Apparatus for reducing the effects of wear within seed planter gauge wheel hub assemblies

• US 5,904,107 A
• Filed: 06/29/1995
• Issued: 05/18/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Philip C. Kester
• Original Assignee: Philip C. Kester
• Inventors: Kester, Philip C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Melius, Terry Lee
• Assistant Examiner(s): PEZZUTO, ROBERT ERIC
• Application Number:
  US08/496,694
• Time in Patent Office: 1,419 Days
• Field of Search: 111/52, 111/81, 111/135, 111/136, 111/137, 111/167, 111/189, 111/194, 111/200, 111/927, 172/15, 172/21, 172/41, 172/166, 172/311, 172/519, 172/538, 403/3, 403/4, 403/111
• US Class Current: 111/135
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 71/04 Bearings of rotating parts, e.g. for soil-working discs discs A01B15/16, A01B23/06 ; bearings in general F16C
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 5/06 Machines for making or covering drills or furrows for sowing or planting
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 5/068 Furrow packing devices, e.g. press wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/201 Mounting of the seeding tools

Abstract

An improved planter gauge wheel arm hub assembly which reduces the effects of wear on gauge wheel hubs and shafts and the resulting looseness between the gauge wheels and furrow disks. A preferred embodiment of the invention utilizes a threaded attaching stud and a threaded adjustment stud to carry a disc spring which applies a continuous force on the wheel arm hub.

Claims

1. An apparatus for reducing wear within gauge wheel arm assemblies of a row planter, said apparatus comprising:

a gauge wheel arm pivot shaft, said pivot shaft having a first end fixed to a frame of a planter and a second end projecting outwardly therefrom, said second end of said pivot shaft having a central threaded bore;

a selected number of first adjusting washers positioned on said pivot shaft outwardly adjacent said first end of said pivot shaft;

a gauge wheel arm having a hub with inner and outer faces and a central bore for rotatably receiving said pivot shaft, said gauge wheel arm hub positioned outwardly adjacent said first adjusting washers on said pivot shaft;

a selected number of second adjusting washers positioned on said pivot shaft outwardly adjacent said gauge wheel arm hub, said selected number of first and second adjusting washers selectively positioning said gauge wheel arm hub laterally onto said pivot shaft;

a disc spring positioned on said pivot shaft outwardly of said second adjusting washers;

a disc spring compression means for compressing said disc spring thereby restraining said hub onto said pivot shaft, such that compression of said disc spring creates a lateral bearing force on said hub, whereby loads on said gauge wheel arm hub which ordinarily cause wear on said hub central bore and said pivot shaft are transferred by bearing forces on said faces of said hub and ultimately to said planter frame rather than through bearing contact of said central bore of said hub with said pivot shaft.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said disc spring compression means comprises:

a load washer positioned outwardly adjacent said disc spring; and

a bolt extendable through said load washer and said disc spring and threadable into said central threaded bore at said second end of said pivot shaft, whereby tightening of said bolt into said central threaded bore compresses said disc spring and creates said lateral bearing force on said hub.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising a plurality of shims positioned outwardly adjacent said second end of said pivot shaft.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said disc spring compression means comprises:

a threaded attaching stud threaded into said central threaded bore of said pivot shaft;

an adjusting stud extendable through said disc spring and adapted to threadably receive in one end said threaded attaching stud; and

a nut positioned outwardly of said disc spring and threadably receiving said adjusting stud, whereby tightening of said nut onto said adjusting stud compresses said disc spring and creates said lateral bearing force on said hub.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said adjusting stud includes a keyway and wherein said compression means further comprises:

at least one flat washer positioned outwardly adjacent said second adjusting washers;

a tab washer having an internal tab, said tab washer positioned outwardly adjacent said flat washers, said internal tab receivingly positioned in said keyway of said adjusting stud, both said flat washers and said tab washers being located inwardly of said disc spring on said adjusting stud, whereby said flat washers provide a bearing surface area on said second adjusting washers and said tab washer prevents rotation of said flat washers and second adjusting washers as said nut is being tightened onto said adjusting stud to compress said disc spring.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said nut is a locking nut.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said nut includes a compression nut and a locking nut.

8. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said adjusting stud is adapted at one other end to receive a tool for turning said adjusting stud onto said attaching stud.

9. A method for reducing wear within gauge wheel arm assemblies of a row planter, said method comprising:

exposing a gauge wheel arm pivot shaft on said planter, said pivot shaft having a first end fixed to a frame of said planter and a second end projecting outwardly therefrom, said second end of said pivot shaft having a central threaded bore;

placing a selected number of first adjusting washers onto said pivot shaft outwardly adjacent said first end of said pivot shaft;

placing a gauge wheel arm having a hub with inner and outer faces and a central bore for rotatably receiving said pivot shaft onto said pivot shaft, said gauge wheel arm hub being positioned outwardly adjacent said first adjusting washers on said pivot shaft;

placing a selected number of second adjusting washers onto said pivot shaft outwardly adjacent said gauge wheel arm hub, said selected number of first and second adjusting washers selectively positioning said gauge wheel arm hub laterally onto said pivot shaft;

placing a disc spring positioned on said pivot shaft outwardly of said second adjusting washers;

attaching a disc spring compression means to said pivot shaft in order to restrain said hub onto said pivot shaft, such that compression of said disc spring creates a lateral bearing force on said hub, whereby loads on said gauge wheel arm hub which ordinarily cause wear on said hub central bore and said pivot shaft are transferred by bearing forces on said faces of said hub and ultimately to said planter frame rather than through bearing contact of said central bore of said hub with said pivot shaft.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said disc spring compression means comprises:

a load washer positioned outwardly adjacent said disc spring; and

a bolt extendable through said load washer and said disc spring and threadable into said central threaded bore at said second end of said pivot shaft, whereby tightening of said bolt into said central threaded bore compresses said disc spring and creates said lateral bearing force on said hub.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising a plurality of shims positioned outwardly adjacent said second end of said pivot shaft.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said disc spring compression means comprises:

a threaded attaching stud threaded into said central threaded bore of said pivot shaft;

an adjusting stud extendable through said disc spring and adapted to threadably receive in one end said threaded attaching stud; and

a nut positioned outwardly of said disc spring and threadably receiving said adjusting stud, whereby tightening of said nut onto said adjusting stud compresses said disc spring and creates said lateral bearing force on said hub.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said adjusting stud includes a keyway and wherein said disc spring compression means further comprises:

at least one flat washer positioned outwardly adjacent said second adjusting washers;

a tab washer having an internal tab, said tab washer positioned outwardly adjacent said flat washers, said internal tab receivingly positioned in said keyway of said adjusting stud, both said flat washers and said tab washers being located inwardly of said disc spring on said adjusting stud, whereby said flat washers provide a bearing surface area on said second adjusting washers and said tab washer prevents rotation of said flat washers and second adjusting washers as said nut is being tightened onto said adjusting stud to compress said disc spring.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said nut is a locking nut.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said nut includes a compression nut and a locking nut.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said adjusting stud is adapted at one other end to receive a tool for turning said adjusting stud onto said attaching stud.