Agricultural seed trench closing systems, methods and apparatus

• US 10,721,858 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2017
• Issued: 07/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Precision Planting LLC (AGCO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Precision Planting LLC (AGCO Corporation)
• Inventors: Sauder, Derek, Hodel, Jeremy, Muhlbauer, Cory
• Primary Examiner(s): Torres, Alicia
• Application Number:
  US15/853,692
• Publication Number:
  US 20180116100A1
• Time in Patent Office: 949 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 49/027 with a rotating, soil working support element, e.g. a roller
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 63/008 Vertical adjustment of tools A01B63/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 63/32 operated by hydraulic or pneumatic means without automatic control
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 5/066 Devices for covering drills or furrows
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 5/068 Furrow packing devices, e.g. press wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/203 comprising depth regulation means
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/205 comprising pressure regulation means

Abstract

A closing wheel assembly for an agricultural planter row unit. The closing wheel assembly includes a pivot arm having a forward end pivotally mounted to a frame of the planter row unit. A first closing wheel is rotatably supported by the pivot arm about a first axis of rotation. A second closing wheel is rotatably supported by the pivot arm about a second axis of rotation. An actuator applies a force on the pivot arm rearward of the first and second axes of rotation to modify a force between the closing wheels and the soil surface.

Claims

1. In combination, a closing wheel assembly and an agricultural planter row unit, the agricultural planter row unit having a row unit frame supporting at least one disc configured to open a seed trench in a soil surface as the agricultural planter row unit advances in a forward direction of travel, the closing wheel assembly comprising:

a pivot arm having a forward end and a rearward end, said forward end pivotally mounted to the row unit frame such that said pivot arm trails rearward of the row unit frame with respect to the forward direction of travel;

a first closing wheel rotatably supported by said pivot arm about a first axis of rotation disposed rearward of said forward end;

a second closing wheel rotatably supported by said pivot arm about a second axis of rotation disposed rearward of said forward end; and

an actuator having one end coupled to said row unit frame and having another end coupled to said pivot arm rearward of said first and second axis of rotation, said actuator having both a lift chamber and a down chamber, such that increasing pressure in the down chamber relative to pressure in the lift chamber imposes a force on said pivot arm rearward of said first and second axes of rotation to increase a force applied by said first and second closing wheels to the soil surface, and conversely, increasing pressure in the lift chamber relative to pressure in the down chamber imposes a force on said pivot arm rearward of said first and second axes of rotation to decrease a force applied by said first and second closing wheels to the soil surface.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein said actuator is a hydraulic actuator.

3. The combination of claim 1, wherein said actuator is a pneumatic actuator.

4. The combination of claim 1, wherein said pivot arm pivots vertically about said forward end with respect to the row unit frame.

5. The combination of claim 1, further comprising:

a secondary trench closing device connected to said rearward end of said pivot arm, said secondary trench closing device disposed to resiliently contact said soil surface.