Seed Furrow Closing Apparatus
First Claim
1. In a seed planting machine capable of opening a seed furrow in the ground and depositing seeds in the furrow as the machine advances, the improvement comprising:
- a pair of side-by-side, ground-driven, rotatable closing wheels adapted to be disposed on opposite sides of said furrow for closing the furrow after seeds have been deposited therein,each of said wheels having a generally dish-shaped configuration presented by a central portion and a circumferentially extending, peripheral flange portion that projects obliquely outwardly away from said central portion and the other wheel,said flange portion being circumferentially notched to present a series of circumferentially spaced, obliquely projecting teeth,each of said wheels having a back side facing toward the other wheel and a front side facing away from the other wheel,the back sides of the teeth of the two wheels cooperating to present generally opposed, downwardly and outwardly diverging wedge surfaces that cooperate to squeeze together and fragmentize the sidewalls of the furrow as the wheels rotate down into the ground during use.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A seed furrow closing wheel has a generally dish-shaped body defined by a central portion and a notched outer flange portion that circumscribes the central portion and projects obliquely outwardly from the plane thereof. The notched flange portion is configured to present a series of circumferentially spaced, non-radial, obliquely projecting teeth that function to fragment and squeeze together opposite sidewalls of the seed furrow when a pair of the wheels are rolled along opposite sides of the furrow outboard of the furrow itself, crumbling the sidewalls and covering the seeds.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. In a seed planting machine capable of opening a seed furrow in the ground and depositing seeds in the furrow as the machine advances, the improvement comprising:
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a pair of side-by-side, ground-driven, rotatable closing wheels adapted to be disposed on opposite sides of said furrow for closing the furrow after seeds have been deposited therein, each of said wheels having a generally dish-shaped configuration presented by a central portion and a circumferentially extending, peripheral flange portion that projects obliquely outwardly away from said central portion and the other wheel, said flange portion being circumferentially notched to present a series of circumferentially spaced, obliquely projecting teeth, each of said wheels having a back side facing toward the other wheel and a front side facing away from the other wheel, the back sides of the teeth of the two wheels cooperating to present generally opposed, downwardly and outwardly diverging wedge surfaces that cooperate to squeeze together and fragmentize the sidewalls of the furrow as the wheels rotate down into the ground during use. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A seed furrow closing wheel comprising:
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a generally dish-shaped body having a central portion and a circumferentially extending, peripheral flange portion that projects obliquely outwardly away from said central portion, said flange portion being circumferentially notched to present a series of circumferentially spaced, obliquely projecting teeth, said body having a generally concave front side and a generally convex back side, the back sides of said teeth presenting a series of wedge surfaces for use in displacing and fragmenting a sidewall of the furrow as the wheel rotates down into the ground during use. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of closing a seed furrow comprising:
engaging the ground laterally outboard of opposite sidewalls of the furrow with generally opposed, downwardly and outwardly inclined, circumferentially interrupted wedge surfaces of a pair of closing wheels to squeeze together and fragmentize the sidewalls of the furrow as the wheels advance along the furrow and rotate down into the ground. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
Specification