Agricultural Implement Having Fluid Delivery Features

• US 20110088603A1
• Filed: 03/22/2010
• Published: 04/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dawn Equipment Company
• Original Assignee: Dawn Equipment Company
• Inventors: Bassett, Joseph D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,327,780 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 111/121
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 23/024 for ammonia
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 23/025 Continuous injection tools

Abstract

An agricultural implement is directed to delivering a fluid to the soil of an agricultural field and includes a main frame attached to an opener device, a closing device, a pivoting assembly, and an injection tine. The opener device forms a furrow in the soil, the closing device trails the opener device for closing the furrow, and the injection tine delivers the fluid towards the furrow. The injection tine has a pivoting end attached to the pivoting assembly and a bottom end extending downwardly into the furrow between the opener device and the closing device. The pivoting end is pivotably connected at the pivoting end such that the injection tine is freely pivotable in at least two independent pivotable directions relative to furrow. A diffuser is attached to the bottom end of the injection tine for expelling the fluid into the furrow.

Claims

1. An agricultural implement for delivering a fluid to the soil of an agricultural field, the system comprising:

a main frame;

an opener device attached to the frame for forming a furrow in the soil;

a closing device attached to the main frame and trailing the opener device for closing the furrow;

a pivoting assembly attached to the main frame;

an injection tine for delivering a fluid towards the furrow, the injection tine having a pivoting end attached to the pivoting assembly and a bottom end extending downwardly into the furrow between the opener device and the closing device, the pivoting end being pivotably connected at the pivoting end such that the injection tine is freely pivotable in at least two independent pivotable directions relative to furrow; and

a diffuser attached to the bottom end of the injection tine for expelling the fluid into the furrow.

2. The agricultural implement of claim 1, wherein one of the at least two independent pivotable directions is a first pivotable direction around a horizontal (Y) axis that is generally perpendicular to the length of the furrow, the first pivotable direction allowing the injection tine to self-adjust generally as the injection tine moves over obstructions.

3. The agricultural implement of claim 1, wherein one of the at least two independent pivotable directions is a second pivotable direction around a horizontal (X) axis that is generally parallel to the length of the furrow, the second pivotable direction allowing the injection tine to self-adjust generally along a centerline of the furrow.

4. The agricultural implement of claim 1, wherein one of the at least two independent pivotable directions is a third pivotable direction around a vertical (Z) axis that is generally perpendicular to the length of the furrow, the third pivotable direction allowing the injection tine to stay in the furrow when the agricultural implement is driven around a curve.

5. The agricultural implement of claim 1, wherein the injection tine is freely pivotable in three pivotable directions, a first pivotable direction around a horizontal (Y) axis that is generally perpendicular to the length of the furrow, a second pivotable direction around a horizontal (X) axis that is generally parallel to the length of the furrow, and a third pivotable direction around a vertical (Z) axis that is generally perpendicular to the length of the furrow.

6. The agricultural implement of claim 1, further comprising a spring coupled between the main frame and the pivoting assembly, the injection tine being biased in a flexible position by the spring to maintain the diffuser in close contact with the bottom of the furrow, the spring causing a linear force for achieving one of the at least two independent pivotable directions.

7. The agricultural implement of claim 1, further comprising a depending arm attached to the main frame at a pivotable connection, the pivoting assembly being attached to the main frame via the depending arm, the closing device being attached to the main frame independently of the depending arm.

8. The agricultural implement of claim 1, further comprising a spring coupled between the main frame and the pivoting assembly, the pivoting assembly including a generally horizontal shaft that extends between the pivoting end of the injection tine and a lower end of the spring.

9. The agricultural implement of claim 1, the opener device is an opener disc pivotably attached to the main frame at a pivotable connection for allowing changes to the angle of the opener disc so that the opener disc can engage the soil at different angles.

10. The agricultural implement of claim 9, further comprising a depending arm attached to the main at the pivotable connection, the opener device being attached to the main frame via the depending arm.

11. The agricultural implement of claim 9, wherein the angle of the opener disc is changeable from an initial setting of about 0°

to a second setting that can range from about 4°

to about 10°

, the 0°

angle of the initial setting being at a centerline along the length of the furrow.

12. A method of delivering a fluid to the soil of an agricultural field, the method comprising:

forming a furrow in the soil with a towed opener device;

closing the furrow with a towed closing device trailing the opener device;

extending an injection tine downwardly into the furrow between the opener device and the closing device, the injection tine having a bottom end coupled to a diffuser;

while the injection tine is moving within the furrow, freely moving the injection tine in three independent pivotable directions for self-adjusting between opposite walls of the furrow; and

expelling the fluid through the diffuser after the closing of the furrow.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the injection tine is freely movable in a first pivotable direction as the injection tine moves over obstructions, the first pivotable direction being around a horizontal (Y) axis that is generally perpendicular to the length of the furrow.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the injection tine is freely movable along a centerline of the furrow in a second pivotable direction, the second pivotable direction being around a horizontal (X) axis that is generally parallel to the length of the furrow.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the injection tine is freely movable in a third pivotable direction for allowing the injection tine to stay within the furrow when driven around a curve, the third pivotable direction being around a vertical (Z) axis that is generally perpendicular to the length of the furrow.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising exerting a linear spring force on the injection tine to maintain the diffuser in close contact with the bottom of the furrow, the linear spring force causing one of the three independent pivotable directions.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising exerting the linear spring force in a downward position along a vertical (Z) axis that is generally perpendicular to the length of the furrow.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising exerting the linear spring force in a general horizontal direction along a horizontal (X) axis that is generally parallel to the length of the furrow.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising attaching the closing device and the opener device to a main frame in an independent manner, wherein the opener device is rotatable independently of the closing device.

20. The method of claim 12, further comprising adjusting an angle of the opener device with respect to the furrow so that the opener device engages the soil at different angles.