Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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COULTER WITH AN INSIDE FLOATING SCRAPER AND AN OUTSIDE
SPRING CLOSER TINE
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to agricultural
implE:ments and is particularly concerned with a coulter
with an inside floating scraper and an outside spring
closer tine.
Backc,~round of the Invention
Farmers frequently plant crops in fields that have
debris and waste material covering the field. Such
material may consist of straw or old crops, which is
frequently referred to as trash. In order to plant
seed~~ or deposit fertilizer in such fields, coulters are
tool; that are used to create furrows or seed trenches
in the soil. Circular discs are frequently used to
perform this operation. These discs are typically
attached, in a side-by-side configuration, to a frame
which is then pulled behind a tractor to till a field.
One problem that may occur with known coulter discs
is an accumulation of dirt and debris between the discs
and t:he struts as they rotate through the soil. If the
soil is wet, it may stick to the discs in the form of
clumps, which can inhibit rotation of the discs, cause
poor disc penetration, excessive soil disturbance and
create excessive draft forces.
In U.S. Patent No. 493,182 issued March 7, 1893,
Platt: teaches the use of a rod, which rotates freely
about: a spool between discs, to break up clogs of dirt
and debris which form as the coulter discs create a
furrow. The rod drags behind the discs and as soil
accurnulates, the rod rotates upward until the rod is
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stopped above the discs. The rod breaks the soil clumps
which fall beside the disc. A scraper blade is also
provided which is subject to a spring force to keep the
scraper blade in contact with a surface of the coulter.
As the coulter disc rotates, the scraper blade maintains
1G contact with the surface to remove debris.
In U.S. Patent No. 5,626,196 issued May 6, 1997,
Hughes teaches the use of a blade which continuously
contacts the surfaces of a coulter disc to scrape the
disc and clean it as the disc rotates. In an
embodiment, the scraper blade is made of plastic to
permit flexibility, as it also bends when in contact
with the soil. This scraper blade performs the dual
role of acting as a scraper/cleaner and also as a
closer. Once the disc opens a furrow in the soil, the
2G scraper blade acts as a closer since it will force some
of the soil back into the furrow after seeds have been
depo~~ited .
Summary of the Invention
It is an object of the present invention to provide
an improved coulter, particularly one which utilizes a
disc to create furrows with a tine on the outside of the
disc to act as a cleaner and to promote the formation
of an organic wear pad, and a scraper blade on the
3G inside of the disc to clean the disc as it rotates.
In accordance with one aspect of the present
invention, there is provided a coulter assembly adapted
to be mounted on a frame of a farm implement including:
a mounting bracket; a strut; means for pivotally
connecting said strut to said mounting bracket; a two-
sided disc, said disc being rotatably attached to said
strut:; and a tine, attached to said strut and extending
acro:~s at least one side of the disc, the tine adapted
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in operation to collect trash and form an organic wear
pad and thereby remove soil build-up and avoid excess
wear on the disc and tine.
In accordance with another aspect of the present
invention, there is provided a coulter assembly
comprising: a substantially vertically oriented mounting
bracl~:et having a lower end and an upper end; a strut,
having an upper end and a lower end; a coupling attached
to the upper end of the strut and pivotally connected to
the 7_ower end of the mounting bracket; a disc, rotatably
attached to the lower end of the strut whereby an inner
side of the disc faces the strut; a tine, attached to
the :strut and extending across an outer side of the
disc, wherein the tine is an elongate member with a
first: end attached to the coupling, said elongate member
2G being bent in such a configuration as to extend across
the outer surface of the disc such that only a second
end of the elongate member contacts the disc; the second
end x-emaining inside the perimeter of the disc; said
tine being adapted in operation to collect trash and
thereby form an organic wear pad to avoid excess wear on
the disc and tine and clean said disc; and a spring
connected between the mounting bracket and the coupling
whereby the coupling will rotate upon elevation of the
tine to avoid obstacles when in operation.
3Ci Advantages of the present invention include: the
coult:er may be used to create furrows and deposit seeds
or fertilizer in trash covered fields, and use of a
tine, which results in the formation of an organic wear
pad between the tine and the disc, preventing soil
build-up on the disc surface without requiring the disc
be cleaned to its surface.
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Brief: Description of the Drawings
The present invention will be further understood
from the following description with references to the
drawings in which:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a coulter according to
an embodiment of the invention;
Fig. 2 is a side view of the coulter of Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the coulter of Fig. 1;
Fig. 4 is a side view of the coulter of Fig. 1;
Fig. 5 is a top view of the coulter of Fig. 1;
Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the strut,
spindle, housing and bracket of the coulter of Fig. 1;
Fig. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the strut,
spindle, housing and bracket of the coulter of Fig. 1;
and
Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the coulter of Fig. 1.
Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment
Certain terminology is used in this description for
convenience and reference and is not intended to be
limiting. For example, the words "forward", "rear",
"up", "down" and derivatives thereof will refer to
direcaions in the drawings to which reference is made.
In Figs. 1 to 8, the direction indicated by the arrow in
Fig. 1 will be referred to as "forward".
Referring firstly to Fig. 1, a coulter according to
an embodiment of the invention is generally indicated by
10.
Disc 20 is substantially circular with an outer
perimeter 22 that is bevelled to a sharp edge to permit
disc 20 to easily enter soil to create a furrow or a
seed or fertilizer trench during tilling operations.
Disc 20 is preferably made of steel and is approximately
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50 cm. in diameter. There is a bore (not shown) in the
center of disc 20 to permit the mounting of disc 20 on
hub 9:0. Disc 20 has two sides which will be referred to
as an inner side 24, seen in Figs. 1 and 2, and an outer
side 26, seen in Figs. 3 and 4.
1C Spindle 30 is a member that acts as an axle to
support hub 40. As shown in Figs. 6 and 7, spindle 30
comprises section 31, 32 and 34. Sections 31 and 32 are
solid, co-axial rod-shaped sections and section 32 has a
smaller diameter than section 31. Section 34 is a
threaded pin extending from section 32 and is co-axial
with section 32.
Hub 40 is a one-piece member, shown in the top view
of the coulter in Fig. 5, having a conical shaped
section 42, a tubular section 44, and a shoulder 46.
20 Hub 9:0 has a bore (not shown) through its center, and
hub 9:0 slides over spindle 30 resulting in hub 40 acting
as an axle for disc 20.
As shown in Fig. 5, disc 20 slides over the
shoulder 46 of hub 40 until the inner side 24 of disc 20
abut: against conical shaped section 42 of hub 40. Disc
20 is secured to hub 40 with bolts 60. As shown in
Figs. 4 and 5, four bolts 60 pass through holes (not
shown) in disc 20, and bolts 60 are threaded into holes
in hub 40 that are adapted to receive bolts 60, as shown
30 in Fi_g. 2. As a result of this configuration, disc 20
is secured on hub 40, and disc 20 is free to rotate
about: spindle 30 via hub 40.
As shown in Figs. 3 and 5, a dust cap 70 is
attached to spindle 30 against shoulder 46 to prevent
dust and debris from interfering with rotation of disc
20. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, a dust cap shield 72 is
attached to the outer side 26 of disc 20 to provide
further protection to the dust cap 70 and spindle 30.
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In the illustrated embodiment, dust cap 70 is semi-
spherical. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, dust cap shield
72 i:~ a rectangular steel plate with two ends attached
to the outer side 26 of disc 20. Two of the bolts 60
pass through the ends of dust cap shield 72 to secure
dust cap shield 72 to the outer side 26 of disc 20. The
remaining plate is bent in a configuration which adapts
to the exterior of shoulder 46 and along the semi-
spher-ical shape of dust cap 70.
Referring to Fig. 2, spindle 30 extends beyond the
hub 40 on the inner side 24 of disc 20 and is attached
to strut 80, preferably by a weld between section 31 of
spindle 30 and strut 80. Strut 80 is located opposite
the inner side 24 of disc 20, and as shown in Fig. 2,
strut: 80 is welded at a first end 82 to the circular
2G surface of section 31 of spindle 30. As shown in Fig.
1, strut 80 extends upward and forward from spindle 30
such that a second end 84 of strut 80 is located outside
the outer perimeter 22 of disc 20.
As shown in Figs. 6 and 7, strut 80 is a preferably
a one'-piece steel hollow member 81 with a rectangular
cross-section. Attached at the second end 84 of strut
80 i:~ a coupling 86, which is a tubular shaped member.
As shown in Fig. 1, coupling 86 rotates about pin 88,
which is fixed at either end to plates 92 and 93. In
30 Fig. 1, pin 88 is shown to be secured to plate 93 with a
nut 91. As shown in Fig. 4, pin 88 is welded to a plate
97, which is located directly above pin 88 on plate 92.
Plate 97 is shown as a rectangular plate with a notch
adapted to receive pin 88. Directly above plate 97 is a
substantially rectangular stub 160, which is welded to
plate 92 and plate 97. As a result of this
conf~_guration, pin 88 is restrained from rotation when
mounted between plates 92 and 93. Plates 92 and 93 are
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rectangular plates which extend substantially vertically
from the location where they are fixed to the ends of
pin 88 until they reach mounting bracket 90.
As shown in Fig. 1, mounting bracket 90 extends
substantially vertically from plates 92 and 93, and is
used to attach coulter 10 to an agricultural instrument,
such as a horizontal beam (not shown) pulled behind a
tractor. Accordingly, a number of coulters 10 may be
arranged in a side-by-side configuration along the beam.
As shown in Fig. 1, mounting bracket 90 is preferably a
member with a square cross-section, defined by two sides
94, a rear section 95 and a front section 96, which is
shown in Fig. 8. As shown in Fig. 3, a portion of
plates 92 and 93 overlap a portion of sides 94 of
mounting bracket 90, and preferably, welds are employed
in the overlap region 99 to attach plates 92 and 93 to
side: 94 of mounting bracket 90. As shown in Fig. 1,
two adjustment plates 100 are attached to the front
section 96 of mounting bracket 90 for a length of
approximately 35 cm measured from the top of mounting
brac~:et 90. Adjustment plates 100 have two opposing
long edges, one of which is indicated as 102 in Fig. 2,
and adjustment plates 100 are attached to mounting
bracY:et 90 with a weld between one of the long edges 102
and rear section 95. The plates 100 are spaced apart
from each other and attached to rear section 95 so that
adju:~tment plates 100 are substantially parallel to
sides 94 of mounting bracket 90.
As shown in Fig. 2, each adjustment plate 100
contains a number of apertures 98, positioned along the
length of plates 100. Apertures 98 are used to connect
mounting bracket 90 to a beam. The number of apertures
98 permits a setting that allows various depths of soil
trenches to be created with disc 20. In the embodiment,
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apertures 98 are shown as key-shaped, but it is
under-stood that a hole or other aperture may perform the
same function.
As shown in Fig. 2, a scraper torque arm 110 is
attached to strut 80 and to section 31 of spindle 30,
which extends past the inner side 24 of disc 20.
Scraper torque arm 110 comprises a housing 114, which is
shown in the embodiment to be a box-shaped section,
rectangular in cross-section, and extends from a point
below and rearward of spindle 30 to a position forward
and above spindle 30. Preferably, scraper torque arm
110 is attached to strut 80 and spindle 30 by welding
housing 114 to both spindle 30 and strut 80 at the
location identified as 112.
Housing 114 encloses a spacer 116, which is semi-
circular in shape and lies under spring 122 and properly
positions spring 122 on shaft 120. Spacer 116 includes
at least one hole to secure it in position with bolt
123. Bolt 123 secures both spring 122 and spacer 116.
Washers 118 are attached at either end of housing 114.
A shaft 120 is inserted through the center of spacer 116
and c:o-axial with the spacer. Shaft 120 extends beyond
the forward end 115 and rearward end 113 of spacer 116.
As shown in Fig. 5, a bolt 123 attaches torsion
spring 122, or other resilient means, to shaft 120 and
spacer 116 by pressing one end 124 of torsion spring 122
against the exterior surface of spacer 116. There is a
hole (not shown) extending transversely through shaft
120, which aligns with a hole (not shown) in the spacer
116 t:o receive bolt 123 at the forward end 115 of spacer
116. Torsion spring 122 is shown in Fig. 2 as a helical
spring enclosing spacer 116 and shaft 120, extends
downward and rearward toward housing 114. The second
end 7_26 of torsion spring 122 is attached to strut 80,
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as shown in Fig.l, via a hooked member 128 which is
attached, preferably by welds, to strut 80.
As shown in Fig. 2, at the lower end of housing
114, shaft 120 bends at right angles away from the long
axis of housing 114, and at the same time extends toward
1G the inner side 24 of disc 20. The lower end of shaft
120 is welded to a scraper blade 130. Scraper blade 130
has an edge 132 in contact with the inner side 24 of
disc 20. The configuration of the torsion spring 122,
spacer 116, shaft 120, and housing 114 results in torque
being exerted on scraper blade 130 such that scraper
blade 130 maintains contact with inner side 24 of disc
20.
As shown in Figs. 2, 6 and 7, a bracket 140 is
attached to the top of the housing 114, preferably with
20 a weld. As shown in Fig. 1, bracket 140, shown in the
embodiment as L-shaped, joins housing 114 to tube holder
150. Tube holder 150 is located on the inner side of
disc 20 in a position to deposit seeds or fertilizer in
the trench created by disc 20. Preferably, tube holder
150 is a trapezoidal shaped container with an open top
152 and bottom 154. Seeds or fertilizer will feed into
the t:op 152 of tube holder 150 from a hopper and tube
system (not shown) and exit tube holder 150 at the
bottom 154 where they will fall into a furrow created by
30 disc 20. As shown in Figs. 1 and 5, tube holder 150 has
a flange 156 extending transversely from tube holder
150. As shown in Fig. 5, flange 156 is attached to
bracl~:et 140, preferably with bolts 158 and nuts 159.
As shown in Figs. 2, 6 and 7, a flange 160 is
attached to coupling 86, preferably with a weld, and
flange 160 extends forward and upward from coupling 86.
Flange 160 contains a hook shaped feature 162 (see Figs.
6 and 7). As shown in Fig. 2, near the top of mounting
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brac~:et 90, a flange 164 is attached to front section 96
of mounting bracket 90, preferably with a weld. Flange
164 Extends horizontally, and contains an aperture (not
shown). An eyebolt 166 is inserted through the aperture
in flange 164 and secured with nuts 168. As shown in
1G Fig. 2, a spring 170 with an upper end 172 and lower end
174 is positioned between flanges 160 and 164. Upper
section 172 is inserted through the aperture in eyebolt
166, and lower section 174 is secured in the hook shaped
feature 162 in flange 160. Accordingly, spring 170 is
subst:antially vertical. As shown in Fig. 8, a flange
165 is attached, preferably with welds, between plates
92 and 93 at a position above flange 160, such that
flange 165 stops flange 160 from moving upward.
Accordingly, spring 170 is in tension, pulling upward on
20 flange 160, but flange 165 acts as a "stop" to define
the position shown in Fig. 2. If flange 160 moves
downward due to clockwise rotation of coupling 86,
spring 170 exerts greater tension between flanges 160
and 7_64, thereby urging flange 160 back to a position
against flange 165.
As shown in Figs. 2 and 6, a cylindrical shaped
bushing 163 is attached, in a substantially vertical
direction, to the outer side of flange 160. As shown in
Fig. 2, a tine 180 has a first end which is inserted
30 inside bushing 163. Tine 180 then extends downward from
coup7_ing 86 while remaining outside the outer perimeter
22 of. disc 20, then tine 180 bends at substantially a
right: angle so that tine 180 passes from the inside of
disc 20, as shown in Figs. 2 and 8, to the outside of
disc 20, as shown in Fig. 4, resulting in a
substantially horizontal section 185 as shown in Figs. 5
and 8. Once tine 180 passes the outer side 26 of disc
20, it bends downward and rearward in a path that
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extends across the outer side 26 of disc 20, shown as
sect9_ons 186 and 188 in Fig. 4. Section 186 of tine 180
is substantially equidistant from the outer side 26 of
disc 20, then tine 180 extends downward, rearward, and
towax-d the outer side 26 of disc 20 in section 188 such
that the second end 184 of tine 180 terminates on outer
side 26 of disc 20, but inside outer perimeter 22. The
second end 184 of tine 180 touches the outer side 26 of
disc 20. In the illustrated embodiment, tine 180 is
shown to be a continuous elongate member with a circular
cros:~ section. While this embodiment is preferred, it
is understood that a similar device may be used, for
example, a bar with a square or hexagonal cross-section,
while still achieving the advantages of the invention.
As shown in Figs. 2 and 7, a cylindrical shaped
bushing 191 is attached, preferably by a weld, to a face
of strut 80 that is opposite the inner side 24 of disc
20. A tine mount rod 190, as shown in Fig. 2., is
inserted into bushing 191. Tine mount rod 190 has a
hooked end 192 and a straight end 193. Bushing 191 is
oriented on strut 80 such that the hooked end 192 of
tine mount rod 190 engages the substantially horizontal
section 185 of tine 180 to support the tine. Straight
end 7_93 extends through bushing 191 and a nut 194 fits
over the end 193 to secure tine mount rod 190 to bushing
191.
In operation, the coulter 10 is pulled in the
direcaion indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1 and disc 20
creates a furrow in the soil. Scraper blade 130 is in
meta7_-to-metal contact with the inside 24 of disc 20,
resu7_ting from the torsion exerted by spring 122 on
shaft: 120. Accordingly, inner side 24 of disc 20 is
kept clear of debris. Scraper blade 130 also acts to
keep the furrow open while seeds or fertilizer are
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depo:~ited. Tube holder 150 is attached to a tube (not
shown), and seeds or fertilizer are dropped from a
hopper (not shown) through the tube into tube holder
150. Fertilizer or seeds subsequently fall out the
bottom 152 of tube holder 150 into the furrow.
If the coulter is used in wet or sticky soil, large
sods or clumps of soil may be carried with the disc 20
as it: rotates, but the sods will be broken on the outer
side 26 by tine 180. Accordingly, tine 180 allows a
tilling operation to continue by keeping the outer side
26 of: disc 20 free of large clumps of soil. Outer side
26 of: disc 20 is not necessarily kept clean down to its
metal_ surface. If coulter 10 is used in a field which
has not been cleared, straw and trash will wrap around
tine 180, forming an organic wear pad between tine 180
and disc 20 to prevent wear on the outer side 26 of disc
20. If rocks or other obstructions are encountered in
the f=field, tine 180 will be elevated. Since tine 180 is
attached to coupling 86, if the remote end 184 of tine
180 is forced upwards, coupling 86 will rotate and
flange 160 will move downward, placing spring 170 into
tension and at the same time permitting strut 80 to
elevate since strut 80 and tine 180 are both attached to
coup7_ing 86. After the obstruction is passed, tine 180
and ~~trut 80 will return to their original position
since' flange 160 will move upward until stopped by
f 1 anc~e 16 5 .
Numerous modifications, variations, and adaptations
may be made to the particular embodiments of the
invention described above without departing from the
scope of the invention as defined in the claims.
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