.

The device for precise seeding into cassettes is illustrated by drawings.

Fig. 1. Pneumatic diagram of the device for capturing and dropping seeds.

Fig. 2. Device for precise seeding into cassettes.

The device for precise seeding into cassettes comprises a pusher that ensures the movement of cassettes with cells filled with peat substrate 16, a vibrating table 2 with guides 4 used to feed seeds 3 from the hopper 1 to the nozzles 13 of the hollow seed capture shaft 9, designed to capture and transfer seeds to the seed receivers 14 and seed pipes 15. Cylindrical dividers 6 are installed on the vibrating table 2, dividing the seeds 3 into streams to the guides 4. The hollow seed capture shaft 9 is made of a pipe in which one row of through nozzles 13 is made parallel to its axis of rotation with a pitch equal to the pitch of the guides 4, the nozzles are located coaxially with the guides 4. One side of the hollow seed capture shaft 9 is plugged with a hub, the shaft of which rests on a ball radial self-aligning bearing that ensures radial and axial fixation of the shaft, a toothed pulley 7 for transmitting torque from stepper motor 8 by means of toothed belt transmission. On the other hand, hollow seed capture shaft 9 has a hub with a through axial hole, in the support unit of which a pneumatic fitting is installed to create a vacuum or excess pressure inside hollow seed capture shaft 9. The fitting is connected by a pneumatic tube to outlet 33 of three-position excess pressure-vacuum pneumatic valve 21, connected to ejector 22.

The device for precise seeding into cassettes works as follows.

The operator sends a start signal via the control system, the vibrating table 2 with guides 4 begins to perform plane-parallel oscillatory movements . The seeds 3, arranged in a queue one after another, move to the nozzles 13 along guides 4, made perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the hollow seed capture shaft 9, in which one row of through nozzles 13 is made with a pitch equal to the pitch of the guides 4 of the vibrating table 2. The nozzles 13 are located coaxially with each guide 4, which allows one seed to be captured.

Before the start signal is given, the hollow seed capture shaft 9 is in the seed release position 3, while the three-position excess pressure-vacuum pneumatic valve 21 is in the middle position, which determines the presence of atmospheric pressure. After the start signal is given, the hollow shaft of the seed capture 9 rotates and makes an instant stop when the nozzles 13 are opposite the seeds 3 on the guides 4, simultaneously with the start, the right coil of the three-position pneumatic excess pressure-vacuum valve 21 is activated, moving it according to the diagram to the left, compressed air from the input P through the inputs 31, 32 enters the ejector 22, creating a vacuum at its input V, which through the inputs 34, 35 of the three-position pneumatic excess pressure-vacuum valve 21 creates a vacuum inside the hollow shaft of the seed capture 9, ensuring the capture of seeds 3 by the nozzles 13. Having captured and held the seeds 3 from the guides 4, it transfers them by rotation to the seed receivers 14 and the seed tubes 15, stops in the discharge position and waits for the ready signal. After receiving the readiness signal, the three-position pneumatic excess pressure-vacuum valve 21 switches to the right side according to the diagram. Excess pressure from the input P through the inputs of the valve 31, 34 enters the hollow shaft of the seed capture 9, creating excess pressure inside it, which facilitates the discharge of seeds 3 into the seed receivers 14. In this case, the air flow through the nozzles of the shaft 13 provides blowing of the nozzles, which prevents their clogging when capturing seeds and creates an air flow inside the seed receivers 14 and seed tubes 15, which entrains the dropped seeds and reduces the time of movement of seeds along the seed tubes 15 to the cassettes filled with peat mixture 16. After the seeds are discharged, the three-position pneumatic valve 21 takes the middle position, blocking the flow of compressed air supplied to the input P, due to the closed center of the three-position pneumatic excess pressure-vacuum valve 21, compressed air is saved.

The operating algorithm of the three-position pneumatic valve of excess pressure-vacuum 21, connected to the ejector 22, allows for the creation of a vacuum, excess or atmospheric pressure inside the hollow shaft of the seed capture 9 for the purpose of capturing, transferring and dumping seeds 3 by nozzles 13, as well as purging the nozzles.

If necessary, a specified number of captures and transfers of seeds 3 can be made into each hole of the cassette filled with peat mixture 16, which will allow sowing a specified number of seeds into the holes. After feeding a new cassette and the operator's "start" signal, the cycle will repeat.

The invention is aimed at developing a high-performance device for precision seeding, ensuring accuracy, reliability of capture and transfer without mechanical damage to seeds, which contributes to good seed germination, and also allows for increased speed, increasing productivity. Determines the effective import substitution of equipment for growing seedlings with a closed root system for the purpose of reforestation and afforestation of various crops.

Claims (1)

A device for precise seeding in cassettes, comprising a pusher that ensures movement of cassettes with cells filled with peat substrate, a vibrating table with guides used to feed seeds from a hopper to a hollow seed capture shaft, in which one row of through nozzles with a pitch equal to the pitch of the guides and located coaxially with the guides is made parallel to its axis of rotation, wherein the hollow seed capture shaft is plugged on one side by a hub, the shaft of which rests on a bearing that ensures radial and axial fixation of the shaft, a toothed pulley is installed on the shaft of the hub for transmitting torque and precise movement from a stepper motor by means of a toothed belt transmission, on the other side the hollow seed capture shaft has a hub with a through axial hole, in the support unit of which a pneumatic fitting is installed, connected to the output of a three-position pneumatic valve of excess pressure-vacuum, connected to an ejector, the operating algorithm of which makes it possible to create a vacuum, excess or atmospheric pressure inside the hollow seed capture shaft for the purpose of capturing, transferring and throwing seeds by nozzles, as well as blowing out the nozzles.