Tractor-Mounted Line Of Sight Device Keeps Rows Straight

Tractor-Mounted Line Of Sight Device Keeps Rows Straight TRACTORS Accessories 22-1-36 Keeping rows straight is easy with this simple new tractor-mounted "line of sight" device invented by Sally Martyn Smith, an English farmer who's now marketing the product. The "Eyesite" is a two-part device that makes it easier for the driver to line up with a reference point. It consists of a printed screen that sticks to the windshield and a magnetically mounted red plastic frame that stands on the hood. Suction pads are used to push the screen onto the windshield in line with the driver's normal sitting position. The screen has a design printed on it that consists of two squares across and five down. The rectangular frame on the hood is positioned so that its inside edges can be seen through the screen from the tractor seat. The driver views a distant object - such as a tree or a post - through the center line of the screen. As the tractor continues across the field your eye splits the line in two and produces a third row of boxes. The driver keeps the object in the center box of the middle row. As the tractor continues down the field the object becomes larger and fills up more of the screen. The driver continues to center the object in the center box. As long as the screen and frame stay aligned and the object is in the center box, you'll have straight rows. "It's a simple way to make straight rows and works no matter what your physical size or driving position," says Smith. "The straight rows that result have several advantages. They maximize the working width of any implement and reduce the number of passes needed, and they reduce under and over application of chemicals and fertilizer. If you use pull irrigation guns across the field straight rows will keep you from running over the crop. "If you're on hilly ground and can't see the end of the field you can place a marker on the horizon and the system will still work. "The mounting bracket that connects the frame to the magnet can be adapted to tractors with different sloping hoods. Lever suction clamps are available for tractors with fiberglass hoods. The screen has 4 suction pads, one on each corner, allowing it to be used over and over again without losing its sticking properties." Sells for about $100 in England. Smith is looking for a North American importer. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Sally Martyn Smith, AgriAid Limited, High Clows Farm, Clows Top, Kidderminster, Worcs, England DY14 9PB (ph and fax 01299 832184).

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