FURROW CLOSING ASSEMBLY AND METHOD
First Claim
1. A furrow closing assembly for use with agricultural planters having individual row units, each row unit having a row unit subframe with a pair of pivot pins protruding laterally outwardly from opposite sides of said subframe near a rear end thereof, said furrow closing assembly comprising:
- a closing wheel rotatably attached to a closing wheel arm assembly and adapted to move soil into a furrow behind said row unit subframe;
a press wheel rotatably attached to a press wheel arm assembly and adapted to roll over a soil surface behind said closing wheel;
a front portion of said furrow closing assembly pivotally mounted to said pivot pins for allowing said furrow closing assembly to pivot about a generally horizontal axis relative to said row unit subframe; and
said press wheel arm assembly and said closing wheel arm assembly being pivotal relative to each other to allow relative vertical movement between said closing wheel and said press wheel during operation.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Agricultural planter row units feature soil finishing assemblies for closing a seed groove after seed is placed in the soil. An adjustable furrow closing assembly enhances upper seed groove coverage and closure with soil resulting in sustained relative humidity levels and optimum seed-to-soil contact for faster seed germination. The furrow closing assembly includes a closing wheel assembly having at least one closing wheel and a press wheel assembly having a press wheel following behind the closing wheels. The closing wheels and press wheel are attached to the planter row unit in a manner allowing the press wheel to move vertically relative to the closing wheels. Adjustable down-force systems are provided to vary the down force applied to the closing wheels and the press wheel to maintain optimum soil contact in irregular terrain and in varying soil densities and conditions to provide optimum soil coverage and compaction of the seed bed.
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Citations
43 Claims
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1. A furrow closing assembly for use with agricultural planters having individual row units, each row unit having a row unit subframe with a pair of pivot pins protruding laterally outwardly from opposite sides of said subframe near a rear end thereof, said furrow closing assembly comprising:
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a closing wheel rotatably attached to a closing wheel arm assembly and adapted to move soil into a furrow behind said row unit subframe; a press wheel rotatably attached to a press wheel arm assembly and adapted to roll over a soil surface behind said closing wheel; a front portion of said furrow closing assembly pivotally mounted to said pivot pins for allowing said furrow closing assembly to pivot about a generally horizontal axis relative to said row unit subframe; and said press wheel arm assembly and said closing wheel arm assembly being pivotal relative to each other to allow relative vertical movement between said closing wheel and said press wheel during operation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A furrow closing assembly for use with agricultural planters, comprising:
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a press wheel arm assembly having a front end adapted to be pivotally attached to a pair of pivot pins on a planter row unit subframe for pivotal movement about a transverse axis of rotation; a press wheel rotatably attached to a rear end of said press wheel arm assembly and arranged to roll over a soil surface behind said planter row unit subframe; a closing wheel arm assembly having a front end adapted to be pivotally attached to said pair of pivot pins; and at least one closing wheel rotatably attached to said closing wheel arm assembly, said closing wheel being arranged to move soil into a furrow in front of said press wheel. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A planter row unit for an agricultural seeder, comprising:
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a row unit subframe having a front portion, a rear portion and a pair of pivot pins protruding laterally outwardly from opposite sides of said rear portion; a furrow opener mounted to the front portion of said subframe for creating a furrow in which seeds can be deposited; and a furrow closing assembly pivotally mounted to said pivot pins to pivot about a generally horizontal axis relative to subframe, said furrow closing assembly comprising; at least one closing wheel rotatably attached to a closing wheel arm assembly and adapted to move soil into the furrow created by said furrow opener; a press wheel rotatably attached to a press wheel arm assembly and adapted to roll over a soil surface behind said closing wheel; and said press wheel arm assembly and said closing wheel arm assembly being pivotal relative to each other to allow relative vertical movement between said closing wheel and said press wheel during operation. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A planter row unit for an agricultural seeder, comprising:
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a row unit subframe; a furrow opener mounted to said subframe for creating a furrow in which seeds can be deposited; a furrow closing assembly pivotally mounted to said subframe, said furrow closing assembly comprising; at least one closing wheel rotatably attached to a closing wheel arm assembly and adapted to move soil into the furrow created by said furrow opener; a press wheel rotatably attached to a press wheel arm assembly and adapted to roll over a soil surface behind said closing wheel; said press wheel arm assembly and said closing wheel arm assembly being moveable relative to each other to allow relative vertical movement between said closing wheel and said press wheel during operation; a first down-force system arranged between said subframe and a point on said furrow closing assembly for biasing said furrow closing assembly in a downward direction; a second down-force system arranged between said press wheel arm assembly and said closing wheel arm assembly for transferring down force between said press wheel and said closing wheel; and a means for adjusting at least one of said first and second down-force systems remotely to change an amount of down force imparted thereby. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A method of closing a furrow during agricultural planting, comprising:
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providing a planter row unit having a furrow closing assembly with at least one closing wheel followed by a rolling press wheel; and adjusting a down force imparted to said rolling press wheel and/or said closing wheel from a remote location during a planting operation. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43)
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Specification