Adjustable scraper assembly for planter gauge wheels

• US 7,730,962 B1
• Filed: 03/21/2008
• Issued: 06/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Copperhead Planter Products, LLC
• Original Assignee: Philip C. Kester
• Inventors: Kester, Philip C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Novosad; Christopher J.
• Application Number:
  US12/053,531
• Time in Patent Office: 809 Days
• Field of Search: 172558-566, 172/606, 172/610
• US Class Current: 172/558
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 5/06 Machines for making or covering drills or furrows for sowing or planting
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 5/068 Furrow packing devices, e.g. press wheels

Abstract

An adjustable scraper assembly for clearing mud and trash from the gauge wheel tires of an agricultural planter includes a support rod connected to the planter, a clamp assembly attached to the support rod, and a scraper blade attached to the clamp assembly. The clamp assembly has first and second clamping blocks that function together to allow pivotal adjustment of the scraper blade relative to the support rod about three nonparallel axes of rotation and sliding adjustment along at least one linear direction relative to the support rod. The support rod is attached to the planter using a third clamping block clamped to the hub of a gauge wheel arm. The third clamping block can be used to provide an additional adjustment of the support rod relative to the gauge wheel arm.

Claims

1. An adjustable scraper assembly for planter gauge wheels, comprising:

a support rod having a first end attached to a planter and a second end spaced from said first end;

a first clamp structure clamped to said second end of the support rod, said first clamp structure allowing a sliding adjustment along said second end of said support rod and a pivotal adjustment about a first axis of rotation comprising an axis of said second end of said support rod;

a protrusion member protruding from said first clamp structure in a nonparallel direction relative to said second end of said support rod;

a second clamp structure attached to said first clamp structure, said second clamp structure allowing a pivotal adjustment about a second axis of rotation comprising an axis of said protrusion member; and

a scraper blade attached to said second clamp structure, said scraper blade being attached to said second clamp structure with a threaded fastener that allows pivotal adjustment about a third axis of rotation comprising an axis of the threaded fastener;

said first, second and third axes of rotation are nonparallel with each other and allow adjustment of said scraper blade about three nonparallel axes of rotation.

2. The adjustable scraper assembly according to claim 1, wherein said first clamp structure comprises a first clamping block having a bore extending therethrough for receiving the second end of the support rod, and a threaded fastener for clamping the first clamping block to the support rod.

3. The adjustable scraper assembly according to claim 1, wherein said protrusion member comprises a threaded stud welded to said first clamp structure and extending from said first clamp structure in a perpendicular direction relative to said support rod.

4. The adjustable scraper assembly according to claim 1, wherein said second clamp structure comprises a second clamping block having a bore extending therethrough for receiving the protrusion member extending from said first clamp structure, and a threaded fastener for clamping the second clamping block to the protrusion member.

5. The adjustable scraper assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a third clamp structure for attaching the first end of the support rod to the planter, said third clamp structure allowing a sliding adjustment and a pivotal adjustment of the support rod relative to said third clamp structure.

6. The adjustable scraper assembly according to claim 5, wherein said third clamp structure comprises a third clamping block having a bore extending therethrough for receiving the first end of the support rod, and a threaded fastener for clamping the first end of the support rod within the bore of the third clamping block.

7. The adjustable scraper assembly according to claim 5, wherein said third clamp structure further comprises a means for securing the third clamping block to a hub of a gauge wheel arm.

8. An adjustable scraper assembly for planter gauge wheels, comprising:

a support structure adapted to be attached to a planter;

a clamp assembly attached to said support structure; and

a scraper blade attached to said clamp assembly for scraping an outer surface of a planter gauge wheel tire;

said clamp assembly comprising means for pivotally adjusting the scraper blade about three nonparallel axes of rotation and for slidably adjusting the scraper blade in at least one linear direction relative to said support structure;

wherein said support structure comprises a support rod having a first end adapted to be attached to a planter and a second end spaced from said first end; and

wherein said means for adjusting the scraper blade comprises a first clamp structure clamped to said second end of the support rod for allowing sliding adjustment along said support rod and pivotal adjustment about said support rod, a second clamp structure attached to said first clamp structure for allowing pivotal adjustment about an axis extending in a nonparallel direction relative to the second end of said support rod, and said scraper blade attached to said second clamp structure with a threaded fastener that allows pivotal adjustment about an axis of the threaded fastener.

9. The adjustable scraper assembly according to claim 8, further comprising a protrusion member protruding from said first clamp structure in a nonparallel direction relative to the second end of said support rod, said second clamp structure being attached to said protrusion member for allowing pivotal adjustment about said protrusion member.

10. The adjustable scraper assembly according to claim 9, wherein said protrusion member extends from said first clamp structure in a generally perpendicular direction relative to the second end of the support rod.

11. The adjustable scraper assembly according to claim 10, wherein said second clamp structure comprises a second clamping block having a bore extending therethrough for receiving the protrusion member extending from said first clamp structure, and a threaded fastener for clamping the second clamping block to the protrusion member.

12. The adjustable scraper assembly according to claim 8, wherein said first clamp structure comprises a first clamping block having a bore extending therethrough for receiving the second end of the support rod, and a threaded fastener for clamping the first clamping block to the support rod.

13. An agricultural planter comprising:

a planter frame;

a gauge wheel arm pivotally attached to said planter frame;

a gauge wheel attached to said gauge wheel arm; and

an adjustable scraper assembly having a scraping edge positioned close to an outer circumference of said gauge wheel, said adjustable scraper assembly comprising;

a support structure attached to said gauge wheel arm;

a clamp assembly attached to said support structure; and

a scraper blade comprising said scraping edge attached to said clamp assembly;

said clamp assembly comprising means for pivotally adjusting the scraper blade about three nonparallel axes of rotation and for slidably adjusting the scraper blade in at least one linear direction relative to said support structure;

wherein said support structure comprises a support rod having a first end attached to said gauge wheel arm and a second end spaced from said first end; and

wherein said means for adjusting the scraper blade comprises a first clamp structure clamped to said second end of the support rod for allowing sliding adjustment along said support rod and pivotal adjustment about said support rod, a second clamp structure attached to said first clamp structure for allowing pivotal adjustment about an axis extending in a nonparallel direction relative to the second end of said support rod, and said scraper blade attached to said second clamp structure with a threaded fastener that allows pivotal adjustment about an axis of the threaded fastener.

14. The agricultural planter according to claim 13, further comprising a protrusion member protruding from said first clamp structure in a nonparallel direction relative to the second end of said support rod, said second clamp structure being attached to said protrusion member for allowing pivotal adjustment about said protrusion member.

15. The agricultural planter according to claim 14, wherein said first clamp structure comprises a first clamping block having a bore extending therethrough for receiving the second end of the support rod, wherein said protrusion member extends from said first clamp structure in a generally perpendicular direction relative to the second end of the support rod, and wherein said second clamp structure comprises a second clamping block having a first bore extending therethrough for receiving the protrusion member extending from said first clamp structure and a second bore extending therethrough for receiving the threaded fastener that attaches the scraper blade to the second clamp structure.