ROW UNIT SOIL FINISHING APPARATUS

• US 20100059238A1
• Filed: 09/09/2008
• Published: 03/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blue Leaf IP Incorporated (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Original Assignee: CNH America Llc (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Inventors: Tetrick, James L., Kovach, Michael G., Smart, Greg S., Ireland, Scott G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,857,072 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 172/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/203 comprising depth regulation means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 60/20 Reduction of greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions in agriculture, e.g. CO2

Abstract

The present invention provides a novel configuration for agricultural row units that feature soil finishing assemblies. This configuration of the finishing assembly provides a simple adjustment of the height of the finishing assembly to enhance usability and flexibility of the row unit. The improved adjustment mechanism enhances user control over the vertical distance between the finishing wheels/discs and the ground opening assembly. In an exemplary embodiment, soil finishing assembly is pivotally coupled to the row unit frame via a height adjustment assembly. The height adjustment assembly may feature a biasing member and other components to allow adjustment of one end of the pivotal coupling of the adjustment assembly within the row unit assembly.

Claims

1. An agricultural system comprising:

a support bracket configured to couple to a plow assembly;

a mounting bracket pivotally coupled to the support bracket;

wherein said mounting bracket having horizontal plates;

a shank coupled to said mounting bracket;

wherein said shank is non-curved and extends downwardly from said mounting bracket;

a ground penetrating assembly coupled to said shank;

an upper bracket coupled to the support structure;

a finishing wheel arm mounted to said horizontal plates;

a finishing wheel mounting assembly mounted to said finishing wheel arm;

a plurality of finishing wheels coupled to the finishing wheel mounting assembly and configured to contact a surface of the ground aft of the ground penetrating assembly; and

a height adjustment assembly comprising a biasing member, wherein a first end of the adjustment assembly is pivotally coupled to the upper bracket and a second end of the height adjustment assembly is pivotally coupled to the mounting bracket, a pivot point of the height adjustment assembly being movable to enable a vertical adjustment of the finishing assembly with respect to the ground penetrating assembly and thereby adjustment of soil conditioning.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the height adjustment assembly comprises a pivot pin coupling the adjustment assembly to the upper bracket.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the upper bracket comprises a plurality of holes to receive the pin, wherein the holes are disposed at different positions configured to enable the vertical adjustment of the finishing assembly.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the finishing assembly comprises a firming wheel configured to ride on and firm soil displaced by the ground penetrating assembly.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the finishing assembly comprises berm building disc blades configured to engage and shape soil displaced by the ground penetrating assembly.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the ground penetrating assembly comprises a tool rigidly mounted to a lower end of a shank.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the biasing member is configured to urge the finishing assembly downward by exerting a force on the upper bracket.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the firming wheels configured to ride on and firm soil displaced by the ground penetrating assembly and configured to be mounted to a plurality of locations on the mounting bracket to control an amount of soil to be displaced.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the tension member maintains a predetermined distance between the upper bracket and the mounting bracket to define the vertical adjustment of the finishing assembly with respect to the ground penetrating assembly.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the compression spring permits limited variation in depth of the ground penetrating assembly but urges the ground penetrating assembly towards a set depth with respect to the finishing assembly.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the finishing assembly comprises the plurality of finishing wheels mounted to wheel arms that are positionable on the mounting bracket to enable the plurality of firming wheels to be located inside the wheel arms and, alternatively, outside of the wheel arms.

12. A tillage system comprising:

a ground penetrating assembly coupled to a shank;

said shank coupled to a support structure;

wherein said shank is non-curved and extends downwardly from said support structure;

a mounting bracket pivotally coupled to the support structure;

wherein said mounting bracket having horizontal plates attached thereto;

a finishing assembly coupled to the said horizontal plate and configured to contact a surface of the ground aft of the ground penetrating assembly; and

an upper bracket coupled to the support structure, wherein the upper bracket comprises holes; and

a height adjustment assembly comprising a compression spring and a tension member extending longitudinally through the compression spring, wherein the tension member is configured to maintain a predetermined distance between the upper bracket and the mounting bracket, a first end of the height adjustment assembly is pivotally coupled to the mounting bracket, a second end of the height adjustment assembly comprises a pivot pin configured to selectively insert in different holes in the upper bracket to change a joint connection position to enable a vertical adjustment of the finishing assembly with respect to the ground penetrating assembly.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the finishing assembly comprises a firming wheel configured to ride on and firm soil displaced by the ground penetrating assembly.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the finishing assembly comprises berm building disc blades configured to engage and shape soil displaced by the ground penetrating assembly.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the ground penetrating assembly comprises a tool rigidly mounted to a lower end of said shank.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the compression spring is configured to urge the finishing assembly downward by exerting a force on the upper bracket.

17. A method of manufacturing an agricultural row unit system, the method comprising:

mounting a ground penetrating assembly to extend from a shank;

said shank coupled to a support structure;

wherein said shank is non-curved and extends downwardly from said support structure;

pivotally coupling a mounting bracket to the support structure;

coupling a soil finishing assembly to the mounting bracket aft of the ground penetrating assembly;

pivotally coupling a first end of a height adjustment assembly to the mounting bracket, wherein the height adjustment assembly comprises a biasing member; and

pivotally coupling a second end of the height adjustment assembly to an upper bracket, wherein the height adjustment assembly is movable to enable a vertical adjustment of the finishing assembly with respect to the ground penetrating assembly and thereby adjustment of a planting depth.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the upper bracket comprises holes and the method comprises inserting a pivot pin of the height adjustment assembly selectively to different holes in the upper bracket, wherein the pivot pin and holes enable a vertical adjustment of the finishing assembly with respect to the ground penetrating assembly.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the height adjustment assembly comprises a compression spring and a tension member extending longitudinally though the compression spring, wherein the tension member is configured to maintain a predetermined distance between the upper bracket and the mounting bracket.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the compression spring permits limited variation in depth of the ground penetrating assembly but urges the ground penetrating assembly towards a set depth with respect to the finishing assembly

21. The method of claim 17, comprising mounting a firming wheel to the finishing assembly wherein the firming wheel is configured to ride on and firm or shape soil displaced by the ground penetrating assembly.

22. The method of claim 17, comprising mounting berm building disc blades to the finishing assembly wherein the berm building disc blades are configured to engage and shape soil displaced by the ground penetrating assembly.