SOIL SHAPING SYSTEM FOR PRECISION GROUND ENGAGING IMPLEMENT

• US 20100294182A1
• Filed: 05/21/2009
• Published: 11/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CNH Industrial Canada, Ltd (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Original Assignee: CNH Canada Limited (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Inventors: Henry, Jim
• Granted Patent: US 7,980,186 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 111/152
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/203 comprising depth regulation means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

In an embodiment, an agricultural implement includes a frame configured to couple to a tool bar, a parallel linkage coupled to the frame and a ground engaging tool extending from a shank, where the shank is coupled to the parallel linkage. The agricultural implement also includes a packer wheel configured to control a depth of a valley opened in a soil region by the ground engaging tool and is configured to pack the soil region as the implement is towed through a field and a soil shaping assembly disposed between the ground engaging tool and the packer wheel, wherein the soil shaping assembly is configured to close the valley prior to packing by the packer wheel.

Claims

1. An agricultural implement, comprising:

a frame configured to couple to a tool bar;

a linkage coupled to the frame;

a ground engaging tool extending from a shank, wherein the shank is coupled to the linkage;

a packer wheel configured to control a depth of the ground engaging tool and a resultant valley opened in the soil by the ground engaging tool, and to pack the soil as the implement is towed through a field; and

a soil shaping assembly disposed between the ground engaging tool and the packer wheel, wherein the soil shaping assembly is configured to close the valley prior to packing by the packer wheel.

2. The implement of claim 1, wherein the soil shaping assembly comprises a disk.

3. The implement of claim 1, wherein the soil shaping assembly comprises a harrow tine.

4. The implement of claim 1, wherein the soil shaping assembly comprises a pair of angled disks.

5. The implement of claim 1, wherein the linkage is a parallel linkage.

6. The implement of claim 1, comprising a seeding mechanism to deposit a seed product in the valley.

7. The implement of claim 1, wherein the ground engaging tool comprises a hoe opener.

8. The implement of claim 1, wherein the soil shaping assembly comprises a biasing mechanism.

9. A system, comprising:

a bracket; and

a first disk coupled to the bracket, wherein the first disk is configured to close a soil valley in a seeding path, and wherein the bracket is configured to be disposed between a precision hoe opener and a depth controlling packer wheel.

10. The system of claim 9, comprising a second disk coupled to the bracket, wherein the first and second disks are adjustable to be configured at angles with respect to an implement centerline.

11. The system of claim 9, comprising a ground engaging tool configured to form the valley and a depth controlling packer wheel configured to level the seeding path after the first disk has closed the soil valley.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the packer wheel is configured to control a depth of the ground engaging tool and the soil valley created by the ground engaging tool.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the bracket comprises a biasing mechanism coupled to the first disk.

14. A method, comprising:

mounting a frame to a linkage;

mounting a shank to the linkage

mounting a ground engaging tool to the shank;

mounting a packer wheel assembly to the linkage, wherein the packer wheel is configured to control a position of the ground engaging tool and to pack the soil region as the implement towed through a field; and

mounting a soil shaping assembly to the packer wheel assembly between the ground engaging tool and the packer wheel, wherein the soil shaping assembly is configured to close a valley created by the ground engaging tool prior to packing by the packer wheel.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein mounting the soil shaping assembly comprises mounting a disk to the packer wheel assembly.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein mounting the soil shaping assembly comprises mounting a plurality of disks to the packer wheel assembly.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein mounting the soil shaping assembly comprises mounting a harrow tine to the packer wheel assembly.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein mounting the soil shaping assembly comprises mounting a plurality of harrow tine to the packer wheel assembly.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein mounting a packer wheel assembly comprises mounting the packer wheel assembly to a parallel linkage assembly configured to maintain a constant orientation of the ground engaging tool with respect to the packer wheel.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein mounting a soil shaping assembly comprises coupling a biasing member to a second ground engaging tool.