Furrow closing system and method for no-till agricultural seeders
First Claim
1. An agricultural seeder, comprising:
- a furrow opener adapted to create a furrow in a soil surface;
a seed directing mechanism adapted to direct seed into the furrow; and
a closing assembly adapted to close the furrow over the seed, said closing assembly comprising at least one spoked wheel having a hub and a plurality of spokes projecting outwardly from the hub, said spoked wheel being rotatably supported by a support member such that said spokes have a vertical inclination angle within a range of 35°
to 65°
as the spokes push through and shatter a side wall of the furrow.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An improved furrow closing system and method are disclosed for agricultural seeders, particularly no-till seeders, that produce an open furrow in the soil into which seeds are placed. The closing system includes one or more spoked wheels rotatably mounted rearward of the seed furrow opener of the seeder. The vertical angle and lateral alignment at which the spoked wheel is mounted, together with the shape and length of the spokes themselves, provide a gentle closing of the furrow by slicing instead of squeezing or wedging, a shattering of the furrow sidewall and a pushing of the fragments into the furrow. The shattering of the furrow sidewall results in a more consistent furrow closure, a more rapid and uniform seed germination and seedling emergence, a higher percentage of emergence, and an improved seedling root growth. The spoked wheel has a plurality of spokes projecting radially from the hub of the wheel. The spokes are tapered to improve their penetration into the soil, and are preferably made of polyurethane or other non-stick material to improve the shedding of mud as the wheel rotates. The spoked wheel has a vertical inclination angle of approximately 35° to 65°, and preferably about 50°, and a lateral alignment of plus or minus ⅜ inch relative to the midline of the furrow, and preferably about 0 inch. The spoked wheel also has a toe-out angle in the range of 0° to 8°, and preferably about 3.5°.
122 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An agricultural seeder, comprising:
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a furrow opener adapted to create a furrow in a soil surface;
a seed directing mechanism adapted to direct seed into the furrow; and
a closing assembly adapted to close the furrow over the seed, said closing assembly comprising at least one spoked wheel having a hub and a plurality of spokes projecting outwardly from the hub, said spoked wheel being rotatably supported by a support member such that said spokes have a vertical inclination angle within a range of 35°
to 65°
as the spokes push through and shatter a side wall of the furrow.- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A closing wheel assembly adapted to be used on an agricultural seeder to close a furrow by slicing and shattering a sidewall of the furrow after seed is directed into the furrow, comprising:
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a closing wheel support; and
a spoked closing wheel having a hub and a plurality of spokes with outer tips projecting radially outwardly from the hub, said outer tips of said spokes having a path of rotation that lies in a first plane, said spoked closing wheel being rotatably mounted on said closing wheel support such that said spokes are inclined at an angle from vertical that is within a range of 35°
to 65°
as the spokes pass through the sidewall of the furrow.- View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of closing a furrow formed by an agricultural seeder after seed is directed into the furrow, comprising the steps of:
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providing a first spoked closing wheel having an axis of rotation and a plurality of spokes with blunt outer tips projecting radially outwardly from the axis; and
positioning said first spoked closing wheel adjacent to a furrow containing seeds and at an angle from vertical such that the blunt outer tips of the spokes push through and shatter a sidewall of the furrow as the first spoked closing wheel is moved in a direction of travel along the furrow. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
positioning said second spoked closing wheel on an opposite side of the furrow containing seeds from the first spoked closing wheel and at an angle from vertical such that the blunt outer tips of the spokes of the second closing wheel push through and shatter a second sidewall of the furrow as the second closing wheel moves in a direction of travel along the furrow.
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Specification