Seed firmer and planting machine
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A seed firmer for a planting machine, the seed firmer comprising:
- an attachment bracket having a portion provided for attachment to a row unit of the planting machine;
a non-compliant arm provided with a ground-facing surface for engagement with the soil during planting; and
a mount through which the non-compliant arm is connected to the attachment bracket,wherein the mount is a compliant mount operable to deflect and exert an elastic bias force during operation, without deflection of the non-compliant arm,wherein the mount is provided by a linkage comprising a first link having a first end pivotally coupled to the attachment bracket and a second end pivotally coupled to the non-compliant arm, and a second link having a first end pivotally coupled to the attachment bracket and having a second end pivotally coupled to the non-compliant arm, andwherein the first and second links are normally biased to have a parallel relationship, and wherein one of the first and second links includes a selective sliding joint operable to enable the linkage to be selectively tripped to transition from the parallel relationship to a non-parallel relationship.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A seed firmer includes an attachment bracket having a portion provided for attachment to a row unit of a planting machine. A non-compliant arm is provided with a ground-facing surface for engagement with the soil during planting. The seed firmer includes a mount through which the non-compliant arm is connected to the attachment bracket. The mount is a compliant mount operable to deflect and exert an elastic bias force during operation, without deflection of the non-compliant arm.
29 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A seed firmer for a planting machine, the seed firmer comprising:
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an attachment bracket having a portion provided for attachment to a row unit of the planting machine; a non-compliant arm provided with a ground-facing surface for engagement with the soil during planting; and a mount through which the non-compliant arm is connected to the attachment bracket, wherein the mount is a compliant mount operable to deflect and exert an elastic bias force during operation, without deflection of the non-compliant arm, wherein the mount is provided by a linkage comprising a first link having a first end pivotally coupled to the attachment bracket and a second end pivotally coupled to the non-compliant arm, and a second link having a first end pivotally coupled to the attachment bracket and having a second end pivotally coupled to the non-compliant arm, and wherein the first and second links are normally biased to have a parallel relationship, and wherein one of the first and second links includes a selective sliding joint operable to enable the linkage to be selectively tripped to transition from the parallel relationship to a non-parallel relationship. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A seed firmer for a planting machine, the seed firmer comprising:
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an attachment bracket having a portion provided for attachment to a row unit of the planting machine; a non-compliant arm provided with a ground-facing surface for engagement with the soil during planting; and a mount through which the non-compliant arm is connected to the attachment bracket, wherein the mount is a compliant mount operable to deflect and exert an elastic bias force during operation, without deflection of the non-compliant arm, wherein the elastic bias force is provided by a spring held in tension throughout an entire range of motion of the non-compliant arm, the range of motion of the non-compliant arm being limited by an abutment surface of the mount, the seed firmer further comprising a pivot connection between the non-compliant arm and the mount, wherein the abutment surface and the pivot connection are provided by parallel, spaced pins extending between lateral side plates of the mount that flank the non-compliant arm.
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6. A seed firmer for a planting machine, the seed firmer comprising:
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an attachment bracket having a portion provided for attachment to a row unit of the planting machine; a non-compliant arm provided with a ground-facing surface for engagement with the soil during planting; a mount through which the non-compliant arm is connected to the attachment bracket, wherein the mount is a compliant mount operable to deflect and exert an elastic bias force during operation, without deflection of the non-compliant arm; and a pivot connection between the non-compliant arm and the mount, wherein the pivot connection defines an axis for the relative rotation between the non-compliant arm and the mount that is fixed relative to the non-compliant arm and the mount, and wherein the pivot connection is positioned along the non-compliant arm at a location between the ground-facing surface and a portion of the non-compliant arm to which a spring providing the elastic bias force is attached.
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7. A planting machine comprising:
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a plurality of row units, each row unit having a furrow opener, furrow closing wheels behind the opener, a seed dispensing cartridge between the opener and the closing wheels, and a seed firmer coupled to the row unit behind the cartridge and forward of the closing wheels, wherein the seed firmer in each of the plurality of row units has a non-compliant arm and a compliant mount coupling the arm to the row unit, and wherein the compliant mount is provided by a linkage comprising a first link having a first end pivotally coupled to an attachment bracket of the seed firmer and a second end pivotally coupled to the non-compliant arm, and a second link having a first end pivotally coupled to the attachment bracket and having a second end pivotally coupled to the non-compliant arm. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A planting machine comprising:
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a plurality of row units, each row unit having a furrow opener, furrow closing wheels behind the opener, a seed dispensing cartridge between the opener and the closing wheels, and a seed firmer coupled to the row unit behind the cartridge and forward of the closing wheels wherein the seed firmer in each of the plurality of row units has a non-compliant arm and a compliant mount coupling the arm to the row unit, and wherein the seed firmer includes a spring held in tension throughout an entire range of motion of the non-compliant arm, the range of motion of the non-compliant arm being limited by an abutment surface of the compliant mount. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. A planting machine comprising:
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a plurality of row units, each row unit having a furrow opener, furrow closing wheels behind the opener, a seed dispensing cartridge between the opener and the closing wheels, and a seed firmer coupled to the row unit behind the cartridge and forward of the closing wheels, wherein the seed firmer in each of the plurality of row units has a non-compliant arm, a compliant mount coupling the arm to the row unit, and a pivot connection between the non-compliant arm and the compliant mount. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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Specification