CLOSING SYSTEM FOR AN AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENT

• US 20160037704A1
• Filed: 08/07/2014
• Published: 02/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blue Leaf IP Incorporated (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Original Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Inventors: Anderson, Brian John, Dienst, Johnathon R., Raetzman, Ryan R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,750,176 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 5/068 Furrow packing devices, e.g. press wheels
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 60/00 Technologies relating to agriculture, livestock or agroalimentary industries

Abstract

A row unit for an agricultural implement includes a closing disc configured to move soil into a trench. The closing disc is rotatably coupled to a first portion of a support structure via a first arm to facilitate vertical movement of the closing disc relative to the support structure. The row unit also includes a packer wheel positioned aft of the closing disc and configured to pack soil over the trench. The packer wheel is rotatably coupled to a second portion of the support structure via a second arm. The closing disc and the packer wheel are independently movable relative to one another.

Claims

1. A row unit for an agricultural implement comprising:

a support structure;

a closing disc configured to move soil into a trench, the closing disc rotatably coupled to a first portion of the support structure via a first arm to facilitate vertical movement of the closing disc relative to the support structure, wherein the support structure comprises multiple apertures each configured to receive a pin, and the pin is configured to be inserted into one of the multiple apertures to block vertical movement of the first arm; and

a packer wheel positioned aft of the closing disc and configured to pack soil over the trench, the packer wheel rotatably coupled to a second portion of the support structure via a second arm, wherein the closing disc and the packer wheel are independently movable relative to one another.

2. The row unit of claim 1, comprising a pair of closing discs, wherein the first arm comprises a first branch coupled to a first closing disc of the pair of closing discs and a second branch coupled to a second closing disc of the pair of closing discs.

3. The row unit of claim 2, wherein the first closing disc and the second closing disc are axially offset relative to one another.

4. The row unit of claim 1, comprising a first biasing member configured to urge the closing disc toward the soil as the agricultural implement travels across a field.

5. The row unit of claim 4, wherein the first biasing member extends from a third portion of the support structure to the first arm.

6. The row unit of claim 4, wherein the multiple apertures are vertically spaced apart and a force of the first biasing member is adjustable via insertion of the pin into one of the multiple apertures.

7. The row unit of claim 4, comprising a second biasing member configured to urge the packer wheel toward the soil as the agricultural implement travels across the field.

8. The row unit of claim 7, wherein the second biasing member extends from a third portion of the support structure to an anchor coupled to the second arm.

9. The row unit of claim 8, wherein the anchor comprises two parallel arms extending from a support bar.

21. The row unit of claim 1, wherein the first arm is coupled to the first portion of the support structure via a first pivot, the second arm is coupled to the second portion of the support structure via a second pivot, and the first pivot is positioned below the second pivot.

10. A row unit for an agricultural implement comprising:

a support structure;

a closing disc suspended from the support structure at least in part by a first biasing member and rotatably supported by a first arm that is pivotally coupled to the support structure by a first pivot, wherein the closing disc is configured to be positioned aft of an opener disc and to move soil into a trench formed by the opener disc as the agricultural implement travels across a field; and

a packer wheel suspended from the support structure at least in part by a second biasing member and rotatably supported by a second arm that is pivotally coupled to the support structure by a second pivot, wherein the packer wheel is positioned aft of the closing disc, the packer wheel is configured to pack soil over the trench as the agricultural implement travels across the field, and the closing disc and the packer wheel are separately suspended from the support structure to enable the closing disc and the packer wheel to move independently from one another in a vertical direction relative to the support structure, and the first pivot is coupled to the support structure at a position that is vertically below the second pivot.

22. The row unit of claim 10, wherein the support structure comprises multiple apertures each configured to receive a pin, and the pin is configured to be inserted into one of the multiple apertures to block movement of the first arm in the vertical direction and to adjust a force of the first biasing member.

11. (canceled)

12. The row unit of claim 11, wherein the first biasing member extends between the first arm and the support structure.

13. (canceled)

14. The row unit of claim 13, wherein the second biasing member extends between an anchor coupled to the second arm and the support structure.

15. A row unit for an agricultural implement comprising:

a support structure configured to be coupled to a frame of the row unit;

a closing assembly, comprising;

a closing disc configured to move soil into a trench, wherein the closing disc is coupled to the support structure via a first arm pivotally coupled to a lower region of the support structure; and

a packing assembly, comprising;

a packer wheel configured to pack the soil over the trench, wherein the packer wheel is coupled to the support structure via a second arm pivotally coupled to a central region of the support structure that is vertically above the lower region, and the closing disc and the packer wheel are independently movable relative to one another in a vertical direction relative to the support structure.

16. The row unit of claim 15, wherein the closing disc is coupled to the support structure via a first biasing member coupled to an upper region of the support structure that is vertically above the central region.

17. The row unit of claim 16, comprising a pair of closing discs, wherein the first arm comprises a first branch coupled to a first closing disc of the pair of closing discs and a second branch coupled to a second closing disc of the pair of closing discs.

18. The row unit of claim 16, wherein the first biasing member is coupled to the upper region of the support structure and to the first arm.

19. The row unit of claim 15, wherein the packer wheel is coupled to the support structure via a second biasing member coupled to an upper region of the support structure that is vertically above the central region.

20. The row unit of claim 19, wherein the second biasing member is coupled to the upper region of the support structure and to an anchor extending from the second arm.