Adjustable width row unit for planter transport

• US 9,730,378 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2015
• Issued: 08/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blue Leaf IP Incorporated (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Original Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Inventors: Raetzman, Ryan R., Anderson, Brian J., Prickel, Marvin A.
• Primary Examiner(s): TORRES, ALICIA M
• Application Number:
  US14/755,890
• Publication Number:
  US 20170000015A1
• Time in Patent Office: 777 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 73/00 Means or arrangements to facilitate transportation of agricultural machines or implements, e.g. folding frames to reduce overall width arrangements of lifting devices for soil working implements A01B63/00; carriers for harvesters or mowers A01D75/002; arrangements or carriers for haymakers A01D78/1007, A01D80/005; vehicles adapted for load transportation or to transport, to carry or to comprise special loads or objects B60P; motor vehicles, trailers B62D
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 73/065 to a position essentially forward of the axis, in relation to the direction of travel
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 5/064 with rotating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 5/066 Devices for covering drills or furrows
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 5/068 Furrow packing devices, e.g. press wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/203 comprising depth regulation means

Abstract

An agricultural planting apparatus includes a chassis and a row unit carried by the chassis that defines a width. The row unit includes a unit body carried by the chassis; a metering device carried by the unit body; at least one furrowing disc carried by the unit body; at least one closing disc carried by the unit body behind the furrowing disc(s); a restraining member carried by the mounting body; and a pressing wheel carried by the unit body, pivotally movable about an axis of rotation relative to the unit body, positionable behind the closing disc(s), and reversibly connectable to the restraining member. The pressing wheel has a constrained pivoting configuration when connected to the restraining member that resists pivoting and a freely pivoting configuration when disconnected from the restraining member to reduce the width of the row unit when pivoted in an upward direction about the axis of rotation.

Claims

1. An agricultural planting apparatus, comprising:

a chassis;

a row unit carried by said chassis and defining a width, said row unit including;

a unit body carried by said chassis;

a metering device carried by said unit body;

at least one furrowing disc carried by said unit body;

at least one closing disc carried by said unit body and positioned behind said at least one furrowing disc in a direction of travel;

a restraining member carried by said unit body;

a pressing wheel carried by said unit body, pivotally movable about an axis of rotation relative to said unit body, positionable behind said at least one closing disc in the direction of travel, and reversibly connectable to said restraining member, said pressing wheel having a constrained pivoting configuration when connected to said restraining member and a freely pivoting configuration when disconnected from said restraining member, said pressing wheel resisting pivoting in said restrained pivoting configuration and being configured to reduce said width of said row unit when pivoted in an upward direction about said axis of rotation in said freely pivoting configuration;

a mounting body carried by said unit body and including a pivot feature defining said axis of rotation, said pressing wheel being pivotally connected to said pivot feature;

at least one pivoting arm pivotally connecting said pressing wheel to said pivot feature of said mounting body;

wherein said restraining member is a biasing element, said biasing element being reversibly connected to said at least one pivoting arm, said pressing wheel being in said restrained pivoting configuration when said biasing element is connected to said at least one pivoting arm and in said freely pivoting configuration when said biasing member is disconnected from said at least one pivoting arm; and

a restraining tab connected to said mounting body, said restraining tab being reversibly connectable to said at least one pivoting arm, said pressing wheel being in said restrained pivoting configuration when said restraining tab is connected to said at least one pivoting arm and in said freely pivoting configuration when said at least one pivoting arm is disconnected from said biasing member and said restraining tab.

2. The planting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second restraining member connected to said mounting body and reversibly connectable to said pressing wheel, said second restraining member holding said pressing wheel in a second constrained pivoting configuration when connected to said pressing wheel.

3. The planting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said pressing wheel is in said freely pivoting configuration when disconnected from said restraining member and said second restraining member.

4. The planting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said pressing wheel is reversibly connectable to said restraining member in a first orientation relative to said unit body and reversibly connectable to said second restraining member in a second orientation relative to said unit body, said pressing wheel pivoting at least 90 degrees about said axis of rotation between said first orientation and said second orientation.

5. The planting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said biasing member connects to said at least one pivoting arm in a first orientation relative to said pivot feature and said restraining tab connects to said at least one pivoting arm in a second orientation relative to said pivot feature, said pressing wheel pivoting at least 90 degrees about said axis of rotation between said first orientation and said second orientation.

6. The planting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said row unit includes a pair of pivoting arms connected to said pressing wheel and joined together by a connector, said pair of pivoting arms both being pivotally connected to said mounting member and said connector being reversibly connectable to said restraining member.

7. The planting apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said restraining member includes a restraining opening and said connector includes a connecting portion with a connecting opening, said connecting portion being reversibly connectable to said restraining member when said connecting opening aligns with said restraining opening.

8. A packing assembly for a row unit of an agricultural planting apparatus defining a width, comprising:

a mounting body including a pivot feature defining an axis of rotation;

at least one closing disc connected to said mounting body;

a restraining member connected to said mounting body;

a pressing wheel pivotally connected to said pivot feature and being reversibly connectable to said restraining member, said pressing wheel having a constrained pivoting configuration when connected to said restraining member and a freely pivoting configuration when disconnected from said restraining member, said pressing wheel resisting pivoting in said restrained pivoting configuration and being configured to reduce said width of said packing assembly when pivoted in an upward direction about said axis of rotation in said freely pivoting configuration

at least one pivoting arm pivotally connecting said pressing wheel to said pivot feature of said mounting body;

wherein said restraining member is a biasing element, said biasing element being reversibly connected to said at least one pivoting arm, said pressing wheel being in said restrained pivoting configuration when said biasing element is connected to said at least one pivoting arm and in said freely pivoting configuration when said biasing member is disconnected from said at least one pivoting arm; and

a restraining tab connected to said mounting body, said restraining tab being reversibly connected to said at least one pivoting arm, said pressing wheel being in said restrained pivoting configuration when said restraining tab is connected to said at least one pivoting arm and in said freely pivoting configuration when said at least one pivoting arm is disconnected from said biasing member and said restraining tab.

9. The packing assembly according to claim 8, further comprising a second restraining member connected to said mounting body and reversibly connectable to said pressing wheel, said second restraining member holding said pressing wheel in a second restrained pivoting configuration when connected to said pressing wheel.

10. The packing assembly according to claim 9, wherein said pressing wheel is in said freely pivoting configuration when disconnected from said restraining member and said second restraining member.

11. The packing assembly according to claim 9, wherein said pressing wheel is reversibly connectable to said restraining member in a first orientation relative to said pivot feature and reversibly connectable to said second restraining member in a second orientation relative to said pivot feature, said pressing wheel pivoting at least 90 degrees about said axis of rotation between said first orientation and said second orientation.

12. The packing assembly according to claim 8, wherein said biasing member connects to said at least one pivoting arm in a first orientation relative to said pivot feature and said restraining tab connects to said at least one pivoting arm in a second orientation relative to said pivot feature, said pressing wheel pivoting at least 90 degrees about said axis of rotation between said first orientation and said second orientation.