Unmanned seeding apparatus

Abstract

FIELD: unmanned aerial vehicles.SUBSTANCE: unmanned seeding apparatus includes a seed box (8), on the sides of which filling funnels (12, 13) are installed. The seed box (8) is divided by a vertical console partition (16), at the bottom of which there is an opening (21), and on the upper side it is equipped with covers (19, 20), in the middle of which cable level sensors (23, 24) are installed, and on the lower side of the seed box (8) a feed tube is installed, having horizontal radial openings, and a bracket (26) with an electric drive (27) is secured, on the shaft of which a drive pulley (28) is installed.EFFECT: increase in the efficiency of use when mixing granules of organic fertilizer and hydrogel when scattering them at a low altitude using an unmanned seeding apparatus.1 cl, 3 dwg

Description

[0001] The invention relates to unmanned aerial vehicles designed for the simultaneous dispersal of organic fertilizer granules and hydrogel granules on agricultural fields, including various technological substances to cultivated plants, as well as for sowing sprouted seeds of forest crops with a complex of fertilizers using the capsule method.

[0002] Due to climate change, the assessment of anthropogenic impact on the environment shows that drought tolerance and high temperature resistance is becoming increasingly important every year. Drought disrupts a number of physiological and biological processes, which leads to weakening of plants and a decrease in yield, and to other stress factors. Morphologically, this is manifested in a decrease in leaf area, plant height, and the number of productive stems. At the same time, drought-resistant plants, as a rule, are more resistant to salinity, low temperatures, since dehydration of the organism is noted under all these stresses (Kharitonov E.M. On the genetic and physiological mechanisms of salt tolerance in rice (Oryza sation L) / (Review) E.M. Kharitonov, Yu.K. Goncharov / / Agricultural biology. - 2013. - No. 3 (48). - P. 3-11).

[0003] Climatic conditions are also one of the most important environmental factors that affect plant productivity.

[0004] Improving the drought tolerance of crops under current changing weather conditions is crucial. Currently, there are no cost-effective technical solutions to facilitate crop production under drought conditions.

[0005] In recent decades, droughts and heat waves have become a problem for most regions of the globe, including Europe and western Russia.

[0006] It should be noted that mineral fertilizers improve the circulation and balance of biogenic elements, while organic fertilizers are not only an important source of nutrients for plants but also replenish the soil's humus reserves, one of the main indicators of its potential fertility. An important function of organic fertilizers is their ameliorative effect, improving all soil properties, and optimizing their humus status (Minaev V.G. Chemicalization of Agriculture and the Natural Environment. Moscow: Agropromizdat, 1990. - pp. 36-68 and 242-256).

[0007] It should be noted that 35% of the Russian Federation's cultivated area (approximately 45 million hectares) is located in arid steppe regions with an average annual precipitation of 250-420 mm. In recent years, the problem of soil moisture availability in central Russia has become more acute due to various climate changes and an increase in dry periods. To address these issues, it is necessary to increase soil moisture accumulation.

[0008] The use of water-absorbing polymer gels is one of the innovative, unconventional approaches in modern agricultural technology. In the future, water-absorbing polymers may contribute to increased sustainability in agriculture and crop production.

[0009] The conducted patent search showed a practically insufficient presence of inventions on the planetary conservation of water resources (their protection from agricultural production of crop areas), and thereby reducing the likelihood of desertification and drought processes on planet Earth.

[0010] A method and equipment for producing granulated organic fertilizers from organic waste are known. The method involves feeding components into a mixture, removing mechanical impurities, mixing mineral components with the fertilizer, crushing, disinfecting, geomogenizing, granulating, and drying. Moreover, crushing, disinfecting, geomogenizing, and granulating are carried out simultaneously on heated continuous rollers with the processed mass passing through forming rings of the rollers and cutting into granules, and drying is carried out in a heated continuous vacuum dryer (Patent RU No. 2458027, A05F 3 / 00 dated August 10, 2012).

[0011] The entire technological cycle for producing granules is described in such devices. However, here the applicant provides an analog as an example of implementation, i.e., granule production, relative to our proposal, which is known in similar devices at a technical level.

[0012] A moisture-swelling soil conditioner is known for improving the soil regime, which contains a polymer hydrogel based on an acrylic polymer and a clay mineral as a filler, bentonite or padygoreckite clay is used as a clay mineral in a mass ratio of hydrogel: clay mineral from 1: 0.25 to 1: 1.5, and the hydrogel is obtained by polymerizing an acrylic monomer in an aqueous medium in the presence of a crosslinking agent - N1N' - methylene-bis-acrylamide - in an amount of 0.025-0.15% of mixing with a clay mineral (Patent RU No. 2189382, C09K 17 / 40 dated 09.20.2002).

[0013] The equilibrium degree of swelling of a known conditioner in water is 640-720 g per 1 g of conditioner, while the moisture capacity of the soil when the conditioner is applied increases by 60-90%.

[0014] The newly developed hydrogel "Aquasin" granules are known for their drought-fighting properties. They are manufactured by Singer, a Kazan-based company specializing in the production of polymer superabsorbents—new-generation hydrogels specially modified for agriculture. The hydrogel is named "Aquasin" and is produced in ranulas. The granule particle size can range from 0.5 to 2.5 mm. The water absorption rate of "Aquasin" hydrogel directly depends on the composition of the water and soil. Furthermore, it loosens the soil, as does the use of poultry manure granules (chicken or turkey). "Aquasin" hydrogel consists of granules of a cross-linked polymer of potassium and ammonium salts of acrylic acid for safe and effective introduction into the soil. Rapid and exchangeable moisture absorption: in just a few minutes, the gel absorbs 400 times its weight in liquid, then the material completely releases moisture to plants - up to 95% of the absorbed volume.The material features a versatile granule combination for a wide range of uses, meaning it accumulates moisture when irrigated by rainfall. This environmentally friendly composition lasts up to 5 years in the soil when used in a crop rotation system with soil swelling. The plant can absorb exactly the moisture it needs at any time, which means higher seed germination rates, reduced germination time, and improved plant growth and development. Furthermore, it actively receives organic fertilizer, where granules of poultry manure (chicken or turkey) easily decompose and are absorbed by the root system. This reduces the need for crop irrigation by 5-6 times.

[0015] Therefore, the simultaneous supply of mixed granules by the unmanned spreading (seeding) apparatus simplifies and minimizes the number of separate operations, has a positive effect of granules, as an organic fertilizer of bird droppings and hydrogel "Aquasin" in the mixture.

[0016] Thus, the dispersion width of the granule mixture, falling on the soil from above when plowing the field to a depth of 20-22 cm, then processing it with disc harrows to a depth of 12-14 cm to embed the granules to a depth of 8-10 cm, and then sowing seeds to a depth of 2.5-3.0 cm, increases the uniformity of seeding over the area of ​​​​crop nutrition with the materials used.

[0017] A balloon system for introducing liquid and solid substances to the Earth’s surface is known (Patent RU No. 2186003, B64D 1 / 18 dated 07.27.2002), comprising a lifting unit consisting of an aerostat and a power plant for movement through the air at a given altitude with adjustable speed, a carrier unit, also a spraying unit for applying substances to the surface of the earth and a receiving end of a remote control unit, installed on the carrier unit, and a transmitting end of a remote unmanned control unit, installed on the ground, wherein the aerostat system for applying substances to the surface of the earth is equipped with electromechanical, pneumatic and lighting equipment, the carrier unit is made in the form of a tubular, frame, collapsible platform, intended for placing the said equipment, the spraying unit consists of a pneumatic rod spreader of solid substances and a pneumatic rod sprayer, installed on the platform of the carrier unit, the lifting unit consists of a soft aerostat, and the receiving end of the remote control unit is located on the collapsible platform.

[0018] The main disadvantage of the aerostatic system for application to the surface of the earth is the complexity of the method implemented in it for delivering solid and liquid substances to plants, which requires a bulky spraying unit consisting of a container for solid substances, a metering chamber, a metering disk with calibrated holes, a guide funnel, a centrifugal air blower, a swirl chamber fan, an electric motor, a nozzle, a spreader bar, a pneumatic drive, a spreader bar, air ducts and air duct tips (for solid substances) and a container for liquid, safety and regulating valves, a mesh filter, a compressor, a receiver, a sprayer bar, a rotating bar handle, a hose clamp, rotating liquid sprayers and holders (for liquid substances).

[0019] The listed components of the spray unit significantly increase its weight, which negatively impacts the performance of the aerostat system by reducing the amount of process substances that can be simultaneously transported. Furthermore, the existing aerostat system makes it impossible to accurately apply substances to plants due to partial dispersion of solid fractions and aerosols in the air before reaching the target. Furthermore, increasing the boom length reduces the maneuverability of the aerostat system and limits its use on uneven surfaces. When spraying solids "bottom-up," control of the aerostat system is significantly complicated by the need to fly at extremely low altitudes, with a high probability of mechanical contact between the system elements and branches of shrubs and other vegetation.In addition, when spraying solids from the bottom up, even a small horizontal displacement of the aerostat system due to a sudden gust of wind can cause damage to the plants being treated.

[0020] A method for ultra-low-volume spraying of agricultural plants and a device for implementing it using vertical unmanned aerial vehicles are known (Patent RU No. 2730640, A01D 1 / 18, A01C 15 / 00 dated 08 / 24 / 2020).

[0021] A known device for ultra-low-volume spraying of agricultural plants using vertical unmanned aerial vehicles consists of a ring in which a spacer with a sleeve is placed, and in its lower part there is a housing in which an angular nozzle is installed and a solenoid with a locking rod and a return spring is located, controlled through a relay remotely by an operator or based on signals from a control unit connected to a geolocation unit of an unmanned aerial vehicle, while a glass for filling the working fluid into a container is installed in the ring, and the high-pressure tank directly from the lower branch pipe is connected to a pneumatic regulator, which is connected to the working container via the upper branch pipe.

[0022] The disadvantage of the well-known device for ultra-low-volume sprayer of agricultural plants is its significant weight due to the presence of a high-pressure tank, lower and upper pipes, as well as a pneumatic reducer.

[0023] The closest in technical essence and achieved result to the claimed invention is a seeding unmanned aerial vehicle (Patent RU No. 2852396, B64U 101 / 45, B64D 1 / 16, B64U 10 / 14 dated 08.12.2025), including a body equipped with a flight control computer, four horizontal rods are rigidly fixed to the sides of the body, where an engine with propeller blades is mounted on top at the free end of each horizontal rod, support legs are rigidly fixed to the lower side of the body, each of which has two through holes, and between the support legs there is a seed box, on the sides of which horizontal support rods are fixed, where their free ends are equipped with fixing blocks having through holes, and the fixing blocks are fixed to the support legs with bolted connections, the bolts of which pass through through holes and are secured with nuts, while the seed box is equipped with a lid on the top side,and on the lower side of the seed box a feed tube is installed and a bracket with an electric drive is fixed, on the shaft of which a driving pulley is installed, a fixed part of the seeding tube is put on the free end of the feed tube, connected to the movable part of the seeding tube by a bearing, the movable part of the seeding tube in the middle is provided with a driven pulley, and a seeding disk is fixed to the free end of the tube, while the driven pulley is connected to the driving pulley by a belt, while on the sides of the seed box there are filling funnels installed on opposite sides with fastening of horizontal support rods, and in the middle of the cover a cable level sensor is installed, the feed tube has a horizontal radial opening and the fixed part of the seeding tube has a horizontal opening, while the fixed part of the seeding tube is fixed on the falling tube with a stud that passes through the horizontal radial openings, where nuts are screwed onto the threaded ends of the studs,pressing the fixed part of the seeding tube against the feed tube,

[0024] The disadvantages of this seeding drone include uneven distribution of granules of different solids or different seeds (e.g., sprouted, etc.) in a mass ratio. For example, bird droppings and hydrogel granules are sprayed over a field, where they act as a combined fertilizer for plant growth and development, particularly in arid areas of the country. Furthermore, these granules loosen and improve the soil structure, expanding the range of their application.

[0025] Furthermore, when implementing the known method, it is impossible to achieve uniform application of technical granules in a mixed form, since ideally homogeneous materials, compared to granular materials, practically do not exist for the proposed materials, while the seed box, narrowed downwards, requires its improvement in control, and the seeding disk also does not provide a compact norm for scattering granules of organic fertilizers and granules of a mixed type of hydrogel on the soil surface with sufficient accuracy so that when plowing the field in advance and before processing it, it will provide the calculated width of capture, and therefore, the spreading area will occur chaotically and unevenly seeding aircraft.

[0026] Thus, the proposed invention with the proposed granules simultaneously in the soil provides its moistening and decomposition of organic fertilizers in the soil layer, which has a beneficial effect on seed germination and plant growth, in particular during drought, while the amount of all granules is sufficient to nourish crops and develop the root system, the soil becomes loose, while it is carried out in one pass by an unmanned seeding machine along a given route.

[0027] The technical objective of the invention is to improve the efficiency of mixing organic fertilizer granules and hydrogel when spreading them at low altitude with an unmanned seeding unit, ensuring targeted granule application in a precision farming system. To calculate the amount of granules mixed in a single pass, the seed box is made of two sections with two sensors equal in volume due to an attached vertical partition with a hole at the bottom aligned with the hole above the seeding tube. At the bottom, the seeding tube has a rotating cone-shaped nozzle and a spreader. Furthermore, it improves the accuracy of application of the process substance by compactly applying it to the surface of a plowed field and then incorporating it into the soil using conventional processing units.

[0028] The stated technical problem is achieved in that in an unmanned seeding apparatus, including a housing equipped with a flight control computer, four horizontal rods are rigidly fixed to the sides of the housing, where an engine with propeller blades is mounted on top of the free ends of each horizontal rod, support legs are rigidly fixed to the lower side of the housing, each of which has two through holes, and between the support legs there is a seed box, on the sides of which horizontal support rods are fixed, where their free ends are equipped with fixing blocks having through holes, and the fixing blocks are fixed to the support legs with bolted connections, the bolts of which pass through the through holes and are fixed with nuts, while the seed box is equipped with a lid on the upper side, and a feed tube is installed on the lower side of the seed box and a bracket with an electric drive is fixed, on the shaft of which a drive pulley is installed,a fixed part of the seeding tube is placed on the free end of the feed tube, connected to the movable part of the seeding tube by a bearing, the movable seeding tube is provided with a driven pulley in the middle, and a seeding element is fixed to the free end of the seeding tube, wherein the driven pulley is connected to the drive pulley by a belt, wherein filling funnels are installed on the sides of the seed box on opposite sides of the fastening of the horizontal support rods, and a cable level sensor is installed on the covers, the feed tube has horizontal radial openings and the fixed part of the seeding tube has horizontal radial openings, wherein the fixed part of the seeding tube is fixed to the falling tube by a pin that passes through the horizontal radial openings, where nuts are screwed onto the threaded ends, pressing the fixed part of the seeding tube to the feed tube, according to the invention the seeding element on the free end of the seeding tube is made by the body of the branch pipe,made in the form of a cone-shaped diffuser and dosing the supply of a process substance in accordance with the supply of solid substances from a seed box, which is divided by a vertical cantilever dividing partition with an opening in its lower part, dividing the seed box into two equal sections, wherein the vertical cantilever partition is located coaxially with the vertical axis of the seeding tube, in such a way that the lower end of the vertical cantilever partition has a through hole on the lower part of the seeding tube of rotation, while mixing and scattering during rotation coaxially under the branch pipe made in the form of a cone-shaped diffuser, a disk cone-shaped divider is installed, having a smaller diameter than the diameter of the cone-shaped diffuser, and the end of the seeding tube with a branch pipe made in the form of a cone-shaped diffuser, the surface of which forms with the surface of the disk of the cone-shaped divider in the form of an annular nozzle,in this case, the bisector of the angle of the annular nozzle in the central sections of the lower diffuser and the annular disc of the splitter forms an acute angle with the plane of the conical diffuser.

[0029] The presence of a division of the seed box into two equal parts is achieved by fastening a vertical cantilever partition with a hole at the bottom coaxially with the filling in the fixed part of the seeding tube from above, makes it possible to fill it simultaneously and evenly, both with granules of bird droppings and with granules of the environmentally friendly hydrogel "Aquasin", and a solution when spreading on the ground after plowing the field, and a solution to the problem of moisture accumulation of the soil and fertilizing it with organomineral fertilizers after plowing the field, then disking it to the depth of the sowing area to the calculated width of capture, while the scattered solid mixed substances on their way meet at the outlet end of the movable part of the seeding tube in a conical branch pipe in the form of a cone-shaped diffuser, then the mixture of granules enters the disk of the cone-shaped divider, which in turn provides a directed downward movement at an angle of flight of mixed granules onto the surface of the plowed field on height up to 6 m,the width can be up to 3 m and the granules fall tightly, do not spread within a given limit into the outer space, which then ensures the rapid decomposition of the granules of bird droppings (chicken or turkey) in the form of organic fertilizer, i.e. when moisture accumulates in the soil, they quickly decompose.

[0030] It should be noted that with the angle of inclination of the side wall of the nozzle in the form of a conical diffuser, the angle can be 25° towards the disc cone-shaped diffuser, which allows for the mixture of granules to be evenly distributed across the width of the nozzle without being torn off from the side walls, and then scattered over the soil surface in one pass.

[0031] Fig. 1 shows a side view of the unmanned seeding apparatus; Fig. 2 - unit A in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 - unit B in Fig. 1.

[0032] The unmanned seeding machine includes a body 1 equipped with a flight control computer 2, four horizontal rods 3 are rigidly fixed to the sides of the body 1. An engine 4 with propeller blades 5 is mounted on top of the free end of each horizontal rod 3. Support legs 6 are rigidly fixed to the lower side of the body 1, each of which has two through holes 7. Between the support legs 6 there is a seed box 8, on the sides of which horizontal support rods 9 are fixed, where their free ends are equipped with fixing blocks 10 having through holes 11, and filling funnels 12, 13 are installed on opposite sides of the fixing of the horizontal support rods 9. Fixing blocks 10 are fixed to the support legs 6 with bolted connections, bolts 14 of which pass through through holes 7 and 11 and are fixed nut 15.The seed box 8 is divided by a vertical console partition 16 into two equal sections 17, 18, which are equipped with a cover 19, 20 at the top, respectively, while the vertical console partition 16 has openings 21 at the bottom, located coaxially above the installed feed tube 22. The seed box 8 on the upper side, equipped with covers 19, 20, in the middle of which cable level sensors 23, 24 are installed, and on the lower side of the seed box 8, a feed tube 22 is installed, having horizontal radial openings 25, and a bracket 26 with an electric drive 27 is fixed, on the shaft of which a drive pulley 28 is installed. On the free end of the feed tube 22, a fixed part of the seeding tube 29 is put on, having a horizontal radial opening 30 and connected to the movable part of the seeding tube 31 by a bearing 32.The fixed part of the seeding tube 29 is fixed on the falling tube 22 by a stud 33, which passes through the horizontal radial openings 25 and 30, where nuts 34 are screwed onto the threaded ends of the studs 33, pressing the fixed part of the seeding tube 31 to the feed tube 22. The movable part of the seeding tube 31 is provided in the middle with a driven pulley 35, and on the free end of the seeding tube 31 a seeding body of the branch pipe 36 is fixed, made in the form of a conical diffuser, while under it a disc conical divider 37 is coaxially fixed, having a smaller diameter than the diameter of the conical diffuser 36, while the driven pulley 35 is connected to the driving pulley 28 by a belt 38.It should be noted that the branch pipe 36, made in the form of a diffuser, the surface of which forms with the surface of the disk of the conical diffuser 37 in the form of an annular nozzle, while the bisector of the angle of the annular nozzle in the central sections of the diffuser and the disk of the annular diffuser forms an acute angle with the plane of the conical diffuser.

[0033] It should be noted that before starting the operation of the unmanned seeding apparatus, the author of the invention briefly below proposes, using examples, to concretize the proposed method in the technology for obtaining the composition of both Aquasin hydrogel granules and bird droppings granules (chicken or turkey).

[0034] One of the specifications of the proposed solid substance is the hydrogel "Aquasin", granules with sizes of 0.5-2.5 mm, when introduced into the soil, they accumulate water upon swelling of at least 400 mg / l, and also dissolve and retain when dissolving granules in the form of organic fertilizer bird droppings, which means that in drought conditions they increase the humus content of the soil, accelerate the germination and field germination of seeds, create optimal conditions for the growth and development of crops, improve air exchange in the soil, increase the yield of plants taking into account the conditions of their development phase, especially this problem is associated with drought.

[0035] Bird droppings fertilizer granules with sizes of 1-8 mm are prepared under a pressure of 60 MPa in a special installation (Patent RU No. 2803800 dated 09.19.2023).

[0036] The next specification of the proposed method is that the scattering of all granules of different diameters together when filling each section of the seed box, and when filling them separately (the prototype does not have this functionality), is controlled by the operator through the filling sensors of the signal from the control panel of the unmanned seeding unit and directs it into the zone of pre-plowed floor to a depth of 20-22 cm, with subsequent disking to a depth of 12-14 cm to seal all wounds into the soil to a depth of 8-10 cm.

[0037] Thanks to the combination of features, new properties are revealed, including a decrease in soil density, which acquires a natural density, with the accumulation of soil humunization, an increase in environmental friendliness, the conservation of water resources, including in the soil, and the fight against drought.

[0038] The next detail is that the use of an unmanned seeding machine is currently relevant, where, in combination with other organic fertilizer granules, it is being combined with the hydrogel "Aquasin," which is also a promising fertilizer for agricultural soil, particularly in the arid southern region of the country. Here, plants most effectively utilize solar energy, i.e., solar radiation, for photosynthesis, and as a result of this process, organic matter accumulates.

[0039] Thus, the use of new, environmentally friendly solid substances in the spreading of granules using an unmanned seeding machine to increase the productivity of agricultural crops is a promising direction for the development of agriculture during drought, particularly in the southern part of Russia and other countries.

[0040] These examples clearly demonstrate the advantages of the claimed unmanned seeding device, which expands on innovative techniques of environmentally friendly, highly productive technologies for managing water supply and crop yields.

[0041] The presented examples do not limit the possibilities of the invention and can be expanded by specialists, for example, when filling a seed box with two sections with a new element for sowing leguminous crops mixed with perennial grass seeds, etc. for the use of an unmanned seeding apparatus, i.e. for any agricultural crops, which today is not sufficiently developed in general.

[0042] The unmanned seeding machine works as follows.

[0043] Initially, seed box 8, divided into two equal sections 17, 18 by a vertical cantilever partition 16 with an opening 21 at the bottom, is filled with Aquasin hydrogel granules from above through funnels 12, 13, respectively, into one section, and poultry manure granules (chicken or turkey) into the other section. After filling seed box 8 with the required amount of granules for sowing, the operator sends a signal from the control panel and directs the unmanned seeding unit to the granule spreading (seeding) zone.When the unmanned seeding unit enters the spreading zone (a pre-plowed field is divided into specific, predetermined strips, for example, by colored tapes along the length and width, taking into account the dimensions of the unmanned seeding unit's seeding device, as is done with fences and other types of work), the operator, via a signal from the control panel via the flight control computer 2, positions the unmanned seeding unit in the direction of the plowed field, which is being prepared by known processing units, marked with signs (for example, fixed colored tapes (strips)), so that its center is located along the working width (spreading width) of the plowed field and divided into predetermined zones. The operator then, via a signal from the control panel, activates electric drive 27, which begins to rotate drive pulley 28.As a result of this, the granules from sections 17, 18, mixing, through the opening 21 of the vertical console partition 16, enter the upper part of the feed tube 22, and then enter the seeding tube 31. The electric drive 27, which begins to rotate the driven pulley 35. As a result of this, the movable part of the seeding tube 31 together with the seeding branch pipe 36, made in the form of a conical diffuser with a disk conical divider 37 fixed to it, having a smaller diameter than the diameter of the diffuser 36, begins to rotate.When combined, the organic fertilizer granules and Aquasin hydrogel granules are directed into the mixture. Seeding from seeding tube 29 and the movable portion of seeding tube 31 enter seeding elements 36 and 37, which distribute (sow) the granules in a uniform layer across the arable field and subsequently incorporate them with conventional soil-cultivating units to a depth of 8-10 cm. During sprinkling or precipitation, the hydrogel granules are filled with moisture and dissolve the organic fertilizer granules (chicken or turkey), ensuring seed germination and the growth and development of plants with a root system that penetrates the soil. Simultaneously, the operator guides the unmanned seeding unit along a route at a preset speed and altitude above the field, thereby uniformly distributing the granule mixture for combined use within the soil at a preset width.During the granule mixture spreading process, if level sensors 23 and 24 indicate a lack of fertilizer granules in each section 17 and 18 of box 8 with vertical cantilever partition 16 and opening 21 at the bottom, the operator uses signals from the control panel to return the unmanned seeding unit to the hydrogel and organic fertilizer granule filling and maintenance area, where any problems are addressed and all granules are refilled (or, alternatively, seeds of various legumes and perennial grass seeds are added). In sections 17 and 18 of seed box 8, batteries are also replaced as needed, and technical diagnostics and maintenance operations are performed. The operator then directs the unmanned seeding unit to a route, which flies along a predetermined trajectory to the next hydrogel and organic fertilizer granule application site.

[0044] The proposed aerial seeding apparatus will enable the spreading (seeding) of various types of fertilizer granules or seeds of various types of agricultural crops and grasses, for example, in drought-affected areas of the country where water resources are insufficient for growing crops and ground-based seeding is impossible or unsafe. Furthermore, the unmanned seeding apparatus's functionality will be expanded in hard-to-reach and rugged terrain, such as fields with complex configurations in the foothills of the southern part of the country, in autumn or early spring, when the topsoil of the field contains a significant amount of moisture necessary for swelling hydrogel granules and subsequent release of this moisture into the organic solids granules and supporting plant growth and development, generally during drought conditions.

Claims

An unmanned seeding apparatus comprising a housing equipped with a flight control computer, four horizontal rods are rigidly fixed to the sides of the housing, where an engine with propeller blades is mounted on top of the free ends of each horizontal rod, support legs are rigidly fixed to the lower side of the housing, each of which has two through holes, and a seed box is located between the support legs, on the sides of which horizontal support rods are fixed, where their free ends are equipped with locking blocks having through holes, and the locking blocks are fixed to the support legs with bolted connections, the bolts of which pass through the through holes and are fixed with nuts, while the seed box is equipped with a lid on the upper side, and a feed tube is installed on the lower side of the seed box and a bracket with an electric drive is fixed, on the shaft of which a drive pulley is installed,a fixed part of the seeding tube is placed on the free end of the feed tube, connected to the movable part of the seeding tube by a bearing, the movable seeding tube is provided with a driven pulley in the middle, and a seeding element is secured to the free end of the seeding tube, wherein the driven pulley is connected to the drive pulley by a belt, while filling funnels are installed on the sides of the seed box on opposite sides of the fastening of the horizontal support rods, and a cable level sensor is installed on the covers, the feed tube has horizontal radial holes, and the fixed part of the seeding tube is fixed to the feed tube with a stud that passes through the horizontal radial holes, where nuts are screwed onto the threaded ends, pressing the fixed part of the seeding tube to the feed tube, characterized in that the seeding element on the free end of the seeding tube is made with a branch pipe body,made in the form of a cone-shaped diffuser and dosing the supply of a process substance in accordance with the supply of solid substances from a seed box, which is divided by a vertical cantilever dividing partition with an opening in its lower part, dividing the seed box into two equal sections, wherein the vertical cantilever partition is located coaxially with the vertical axis of the seeding tube, in such a way that the lower end of the vertical cantilever partition has a through hole on the lower part of the seeding tube of rotation, while for mixing and scattering during rotation, a disc cone-forming divider is installed coaxially under the branch pipe made in the form of a cone-shaped diffuser, having a smaller diameter than the diameter of the cone-shaped diffuser, and the end of the seeding tube is made with a branch pipe in the form of a cone-shaped diffuser, the surface of which forms an annular nozzle with the surface of the disk of the cone-shaped divider,in this case, the bisector of the angle of the annular nozzle in the central sections of the lower diffuser and the annular disc of the splitter forms an acute angle with the plane of the conical diffuser.

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