YOU SAW IT FIRST… HERE
YOU SAW IT FIRST… HERE
LAMMA is traditionally the
home of new products and
inventions. Geoff Ashcroft
looks back at some of the
more inspiring products
discovered at previous
LAMMA shows
COMPANIES not normally represented at international events frequently turn out new products and ideas at LAMMA. And Ramsay Soil Injection of Waddington, Lincoln, is no exception.
At the 95 event, the company introduced its VegSpray – a development of the firms VegInjecta fertiliser injection system.
As its name suggests, VegSpray is a vegetable spraying unit which applies a shot of pesticide to each plant. But unlike band spraying equipment, it does not treat the area of soil in the rows between each plant.
Each row unit uses two opposing high volume/low pressure spray nozzles and an optical sensor to detect the presence of a plant. An in-cab control box allows individual row adjustment of the position and duration of the pesticide shot.
Available in two- to nine-row formats, VegSpray is marketed through Boston-based TRP.
Heaving to move a wheel back and forth to get the holes to line up with the axle studs will be a familiar problem for many tractor drivers.
For Steven Carter, it was the straw which broke the camels back and it prompted the development of his Wheelcarter which premiered at a previous LAMMA show.
Developed to make wheel changes safer and easier, the Wheelcarter uses a sliding L-shaped cradle mounted on a wheeled carriage.
With the wheel strapped to the cradle, the operator jacks up the wheel and cradle to lift both clear of the ground – then manoeuvres the carriage up to the tractor. With the Wheelcarters brake applied, the tractors hub can be spun into the correct position.
Another debutant
Rhoco Engineering is another company which has chosen LAMMA to introduce its new products. In 1995, Rhoco introduced its self-loading round bale trailer.
The trailed transporter offers a roll-on roll-off solution to one-man bale collecting. It uses a tilt-bed design and is based on a double-sided trailer that can be offset to both sides of the tractor, for high-speed in-line bale collection.
Each side is loaded separately. Single bales are lifted on board and rolled to the rear of the trailer by gravity until the first side of the trailer is full.
The trailer is then offset to the opposite side of the tractor and the process repeated. Up to six 1.2m, 1.5m or 1.8m (4, 5 or 6ft) diameter bales to be collected along each side of the trailer.
To unload, a tailgate is raised and all 12 bales roll off the trailer.
One of last years eye catching devices was Opal Tradings three-point linkage connector – the brainchild of agricultural engineer James White from Thirsk.
Aimed at removing the frustration of linking up to an implement, the device fits onto the tractors existing three-point linkage and is hydraulically controlled from the seat.
It uses lower link hook-up points which can be hydraulically widened or narrowed to match those of the implement. With the lower hooks successfully engaged under the implements link arm pins, the top link connection is made – also hydraulically – and effectively clamps the implement within the three-point linkage connectors frame.
If this years exhibitors list is anything to go by, then the LAMMA tradition of revealing new innovative machines is sure to be upheld. *
Above: Ramsay soil Injections VegSpray unit made its appearance at LAMMA 95.
Left: Opal Trading has endeavored to make tractor-to-implement connection much simpler by using a hydraulically operated three-point linkage connector frame.
Wheelcarter allows flotation and dual wheels to be fitted by one person.