This application is a national phase entry under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of International Patent Application PCT/GB2014/053341, filed Nov. 11, 2014, designating the United States of America and published in English as International Patent Publication WO 2015/071652 A1 on May 21, 2015, which claims the benefit under Article 8 of the Patent Cooperation Treaty to United Kingdom Patent Application Serial No. 1405202.1, filed Mar. 24, 2014, and to United Kingdom Patent Application Serial No. 1319935.1, filed Nov. 12, 2013.
This disclosure relates to methods and apparatus for parting soil for placing seed in the ground, also known as “soil opening.”
U.S. Pat. No. 5,609,114 to Barton, hereinafter referred to as the '114 Patent, discloses a soil opening tool assembly for use with an agricultural implement intended to be moved in a specified line of travel and comprising a first generally upright rotating disc configured to penetrate into the soil to a first depth below the soil surface. The disc is set at a first horizontal angle to the line of travel to provide a leading surface and a trailing surface relative to the direction of travel. The disc is also set at a first angle to the vertical, whereby a top of the disk is inclined generally toward the trailing surface. In one particular embodiment, a disc is toed in 8° horizontally from the line of travel and leans inward 23° to the vertical. According to the '114 Patent, the combined effect of these two angles is that the soil is undercut, lifted and moved by a small amount horizontally, creating an angled furrow into which seed and/or fertilizer is dispensed. The displaced soil exerts a sideways reaction force on the disc, which is transmitted via a rigid connection to the frame of the agricultural implement. An additional disc is also disclosed that engages the soil at a point behind the first disc in the direction of travel to cut a second furrow.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,067,918 to Kirby shows a similar arrangement comprising a first generally upright rotating disc configured to penetrate into the soil to a first depth below the soil surface to create a furrow. A so-called “finger wheel” is also provided to move portions of soil displaced by the disc back over the furrow. To this end, the finger wheel does not penetrate the soil in the manner of the first disc but is, instead, pivotally attached to a frame and is free to move up and down as it rides on the ground.
Although not disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,609,114 to Barton, it can, nevertheless, be advantageous to mount such a soil opening tool assembly to the agricultural implement in a castoring fashion about a pivot located ahead of the assembly in the direction of travel. Such an arrangement is believed to be used, e.g., in the “07 Series Opener” manufactured by the Great Plains Manufacturing Company of Salina, Kans., USA.
With a view to reducing disruption of the soil, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2012/0137942 discloses a soil-opening tool assembly having two discs—a first “parting” or “spreading” disc angled to the direction of travel and to the horizontal as discussed above and a second “coulter” disc that is almost perfectly vertically oriented so as to minimize the fracturing of the soil at the row line.
This disclosure has as an objective the mitigation of problems with such known apparatus.
According to a first aspect of this disclosure, there is provided a soil opener for driving through soil in a direction of travel, the soil opener comprising:
In contrast to the known arrangements discussed above, the soil opener according to this disclosure has both soil-engaging members inclined to the same side of the vertical. As a consequence, soil is predominantly deflected in a sideways direction. This has been found to result in less disruption of the soil.
A particularly beneficial reduction in sideways force may be achieved where the second soil-cutting rotating disc (1) lies parallel to the direction of travel (D) when viewed along a perpendicular (V) to the soil surface (G). With certain exceptions (e.g., when the direction of travel is not straight such as when turning), a straight line between the lowermost point of the second soil-cutting rotating disc (1) and the point of intersection of an axis (B) of the leg hinge (2, 4″) with a (nominally horizontal) plane parallel to the soil level and at the same level as that lowermost point will align with the direction of travel (D).
The second soil-cutting member (1) may be configured to penetrate the soil surface over a greater extent than the first soil-cutting member (20). The first soil-cutting member (20) may be a rotating disc, in which case, it may be of smaller diameter than the second soil-engaging rotating disc (1). Alternatively, the first soil-cutting member may be a stationary member blade such as a coulter (212). The first soil-engaging member (20, 212) may sit within the envelope of the second soil-engaging member (1) when viewed transversely to the direction of travel (D) and parallel to the soil surface.
The third angle (F) may be greater than the first angle (H), in particular, by about 7 degrees. The first angle (H) may lie in the range of about 5 to about 40 degrees, in particular, in the range of about 10 to about 30 degrees, most particularly, about 18 degrees. The third angle (F) may lie in the range of about 10 to about 50 degrees, in particular, in the range of about 20 to about 30 degrees, most particularly, about 25 degrees.
The first angle (H) may be greater than the third angle (F), in particular, by about 7 degrees. The first angle (H) may lie in the range about 10 to about 40 degrees, in particular, in the range of about 10 to about 20 degrees, most particularly about 10 degrees.
The first and second soil-engaging members (20, 1) may both be mounted at the lower end (6″) of the leg (6), the upper end (6′) of the leg (6) having the hinge (2, 4″) so as to enable castoring of the first and second members (20, 1) about the first hinge axis (B).
This first hinge axis (B) may be rotatable relative to a second axis (A), inclined to the first axis (B), so as to vary one or more of the angles of the soil-cutting members. In particular, the soil opener may comprise a shaft (4) having mutually inclined first and second portions (4″, 4′), the second portion (4′) being mounted for rotation relative to a chassis about the aforementioned second axis (A) and the leg (6) being mounted for hinge rotation relative to the first portion (4″) about the first hinge axis (B).
The first and second axes (B, A) may be configured such that there is no variation in the soil track of the assembly in a direction transverse to the direction of travel (D) and parallel to the soil surface (G). In particular, the first and second axes (B, A) may intersect at or below the surface of the soil when viewed in the direction of travel (D) of the apparatus.
According to a second aspect of this disclosure, there is provided a soil opener for driving through soil in a direction of travel, the soil opener comprising:
In contrast to known arrangements (e.g., in which a vertical pivot is placed well forward of the ground-engaging soil openers, allowing the opener to centralize by a long trailing effect), the inclination of the castor axis downward in the direction of travel increases the stability of such castor action, reducing sideways movement. It may also reduce movement that might otherwise result from any unbalance, e.g., where different size discs are used.
In particular, the axis (B) may be inclined downward in the direction of travel at an angle (C′) in the range of about 60 to 80 degrees to the soil surface (G), in particular, about 70 degrees to the soil surface.
The second aspect of the disclosure can be particularized using features of the first aspect and vice versa.
An embodiment of the disclosure will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Referring to
By means of bush 3, carrier 16 hingedly/pivotally supports a leg 6 carrying separate primary and secondary soil-cutting, independently rotatable discs 1 and 20 at its lower end, the terms “primary” and “secondary” referring to the relative diameters of the discs and not to be confused with the terminology of the claims. The discs are inclined relative to one another such that the gap between primary and secondary discs at a point below and ahead of wheel axes 1′, 20′ is smaller than the gap at a point behind and above wheel axes 1′, 20′. This latter, greater gap allows seed to be introduced between the discs as is known per se. Arm 14 is provided with means—known, per se, and consequently not shown—to allow adjustment of the level of the wheel 15 relative to the discs 1, 20, thereby adjusting the depth to which the soil opener penetrates the ground. With certain exceptions (e.g., when the direction of travel is not straight such as when turning), a straight line between the lowermost point of the second soil-cutting rotating disc (1) and the point of intersection of an axis (B) of the leg hinge (2, 4″) with a (nominally horizontal) plane parallel to the soil level and at the same level as that lowermost point will align with the direction of travel (D).
The lower portion 4″ of shaft 4 extends along an axis B that is inclined to axis A in the direction of travel D by an angle C of approximately 20 degrees, possibly as low as 10 degrees, and hereafter referred to as the “castor angle.” In other words, axis B is angled downward in the direction of travel at the complementary angle C′ to the horizontal/ground G. A value of C′ of approximately 70 degrees has been found to be particularly advantageous, although advantageous operation may also be achieved in a range from about 60 degrees to about 80 degrees.
Leg 6 has an upper portion 6′ hingedly/pivotally attached to the lower portion 4″ of the shaft 4 by a sleeve or bush 2 for rotation about axis B, the lower portion 6″ of the leg carrying the primary and secondary rotating discs 1 and 20. Upper leg portion 6′ is aligned substantially perpendicular to the ground G, while lower leg portion 6″ is inclined at an angle E in the range of approximately 15 to approximately 40 degrees to the vertical V as seen in
As shown in
Primary disc 1 is attached to one side of lower leg portion 6″ and, in the embodiment shown, is inclined at a primary “camber” angle F to the vertical V but with its axis of rotation 1′ perpendicular to the direction of travel D. An angle F of 25 degrees has been found to be most advantageous; however, operation with an angle F in the range of about 20 to about 30 degrees can still be particularly advantageous, with operation with an angle F in the range of about 10 to about 50 degrees being advantageous. Choice of angle may depend on soil conditions, as discussed below.
Secondary disc 20 is fixed to the opposite side of the lower leg portion 6″ and is inclined at a secondary “camber” angle H, greater than zero, to the vertical V and at a “toe” angle J to the direction of travel. As a result, the primary and secondary discs are inclined relative to one another by an angle K in the range of from 5 degrees to 10 degrees, typically 7 degrees in the embodiment shown. Angle H may lie in the range of about 5 degrees to about 40 degrees, in particular, in the range of about 10 degrees to about 30 degrees, most particularly about 18 degrees.
While soil engagement is predominantly by those outward-facing surfaces 1″, 20″ of the discs 1, 20 that face away from, and in substantially opposite directions of surfaces 1′″, 20′″ to, one another, the discs in the embodiments described are thin and the angles of inclination of those surfaces are taken to correspond to angles of inclination of the discs themselves. As a result of these various inclinations, the gap between primary and secondary discs is smallest at a point 9 below and ahead of wheel axes 1′, 20′ and greatest at a point 10 behind and above of wheel axes 1′, 20′. This gap at point 10 is to allow seed to be introduced between the discs and is typically between 25 and 50 mm.
Primary disc 1 having an axis of rotation perpendicular to the direction of travel provides a stabilizing effect that counters the transverse forces generated by the secondary disc 20.
In the embodiment shown, primary disc 1 also has a larger diameter than the secondary disc 20. As such, primary disc 1 not only engages the ground at a point 110 (see
Moreover, in contrast to known arrangements (e.g., in which a vertical pivot is placed well forward of the ground-engaging soil openers, allowing the opener to centralize by a long-trailing effect), the inclination of axis B downward in the direction of travel D increases the stability of such castor action, reducing sideways movement. It may also reduce movement that might otherwise result from any unbalance, e.g., where different size discs are used.
In addition, and in contrast to the known arrangements discussed above and in which primary and secondary discs are inclined to either side of the vertical, the inclination of the primary and secondary discs is to the same side of the vertical. As a consequence, soil is predominantly deflected in a sideways direction toward the vertical axis V rather than in two, opposing sideways directions. This has been found to result in less disruption of the soil.
By releasing the set stud 8, the upper portion 4′ of shaft 4 can be rotated in bush 3 relative to carrier 16 before being locked again by tightening the set stud.
It has been found that increasing the inclination of the primary and secondary discs to the vertical V causes the secondary disc 20, in particular, to direct its soil displacement in an upward direction, as indicated by arrow T. This has been found to be advantageous in hard soil conditions, reducing pressure damage to the soil in the creation of the opening for the seed. It also has the benefit of reducing side forces on the components of the machine, pressure needed to force openers into the soil and draft force needed to pull openers through the soil.
Rotating shaft 4 through 90 degrees in the opposite direction to that illustrated in
It will be appreciated that shaft or rod 4 can be oriented at other angles between those illustrated in
Referring back to
Alternatively, as shown in
In another embodiment shown in
As shown in the plan views of
Releasing screw 200 allows the first interlink 19 to be rotated in a horizontal plane to reposition pivot 17 sideways relative to bush 2/leg 6, following which, screw 200 is again tightened, locking the second pivot 18. This allows the position of wheel 15 relative to the soil opening to be adjusted in a direction transverse to the direction of travel D, as variously illustrated in
To avoid such variation, axes A and B are arranged to intersect at the surface G of the soil when viewed in the direction of travel as indicated by arrow Z in
It should be understood that this disclosure has been described by way of examples only and that a wide variety of modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure. For example, although all embodiments shown employ a pivotal hinge employing a shaft supported in a bearing, it will be appreciated that the necessary hinge motion may also be achieved by means of flexure.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
1319935.1 | Nov 2013 | GB | national |
1405202.1 | Mar 2014 | GB | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/GB2014/053341 | 11/11/2014 | WO | 00 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
WO2015/071652 | 5/21/2015 | WO | A |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
526436 | Campbell | Sep 1894 | A |
605348 | Schultz | Jun 1898 | A |
736963 | Ham | Aug 1903 | A |
842066 | Beymer | Jan 1907 | A |
2691353 | Secondo | Oct 1954 | A |
2920587 | Shriver | Jan 1960 | A |
3115192 | Bushmeyer | Dec 1963 | A |
3244237 | Keplinger | Apr 1966 | A |
T862011 | Koronka et al. | May 1969 | I4 |
4214537 | Bailey | Jul 1980 | A |
4365674 | Orthman | Dec 1982 | A |
4646663 | Nikkel | Mar 1987 | A |
4781129 | Swanson et al. | Nov 1988 | A |
4825957 | White | May 1989 | A |
4930431 | Alexander | Jun 1990 | A |
5285854 | Thacker | Feb 1994 | A |
5609114 | Barton | Mar 1997 | A |
5724902 | Janelle | Mar 1998 | A |
5752453 | Nikkel | May 1998 | A |
5802995 | Baugher | Sep 1998 | A |
5878821 | Flenker | Mar 1999 | A |
6067918 | Kirby | May 2000 | A |
6213035 | Harrison | Apr 2001 | B1 |
6575104 | Brummelhuis | Jun 2003 | B2 |
6978727 | Geddes | Dec 2005 | B2 |
7044070 | Kaster | May 2006 | B2 |
7395770 | Neudorf | Jul 2008 | B2 |
7540246 | Friesen | Jun 2009 | B2 |
7575066 | Bauer | Aug 2009 | B2 |
7581503 | Martin | Sep 2009 | B2 |
8356563 | Schaffert | Jan 2013 | B2 |
9192091 | Bassett | Nov 2015 | B2 |
9204590 | Schaffert | Dec 2015 | B2 |
9215838 | Bassett | Dec 2015 | B2 |
9232689 | Trevino | Jan 2016 | B2 |
9497900 | Nelson | Nov 2016 | B2 |
9814171 | Janelle | Nov 2017 | B2 |
20020162492 | Juptner | Nov 2002 | A1 |
20050045080 | Halford | Mar 2005 | A1 |
20080257238 | Friesen | Oct 2008 | A1 |
20120137942 | Nikkel et al. | Jun 2012 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
2326204 | May 2002 | CA |
1081310 | Feb 1994 | CN |
201294733 | Aug 2009 | CN |
201355911 | Dec 2009 | CN |
202354053 | Aug 2012 | CN |
202889912 | Apr 2013 | CN |
202013100178 | Jan 2013 | DE |
1018582 | Jan 1953 | FR |
2099903 | Mar 1972 | FR |
Entry |
---|
Ashworth et al., Disc Seeding in Zero-Till Farming Systems—A Review of Technology and Paddock Issues, Western Australian No-Tillage Farmer Association (WANTFA), Aug. 2010. ISBN: 978-0-646-52876-2, p. 50. |
Flexi-Coil: Industry Expert in Seeding, Tillage and Spraying Equipment, www.flexicoil.com/barton.asp, visited Oct. 14, 2013, 1 page. |
Great Plains, “Harvest Starts Here”, Seed, Grain Drills, Placement Catalog 1006-GPM, www.gretplainsag.com, (2016), 40 pages. |
International Search Report for International Application No. PCT/GB2014/053341dated Mar. 17, 2015, 4 pages. |
International Written Opinion for International Application No. PCT/GB2014/053341dated Mar. 17, 2015, 7 pages. |
John Deere, 740A and 750A Drills Catalog, Nov. 11, 2008, 7 pages. |
Weaving Machinery, Weaving Big Disc, Zero-Till & Min-Till Drill Catalog, www.weavingmachinery.net, (2015), 6 pages. |
Australian Examination Report No. 1 for Australian Application No. 2014349904 dated Nov. 10, 2017, 7 pages. |
Chinese First Office Action for Chinese Application No. 201480057549.2 dated Jan. 29, 2018, 10 pages. |
Chinese First Search from Chinese Application No. 2014800575492, dated Jan. 19, 2018, 2 pages. |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20160234995 A1 | Aug 2016 | US |