Sowing share

• US 9,585,299 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2013
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kverneland AS (Kubota Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kverneland AS (Kubota Corporation)
• Inventors: Schumacher, Ferdinand, Schanzenbach, Volker, Winkelmann, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): MCGOWAN, JAMIE LOUISE
• Application Number:
  US14/443,785
• Publication Number:
  US 20150296698A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,261 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 63/28 operated by the machine or implement
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 71/02 Setting or adjusting mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 5/064 with rotating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/203 comprising depth regulation means

Abstract

A coulter with a coulter disc for delivering agricultural materials into soil along one direction F of travel, a height measuring apparatus which is located in the region of the coulter disc for measuring a penetration depth T_m of the coulter disc into the soil, a coulter holder for swivelling holding of the coulter disc on a coulter frame and height setting relative to the coulter frame, the penetration depth T of the coulter disc being controllable/adjustable depending on the measured penetration depth T_m.

Claims

1. A coulter attachable to a coulter frame, said coulter comprising:

a coulter disc for delivering agricultural materials into soil along a direction of travel;

a coulter holder for adjusting the height of the coulter disc relative to the coulter frame, said coulter holder including;

a parallelogram arm member,

a lifting cylinder, wherein actuation of the lifting cylinder adjusts the height of the coulter disc, and

a coulter element for coupling the coulter disc to the coulter holder, said coulter element pivotally coupled to the parallelogram arm member to pivot about a swivelling axis of the coulter holder; and

a height measuring apparatus located in a region of the coulter disc for use in determining a measured penetration depth T_m indicative of a penetration depth T of the coulter disc into the soil, said height measuring apparatus including a measurement arm for mechanically contacting the soil, wherein the measurement arm is pivotally coupled to the coulter holder to pivot about said swivelling axis of the coulter holder,

wherein the penetration depth T of the coulter disc into the soil is adjustable in accordance with the measured penetration depth T_m.

2. The coulter as claimed in claim 1, wherein said coulter element is pivotally coupled to the parallelogram arm member to pivot about a plurality of swivelling axes of the coulter holder.

3. The coulter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the measurement arm has a contact surface that is convexly curved in a direction facing toward the soil.

4. The coulter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the measurement arm has a length that extends at least up to a penetration depth T of the coulter disc equal to zero.

5. The coulter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the height measuring apparatus further comprises:

a length measuring element extending between the measurement arm and the coulter element.

6. The coulter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the coulter further comprises:

a moisture sensor for measuring the moisture content of the soil, wherein said moisture sensor is located in front of the coulter disc in the direction of travel.

7. The coulter as claimed in claim 6, wherein the penetration depth T of the coulter disc into the soil is adjustable in accordance with the moisture content of the soil.

8. The coulter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the coulter holder further comprises a fixing profile for attaching the coulter holder to the coulter frame.

9. The coulter as claimed in claim 1, wherein said height measuring apparatus includes an electronic distance sensor.

10. The coulter as claimed in claim 1, wherein said measurement arm, as viewed in a direction of said swivelling axis, is tapered from the swivelling axis towards a free end of said measurement arm.

11. The coulter as claimed in claim 1, wherein said measurement arm is subjected to a force in a direction toward the soil.

14. The coulter as claimed in claim 8, wherein the parallelogram atm member of the coulter holder includes first and second arms located parallel to each other, a first end of each arm pivotally coupled to the fixing profile and a second end of each arm pivotally coupled to the coulter element.

15. The coulter as claimed in claim 11, wherein said force is a spring force.

12. A sowing device comprising:

a coulter frame;

at least one coulter attachable to the coulter frame, each coulter including;

a coulter disc for delivering agricultural materials into soil along a direction of travel;

a coulter holder for adjusting the height of the coulter disc relative to the coulter frame, said coulter holder including;

a parallelogram arm member,

a lifting cylinder, wherein actuation of the lifting cylinder adjusts the height of the coulter disc, and

a coulter element for coupling the coulter disc to the coulter holder, said coulter element pivotally coupled to the parallelogram arm member to pivot about a swivelling axis of the coulter holder; and

a height measuring apparatus located in a region of the coulter disc for use in determining a measured penetration depth T_m indicative of a penetration depth T of the coulter disc into the soil, said height measuring apparatus including a measurement arm for mechanically contacting the soil, wherein the measurement arm is pivotally coupled to the coulter holder to pivot about said swivelling axis of the coulter holder,

wherein the penetration depth T of the coulter disc into the soil is adjustable in accordance with the measured penetration depth T_m.

13. The sowing device as claimed in claim 12, wherein said sowing device includes a plurality of said coulters, each coulter independently controlled with respect to the penetration depth T of the coulter disc into the soil.