METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SEED BED PREPARATION

• US 20180228072A1
• Filed: 11/02/2017
• Published: 08/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bourgault Industries Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Bourgault Industries Ltd.
• Inventors: Cresswell, Mark, Lung, Devin, Bayne, Kyle, Kondratowicz, Trevor
• Granted Patent: US 10,609,852 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 21/086 of the type in which the disc-like tools are individually mounted
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 23/00 Elements, tools, or details of harrows
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 49/02 with two or more soil-working tools of different kind
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 5/04 drawn by tractors
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 61/046 the device including an energy accumulator for restoring the tool to its working position

Abstract

An implement for preparing a seed bed has a front row of vertical discs, followed by three rows of shanks, followed by harrows and then rolling baskets. A hydraulic cylinder is mounted between each shank and the implement frame and exerts a constant selected trip bias force on the shanks that is adjustable up to 1300 pounds. The implement frame is configured such that a total weight on the wheels when the ground engaging tools are in the raised transport position is greater than about 850 pounds per foot of width of the implement frame. The implement is towed at speeds of at least seven miles per hour with the shanks penetrating the soil to a depth of three inches or more. Residue is cut and buried and the field surface left firm and smooth.

Claims

1. A method of preparing a seed bed on a field surface comprising:

mounting an implement frame on wheels for travel over the field surface in an operating travel direction;

mounting to the implement frame a plurality of discs spaced side by side in a disc row along a width of a front of the implement frame wherein rotational axes of the discs are oriented substantially horizontally and perpendicular to the operating travel direction such that the discs penetrate the field surface substantially vertically;

mounting to the implement frame a plurality of shank assemblies spaced side by side in shank rows behind the disc row along the width of the implement frame, each shank assembly comprising a shank and a shovel mounted on a bottom end of each shank;

wherein the shank assemblies are pivotally mounted to the implement frame such that each shank is pivotable rearward and upward with respect to the implement frame from a lowered working shank position to a raised tripped shank position;

mounting a hydraulic cylinder between each shank and the implement frame and directing hydraulic fluid into each hydraulic cylinder such that each hydraulic cylinder exerts a substantially constant selected trip bias force on the corresponding shank toward the working shank position;

mounting to the implement frame a plurality of harrow sections spaced side by side along the width of the implement frame rearward of the shank assemblies;

mounting to the implement frame a plurality of rolling basket sections spaced side by side along the width of the implement frame rearward of the harrow sections;

configuring the implement frame such that a total weight on the wheels when the discs, shovels, harrow sections, and rolling basket sections are in a raised transport position above the field surface is greater than about 850 pounds per foot of width of the implement frame; and

towing the implement frame to the field surface, moving the discs, shovels, harrow sections, and rolling basket sections downward to an operating position engaging the field surface and towing the implement frame along the field surface at a speed greater than about seven miles per hour.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising adjusting the trip bias force to a level sufficient to maintain each shank in the working shank position when a rearward soil engagement force on the corresponding shovel is up to about 1300 pounds.

3. The method of claim 2 comprising moving the discs, shovels, harrow sections, and rolling basket sections downward to the operating position by moving the wheels upward with respect to the implement frame, and moving the discs, shovels, harrow sections, and rolling basket sections upward to the transport position by moving the wheels downward with respect to the implement frame.

4. The method of claim 3 comprising a first shank row rearward of the disc row, a second shank row rearward of the first shank row, and a third shank row rearward of the second shank row, and comprising optimizing a consistency of a ground penetration depth of the shovels by mounting the implement frame on front wheels located forward of the disc row and rear wheels located between the second and third shank rows.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein a second shank row spacing between the second and third shank rows is greater than about two and one half times a first shank row spacing between the first and second shank rows.

6. The method of claim 1 comprising directing hydraulic fluid into each hydraulic cylinder such that each hydraulic cylinder exerts a release force on the corresponding shank toward the tripped shank position.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein each disc is pivotally mounted to the implement frame such that each disc is pivotable rearward and upward with respect to the implement frame independent of adjacent discs from a lowered working disc position to a raised tripped disc position.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the discs are arranged such that each disc is either directly aligned in front of a corresponding shank assembly or midway between adjacent shank assemblies.

9. The method of claim 8 comprising defining notches along a perimeter of the discs.

10. The method of claim 1 comprising moving the shovels to engage the field surface to a depth of at least three inches when in the operating position.

11. The method of claim 1 comprising securing at least one of the discs, the harrow sections, and the rolling basket sections in a raised idle position when the shovels are in the operating position.

12. An implement apparatus for preparing a seed bed on a field surface, the apparatus comprising:

an implement frame mounted on wheels for travel over the field surface in an operating travel direction;

a plurality of discs mounted to the implement frame and spaced side by side in a disc row along a width of a front of the implement frame, wherein rotational axes of the discs are oriented substantially horizontally and perpendicular to the operating travel direction such that the discs penetrate the field surface substantially vertically; and

wherein the discs are movable from a lowered operating position engaging the field surface to a raised transport position above the field surface;

a plurality of shank assemblies mounted to the implement frame and spaced side by side in shank rows behind the disc row along the width of the implement frame, each shank assembly comprising a shank and a shovel mounted on a bottom end of each shank, and wherein the shanks are movable from a lowered operating position where the shovels engage the field surface to a raised transport position above the field surface;

wherein the shank assemblies are pivotally mounted to the implement frame such that, when in the lowered operating position, each shank is pivotable rearward and upward with respect to the implement frame from a lowered working shank position to a raised tripped shank position;

a hydraulic cylinder mounted between each shank and the implement frame and a hydraulic fluid control operative to direct pressurized hydraulic fluid into each hydraulic cylinder such that each hydraulic cylinder exerts a substantially constant selected trip bias force on the corresponding shank toward the working shank position;

a plurality of harrow sections mounted to the implement frame and spaced side by side along the width of the implement frame rearward of the shank assemblies, and wherein the harrow sections are movable from a lowered operating position engaging the field surface to a raised transport position above the field surface;

a plurality of rolling basket sections mounted to the implement frame and spaced side by side along the width of the implement frame rearward of the harrow sections and wherein the rolling basket sections are movable from a lowered operating position engaging the field surface to a raised transport position above the field surface; and

wherein the implement frame is configured such that a total weight on the wheels when the discs, shovels, harrow sections, and rolling basket sections are in the raised transport position above the field surface is greater than about 850 pounds per foot of width of the implement frame.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the trip bias force is adjustable to a level sufficient to maintain each shank in the working shank position when a rearward soil engagement force on the corresponding shovel is up to about 1300 pounds.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 comprising a wheel control system operative to move the wheels vertically with respect to the implement frame and wherein the wheel control system moves the wheels upward with respect to the implement frame to move the discs, shovels, harrow sections, and rolling basket sections downward to the operating position, and wherein the wheel control system moves the wheels downward with respect to the implement frame to move the discs, shovels, harrow sections, and rolling basket sections upward to the transport position.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 comprising a first shank row rearward of the disc row, a second shank row rearward of the first shank row, and a third shank row rearward of the second shank row, and wherein the implement frame is mounted on front wheels located forward of the disc row and rear wheels located between the second and third shank rows.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein a second shank row spacing between the second and third shank rows is greater than about two and one half times a first shank row spacing between the first and second shank rows.

17. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the hydraulic fluid control is operative to direct pressurized hydraulic fluid into each hydraulic cylinder such that each hydraulic cylinder exerts a release force on the corresponding shank toward the tripped shank position.

18. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein each disc is pivotally mounted to the implement frame such that each disc is pivotable rearward and upward with respect to the implement frame independent of adjacent discs from a lowered working disc position to a raised tripped disc position.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the discs are arranged such that each disc is either directly aligned in front of a corresponding shank assembly or midway between adjacent shank assemblies.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 comprising notches defined along a perimeter of the discs.

21. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the shovels engage the field surface to a depth of at least three inches when in the operating position.

22. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein at least one of the discs, the harrow sections, and the rolling basket sections is securable in a raised idle position when the shovels are in the operating position.

23. An implement apparatus comprising:

an implement frame mounted on wheels for travel over a field surface in an operating travel direction;

a plurality of shank assemblies mounted to the implement frame and spaced side by side in shank rows along the width of the implement frame, each shank assembly comprising a shank and a shovel mounted on a bottom end of each shank, and wherein the shanks are movable from a lowered operating position where the shovels engage the field surface to a raised transport position above the field surface;

wherein the shank assemblies are pivotally mounted to the implement frame such that, when in the lowered operating position, each shank is pivotable rearward and upward with respect to the implement frame from a lowered working shank position to a raised tripped shank position;

a hydraulic cylinder mounted between each shank and the implement frame and a hydraulic fluid control operative in a working mode to direct pressurized hydraulic fluid into each hydraulic cylinder such that each hydraulic cylinder exerts a substantially constant selected trip bias force on the corresponding shank toward the working shank position, and operative in a release mode to direct pressurized hydraulic fluid into each hydraulic cylinder such that each hydraulic cylinder exerts a release force on the corresponding shank toward the tripped shank position.