APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING ENVIRONMENTAL SEED CELLS

• US 3,849,041 A
• Filed: 04/30/1973
• Issued: 11/19/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Philip B. Knapp
• Original Assignee: Philip B. Knapp
• Inventors: Knapp, Philip B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Juhasz, Andrew R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith, David B.
• Application Number:
  US05/355,701
• Time in Patent Office: 568 Days
• Field of Search: 425/110,117,126,128,348,363,DIG.804 221/278
• US Class Current: 425/110
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 1/06 Coating or dressing seed
• CPC Class Codes: B30B 11/34 for coating articles, e.g. tablets

Abstract

The present invention is directed to apparatus for automatically fabricating environmental seed cells, e.g. tablets incorporating two or more layers of material which will protect the seed during transportation and facilitate its growth after the same is planted, the apparatus including a tableting machine for feeding the environmental surround material into compression mold cavities, a singulator mechanism whereby individual seeds are separated from a bulk supply, and transfer mechanism for receiving separated seeds from the singulator and depositing them in the molds of the tableting machine. After loading, the aggregate comprising the environmental material and seed are subjected to compression, to produce the finished environmental seed cell.

Claims

1. A tableting apparatus for forming an environmental seed cell having a central seed surrounded by layers of compressed environmental material comprising, in combination, means for selecting single seeds from a bulk seed supply, conveyor means including a conduit for receiving said single seeds and advancing the same in an air stream flowing through said conveyor means, transfer mechanism positioned at the terminal end of said conveyor means for receiving said seeds, said transfer mechanism including a support table, a distributor disk slidably mounted over said support table and including individual pockets, means for rotating said distributor disk relative to said table serially to align said pockets with said terminal end of said conveyor, said disk moving in timed relation sequentially to align a pocket with said terminal end as each seed emerges from said end, an air relief passage means formed in said disk and communicating with each said pocket, a screen member disposed in each said air release passage, said screen being of a size to permit flow of air therethrough and to block the passage of said seed, a vertically disposed discharge aperture means formed in said table in the path of movement of said pockets for receiving seeds advanced by said pockets, tableting means including a mold disk having a multiplicity of mold cavities and means for rotating the cavities of said mold disk into registry with said discharge aperture in said table in synchronism with the movement of said pockets of said distributor disk into registry with said aperture, whereby individual seeds are deposited in said mold cavities.

2. Apparatus for forming environmental seed cells, each comprising a centrally disposed seed surrounded by layers of compressed protective environmental material, comprising a tableting apparatus including mold cavities, singulating means for removing single seeds from a bulk supply and releasing the same at a discharge station, and a transfer assembly for transporting said removed single seeds from said singulating apparatus and depositing the same in said mold cavities, said transfer assembly including a tubular conduit having an entrance end and an exit end, said entrance end being positioned adjacent said discharge station of said singulating means, air inlet means downstream of said entrance end of said conduit for admitting air under pressure to said conduit, to induce air flow therein in the direction from said entrance to said exit end, the portion of said conduit between said air inlet means and said entrance end defining a Venturi tube whereby admission of air through said inlet means creates sub-atmospheric pressure at said entrance and super-atmospheric pressure in said conduit beyond said inlet means.

3. In an apparatus for forming environmental seed cells, transfer mechanism for receiving individual seeds fed by a singulator mechanism and releasing the same to the mold cavities of a tableting machinE, comprising tubular air feed conveyor means for advancing said seeds in an air stream, a horizontally disposed seed receiver disk member, means for rotating said disk member about a vertical axis, a stationary seed support table beneath said disk member, the under surface of said disk being disposed in sliding engagement with the upper face of said table, a plurality of seed receiver pocket means formed through said disk for receiving seeds from said air conveyor and advancing the same along said table, said pockets each including an entrance channel extending downwardly from the top face of said disk and terminating at said table, a downwardly directed air vent channel communicating with said entrance channel at its lower end, the upper end of said vent channel opening to the exterior of said disk, said vent channels including a screen member therein in spaced relation to said table, said screen being of a mesh size to permit air freely to pass therethrough, but to prevent passage of said seed, a discharge aperture formed in said table positioned to register sequentially with said pockets of said rotating disk, and a tablet forming apparatus including a plurality of mold cavity means adapted sequentially to register with said discharge aperture, for receiving said seeds.

4. Apparatus for fabricating environmental seed cells having a centrally disposed seed within protective compacted upper and lower layers, comprising singulator means for extracting individual seeds from a bulk supply, transfer means for receiving single seeds supplied by said singulator means, said transfer means including a support table, a distributor disk mounted for rotation in sliding engagement with said table, a plurality of seed receiver pocket means formed in said disk positioned to be serially filled by said singulator means and to advance seeds in said pockets while the seeds are supported on said table along an arcuate path, a vertical extending discharge passage formed in said table, the upper end of said passage lying in said path, tablet forming means including a mold disk rotatable about a vertical axis and having a plurality of vertically directed mold cavities concentrically spaced relative to said axis, said cavities being positioned to register sequentially with the lower end of said passage of said table, synchronized drive means for rotating said distributor disk and said mold disk in timed relation sequentially to align successive pockets of said distributor disk with the upper end of said passage of said table and simultaneously align successive cavities of said mold disk with the lower end of said passage, and supply means for filling cavities of said mold with a light, particulate material having a relatively large particle size, such as vermiculite, said supply means including an inclined delivery chute having a hopper at its upper end, and a lower end defining a downwardly open discharge station over said mold disk, said mold disk forming a floor at said station, said mold cavities being positioned sequentially to register beneath and scan said station, whereby said material is deposited in said cavities as the latter traverse said station, said discharge station including rotating auger means adjacent said cavities for augmenting feed of said material to said cavities.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said auger means includes components in registry with said cavities and components downstream of said cavities, said auger means being rotated in a sense effective to retract particulate material in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of said mold cavities.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said discharge station is in the form of an inverted shell disposed in proximate spaced relation to said mold disk, said shell including end wall means adjacent the downstream terminus of said auger for preventing feed of said material by said auger beyond said wall means.