Seeding and/or fertilizing unit

Claim 2

Improvements in agricultural machines of the type having distributing means thereon, for example a seed-ing machine arranged for the distribution of seed and fer-tilizer, comprising: a relatively long frame having articulation pivot means between its ends dividing it into a plurality of frame portions which are relatively pivotal about axes which extend in a fore-and-aft direction, a relatively short hopper assembly carried by a said frame portion and located between the ends of the frame, the hopper assembly having walls defining a hopper discharge opening, a conveyor assembly also carried by the frame and extending for at least most of the length of the frame and below the hopper discharge opening, said conveyor assembly having a conveyor discharge, being a plurality of openings each defined by respective discharge opening walls in the conveyor assembly, and a plurality of metering devices adjacent to and spaced along the length of the conveyor assembly, arranged so that discrete material, when dis-charged through the hopper discharge openings, is conveyed by the conveyor assembly and discharged through the conveyor discharge, and outflow from the conveyor discharge is in turn metered and discharged by the metering devices.

Claim 3

Improvements according to claim 1 wherein said hopper assembly comprises two hoppers side by side, each said hopper having walls defining a respective said hopper discharge opening.

Claim 4

Improvements according to claim 2 wherein said conveyor assemblies comprise two conveyors in side-by-side relationship with each other, and positioned below respective said hopper discharge openings.

Claim 5

Improvements according to claim 3 wherein each said conveyor assembly comprises a plurality of con-veyors, each of which comprises a trough containing a res-pective spiral, and drive means coupled to the spiral for rotationally driving the spiral.

Claim 6

Improvements in a seeding machine arranged for the distribution of seed and discrete superphosphate, comprising: a relatively long frame, a relatively short hopper assembly carried by the frame and located between the ends of the frame, the hopper assembly comprising two hoppers side by side, each said hopper having walls defining a respective hopper discharge opening, a conveyor assembly also carried by the frame comprising two conveyors side by side and having part only thereof positioned below a respective said hopper discharge opening, each said conveyor extending outwardly away from the hopper, each said conveyor comprising a trough, and having at least one conveyor discharge opening defined by conveyor discharge opening walls, a respective spiral journalled for rotation in each said conveyor trough above its conveyor discharge, a respective metering shaft, and a plurality of metering devices carried on each said metering shaft and below the discharge of a respective said conveyor, said metering devices being spaced along the length of the conveyor, conveyor drive means coupled for drive to each respective said conveyor spiral and metering drive means coupled for drive to each respective metering shaft, arranged so that discrete material, when dis-charged from the hopper discharge openings, is conveyed by the conveyors, discharged through conveyor discharge, and outflow from the conveyor discharge is in turn metered and discharged by the metering devices.

Claim 7

Improvements in a seeding machine arranged for the distribution of seed and discrete superphosphate, comprising: a relatively long frame, a relatively short hopper assembly carried by the frame and located between the ends of the frame, the hopper assembly comprising two hoppers side by side, each said hopper having walls defining a respective hopper discharge opening, a conveyor assembly also carried by the frame comprising two conveyors side by side and having part only thereof positioned below a respective said hopper discharge opening, each said conveyor extending outwardly away from the hopper, each said conveyor comprising a trough, and having at least one conveyor discharge opening defined by conveyor discharge opening walls, a respective spiral journalled for rotation in each said conveyor trough above its conveyor discharge, a respective metering shaft, and a plurality of metering devices carried on each said metering shaft and below the discharge of a respective said conveyor, said metering devices being spaced along the length of the conveyor, conveyor drive means coupled for drive to each respective said conveyor spiral and metering drive means coupled for drive to each respective metering shaft, arranged so that discrete material, when dis-charged from the hopper discharge openings, is conveyed by the conveyors, discharged through conveyor discharge, and outflow from the conveyor discharge is in turn metered and discharged by the metering devices.

Claim 8

Improvements according to claim 5 wherein each of said walls defining said conveyor discharge opening walls are walls within the trough.

Claim 9

Improvements according to claim 6 further comprising a trough content sensing device within each respective said conveyor trough, each said conveyor having driving means coupled thereto which said driving means is coupled to and controlled by a respective said sensing device near an end of its said conveyor and remote from its hopper to vary the conveyor speed when the sensing device senses a level of particulate material contained in its trough.

Claim 10

Improvements according to claim 5 further comprising a photo-electric trough content scanner in each respective said conveyor trough and carried on one side of its said trough and a reflector on the other side of that said trough, each said scanner and reflector being near an end of its said conveyor and remote from its said hopper.

Claim 11

Improvements according to claim 8 wherein said conveyor drive means comprises a respective electric clutch operatively coupled to the shaft of each said spiral to engage or disengage drive to that shaft, there being provided a power source, a sensing device, a relay, and conductors interconnecting said power source, said sensing device, said relay and said electric clutch to disengage said electric clutch when the particulate material in the trough reaches said sensed level.

Claim 12

Improvements according to claim 8 or claim 9 wherein each of said metering devices comprises a metering wheel.

Claim 13

Improvements according to claim 1 or claim 5 wherein each said frame portion comprises supporting ground engaging wheels.