PRECISION DEPTH SEED PLANTER

• US 3,749,035 A
• Filed: 12/28/1970
• Issued: 07/31/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: David Walter Cayton, Leslie William Johnson
• Original Assignee: David Walter Cayton, Leslie William Johnson
• Inventors: Cayton, David Walter, Johnson, Leslie William
• Primary Examiner(s): Pulfrey, Robert E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pellegrino, Stephen C.
• Application Number:
  US05/101,916
• Time in Patent Office: 946 Days
• Field of Search: 111/85-87,62,6 172/4,413,484,462,487,239,7,9
• US Class Current: 111/187
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/205 comprising pressure regulation means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 111/926 Special suspension or gauging feature
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 111/927 Parallelogram mounting

Abstract

A precision depth planter including a plurality of furrowforming units mounted on a main frame for relative vertical movement, each unit including a pair of depth gauge wheels for carrying the unit and for regulating the depth of the furrow formed thereby. A seed dispensing unit is mounted on the frame directly above each furrow-forming unit and includes a seed container and selecting mechanism for delivering seeds to the furrow, the several selecting mechanisms being commonly driven from a drive shaft extending transversely between the dispensing units. A separate hydraulic cylinder acts on each furrow-forming unit to maintain a constant force on said unit regardless of the position thereof relative to the main frame. A ground-engaging sensing unit mounted on the planter frame measures soil hardness and in conjunction with a hydraulic control valve acts to vary the force exerted by the hydraulic cylinders to maintain a uniform planting depth irrespective of variations in soil hardness.

Claims

1. A precision depth seed planter comprising:

a main frame;

a planting unit mounted on the main frame and including a furrowforming unit connected to the frame for relative vertical movement, said furrow-forming unit including a ground penetrating furrow-forming means, and depth gauge means for supporting the unit relative to the ground and regulating the approximate operating depth of said furrow-forming means;

hydraulic actuator means acting between said main frame and said furrow-forming unit for exerting a downward vertical force on said unit which is independent of the vertical positioN thereof relative to said frame;

a sensing unit mounted on the main frame for relative vertical movement and including ground-engaging means for measuring ground hardness; and

hydraulic control means operatively connecting said hydraulic actuator means and said sensing unit for increasing and decreasing the vertical force exerted by said actuator means on said furrow-forming unit in response to the sensing unit engaging harder and softer ground, respectively.

2. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein said planting unit further includes a seed dispensing unit mounted on said main frame above said furrow-forming unit, said seed dispensing unit including a seed container and selecting mechanism;

and a seed conveying conduit extending between said seed dispensing unit and said furrow-forming unit for conveying seeds from said seed selecting mechanism to the furrow formed by said furrow-forming means.

3. The invention defined in claim 2 wherein said seed dispensing unit is disposed in substantially fore-and-aft alignment with said furrow-forming unit, said seed selecting mechanism includes a downwardly directed seed discharge opening disposed generally vertically from said furrow-forming means, and said seed conveying conduit extends generally vertically between said seed discharge opening and said furrow-forming means.

4. The invention defined in claim 3 wherein said seed dispensing unit is rigidly connected to the main frame, said furrow-forming unit includes parallel linkage means mounting said unit on the main frame for parallel vertical movement, and said hydraulic actuator means acts between said seed dispensing unit and said parallel linkage means.

5. The invention defined in claim 2 wherein said planting unit further includes a press wheel unit pivotally mounted on and extending rearwardly from said furrow-forming unit, said press wheel unit including press wheel means mounted rearwardly of and in substantially fore-and-aft alignment with said furrow-forming means.

6. The invention defined in claim 2 including a plurality of said planting units mounted in transverse alignment on said main frame, each unit including a seed dispensing unit and associated selecting mechanism;

transverse drive shaft means extending between adjacent seed dispensing units;

means on each of said dispensing units drivingly connecting said drive shaft means with the seed selecting mechanism contained thereon;

ground-engaging drive wheel means mounted on said main frame; and

means drivingly connecting said ground-engaging drive wheel means with said drive shaft means for driving said seed selecting mechanisms.

7. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein said depth gauge means comprises a pair of wheels disposed on opposite sides of and in substantially transverse alignment with said furrow-forming means.

8. The invention defined in claim 1 including a plurality of furrow-forming units connected to the frame for relative vertical movement, and a plurality of hydraulic actuators acting between said main frame and said furrow-forming units for exerting a vertical force on the furrow-forming units;

and wherein said control means includes means for simultaneously and uniformly regulating the force exerted by said hydraulic actuators.

9. The invention defined in claim 8 wherein said control means includes a source of hydraulic fluid under pressure;

means for regulating the pressure of said fluid; and

fluid line means connecting said hydraulic actuator means in parallel with each other and with said source of hydraulic fluid.

10. The planter defined in claim 1 wherein said sensing unit comprises a pair of ground-engaging sensors, and means for comparing the relative vertical positions of said sensors.

11. The planter defined in claim 10 wherein one of said sensors is relatively wide and is adapted to ride substantially on the surface of the ground, and the other of said sensors is relatively narrow and is adapted to penetrate the surface of the ground, the vertical distanCe between said wide and narrow sensors being greater in soft than in hard ground.

12. The planter defined in claim 11 wherein said hydraulic control means is operative to increase and decrease the vertical force exerted by said actuator means on said furrow-forming unit in response to a decrease and increase, respectively, in the vertical distance between said wide and narrow sensors.

13. An agricultural implement comprising:

a main frame;

at least one ground-working unit mounted on said main frame for relative vertical movement;

ground-engaging depth gauge means on said ground-working unit supporting said unit relative to the ground and regulating the approximate operating depth thereof;

hydaulic actuator means acting between said main frame and said ground-working unit for exerting a vertical force on said unit which is independent of the vertical position thereof relative to said main frame;

a sensing unit mounted on the main frame for relative vertical movement and including ground-engaging means for measuring ground hardness; and

hydraulic control means operatively connecting said actuator means and said sensing unit for varying the force exerted by said actuator means in response to variations in ground hardness and thereby regulating the precise operating depth of said ground-working unit.

14. In an agricultural implement having a main frame, at least one ground-engaging unit mounted on the main frame for relative vertical movement, and hydraulic actuator means acting between said main frame and said unit for exerting a vertical force on the latter, means responsive to soil hardness to regulate the force exerted by said actuator means and thereby maintain said ground-engaging unit at a constant vertical position relative to the surface of the ground, said means comprising:

a first relatively wide sensor adapted to ride on and substantially level with the surface of the ground;

a second, relatively narrow sensor adapted to ride on the ground and penetrate the surface thereof, the depth of penetration of said narrow sensor varying with soil hardness;

means operatively connecting said wide and narrow sensors for comparing the levels of said sensors and thereby measuring the depth of penetration of said narrow sensor; and

hydraulic fluid supply means for supplying fluid under pressure to said hydraulic actuator means, said supply means including means responsive to and operative to vary the fluid pressure in relation to the depth of penetration of said narrow sensor, whereby said ground-engaging unit is maintained at a constant vertical position relative to the surface of the ground irrespective of variatons in soil hardness.

15. A precision depth seed planter comprising:

a main frame;

a furrow-forming and closing structure including a furrow-forming blade and associated gauge wheels regulating the operating depth of the blade, said structure being pivoted for vertical movement on the main frame;

a plurality of tanks adapted to carry variable amounts of material and feed material to said furrow opening and closing structure;

means supporting all of said tanks on the main frame independently of said furrow-forming and closing structure;

hydraulic actuator means acting between said main frame and said structure exerting a downward force thereon;

ground feeler means supported on the frame engageable with the ground for measuring the hardness thereof; and

control means operatively connected to said ground feeler means and said hydraulic actuator means for increasing and decreasing the downward pressure by said actuator means on said structure in response to the ground feeler means engaging harder and softer ground respectively.

16. The precision depth seed planter as set forth in claim 15 in which said frame includes a rearward projecting portion overlying the furrow opening and closing structure, said structure is supported for vertical movement on the frame by a fore-and-aft extending lever pivoted at its forward end on the frame and at its rearward end to the strUcture;

and said actuator means extends between the frame and lever.

17. The precision depth seed planter as set forth in claim 16 in which the furrow-forming blade and gauge wheels are closely adjacent the pivotal connection between the structure and the rearward end of the lever.