Agricultural system for field preparation

• US 9,668,398 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2015
• Issued: 06/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dawn Equipment Company
• Original Assignee: Dawn Equipment Company
• Inventors: Bassett, Joseph D.
• Primary Examiner(s): HARTMANN, GARY S
• Application Number:
  US14/975,852
• Publication Number:
  US 20160100520A1
• Time in Patent Office: 534 Days
• Field of Search: 172151, 172154, 172157, 172158, 172184, 172187
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 15/18 Coulters
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 29/04 with non-smooth surface formed of rotatably-mounted rings or discs or with projections or ribs on the roller body; Land packers
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 29/06 with special additional arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 39/08 with rotating tools such as weeding machines
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 39/22 Tools; Mounting tools
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 49/027 with a rotating, soil working support element, e.g. a roller
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 49/04 Combinations of soil-working tools with non-soil-working tools, e.g. planting tools
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 49/06 for sowing or fertilising
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 5/04 drawn by tractors
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 61/044 the connection enabling a yielding pivoting movement around a substantially horizontal and transverse axis
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 61/046 the device including an energy accumulator for restoring the tool to its working position
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 63/32 operated by hydraulic or pneumatic means without automatic control
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 21/002 Apparatus for sowing fertiliser; Fertiliser drill
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 23/00 Distributing devices specially adapted for liquid manure or other fertilising liquid, including ammonia, e.g. transport tanks or sprinkling wagons
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/006 Minimum till seeding
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/06 Seeders combined with fertilising apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/8355 for cutting up or crushing remaining standing stalks, e.g. stubble mowers combined with means for cutting up, crushing or bruising, the mown crop A01D43/08, A01D43/10; apparatus for crushing or bruising mown stalks A01D82/00; apparatus for cutting up the mown crop A01F29/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 60/20 Reduction of greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions in agriculture, e.g. CO2
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 60/21 Dinitrogen oxide [N2O], e.g. using aquaponics, hydroponics or efficiency measures

Abstract

An agricultural system includes a tow bar, a first row-cleaning device, and a second row-cleaning device. The first row-cleaning device is attached to the tow bar via a first frame and includes a first roller device in a trailing position relative to a first furrow-opener disk and configured to crush standing residual plant matter along a first path on a field. The second row-cleaning device is attached to the tow bar via a second frame and includes a second roller device in a trailing position relative to a second furrow-opener disk and configured to crush standing residual plant matter along a second path on the field. The second roller device is offset longitudinally from the first roller device.

Claims

1. An agricultural system comprising:

a tow bar for attachment to a towing vehicle in a trailing position relative to a direction of movement along a field;

a first row-cleaning device attached via a first frame to the tow bar, the first row-cleaning device including at least one first furrow-opener disk and a first roller device, the first roller device being in a trailing position relative to the at least one first furrow-opener disk and having a first longitudinal axis perpendicular to a direction of movement V along the field, the first roller device being configured to crush standing residual plant matter along a first path on the field; and

a second row-cleaning device attached via a second frame to the tow bar, the second row-cleaning device including at least one second furrow-opener disk and a second roller device, the second roller device being in a trailing position relative to the at least one second furrow-opener disk and having a second longitudinal axis perpendicular to the direction of movement V along the field, the second longitudinal axis of the second roller device being offset from the first longitudinal axis of the first roller device, the second roller device being configured to crush standing residual plant matter along a second path on the field.

2. The agricultural system of claim 1, wherein the first longitudinal axis of the first roller device is at a first distance D1 from the tow bar and the second longitudinal axis of the second roller device is at a second distance D2 from the tow bar, the second distance D2 being greater than the first distance D1.

3. The agricultural system of claim 1, wherein adjacent ends of the first roller device and the second roller device overlap a distance X1.

4. The agricultural system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first furrow-opener disk and the second furrow-opener disk is a forged blade with an induction hardened edge.

5. The agricultural system of claim 1, further comprising a third row-cleaning device attached via a third frame to the tow bar, the third row-cleaning device including at least one third furrow-opener disk and a third roller device, the third roller device being in a trailing position relative to the at least one third furrow-opener disk and having a third longitudinal axis perpendicular to the direction of movement V along the field, the second row-cleaning device being positioned longitudinally between the first row-cleaning device and the third row-cleaning device, the third roller device being configured to crush standing residual plant matter along a third path on the field.

6. The agricultural system of claim 5, wherein the third longitudinal axis of the third roller device is aligned with the first longitudinal axis of the first roller device.

7. The agricultural system of claim 5, wherein first longitudinal axis of the first roller device is at a first distance D1 from the tow bar and the second longitudinal axis of the second roller device is at a second distance D2 from the tow bar, the second distance D2 being greater than the first distance D1, the third longitudinal axis of the third roller device being at a different distance from the tow bar than either distance D1 or distance D2.

8. The agricultural system of claim 5, wherein adjacent ends of the second roller device and the third roller device overlap a distance X2.

9. The agricultural system of claim 1, further comprising a fertilizer injector mounted to at least one of the first row-cleaning device or the second row-cleaning device, the fertilizer injector trailing in part the respective one of the first roller device or the second roller device and being configured to deposit a fertilizer into a furrow formed by a respective one of the at least one first furrow-opener disk or the at least one second furrow-opener disk.

10. The agricultural system of claim 9, further comprising a fertilizer opener disk mounted to at least one of the first row-cleaning device or the second row-cleaning device, the fertilizer opener disk being in a trailing position relative to the respective one of the first roller device or the second roller device, the fertilizer opener disk being in a leading position relative to the fertilizer injector, the fertilizer opener disk being configured to prepare the furrow for receiving the fertilizer.

11. An agricultural system comprising:

a first row-cleaning unit having

a first frame configured for mounting to a tow bar,

at least one first furrow-opener disk attached to the first frame in a leading position and being configured to form a first furrow,

a first roller device attached to the first frame in a trailing position relative to the at least one first furrow-opener disk and being configured to crush standing residual plant matter along a first path in a field, the first roller device having a first longitudinal axis perpendicular to a direction of movement V along the field, and

a fertilizer injector attached to the first frame in a trailing position relative to the first roller device and being configured to deposit fertilizer into the first furrow; and

a second row-cleaning unit having

a second frame configured for mounting to a tow bar,

at least one second furrow-opener disk attached to the second frame in a leading position and being configured to form a second furrow,

a second roller device attached to the second frame in a trailing position relative to the at least one second furrow-opener disk and being configured to crush standing residual plant matter along a second path in a field, the second roller device having a second longitudinal axis perpendicular to a direction of movement V along the field, the second longitudinal axis of the first roller device being offset from the first longitudinal axis of the first roller device, and

a fertilizer injector attached to the second frame in a trailing position relative to the second roller device and being configured to deposit fertilizer into the second furrow.

12. The agricultural system of claim 11, wherein the first longitudinal axis of the first roller device is at a first distance D1 from a position of the tow bar and the second longitudinal axis of the second roller device is at a second distance D2 from a position of the tow bar, the second distance D2 being greater than the first distance D1.

13. The agricultural system of claim 11, wherein adjacent ends of the first roller device and the second roller device overlap a distance X1.

14. The agricultural system of claim 11, wherein at least one of the first furrow-opener disk and the second furrow-opener disk is a forged blade with an induction hardened edge.

15. The agricultural system of claim 11, further comprising a fertilizer opener disk mounted to at least one of the first row-cleaning unit or the second row-cleaning unit, the fertilizer opener disk being in a trailing position relative to the respective one of the first roller device or the second roller device, the fertilizer opener disk being in a leading position relative to the fertilizer injector, the fertilizer opener disk being configured to prepare the furrow for receiving the fertilizer.

16. The agricultural system of claim 11, further comprising a fertilizer opener disk mounted to at least one of the first row-cleaning unit or the second row-cleaning unit, the fertilizer opener disk being aligned with the respective one of the first roller device or the second roller device.