Attachment for removing residue in front of a planter

• US 4,550,122 A
• Filed: 07/18/1983
• Issued: 10/29/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fleischer Manufacturing Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Fleischer Manufacturing Incorporated
• Inventors: David, John C., Ryon, Ward E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Richard J.
• Application Number:
  US06/514,888
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• Field of Search: 172/154, 172/158, 172/624.5, 172/574, 172/504, 172/430, 111/85, 111/88
• US Class Current: 172/158
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 49/06 for sowing or fertilising
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 5/064 with rotating tools
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/22 Improving land use; Improving water use or availability; Controlling erosion

Abstract

An attachment for a minimum tillage planter which is mounted forwardly of the planting shoe for removing residue from in front of such planting apparatus for the purpose of allowing consistency in the making of a trench and for the depositing of seeds therein in a consistent manner. The attachment generally includes a first center flat disc having a circular structure attached thereto for controlling the depth at which the planter rides above the ground. A pair of additional discs are mounted on each side of the depth control structure and on each side of the center flat disc. These additional discs are convex on the side adjacent to the first disc and concave on the other side thereof. The position of the additional discs are such that they do not extend into the ground as far as the first disc whereby the first disc will hold residue, such as a corn stalk, while the other discs which are higher will cut the residue off and then throw it to one side or the other.

Claims

1. A trash clearing apparatus for a planter of a type including:

a frame adapted to be moved forwardly above the soil;

planting means attached to said frame for depositing seeds in the soil;

trash hold down means for holding trash against the soil in front of said planting means, said trash hold down means being operably rotatably attached to said frame along a first generally horizontal axis, said horizontal axis being substantially perpendicular to the direction of forward travel of said frame, said trash hold down means having a central portion including a generally circular peripheral portion disposed radially outwardly from said horizontal axis, said trash hold down means having a first generally circular radially outer peripheral edge portion spaced from and disposed on one side of said central portion and a second generally circular radially outer peripheral edge portion spaced from and disposed on the other side of said central portion;

a first disc means for cutting trash which is being held down by said trash hold down means, said first disc means being disposed directly to one side of said trash hold down means and operably rotatably attached to said frame along a second axis, said second axis being obliquely disposed with respect to said first horizontal axis, the bottom of said first disc means being substantially directly below the bottom of said first outer peripheral edge portion; and

a second disc means for cutting trash which is being held by said trash hold down means, said second disc means being disposed directly on the other side of said trash hold down means, said second disc means being operably rotatably attached to said frame along a third axis obliquely disposed with respect to said horizontal axis, the bottom of said third disc means being substantially directly below the bottom of said second outer peripheral edge portion, whereby trash which might interfere with the planting process is cut up and removed from in front of the planting means;

said first and second disc means being convex on the side adjacent to said trash hold down means and concave on the other side thereof, and wherein said second and third axes extend forwardly, outwardly and downwardly from said trash hold down means whereby said first and second disc means will throw trash and soil outwardly away from said trash hold down means.

2. A trash clearing apparatus for a planter of a type including:

a frame adapted to be moved forwardly above the soil;

planting means attached to said frame for depositing seeds in the soil;

trash hold down means for holding trash against the soil in front of said planting means, said trash hold down means being operably rotatably attached to said frame along a first generally horizontal axis, said horizontal axis being substantially perpendicular to the direction of forward travel of said frame, said trash hold down means having a central portion including a generally circular peripheral portion disposed radially outwardly from said horizontal axis, said trash hold down means having a first generally circular radially outer peripheral edge portion spaced from and disposed on one side of said central portion and a second generally circular radially outer peripheral edge portion spaced from and disposed on the other side of said central portion;

a first disc means for cutting trash which is being held down by said trash hold down means, said first disc means being disposed directly to one side of said trash hold down means and operably rotatably attached to said frame along a second axis, said second axis being obliquely disposed with respect to said first horizontal axis, the bottom of said first disc means being substantially directly below the bottom of said first outer peripheral edge portion; and

a second disc means for cutting trash which is being held by said trash hold down means, said second disc means being disposed directly on the other side of said trash hold down means, said second disc means being operably rotatably attached to said frame along a third axis obliquely disposed with respect to said horizontal axis, the bottom of said third disc means being substantially directly below the bottom of said second outer peripheral edge portion, whereby trash which might interfere with the planting process is cut up and removed from in front of the planting means;

means for adjusting the position of said second and third axes and thereby said first and second disc means with respect to the trash hold down means for thereby adjusting the depth that said first and second disc means extend into the ground, said adjusting means including a threaded rod having a handle thereon for each of said first and second disc means wherein rotation of one of said handles in one direction causes the respective disc means to move upwardly and rotation of said handle in an opposite direction causes said respective disc means to move downwardly.

3. A trash clearing apparatus for a planter of a type including:

a frame adapted to be moved forwardly above the soil;

planting means attached to said frame for depositing seeds in the soil;

trash hold down means for holding trash against the soil in front of said planting means, said trash hold down means being operably rotatably attached to said frame along a first generally horizontal axis, said horizontal axis being substantially perpendicular to the direction of forward travel of said frame, said trash hold down means having a central portion including a generally circular peripheral portion disposed radially outwardly from said horizontal axis, said trash hold down means having a first generally circular radially outer peripheral edge portion spaced from and disposed on one side of said central portion and a second generally circular radially outer peripheral edge portion spaced from and disposed on the other side of said central portion;

said trash hold down means comprising a coulter disc having circular bands rigidly connected to each side thereof, the diameter of said circular bands being less than the diameter of said coulter disc whereby said coulter disc extends into the ground and said circular bands roll along the top of the ground;

a first disc means for cutting trash which is being held down by said trash hold down means, said first disc means being disposed directly to one side of said trash hold down means and operably rotatably attached to said frame along a second axis, said second axis being obliquely disposed with respect to said first horizontal axis, the bottom of said first disc means being substantially directly below the bottom of said first outer peripheral edge portion; and

a second disc means for cutting trash which is being held by said trash hold down means, said second disc means being disposed directly on the other side of said trash hold down means, said second disc means being operably rotatably attached to said frame along a third axis obliquely disposed with respect to said horizontal axis, the bottom of said third disc means being substantially directly below the bottom of said second outer peripheral edge portion, whereby trash which might interfere with the planting process is cut up and removed from in front of the planting means.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said circular bands comprise means for controlling the depth that said coulter disc extends into the ground.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said first and second disc means are convex on the side adjacent to said trash hold down means and concave on the other side thereof.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said coulter disc is generally flat in shape.

7. The apparatus of claim 3 including means for adjusting the position of said second and third axes and thereby said first and second disc means with respect to the trash hold down means for adjusting the depth that said first and second disc means extend into the ground.

8. A trash clearing apparatus for a planter of a type including:

a frame adapted to be moved forwardly above the soil;

planting means attached to said frame for depositing seeds in the soil;

trash hold down means for holding trash against the soil in front of said planting means, said trash hold down means being operably rotatably attached to said frame along a generally horizontal axis, said horizontal axis being substantially perpendicular to the direction of forward travel of said frame, said trash hold down means having a central portion including a generally circular peripheral coulter disc radially outwardly from said horizontal axis, said coulter disc having an extreme bottom portion;

a first disc means for cutting trash which is being held down by said trash hold down means, said first disc means being disposed directly to one side of said trash hold down means whereby said horizontal axis extends through said first disc means, said first disc means being operably rotatably attached to said frame along a second axis, said second axis being obliquely downwardly and outwardly disposed with respect to said first horizontal axis, the bottom of said first disc means being above the extreme bottom portion of said coulter disc; and

a second disc means for cutting trash which is being held by said trash hold down means, said second disc means being disposed directly on the other side of said trash hold down means, whereby said horizontal axis extends through said second disc means, said second disc means being operably rotatably attached to said frame along a third axis obliquely downwardly and outwardly disposed with respect to said horizontal axis, the bottom of said second disc means being above the extreme bottom portion of said coulter disc, whereby trash which might interfere with the planting process is cut up and removed from in front of the planting means.