Hydraulic seed clutch actuator for seed drills

摘要

A seed clutch actuating hydraulic piston & cylinder unit for a seed drill is attached directly to a cam plate on the seed clutch. The clutch actuating piston & cylinder unit is linked to a hydraulic lifting system for the seed drill such that, when a tractor operator operates the hydraulic lift for the seed drill, the clutch actuating piston & cylinder unit is retracted (or extended), with the piston then immediately rotating the seed clutch cam plate, which disengages the seed clutch. The seed clutch thus disengages the seed metering drive shaft so that seed metering is immediately shut off as the seed drill starts to raise. As the operator lowers the seed drill back down to an operating position, the clutch actuating piston and cylinder unit is extended to rotate the seed clutch cam plate back to its original position, which engages the clutch to reconnect operative power to the seed metering shaft. An optional time delay can be inserted into the extension side of the hydraulic controls to allow a timed delay in clutch actuation.