GB2341304A - Planting machine for planting rows of small trees on sloped terrain - Google Patents

Abstract

A planting machine, particularly for planting rows of small trees and shrubs on slopes, comprises a support frame 2 for attachment to the rear of a tractor with at least one plough 16 pivotally mounted to, and depending from, the support frame. Control means, such as a hydraulic ram, are used to control pivoting of the plough relative to the support frame about an axis extending fore and aft of the machine, ensuring that the ploughs remain vertical. The vertical position of the plough relative to the support frame can be selectively adjusted, thus enabling the required depth of the ploughs to be altered. A seat 26 is positioned on the support frame behind the plough and is pivotal relative to the support frame in accordance with any pivoting movement of the associated plough, so that the seat remains horizontal. A pair of land wheels 28 located behind the seat firm the soil back into the trench formed by the plough.

Description

2341304 PLANTING MACHINE W This invention related to planting machines,

and has particular, though not exclusive, application to such machines for planting rows of small trees and shrubs on slopes such as occur at the sides of motorways and other main highways.

It is well-established practice when planting small trees, shrubs, whips and the like to do so by hand. The procedure involves using a planting spade to make notches in the land spaced apart by the required intervals and of the correct depth, placing the stock in the notches so f ormed, and covering in the notches with earth to plant the stock.

Clearly this is a tedious, time consuming and labour intensive procedure, usually resulting in the planting of about 200 items per man hour.

It has been proposed to provide a mechanised forestry planter incorporating a fixed plough which is mounted to the rear of a tractor. This mechanism works on the principal of ploughing a trench in the soil, placing plants in the trench and then pushing the soil back into the trench by means of a pair of land wheels positioned rearwardly of the plough. The vertical position of the planting tool or plough can be varied by lifting or lowering to accommodate fluctuations in" land level, but the 2 planter is only suitable for use on relatively level areas within normal working tolerances.

there has recently arisen the need to enable the planting within a limited time period of some 600,000 transplants on road side slopes of up to 390. Clearly manual planting of such numbers would be impractical, while the current mechanical planters are not capable of operating effectively on sloping land.

It would therefore be desirable to be able to provide a planting machine capable of successfully and effectively planting small trees, shrubs and the like on areas of sloping land.

According to the present invention there is provided a planting machine comprising a support frame for attachment to the rear of a tractor, at least one plough pivotally mounted to, to depend from, the support frame, and, for the or each plough, control means operable to effect controlled pivoting of the plough relative to the support frame about an axis extending fore and aft of the machine.

It will be appreciated that, with such an arrangement, and in the event that the machine is being towed across sloping land by the tractor with the transverse axis of the support frame at an angle to the horizontal, the control means can be operated to locate the associated plough or plougls precisely vertically, whereby stock can thereby be planted in vertical trenches regardless of the slope of the 3 land.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the or each control means comprises a hydraulic ram reacting between the support frame and the plough, while it is further preferred that the vertical position of the plough relative to the support frame can be selectively adjusted.

Conveniently, the machine includes, for the or each plough, a seat positioned on the support frame rearwardly of the plough and pivotal relative to the support frame in accordance with any pivoting movement of the associated plough.

Preferably the machine further includes, for the or each plough, a pair of land wheels located rearwardly of the associated seat and providing a nip therebetween which serves to firm the soil back into the trench formed by the plough, thereby to plant stock placed in the trench by the operator.

By way of example only, an embodiment of the invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings of which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a planting machine according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 shows the encircled detail of Fig. 2 to a larger scale; Fig. 4 is a side view of a plough and ancillary 4 components of the machine of Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 is a rear view of the plough of Fig. 4 in the direction of arrow A in Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings, the illustrated planting machine comprises a generally horizontal support frame indicated generally at 2 for attachment to the rear of a tractor by means of the conventional three point linkage.

The frame 2 includes a pair of cross members 4 between which are pivotally mounted a pair of transversely spaced plough units indicated generally at 6.

Each unit 6 comprises a hollow, upright sleeve 8 of rectangular section from the lower regions of the front and rear walls of which extend aligned pivo t pins 10, said pivot pins 10 being received within, to be rotatable in, associated mountings 12 depending from the cross members 4 as best seen in Fig. 4.

Housed within each sleeve 8 is an elongate plough 14 having a magnesium boot 16 of generally U-shape in horizontal section secured to its lower end, the plough 14 extending through, to project from each end of, the sleeve 8.

A plough 14 is secured to its associated sleeve 8 by means of a pin 18 extending through opposed flanges 20 formed on the upper ends of the sidewalls of the sleeve 8 and through one of a series of parallel bores 22 formed in the plough 14. The provision of the bores 22 enables the vertical position of the plough 14 relative to its sleeve 8 to be selectively varied.

It will be appreciated that the described arrangement is such that each plough 14 can, by appropriate pivoting movement of the associated sleeve 8, be pivoted relative to the frame 2 about an axis extending fore and aft of the machine as defined by the pivot pins 10.

The pivoting movement of a sleeve 8 is affected by means of an associated hydraulic ram the cylinder of which is mounted on the frame 2 and the free end of the piston of which is attached to a bracket 24 on the upper regions of the rear wall of the sleeve 8 as shown in Fig. 4.

A pair of seats 26, one for each plough unit 6, are mounted on the frame 2 rearwardly and inwardly of the units 6 as best seen in Fig. 2, the hydraulic system of the machine being such that, on pivoting movement of the ploughs 14, the seats 26 are correspondingly pivoted to reflect the angle of the ploughs 14.

The machine further includes, rearwardly of each seat 26, a pair of land wheels 28 mounted on the frame 2 and angled relative to one another to define a nip therebetween aligned with the associated plough 14 for reasons which will become apparent.

A feeder tray 30 for the stock to be planted is provided above the ploughs 14 in front of the seats 26.

The described machine is primarily for planting small 6 trees and shrubs, typically between 30Omm and 60Omm high, on relatively flat but sloping land such as the sides of motorways and other main highways, and operates as follows.

Prior to initiating the planting procedure, and with the mdchine attached to a tractor and positioned on the slope to be cultivated, the hydraulic system is activated to pivot the ploughs 14 until they are precisely vertical and to ensure that the pads of the seats 26 are horizontal.

The required depth of the ploughs 14 is set by appropriate adjustment of the ploughs 14 within the sleeves 8 and insertion of the pins 18 into the appropriate bores 22.

The feeder tray 30 is stocked with items to be plan ted, and the operators position themselves one on each seat 26.

As the machine is drawn by the tractor across the slope, the ploughs 14, or more particularly the magnesium boots 16, create a pair of parallel, vertical trenches or furrows in the land, typically about one metre apart. The operators sequentially locate items to be planted in the trenches so formed, and the land wheels immediately return the displaced soil into the trenches and firm the soil about the roots of each planted item in turn.

The depth of the trenches is chosen to accommodate the roots of the transplants, while the vertical nature of the trenches ensures correct growth of the transplants.

7 Thus it will be appreciated that the described machine enables rapid and continuous planting of stock such as to encourage normal growth on sloping areas angled at up to about 400 to the horizontal. The pivotal adjustment of the ploughs 14 is infinitely variable whereby verticality of the ploughs 14 can be ensured for any slope within the available range.

Clearly the precise construction of the machine can be varied from that described and illustrated without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, there may be one or more than two ploughs 14, while the means for pivoting the ploughs 14 may be other than hydraulically operated. Other modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Although described as for planting small trees and shrubs in sloping bank sides, the machine of the invention has other applications, for example for planting vegetables in relatively level ground.

1

Claims (6)

8 CLAIMS

1. A planting machine comprising a support frame for attachment to the rear of a tractor, at. least one plough pivotally mounted to, to depend from, the support frame, and, for the or each plough, control means operable to effect controlled pivoting of the plough relative to the support frame about an axis extending fore and aft of the machine.

2. A planting machine as claimed in claim 1 in which the or each control means comprises a hydraulic ram reacting between the support frame and the plough.

3. A planting machine as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 in which the vertical position of the plough relative to the support frame can be selectively adjusted.

4. A planting machine as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 and including, for the or each plough, a seat positioned on the support frame rearwardly of the plough and pivotal relative to the support frame in accordance with any pivoting movement of the associated plough.

5. A planting machine as claimed in claim 4 and further including, for the or each plough, a pair of land 9 wheels located rearwardly of the associated seat and providing a nip therebetween which serves to firm the soil back into the trench formed by the plough, thereby to plant stock placed in the trench by the operator.

6. A planting machine substantially as described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.