DISTRIBUTING UNIT FOR GRANULAR MATERIAL, IN PARTICULAR A SEEDING UNIT

• US 20150122162A1
• Filed: 06/10/2013
• Published: 05/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Horsch Maschinen GmbH (Horsch Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Horsch Maschinen GmbH (Horsch Holding AG)
• Inventors: Horsch, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 9,591,798 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 111/200
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/04 Single-grain seeders with or without suction devices
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/042 using pneumatic means

Abstract

A distributing unit (10) for granular material such as seed grains (12), fertilizers or the like is disclosed, in particular a seeding unit (11) of a distributing or seeding machine. The unit (10) comprises a housing (14) with at least one inlet opening (18) for conveying granular material or conveyed seed grains (12) and an outlet opening (26) and also a rotating conveying device (24) with at least one rotating conveying element (28) for taking hold of the granular material or the seed grains (12), which conveying element is arranged or extends approximately axially with respect to the housing (14). The grains are held by centrifugal forces on an inner lateral surface region (16) of the housing (14), are crowded together there and are aligned with respect to one another and are ordered in a line or are rowed at an angle which corresponds to an angular position between the lateral surface and the radial conveying element (28), with the result that in each case only one single grain (12) at the end of the row extends in a predefined path along the lateral surface (16) and, at the end of the separation process, leaves the outlet opening (26) approximately tangentially.

Claims

1. Distributing unit for granular material such as seed grains, fertilizer, or the like, particularly a seeding unit of a distributing or seeding machine, comprising a housing with at least one inlet opening for the conveyance of granular material or conveyed seed grains and an outlet opening and a rotating conveying device having at least one rotating conveying element arranged or running approximately axially to the housing for taking hold of the granular material or the seed grains, the seed grains being held by centrifugal forces on an inner circumferential surface of the housing, are crowded together there and align themselves against each other and in a line or in a row at an angle which corresponds to an angular position between the circumferential surface and the conveying element, with the result that only a single grain at the end of this alignment runs in a predefined path along the inner circumferential surface and leaves the outlet opening approximately tangentially at the end of the separation process.

2. Distributing unit according to claim 1, wherein the grains transported or carried along by the conveying element have at least one one-sided free space in order to push excess grains aside so that an approximately linear grain alignment can be formed on the conveying element.

3. Distributing unit according to claim 1, wherein the alignment on the conveying element or in the inner circumferential region is advanced in a slightly directed manner in a direction in order to reliably occupy the position of the respective grain being discharged in a targeted manner.

4. Distributing unit according to claim 1, wherein the housing has an inner circumferential surface that is cylindrical or tapers conically on one side.

5. Distributing unit according to claim 1, in which an airflow is conducted through the inlet opening which conveys the granular material or the seed grains, wherein the airflow with which the grains are advanced leads through the metering device and carries the delivered grains further in or to the discharge.

6. Distributing unit according to claim 1, wherein each conveyed grain, before being discharged through the outlet, undergoes a circular motion that covers an angle of at least 360 degrees, wherein each conveyed grain is held by the at least one conveying element on an approximately cylindrical inner circumferential surface while simultaneously experiencing a slight axial advancement in the direction toward the grain discharge at the outlet.

7. Distributing unit according to claim 1, wherein the conveying device has at least one paddle-like conveying element sweeping along the inner circumferential surface.

8. Distributing unit according to claim 1, wherein the advancement of the grains is predetermined at least in the region of the outlet opening for the last grain by a guiding contour.

9. Distributing unit according to claim 1, wherein the inner circumferential surface of the housing has a structure in the form of a continuous spiral or guideway that reaches from a front end to the opposite end or a partial segment thereof, the spiral-like structure beginning in the direction of rotation of the conveying device in the region of the inlet opening.

10. Distributing unit according to claim 9, wherein the spiral-like structure has segments of respectively different pitch, the pitch toward the outlet opening being greater than in the region of the inlet opening.

11. Distributing unit according to claim 7, wherein a longitudinal edge of the at least one paddle-like conveying element extends nearly parallel to the direction of longitudinal extension of the housing, an end of the conveying element being shorter than the longitudinal edge and/or the at least one paddle-like conveying element extending widthwise over the outlet opening, so that the latter is swept over when the conveying device rotates.

12. Distributing unit according to claim 7, wherein the rotating conveying device has two, three or more similarly or differently shaped paddle-like conveying elements, each of which is spaced uniformly from the others and arranged on a central shaft.

13. Distributing unit according to claim 7, wherein the paddle-like conveying elements are each mounted resiliently and/or elastically on the central shaft so that they can give way under high resistance.

14. Distributing unit according to claim 7, wherein the paddle-like conveying element of the conveying device is/are driven by electromotive means.

15. Distributing unit according to claim 7, wherein the paddle-like conveying element of the conveying device is/are driven by the airflow conducted through the inlet opening into the housing.