SOIL TILLING AND PLANTING IMPLEMENT

• US 20120012349A1
• Filed: 07/29/2011
• Published: 01/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: L & B Manufacturing, Inc.
• Original Assignee: L & B Manufacturing, Inc.
• Inventors: Van Buskirk, Loyd C., Meldahl, Brian R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,601,961 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 172/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 29/048 Bar cage rollers
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 33/024 with disk-like tools
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 33/087 Lifting devices; Depth regulation devices; Mountings
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 35/16 with rotating or circulating non-propelled tools
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 49/06 for sowing or fertilising
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 61/048 the connection or the energy accumulator being active in two opposite directions, e.g. for reversible plows
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 63/10 operated by hydraulic or pneumatic means
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 63/111 regulating working depth of implements
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 63/32 operated by hydraulic or pneumatic means without automatic control
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/006 Minimum till seeding
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/203 comprising depth regulation means
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/205 comprising pressure regulation means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 60/20 Reduction of greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions in agriculture, e.g. CO2
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 111/927 Parallelogram mounting

Abstract

A mount for a trash whipping implement for connection to a planter is disclosed. A height and force adjustable mounting system is also disclosed for use with a planter that enables the force of such an implement on the soil to be modulated as desired.

Claims

1. A mounting system for a trash whipping field conditioning implement system comprising:

an adjustable attachment mechanism suitable for attaching trash whipping disks further comprising;

(a) a mounting structure including a plate adapted to be fixed to a seed planter, tow bar, or the like, that is adapted to be drawn by a tractor;

(b) a pair of arms pivotally attached to the mounting structure in parallel, spaced relation flanking said implement, said arms extending away from the mounting plate;

(c) a lower assembly including a main cross member connected between said pair of arms;

(d) a triangular mount suitable for carrying a pair of trash whipping disks fixed to said cross member; and

(e) a pneumatic actuator arrangement operatively coupled between the mounting structure and said lower assembly for selectively raising and lowering the mount relative to the ground.

2. A mounting system as in claim 1 wherein said pneumatic actuator arrangement includes down force and lift air bags operably attached to said lower assembly by spaced shoulder bolts, each being attached to a fulcrum member connected to said lower assembly connected between said pair of arms.

3. A mounting system as claimed in claim 2 wherein said down force air bag is mounted between a pivotally mounted bottom pedestal and a fixed upper bracket, said bottom pedestal being connected to spaced fulcrum members by shoulder bolts.

4. A mounting system as in claim 2 wherein said lift air bag is mounted between a moving upper U-shaped bracket and a bent flange member, said U-shaped bracket having legs connected to said lower assembly by fulcrum plates and shoulder bolts.

5. A mounting system as in claim 2 wherein said pneumatic actuator arrangement includes an electronic and a manual regulator.

6. A mounting system as in claim 2 wherein said air bags can be operated such that inflation of said lift air bag causes deflation and collapse of said down force air bag to cause the triangular mount and any attached disks to be raised out of contact with the ground.

7. A mounting system as in claim 2 wherein said air bags can be operated such that air can be supplied to both said lift and said down force air bags at the same time and the resulting net up or down force can be modulated to a desired value.

8. A mounting system as in claim 1 wherein said pair of arms are connected to pivot on a pair of spaced shoulder bolts.

9. A mounting system as in claim 1 including a pair of trash whipping disks mounted on said triangular mount.

10. A method of operating a trash whipping implement attached to a seed planter comprising adjusting the net force of the trash whipping implement against the ground as desired using a pneumatic actuator system.

11. A method as in claim 10 wherein the net force is adjusted by modulating relative air pressure in down force and lift air bags.