Fertilizer injector wing for disc openers
First Claim
1. A furrow opener comprising:
- a rotatable disc operable to be pulled over ground in a forward direction to thereby open a furrow therein;
a seed boot fixed relative to one side of the disc and being operable to insert seed in the furrow,said seed boot presenting an outboard side distally spaced from the disc,said seed boot including a seed outlet operable to discharge seed into the furrow,said seed outlet defining an outlet axis extending generally parallel to the direction seed is discharged; and
a fertilizer injector wing fixed to the seed boot,said fertilizer injector wing being positioned adjacent said outboard side of the seed boot so that at least a portion of said seed boot is positioned between the disc and wing,said fertilizer injector wing including at least one nozzle operable to inject fertilizer into the furrow,said at least one nozzle defining an injection axis extending generally parallel to the direction fertilizer is injected,said injection axis extending nonparallel relative to said outlet axis so as to define an offset angle therebetween,said offset angle being between about five and about thirty degrees.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Disc openers (14) for use with an air seeder (10) are configured for seeding and fertilizing a field (G). The opener (14b) broadly includes a coulter disc (20), a seed boot (24), and a fertilizer injector wing (26). The fertilizer injector wing (26) is configured for fixed attachment to the seed boot (24) and broadly includes a body (48), including an angled outboard portion (56), a toxic fertilizer injector (50), and a non-toxic fertilizer injector (52). The opener (14b) with the fertilizer injector wing (26) is configured to place the seed row (S) and the dedicated fertilizer band (DB) at an optimum geometric positional alignment relative to the seed row (S), in a single, low soil disturbing planting pass without disrupting the seed bed (BS). In alternative wings (300 and 400), the sufficiently safe geometric positioning is accomplished by the force of delivery of the fertilizers (N and P) coupled with an offset angle (OA) defined between a fertilizer injection axis (AF) and a seed outlet axis (AO).
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. A furrow opener comprising:
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a rotatable disc operable to be pulled over ground in a forward direction to thereby open a furrow therein; a seed boot fixed relative to one side of the disc and being operable to insert seed in the furrow, said seed boot presenting an outboard side distally spaced from the disc, said seed boot including a seed outlet operable to discharge seed into the furrow, said seed outlet defining an outlet axis extending generally parallel to the direction seed is discharged; and a fertilizer injector wing fixed to the seed boot, said fertilizer injector wing being positioned adjacent said outboard side of the seed boot so that at least a portion of said seed boot is positioned between the disc and wing, said fertilizer injector wing including at least one nozzle operable to inject fertilizer into the furrow, said at least one nozzle defining an injection axis extending generally parallel to the direction fertilizer is injected, said injection axis extending nonparallel relative to said outlet axis so as to define an offset angle therebetween, said offset angle being between about five and about thirty degrees. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of simultaneously applying a toxic charge of ammoniacal fertilizer in proximity with seed, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) fixing a seed boot relative to a rotatable disc and positioning the boot on one side thereof; (b) fixing a fertilizer injector wing to said seed boot and laterally spacing the wing from the boot so that the seed boot is positioned between said disc and wing; (c) pulling the disc through the soil to thereby open an elongated furrow wherein said disc creates a zone of disturbed soil in the furrow; (d) pulling the seed boot and injector wing through the furrow to form a seed bed within the disturbed soil zone; (e) dropping seed along a seed-placement axis into the seed bed; and (f) simultaneously injecting ammoniacal fertilizer along an injection axis into the furrow outside of the seed bed, wherein the seed-placement and injection axes are offset by an offset angle of between about five and about thirty degrees. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A fertilizer injector wing for use with a furrow opener wherein the furrow opener includes a single disc wherein the disc is the only tillage tool of the furrow opener and rotates in a forward direction over ground to open a furrow of disturbed soil therein, and a seed boot that forms a seed bed in the furrow and inserts seed therein, said injector wing comprising:
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a housing operable to engage the seed boot; and a nozzle supported on the housing and being configured to inject a toxic charge of ammoniacal fertilizer into the furrow, said housing including an inline portion operable to engage the seed boot and presenting a generally linear axis of orientation, said nozzle including a terminal orifice through which fertilizer is injected into the furrow, said nozzle defining an injection axis extending generally parallel to the direction fertilizer is injected, said injection axis extending nonparallel relative to the linear axis of orientation so as to define an offset angle between said injection axis and said linear axis of orientation, said offset angle being between about five and about thirty degrees, said injector wing being configured to be entirely spaced from the disturbed soil when the housing engages the seed boot. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A furrow opener comprising:
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a rotatable disc operable to be pulled over ground in a forward direction to thereby open a furrow of disturbed soil therein, said disc being the only tillage tool of the furrow opener; a seed boot fixed relative to one side of the disc and being operable to insert seed in the furrow, said seed boot including a seed outlet operable to discharge seed into the furrow, said seed outlet defining an outlet axis extending generally parallel to the direction seed is discharged; and a fertilizer injector wing fixed to the seed boot, said fertilizer injector wing including at least one nozzle operable to inject a toxic charge of ammoniacal fertilizer into the furrow, said at least one nozzle defining an injection axis extending generally parallel to the direction fertilizer is injected, said outlet axis being configured to intersect the ground at a first point of intersection, said injection axis being configured to intersect the ground at a second point of intersection, said first and second points of intersection being laterally spaced from one another by a positional distance when the disc is pulled in the forward direction, said positional distance being at least about one-half inch and not greater than about two and one-half inches, said fertilizer injector wing being configured to be entirely spaced from the disturbed soil when the disc is pulled over ground. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35)
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Specification