Soil tilling and planting implement

• US 8,528,656 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2011
• Issued: 09/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: L & B Manufacturing, Inc.
• Original Assignee: L & B Manufacturing, Inc.
• Inventors: Van Buskirk, Loyd C., Meldahl, Brian R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Novosad, Christopher J
• Application Number:
  US13/158,732
• Publication Number:
  US 20110232550A1
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: 111/118, 111/140, 111/170, 111/139, 111/149, 111/157, 111/163, 111/167, 111/927, 172/166, 172/540, 172/542, 172/551, 172554-556, 172/1, 172/189, 172/518, 172/604, 172/599, 172/601, 172/165, 172/701, 172/552, 172/548, 172/140, 172/145, 172149-151, 172/170, 172/172, 172/173, 172/184, 172/187, 172/195, 172/198, 172/260.5, 172/239, 172/261, 172263-268, 172272-275, 172/810, 172/310, 172315-318, 172/321, 172324-326, 172/387, 172/388, 172/391, 172/394, 172/395, 172/407, 172/413, 172/423, 172/424, 172/452, 172/468, 172/453, 172483-485, 172/613, 172/619, 172/624, 172/624.5, 172634-637, 172/657, 172661-663, 172/668, 172/675, 172677-681, 172/684.5, 172/685, 172/705, 172/711, 172/714, 172/734, 172/736, 172/739, 172/740, 172/748, 172/752, 172/762, 172/763, 172/765, 172/766, 172/771, 701/50
• US Class Current: 172/166
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 29/048 Bar cage rollers
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 33/024 with disk-like tools
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 33/087 Lifting devices; Depth regulation devices; Mountings
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 35/16 with rotating or circulating non-propelled tools
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 49/06 for sowing or fertilising
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 61/048 the connection or the energy accumulator being active in two opposite directions, e.g. for reversible plows
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 63/10 operated by hydraulic or pneumatic means
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 63/111 regulating working depth of implements
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 63/32 operated by hydraulic or pneumatic means without automatic control
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/006 Minimum till seeding
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/203 comprising depth regulation means
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/205 comprising pressure regulation means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 60/20 Reduction of greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions in agriculture, e.g. CO2
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 111/927 Parallelogram mounting

Abstract

The combination of a rolling basket tillage implement and a seed distribution implement is disclosed. A height-adjustable mounting system for a rolling basket soil tillage implement is also disclosed for use with a planter that enables such an implement to be raised above the soil as needed to avoid wet conditions.

Claims

1. A soil conditioning implement comprising:

a height-adjustable attachment mechanism and a soil conditioning implement comprising;

(a) a mounting structure including a plate adapted to be fixed to a seed planter, or tow bar, that is adapted to be drawn by a tractor;

(b) a pair of arms pivotally attached to the mounting structure in parallel, spaced relation flanking said soil conditioning implement, said arms extending away from the mounting plate;

(c) a lower assembly connected between said pair of arms;

(d) a rolling basket tillage implement journaled for rotation between the pair of arms; and

(e) a pneumatic actuator arrangement operatively coupled between the mounting structure and said lower assembly for selectively raising and lowering the rolling basket implement relative to the ground.

2. An implement as in claim 1 wherein said pneumatic actuator arrangement includes deployment and retraction air bags operably attached to said lower assembly by spaced shoulder bolts, each being attached to a fulcrum member connected to said lower assembly connected between said pair of arms.

3. An implement as claimed in claim 2 wherein said deployment air bag is mounted between a pivotally mounted bottom pedestal and a fixed upper bracket, said bottom pedestal being connected to spaced fulcrum members by shoulder bolts.

4. An implement as in claim 2 wherein said retraction air bag is mounted between a moving upper 7-shaped bracket and a bent flange member, said U-shaped bracket having legs connected to said lower assembly by fulcrum plates and shoulder bolts.

5. An implement as in claim 2 configured so that inflation of one air bag causes deflation of the other.

6. An implement as in claim 1 wherein said pair of arms are connected to pivot on a pair of spaced shoulder bolts.

7. A soil conditioning and planting implement comprising:

(a) a seed distribution implement adapted to be drawn by a tractor;

(b) a soil conditioning instrument comprising height-adjustable attachment mechanism and a soil conditioning implement comprising;

(1) a mounting structure including a plate adapted to be fixed to a seed planter, or tow bar, that is adapted to be drawn by a tractor;

(2) a pair of arms pivotally attached to the mounting structure in parallel, spaced relation flanking said soil conditioning implement, said arms extending away from the mounting plate;

(3) a lower assembly connected between said pair of arms;

(4) a rolling basket tillage implement journaled for rotation between the pair of arms; and

(5) a pneumatic actuator arrangement operatively coupled between the mounting structure and said lower assembly for selectively raising and lowering the rolling basket implement relative to the ground.

8. An implement as in claim 7 wherein said soil conditioning implement includes a plurality of spaced height adjustable attachment mechanisms and soil conditioning implements.

9. An implement as in claim 7 wherein said pneumatic actuator arrangement includes deployment and retraction air bags operably attached to said lower assembly by spaced shoulder bolts, each being attached to a fulcrum member connected to said lower assembly connected between said pair of arms.

10. An implement as claimed in claim 9 wherein said deployment air bag is mounted between a pivotally mounted bottom pedestal and a fixed upper bracket, said bottom pedestal being connected to spaced fulcrum members by shoulder bolts.

11. An implement as in claim 9 wherein said retraction air bag is mounted between a moving upper U-shaped bracket and a bent flange member, said U-shaped bracket having legs connected to said lower assembly by fulcrum plates and shoulder bolts.

12. An implement as in claim 9 configured so that inflation of one air bag causes deflation of the other.

13. An implement as in claim 7 wherein said pair arms are connected to pivot on a pair of spaced shoulder bolts.