Fertilizer injection apparatus including soil working device

• US 4,079,680 A
• Filed: 09/29/1976
• Issued: 03/21/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Donald A. Davis
• Original Assignee: Donald A. Davis
• Inventors: Davis, Donald A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Burr, Edgar S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Feyrer, James R.
• Application Number:
  US05/727,898
• Time in Patent Office: 538 Days
• Field of Search: 111/6, 111/7, 111/85, 111/86, 172/713, 172/720-730
• US Class Current: 111/124
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 25/00 Harrows with special additional arrangements, e.g. means for distributing fertilisers; Harrows for special purposes A01B39/00 takes precedence ; fertiliser distributors A01C15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 35/26 Rigid tools
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 23/025 Continuous injection tools

Abstract

An apparatus is disclosed for injecting fertilizer into the soil. A soil working device includes a sweep with a nose portion that moves through the soil as the sweep is moved forward, a pair of trailing sections that diverge from the nose portion, and an upstanding mounting portion for mounting the sweep to a shank extending from the frame of an agricultural implement. A pair of wings extend rearwardly from the trailing sections of the sweep so as to be at opposite sides of a channel formed by the sweep. Each wing has a front portion that flares outwardly from the trailing section of the sweep and a rear portion that is inclined inwardly from the back of the front portion. Fertilizer is injected into the channel formed by the sweep and soil engaged by the wings is urged toward the channel to cover the same and enhance fertilizer retention in the channel. The apparatus is particularly useful for injecting anhydrous ammonia in liquid form into soil contact with the anhydrous ammonia being maintained under sufficient pressure to remain in a liquid state until brought into soil contact in the channel after which the anhydrous ammonia changes to a gaseous state.

Claims

1. In an apparatus for injecting fertilizer into the soil, a soil working device, comprising:

support means;

a sweep having a nose portion, a rear portion including a pair of trailing sections connected with said nose portion and diverging rearwardly therefrom, each of said trailing sections having a top surface with front, rear and outer edges, said sweep also having a mounting portion for mounting said sweep onto said support means;

fertilizer injection means mounted on said sweep for injecting fertilizer into a channel formed in soil engaged by said sweep when said sweep is moved through said soil by said apparatus;

fertilizer supply means mounted on said support means and connected with said fertilizer injection means to supply fertilizer thereto; and

soil arranging means including a pair of elongated wings each of which has a longitudinal axis that is substantially parallel to the channel formed by said sweep, and each of said wings also having a front portion that is positioned above and attached to different ones of said top surface of said trailing sections of said sweep adjacent to said front edge thereof and inwardly of said outer edge, each of said wings also having a middle portion that extends above and rearwardly from said trailing sections of said rear portion of said sweep past said rear edges of said top surface, and a rear portion that extends rearwardly from said middle portion and is arranged so as to be engageable with soil rearwardly of said trailing sections of said sweep and said fertilizer injection means to urge said soil over a channel formed by said sweep when said sweep is moved through said soil by said apparatus.

2. The soil working device of claim 1 wherein the ratio of the length of each of said wings with respect to the length of each of said trailing sections of said sweep is about two to one.

3. The soil working device of claim 1 wherein the front portion of each of said wings extends rearwardly and slightly outwardly and wherein the rear portion of each of said wings extends rearwardly and slightly inwardly from said middle portion of each wing.

4. The soil working device of claim 3 wherein each of said wings is of bar-like material and wherein said rear portion is twisted with respect to the front portion with the top of said rear portion being more inwardly inclined than is the bottom of said rear portion.

5. The soil working device of claim 4 wherein said bar-like material has about a two to one width to thickness ratio.

6. An apparatus for injecting fertilizer into the soil, said apparatus comprising:

support means;

a shank mounted on said support means;

a soil engaging sweep mounted on said shank with said sweep including a nose portion for forming a channel in said soil as said sweep is moved by said support means forwardly through said soil, said sweep including a pair of trailing sections that diverge from said nose portion with said fertilizer depositing means being positioned between said trailing sections of said sweep with each of said trailing sections having a top surface with front, rear and outer edges;

a tank mounted on said support means for storing anhydrous ammonia under pressure;

fertilizer depositing means contiguous to said sweep to release fertilizer in a channel formed by said sweep when said support means is propelled in a predetermined direction;

means connected with said tank and with said fertilizer depositing means for conducting anhydrous ammonia in liquid form from said tank to said fertilizer depositing means in a manner such that said anhydrous ammonia is deposited in said channel in liquid form; and

soil arranging means including a pair of elongated wings each of which has a longitudinal axis that extends substantially parallel to the channel formed by said sweep, and each of which has a front portion positioned above and attached to different ones of said top surface of said trailing sections of said sweep adjacent to said front edge thereof and inwardly of said outer edge, each of said wings also having a middle portion that extends above and rearwardly from said trailing section of said sweep past said rear edges of said top surface, and a rear portion that extends rearwardly from said middle portion with said rear portion being positioned rearwardly of said trailing sections of said sweep and said fertilizer depositing means and adjacent to a formed channel having fertilizer in liquid form released therein to engage the soil thereat and cause said soil to be urged toward said channel to enhance fertilizer retention in said channel, said anhydrous ammonia changing to a gaseous form after release in said channel and after said arranging means has urged said soil toward said channel.