Coulter with an inside floating scraper and an outside spring closer tine

• US 6,024,179 A
• Filed: 02/27/1998
• Issued: 02/15/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bourgault Industries Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Bourgault Industries Ltd.
• Inventors: Bourgault, Gerard F.
• Primary Examiner(s): PEZZUTO, ROBERT ERIC
• Application Number:
  US09/031,689
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• Field of Search: 172/49, 172/96, 172/556, 172/558, 172/559, 172/560, 172/561, 172/562, 172/563, 172/564, 172/566, 172/572, 111/52, 111/139, 111/140, 111/191, 111/130
• US Class Current: 172/566
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 15/18 Coulters
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 23/06 Discs A01B15/16 takes precedence; bearings therefor A01B71/04; Scrapers for cleaning discs; Sharpening attachments; Lubrication of bearingssharpening in general B24
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 5/064 with rotating tools

Abstract

A coulter is provided to create furrows in a field, while at the same time reducing the amount of soil and debris which accumulates on the coulter disc. The coulter has a disc for creating furrows, with a floating scraper blade on the inner side to keep the inner side of the disc free of debris. The scraper blade also assists in maintaining the furrow once it has been opened by the disc. A tine extends across the outer side of the disc in a configuration that prevent soil from adhering to the outer side of the disc, and in trash covered fields, trash will wrap around the tine to act as an organic wear pad between the disc and the tine.

Claims

1. A coulter assembly adapted to be mounted on a frame of a farm implement including:

(a) a mounting bracket;

(b) a strut;

(c) means for pivotally connecting said strut to said mounting bracket;

(d) a two-sided disc, said disc being rotatably attached to said strut; and

(e) a tine, attached to said strut and extending across at least one side of the disc, the tine adapted in operation to collect trash and form an organic wear pad and thereby remove soil build-up and avoid excess wear on the disc and tine.

2. The coulter assembly of claim 1 wherein two sides of said disc comprise an inner side and an outer side whereby the inner side of the disc faces the strut and the tine extends across the outer side of the disc.

3. The coulter assembly of claim 2 wherein the tine is an elongate member with a first end attached to said strut;

said elongate member being bent in such a configuration as to extend across said outer side of the disc; and

wherein a second end of said elongate member is in contact with said outer side of the disc;

said second end remaining inside a perimeter of said disc at all times during operation.

4. The coulter assembly of claim 3 further comprising a tine mount rod attached to the strut to support the tine.

5. The coulter assembly of claim 4 further comprising means connected between the mounting bracket and the strut to permit movement of the tine to avoid obstacles when in operation.

6. The coulter assembly of claim 5 wherein the means connected between the mounting bracket and the strut to permit movement of the tine to avoid obstacles when in operation comprises:

(a) a coupling attached to the strut and the tine, the coupling pivotally connected to the mounting bracket; and

(b) resilient means connected between the mounting bracket and the coupling whereby the coupling will rotate when the tine encounters obstacles in operation.

7. The coulter assembly of claim 6 wherein the resilient means is a spring.

8. The coulter assembly of claim 5 wherein the means connected between the mounting bracket and the strut to permit movement of the tine to avoid obstacles comprises

resilient means connected between the mounting bracket and the strut whereby the strut will pivot when the tine encounters obstacles in operation.

9. The coulter assembly of claim 8 wherein the resilient means is a spring.

10. The coulter assembly of claim 2 further comprising:

(a) a torque arm attached to the strut; and

(b) a scraper blade attached to the torque arm whereby the scraper blade is urged against the inner surface of the disc to clean the disc during operation of the coulter.

11. The coulter assembly of claim 3 further comprising:

(a) a torque arm attached to the strut; and

(b) a scraper blade attached to the torque arm whereby the scraper blade is urged against the inner side of the disc to clean the disc during operation of the coulter.

12. The coulter assembly of claim 3 further comprising:

(a) a housing attached to the strut;

(b) a shaft mounted inside the housing having an upper end and a lower end, whereby the shaft is free to rotate relative to the housing;

(c) resilient means connected between the shaft and the strut at a first end of the shaft normally urging the shaft in one direction of rotation relative to the housing whereby rotation of the shaft relative to the housing is resiliently restrained in an opposite direction; and

(d) a scraper blade attached to the shaft at the lower end of the shaft whereby the scraper blade is normally urged against the inner side of the disc.

13. The coulter assembly of claim 12 wherein the resilient means is a torsion spring.

14. The coulter assembly of claim 13 further comprising a tube holder for fertilizer or seeds indirectly attached to the housing.

15. The coulter of claim 14 further comprising:

a bracket attached to the housing; and

said tube holder for fertilizer or seeds attached to the bracket, the bracket being attached to the housing.

16. A coulter assembly comprising:

(a) a substantially vertically oriented mounting bracket having a lower end and an upper end;

(b) a strut, having an upper end and a lower end;

(c) a coupling attached to the upper end of the strut and pivotally connected to the lower end of the mounting bracket;

(d) a disc, rotatably attached to the lower end of the strut whereby an inner side of the disc faces the strut;

(e) a tine, attached to the strut and extending across an outer side of the disc, wherein the tine is an elongate member with a first end attached to the coupling, said elongate member being bent in such a configuration as to extend across the outer surface of the disc such that only a second end of the elongate member contacts the disc;

the second end remaining inside the perimeter of the disc;

said tine being adapted in operation to collect trash and thereby form an organic wear pad to avoid excess wear on the disc and tine and clean said disc; and

(f) a spring connected between the mounting bracket and the coupling whereby the coupling will rotate upon elevation of the tine to avoid obstacles when in operation.