Agricultural machine with at least one device for seed singulation

Abstract

The present invention relates to an agricultural machine (2) having at least one device (6) for seed singulation, which has at least one singulation element (10) arranged in a housing (8), which element can be rotationally driven by means of a drive (24), wherein the housing (8) can be divided into at least one housing part (12) which is fixed to the machine and at least one housing part (14) which can be moved relative to the housing part (12) fixed to the machine. To enable the singulation element (10) to be accessed more easily during maintenance and repair work, it is proposed that the singulation element is articulated on the housing part (12) fixed to the machine so as to be pivotable about a pivot angle (18) which is offset with respect to the rotational axis (16).

Description

[0001] Agricultural machine with at least one device for

[0002] Seed singulation

[0003] The present invention relates to an agricultural machine according to the preamble of claim 1 and to a housing with a device for seed singulation arranged therein according to the preamble of claim 16.

[0004] The documents WO 2022 / 182279 A1 and EP 3 513 641 A1 disclose seed drills with a plurality of devices for seed singling, which have at least one singling element arranged in a housing which can be driven in rotation by means of a drive, wherein the housing is designed to be divisible into at least one machine-fixed housing part and at least one housing part which is movable relative to the machine-fixed housing part.

[0005] If the singling element in the seed singling device needs to be serviced or removed completely from the housing for cleaning or replacement, the side housing cover must be removed and the singling element removed from the side of the housing. Since seed drills typically have several sowing units arranged close together to allow the seed to be placed in dense rows next to one another, there is very little space available between the seed singling devices. This makes the housings difficult for the operator to access, complicating maintenance and repair work.

[0006] US 2022 / 0142041 A1 discloses a way of connecting a seed singulating device to a seed hopper. If necessary, the device can be detached from the seed hopper and removed as a unit from a sowing unit. However, this document does not provide a solution for improving access to the singulating element. If the seed singulating device must first be completely removed from a sowing unit, then the housing must be opened to access the singulating unit, these successive steps still involve considerable assembly effort.

[0007] It is the object of the present invention to improve the maintenance and repair of a device for seed singulation and in particular of a singulation element arranged therein.

[0008] The problem is solved for a generic machine with the characterizing features of claim 1 and a device for seed singulation with the features of claim 16.

[0009] If the separating element is offset by an angle to the rotation axis

[0010] Since the pivot axis is pivotally connected to the machine-fixed housing part, it is possible to pivot the singling element from a first position in which it is located within the space enclosed by the closed housing during operation of the seed singling device, into a second position in which it is no longer completely within the space enclosed by the closed housing. The pivoting movement enables the singling element to be spatially relocated out of the machine-fixed housing part into a position in which it is more easily accessible for maintenance and cleaning work. In the second position, maintenance and repair work can be carried out on the singling element more easily. In particular, the singling element can be replaced more easily in the second position if necessary.

[0011] The separating element can be designed to be directly pivotable by being pivotally mounted in the machine-fixed housing part, or it can be indirectly pivotable by being mounted in a movable housing part that is pivoted relative to the machine-fixed housing part. In the first case, it may be necessary for the movable housing part to first be removed from the housing before the separating element can be pivoted, whereas in the second case the separating element is pivoted together with the movable housing part. For the purposes of the invention, it makes no difference whether the separating element is designed to be directly or indirectly pivotable. Depending on the design of the housing, it may be possible to dispense with the need to first remove a separate housing cover for maintenance work and then reassemble it after the maintenance work has been completed, particularly in an axial direction of the axis of rotation.If the movable housing section only needs to be pivoted in order to carry out maintenance work on the separation element stored therein, the mere pivoting movement is sufficient to make the separation element accessible. Because the separation element is easily accessible, the movable housing section can remain connected to the machine-fixed housing section via the pivot axis even during maintenance or repairs. This means that there are no loose housing parts lying around that have to be put down and could be damaged in the process, and that do not have to be searched for for assembly. By simply pivoting back and forth, the movable housing section is always in a position suitable for assembly, meaning that a person does not have to first think about how the movable housing section should be mounted to the machine-fixed housing section.

[0012] For seed singulation, singling elements that rotate around a rotational axis are often used. These singling elements are disc-shaped and have seed receiving openings on their surface. The seed receiving openings can be arranged in a circle on the singling element so that they run in a circle during a rotational movement of the singling element at a constant radius to the rotational axis. The seed receiving openings can also have a passage opening for air to allow the passage of air between a storage chamber in which the seed is held for singulation and a vacuum chamber in which a pressure gradient is generated in relation to the air pressure prevailing in the storage chamber. A vacuum chamber in the sense of the invention means that an air pressure in the vacuum chamber is lower than an air pressure in the storage chamber.This can be achieved by increasing the air pressure in the storage chamber, known as overpressure singulation, and / or reducing the air pressure in the vacuum chamber, known as negative pressure or vacuum singulation. Due to the difference in air pressure between the storage chamber and the vacuum chamber, the pressure difference thus created acts on the singulation element, enabling the seeds to be singulated. Seed grains to be singulated are then sucked in through the seed intake openings and held there during the rotation of the singulation element, separating them from the seed supply. The seed intake openings can be of a suitable shape and size to accommodate the respective seeds and carry them along with the rotation of the singulation element.When sowing different seeds with the seed drill, it is advantageous to use specific singling elements for each seed, tailored to the different size, shape, and weight of the individual seeds typical for that seed. The simplified exchange of singling elements according to the invention simplifies the conversion of a seed drill to different seeds. Singling elements, especially those that are disc-shaped and have a surface facing the seed reservoir.

[0013] Seed receiving openings are often installed in a seed singling device in such a way that they must be inserted and removed from the housing in the direction of the rotation axis in order to install or remove them from the device. The singling element is often installed in the seed singling device in such a way that its rotation axis, when installed, extends in a direction transverse to the working direction of the seed drill.Since a seed drill, which plants several rows of a single seed next to each other in the soil in a single pass, has several seed singling devices arranged side by side in the drill, and since the distance between the rows is only a few centimeters, the space available for removing and installing a singling element in a seed singling device is limited, especially if the rotation axis of the singling element is oriented transversely or at least approximately transversely to the working direction of the seed drill. An additional challenge in such space constraints is presented by any covers used to cover a singling element or a seed storage chamber in which a singling element rotates.In such space constraints, it is advantageous if the pivot axis for pivoting the singling element is spatially aligned such that the singling element is displaced out of the space containing the closed housing of the seed singling device during the pivoting movement. Such an arrangement may even make it possible to arrange the row units of a seed drill even closer together, so that with a seed drill equipped according to the invention, it is possible to plant more rows of a seed in a single pass with the same working width.

[0014] The singling element can be relocated during the pivoting movement into a space in which no adjacent seed singling device is located. For example, if several seed singling devices are arranged in a row transversely or substantially transversely to the working direction of the seed drill, it is advantageous to pivot the singling element into a space that, viewed in the working direction, is located in front of or behind the seed singling device associated with this singling element, or above the seed singling device.It is also possible to pivot the singling element into a space below the associated seed singling device. However, depending on the specific design of the respective seed drill, there may be a lack of available installation space there, and accessibility for maintenance work may also be difficult due to other machine components located there. In these spaces, the singling element is more easily accessible than if it were pivoted into a space located in the gap between adjacent seed singling devices. The pivot axis around which the singling element can be pivoted can, in particular, be aligned parallel to the rotation axis of the singling element. This enables the singling element to be pivoted in a straight line from the use position into the maintenance position.The parallel pivot axis can be equipped with a lifting component, which additionally moves the separating element in the axial direction of the pivot axis during a pivoting movement, for example, to prevent shearing movements at the contact surfaces between the movable housing part and the machine-fixed housing part during pivoting. This could be achieved, for example, by means of a guide or curved guide inclined in the axial direction of the pivot axis. Relative angular positions of the pivot axis to the rotation axis are also possible, also to avoid the aforementioned shearing movements.

[0015] The movable housing part and / or the singling element can be connected to the machine-fixed housing part via a pivot arm, which is articulated and mounted on the machine-fixed housing part. The mounting of the pivot arm creates a pivot point about which the movable housing part and / or the singling element can pivot. The pivot arm can be a component of the movable housing part, in particular by the pivot arm being connected in one piece to the movable housing part, for example in the form of a one-piece injection-molded part made of plastic. If, in a device for seed singling according to the preamble of claim 16, the housing is integrated into a housing part to be mounted in a machine-fixed manner, iea housing part with a connecting piece for permanent mounting on an agricultural machine, and a movable housing part which is movably connected to the machine part to be permanently mounted on the machine via a pivot axis, the sowing disc can be mounted in the movable housing part so that it can be driven to rotate. When the movable housing part is pivoted about the pivot axis, the sowing disc is then lifted out of the working position into a position in which it is easily accessible for maintenance or repair work. If the pivot axis lies in a horizontal or almost horizontal plane, the movable housing part is pivoted at least approximately following the plane of rotation of the sowing disc.If the movable housing part covers the upper part of the storage chamber or the vacuum chamber, any remaining seed in the storage chamber will remain there without spilling out and being lost when the housing is opened. If at least part of the dividing seam between the machine-mounted housing part and the movable housing part runs in a vertical direction along the separation zone defined by the seed disc between the storage chamber and the vacuum chamber, the dividing seam also follows at least approximately the course of the separation zone between the storage chamber and the vacuum chamber.

[0016] The advantages described above for the seed singling device apply accordingly to the housing configured as described above. According to one embodiment of the invention, the movable housing part is pivotally connected to the machine-fixed housing part about a pivot axis offset from the rotation axis. In this embodiment of the invention, the singling element is rotatably mounted in the movable housing part, so that the singling element is pivoted when the movable housing part is pivoted. Regarding the possibility of arranging the pivot axis offset parallel to the rotation axis of the singling element, the above statements regarding the parallel arrangement of the pivot axis for pivoting the singling element apply accordingly.

[0017] According to one embodiment of the invention, the separating element is movably connected to the housing and / or the movable housing part is movably connected to the machine-fixed housing part in the direction of extension of the pivot axis. Due to the lateral movement component in the direction of extension of the pivot axis, the separating element and / or the movable housing part can be lifted off the machine-fixed housing part during pivoting, in order to prevent the components from grinding against each other during a pivoting movement.

[0018] According to one embodiment of the invention, it is characterized by a connecting component that connects the movable housing part to the machine-fixed housing part in such a way that, relative to the machine-fixed housing part, the movable housing part has both a lateral movement component in the direction of the axis of rotation of the separating element and a rotational movement component about a pivot axis offset, in particular parallel, to the axis of rotation of the separating element. The connecting component can be designed such that it connects the two movement components in a lateral and rotational direction to form a common movement.The connecting component can be designed in such a way that the user can move the movable housing part either only rotationally, or rotationally and laterally, or laterally and rotationally, or the connecting component can be designed in such a way that it combines the two movement components into a common, predetermined path of movement. Various designs of a connecting component are possible here, such as a connecting sleeve as a connecting component that is locked in the position of use but unlocked for a pivoting movement and can therefore be freely moved both in the axial direction of the pivot axis and in the rotational direction around the swing axis. A guide slot can also be provided in which the connecting sleeve is guided by a guide pin connected to it.During a rotational movement, the connecting sleeve can also slide over an inclined surface, which inevitably results in a movement directed in the direction of extension of the pivot axis.

[0019] According to one embodiment of the invention, this is characterized by a connection of the machine-fixed housing part with the movable housing part or of the separating element with the machine-fixed housing part in such a way that the range of motion for the rotational movement component predominates. To avoid a grinding or shearing movement between these components, the components only need to be moved slightly apart from each other in the direction of extension of the pivot axis, for example, only 1 mm. For this reason, a lateral movement component is only required at the beginning of an opening movement and at the end of a closing movement. The connecting component can be designed accordingly.

[0020] According to one embodiment of the invention, the housing has a guide that guides the lateral movement of the separating element and / or the movable housing part during its pivoting movement. The guide is, for example, a positive guide that limits the movement of the components relative to one another in the direction of extension of the pivot axis. The positive guide can be implemented, for example, via a corresponding curved path, an inclined surface rising in the direction of extension of the pivot axis, over which the pivot sleeve connected to a component slides during a rotary pivoting movement, or other suitable technical solutions. By guiding the pivoting movement, a feeling of high quality of the components is created. The guide can also ensure that the components are ready for operation and lie close to one another in the use position.Malfunctions caused by errors in the build-up of negative pressure and possible loss of seed material are thus avoided. According to one embodiment of the invention, the singling element is connected to the movable housing part in such a way that it follows the movement of the movable housing part. When the singling element is installed in the movable housing part, it is pivoted together with the movable housing part from the use position to the maintenance position and back. Once the movable housing part has been pivoted into a maintenance position, the singling element is easily accessible. Via a detachable connection, the singling element can be easily removed from the movable housing part and reinstalled. The precise fit in the installed position and the reliable fastening of the singling element can be easily checked when the movable housing part is in the maintenance position.In addition, the relevant components are easily accessible with tools. If the separating element is connected to the movable housing part, a simple pivoting movement of the movable housing is sufficient to make the interior of the machine-mounted housing accessible, for example, for inspection and cleaning purposes. This eliminates the need for separate disassembly and assembly of the separating element as additional work steps.

[0021] According to one embodiment of the invention, the drive of the singling element is arranged, at least with its rotational axis, but preferably also as a whole, coaxial with the pivot axis about which the singling element and / or the movable housing part is pivotable. This design simplifies the drive train for driving the singling element. The drive motor can be installed in the seed singling device in a fixed position relative to the machine-fixed housing part. The output from there to the singling element can be constructed simply because the singling element and / or the movable housing part are arranged coaxially not only with the pivot axis, but also with the drive.During a pivoting movement of the separating element and / or the movable housing part, the power transmission elements used for power transmission to the drive can remain unchanged in their installed position in the movable housing part because they rotate coaxially with the movable housing part around the pivot axis. For this purpose, the drive can be equipped, for example, with a front-end output around which the separating element and / or the movable housing part can be pivoted.

[0022] According to one embodiment of the invention, in which the separating element has an enveloping contour with a circular circumference, the drive engages the circumference of the separating element. In this embodiment, the separating element can be shaped, for example, like a disc, cylinder, barrel, or diabolo. If the separating element has, for example, external teeth or other teeth for power transmission, the separating element thereby forms a gearwheel onto which the drive can easily engage with a suitably designed and arranged gearwheel in order to rotate the separating element. With a drive engaging the circumference of the separating element, the separating element can also rotate stress-free around the drive arranged coaxially to the pivot axis when the separating element and / or the movable housing part are pivoted about the pivot axis.

[0023] According to an embodiment in which the singulating element comprises a drum and a sowing disc detachably attached thereto, the invention is characterized by a blocking element on the movable housing part that prevents rotation of the drum when the housing is fully open. The blocking element locks the drum to facilitate work on the singulating element. The singulating element can be cleaned or replaced more easily if it is held in a rotationally fixed manner in an open housing.

[0024] According to one embodiment of the invention, the blocking element is designed and attached to the movable housing part in such a way that it engages with the output gearing of the drum when the housing is fully open. When the blocking element engages with the output gearing, a machine element that is already present for the drive function and that is stationary during maintenance work on the seed singulation device is used for the blocking function. The blocking element can be designed as a plate that is mounted for rotation about an axis. Due to the rotatable mounting, the plate can be captively moved back and forth between a blocking position and a working position in which the drum can rotate freely.The plate's mounting can be designed so that it pivots into the locked position by gravity alone when the movable housing part pivots open, and back into the working position when the movable housing part closes. As an alternative to gravity-based adjustment, adjustment can also be achieved by spring preload, or manual adjustment is possible.

[0025] In one embodiment of the invention, the housing division between the machine-fixed housing part and the movable housing part runs at least on one side, preferably on the side facing away from the connection side to the machine, across the housing width in a direction transverse to a plane of rotation spanned by the separating element perpendicular to its axis of rotation. In particular, substantially cylindrical housings are thereby divided into two shell-like housing parts, so that components that are not moving are better protected and, for example, seed does not fall out. For this purpose, a predominantly horizontal housing division is preferred.

[0026] According to one embodiment of the invention, the machine-fixed housing part and the movable housing part are separated from one another by a division or division seam which runs in a horizontal or at least approximately horizontal direction and is located in the middle or upper region of the housing. With this arrangement of the division seam, trickle losses of seed are avoided when the movable housing part is pivoted open. For seed stored in the storage chamber, it makes no difference whether the movable housing part is removed like a lid. The seed stored in the storage chamber is then held there in a cup-like manner without any particular loss of material. The division seam is preferably arranged at a height high enough to avoid trickle losses even when the storage chamber is normally filled and the movable housing part is pivoted away.The dividing seam does not have to run exactly horizontally, but can also have height differences along its course, for example, to simplify the central assembly of the drive motor for the separating element and / or the separating element and its storage and its integration into the respective components.

[0027] According to one embodiment of the invention, at least one housing part has a sealing element facing the other housing part. The sealing element is preferably arranged in the region of a dividing seam. The seal seals the two housing parts to the outside in such a way that desired pressure conditions can be created inside the housing without pressure losses to the outside occurring along the dividing seam or without air flowing into areas where a negative pressure is created inside the housing. The sealing element also prevents dirt or moisture from outside from penetrating the interior of the housing, which could impair the separation process. The sealing element can be designed such that both housing parts are provided with a part of the sealing element.In a closed housing, the two parts of the sealing element can lie against each other so that when the housing parts are in the working position they jointly ensure the sealing of the housing.

[0028] According to one embodiment of the invention, the sealing element is a sealing profile attached to the edge of one housing part facing the other housing part. Such a sealing profile can be easily installed and, if necessary, removed again, particularly if, for example, it has an insertion groove with which it is attached to the edge of a housing part. Such installation is possible without tools. An insertion groove creates a watertight and airtight connection between the sealing profile and the housing part onto which the sealing profile is attached. It is also sufficiently firmly supported so that it is not sheared off from the installed position during pivoting movements of the movable housing part.

[0029] Further features of the invention emerge from the claims, the figures, and the description of the figures. All features and combinations of features mentioned above in the description, as well as the features and combinations of features mentioned below in the description of the figures and / or shown alone in the figures, can be used not only in the respective combinations specified, but also in other combinations or even on their own with the subject matter of claim 1, provided there are no technical obstacles to this.

[0030] The invention will now be explained in more detail using a preferred embodiment and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0031] Shown are: Fig. 1 : a view of a row unit with a swung-up

[0032] Housing of a device for seed singulation,

[0033] Fig.2: the row unit shown in Fig. 1 with a closed housing of the seed singulation device,

[0034] Fig. 3: an enlarged view of a housing in closed state,

[0035] Fig. 4: a view of the housing shown in Fig. 3 in the open

[0036] condition, and

[0037] Fig. 5: the opened housing shown in Fig. 4 from another

[0038] Perspective.

[0039] The illustrations essentially represent specific embodiments. However, the invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiments, but can be modified by those skilled in the art to adapt it to a specific application.

[0040] Where useful, corresponding components are designated by identical reference numerals in all figures. For reasons of clarity, however, not all components that occur multiple times are always provided with reference numerals. Fig. 1 shows a row unit 4 of an agricultural machine 2 that is designed to place seeds in a row in the soil. The machine 2 is, for example, a seed drill that has several row units 4 attached to a frame that are distributed next to one another across the working width of the machine 2. In use, the machine 2 is moved across a field in the working direction R. In order to be able to place the seed grains individually in the soil at a suitable distance, the row unit 4 is equipped with a device 6 for seed singulation, which has at least one singulation element 10 arranged in a housing 8 that can be driven in rotation by means of a drive 24.The housing 8 is designed to be divisible into at least one machine-fixed housing part 12 and at least one housing part 14 that is movable relative to the machine-fixed housing part 12. The separating element 10, which in the illustrated embodiment is installed in the movable housing part 14, is pivotally connected to the machine-fixed housing part 12 about a pivot axis 18 offset from the rotation axis 16. In Fig. 1, the housing 8 is shown with a movable housing part 14 pivoted into a maintenance position, while in the illustration in Fig. 2, the movable housing part 14 is pivoted into the working position, in which the housing 8 is thus closed. In the pivoted-open position of the movable housing part 14, the separating element 10 is easily accessible for maintenance work and for replacement.This is particularly the case because the movable housing part 14 has been pivoted into a spatial position in which it is located behind the housing 8, viewed in the working direction R. Fig. 3 shows an enlarged view of a housing 8 in the closed state. Next to the housing is the storage chamber 9, in which seed is held for singulation. The singulated grains are conveyed towards the ground via the discharge line 11. The machine-fixed housing part 12 and the movable housing part 14 are separated from one another by a housing division or division seam 34, which runs in a horizontal or at least approximately horizontal direction and is located in the middle or upper region of the housing 8. The housing division 24 extends over the housing width B in the direction shown in Fig.3 visible housing side in a direction transverse to a plane of rotation spanned by the separating element 10 perpendicular to its axis of rotation 16. On the opposite side of the movable housing part 14, however, the division 24 runs in a circular arc parallel to the plane of rotation, see Fig. 5. At least one housing part 12, 14 has a sealing element 36 facing the other housing part 12, 14. The sealing element 36 is a sealing profile slipped onto the edge of one housing part 12, 14 facing the other housing part 12, 14.

[0041] The movable housing part 14 is pivotally connected to the machine-fixed housing part 12 about the pivot axis 18 offset from the rotation axis 16. The connecting component 22, which connects the movable housing part 14 to the machine-fixed housing part 12, is designed such that the movable housing part 14, relative to the machine-fixed housing part 12, has both a lateral movement component in the X direction of the rotation axis 16 of the separating element 10 and a rotational movement component Y about a pivot axis 18 offset from the rotation axis 16 of the separating element 10. During a pivoting movement of the movable housing part 14, in the exemplary embodiment, it is moved both in a rotational and a lateral direction, whereby the range of motion for the rotational movement component Y can predominate depending on the design of the connecting component.Since the separating element 10 is installed in the movable housing part 14 in the embodiment shown, it is also indirectly movably connected to the machine-fixed housing part 12 in the extension direction 20 of the pivot axis 18 and moves in accordance with the movable housing part 14.

[0042] The drive 24 of the separating element 10 is arranged with its axis of rotation coaxial with the pivot axis 18 about which the separating element 10 and / or the movable housing part 14 can be pivoted.

[0043] Fig. 4 shows a view of the housing 8 shown in Fig. 3 in the open state. In this view, it can be seen that the singling element 10 in the exemplary embodiment has an enveloping contour with a circular circumference. The drive 24 engages with a gear on the toothing of the outer circumference of the singling element 10. In this view, it can also be seen that the singling element 10 comprises a drum 26 and a sowing disc 28 detachably fastened thereto. In the area of ​​the drum 26, a blocking element 30 is arranged on the movable housing part 14, which prevents rotation of the drum 26 when the housing 8 is fully open. The blocking element 30 is designed and fastened to the movable housing part 14 in such a way that it engages with an output toothing 32 of the drum 26 when the housing 8 is fully open.

[0044] Fig. 5 shows the opened housing 8 shown in Fig. 4 from a different perspective.

[0045] List of reference symbols

[0046] 2 agricultural machines

[0047] 4 row unit

[0048] 6 Device for seed singulation

[0049] 8 housings

[0050] 9 Pantry

[0051] 10 Separation element

[0052] 11 Firing direction

[0053] 12 machine-proof housing part

[0054] 14 movable housing part

[0055] 16 Rotation axis

[0056] 18 Swivel axis

[0057] 20 Extension direction

[0058] 22 Connecting component

[0059] 24 drive

[0060] 26 drum

[0061] 28 sowing disc

[0062] 30 Blocking element

[0063] 32 output gearing

[0064] 34 dividing seam

[0065] 36 Sealing element

[0066] B Case width

[0067] R Working direction

[0068] X lateral movement component in the direction of the rotation axis

[0069] Y rotational movement component around swivel axis

Claims

Patent claims 1. Agricultural machine (2) with at least one device (6) for seed singulation, which has at least one singulation element (10) arranged in a housing (8) which can be driven in rotation by means of a drive (24), wherein the housing (8) is designed to be divisible into at least one machine-fixed housing part (12) and at least one housing part (14) which is movable relative to the machine-fixed housing part (12), characterized in that the singulation element (10) is articulated on the machine-fixed housing part (12) so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis (18) offset from the rotation axis (16).

2. Agricultural machine (2) according to claim 1, characterized in that the movable housing part (14) is pivotally connected to the machine-fixed housing part (12) about a pivot axis (18) offset from the rotation axis (16).

3. Agricultural machine (2) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the separating element (10) is movably connected to the housing (8) and / or the movable housing part (14) is movably connected to the machine-fixed housing part (12) in the direction of extension (20) of the pivot axis (18).

4. Agricultural machine (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by a connecting component (22) which connects the movable housing part (14) to the machine-fixed housing part (12) in such a way that the movable housing part (14) has, relative to the machine-fixed housing part (12), both a lateral movement component (X) in the direction of the axis of rotation (16) of the singling element (10) and a rotational movement component (Y) about a pivot axis (18) offset from the axis of rotation (16) of the singling element (10).

5. Agricultural machine (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by a connection of the machine-fixed housing part (12) to the movable housing part (14) and / or the separating element (10) in such a way that the range of motion for the rotational movement component predominates.

6. Agricultural machine (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the housing (8) has a guide which guides the lateral movement of the separating element (10) and / or of the movable housing part (14) during its pivoting movement.

7. Agricultural machine (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the separating element (10) is connected to the movable housing part (14) in such a way that it follows the movement of the movable housing part (14).

8. Agricultural machine (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the drive (24) of the separating element (10) is arranged with its axis of rotation coaxial with the pivot axis (18).

9. Agricultural machine (2) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the singling element (10) has an enveloping contour with a circular circumference, characterized in that the drive (24) acts on the circumference of the singling element (10).

10. Agricultural machine (2) according to one of the preceding claims, in which the singling element (10) comprises a drum (26) and a sowing disc (28) detachably attached thereto, characterized by a blocking element (30) on the movable housing part (14) which prevents rotation of the drum (26) when the housing (8) is fully open.

11. Agricultural machine (2) according to claim 10, characterized in that the blocking element (30) is designed and fastened to the movable housing part (14) in such a way that it engages in an output toothing (32) of the drum (26) when the housing (8) is completely open.

12. Agricultural machine (2) according to one of the preceding claims, in which the separating element (10) has a rotation plane perpendicular to its axis of rotation (16), characterized in that a housing division between the machine-fixed housing part (12) and the movable housing part (14) runs at least on one side over the housing width in a direction transverse to the plane of rotation.

13. Agricultural machine (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the machine-fixed housing part (12) and the movable housing part (14) are separated from one another by a dividing seam (34) which runs in a horizontal or at least approximately horizontal direction and is located in the middle or upper region of the housing (8).

14. Agricultural machine (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one housing part (12, 14) has a sealing element (36) facing the other housing part (12, 14).

15. Agricultural machine (2) according to claim 14, characterized in that the sealing element (36) is a sealing profile fitted onto the edge of the one housing part (12, 14) facing the other housing part (12, 14).

16. Device for seed singulation (6) with a housing, a storage chamber, a vacuum chamber, a rotationally drivable singulation element (10) designed as a rotating sowing disc (28) and a drive (24) for the singulation element (10), wherein the rotating sowing disc (28) at least partially separates the vacuum chamber from the storage chamber and is arranged in a vertical or nearly vertical plane of rotation, the axis of rotation (16) of the sowing disc (28) lies in a horizontal or nearly horizontal plane, and the housing (8) has an outlet opening through which grains separated by the sowing disc (28) are ejected from the seed singling device (6) in a direction tangential to the sowing disc (28), characterized in that the housing (8) is divided into a housing part (12) to be mounted fixedly to the machine and a movable housing part (14) movably connected to the housing part (12) to be mounted fixedly to the machine via a pivot axis (18), wherein the sowing disc (28) is mounted in the movable housing part (14) in a rotationally drivable manner, the pivot axis (18) lies in a horizontal or nearly horizontal plane, the movable housing part (14) covers the upper part of the storage chamber or the vacuum chamber,and at least a part of the dividing seam between the housing part (12) to be mounted fixedly to the machine and the movable housing part (14) runs in a vertical direction along the separation zone defined by the sowing disc (28) between the storage chamber and the vacuum chamber.

17. Device for seed singulation (6) according to claim 16, characterized by the features of one of the preceding claims 2 to 15.

18. Device for seed singulation (6) according to claim 16 or 17, characterized in that it is mounted in an agricultural machine (2) according to the preamble of claim 1.

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