Soil tilling and planting implement

• US 8,534,373 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2012
• Issued: 09/17/2013
• 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., Van Buskirk, Dylan C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Novosad, Christopher J
• Application Number:
  US13/595,762
• Publication Number:
  US 20120312568A1
• Time in Patent Office: 386 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
• 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

A mount for carrying a plurality of field-conditioning implements selected from trash whipping implements, rolling baskets and coulters for connection to a planter or other multi-row implement is disclosed. A height and force adjustable mounting system is also disclosed that enables the force of such an implement on the soil to be modulated as desired.

Claims

1. A mounting and deployment system for a combination of field conditioning implements comprising:

(a) a mounting structure adapted to carry and selectively and controllably deploy one or more field-conditioning implements;

(b) a pneumatic actuating arrangement for selectively applying a deploying down force and retracting lift force to an implement for engaging and conditioning soil; and

(c) wherein said pneumatic actuating arrangement further comprises a down force pneumatic operator and a lift force pneumatic operator both of which are connected to pivot a common pair of spaced pivot lever arms that operate in a generally vertical plane and are connected to a transverse support member that, in turn, connects a pair of spaced support arm assemblies adapted to be attached to ends of a rolling basket tillage implement, said support arm assemblies also being journaled at a pivot point to pivot from a mounting structure member such that the pivoting of the spaced pivot lever arms raises and lowers the transverse support member which causes the support arm assemblies to pivot thereby deploying and retracting an attached rolling basket.

2. A mounting and deployment system as in claim 1 wherein both down force and lift pneumatic operators can be pressurized at the same time to control the resulting force on a mounted implement.

3. A mounting and deployment system as in claim 2 wherein said pneumatic operators comprise air bags.

4. A mounting and deployment system as in claim 1 further comprising a pneumatically operated row clearance implement mounted on said system.

5. A mounting and deployment system as in claim 4 wherein said pneumatic operators comprise air bags.

6. A mounting and deployment system as in claim 1 wherein said pneumatic operators comprise air bags.

7. A mounting and deployment system as in claim 1 wherein said support arm assemblies are generally triangular with a first vertex adopted to be connected to said rolling basket, a second vertex attached at said pivot point and a third vertex fixed to said transverse support member.

8. A mounting and deployment system as in claim 1 wherein said down force pneumatic operator is mounted to act against a deployment shaft connected between said pair of spaced pivot lever arms.

9. A mounting and deployment system as in claim 1 wherein said lift force pneumatic operator is connected to a pivoting linkage connected to a lift shaft which is connected between said pair of spaced pivot lever arms.

10. A mounting and deployment system as in claim 1 wherein said transverse support member is a hollow rectangular tube and said spaced pivot lever arms are connected to an upper portion of said transverse support member.