SEED PLANTER WITH EQUALIZER ASSEMBLY

• US 20090235853A1
• Filed: 12/22/2008
• Published: 09/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schaffert Manufacturing Company, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Schaffert Manufacturing Company, Inc.
• Inventors: Schaffert, Paul E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,356,563 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 111/163
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 5/064 with rotating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/06 Seeders combined with fertilising apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/201 Mounting of the seeding tools
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 60/21 Dinitrogen oxide [N2O], e.g. using aquaponics, hydroponics or efficiency measures

Abstract

Disclosed herein is an agriculture planter. The planter may include a planter frame, a seed hopper and a trailing arm assembly. The planter frame may include a hitch tongue extending forwardly from the planter frame. The planter frame supports the seed hopper. The a trailing arm assembly is vertically pivotally coupled to a rear portion of the planter frame, extends rearward from the planter frame and includes a trailing arm frame and a lever arm vertically pivotally coupled to the trailing arm frame by a pivot point. The lever arm includes a leading end, a trailing end, a middle portion, a furrow opener disc and a first furrow closer wheel. The disc is rotatably mounted to the lever arm near the leading end. The first wheel is rotatably mounted to the lever arm near the trailing end. The middle portion is pivotably coupled to the pivot point.

Claims

1. An agriculture planter comprising:

a planter frame including a hitch tongue extending forwardly from the planter frame;

a seed hopper supported by the planter frame; and

a trailing arm assembly vertically pivotally coupled to a rear portion of the planter frame, extending rearward from the planter frame and including a trailing arm frame and a lever arm vertically pivotally coupled to the trailing arm frame by a pivot point,

wherein the lever arm includes a leading end, a trailing end, a middle portion, a furrow opener disc and a first furrow closer wheel, the disc rotatably mounted to the lever arm near the leading end, the first wheel rotatably mounted to the lever arm near the trailing end, and the middle portion pivotably coupled to the pivot point.

2. The planter of claim 1, further comprising a fertilizer distribution tube coupled to the lever arm.

3. The planter of claim 2, wherein the tube is located near the middle portion.

4. The planter of claim 3, wherein the tube is located at least one of (1) between the leading end and the middle portion and (2) behind the disc close to the pivot to minimize rocking action to minimize displacement of fertilizer hose.

5. The planter of claim 1, further comprising a second furrow closer wheel rotatably mounted on an opposite side of the trailing arm frame from the lever arm.

6. The planter of claim 5, wherein the pivot point of the lever arm is generally directly across the trailing arm frame from a rotation point of the second wheel.

7. The planter of claim 5, wherein the second wheel is located more forwardly along the trailing arm frame than the first wheel.

8. An agriculture planter comprising:

a planter frame;

a pivot point operably coupled to the planter frame;

a walking axle assembly including a lever arm, a furrow opening disc rotatably mounted on a leading end of the lever arm and a first furrow closing wheel rotatably mounted on a trailing end of the lever arm, wherein a middle portion of the lever arm is vertically pivotally coupled to the pivot point.

9. The planter of claim 8, further comprising a trailing arm assembly including a trailing arm frame vertically pivotally coupled to the planter frame, wherein the pivot point is located on a side of the trailing arm frame.

10. The planter of claim 9, wherein the trailing arm assembly further includes a second furrow-closing wheel rotatably mounted on an opposite side of the trailing arm frame from the lever arm.

11. The planter of claim 10, wherein pivot point and a rotation point of the second wheel are generally aligned with each other along a length of the trailing arm frame.

12. The planter of claim 10, wherein the second wheel is located more forwardly along the trailing arm frame than the first wheel.

13. The planter of claim 8, further comprising a fertilizer distribution tube coupled to the lever arm.

14. The planter of claim 13, wherein the tube is located near the middle portion.

15. The planter of claim 13, wherein the tube is located between the leading end and the middle portion.

16. An agriculture planter comprising:

a planter frame;

a trailing arm assembly vertically pivotally coupled to a trailing side of the planter frame;

a rotatable furrow opening disc operably coupled to the trailing arm assembly; and

a first rotatable furrow closing wheel operably coupled to the to trailing arm assembly, wherein displacement of the first wheel relative to the trailing arm assembly causes displacement of the disc relative to the trailing arm assembly.

17. The planter of claim 16, wherein displacement of the first wheel relative to the trailing arm assembly in an upward direction causes displacement of the disc relative to the trailing arm assembly in a downward direction.

18. The planter of claim 17, wherein the displacement of the first wheel relative to the trailing arm assembly is generally greater than the displacement of the disc relative to the trailing arm assembly.

19. The planter of claim 17, wherein the displacement of the first wheel relative to the trailing arm assembly is not equal to, but is proportional to, the displacement of the disc relative to the trailing arm assembly.

20. The planter of claim 17, wherein displacement of the first wheel relative to the trailing arm assembly in a clockwise direction causes displacement of the disc relative to the trailing arm assembly in a clockwise direction.

21. The planter of claim 16, wherein the trailing arm assembly further includes a second rotatable furrow-closing wheel.

22. The planter of claim 21, wherein the second wheel is on an opposite side of the trailing arm assembly from the first wheel.

23. The planter of claim 16, further comprising a lever arm pivotably coupled to the trailing arm assembly and operably coupling the disc and first wheel to each other.

24. The planter of claim 16, further comprising a fertilizer distribution operably coupled to the disc.

39. The agricultural planter of claim 16 further comprising a lever arm including at least a leading end, a middle portion and a trailing end, wherein a plurality of mounting positions are located on the leading end of the lever arm.

25. An agricultural planter comprising:

a planter frame;

a pivot point operably coupled to the planter frame; and

a walking axle assembly including a lever arm pivotally coupled to a rear portion of the planter frame, wherein the lever arm includes a leading end, a trailing end and a middle position, further wherein at least one end of the lever arm includes a plurality of mounting positions and the middle portion of the lever arm is vertically pivotally coupled to the pivot point.

26. The agricultural planter of claim 25 wherein the trailing end of the lever arm includes the plurality of mounting positions.

27. The agricultural planter of claim 26 further comprising a furrow closer wheel rotatably coupled to one of the plurality of mounting positions.

28. The agricultural planter of claim 25 wherein the lever arm includes at least a mounting bracket with a plurality of mounting positions, wherein a furrow closing wheel is rotatably mounted to one of the plurality of mounting positions, further wherein a furrow opening disc is rotatably mounted to the leading end of the lever arm.

29. The agricultural planter of claim 25 further comprising a fertilizer distribution tube coupled to the lever arm.

30. The agricultural planter of claim 29 wherein the fertilizer distribution tube is located near the middle portion of the lever arm.

31. The agricultural planter of claim 25 wherein the rotation point of a furrow closing disc is generally aligned with the pivot point of the lever arm and generally aligned with the rotation point of a furrow closer wheel.

32. An agricultural planter comprising:

a planter frame;

a pivot point operably coupled to the planter frame; and

a walking axle assembly further comprising;

a lever arm pivotally coupled to a rear portion of the planter frame, wherein the lever arm includes at least a leading end, a trailing end and a middle portion, wherein a middle portion of the lever arm is vertically pivotally coupled to the pivot point;

a furrow closing wheel rotatably mounted on a leading end; and

a furrow opening disc rotatably mounted on a trailing end of the lever arm.

33. The agricultural planter of claim 32 further comprising a fertilizer distribution tube coupled to the lever arm wherein the tube is located near the trailing end of the lever arm.

34. The agricultural planter of claim 32 wherein the lever arm includes a plurality of mounting positions.

35. The agricultural planter of claim 32 wherein the lever arm includes at least a mounting bracket located at one of the trailing end or the leading end of the lever arm, with at least two holes for rotatably mounting at least one of a wheel or disc.

36. The agricultural planter of claim 34 wherein the first furrow closing wheel is pivotably coupled to one of the plurality of the mounting positions.

37. The agricultural planter of claim 34 wherein the plurality of mounting positions are located at the leading end of the lever arm.

38. The agricultural planter of claim 32 wherein at least a pivot point of the lever arm and a rotation point of the first wheel are generally aligned with each other along a length of the trailing arm frame.