Row unit for agricultural implement

• US 8,863,857 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2012
• Issued: 10/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dawn Equipment Company
• Original Assignee: Dawn Equipment Company
• Inventors: Bassett, Joseph D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Novosad, Christopher J
• Application Number:
  US13/402,688
• Publication Number:
  US 20120210920A1
• Time in Patent Office: 972 Days
• Field of Search: 172/2, 172/4, 172/763, 172/773, 111/52, 111/54, 111/55, 111/62, 111/136, 111/167
• US Class Current: 172/2
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 5/06 Machines for making or covering drills or furrows for sowing or planting
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/205 comprising pressure regulation means

Abstract

An agricultural row unit for use with a towing frame hitched to a tractor includes an attachment frame adapted to be rigidly connected to the towing frame, and a furrow-opening module comprising a first linkage pivotably coupled to the attachment frame, a first movable frame pivotably coupled to the linkage to permit vertical pivoting movement of the first movable frame relative to the linkage, a furrow-opening device mounted on the first movable frame, and a first biasing element pivotably attached to the linkage and coupled to the first movable frame for urging the furrow-opening device downwardly against the soil. The row unit also includes a furrow-closing module and a second biasing element for urging the at least one furrow-closing device downwardly against the soil.

Claims

1. An agricultural row unit for use with a towing frame hitched to a tractor, said row unit comprising:

an attachment frame adapted to be rigidly connected to said towing frame,

a first parallel linkage pivotably coupled to said attachment frame and having a first pair of parallel links,

a first movable frame pivotably coupled to said first parallel linkage to permit vertical pivoting movement of said first movable frame relative to said first parallel linkage,

a furrow-opening device mounted on said first movable frame,

a first biasing element pivotably attached to said first parallel linkage and coupled to said first movable frame for urging said furrow-opening device downwardly against the soil,

a second parallel linkage pivotably coupled to said first movable frame and having a second pair of parallel links,

a second movable frame pivotably coupled to said second parallel linkage to permit vertical pivoting movement of said second movable frame relative to said second parallel linkage,

at least one furrow-closing device mounted on said second movable frame, and

a second biasing element pivotably attached to said second parallel linkage and coupled to said second movable frame for urging said at least one furrow-closing device downwardly against the soil.

2. The agricultural row unit of claim 1 in which said first and second biasing elements are remotely controllable to permit adjustment of the forces produced to urge said furrow-opening and furrow-closing devices downwardly against the soil.

3. The agricultural row unit of claim 2 in which said first and second biasing elements are responsive to a controllable fluid pressure.

4. The agricultural row unit of claim 3 in which said first and second biasing elements are air springs.

5. The agricultural row unit of claim 1 in which said second movable frame includes a stop mechanism coupled to said second parallel linkage for limiting the range of pivoting movement of said second parallel linkage.

6. The agricultural row unit of claim 1 in which said at least one furrow-closing device comprises a pair of closing wheels positioned to engage the soil on opposite sides of a furrow formed by said furrow-opening device.

7. The agricultural row unit of claim 1 in which said second parallel linkage is laterally offset from said first parallel linkage.

8. The agricultural row unit of claim 1 which includes

a third linkage pivotably coupled to said second movable frame,

a third movable frame pivotably coupled to said third linkage to permit vertical pivoting movement of said third movable frame relative to said third linkage,

at least one soil-engaging device mounted on said third movable frame, and

a third biasing element pivotably attached to said third linkage and coupled to said third movable frame for urging said at least one soil-engaging device downwardly against the soil.

9. The agricultural row unit of claim 8 in which said at least one soil engaging-device comprises a pair of residue-clearing wheels.

10. The agricultural row unit of claim 8 in which said third biasing element is remotely controllable to permit adjustment of the forces produced to urge said at least one soil-engaging device downwardly against the soil.

11. The agricultural row unit of claim 1 which includes an adjustment mechanism coupled to at least one of said closing wheels for adjusting the angle of tilt of said at least one closing wheel, said adjustment mechanism comprising a closing-wheel support that includes a ball joint for adjusting the angle of the axis of rotation of said at least one closing wheel, and an adjustable locking device coupled to said ball joint for locking said ball joint in a selected position.

12. The agricultural row unit of claim 1 in which said at least one furrow-closing device includes an equalizer bar having a pair of furrow-closing wheels mounted on opposite ends of said equalizer bar, and a support arm connecting said equalizer bar to said second movable frame.

13. The agricultural row unit of claim 12 which includes manually adjustable biasing elements for applying an adjustable biasing force to one end of said equalizer bar.

14. The agricultural row unit of claim 13 in which said manually adjustable biasing elements permit independent adjustment of said biasing force in opposite directions.

15. An agricultural row unit for use with a towing frame hitched to a tractor, said row unit comprising:

an attachment frame adapted to be rigidly connected to said towing frame,

a first linkage pivotably coupled to said attachment frame,

a first movable frame pivotably coupled to said first linkage to permit vertical pivoting movement of said first movable frame relative to said first linkage,

a furrow-opening device mounted on said first movable frame,

a first biasing element pivotably attached to said first linkage and coupled to said first movable frame for urging said furrow-opening device downwardly against the soil,

a second linkage pivotably coupled to said first movable frame,

a second movable frame pivotably coupled to said second linkage to permit vertical pivoting movement of said second movable frame relative to said second linkage,

at least one furrow-closing device mounted on said second movable frame,

a second biasing element pivotably attached to said second linkage and coupled to said second movable frame for urging said at least one furrow-closing device downwardly against the soil, and

at least one remote manually operated adjustment device coupled to at least one of said first and second biasing elements for adjusting said force produced by said at least one adjustment device.

16. An agricultural row unit for use with a towing frame hitched to a tractor, said row unit comprising:

an attachment frame adapted to be rigidly connected to said towing frame,

a first linkage pivotably coupled to said attachment frame,

a first movable frame pivotably coupled to said first linkage to permit vertical pivoting movement of said first movable frame relative to said first linkage,

a furrow-opening device mounted on said first movable frame,

a first biasing element pivotably attached to said first linkage and coupled to said first movable frame for urging said furrow-opening device downwardly against the soil,

a second linkage pivotably coupled to said first movable frame,

a second movable frame pivotably coupled to said second linkage to permit vertical pivoting movement of said second movable frame relative to said second linkage, said second movable frame including a stop mechanism coupled to said second linkage for limiting the range of pivoting movement of said second linkage,

at least one furrow-closing device mounted on said second movable frame,

a second biasing element pivotably attached to said second linkage and coupled to said second movable frame for urging said at least one furrow-closing device downwardly against the soil, and

wherein said stop mechanism is movable between a limiting position for limiting the range of pivoting movement of said second linkage, and a locking position for locking said second linkage at a fixed elevation.