Patent Application
20160374258
Agricultural seed planting is typically accomplished by multi-row planters. Each planter may include multiple row units adapted for opening a seed furrow, depositing seeds within the furrow, and closing the seed furrow around the seeds. In some cases, each row unit of the planter may also open a fertilizer furrow adjacent to each seed furrow, deposit liquid fertilizer in each fertilizer furrow, and close each fertilizer furrow.
Each row unit of the planter may include an articulating chassis that supports furrow opening discs and furrow closing or press wheels. As each row unit travels along the planting area, the row units may encounter debris, for example, root balls, cobbs, stalks, etc. This debris (also referred to as “trash”) may interfere with the operation of the row unit. In some instances, the debris may be caught or lodged between the chassis and the ground, which may result in the row unit dragging the debris throughout the planting area. The caught or lodged debris may further result in debris buildup in front of the row units. The caught or lodged debris, along with any debris buildup, may adversely affect seed placement and/or liquid fertilization distribution. For example, uneven seed placement may result in some seeds being placed too deep or too shallow within the furrow. Also, uneven seed placement may result in some seeds being offset from a row, which may cause the seed to receive inadequate fertilizer and/or water and/or to be trampled by people or equipment if the seed is able to germinate. Similarly, if the liquid fertilizer is offset and is unevenly distributed, some seeds may not receive any fertilizer and may not germinate and others may receive too much fertilizer and may die. Further, the caught or lodged debris, along with any debris buildup, may create trenches in the planting area, which may redirect water flow in the planting area, cause erosion of the planting area (e.g., water erosion), or result in other unintended consequences that may adversely affect the yield of the planting area. Examples of these chassis are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,356,563; U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2013/0263767; and U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2013/0074747.
Numerous manufactures provide planter units that the chassis may be useful with. However, universal adoption of the same chassis may be difficult. For example, some of the planters need modified in order to work with articulating chassis. For example, the Monosem planter unit is wide so that it interferes with traditional articulating chassis. As such, to make the Monosem planter work, a side wall is cut out. Additionally, traditional chassis may be harder to work on as they require more tools and offer less flexibility in dealing with different crops and soil conditions. As such, an improved chassis design is desirable.
The present disclosure relates to a row unit for an agricultural planter. In various embodiments of an agriculture planter, the planter may include a bracket. The bracket may be for use with an agriculture planter. The planter may comprise a trailing arm frame defining a pivot point thereon. The bracket may comprise a first arm, a second arm, and a third arm, with each of the arms having a first end joined to a middle portion of the bracket. Two of the arms may include second ends having mounting tabs with a rotatably fixed disc supports extending therefrom. The rotatably fixed disc supports may be operable to selectively receive at least one of a furrow opener disc or furrow closer wheel. The two arms for receiving the fertilizer furrow opener disc may enable two fertilizer furrows to be opened on opposing sides of a seed furrow.
In various embodiments, the rotatably fixed disc support may have portions that extend from both sides of the mounting tab. The rotatably fixed disc support may extend less than the thickness of the mounting tab from the side of the mounting tab opposite the side which receives the at least one of a furrow opener disc or furrow closer wheel. The rotatably fixed disc support may be received through and aperture in the mounting tab. The aperture in the mounting tab may be square. The rotatably fixed disc support may be a bolt which extends through and keys with the aperture. The rotatably fixed disc support may be a carriage bolt. The rotatably fixed disc support may receive a spacer on the side of the mounting tab that receives the at least one of a furrow opener disc or furrow closer wheel. The spacer may be an interchangeable bushing that offsets the at least one of a furrow opener disc or furrow closer wheel away from the mounting tab. Each of the first arm, the second arm, and the third arm, the middle portion, the mounting tab, and the apertures may form an integral molded part.
In various embodiments of an agriculture planter, the planter may include a trailing arm frame defining a pivot point thereon. The bracket may include a first arm, a second arm, and a third arm, with each of the arms having a first end joined to a middle portion of the bracket. Two of the arms may include second ends having mounts with selectively moveable disc spacers which are operable to selectively receive at least one of a furrow opener disc or furrow closer wheel. The selectively moveable bushings may position the at least one of a furrow opener disc or furrow closer wheel at varying distances from the bracket.
In various embodiments, each of the mounts may include a rotatably fixed disc supports extending therefrom. The rotatably fixed disc support may receive the selectively moveable disc spacer. The rotatably fixed disc support and the selectively moveable disc spacers may be separable from the otherwise integral bracket. A first opener disc may be received onto the rotatably fixed disc support and engage against the selectively moveable disc spacer thereby offsetting the first opener disc from a body of the agriculture planter.
While multiple embodiments of planters with equalizer assemblies are described herein, still other embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description. As will be realized, planters with equalizer assemblies are capable of modifications in various aspects. Accordingly, the drawings and detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive.
Disclosed herein is a mounting bracket for use with agricultural mobile devices, such as planters, rippers, coulters, drills and the like. The mounting bracket may be associated with a tail section of a row unit (e.g., a drill assembly, fertilizer assembly, planting assembly, ripper, coulter, etc.). The mounting bracket may interconnect a body of the tail section to a chassis of the tail section. The mounting bracket may be positioned on an upper or top side of the chassis, thereby not obstructing a bottom profile of the chassis. This positioning of the mounting bracket may provide the chassis with additional ground clearance compared to conventional mounting brackets.
The mounting bracket also may provide a pivotable connection between the body and the chassis of a tail section of a row unit. As a tractor (or other device) pulls or tows a row unit across a planting area, the row unit may encounter debris, uneven ground, or other disturbances. The mounting bracket may enable the chassis to move over the debris, uneven ground, or other disturbance while the wheels remain in contact with the ground.
The tail section 24b of each row unit 24 is enlarged in
The fertilizer disc 34 may be configured to create or open a fertilizer furrow. The fertilizer disc 34 may be aligned with or laterally offset from the seed disc 22 such that a resulting fertilizer furrow is aligned with or laterally adjacent a respective seed furrow. The fertilizer assembly 36 may be fluidly connected to a fertilizer storage tank 20 (see
With reference back to
As illustrated in
The third cantilevered arm 44c may extend from the same side of the outer surface of the hub 42 as the second cantilevered arm 44b. The proximal end portion of the third cantilevered arm 44c may be laterally spaced apart from the proximal end portion of the second cantilevered arm 44b. The distal end portion 58c of the third cantilevered arm 44c may be configured to rotatably support a fertilizer furrow opening disc 34 (see
In various embodiments, distal end portions 58a, 58b may be formed as mounting tabs extending from the cantilevered arms 44a, 44b. The distal end portions 58a, 58b may include mounting features 110a, 110b which are operable to selectively receive and support the implements such as press wheels, opening discs, closing discs, closing wheels, or the like. (See e.g.
In various embodiments, mounting features 110a, 110b may be removably attached to the distal end portions 58a, 58b. Such an embodiment may take a variety of forms. For example, a typical bolt may be used such that the mounting features 110a, 110b are rotatably movable and longitudinally movable. Such embodiments are illustrated in more detail in US. Patent Pub, No. US2013/0074747 and US. Patent Pub. No. US201310263767, wherein the mounting features 110a, 110b are referenced as pivots 375. As disclosed therein, the bolt/shaft may be freely rotatable in an aperture which extends through the distal end portions 58a, 58b.
In another embodiment of removably attached mounting features 110a, 110b, the mounting features 110a, 110b may be limited in rotation. For example, the mounting features 110a, 110b may have a keyed engagement that engages the distal end portion 58a, 58b to prevent or limit rotation. As shown in
The keyed apertures 100a, b may be defined by shapes that are oblong, triangular, square, or with more than four sides. As illustrated, the shape may be a square that matches the keyed protrusion 114 shown in
In various embodiments, the engagement between the mounting feature 110a, 110b and the distal end portion 58a, 58b may be configured to simplify assembly of the discs/wheels onto the chassis 30. For example, the rotation between the mounting feature 110a, 110b may be limited such that a disc/wheel (e.g. disc 32) and a retaining feature (e.g. retainer 112a, b) can be assembled onto the mounting feature 110a, 110b with a single tool. As one end of the mounting feature 110a, 110b may be captured in a keyed engagement, the mounting feature 110a, 110b may not rotate but the retainer 112a, b, which retains the disc/wheel 32, as shown in
The mounting features 110a, 110b may include implement adjustment devices 120a, 120b that are operable to space the implements (e.g. discs 32) away from chassis 30. The implement adjustment devices 120a, 120b may be separable from the mounting features 110a, 110b and/or the chassis 30. The implement adjustment devices 120a, 120b may be selectively removable from the mounting features 110a, 110b. As illustrated in
In various examples, the mounting features 110a, 110b may be bushings (e.g. 120a, b shown in
The chassis 30 may include a hub 42 and plurality of cantilevered arms 44 connected to and extending away from the hub 42. The hub 42 may be a hollow body having a substantially cylindrical outer surface, a substantially cylindrical inner surface 50, and opposing lateral faces 52. The hub 42 may have a substantially uniform annular wall thickness. In one example, the hub 42 may be formed from a substantially cylindrical tube.
With continued reference to
With reference to
With reference to
The row unit 24 may have more ground clearance as compared to conventional row units due, at least in part, to the configuration of the mounting bracket 31. For example, as the mounting bracket 31 generally does not extend below the lower or bottom edges 90a, 90b, 90c of the chassis 30, the ground clearance of the row unit 24 a beneath the chassis 30 and between the wheels 32 may be greater than conventional row units. In some implementations, the mounting bracket 31 provides several inches of additional ground clearance as compared to conventional row units. In one specific implementation, the mounting bracket 31 provides about two inches of additional ground clearance by not impeding beyond a bottom profile of the chassis 30.
With reference to
An increased distance 94 between the transverse top wall 74 of the mounting bracket 31 and the chassis 30 may result in more travel of the wheels 32 as the chassis 30 may have a larger rotatable range relative to the mounting bracket 31. At one end of the rotatable range of the chassis 30, a front face 96 of the transverse top wall 74 of the mounting bracket 31 may abut or contact a top edge 98a of the proximal end portion 56 of the first cantilevered arm 44a (see
The parts of the row unit 24 may be constructed out of metal (such as aluminum, steel, metal, alloys, etc.), plastic, ceramic, or any other sufficiently strong and durable materials. The individual halves 31a, 31b of the mounting bracket 31 may be welded, bolted, screwed, or otherwise fastened together. Alternatively, the mounting bracket may be formed integrally as a single component by molding, machining, or otherwise fabricating the mounting bracket out of a single piece of material.
The example row unit provided herein may provide numerous advantages relative to conventional row units. For example, the row unit may include more ground clearance relative to conventional row units, which may be achieved without altering the ground clearance between the chassis and the ground. The row unit may include a substantially smooth bottom profile that may reduce debris from being caught or lodged beneath the row unit between the chassis and the ground. In one implementation, a mounting bracket may be configured to not substantially protrude beyond a lower or bottom surface of the chassis. In conventional row units, as a tractor pulls the row unit through the field, debris in the field may be caught, lodged, or wedged between the mounting bracket, the chassis, and/or the ground. By placing the mounting bracket along a top side of the chassis, the mounting bracket generally does not interfere with the ground clearance of the chassis.
As another advantage, the example row unit may include more wheel travel relative to conventional row unit. The additional wheel travel may be achieved by positioning a mounting bracket above the chassis and increasing a distance between a top wall of the mounting bracket and the chassis. The additional distance between a top wall of the mounting bracket and the chassis generally does not impact the ground clearance of the row unit as the top wall of the mounting bracket may be positioned above the chassis. Further, by positioning the mounting bracket along a top side of the chassis, the wheel travel of the row unit may be more consistent during operation as there may be less likelihood of debris being lodged between the mounting bracket and the chassis, which may impede the relative pivotal motion between the mounting bracket and the chassis. That is, the orientation of the mounting bracket may allow the chassis to rotate freely and evenly about a pivot axis, thereby ensuring proper seed and/or fertilizer placement.
Each of the various embodiments, examples, aspects, and elements of the disclosure herein may be combined with the various embodiments, examples, aspects, and elements of the disclosure of the U.S. Pat. No. 8,356.563; U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2013/0263767; U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2013/0074747; U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2014/0262371; and U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2013/0262381, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. The various embodiments, examples, aspects, and elements of the disclosure of these incorporated references may also be combined with the disclosure herein as well.
All directional references (e.g., upper, lower, upward, downward, left, right, leftward, rightward, top, bottom, above, below, inner, outer, vertical, horizontal, clockwise, and counterclockwise) are only used for identification purposes to aid the reader's understanding of the examples of the invention, and do not create limitations, particularly as to the position, orientation, or use of the invention unless specifically set forth in the claims. Joinder references (e.g., attached, coupled, connected, joined, and the like) are to be construed broadly and may include intermediate members between a connection of elements and relative movement between elements. As such, joinder references do not necessarily infer that two elements are directly connected and/or in fixed relation to each other.
In some instances, components are described with reference to “ends” having a particular characteristic and/or being connected with another part. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that the present invention is not limited to components which terminate immediately beyond their points of connection with other parts. Thus, the term “end” should be interpreted broadly, in a manner that includes areas adjacent, rearward, forward of, or otherwise near the terminus of a particular element, link, component, part, member or the like.
In methodologies directly or indirectly set forth herein, various steps and operations are described in one possible order of operation, but those skilled in the art will recognize that steps and operations may be rearranged, replaced, or eliminated or have other steps inserted without necessarily departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. It is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not limiting. Changes in detail or structure may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.
Although the present invention has been described with respect to particular apparatuses, configurations, components, systems and methods of operation, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading this disclosure that certain changes or modifications to the embodiments and/or their operations, as described herein, may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Accordingly, the proper scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims. The various embodiments, operations, components and configurations disclosed herein are generally exemplary rather than limiting in scope.
The present application claims priority pursuant to 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. provisional application No. 62/183,590, filed Jun. 23, 2015 entitled “Arm Bracket”, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62183590 | Jun 2015 | US |
