Abstract: A powered spinning tiller with a box beam extending transversely of the direction of travel includes a plurality of spinners each consisting of a prong holder and a drive gear disposed rotatably on bearings side by side, adjacent prong holders being driven to rotate in opposite directions by the gear drive. In order to create an economical method of constructing a spinning tiller by the simplest means, provision is made for each spinner to be journaled on only one bearing and/or bearing ring which is situated in a single plane.

Abstract: A combination normal-sowing and fine-sowing wheel for a sowing machine, which has a fine-sowing wheel which can be attached to a sowing shaft by an interlocking and clamping connection and is mounted next to a normal-sowing wheel as a separate component in a sowing housing on the same sowing shaft. The fine-sowing wheel is coupled to the normal sowing-wheel by a coupling bolt that can be secured in two operating positions by stops and both the normal sowing wheel and the fine sowing wheel have a central bore and another bore the accommodates the coupling bolt. The stop in accordance with the present invention is in one piece.

Abstract: A tractor-powered cultivator with powered cultivating tools, with a trailing roller behind the tools, and with upright baffles that extend at least approximately along the direction of travel, that are positioned laterally next to the outer tools to block the clods of earth thrown to the side by the tools, and that can be raised up and down along with the roller. To provide universally applicable lateral baffles for various types of cultivator, the baffles are fastened to the frame of the roller.

Abstract: A method and device for optically counting small particles, like grains of seed and fertilizer and other materials employed in agriculture. The particles to be counted travel past a test field, interrupting as they do so a beam of light between a light emitter and a light detector. To make it possible to detect even several particles in the test field at the same time and to make the counting generally more precise, individual points where the path of a beam of light is interrupted by particles passing through the grid are detected in sequential scanning cycles by beams of light that create an optical grid and are retained in the form of information describing one or more particles, information describing the particles and obtained in different scanning cycles are compared, and counting signals that correspond to the number of individual particles passing through are derived from the variations in the interrupting points determined during the comparison.

Abstract: Method of counting particles of seed, fertilizer, and other materials employed in agriculture acoustically. The particles to be counted are conveyed against an impact plate in such a way as to start it oscillating, generating electric signals that are processed to determine the number of particles. In order to count the exact number of individual particles passing a test point with relatively high precision and by acoustical means, at least one definite oscillation amplitude that is characteristic of the impact of one particle is determined and stored and a comparable actual oscillation amplitude is determined as the particles strike against the impact plate, is compared with the stored oscillation amplitude, and, if it is shorter than the characteristic amplitude, one particle counted, or, if it is higher than the characteristic amplitude, the inference made that another particle has struck the plate.

Abstract: Mechanism for discharging granular material, especially seed and fertilizer, and having a bin and seed-flow regulators that variable amounts of material can be supplied to the ground through, whereby a sensor that detects the amount of material or number of grains of material discharged through that device is positioned in the vicinity of at least one flow regulator. To improve the sensor's detection of the amount or number of grains of material, a flow accelerator (8) accelerates the grains (22) of material toward the sensor (15) between the flow regulator and the sensor (FIG. 1).

Abstract: A planting machine having a driven agitator mechanism (7) in the seed hopper (10) which has outlet openings (3) for the seeds, is provided with a magazine (12) disposed over the agitator mechanism (7) for holding seed disinfectant. The magazine (12) has outlet openings (15) and is equipped with a stirring mechanism (16).