Agricultural row crop planter with rear-driven row units

• US 4,648,334 A
• Filed: 05/20/1985
• Issued: 03/10/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kinze Manufacturing Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Kinze Manufacturing Incorporated
• Inventors: Kinzenbaw, Jon E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Richard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DEMILLE, DANTON D
• Application Number:
  US06/736,411
• Time in Patent Office: 659 Days
• Field of Search: 111/6, 111/7, 111/69, 111/14, 111/15, 111/67, 111/52, 111/53, 111/59-62, 111/63, 111/65, 111/66, 111/70, 111/71, 111/79, 111/80, 111/82, 111/85, 111/55, 172/834, 172/166, 172/413, 172/810, 172/307, 172/308, 172/689, 172/776
• US Class Current: 111/52
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 15/005 Undercarriages, tanks, hoppers, stirrers specially adapted for seeders or fertiliser distributors
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/08 Broadcast seeders; Seeders depositing seeds in rows
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/201 Mounting of the seeding tools
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/208 Chassis; Coupling means to a tractor or the like; Lifting means; Side markers

Abstract

An agricultural row crop planter is disclosed which includes a frame and a plurality of individual row units mounted to the frame. Some of the row units are mounted in front of the frame to be driven or pushed by it. The remaining units are mounted behind the frame and are pulled by it. Driven and pulled row units are arranged to plant alternate crop rows so the "on center" lateral spacing of row units is much greater than if all units were mounted side-by-side as is conventional. The driven row units are foreshortened and have their frames strengthened to withstand the forces encountered in use, particularly on curves. The arrangement enables the farmer to plant more than one crop with the same planter and without adjusting the spacing of row units. It also permits the manufacturer to provide a wide range of row spacing, including a very narrow one, with the same planter frame and row units while providing greater trash clearance.

Claims

1. An agricultural row crop planter comprising main frame means adapted to be pulled by a tractor and including forward and rear transverse mounting bars connected together to form said main frame means, first and second sets of row units, each set including a plurality of individual row units, each row unit including a row unit frame adapted to be mounted to said mounting bar means, furrow opener means carried by said row unit frame, gauge wheel means mounted to said row unit frame immediately adjacent said furrow opener means, and furrow closing means carried by said row unit frame behind said gauge wheel means;

a first plurality of four-bar parallel linkage means, one associated with each row unit of said first set and connected to the rear of its associated row unit frame, for individually mounting said row units of said first set to said forward mounting bar such that said row units of said first set extend substantially entirely in front of said forward mounting bar;

a second plurality of four-bar parallel linkage means, one associated with each row unit of said second set and connected to the front of its associated row unit frame, for individually mounting said row units of said second set to said rear mounting bar and extending behind said rear planter bar to be pulled by said frame, said row units of said second set being mounted at equal lateral spacing and in alternate relation with said row units of said first set;

whereby said row units of said first set are pushed by said main frame means through said first linkage means and said row units of said second set are pulled by said main frame means through said second linkage means when said main frame means is pulled by said tractor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of said of said row units of said first set further comprises means for strengthening said row unit frame to resist lateral deflection when driven by said main frame means;

and each row unit of said first set includes only a seed hopper mounted to said row unit frame and is characterized in being shorter in fore-to-aft length than the row units of said second set.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising draft means for mounting said main frame means to a tractor, said draft means defining a yoke including first and second laterally spaced draft members;

and one of said row units of said first set being mounted to said main frame between said laterally spaced draft members and located on the center line of the tractor extending in the direction of travel.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said main frame means further includes support wheels mounted thereto and located between said forward and rear mounting bars.