Retractable inductor

• US 9,433,138 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2014
• Issued: 09/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced Ag Concepts, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Advanced Ag Concepts, Inc.
• Inventors: Zimmerman, Benjamin G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Novosad, Christopher J
• Application Number:
  US14/184,495
• Publication Number:
  US 20140230704A1
• Time in Patent Office: 930 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 63/26 by man-power
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 23/024 for ammonia
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 5/064 with rotating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/06 Seeders combined with fertilising apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/205 comprising pressure regulation means

Abstract

An inductor mountable to a frame member of an implement. The inductor is movable between a working position and a stowed position. In the working position, the soil engaging tool is in engagement with the soil. In the stowed position, the soil engaging tool is out of engagement with the soil.

Claims

1. A retractable inductor mountable to a frame of a planter, the frame supporting a plurality of row units movable with respect to the frame to a lowered planting position for depositing seeds into the soil, the retractable inductor comprising:

a stow bracket operably supported from the frame;

a rocker arm pivotally supported by said stow bracket about a pivot axis disposed between a proximal end and a distal end of said rocker arm;

a liquid injector and a soil engaging tool supported by said rocker arm proximate said distal end of said rocker arm, said liquid injector and said soil engaging tool pivotally movable together with said rocker arm about said pivot axis between a lowered working position and a raised stowed position, whereby in said lowered working position said soil engaging tool is in engagement with the soil so as to form a trench in the soil and said liquid injector disposed to direct liquid fertilizer into the trench, and whereby in said raised stowed position said soil engaging tool and liquid injector are out of engagement with the soil;

and

a stowing mechanism comprising a stow lever engageable to selectively pivotally position said rocker arm together with said soil engaging tool and said liquid injector in said lowered working position and in said raised stowed position, wherein, in said raised stowed position, said soil engaging tool and said liquid injector are out of engagement with the soil while the plurality of row units of the planter are in said lowered planting position.

2. The retractable inductor of claim 1, wherein said soil engaging tool is a coulter.

3. The retractable inductor of claim 2, further comprising a gauge wheel rotatably supported adjacent said coulter.

4. The retractable inductor of claim 3, further including a depth adjuster to selectively adjustably position said gauge wheel with respect to said coulter to adjust penetration depth of the coulter into the soil.

5. The retractable inductor of claim 2, further comprising a scraper adjustably movable with respect to said coulter to remove soil buildup on said coulter.

6. The retractable inductor of claim 1, wherein said soil engaging tool is a shank.

7. The retractable inductor of claim 1, wherein said spring bias exerts a downforce on said soil engaging tool when said rocker arm is in said lowered working position.

8. The retractable inductor of claim 7, wherein said spring bias is adjustable.

9. The retractable inductor of claim 1, further comprising:

a spring disposed to exert a downforce bias on said distal end of said rocker arm when said soil engaging tool is in said lowered working position.

10. The retractable inductor of claim 1 further comprising:

a saddle bracket rigidly mounted to the frame, said saddle bracket pivotally supporting said stow bracket about said pivot axis.

11. The retractable inductor of claim 10 wherein said stow lever is an L-shaped rod having a leg pivotally attached to said saddle bracket, said leg having a plate secured thereto, said plate selectively engagable with notches in said stow bracket, whereby said selective engagement of said plate with said notches provides for said selective pivotal position of said rocker arm with respect to the frame between said lowered working position and said raised stowed position.

12. The retractable inductor of claim 11 further comprising:

a swivel bolt pivotally coupled to said stow bracket;

a rod having a first end operably pinned to said proximal end of said rocker arm, a length of said rod extending through said swivel bolt and said spring, a second end of said rod projecting through said spring threadably received by a nut, whereby said spring is restrained on said rod and compressible between said nut and said swivel bolt.

13. The retractable inductor of claim 12 whereby said downforce bias of said spring on said distal end of said rocker arm is adjustable by rotating said nut with respect to said rod.