Seed firming assembly and method for agricultural seeders and mounting system therefor

• US 20080184920A1
• Filed: 02/07/2007
• Published: 08/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Benjamin K Thompson, Keith D. Thompson
• Original Assignee: Benjamin K Thompson, Keith D. Thompson
• Inventors: Thompson, Benjamin K., Thompson, Keith D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,784,416 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 111/189
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/20 Parts of seeders for conducting and depositing seed
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/205 comprising pressure regulation means

Abstract

A seed firming assembly and method for agricultural seeders includes a large diameter seed-firming wheel for firming seeds into soil at the bottom of a furrow. The seed-firming wheel is located immediately behind a furrow opener and a seed guide. The seed-firming wheel is rotatably supported by an attaching arm, which is pivotally attached to a planter subframe at a location behind the seed-firming wheel so as to push the seed-firming wheel in a forward direction during operation. The attaching arm has a forward portion on which the seed-firming wheel is rotatably supported, a rearward portion on which an extension spring is attached for imparting a downward force on the seed-firming wheel during operation, and a horizontal transverse axis of rotation located between the forward and rearward portions. An adjustment mechanism is provided for adjusting the downward force imparted on the seed-firming wheel by the spring.

Claims

1. A seed firming assembly for agricultural seeders, comprising:

a seed-firming wheel for firming seeds into soil at the bottom of a furrow; and

an attaching arm that rotatably supports said seed-firming wheel, said attaching arm being pivotally attached at a location behind the seed-firming wheel so as to push the seed-firming wheel in a forward direction during operation.

2. The seed firming assembly according to claim 1, wherein said seed-firming wheel is rotatably mounted on an axle attached to a forward end portion of the attaching arm.

3. The seed firming assembly according to claim 2, wherein said seed-firming wheel has a diameter that is great enough that the axle remains well above a soil surface during normal seeding operations.

4. The seed firming assembly according to claim 1, wherein said attaching arm has a forward portion on which the seed-firming wheel is rotatably supported, a rearward portion on which an extension spring is attached for imparting a downward force on the seed-firming wheel during operation, and an axis of rotation located between said forward and rearward portions.

5. The seed firming assembly according to claim 4, wherein said axis of rotation of the attaching arm is horizontal and transverse to a forward direction of travel of the seed firming assembly.

6. The seed firming assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a means for biasing the attaching arm in a direction that imparts a downward force on the seed-firming wheel during operation, and an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the downward force imparted by the biasing means.

7. The seed firming assembly according to claim 1, wherein said attaching arm comprises a pair of arms that are spaced apart with the seed-firming wheel rotatably supported therebetween.

8. The seed firming assembly according to claim 1, wherein said seed-firming wheel has a narrow tapered edge to allow the wheel to fit into the bottom of a furrow, and a flexible portion that permits the wheel to flex and track the furrow effectively while seeding on contours.

9. A planter unit for an agricultural seeder, comprising:

a furrow opener;

a seed guide for guiding seeds into a furrow created by the furrow opener; and

a seed-firming wheel located behind the seed guide for firming seeds into soil at the bottom of the furrow, said seed-firming wheel being rotatably supported by an attaching arm which is pivotally attached at a location behind the seed-firming wheel so as to push the seed-firming wheel in a forward direction during operation.

10. The planter unit according to claim 9, wherein said furrow opener is mounted to a planter subframe at a first location, and said attaching arm is pivotally attached to the planter subframe at a second location behind said first location.

11. The planter unit according to claim 9, wherein said furrow opener comprises two opener discs rotatably mounted to the planter subframe, and a front portion of said seed-firming wheel is disposed between said opener discs during operation.

12. The planter unit according to claim 9, wherein said seed-firming wheel is rotatably mounted on an axle attached to a forward end portion of the attaching arm.

13. The planter unit according to claim 12, wherein said seed-firming wheel has a diameter that is great enough that the axle remains well above a soil surface during normal seeding operations.

14. The planter unit according to claim 12, wherein said attaching arm has a forward portion on which the seed-firming wheel is rotatably supported, a rearward portion on which an extension spring is attached for imparting a downward force on the seed-firming wheel during operation, and an axis of rotation located between said forward and rearward portions.

15. The planter unit according to claim 14, wherein said axis of rotation of the attaching arm is approximately horizontal and transverse to a forward direction of travel of the planter unit.

16. The planter unit according to claim 9, further comprising a means for biasing the attaching arm in a direction that imparts a downward force on the seed-firming wheel during operation, and an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the downward force imparted by the biasing means.

17. The planter unit according to claim 9, wherein said attaching arm comprises a pair of arms that are spaced apart with the seed-firming wheel rotatably supported therebetween.

18. The planter unit according to claim 9, further comprising a closing wheel assembly having at least one closing wheel located behind the seed-firming wheel for closing the furrow.

19. A method of firming seeds in a furrow during agricultural seeding, comprising the steps of:

providing a planter unit having a furrow opener, a seed guide for guiding seeds into a furrow created by the furrow opener, and a seed-firming wheel located behind the seed guide; and

using an attaching arm which is pivotally attached at a location behind the seed-firming wheel to push the seed-firming wheel in a forward direction for firming seeds into soil at the bottom of the furrow during operation of the planter unit.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein said attaching arm has a forward portion on which the seed-firming wheel is rotatably supported, a rearward portion for attaching an extension spring, and an axis of rotation located between the forward and rearward portions, and further comprising the step of using the extension spring to impart an adjustable downward force on the seed-firming wheel during operation.