Down stop for agricultural closing discs

• US 9,992,926 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2017
• Issued: 06/12/2018
• 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., Dienst, Johnathon R., Prickel, Marvin A.
• Primary Examiner(s): TORRES, ALICIA M
• Application Number:
  US15/614,887
• Publication Number:
  US 20170265376A1
• Time in Patent Office: 371 Days
• 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 5/066 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
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/208 Chassis; Coupling means to a tractor or the like; Lifting means; Side markers

Abstract

A planter includes a chassis and a row unit carried by the chassis. 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 pressing wheel carried by the unit body behind the furrowing disc(s); a travel arm carried by and pivotally movable relative to the unit body that defines a travel path; at least one closing disc positioned behind the furrowing disc(s) and in front of the pressing wheel(s) and pivotally movable along the travel path by the travel arm; and a stop having a stop portion placed in the travel path that limits a vertical travel of the closing disc(s) and at least one adjustment feature formed thereon that allows the stop portion to be held in at least two different locations in the travel path.

Claims

1. A row unit adapted to be carried by an agricultural planting apparatus, the row unit comprising:

a unit body;

a metering device carried by said unit body;

at least one furrowing disc carried by said unit body;

at least one pressing wheel carried by said unit body behind said furrowing disc in a direction of travel;

a travel arm carried by said unit body, pivotably movable relative to said unit body and defining a travel path;

at least one closing disc positioned behind said at least one furrowing disc and in front of said at least one pressing wheel in the direction of travel and pivotally movable along the travel path by said travel arm; and

an adjustable stop comprising;

a stop portion defining a first end and a second end;

a first bearing portion connected to said first end of said stop portion;

a second bearing portion connected to said second end of said stop portion; and

an adjustment portion connected to at least one of said first bearing portion and said second bearing portion and defining a perimeter, said adjustment portion having at least one adjustment feature formed on said perimeter,

wherein said stop portion is placed in the travel path of said travel arm and configured to limit a vertical travel of said at least one closing disc, said at least one adjustment feature allowing said stop portion to be held in at least two different locations in the travel path.

2. The row unit according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said first bearing portion and said second bearing portion is non-concentrically connected to said stop portion.

3. The row unit according to claim 1, wherein said adjustment portion has at least three adjustment features formed on said perimeter, said at least three adjustment features being equally spaced from one another about the perimeter.

4. The row unit according to claim 1, wherein said adjustment portion has at least two adjustment features formed thereon that are identical.

5. The row unit according to claim 1, wherein said at least one adjustment feature is at least one of a cut-out and a protrusion.

6. The row unit according to claim 1, wherein said adjustment portion is shaped as a disc defined about a center and having a circumference, said at least one adjustment feature being formed on said circumference.