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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
First Claim
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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.

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