US 6,578,317 B1 · Germinating unit, germinating tape and a method of producing germinating units or germinating tapes, as well as an assembly for carrying out said method

Abstract

A germinating unit for germination of seeds comprises two material layers (2, 3) of paper and a seed (4) placed between said two material layers. A mixture (5) of a carrier and additives is placed between the material layers, said additives being permanently or loosely bound to said carrier by means of a binder. The seed (4) and the mixture (5) are bound to at least one of the material layers (2, 3). The two material layers are interconnected preferably at their rim portions (1′) by being glued or pressed together by way of stamping. A germinating tape can be formed by means of a row of coherent germinating units. As a result the germinating unit and the germinating tape are produced in a very simple an cost-saving manner, and furthermore it is very environmentally acceptable. In addition, the germination can be efficiently controlled, and it is easy to mechanically bed out the germinating unit in the soil at a desired interval and a desired depth.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A germinating unit for germinating seeds and comprising two paper layers (2, 3;

2′, 3′) and at least one seed (4) placed therebetween, characterised in that a mixture (5) of a carrier and additives is placed between the paper layers, said additives being permanently or loosely bound to the carrier by means of a binder, and that said at least one seed (4) and the mixture (5) are adhered to at least one of the paper layers (2, 3;
2′, 3′), said mixture being placed at or about the seed(s), and that two paper layers are joined along the rim portions (1′) by being glued together and that at least one of the paper layers (2, 3;
2′, 3′) is microporous and is particularly transparent in the moist state and that the paper (2, 3;
2′, 3′) is of a weight not exceeding 80 g/m2, and further
characterised in that a magnetic material selected from the group consisting of barium ferrite, iron fillings (15′) and iron wire (15), is embedded in a rim portion (1′) of the germinating unit.

2 more elements

An assembly for carrying out the method as claimed in 14, characterised in that the assembly comprises a device for advancing a first length of paper (2′) in a substantially horizontal plane, the paper being particularly transparent in the moist state and having a weight not exceeding 80 g/m2, a seed dispensing station (21) for putting down seeds onto the first length of paper (2′) provided with a glue layer in such a manner that the seeds (4) are arranged at regular intervals in rows extending in the longitudinal direction of said length of paper, a mixture dispensing station (22) for placing a mixture (5) at or about each seed, said mixture comprising a carrier and additives which are permanently or loosely bound to each other by means of a binder, a joining station (24) for lowering a second length of paper onto the first length of paper, a pressing station (25) for joining the two lengths of paper in the areas between the seeds (4′), said lengths of paper (2′, 3′) being locally pressed together around the individual seeds with the associated dispensed mixture, and a cutting station (26) with a first set of cutting means for longitudinally cutting the lengths of paper between the rows of seeds.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Germinating unit, germinating tape and a method of producing germinating units or germinating tapes, as well as an assembly for carrying out said method

Life of this patent

Germinating unit, germinating tape and a method of producing germinating units or germinating tapes, as well as an assembly for carrying out said method

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims22