Row crop stalk and root remover
First Claim
1. In a row crop cultivator having a frame adapted for forward movement through a field with rows of raised plant beds, the beds including rows of plants having a row centerline, the rows of plants including plant debris such as plant roots located below the surface of soil in the beds and plant stalks, cultivator rig structure for lifting the roots to the surface and cutting the debris, the cultivator structure comprising:
- at least first and second cultivator rigs connected to the frame for operating on opposite sides of one of the plant beds;
disk support structure connected to the rigs;
a first barring off disk connected to the disk support structure for entering said one of the plant beds from one side of the bed and engaging the plant debris in the bed a preselected distance below the surface; and
a second barring off disk connected to the disk support structure for entering said one of the plant beds from a side of the bed opposite said one side, the second disk located rearwardly of the first disk and engaging the roots a second distance below the surface, the second distance being substantially greater than the first distance and wherein the first disk cuts across the row centerline in a first transverse direction and the second disk cuts across the row centerline in an opposite transverse direction so that the barring off disks size and lift the plant roots.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A multiple rig row crop cultivator with first and second concave disks supported for operation at two different depths from adjacent rigs to provide two-step sizing of residue. The first disk, located ahead of the second disk, operates at a first depth in the soil to slice out the upper portions of roots and direct plant residue to the row middle. The second disk cuts to a depth approximately twice that of the first disk to further cut out root sections and move the root sections and other plant debris to the opposite row middle. After the disks move stalks and roots to the row middles, sweeps with ridging/bedding wings move the mixture of soil, stalks, and roots to the top of the bed to cover the groove made by the disks and preserve the original plant bed.
25 Citations
21 Claims
-
1. In a row crop cultivator having a frame adapted for forward movement through a field with rows of raised plant beds, the beds including rows of plants having a row centerline, the rows of plants including plant debris such as plant roots located below the surface of soil in the beds and plant stalks, cultivator rig structure for lifting the roots to the surface and cutting the debris, the cultivator structure comprising:
-
at least first and second cultivator rigs connected to the frame for operating on opposite sides of one of the plant beds; disk support structure connected to the rigs; a first barring off disk connected to the disk support structure for entering said one of the plant beds from one side of the bed and engaging the plant debris in the bed a preselected distance below the surface; and a second barring off disk connected to the disk support structure for entering said one of the plant beds from a side of the bed opposite said one side, the second disk located rearwardly of the first disk and engaging the roots a second distance below the surface, the second distance being substantially greater than the first distance and wherein the first disk cuts across the row centerline in a first transverse direction and the second disk cuts across the row centerline in an opposite transverse direction so that the barring off disks size and lift the plant roots. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. In a row crop cultivator having a frame adapted for forward movement through a field with rows of raised plant beds, the beds including rows of plants having a row centerline, the rows of plants including plant debris such as roots located below the surface of soil in the beds and plant stalks, cultivator rig structure for lifting the roots to the surface and cutting the debris, the cultivator structure comprising:
-
a plurality of cultivator rigs connected to the frame for operating on opposite sides of adjacent rows of the plant beds; disk support structure connected to the rigs; a plurality of leading concave disks connected to the disk support structure for engaging the plant debris a first distance below the surface in at least first, second and third adjacent beds; a plurality of trailing concave disks connected to the disk support structure, each of the second disks located rearwardly of a one of the first disks for engaging the roots a second distance below the surface, the second distance being substantially greater than the first distance, the adjacent first and second disks defining a fore-and-aft spaced disk pair cutting the debris and lifting the roots in one of the adjacent beds, wherein the disk pair cuts through an area which traverses the row centerline, the first disk cutting through the centerline in a first direction and the second disk cutting through the centerline in a second direction opposite the first direction; and sweep structure supported from the rigs between the rows for forming ridges over the beds after the first and second disks cut and lift debris from the rows. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. A cultivator having a plurality of rigs supported from a frame and adapted for forward movement over a field of crops planted in parallel rows to size roots of the crops and move plant debris from the row area, the cultivator including:
-
a first disk supported from a cultivator rig for operation at a first preselected depth in a given plant row, the first disk operating at a first preselected depth and cutting plant roots off at the preselected depth, wherein the first disk is angled to cut across the row from a first side of the row to a second side of the row; and a second disk supported from a cultivator rig, the second disk operating in the given plant row at a second preselected depth substantially greater than the first preselected depth for cutting the crop roots off below the first preselected depth, wherein the second disk is angled to cut across the row from the second side of the row to the first side of the row, the first and second disks thereby sizing the portion of the plant roots above the second preselected depth. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
-
Specification