Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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METHOD AND APPARATUS OF AGRICULTURAL FIELD SEEDING
This invention relates to agricultural implements and more specifically to a
seeding
apparatus for one pass seeding and fertilizing.
BACKGROUND
Over the years, global competitiveness in agricultural grains markets and
economic
pressures on individual grain producers have driven farmers to utilize seeding
equipment
that provides the greatest possible economy of purchase, operation and
maintenance.
Equally, farmers have sought equipment that optimizes the potential for crop
yields by
providing accurate seeding depth, optimizing seed/soil contact, preserving
soil moisture,
and minimizing soil disturbance which promotes weed growth.
Seeding machines have been developed that allow the placement of seed in a
field with
minimum tilling or even no tilling. In addition to developing machines that
allow seeding
alone, a lot of effort and development has gone into developing machines that
allow the
placement of fertilizer in the soil at the same time the seeding is being
done. These
machines allow a field to be seeded and fertilized in a single pass.
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The machines that have been developed to both seed and provide fertilizer in a
single
pass are typically modified air seeders. These modified air seeders typically
comprise
two or more holding tanks, for holding particulate matter, connected to a
wheeled frame
assembly. Various means for delivering the particulate materials in separate
streams to
various sub-assemblies for dispensing of the particulate material are used.
These prior art
machines have taken two distinct routes in their methods of providing both
seed and
fertilizer in a single pass. The first route is the use of "double shooting"
machines. These
machines operate by opening a series of furrows in the soil in the field and
placing both
seed and fertilizer in each furrow. Typically, these configurations are
intended to place
the seed and the fertilizer in different locations within essentially the same
furrow, or in
separate furrows that are not much more than one inch apart_ Typical
arrangements for
these types of "double shooting" include systems with a single opener and
separate seed
and fertilizer ports (such as those systems disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.
6,640,731 to Rowlett
et al., and U.S. Pat. No. b,332,412 to Swab et al.) and systems with a leading
fertilizer
coulter or hoe followed by a trailing seed coulter or hoe that places the seed
and fertiliser
in very nearly the same line (such as the system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.
5,396,851 to
Beaujot, U.S. Pat. No. 5,331,907 to Beaujot and U.S. Pat. No. 5,142,085 to
Drever et al.
These types of "double shooting" methods all place the fertilizer in
relatively close
proximity to the seeds. The use of fertilizer at the time of seeding can be
greatly
beneficial to the seedling emergence and eventual crop yield. Properly
fertilizing at the
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time of seeding can improve the yield of a crop. However, fertilizer that is
placed too
near the seed can damage the seed and cause delay and reductions in emergence
of the
crop and can even cause a reduction in the quality and yield of a crop,
particularly with
more sensitive seeds, in particular soil types and in dry soil conditions.
Even if placing
the fertilizer too close to the seed only causes delays in the crop maturing,
an early frost
before the crop has been harvested can have disastrous consequences to the
crop. The
openers of these units, while mounted on the same "shank", are staggered
somewhat, in
an attempt to provide seed & fertilizer rows that are typically spaced about
one inch
apart. The drawback of these types of assemblies is that in certain soil &
moisture
conditions, for example drier clay soils that tend to lump, it is very
difficult to achieve
separation of seed and fertilizer when the seed and fertilizer rows are in
such close
proximity. Often, some of the seed falls into the fertilizer furrow.
The second mute these prior art machines have taken for dispensing seed and
fertilizer in
1 S a single pass are through "mid-row banding openers". These types of
machines are also
modified air seeder type machines and comprise two types of sub-assemblies
attached to
the frame: fertilizer assemblies and seed assemblies . This type of system is
disclosed in
U.S. Pat. No. 6,216,616 to Bourgault. The Bourgault system uses coulter disc
type
fertilizer assemblies that create fizrrows mid way between adjacent pairs of
furrows
opened by coulter disc type seed assemblies. However, this system uses the
same type of
assemblies for depositing both seed and fertilizer and does not allow
independent
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adjustment of the seed placement openers nor does it allow independent depth
control of
each seed assembly during operation.
SUMMARY OF TIC INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a seeding apparatus that
overcomes
problems in the prior art.
In a first embodiment the invention provides a seeding and fertilizing
apparatus
comprising an implement frame mounted on wheels for travel over the ground in
an
operating travel direction. A plurality of seed assemblies is attached to the
implement
frame, each seed assembly comprising: a trailing arm pivotally connected at a
front end
thereof to the frame about a substantially horizontal front arm axis oriented
substantially
perpendicular to the operating travel direction; a seed knife attached to the
trailing arm
and operative to create a seed furrow when a bottom end thereof is engaged in
the
ground; a packer wheel rotatably attached rearward of the seed knife and
oriented to roll
substantially along the seed furrow. A vertical position of the seed knife
with respect to
the packer wheel is adjustable to vary a depth of the seed furrow and a bias
device is
operative to exert a downward bias force on the trailing arm. A plurality of
fertilizer
assemblies each comprises a fertilizer disc rotatably mounted to the
fertilizer assembly
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wherein a vertical operating position of the fertilizer disc with respect to
the implement
frame is adjustable, and the fertilizer disc is operative to create a
fertilizer furrow when
engaged in the ground. The fertilizer discs and seed knives are movable from a
transport
position above the ground to a lowered operating position wherein the
fertilizer discs and
seed knives are engaged in the ground. The seed assemblies and fertilizer
assemblies are
oriented laterally on the implement frame such that in operation each
fertilizer furrow is
located between adjacent seed furrows.
In a second embodiment the invention provides a method of seeding and
fertilizing a field
comprising providing an implement frame mounted on wheels for travel over the
ground
in an operating travel direction; attaching a plurality of seed assemblies to
the implement
frame, each seed assembly comprising a trailing arm pivotally connected at a
front end
thereof to the frame about a substantially horizontal front arm axis oriented
substantially
perpendicular to the operating travel direction; a packer wheel rotatably
attached to rear
end of the trailing arm; a seed knife attached to the trailing arm ahead of
the packer
wheel and operative to create a seed furrow when a bottom end thereof is
engaged in the
ground, the knife oriented such that the packer wheel rolls substantially
along the seed
furrow; and a bias device operative to exert a downward bias force on the
trailing arm
when the trailing arm is in the operating position. A vertical position of the
seed knife is
adjusted to a desired position with respect to the packer wheel. A plurality
of fertilizer
assemblies is mounted to the frame, each fertilizer assembly comprising a
fertilizer disc
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rotatably mounted to the fertilizer assembly, the fertilizer disc operative to
create a
fertilizer furrow when engaged in the ground. The seed assemblies and
fertilizer
assemblies are oriented laterally on the implement frame such that in
operation each
fertilizer fiurow is located between adjacent seed furrows. The seed knives
and fertilizer
discs are moved down from a transport position above the ground to a lowered
operating
position wherein the fertilizer discs and seed knives are engaged in the
ground, and the
implement frame is moved across the field in the operating travel direction
and fertilizer
is deposited into the fertilizer furrows and seed is deposited into the seed
furrows ahead
of the packer wheel.
According to the present invention there is provided a number of fertilizer
placement
openers and a plurality of seed placement openers that attach to a frame of a
planting
apparatus. The planting apparatus can be used in one pass seeding to place
both seed and
fertilizer in a field in a single pass. The seed placement openers are
positioned so that
furrows created by the seed placement openers are parallel at substantially
regular
intervals. The fertilizer placement openers are positioned on the frame such
that furrows
created by the fertilizer placement openers are positioned substantially mid-
way between
adjacent pairs of seed furrows created by the seed placement openers.
Fertilizer placement openers are adjustably connected to the frame of the
planting
apparatus and comprise a disc oriented at an acute angle to the direction of
travel of the
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planting apparatus to create a furrow in a ground surface the planting
apparatus is
traveling across. Fertilizer is provided by the planting apparatus to a
fertilizer feed
located in proximity to the disc to dispense fertilizer into the furrow opened
by the disc.
The fertilizer is typically, supplied from holding tanks on the planting
apparatus to the
fertilizer feed through the use of tubes or conduits and can be a liquid type
of fertilizer or
a granular type of fertilizer.
Seed placement openers are adjustably connected to the frame of the packer
apparatus
and comprise a seed dispensing knife that creates a furrow in a ground surface
the
planting apparatus is traveling across, and a packer wheel. Through the
adjustment of the
height of packer wheel in relation to the seed dispensing knife, the depth the
seed
dispensing knife penetrates the ground surface can be adjusted. Because the
packer
wheel sets the depth the seed dispensing knife penetrates the ground surface,
this depth of
penetration is largely independent from the vertical height of the frame of
the planting
apparatus and variations in the vertical height of the frame when the planting
apparatus is
moving over an uneven ground surface. The depth of seed placement in each row
remains consistent where the packer wheel which controls the operating depth
of the seed
dispensing knife is located in close proximity to the seed dispensing knife.
Seed is typically provided from a holding tank on the planting apparatus
through a tube or
conduit to the seed dispensing knife to be placed in the furrow created by the
seed
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dispensing knife.
The invention allows for the individual adjustment of the depth of each
fixrrow created by
either a fertilizer placement opener or a seed placement opener, allowing an
operator of
the planting apparatus to tailor a one pass seeding and initial fertilizing of
a field to the
exact conditions of the field, type of crop that will be seeded.
A parallel linkage trailing arm can conveniently provide improved consistency
of seed
furrow depth.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:
While the invention is claimed in the concluding portions hereof, preferred
embodiments
are provided in the accompanying detailed description which may be best
understood in
conjunction with the accompanying diagrams where like parts in each of the
several
diagrams are labeled with like numbers, and where:
Fig. 1 is a schematic side view of an embodiment of the present invention
showing a
fertilizer assembly and a seed assembly attached to a frame;
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Fig. 2 is a front view of a number of the fertilizer assemblies and seed
assemblies as
shown in Fig. 1, attached to a section of a frame of a planting apparatus; and
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the fertilizer and seed assemblies as shown in
Fig. 2;
S
Fig. 4 schematically illustrates the movement of the seed knife with respect
to the
ground as the frame moves up and down with respect to the ground;
Fig. 5 is a schematic side view of an alternate embodiment of the invention
showing
fertilizer and seed assemblies mounted to a frame, and shown in the operating
position;
Fig. 6 is a schematic side view of the embodiment of Fig. 5 showing fertilizer
and seed
assemblies in the transport position;
Figs. 7 - 9 are schematic side views showing the how the seed furrow depth
remains
substantially constant as the parallel link trailing arm moves up and down;
Fig. 10 is a front view of a plurality of seed and fertilizer assemblies of
Fig. 5 mounted
on the frame;
Fig. 11 is perspective view of the seed and fertilizer assemblies and frame of
Fig. 10.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF TI3E ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS:
Fig.l illustrates a side view of a fertilizer assembly 20 and a seed assembly
50, used in
conjunction to seed and fertilize a field in one pass. Figs. 2 and 3
illustrate a number of
fertilizing assemblies 20 and seed assemblies 50 attached to a section of a
frame 15 of a
planting implement apparatus. The frame 15 is mounted to wheels for travel
along the
ground in an operating travel direction P.
Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, fertilizer assembly 20 comprises a mounting
bracket 24
attached to the frame 15. The mounting bracket 24 is connected to an elongate
member
28 through a height adjustable connection 26. A disc bracket 30 is pivotally
connected to
the lower end of the elongate member 28 with a disk bracket pin 29, and a disc
32 is
rotatably mounted to the disc bracket 30. As can be seen in Fig. 2, the disc
32 is oriented
at an angle to the operating travel direction P. This angling of the disc 32
creates a
fertilizer furrow in a ground surface 5 when the fertilizer placement opener
20 is moving
in a direction of travel P.
The disc 32 is biased against the ground surface 5 by a disc biasing device 36
which is
generally, but not necessarily an extension spring. One end of the disc
biasing device 36
is connected to a body bracket 37 attached to the elongate member 28 and
extending
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outward from the elongate member 28. The other end of the disc biasing device
36 is
attached to an end of the disc bracket 30.
A fertilizer feed is mounted on an inside surface of disc 32. The fertilizer
feed 38
receives fertilizer from a supply via a conduit or hose (nat shown) and
dispenses it into
the fertilizer furrow opened by the disc 32.
The illustrated height adjustable connection 26 comprises a series of
apertures in the
elongate member 28 such that same can be moved vertically in relation to the
mounting
bracket 24 and fixed in place by inserting an adjustment bolt or pin into one
of the
apertures to fix the elongate member 28 in place in relation to the mounting
bracket 24.
By using the height adjustable connection 26, a depth D1 the disc 32
penetrates the
ground surface 5 can be either increased or decreased. The depth D 1 can also
be varied
by raising or lowering wheels supporting the frame 15, such that the frame and
disc 32
move up or down with respect to the ground surface 5.
The seed assembly 50 comprises a mounting bracket 52 attached to the frame 15.
A
front end of an elongate bracing member, trailing arm 54, is pivotally
attached to the
frame 15 by the mounting bracket 52 using an arm pin 55 such that the trailing
arm 54
can pivot about an arm axis oriented substantially horizontally and
perpendicular to the
operating travel direction P. The rear end of the trailing arm 54 is attached
to a
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downward extending knife bracket 56. In the illustrated embodiment the knife
bracket 56
is pivotally attached to the trailing arm 54 by bolt 57, but in other designs
the trailing arm
and knife bracket 56 could be formed from a single piece. Seed knife 58 is
bolted to the
bottom end of the knife bracket 56 and the bottom end of the seed knife 58 is
configured
to make a seed furrow in the ground surface 5. A seed dispensing tube 62 is
mounted on
the rear of the seed knife 58 and is operative to receive seed from a supply
via a conduit
(not shown) and dispense the seed in the seed furrow.
Rigidly attached to the rear end of the elongate trailing arm 54 is a packer
adjustment
bracket 66. A front end of a packer wheel artn 68 is pivotally attached to the
rear end of
the elongate trailing arm 54 with bolt 57. A packer wheel 72 is rotatably
attached to the
rear end of the packer wheel arm 68.
A packer adjustment brace 70 allows the packer wheel 72 to be adjusted
substantially
vertically in relation to the seed dispensing knife 58 to adjust a depth D2
the seed
dispensing knife 58 penetrates the ground surface 5. A bottom end of the
packer
adjustment brace 70 is pivotally connected to the rear end of the packer wheel
arm 68.
The top end of the packer adjustment brace 70 is engaged in the packer
adjustment
bracket 66 and can be locked at a desired location in the bracket 66 to fix
the vertical
location of the knife 58 with respect to the packer wh~l 72. Moving the packer
wheel 72
height upwards relative to the seed dispensing knife 58 causes the seed
dispensing knife
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58 to penetrate further into the ground surface 5 and increase the depth D2.
Moving the
packer wheel 72 downward in relation to the seed dispensing knife 58 causes
the seed
dispensing knife 58 to penetrate shallower into the ground surface 5 and
decrease depth
D2.
The trailing arm 54, the seed knife 58, and the packer wheel 72 are biased
against the
ground surface 5 by a knife biasing device, illustrated as hydraulic cylinder
64. The
hydraulic cylinder 64 is attached to the top end of the knife bracket 56.
The hydraulic cylinder b4 is connectable to an active hydraulic source
operative 80.
When connected to a first port 82 of the hydraulic cylinder 64, the active
hydraulic source
80 is operative to maintain a substantially constant pressure in the hydraulic
cylinder 64
to exert a substantially constant downward bias force BF forcing the knife
bracket 56
against a stop on the on the trailing arm 54, and thus forcing the trailing
arm 54, the seed
knife 58, and the packer wheel 72 downward toward the ground during operation
while
allowing the hydraulic cylinder 64 to extend and retract in response to forces
exerted on
the seed knife 58 and the packer wheel 72. The active hydraulic source 80
allows the
hydraulic cylinder 64 to act essentially the same as a spring, but providing a
more
constant bias force BF.
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The illustrated embodiment also includes a valve 84 such that the active
hydraulic source
80 can be connected to a second port on the hydraulic cylinder 64 to raise the
trailing arm
54, seed knife 58, and the packer wheel 72 to a transport position to increase
clearance
between the knives 58 and packer wheels 72 and the ground.
The knife biasing device could also be provided by a spring, however the
hydraulic
cylinder 64 has the benefit of not only providing the required downward bias
force, but
also can be used to provide a knife actuator to move the trailing arm up from
the
illustrated operating position to a raised transport position.
In the apparatus of Figs. I - 3 the mounting of the frame 15 to the wheels is
such that the
wheels can move up and down with respect to the frame 1 S to raise and lower
the frame
with respect to the ground and thus move the fertilizer discs 32 and seed
knives 58 from a
transport position above the ground surface 5 to a lowered operating position
where the
fertilizer discs and seed knives engage the ground and create the furrows.
Referring to Fig. 1, in operation the fertilizer placement openers 20 and seed
placement
openers 50 move along the ground surface 5 in direction P. As the fertilizer
placement
opener 20 moves in the direction of P, disc 32 is biased by the disc biasing
device 36
against the ground surface 5, so that the bottom of the disc 32 penetrates the
ground
surface 5 to a depth D1 creating a fertilizer furrow in the ground surface 5.
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The disc biasing device 36 exerts a downward force sufficient to maintain the
disc at a
maximum downward position during normal operations, thereby maintaining the
disc 32
at a substantially constant vertical position with respect to the frame 15,
such that as the
frame moves across a feld, the depth of the fertilizer furrow D1 is maintained
more less
consistent, as the frame 15 will move up and down on the wheels of the
implement
following the ground, as is well known in the art. When the disc 32 contacts
an
obstruction, such as a rock or the like, the disc will move upward against the
bias force of
the disc biasing element 36 to clear the obstruction, and then move to the
maximum down
position again. Fertilizer is provided to the fertilizer feed 38 and is
deposited into the
fertilizer furrow created by the disc 32.
As the seed opener 50 moves along the ground surface 5 in direction P, the
packer wheel
72 is pushed against the ground and the seed dispensing knife 58 penetrates
the ground
1 S surface 5 to a depth D2 below the packer wheel 72 creating a furrow in the
ground
surface 5. Seed is provided to the seed dispensing knife 58 utilizing the seed
dispensing
tube 62 and the seed is deposited into the seed fiurow created by the seed
dispensing
knife 58. Once the seed is deposited in the seed furrow and the seed placement
opener 50
continues to move in the direction P, the packer 72 rolls over and packs the
seed furrow
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The depth Dl the disc 32 on the fertilizer placement opener 20 penetrates the
ground
surface S can be adjusted by moving the elongate body member 28 in relation to
the
frame 15 using the height adjustable connection 2b. The depth D2 the seed
dispensing
knife 58 penetrates the ground surface can be adjusted independently from the
depth D1,
by adjusting the height of the packer wheel 72 in relation to the seed
dispensing knife 58
by moving the packer adjustment brace 70 in relation to the packer adjustment
bracket
66.
In this manner, the depth D 1 of the fertilizer placed in the soil by the
fertilizer placement
opener 20 can be adjusted independently from the depth D2 the seed is placed
in the soil
by the seed placement opener 50 and vice versa. Additionally, because the
vertical
relation between the packer wheel 72 and the seed dispensing knife 58
predominantly
determines the depth D2 of the seed furrow created by the seed placement
opener 50,
variations in the vertical height of the frame 15 in relation to the ground
surface 5 as the
seed placement opener 50 moves across the ground surface 5 have a
significantly reduced
effect on the depth D2 of penetration of the seed dispensing knife 58.
Fig. 4 schematically illustrates how a variation DF in the vertical distance
between the
frame 115 and the ground surface 105 moves the bottom end of the knife 7 58
down by a
much reduced distance DK. In this manner, the depth D2 of the penetration of
the ground
surface of the knife 158 is individually controlled by the packer wheel 172 on
the end of
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trailing arm 154 such that variations in the distance between the ground
surface 105 and
the frame 115 have a much reduced effect on the depth D2 of the seed furrow
allowing
seeding of uneven ground at a more consistent depth.
It can also be seen from the geometry illustrated in Fig. 4 that a fertilizer
disc fixed to the
frame 115 will move up and down a significant distance, causing the fertilizer
furrow
created thereby to have a significant change in depth, with little effect on
the depth of the
seed furrow. Thus in addition to adjusting fertilizer fiurow depth, as
described above
with respect to the embodiment of Fig. l, by moving the elongate body member
28 in
relation to the frame 15 using the height adjustable connection 26, the depth
D1 of the
fertilizer fiirrow can also be varied significantly by moving the frame up and
down on the
implement wheels, as is known in the art.
Fig. 3 illustrates a perspective view of a section of frame 15 of a planting
apparatus
comprising front and rear lateral frame members 15F, 15R. Fertilizer
assemblies 20 and
seed assemblies 50 are attached to the section of frame 15. Seed assemblies 50
are placed
at substantially regular intervals along the front and rear frame members 15F,
15R so that
the seed furrows created are substantially parallel at approximately regular
intervals. The
fertilizer assemblies 20 are spaced at regular intervals along the front frame
member 15F
so that the fertilizer furrows opened by the discs 32 of the fertilizer
assemblies 20 are
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positioned substantially mid-way between adjacent pairs of seed furrows
created by the
seed assemblies 50.
Thus the discs 32 of the fertilizer assemblies 20 are mounted on the front
frame member
1 SF and engage the ground along a front line substantially perpendicular to
the operating
travel direction and about directly under the front frame member 15F, while
the first set
of seed assemblies 50F are also mounted on the front frame member 15F and
engage the
ground along a middle line rearward of the front frame member 1 SF and the
discs 32,
generally under the rear frame member 15R, and the seed assemblies 50R mounted
on the
rear frame member 15R engage the ground along a rear line rearward of the rear
frame
member 15R. In implement design it is desirable to provide sufficient room
around each
ground engaging tool, such as the discs 32 and knives 58, such that the
operation of one
tool does not interfere with the operation of adjacent tools. Thus ground
engaging tools
are generally mounted on parallel lateral frame members spaced fi-om front to
back along
the path of the implement, such that the ground engaging tools mounted on each
lateral
frame member are spaced a sufficient distance apart both forward and rearward
and from
side to side.
Where all ground engaging tools are mounted to an implement frame using the
same
mounting assembly, as is commonly the case, in order to provide three ranks of
tools
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working along three parallel rows spaced from front to back along the path of
the
implement it is necessary to provide three lateral frame members.
By mounting the fertilizer discs 32 on the elongate members 28 oriented
substantially
vertically with respect to the frame, and mounting the seed opening knives on
trailing
arms 54 extending rearward, the ground engaging tools can be mounted on only
two
lateral frame members. A desired spacing between the front, middle and rear
lines of
ground engagement can be configured readily by adjusting the length of the
trailing arms
54, or like modifications.
The illustrated apparatus of Figs. 1 - 3 provides a fertilizer furrow between
adjacent pairs
of seed furrows, such that there are two seed assemblies for each fertilizer
assembly.
Alternatively a fertilizer assembly could be provided for each seed assembly
such that the
fertilizer and seed furrows alternate across the width of the implement. The
apparatus
can be configured such that the fertilizer furrows are mid-way between the
seed furrows
such that seed in each seed furrow draws fertilizer from both sides, or
alternatively could
be shied laterally so that the fertilizer furrows are still between seed
furrows, but are
closer to one seed furrow such that seed in each seed furrow predominantly
draws
fertilizer from the fertilizer in the closest fertilizer furrow.
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Figs. 5 - I 1 illustrate an alternate embodiment of the seeding and
fertilizing apparatus of
the invention. The apparatus comprises an implement frame 215 mounted on
wheels for
travel over the ground in an operating travel direction P. A plurality of seed
assemblies
250 are attached to the implement frame 215. The seed assemblies 250 comprise
a
trailing arm 254 pivotally connected at a front end thereof to the frame 215
about a
substantially horizontal front arm axis AA oriented substantially
perpendicular to the
operating travel direction P. A seed knife 258 is attached to the trailing arm
254 and is
operative to create a seed furrow when a bottom end thereof is engaged in the
ground. A
packer wheel 272 is rotatably attached rearward of the seed knife 258 and is
oriented to
roll substantially along the seed furrow.
The illustrated trailing arm 254 comprises a parallel linkage 202 operative to
maintain the
knife 258 and packer wheel 272 at substantially constant vertical positions
with respect to
each other as the trailing ar<n moves up and down, as illustrated in Figs. 7 --
9. As can be
seen, the depth D2 of the seed furrow is substantially constant as the frame
215 moves up
from a height H I above the ground 205 as illustrated in Fig. 7, to the
increased height H2
of Fig. 8 and to the further increased height H3 of Fig. 9. As the frame 215
moves up
relative to the ground 205, the trailing arm 254 moves down, and vice versa.
In field
conditions this will occur due to humps and valleys in the ground surface. In
contrast to
the single arm 154 pivotally attached to the frame 1 I5 in Fig. 4, the
parallel linkage 202
greatly improves the consistency of the seed furrow depth D2.
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By maintaining the knife 258 and packer wheel 272 at substantially constant
vertical
positions with respect to each other as the trailing arm 254 moves up and down
following
ground contours, it is possible to move the knife 258 farther forward and away
from the
packer wheel 272, compared to the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 4, while still
maintaining
consistent seed furrow depth D2. It can be seen that moving the knife 158 of
Fig. 4
forward away from the packer wheel 172 will increase the already significant
variations
in seed furrow depth as the frame 115 moves through the height difference DF
with
respect to the ground surface 105.
In operation, it is desirable to allow soil moved aside by the knife 258 to
fall back into the
seed furrow created by the knife 258 before the packer wheel rolls over the
furrow: In
the apparatus of Fig. 4, where the knife 158 is very close to the packer wheel
172,
operating speeds are limited because of the short distance between the knife
158 and
packer wheel 172. The speed must be reduced to allow time for the soil to fall
back into
the seed furrow. Moving the knife 258 forward to increase the distance between
the knife
258 and the packer wheel 272 allows the soil moved aside by the knife 258 more
time to
fall back into the seed furrow before the packer wheel 172 passes over the
furrow.
Operating speeds can therefore be increased compared to the apparatus of Fig.
4.
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The parallel linkage 202 comprises upper and lower links 203, 204, each
pivotally
attached at forward ends thereof about axes AA and AA' respectively. Rear ends
of the
links 203, 204 are pivotally attached to the forward ends of a packer bracket
266 about
axes BB and BB' respectively. The axes AA, AA', BB, and BB' are oriented such
that
the upper and lower links 203, 204 are parallel as they move up and down.
Packer wheel arm 268 is pivotally attached at a front end thereof to the
packer bracket
266 about axis BB', and packer wheel 272 is rotatably attached to the rear end
of the
packer wheel arm 268. Knife bracket 256 is pivotally attached at a mid portion
thereof to
the packer bracket 266 and knife 258 is attached to a bottom end of the knife
bracket 256.
During field operations, a first port 206 of tlEe hydraulic cylinder 264 is
connected to an
active hydraulic source, as described above with resp~t to the embodiment of
Figs. 1- 3,
such that the hydraulic cylinder 264 acts as a trailing arm actuator and
exerts a
substantially constant bias force BF on the top end of the knife bracket 256,
causing same
to pivot about the axis BB' and bear against a stop on the packer bracket 266
such that
the bias force is transferred to the packer bracket 266 and parallel linkage
202 which are
pushed downward to engage the bottom end of the knife 258 in the ground and
create the
seed furrow.
A packer adjustment brace 270 is attached to the packer wheel arm 26$ and
engages a
slot in the packer bracket 266. The brace 270 is moved along the slot to set
the vertical
CA 02528468 2005-11-30
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position of the seed knife 258 with respect to the packer wheel 272 at the
required
location to provide a desired depth D2 of the seed furrow, and then the brace
270 is
locked to the packer bracket 266. The bias force BF pushes the packer wheel
272 against
the ground 205.
To move the knife 258 up and out of engagement with the ground, again as
described
above, the active hydraulic source is connected to a second port 207 on the
hydraulic
cylinder 264 to retract the hydraulic cylinder 264 and pivot the top end of
the knife
bracket 256 toward the hydraulic cylinder 264 and cause a recess in the knife
bracket 256
to bear against a pin providing the axis BB at which point fizrther retraction
of the
hydraulic cylinder 264 raises the parallel linkage 202 of the liR arm 254, and
the packer
wheel arm 268 to the transport position illustrated in Fig. 6.
The apparatus of Figs. 5 - 11 also comprises a plurality of fertilizer
assemblies 220. In
the illustrated embodiment each fertilizer assembly 220 comprises a mounting
bracket
224 attached to the frame 215. The mounting bracket 224 is connected to an
elongate
member 228 through a height adjustable connection 226. By using the height
adjustable
connection 226, the distance between the bottom of the disc 232 and the frame
215 can be
varied to set the depth D1 of the fertilizer furrow.
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A disc bracket 230 is pivotally connected to the lower end of the elongate
member 228
with a disk bracket pin 229, and a disc 232 is rotatably mounted to the disc
bracket 230 at
an angle to the operating travel direction P. The disc 232 is biased downward
by a
hydraulic cylinder 236. One end of the hydraulic cylinder 236 is connected to
a body
bracket 237 attached to the elongate member 228 and extending outward from the
elongate member 228. The other end of the hydraulic cylinder 236 is attached
to the end
of the disc bracket 230.
The hydraulic cylinder 236 is connected to an aGive hydraulic source at a
first port 211
thereof and exerts a downward force on the disc 232 by exerting an upward bias
force BF
on the front end of the disc bracket 230 forward of the disc bracket pin 229.
The bias
force BF is sufficient to maintain the disc 232 at a maximum downward position
during
normal operations, thereby maintaining the disc 232 at a substantially
constant vertical
position with respect to the frame 215, such that as the frame 2i5 moves
across a field,
the depth of the fertilizer furrow D1 is maintained more less consistent, as
the frame 15
will move up and down on the wheels of the implement following the ground, as
is well
known in the art. When the disc 232 contacts an obstruction, such as a rock or
the like,
the disc will move upward against the bias force of the hydraulic cylinder 236
to clear the
obstruction, and then move to the maximum down position again. Fertilizer is
provided
to the fertilizer feed as described above and is deposited into the fertilizer
furrow created
by the disc 232.
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The apparatus of Figs. 5 - 11 has a frame 215 that is fixed in vertical
relationship to the
wheels carrying the frame. Thus the seed knives 258 and packer wheels 272 are
raised
from the operating position shown in Fig. 5 to the transport position shown in
Fig. G by
the hydraulic cylinder 264, while the frame stays at a constant vertical
position with
respect to the ground. Similarly, the active hydraulic source is connected to
a second port
212 on the hydraulic cylinder 236 to extend the hydraulic cylinder 236 and
move the
fertilizer discs 232 upward to the transport position of Fig. 6.
As illustrated in Fig. 10, the seed assemblies 250 and fertilizer assemblies
220 are
oriented laterally on the implement frame 215 such that in operation each
fertilizer furrow
is located between adjacent pairs of seed furrows.
Fig. 11 illustrates a perspective view of a section of frame 215 of a planting
apparatus
comprising front, middle, and rear lateral frame members 215F, 215M, and 2158.
Fertilizer assemblies 220 and seed assemblies 250 are attached to the section
of frame
215. Seed assemblies 250 are placed at substantially regular intervals along
the middle
and rear frame members 215M, 21512 so that the seed furrows created are
substantially
parallel at approximately regular intervals. The fertilizer assemblies 220 are
spaced at
regular intervals along the front frame member 215F so that the fertilizer
furrows opened
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by the discs 232 of the fertilizer assemblies 220 are positioned substantially
mid-way
between adjacent pairs of seed furrows created by the seed assemblies 250.
Thus the discs 232 of the fertilizer assemblies 220 are mounted on the front
frame
member 215F and engage the ground along a front line substantially
perpendicular to the
operating travel direction and about directly under the front frame member
215F, while
the first set of seed assemblies 250F are mounted on the middle frame member
215M and
engage the ground along a middle line rearward of the front frame member 215F
and the
discs 232, generally under the rear frame member 2158, and the seed assemblies
2508
mounted on the rear frame member 21 SR engage the ground along a rear line
rearward of
the rear frame member 2158. Ample spacing is thus provided for each ground
engaging
element, knives 258 and discs 232.
There is also disclosed a method of single pass placement of seed and
fertilizer in an
agricultural application using the apparatus outlined herein. The method
comprises
providing a number of fertilizer placement openers 20, 220 that create a
fertilizer furrow
in a ground surface using a disc 32, 232 and places fertilizer in the
fertilizer fun-ow;
adjusting a depth of the fertilizer furrows to a desired depth; providing a
number of seed
placement openers 50, 250 that create a seed furrow in a ground surface using
a seed
dispensing knife 58, 258 and placing seed in the seed furrow, the depth of the
seed furrow
determined by the adjustment of the height of a packer wheel 72, 272 in
relation to the
CA 02528468 2005-11-30
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seed dispensing knife; attaching the seed placement openers 50, 250 to a frame
15, 215 of
a planting apparatus such that the seed placement openers create a series of
parallel seed
furrows in a ground surface, the seed furrows being spaced apart at
substantially regular
intervals; attaching fertilizer placement openers 20, 220 to the frame of the
planting
apparatus such that the fertilizer placement openers create fertilizer furrows
between
adjacent pairs of seed furrows created by the seed placement openers; and
moving the
planting apparatus across the ground surface and depositing seed and
fertilizer in
corresponding seed and fertilizer furrows to seed and fertilize the ground
surface.
The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the
invention.
Farther, since numerous changes and modifications will readily occur to those
skilled in
the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction
and operation
shown and described, and accordingly, all such suitable changes or
modifications in
structure or operation which may be resorted to are intended to fall within
the scaope of
the claimed invention.
