Opener assembly including a compact, arc-shaped opener
First Claim
1. For a seeding implement, a furrow opener assembly adapted for towing forwardly through a field where trash is present on the surface of the ground, said opener assembly comprising:
- an upright boot standard adapted to be rockably connected to the implement and having a lower end and a seed channel opening downwardly from the lower end;
supporting structure connected to the lower end of the standard;
fore-and-aft extending furrow-forming means for wedging a narrow material-receiving furrow a preselected distance below the surface of the ground as the assembly is towed forwardly, said furrow-forming means comprising a compact body having a forwardly located nose section and a point defining the forwardmost extremity of the body, a lower curved edge extending downwardly and rearwardly from the point to a lowermost portion of the body, said lowermost portion closely adjacent the aft end of the body, the aft end of said curved edge lying on the arc of a circle of radius R struck on a center offset above the aft end of the body, said body further including sides extending upwardly and diverging outwardly at an acute angle from the edge, said edge and sides presenting a V-shaped cross section substantially the length of the body, wherein said nose section includes a narrow soil-deflecting surface sloping gently rearwardly and upwardly from the point for providing a small amount of trash-moving said flow upwardly from the point;
means mounting the furrow-forming means on the supporting structure with the point located below the surface of the ground to prevent hairpinning of the trash around the curved edge and with the lowermost portion of the body located forwardly of the aft end of the body; and
wherein the point and the aft end of the body define the fore-and-aft extremities of the furrow-forming means and the point is spaced from the aft end of the body a distance less than twice the preselected distance and wherein the radius R is less than approximately twice the preselected distance to thereby minimize changes in furrow-forming and material placement characteristics as the boot standard rocks.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In a seeding implement, an opener assembly including a compact, arc-shaped opener with a point supported below the surface of the ground during the field-working operation to prevent hairpinning of trash and allow high-speed seeding. The compact configuration reduces variations in seed placement and minimizes side bend forces. The nose configuration of the opener limits the amount of soil that is lifted and thrown to accommodate narrow row spacings. A notched structure is removably mounted on the boot standard of the assembly and the opener is attached to the structure with a single pin. The support structure bears substantially all the loading on the opener during operation and provides convenient mounting and removal of the opener.
-
Citations
39 Claims
-
1. For a seeding implement, a furrow opener assembly adapted for towing forwardly through a field where trash is present on the surface of the ground, said opener assembly comprising:
-
an upright boot standard adapted to be rockably connected to the implement and having a lower end and a seed channel opening downwardly from the lower end; supporting structure connected to the lower end of the standard; fore-and-aft extending furrow-forming means for wedging a narrow material-receiving furrow a preselected distance below the surface of the ground as the assembly is towed forwardly, said furrow-forming means comprising a compact body having a forwardly located nose section and a point defining the forwardmost extremity of the body, a lower curved edge extending downwardly and rearwardly from the point to a lowermost portion of the body, said lowermost portion closely adjacent the aft end of the body, the aft end of said curved edge lying on the arc of a circle of radius R struck on a center offset above the aft end of the body, said body further including sides extending upwardly and diverging outwardly at an acute angle from the edge, said edge and sides presenting a V-shaped cross section substantially the length of the body, wherein said nose section includes a narrow soil-deflecting surface sloping gently rearwardly and upwardly from the point for providing a small amount of trash-moving said flow upwardly from the point; means mounting the furrow-forming means on the supporting structure with the point located below the surface of the ground to prevent hairpinning of the trash around the curved edge and with the lowermost portion of the body located forwardly of the aft end of the body; and wherein the point and the aft end of the body define the fore-and-aft extremities of the furrow-forming means and the point is spaced from the aft end of the body a distance less than twice the preselected distance and wherein the radius R is less than approximately twice the preselected distance to thereby minimize changes in furrow-forming and material placement characteristics as the boot standard rocks. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
-
-
4. In a seeding implement having a frame adapted for forward movement over the ground and an upright standard projecting from the frame and movable vertically to a soil-engaging position, a compact opener assembly for forming a seed-receiving furrow, said opener comprising:
-
a main force-and-aft extending opener body having a lower edge struck substantially on an arc of a circle centered at a location above the body, said edge subtending an angle of less than ninety degrees, said body having generally flat, outwardly diverging sides extending upwardly from the edge and presenting a narrow, V-shaped cross section along a major portion of the edge when viewed from the forward direction;
a nose section extending upwardly and rearwardly from the fore end of the edge and defining with said edge a forward ground-penetrating point; and
wherein said body further includes an upwardly opening cavity located adjacent the nose section, said opener assembly further comprising upright deflector structure having a lower end received with the cavity, said deflector structure extending upwardly from, and forming a generally continuous extension of, the nose section for limiting dirt throw and improving trash flow; andmeans for supporting the opener from the standard with the ground penetrating point and lower portion of the nose section below the surface of the ground to prevent hairpinning of trash around the edge when in the soil-engaging position with the arc center located above the body on a vertical line passing through the aft end of the body so that the aft end is located substantially lower than said ground penetrating point. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. In a seeding implement having a frame adapted for forward movement over the ground and an upright standard projecting from the frame and movable vertically to a soil-engaging position, a compact opener assembly for forming a seed-receiving furrow, said assembly comprising:
-
a main fore-and-aft extending opener body having a lower edge and generally flat, outwardly diverging sides extending upwardly from the edge and presenting a narrow, V-shaped cross section along a major portion of the edge when viewed from the forward direction, and a nose section extending upwardly and rearwardly from the fore end of the edge and defining with said edge a forward ground-penetrating point; and means for supporting the opener from the standard when in the soil-engaging position with the point and lower portion of the nose section below the surface of the ground to prevent hairpinning of trash around the edge, wherein the means for supporting includes a body-receiving clamp structure connected to the lower end of the standard, said clamp structure including a downwardly directed lower edge portion, said opener body including an upwardly directed edge contacting portion, and pin means loosely supporting the opener body on the clamp structure with the lower edge portion closely adjacent the contacting portion for permitting the lower edge portion to absorb substantially all the vertical loading of the opener body when the standard is in the soil-engaging position. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
-
-
25. For a seeding implement, a furrow opener assembly adapted for towing forwardly through a field where trash is present on the surface of the ground, said opener assembly comprising:
-
an upright boot standard having a lower end and a seed channel opening downwardly from the lower end; supporting structure connected to the lower end of the standard; fore-and-aft extending furrow-forming means for wedging a narrow furrow a preselected distance below the surface of the ground as the assembly is towed forwardly, said opening means comprising a compact body having a forwardly located nose section and a point defining the forwardmost extremity of the body, a lower edge extending rearwardly from the point to a lowermost portion of the body, said lowermost portion closely adjacent the aft end of the body, said body further including sides extending upwardly and diverging outwardly at an acute angle from the edge, said edge and sides presenting a V-shaped cross section substantially the length of the body, wherein said nose section includes a narrow soil-deflecting surface sloping gently rearwardly and upwardly from the point for providing a small amount of trash-moving soil flow upwardly from the point; means mounting the furrow-forming means on the supporting structure with the point located below the surface of the ground to prevent hairpinning of the trash around the lower edge; and wherein the supporting structure comprises a pair of side portions extending on either side of, and conforming generally to the shape of, the lower portion of the standard, an upright plate connected to the side portions forwardly of the standard and including a leading edge having a rearwardly indented notch, said plate including an aperture located rearwardly of the notch, and wherein the body of the furrow-forming means includes a transverse member extending between the sides and adapted for receipt in the notch, said furrow-forming means including an aperture extending transversely through the body, said body movable with respect to the transverse member so that the apertures align, and pin means insertable through the aligned apertures for locking the furrow-forming means on the supporting sturcture. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
-
Specification