Claims
- 1. An apparatus for use with an agricultural assembly including at least one rigid support member and a plurality of power cables that traverse along trajectories generally aligned with a cable trajectory adjacent a mounting segment on a mounting side of the support member, each of the power cables having a cable specific cross sectional area, the apparatus comprising:
a substantially rigid restraining member that forms an elongated passageway that traverses between first and second ends, the passageway defining a minimum cross sectional area that is greater than the combined cross sectional areas of the plurality of power cables; and a mounting member linked to the restraining member and operable to mount the restraining member to the mounting side of the support member such that the passageway is substantially aligned with the cable trajectory; wherein, with the restraining member mounted to the support member, the cables are loosely receivable through the passageway to generally retain the cables proximate the support member.
- 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of the cables includes a connector mounted to an end, at least a first connector corresponding to a first cable has a cross sectional area that is greater than the cross sectional area of the first cable and wherein, with all but the first cable passing through the passageway, the passageway cross sectional area is large enough to allow the first connector to pass therethrough.
- 3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the first connector has a cross sectional area that is at least as small as the cross sectional area of each of the connectors corresponding to each of the cables.
- 4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the first connector has a cross sectional area that is at least as large as the cross sectional area of each of the connectors corresponding to each of the cables.
- 5. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the passageway has a substantially uniform cross sectional area along its entire length.
- 6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the passageway has a substantially uniform cross sectional area along its entire length.
- 7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the mounting member rigidly secures the restraining member to the support member.
- 8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the restraining member is annular and the passageway is cylindrical.
- 9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the restraining member is formed of plastic conduit.
- 10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the edges of the conduit are rounded.
- 11. The apparatus of claim 1 also for use where the agricultural assembly is a planter apparatus including a wheel supported carrier platform and wherein the support member is an implement bar that is mounted for pivotal movement with respect to the carrier platform.
- 12. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the restraining member includes a lateral wall member that extends between the first and second ends and the lateral wall member forms at least one aperture that passes therethrough that is large enough to allow passage of the first connector.
- 13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the lateral wall member forms a plurality of apertures.
- 14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the lateral wall member forms a cylinder and the apertures are formed in different sides of the cylinder.
- 15. An apparatus for use with an agricultural assembly including at least one rigid support member and a plurality of power cables that traverse along trajectories generally aligned with a cable trajectory adjacent a mounting segment on a mounting side of the support member, each of the power cables having a cable specific cross sectional area, the apparatus comprising:
a means for forming an elongated substantially rigid passageway that traverses between first and second ends, the passageway defining a minimum cross sectional area that is greater than the combined cross sectional areas of the plurality of power cables; and a means for mounting the means for forming to the mounting side of the support member such that the passageway is substantially aligned with the cable trajectory; wherein, with the means for forming mounted to the support member, the cables are loosely receivable through the passageway to generally retain the cables proximate the support member.
- 16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein each of the cables includes a connector mounted to an end, at least a first connector corresponding to a first cable has a cross sectional area that is greater than the cross sectional area of the first cable and wherein, with all but the first cable passing through the passageway, the passageway cross sectional area is large enough to allow the first connector to pass therethrough.
- 17. An agricultural apparatus comprising:
a wheel mounted carrier platform; an implement bar mounted for pivotal motion to the carrier platform, the implement bar including a mounting segment on a mounting side; a plurality of power cables mounted to the apparatus such that the cables extend along a cable trajectory proximate the mounted segment; a substantially rigid restraining member that forms an elongated passageway that traverses between first and second ends, the passageway defining a minimum cross sectional area that is greater than the combined cross sectional areas of the plurality of power cables; and a mounting member secured to the restraining member and mounted to the mounting segment of the implement bar such that the passageway is substantially aligned with the cable trajectory; wherein, with the restraining member mounted to the support member, the cables are loosely received through the passageway to generally retain the cables proximate the implement bar.
- 18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the passageway defines a substantially uniform cross sectional area along its entire length.
- 19. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the restraining member includes a lateral wall member that extends between the first and second ends and the lateral wall member forms at least one aperture that is large enough to allow passage of at least one of the power cables.
- 20. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the restraining member is several feet long and extends along a segment of the implement bar.
- 21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the implement bar is centrally mounted to the carrier platform, the restraining member is a first restraining member mounted to extend along the implement bar to a first side of the carrier platform and the apparatus further includes a second restraining and second mounting member where the second mounting member mounts the second restraining member to the implement bar to extend to a second side of the carrier platform opposite the first side of the carrier platform.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation in part of U.S. patent application No. 10/062,612 which was entitled “Planter Hitch Apparatus” and which was filed on Jan. 31, 2002.
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
10062612 |
Jan 2002 |
US |
Child |
10119002 |
Apr 2002 |
US |