Adjustable width closing wheels for planter row units

• US 4,570,554 A
• Filed: 10/28/1983
• Issued: 02/18/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Clark, Richard H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hafer, Robert A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DeMille, Danton D.
• Application Number:
  US06/546,690
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• Field of Search: 384/495, 384/520, 384/519, 384/583, 384/616, 384/460 B, 384/489, 384/486, 384/157, 384/153, 111/85, 111/86, 111/87, 111/88, 111/34, 172/538, 172/599
• US Class Current: 111/196
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 5/068 Furrow packing devices, e.g. press wheels

Abstract

An improved furrow closing mechanism for a seed planting apparatus including an apparatus for adjusting the distance between furrow closing wheels to correspond to adjustments in the size of the furrow being formed. The wheels are mounted on an axle assembly and this axle assembly includes an axle shaft having reduced first and second portions on each end thereof. A bearing is disposed on the outermost reduced section of each end of the axle shaft and a seal is disposed on an inner adjacent reduced section of each of the ends of such axle shaft. Adjustments to the distance between the soil contacting portions of the closing wheels are made by utilizing spacers corresponding to the distance for which it is desired to space the wheels outwardly from the position they would be in if no spacers were used.

Claims

1. In a seed planting implement of a type including a frame adapted to be moved along the ground and having at least one seed planting unit connected to said frame, said seed planting unit including a subframe, means for forming a furrow in the soil attached to said subframe, means for depositing seeds into said furrow, furrow closing means attached to said subframe rearwardly of said seed depositing means for causing the soil on each side of said furrow to be pushed over the seeds in the furrow, said furrow closing means including an arm pivotally attached at one end thereof to said subframe along an axis substantially transverse to the direction of forward movement of said planting implement in operation, a first and second rotatable closing wheel means for engaging each side of said furrow for pushing the soil forming each side of the furrow over the seeds in the furrow, axle assembly means attached to the other end of said arm for rotatably attaching said first and second closing wheel means to said arm, the improvement comprising:

said axle assembly means including an axle shaft, said axle shaft having a central portion, a first portion extending from said central portion along a first closing wheel means axis to a free end thereof, and a second portion extending from said central portion along a second closing wheel means axis to a free end thereof;

a first reduced section on the free end of said first portion of said axle shaft;

bearing means disposed on said first reduced section for reducing friction during rotation of said first closing wheel means;

a second reduced section on another part of the free end of said first portion of said axle shaft, a first shoulder on the first portion of said axle shaft separating the first reduced section from the second reduced section and a second shoulder separating the second reduced section from the remainder of said first portion of the axle shaft;

first spacing means for selectively spacing said bearing means a predetermined distance from said first shoulder;

seal means disposed on said second reduced section for sealing contaminants from said bearing means;

second spacing means for selectively spacing said seal means by a predetermined distance from said second shoulder whereby said first wheel means can selectively be spaced outwardly or inwardly by use or non-use of said first and second spacing means;

a first reduced section on the free end of said second portion of said axle shaft;

second bearing means disposed on said first reduced section of said second portion for reducing friction during rotation of said second closing wheel means;

second reduced section on another part of the free end of said second portion of said axle shaft, a first shoulder on the second portion of said axle shaft separating the first reduced section from the second reduced section of the second portion and a second shoulder separating the second reduced section from the remainder of said second portion of the axle shaft;

third spacing means for selectively spacing said second bearing means by said predetermined distance from the first shoulder of said second portion;

second seal means disposed on said second reduced section of said second portion of the axle shaft for sealing contaminants from said second bearing means; and

fourth spacing means tor selectively spacing said second seal means by a predetermined distance from said second shoulder on said second portion of the axle shaft, whereby said second closing wheel means can selectively be spaced outwardly or inwardly by use or non-use of said third and fourth spacing means.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first spacing means has an outside diameter equal to the diameter of said second reduced section of said first portion.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said third spacing means has an outside diameter equal to the diameter of said second reduced section of said second position.