Seed firming assembly and method for agricultural seeders and mounting system therefor
First Claim
1. A seed firming assembly for agricultural seeders, comprising:
- a seed-firming wheel for firming seeds into soil at the bottom of a furrow created by a furrow opener; and
an attaching arm that rotatably supports said seed-firming wheel in said furrow behind the furrow opener;
said attaching arm having a forward portion on which the seed-firming wheel is rotatably supported, said attaching arm being pivotally attached to a planter subframe for pivotal movement about an axis of rotation located behind the seed-firming wheel so as to push the seed-firming wheel to roll along the bottom of the furrow in a forward direction during operation while allowing the forward portion of the attaching arm and the wheel to move vertically relative to the planter subframe about said axis of rotation in response to variations in furrow depth and undulating terrain.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A seed firming assembly and method for agricultural seeders includes a large diameter seed-firming wheel for firming seeds into soil at the bottom of a furrow. The seed-firming wheel is located immediately behind a furrow opener and a seed guide. The seed-firming wheel is rotatably supported by an attaching arm, which is pivotally attached to a planter subframe at a location behind the seed-firming wheel so as to push the seed-firming wheel in a forward direction during operation. The attaching arm has a forward portion on which the seed-firming wheel is rotatably supported, a rearward portion on which an extension spring is attached for imparting a downward force on the seed-firming wheel during operation, and a horizontal transverse axis of rotation located between the forward and rearward portions. An adjustment mechanism is provided for adjusting the downward force imparted on the seed-firming wheel by the spring.
18 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A seed firming assembly for agricultural seeders, comprising:
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a seed-firming wheel for firming seeds into soil at the bottom of a furrow created by a furrow opener; and an attaching arm that rotatably supports said seed-firming wheel in said furrow behind the furrow opener;
said attaching arm having a forward portion on which the seed-firming wheel is rotatably supported, said attaching arm being pivotally attached to a planter subframe for pivotal movement about an axis of rotation located behind the seed-firming wheel so as to push the seed-firming wheel to roll along the bottom of the furrow in a forward direction during operation while allowing the forward portion of the attaching arm and the wheel to move vertically relative to the planter subframe about said axis of rotation in response to variations in furrow depth and undulating terrain. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A planter unit for an agricultural seeder, comprising:
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a furrow opener; a seed guide for guiding seeds into a furrow created by the furrow opener; and a seed-firming wheel located behind the seed guide and arranged to roll along the bottom of the furrow created by the furrow opener for firming seeds into soil at the bottom of the furrow, said seed-firming wheel being rotatably supported by a forward portion of an attaching arm which is pivotally attached to a planter subframe for pivotal movement about an axis of rotation located behind the seed-firming wheel so as to push the seed-firming wheel in a forward direction during operation while allowing the forward portion of the attaching arm and the seed-firming wheel to move vertically relative to the planter subframe about said axis of rotation in response to variations in furrow depth and undulating terrain. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of firming seeds in a furrow during agricultural seeding, comprising the steps of:
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providing a planter unit having a furrow opener, a seed guide for guiding seeds into a furrow created by the furrow opener, and a seed-firming wheel located in the furrow behind the seed guide; and using an attaching arm which is pivotally attached at a location behind the seed-firming wheel to push the seed-firming wheel to roll along the bottom of the furrow in a forward direction for firming seeds into soil at the bottom of the furrow during operation of the planter unit. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification