Trash cleaning structure for a furrow opening device

• US 6,223,663 B1
• Filed: 04/29/1999
• Issued: 05/01/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Stephens, Lyle Eugene, Wendling, Ignatz
• Primary Examiner(s): BATSON, VICTOR D
• Application Number:
  US09/302,072
• Time in Patent Office: 733 Days
• Field of Search: 111/139, 111/157, 111/143, 111/140, 111/163, 111/142, 111/141, 111/62, 111/924, 172/604, 172/624.5
• US Class Current: 111/139
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 5/06 Machines for making or covering drills or furrows for sowing or planting
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/006 Minimum till seeding
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/22 Improving land use; Improving water use or availability; Controlling erosion
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 60/20 Reduction of greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions in agriculture, e.g. CO2
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 111/924 Minimum and no till planter

Abstract

A shallow-toothed clearing disk pivotally supported from the upper end of the opener drawbar assembly. A four bar linkage is connected to the forward end of the drawbar by a bracket which includes at least one link and corresponding pivot structure located above the drawbar to increase trash clearance and reduce trash build-up. The shallow rounded gullets between pointed teeth provide good disk depth control and trash penetration while reducing soil penetration and soil disturbance. The gullets also hold and prevent sliding of trash away from the clearing influence of the angled disk. The disk effectively clears trash to the side of the opener opposite the gauge wheel to assure optimum depth gauging for the opener. The gear-type structure is capable of operating over a wide range of down pressures and loads while breaking any existing crust in the cleared path with little soil disturbance. The disk provides minimum tillage with little soil and trash throw to assure uniform planting depth, seed germination and plant growth without stimulation of weed growth, both in the row being cleared and in adjacent rows.

Claims

1. A clearing disk adapted for forward movement over the ground at an angle to the forward direction for clearing trash from a narrow band of ground forwardly of a ground penetrating tool, the disk having a preselected diameter and including a periphery having teeth with trash-penetrating pointed teeth ends, the teeth ends separated by shallow rounded gullets located radially inwardly of the teeth ends a distance less than approximately one inch and defining a serrated gear-tooth shaped periphery, the gullets adapted for pressing the trash against the ground and limiting the depth of penetration of the disk as the angled clearing disk moves the trash toward the side of the penetrating tool, wherein the disk is generally planar with the teeth ends centered between the rounded gullets and extending perpendicularly to the plane of the disk, the teeth ends spaced approximately one inch apart and the gullets are struck on the arc of a circle having a radius of approximately four-tenths of an inch with radius center located approximately one-eighth of an inch from the teeth ends.

2. The clearing disk as set forth in claim 1 wherein the teeth and gullets are uniformly spaced around the disk and wherein adjacent teeth ends are spaced apart no more than approximately one inch (26 mm).

3. The clearing disk as set forth in claim 1 wherein the bottom of the gullets are rounded and struck on an arc of preselected radius, the arc having a center located between the teeth ends of the teeth adjacent the gullets.

4. The clearing disk as set forth in claim 1 wherein the disk is flat and has thickness in the range of from one quarter to four-tenths of an inch.

5. The clearing disk as set forth in claim 1 wherein the disk has a diameter between eight and twelve inches.

6. The clearing disk as set forth in claim 1 wherein the disk is supported at an angle of between five and forty degrees with respect to a fore-and-aft extending plane so that trash is moved to one side, and at an angle greater than about ten degrees from the vertical so that forward trash and soil throw are reduced.

7. The clearing disk as set forth in claim 1 wherein the teeth are shaped to break any crust on the surface of the ground while limiting soil and trash throw.

8. The clearing disk as set forth in claim 1 further including an arm supporting the ground penetrating tool, a four bar linkage having upper and lower links connected for movement relative to the arm and supporting the clearing disk, wherein the arm and upper and lower links are supported in substantially a parallel side by side condition as the clearing disk moves trash, and spring structure connected between the links for maintaining a generally constant disk down pressure as the disk moves with the links.

9. A clearing disk adapted for forward movement over the ground at an angle to the forward direction for clearing trash from a narrow band of ground forwardly of a ground penetrating tool, the disk being substantially planar and having a diameter in the range of between eight to twelve inches and including a periphery having teeth with trash-penetrating pointed teeth ends, the teeth ends spaced approximately one inch apart and separated by shallow rounded gullets struck on the arc of a circle having a radius of approximately four-tenths of an inch and defining gullet centers located between the teeth, the gullet centers located radially inwardly from the teeth points approximately one-eighth of an to thereby reduce hairpinning of the trash between the teeth, the gullets and teeth defining a chain wheel shaped periphery, the gullets adapted for pressing the trash against the ground as the angled clearing disk moves the trash toward the side of the penetrating tool and limiting depth of penetration of the disk, and wherein the periphery includes a preselected number of teeth, the preselected number being at least approximately three times the diameter in inches of the disk.

10. The clearing disk as set forth in claim 9 wherein the disk is planar with opposite parallel sides and has a thickness in the range of from one quarter to four-tenths of an inch to provide good wear and depth control while retaining effective trash penetration, and wherein the teeth ends extend generally transversely between the sides and have a width approximately equal to the thickness.

11. The clearing disk structure as set forth in claim 9 wherein adjacent pointed teeth ends are spaced no more than approximately one inch (26 mm) apart.

12. The clear disk structure as set forth in claim 9 wherein the gullets are approximately one half inch deep with a rounded central portion located on an arc centered between adjacent teeth ends.