Apparatus for planting seed and fertilizer

• US 4,721,047 A
• Filed: 02/21/1986
• Issued: 01/26/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aimee J. Stauch
• Original Assignee: Aimee J. Stauch
• Inventors: Stauch, Aimee J.
• Primary Examiner(s): FEYRER, JAMES
• Application Number:
  US06/831,554
• Time in Patent Office: 704 Days
• Field of Search: 111/73, 111/80, 111/85, 111/86, 111/52.7, 172/724, 172/730
• US Class Current: 111/73
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 5/062 Devices for making drills or furrows
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/06 Seeders combined with fertilising apparatus

Abstract

Apparatus for the combined planting of seed and application of fertilizer. The apparatus has a soil point for cutting a narrow slot-like furrow in soil. A shovel for opening a second, wider opening in the soil is located above and behind the soil point in alignment therewith. These two furrow cutting devices co-operate to form a single furrow having a narrow bottom part and a wider top part. An upright plate-like shoe member having a width similar to that of the narrow bottom part of the furrow is located immediately behind the soil point and prevents soil from falling into the narrow part of the furrow. A seed delivery tube is located immediately behind the shovel above the shoe member between the forward and rearward ends of the shoe member. A fertilizer delivery tube is located immediately behind the rearward end of the shoe member. The apparatus forms the narrow slot for the fertilizer and the wider slot for the seed before either seed or fertilizer is dropped into the soil, but the fertilizer slot is temporarily covered to prevent seed and soil from falling therein.

Claims

1. A fertilizer attachment for a seed drill provided with furrow opening means and a seed delivery tube having an outlet behind said furrow opening means, said attachment comprising:

an additional rearwardly sloping furrow opening means of narrower width than said furrow opening means of the seed drill for opening a narrow slot-like opening in soil, said additional furrow opening means having a lower end;

2. a narrow upright plate-like shoe member having forward and rearward ends, said shoe member being at least as wide as said additional furrow opening means, and said shoe member being located immediately behind said additional furrow opening means;

a fertilizer delivery tube having an outlet located immediately behind the rearward end of the shoe member; and

attachment means for attaching said attachment to said seed drill such that said attachment is capable of being attached with;

said additional furrow opening means extending forward of, and in alignment with, said furrow opening means of the seed drill with said lower end of said additional furrow opening means extending below the furrow opening means of the seed drill, and

said shoe member extending below the outlet of the seed delivery tube with said seed delivery outlet located between the forward and rearward ends of the shoe member.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the first furrow opening means has a vertical extent, and said shoe member has a vertical extent, the vertical extent of the first furrow means extending into the soil to a depth exceeding that of said shoe member.

5. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said first furrow opening means is defined as a wedge-shaped member at said lower end.

6. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said first furrow opening means comprises a wedge-shaped member at said lower end having a narrow bar extending upwardly and rearwardly therefrom, said narrow bar defining said leading edge.

7. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said first furrow opening means is made of hardened steel.

8. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said fertilizer delivery tube has a lower end defining said outlet of said fertilizer delivery tube, and wherein said lower end is inclined upwardly away from said shoe member.

9. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the fertilizer delivery tube is attached to said shoe member.

10. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said second furrow opening means is a plough-like member attached to the lower end of the seed delivery tube and extending into a sloping slot formed at said forward end of the shoe member.

3. Apparatus for the combined planting of seed and application of fertilizer, which comprises:

first furrow opening means for opening a narrow slot-like furrow in soil, said first furrow opening means having a lower end, an upper end spaced above said lower end and a leading edge interconnecting said lower and upper ends, said leading edge sloping rearwardly from the lower end to the upper end relative to an intended direction of travel of the first means through the soil;

a second furrow opening means located behind said first means in alignment therewith but having greater lateral width than the first means and extending by a substantially equal distance on each side of said first means, said second means being located above said lower end of said first means, said second means opening a furrow that is wider than said narrow slot-like furrow and is superimposed thereon to form a single combined furrow having a narrow bottom portion, a wider top portion and substantially horizontal portions between the top and bottom portions on each side of the combined furrow;

a narrow upright plate-like shoe member, said shoe member being at least as wide as said first furrow opening means and having forward and rearward end, said shoe member located immediately behind said first means to prevent soil from falling back into said narrow slot-like furrow;

a seed delivery tube having an outlet located behind said second means and above said shoe member between said forward and rearward ends of said shoe member and positioned so that seed passing through said outlet may fall randomly on both said substantially horizontal portions of the combined furrow on opposite sides of said shoe member; and

a fertilizer delivery tube having an outlet located immediately behind said rearward end of said shoe member in alignment with said narrow bottom portion of the combined furrow.