WALKING BEAM CLOSING DISK ASSEMBLY

• US 20160044856A1
• Filed: 08/14/2014
• Published: 02/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: JANELLE, LUC, SPORRER, ADAM D., NEFZGER, JEREMY
• Granted Patent: US 9,814,171 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 21/08 with disc-like tools
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 39/22 Tools; Mounting tools

Abstract

An agricultural implement has a closing disk assembly for closing furrows along a section of ground. The closing disk assembly has a pair of closing disks attached to opposite sides and opposite ends of a walking beam. The closing disks are offset from a reference plane of the closing disk assembly. The walking beam is rotatably coupled to the closing disk assembly through a rocker assembly, a support arm, and a mounting assembly. The walking beam may rotate relative to the rocker assembly to account for variations in the angle of the ground relative to the disks.

Claims

1. A closing disk assembly for an agricultural implement having a support frame, the closing disk assembly comprising:

a mounting assembly having a frame mount;

a support arm coupled to the mounting assembly;

a rocker assembly coupled to the support arm;

a walking beam pivotally coupled to the rocker assembly about a pivot axis and having first and second disk mounts on opposite sides of the pivot axis; and

first and second closing disks, the first closing disk rotatably mounted to the first disk mount and the second disk mount rotatably mounted to the second disk mount to a side of the walking beam opposite the first closing disk;

wherein the first and second disk mounts of the walking beam are offset from a reference plane of the closing disk assembly.

2. The closing disk assembly of claim 1, wherein the support arm is pivotally coupled to the mounting assembly.

3. The closing disk assembly of claim 1, wherein the reference plane is perpendicular to the pivot axis.

4. The closing disk assembly of claim 3, wherein each closing disk is canted with respect to the reference plane at about the same angle.

5. The closing disk assembly of claim 4, wherein the walking beam has at least one beam segment that is angled with respect to the pivot axis and the reference plane.

6. The closing disk assembly of claim 5, wherein the first and second closing disks pivot about respective first and second closing disk pivot axes;

wherein the walking beam has first and second beam segments extending along a load path;

wherein the load path intersects the respective first and second closing disk pivot axes at respective first and second effective load transfer points; and

wherein the first and second effective load transfer points are located on a common side of the reference plane.

7. The closing disk assembly of claim 6, wherein the first and second beam segments are oriented at different angles with respect to the reference plane.

8. The closing disk assembly of claim 6, wherein the first and second closing disks are oriented at different angles with respect to the respective first and second beam segments.

9. The closing disk assembly of claim 6, wherein the first and second closing disks are canted inwardly toward the reference plane in a direction of travel.

10. The closing disk assembly of claim 6, wherein the first beam segment is forward of the second beam segment in a direction of travel, and

wherein the first beam segment is angled with respect to the reference plane more than the second beam segment.

11. The closing disk assembly of claim 1, wherein the walking beam includes a beam hub coupled to the rocker assembly about the pivot axis and first and second beam segments extending from the beam hub to the respective first and second disk mounts, wherein the pivot axis is located within a central region of the walking beam.

12. An agricultural implement, comprising:

a support frame; and

a disk gang having a plurality of closing disk assemblies mounted to the support frame;

wherein each closing disk assembly includes;

a mounting assembly having a frame mount;

a support arm pivotally coupled to the mounting assembly;

a rocker assembly coupled to the support arm;

a walking beam pivotally coupled to the rocker assembly about a pivot axis and having a pair of disk mounts, the pivot axis being essentially perpendicular to a direction of travel and each disk mount being on an opposite side of the pivot axis; and

a pair of closing disks rotatably mounted to the disk mounts each on an opposite side the walking beam.

13. The agricultural implement of claim 12, further including a ground-engaging tool having a centerline parallel to the direction of travel;

wherein two adjacent closing disk assemblies are spaced apart on each side of the centerline, and wherein one of the adjacent closing disk assemblies has a forward one of its pair of closing disks closest to the centerline and the other of the adjacent closing disk assemblies has a rear one of its pair of closing disks closest to the centerline.

14. The agricultural implement of claim 12, wherein the walking beam includes a beam hub coupled to the rocker assembly about the pivot axis and first and second beam segments extending from the beam hub to the respective first and second disk mounts, wherein the first beam segment is angled with respect to the second beam segment.

15. The agricultural implement of claim 14, wherein each closing disk is angled with respect to the associated beam segment.

16. The agricultural implement of claim 12, wherein the rocker assembly has a first end stop and a second end stop;

and

wherein the first and second end stops limit the rotation of the walking beam relative to the rocker assembly.

17. The agricultural implement of claim 12, wherein the closing disks pivot about respective first and second closing disk pivot axes;

wherein the walking beam has first and second beam segments extending along a load path;

wherein the load path intersects the respective first and second closing disk pivot axes at respective first and second effective load transfer points; and

wherein the first and second effective load transfer points are located on a common side of the reference plane.

18. An agricultural implement, comprising:

a support frame; and

a disk gang having a plurality of closing disk assemblies mounted to the support frame;

wherein each closing disk assembly includes;

a mounting assembly having a frame mount;

a rocker assembly coupled to the support arm;

a walking beam pivotally coupled to the rocker assembly about a pivot axis passing through the walking beam and having a pair of disk mounts, the pivot axis being essentially perpendicular to a direction of travel of the implement and each disk mount being on the opposite end of the pivot axis; and

a first closing disk and a second closing disk rotatably mounted to the disk mounts each on an opposite side of the walking beam;

wherein the first closing disk rotates about a first axis, the second closing disk rotates about a second axis; and

wherein the first axis and the pivot axis form a first angle and the second axis and the pivot axis form a second angle.

19. The agricultural implement of claim 18, wherein the walking beam has first and second beam segments extending along a load path;

wherein the load path intersects the respective first and second closing disk pivot axes at respective first and second effective load transfer points; and

wherein the first and second effective load transfer points are located on a common side of the reference plane.

20. The agricultural implement of claim 19, wherein the reference plane is perpendicular to the pivot axis and each closing disk is canted with respect to the reference plane at about the same angle;

and

wherein the first and second beam segments are oriented with respect to the reference plane at different angles and wherein the first and second closing disks are oriented at different angles with respect to the respective first and second beam segments.