Mid row banding coulter drill

• US 6,216,616 B1
• Filed: 07/19/1999
• Issued: 04/17/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bourgault Industries Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Bourgault Industries Ltd.
• Inventors: Bourgault, Gerard F. J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Novosad, Christopher J.
• Application Number:
  US09/356,667
• Time in Patent Office: 638 Days
• Field of Search: 111/186, 111/194, 111/192
• US Class Current: 111/186
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 5/064 with rotating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/06 Seeders combined with fertilising apparatus

Abstract

A coulter closing wheel assembly, a method of planting, and a mid row banding pneumatic coulter drill assembly support vehicle. One fertilizer coulter is positioned between two seeding coulters. The seeding coulters are followed by a furrow closing disc which scrubs the ground and pushes soil back into the furrow. The seeding coulters are also followed directly by a packer wheel. The fertilizer coulters may or may not employ a furrow closing disc, depending on the type of fertilizer and the type of soil. In the event of granular or liquid nitrogen fertilizers the closing disc is generally not necessary. However, when a gaseous fertilizer such as anhydrous ammonia is applied to the soil, the furrow closing disc is necessary in order to prevent the escape of the anhydrous ammonia into the atmosphere. The coulters are firmly attached to horizontal frame members of the drill and placed at an angle of a few degrees off the direction of travel. The injection of fertilizer directly between a pair of seed rows ensures a steady supply of nitrogen or other fertilizers throughout the growing period. In addition, since the fertilizer is placed a fair distance from each of the seed rows, it will not scorch or burn the roots of the growing crop.

Claims

1. A farm implement adapted to deposit seed and fertilizer in soil and be pulled by a power source comprising:

a framed cart supported at least by front support wheels and rear packer wheels;

said cart including a plurality of horizontal frame members extending perpendicular to the line of travel;

a plurality of seed depositing coulter disc assemblies and a plurality of fertilizer depositing coulter disc assemblies mounted on said frame members;

each of said coulter disc assemblies comprising a single coulter disc adapted to rotate at an acute angle to the line of travel wherein in operation each coulter disc assembly creates a single furrow;

each of said fertilizer depositing coulter disc assemblies being mounted midway between seed depositing coulter disc assemblies, such that in operation a row of fertilizer is deposited equidistant between two rows of deposited seed.

2. A fann implement as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said fertilizer depositing coulter disc assemblies is mounted mid-way between adjacent seed depositing coulter disc assemblies, such that in operation a row of fertilizer is deposited midway between two rows of deposited seed, such that each seed row has access to fertilizer in two opposite directions.

3. A farm implement as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said fertilizer depositing coulter disc assemblies is mounted mid-way between a pair of seed depositing coulter disc assemblies, such that in operation a row of fertilizer is deposited midway between two rows of deposited seed;

such that each seed row has access to fertilizer in one direction.

4. An implement as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said seed depositing coulter disc assemblies includes a furrow closing disc;

each of said furrow closing discs being pivotally attached to one of said assemblies and being adapted to rotate at the rear thereof at an acute angle to the direction of forward travel and thereby cover in operation a furrow, created by said coulter disc, with soil;

each of said packer wheels being in register with a single seed row created in operation by one of said seed depositing coulter disc assemblies.

5. An implement as claimed in claim 4 wherein said furrow closing disc is rotatably mounted on a spindle attached to a remote end of a furrow closing disc support ann;

and an opposite end of said furrow closing disc support arm is pivotally connected to a lower end of a mounting bracket of said seed depositing coulter disc assembly.

6. An implement as claimed in claim 5 wherein said furrow closing wheel support arm is connected to an upper portion of said mounting bracket by a support means such as an arm cable, or chain.

7. An implement as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said fertilizer depositing coulter disc assemblies includes a furrow closing disc;

each of said furrow closing discs being pivotally attached to one of said assemblies and being adapted to rotate at the rear thereof at an acute angle to the direction of forward travel and thereby cover in operation a furrow created by said coulter disc with soil.

8. An implement as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said single coulter discs of said fertilizer depositing and seed depositing coulter disc assemblies rotate at an angle of 1°

to 7°

from the direction of travel.

9. An implement as claimed in claim 1 wherein said coulter disc assemblies include an outboard floating tine and an inboard scraper;

said tine and said scraper being adapted in operation to clean an outboard planar side of said single coulter disc, and an inboard planar side of said single coulter disc, respectively.

10. An implement as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said coulter disk assemblies is biased downwardly by a spring.

11. An implement as claimed in claim 1 wherein said implement includes hydraulically operated rear support wheels such that in transport operation said rear support wheels are moved downwardly thereby raising said coulter disc assemblies out of contact with the ground.

12. A method of seeding and fertilizing a field comprising the steps of:

(1) positioning a plurality of single seed depositing and fertilizer depositing coulter discs adapted to rotate at an acute angle to the forward direction of travel along horizontally disposed frame members of a tool bar, such that each fertilizer depositing coulter disc is located mid-way between a pair of seed depositing coulter discs;

(2) connecting said seed depositing coulter discs and said fertilizer depositing coulter discs to a seed container and a fertilizer container respectively on an air seeder cart with a plurality of hoses or tubes;

(3) pulling said tool bar forwardly and creating a series of pairs of seeded furows, each pair of seeded furrows having a single fertilizer furrow mid-way therebetween;

(4) covering each seed furrow with soil with a furrow closing disc adapted to rotate at an acute angle to the direction of forward travel; and

(5) packing each seeded furrow with a packer wheel.

13. An agricultural disc coulter seeding implement intended to be towed behind an agricultural tractor across agricultural fields including:

a) a hitch;

b) said hitch attached to a lattice type frame;

c) wheels for supporting said lattice frame;

d) hydraulic means for changing the height above the ground of said lattice frame;

e) seed disc coulter assemblies comprising a single coulter disc rigidly attached to said lattice frame and primarily used for receiving and depositing seed;

f) fertilizer disc coulter assemblies comprising a single coulter disc rigidly attached to said lattice frame and primarily used for receiving and depositing fertilizer;

g) said seed disc coulter assemblies creating furrows in the soil for allowing the entry of seed into the soil;

h) closer discs located behind said seed disc coulter assemblies used to push soil over said seed furrows;

i) packer wheels located behind said seed disc coulter assemblies and also behind said closer discs located behind said seed disc coulter disc assemblies;

j) means for supplying seed to said seed disc coulter assemblies; and

k) means for supplying fertilizer to said fertilizer disc coulter assemblies.

14. A disc coulter seeding implement as in claim 13 where said coulter discs rotate at an acute angle to the direction of forward travel.

15. A disk coulter seeding implement as in claim 13 where said disk coulter assemblies each include a spring loaded scraper assembly that keeps a surface of the disk coulter that is facing the furrow being created, clear of soil or debris.

16. A disc coulter seeding implement as in claim 15 where said disc coulter assemblies each include a spring loaded scraper assembly that keeps a surface of the disc coulter facing the furrow being created, clear of soil or debris and a leading edge of said scraper is made from carbide.

17. A disk coulter seeding implement as in claim 15, wherein said spring loaded scraper includes means to quickly vary contact force between said scraper and said disk coulter.

18. A disc coulter seeding implement as in claim 13 where said disc coulter assemblies each include a seed or fertilizer delivery tube on the side of the disc coulter facing the furrow said implement further including a spring loaded scraper assembly which prevents soil from contacting said seed or fertilizer delivery tube.

19. A disk coulter seeding implement as in claim 13 where said seed depositing disk coulter assemblies include a mounting bracket, a strut, means for pivotally connecting said strut to said mounting bracket, a two sided disk rotatably attached to said strut, a resilient means connecting said strut to said mounting bracket such that when said disk encounters an obstacle said disk will rotate upwardly without damage.

20. A disk coulter seeding implement as in claim 13 where said fertilizer depositing disk coulter assemblies include a mounting bracket, a strut, means for pivotally connecting said strut to said mounting bracket, a two sided disk rotatably attached to said strut, a resilient means connecting said strut to said mounting bracket such that when said disk encounters an obstacle said disk will rotate upwardly without damage.

21. A disk coulter seeding implement as in claim 13 where said seed depositing disk coulter assemblies include a mounting bracket, a strut, means for pivotally connecting said strut to said mounting bracket, a two sided disk rotatably attached to said strut, a resilient means connecting said strut to said mounting bracket, a tine attached to said strut and extending across at least one side of the disk;

said tine being adapted to collect organic material to form a wear pad and thereby remove soil build-up and avoid wear on said disk and tine.

22. A disk coulter seeding implement as in claim 13 where said fertilizer depositing disk coulter assemblies include a mounting bracket, a strut, means for pivotally connecting said strut to said mounting bracket, a two sided disk rotatably attached to said strut, a resilient means connecting said strut to said mounting bracket, a tine attaching to said strut and extending across at least one side of the disk;

said tine being adapted to collect organic material to form a wear pad and thereby remove soil build-up and avoid wear on said disk and tine.

23. A disc coulter seeding implement as in claim 13 where said seed depositing disc coulter assemblies include furrow closing discs. adapted in operation to rotate at an acute angle to the line of travel, pivotally attached to said seed depositing disc coulter assemblies such that when said furrow closing discs encounter an obstacle movement upwardly occurs without damage.

24. A disc coulter seeding implement as in claim 13 wherein when said fertilizer depositing disc coulter assemblies include furrow closing discs pivotally attached to said fertilizer disc coulter assemblies such that when said furrow closing discs encounter an obstacle they can move upwardly without damage.