Row unit assembly with clamp mount for an agricultural implement

• US 10,251,326 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2016
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blue Leaf IP Incorporated (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Original Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Inventors: Andrews, Jason E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Torres, Alicia
• Application Number:
  US15/364,432
• Publication Number:
  US 20180146609A1
• Time in Patent Office: 860 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 35/28 Rotating tools; Mounting rotating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 61/04 of the connection between tools and carrier beam or frame
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 61/044 the connection enabling a yielding pivoting movement around a substantially horizontal and transverse axis
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 61/046 the device including an energy accumulator for restoring the tool to its working position
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 23/025 Continuous injection tools
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 5/064 with rotating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 5/066 Devices for covering drills or furrows
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/201 Mounting of the seeding tools
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/205 comprising pressure regulation means

Abstract

A row unit assembly may generally include a clamp mount configured to be coupled to a frame member of an agricultural implement. The clamp mount may include a first clamp member and a second clamp member pivotally coupled to the first clamp member. The first clamp member may include a first clamp wall spaced apart from a second clamp wall of the second clamp member such that the frame member is clamped between the first and second clamp walls. In addition, the second clamp member may include a flange extending outwardly relative to the second clamp wall such that the flange overlaps the frame member along at least a portion of a top side of the frame member. Moreover, the row unit assembly may include an agricultural row unit including at least one support arm pivotally coupled to the clamp mount.

Claims

1. A row unit assembly configured to be supported on a frame member of a work vehicle implement, the frame member including a top side, a bottom side, and first and second lateral sides, the row unit assembly comprising:

a clamp mount configured to be coupled to the frame member, the clamp mount including a first clamp member and a second clamp member pivotally coupled to the first clamp member, the first clamp member including a first clamp wall spaced apart from a second clamp wall of the second clamp member such that, when the frame member is clamped between the first and second clamp walls, the first clamp wall is configured to be positioned adjacent to the first lateral side of the frame member and the second clamp wall is configured to be positioned adjacent to the second lateral side of the frame member, the first clamp member further including a first flange extending outwardly relative to the first clamp wall in the direction of the second clamp wall such that the first flange is configured to overlap the frame member along at least a portion of the top side of the frame member, the second clamp member further including a second flange extending outwardly relative to the second clamp wall in the direction of the first clamp wall such that the second flange is configured to overlap the frame member along at least a portion of the top side of the frame member; and

an agricultural row unit including at least one support arm pivotally coupled to the clamp mount, the at least one support arm configured to support an opener disc, a gauge wheel, and a closing wheel relative to the clamp mount;

wherein at least one of the first flange or the second flange defines an inner surface having a substantially planar profile that is angled relative to the top side of the frame member such that the at least one of the first flange or the second flange penetrates into a portion of an adjacent corner of the frame member when the frame member is clamped between the first and second clamp walls.

2. The row unit assembly of claim 1, wherein the first clamp member includes first and second sidewalls between which the first clamp wall extends, the second clamp member being pivotally coupled to the first and second sidewalls.

3. The row unit assembly of claim 2, wherein the second clamp member is pivotally coupled to the first and second sidewalls via a pivot bolt extending through a portion of the second clamp member between the first and second sidewalls.

4. The row unit assembly of claim 3, wherein the first and second sidewalls define at least two pairs of pivot openings for receiving the pivot bolt, each pair of the at least two pairs of pivot openings being spaced apart from the first clamp wall of the first clamp member by a different distance.

5. The row unit assembly of claim 1, further comprising first and second clamp bolts coupled between the first and second clamp walls.

6. The row unit assembly of claim 1, wherein the first flange defines a first inner surface and the second flange defines a second inner surface, the first inner surface defining a profile that differs from a profile of the second inner surface.

7. The row unit assembly of claim 6, wherein one of the first inner surface or the second inner surface defines the substantially planar profile that is angled relative to the top side of the frame member such that one of the first flange or the second flange penetrates into the portion of the adjacent corner of the frame member and the other of the first inner surface or the second inner surface defines a substantially curved profile that is complementary to a radius of curvature of a separate adjacent corner of the frame member.

8. The row unit assembly of claim 1, wherein the clamp mount further includes a mount base coupled to the first clamp member and extending outwardly therefrom in a direction of the agricultural row unit, the at least one support arm of the agricultural row unit being pivotally coupled to the mount base.

9. The row unit assembly of claim 8, wherein the mount base includes first and second mount arms, the at least one support arm being pivotally coupled to the mount base between the first and second mount arms.

10. The row unit assembly of claim 8, further comprising a bias spring assembly coupled to a top end of the at least one support arm at a location above a pivot point defined between the at least one support arm and the mount base, the at least one bias spring assembly being configured to bias the at least one support arm in a rotational direction relative to the clamp mount.

11. The row unit assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one support arm comprises a primary support arm and at least one auxiliary support arm, the primary support arm being pivotally coupled to the clamp mount and the at least one auxiliary support arm being pivotally coupled to the primary support arm.

12. The row unit assembly of claim 11, wherein the primary support arm is configured to directly support the opener disc and the at least one auxiliary support arm is configured to directly support at least one of the gauge wheel or the closing wheel.

13. The row unit assembly of claim 1, further comprising a fluid dispenser component supported by the at least one support arm, the fluid dispenser component configured to dispense a flowable agricultural product.

14. An agricultural implement, comprising:

an implement frame, the implement frame including at least one frame member, the at least one frame member including a top side, a bottom side, and first and second lateral sides;

a plurality of row unit assemblies supported by the implement frame, each row unit assembly comprising;

a clamp mount coupled to the at least one frame member, the clamp mount including a first clamp member and a second clamp member pivotally coupled to the first clamp member, the first clamp member including a first clamp wall spaced apart from a second clamp wall of the second clamp member such that, when the at least one frame member is clamped between the first and second clamp walls, the first clamp wall is positioned adjacent to the first lateral side of the at least one frame member and the second clamp wall is positioned adjacent to the second lateral side of the at least one frame member, the second clamp member further including a flange extending outwardly relative to the second clamp wall in the direction of the first clamp wall such that the flange overlaps the at least one frame member along at least a portion of the top side of the at least one frame member; and

an agricultural row unit including at least one support arm pivotally coupled to the clamp mount, the at least one support arm configured to support an opener disc, a gauge wheel, and a closing wheel relative to the clamp mount;

wherein;

the clamp mount further includes a mount base coupled to the first clamp member;

the at least one support arm is pivotally coupled to the mount base at a pivot point; and

each row unit further comprises a bias spring assembly coupled to the at least one support arm at a location vertically between a mounting head of the mount base to which the first clamp member is coupled and the pivot point defined between the at least one support arm and the mount base.

15. The agricultural implement of claim 14, wherein the first clamp member includes first and second sidewalls between which the first clamp wall extends, the second clamp member being pivotally coupled to the first and second sidewalls.

16. The agricultural implement of claim 14, wherein the flange of the second clamp member corresponds to a second flange and wherein the first clamp member further includes a first flange extending outwardly relative to the first clamp wall in the direction of the second clamp wall such that the first flange overlaps the at least one frame member along at least a portion of the top side of the at least one frame member.

17. The agricultural implement of claim 16, wherein at least one of the first flange or the second flange defines an inner surface having a substantially planar profile that is angled relative to the top side of the frame such that the at least one of the first flange or the second flange penetrates into an adjacent rounded corner of the at least one frame member when the at least one frame member is clamped between the first and second clamp walls.

18. The agricultural implement of claim 17, wherein:

the first flange defines a first inner surface and the second flange defines a second inner surface;

one of the first inner surface or the second inner surface defines the substantially planar profile that is angled relative to the top side of the at least one frame member such that one of the first flange or the second flange penetrates into the adjacent rounded corner of the at least one frame member and the other of the first inner surface or the second inner surface defines a substantially curved profile that is complementary to a radius of curvature of a separate adjacent rounded corner of the at least one frame member.

19. The agricultural implement of claim 14, wherein the mount base includes first and second mount arms, the bias spring assembly being coupled to the at least one support arm at a location between the first and second mount arms.