Apparatus for testing the germination of seeds

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR TESTING THE GERMINATION OF SEEDS, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A TABLE, A REEL ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID TABLE AND HAVING A RECESSED SYNTHETIC PLASTIC BAND THEREON, GUIDE ROLLERS FOR GUIDING SAID BAND MOVING FORM SAID REEL OVER SAID TABLE, A BRAKE FOR SAID REEL TO PROVIDE A PREDETERMINED TENSION IN SAID SYNTHETIC PLASTIC BAND, AUTOMATIC MEANS ON SAID TABLE FOR DEPOSITING A PREDETERMINED NUMBER OF INDIVIDUAL SEEDS IN A ROW OF RECESSES IN SAID SYNTHETIC PLASTIC BAND, GUIDE ROLLERS ON SAID TABLE FOR GUIDING SAID SEED CARRYING SYNTHETIC PLASTIC BAND, A REEL ROTATABLY ARRANGED ON SAID TABLE AND HAVING A MOISTURE STORING BAND THEREON, GUIDE ROLLERS ON SAID TABLE FOR GUIDING SAID MOISTURE STORING BAND MOVING FROM SAID LAST NAMED REEL OVER THE SEEDS ON SAID SYNTHETIC PLASTIC BAND, A BRAKE FOR SAID LAST NAMED REEL TO PROVIDE A PREDETERMINED TENSION IN SAID MOISTURE STORING BAND, A MOISTURE SUPPLY NOZZLE DISPOSED ABOVE SAID MOISTURE STORING BAND AND ABOVE SAID SYNTHETIC PLASTIC BAND, A REEL HAVING A COVER BAND THEREON, GUIDE ROLLERS ON SAID TABLE FOR GUIDING SAID COVER BAND MOVING FROM SAID LAST NAMED REEL OVER SAID MOISTURE STORING BAND, A BRAKE FOR SAID LAST NAMED RELL ARRANGED TO PROVIDE A PREDETERMINED TENSION IN SAID COVER BAND, AN EMPTY SPOOL ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID TABLE FOR RECEIVING THE SUPER-IMPOSED SYNTHETIC PLASTIC BAND, SAID MOISTURE STORING BAND AND SAID COVER BAND, AN ELECTRICAL DRIVE MEANS ARRANGED ON SAID TABLE FOR SAID SPOOL FOR WINDING SAID SUPER-IMPOSED BANDS THEREON AT A CONSTANT SPEED, AN ELECTRO-MAGNETIC VALVE FOR CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF LIQUID TO SAID NOZZLE, SAID VALVE BEING CONNECTED IN THE CIRCUIT OF SAID ELECTRICAL DRIVE MEANS, WHEREBY LIQUID FLOWS TO SAID NOZZLE ONLY DURING OPERATION OF SAID ELECTRICAL DRIVE MEANS, AND AUTOMATIC SWITCH MEANS FOR STOPPING SAID ELECTRICAL DRIVE MEANS AFTER DEPOSITION OF A PREDETERMINED NUMBER OF SEEDS ON SAID SYNTHETIC PLASTIC BAND.