Method and apparatus for planting seeds while conditioning soil

• US 4,409,910 A
• Filed: 06/11/1982
• Issued: 10/18/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/1980
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Original Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Inventors: Lee, Timothy B. K., Hoyle, Burton J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Feyrer, James R.
• Application Number:
  US06/387,330
• Time in Patent Office: 494 Days
• Field of Search: 111/1, 111/6-13, 111/52, 111/73, 111/89, 111/85, 172/45, 172/120, 172/123, 172/701, 47/9, 47/58, 47/DIG. 9, 47/DIG. 10
• US Class Current: 111/159
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 5/08 Machines for both manuring and sowing or both manuring and planting
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/00 Sowing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 47/10 Physical and chemical treatment of agricultural soils

Abstract

Method and apparatus for planting seeds in a field. An anti-cohesion liquid chemical is injected at 30 to 50 p.s.i. into a narrow ribbon of soil, no more than two inches wide and two inches deep. Immediately thereafter, the soil ribbon is vigorously agitated at 900 to 2000 r.p.m. to insure coating of all of the soil particles with the chemical to a depth below that at which the seed is to be planted. The seeds are then placed at precise locations within and covered by the treated soil, and the soil over them is firmed.

Claims

1. A method of planting seeds in a field, comprising the steps of:

injecting at 30 to 50 p.s.i. an anti-cohesion liquid chemical into a narrow ribbon of soil no more than two and one-half inches wide and two inches deep,

then, immediately thereafter, vigorously agitating said ribbon of soil by a bladed wheel at a speed between 900 and 2000 r.p.m., to insure coating of all of the soil particles with the chemical to a depth below that at which the seed is to be planted,

then placing the seed at precise locations within and covered by the treated said ribbon of soil, and

then firming the soil.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of placing the seed particles diverting to one side the portion of the treated ribbon of soil which lies above a desired planting depth, placing the seed at said precise location, and then redirecting the diverted soil to cover the seed with that treated soil.

5. The method of claim 1 or claim 3 in which the agitating step is accompanied by addition of dry soil-conditioning material.

6. The method of claim 1 or claim 3 having, after the firming step, the step of applying additional anti-cohesion liquid chemical on said treated ribbon of soil.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the applying step comprises applying said additional chemical only at spaced-apart intervals.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein said chemical is the same anti-cohesion chemical as in the injecting step but containing adjuvants.

3. A method of planting seeds in a field, comprising the steps of:

continuously moving a pivotally mounted rigid skid plate over the field along a row while

injecting from a forward portion of the skid plate an anti-cohesion liquid chemical into a narrow ribbon of soil no more than two inches wide and two inches deep, at 30 to 50 p.s.i.,

then vigorously agitating said narrow ribbon of soil by rapidly rotating blades carried by said skid plate at a locus to the rear of the injection apparatus, the blades rotating at a speed between 900 and 2000 r.p.m., to insure coating of all of the soil particles with the chemical to a depth below that at which the seed is to be planted,

then placing the seed at precise locations within and covered by the treated soil from a planting shoe carried at the rear of said skid plate, and

then firming the soil by a wheel attached to the skid plate and to the rear of said shoe.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said step of placing the seed includes diverting to one side, by a forward portion of said planting shoe, the portion of the treated ribbon of soil which lies above a desired planting depth, placing the seed by said shoe at said precise location while said portion is diverted, and then redirecting the diverted soil by said shoe to cover the seed with that treated soil.

9. A seed planting machine, including in combination:

a rigid frame for riding and floating on the soil,

confining means on said frame for forming a narrow band of soil no more than two and one-half inches wide and two inches deep,

jet means on said frame ahead of said confining means for injecting, at 30 to 50 p.s.i., a liquid anti-cohesion chemical into said narrow band of soil to be formed by said confining means,

a bladed rotary device on said frame following the injector means,

driving means for rotating said device at 900 to 2000 r.p.m., for vigorously agitating the soil within said narrow band to insure coating of all soil particles with said chemical to below seed planting depth, and

seed planting means supported by said frame for placing the seed at precise locations in the treated band.

10. The machine of claim 9 wherein said confining means confines substantially all the recited operations and comprises two vertical walls and an upper wall defining a tunnel, so that the conditioned soil is contained and is prevented from mixing with untreated soils.

11. The machine of claim 9 wherein said frame comprises a skid plate and a planting shoe rigidly attached to said skid plate, so that seed is placed precisely in a treated band of soil.

12. The machine of claim 11, wherein said planting shoe includes

diverting means at its forward end at the end of said confining means, for pushing to one side the treated soil of said band lying above the bottom of said shoe,

seed depositing means to the rear of said diverting means for depositing the seed on top of the undiverted soil below the bottom of said shoe, and

re-directing means to the rear of said seed depositing means for pushing the diverted soil back over the deposited seed.

14. The machine of claim 11 or claim 13 wherein said shoe is followed by a firming wheel supported by said skid plate for covering and firming the soil over the seeds that have been planted.

15. The machine of claim 14 having spray means for spraying the soil with liquid, supported by said skid plate behind said firming wheel.

13. A seed planting machine, including in combination:

a skid plate for riding and floating on the soil,

a jet nozzle mounted on said skid plate in line with an opening therethrough, for injecting at 30 to 50 p.s.i. a liquid anti-cohesion chemical into the soil along a relatively narrow band of soil no more than two inches wide and two inches deep,

wall means forming a tunnel having side walls projecting into the soil for confining said narrow band of soil to the rear of said nozzle,

a housing in line with said tunnel just to the rear of said jet nozzle,

a set of rotary mixing blades mounted on a shaft that supports and rotates said blades in said housing, drive means for rotating said shaft and blades and thereby vigorously agitating the soil at 900 to 2000 r.p.m. within said narrow band to insure uniform coating of the soil particles with said chemical to below seed planting depth, and

a planting shoe rigidly attached to said skid for planting seeds in the treated band of soil.

16. The machine of claim 13 wherein said shoe is rigidly attached to one side wall only of said tunnel at the end of said tunnel and comprises

a first wall attached directly to said side wall of the tunnel and extending straight behind it,

a second wall having a portion parallel to said side wall and an angularly extending portion extending forwardly from the forward end of said second wall to a juncture with said first wall, to divert the treated soil from said tunnel to a path on the opposite side of said second wall from said first wall,

seed depositing means in between said first wall and the parallel portion of said second wall, and

soil re-directing means attached to said shoe and having a flat generally vertical plate at and to the rear of the rear end of said parallel portion of said second wall and inclined thereto at an angle so that the rear portion of said plate is closer to said first wall than the front portion thereof.

17. The machine of claim 16 wherein the distance from the rear end of the other wall of said tunnel than that to which said shoe is attached to said first wall is substantially the same as the distance from said rear end of the other wall to the angularly extending portion of said second wall and is also substantially the same as the distance from the rear end of said second wall to said plate, to enable unobstructed flow of the treated soil during its diversion and redirection.

18. The machine of claim 17, wherein both said first wall and said second wall have a lower inclined portion extending away from the vertical portion of the first wall toward the opposite side of the tunnel, for the length of said second wall.

19. The machine of claim 18 having a funnel at the upper end of said shoe into which a flexible tube can drop the seeds, said funnel directing the dropped seeds into the space between said first and second walls, the lower inclined portion of the first wall serving to direct the seeds falling on it to the lower edge of said inclined portion and from there to the adjacent soil.

20. The machine of claim 16 having a firming wheel supported by said first wall to the rear thereof, for firming the re-directed soil over the planted seeds.

21. The machine of claim 20 having

a dispensing pipe to the rear of and in line with said firming wheel, said dispensing pipe having an outlet opening and a normally closed check valve preceding said outlet opening,

valve control means for opening said check valve, and

actuation means on said firming wheel for actuating said valve control means.

22. The machine of claim 21 wherein said check valve includes spring means for keeping it normally closed and said actuation means comprises a rotating hub on said firming wheel, a plurality of radially outwardly extending actuator members, and said valve control means includes a stem on said check valve and a lever fulcrumed on said pipe and connected at one end to a said stem and at the other end engaged by each said actuator means in turn as said wheel rotates.