Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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FURROW CLOSER
This invention is in the field of cultivators and seeders such as are used in
agriculture for
seeding, fertilizing, and the like by opening furrows in the ground and
depositing
appropriate agricultural materials in the furows, and in particular with
mechanisms to
close the furrows created by such seeders.
BACKGROUND
Seeders are known in the agricultural industry for planting and fertilizing
crops. A
typical seeder comprises a frame on wheels carrying a plurality of furrow
openers and a
distribution system for depositing agricultural materials such as seed,
fertilizer, and the
like in the furrows. Typically there will also be a packing mechanism as well
that will
pack the furrows to improve seed to soil contact.
Commonly the furrow opener comprises a ground engaging tool such as a knife,
shovel,
or the like mounted on a shank that extends downward from the seeder frame,
and a tube
that delivers agricultural materials into the furrow created by the tool as it
moves through
the ground. Some of the soil moved by the tool to create the furrow will fall
back into the
furrow to cover the seed, however typically a significant amount of soil
remains in a pair
of ridges, one on each side of the furrow. Considerable prior art has been
directed to
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creating furrow closing devices for moving this soil back over the furrow to
ensure that
the agricultural materials in the furrow are covered, and to level the ground.
United States Patent Numbers 5782307 to Forsyth, 5623997 to Rawson et al.,
5595249 to
Steinberger et al., 5333694 to Roggenbuck et al., 4485878 to Uken, and 2070509
to
Chiles disclose furrow closing devices comprising a pair of discs mounted to a
shank and
oriented to move soil from a location beside a furrow over on top of the
furrow. The
discs can be pivotally mounted to the shank and biased downward as disclosed
in Forsyth
and Rawson et al. to ensure they engage the soil.. Alternatively the weight of
the
pivotally mounted discs can suffice to engage the soil sufficiently for the
purpose of
moving the required amount of soil, as disclosed in Steinbcrger et al., and
Chiles.
Similarly United States Patent Numbers 2805613 to Siems, 3157139 to Spindler,
3175622 to Stain, 3227226 to Bayne, 3251423 to McCauley, 3322203 to
Johnson,3536145 to Clark, and 4037545 to Dreyer disclose furrow closing and
ground
leveling devices comprising various drags, scoops, harrow teeth, and the like
that are
fixed to the shanks to push soil toward the furrow.
In typical air seeders, one or more hoses run down the back of the shank to
direct
agricultural materials into the furrow created by the ground engaging tool on
the bottom
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of the shank. The prior art devices generally are mounted on the rear of the
shank, and so
it is difficult to properly locate the hoses and devices on the rear of the
shank.
Furrow closers that move soil with drags do not work well in wet, sticky soil
because the
soil builds up on the surface of the drag. Harrow teeth do not move sufficient
soil to
satisfactorily cover the furrow, since such teeth push soil contacted in both
directions,
rather than moving soil only toward the furrow, as with a drag. Soil does not
stick to
rotating discs to the same extent, and scrapers can be attached to clean disc
surfaces as
they rotate. The prior art disc furrow closers arc complex and costly,
especially those
that include a spring to bias the discs.
On farms where cattle are fed on fields, baler twine is often present on land
being worked
by air seeders and the like. When using ground engaging rotating discs such as
are used
in the furrow closers described above, such twine commonly wraps around the
shaft
connecting the discs to the implement. This ball of twine exerts considerable
pressure
and can cause the disc to stop rotating and can damage bearings. It is common
to cut this
wrapped twine away with a cutting torch, however it is difficult to prevent
damaging the
bearings and shaft when cutting twine wrapped tightly against them.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a furrow closer apparatus
that
overcomes problems in the prior art. It is a further object of the present
invention to
provide such a furrow closer apparatus that mounts under the shank and beside
the shank,
leaving the rear of the shank unobstructed. It is a further object of the
present invention
to provide such a furrow closer apparatus that biases the soil moving elements
of the
closer to a neutral operating position so that excessive soil penetration is
avoided, and yet
movement away from the operating position is resisted by a bias force.
The present invention provides, in a first embodiment, a furrow closer
apparatus for
attachment to a shank of a ground working implement, the shank extending
rearward and
downward from an implement frame member to a lower shank end adapted for
attachment to a ground engaging tool. The apparatus comprises a bracket
adapted for
attachment to the implement such that the bracket extends down from an upper
forward
portion of the shank. A bracket aperture is defined by a lower end of the
bracket, the
bracket aperture oriented substantially horizontally and perpendicular to an
operating
travel direction of the implement. Right and left spring arms are attached at
top ends
thereof to right and left coil springs, the right and left coil springs
connected by a cross
member. Right and left soil moving elements are attached to lower ends of the
respective
right and left spring arms. A spring tube extends through the coil springs and
through the
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bracket aperture to attach the spring arms to the bracket such that a spring
arm extends
rearward and downward from the lower end of the bracket on each side of a
shank
location. Right and left clips are attached to the spring tube on
corresponding right and
left sides of the bracket aperture such that the right and left clips define
right and left clip
apertures. The cross member extends through the right and left clip apertures,
and the
clip apertures are larger than the cross member such that the cross member is
movable in
the clip apertures.
The present invention provides, in a second embodiment, a ground working
implement
comprising an implement frame adapted for movement along the ground in an
operating
travel direction, and a curved shank extending rearward and then downward from
an
implement frame member to a lower shank end, and a ground engaging tool
attached to
the lower shank end and operative to create a furrow in the soil when the
implement is
moved along the ground. A bracket is attached to the implement such that the
bracket
extends down from an upper forward portion of the shank, and a bracket
aperture is
defined by a lower end of the bracket, the bracket aperture oriented
substantially
horizontally and perpendicular to the operating travel direction. Right and
left spring
arms are attached at top ends thereof to right and left coil springs and the
right and left
coil springs are connected by a cross member. Right and left soil moving
elements
attached to lower ends of the respective right and left spring arms. A spring
tube extends
through the coil springs and through the bracket aperture to attach the spring
arms to the
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bracket such that a spring arm extends rearward and downward from the lower
end of the
bracket on each side of a shank location. Right and left clips are attached to
the spring
tube on corresponding right and left sides of the bracket aperture such that
the right and
left clips define right and left clip apertures. The cross member extends
through the right
and left clip apertures, and the clip apertures are larger than the cross
member such that
the cross member is movable in the clip apertures.
The apparatus of the invention provides an effective and economical furrow
closer that is
conveniently mounted on a conventional cultivator shank, and leaves the rear
of the
shank unobstructed to facilitate attachment of seed boots, seed tubes and the
like for use
in air seeding applications, and the clips holding the cross member loosely
reduce the
occurrence of parts becoming loose.
The present invention further provides a rotating disc apparatus for
attachment to a
ground working implement. The apparatus comprises an arm adapted for
attachment to
the implement at an upper portion thereof, a mounting plate fixed to a lower
portion of
the arm, and a shaft extending substantially perpendicular to a surface of the
mounting
plate. A hub is rotatably attached to the shaft, and a disc is attached to the
hub by a
substantially circular pattern of bolts. The bolts extend from the disc and
hub toward the
mounting plate substantially parallel to the shaft. A ring is positioned
between the disc
and the mounting plate, the ring defining a ring aperture having a diameter
larger than an
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outside diameter of the circular pattern of bolts such that the bolts extend
into the ring
aperture and such that the ring rotates around the circular pattern of bolts.
The ring has a
width greater than a distance from ends of the bolts to the mounting plate
such that the
ring is prevented from passing between the ends of the bolts and the mounting
plate.
In operation contact of twine on the ground with the bolts is reduced and thus
the
occurrence of twine wrapping around the shaft is also reduced.
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. I is a side view of a shank and ground engaging tool with a bracket of
the
invention attached;
Fig. 2 is a side view of the shank and bracket of Fig. 1 with coil springs,
spring arms,
and discs installed;
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Fig. 2A is a side view showing an alternate shape of the spring arms;
Fig. 3 is a top view of the coil springs, spring arms, and discs of Fig. 2;
Fig. 4 is a side view of the coil springs, spring arms, and discs of Fig. 2;
Fig. 5 is a top view of an alternate apparatus using deflector plates as soil
moving
elements;
Fig. 6 is a side view of the alternate apparatus of Fig. 5;
Fig. 7 is a front view of the attachment of the spring arms to the bracket;
Fig. 8 is a schematic side view showing the spring tube in place in the
bracket tube,
with upper and lower limits of the neutral vertical range of the spring arms;
Fig. 9 is a schematic side view showing an alternate lower stop comprising a
slotted
gauge member;
Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the slotted gauge member of the embodiment of
Fig. 9;
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Fig. 11 is a schematic side view showing an alternate stop apparatus and gauge
member,
Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the gauge member of Fig. 11;
Fig. 13 is a rear perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a furrow
closer
apparatus of the present invention for attachment to a shank of a ground
working
implement where the spring arms are loosely attached by clips;
Fig. 14 is a perspective view of a clip used in the embodiment of Fig. 13;
Fig. 15 is a front perspective view of the embodiment of Fig. 13;
Fig. 16 is a schematic side view of the spring tube in the bracket tube, and
the
attachment of the clip to the spring tube adjacent to the end of the bracket
tube;
Fig. 17 is a schematic rear view of a spring arm and ground engaging disc
apparatus;
Fig. 18 is a schematic side view of the disc of the apparatus of Fig. 17 with
a ring
placed over the bolts holding the disc;
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Fig. 19 is a schematic rear view of the apparatus of Fig. 17 with the ring in
position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS:
Figs. I - 4 illustrate a furrow closer apparatus I of the invention for
attachment to a shank
3 of a ground working implement adapted for movement along the ground in an
operating
travel direction T. Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate a ground engaging tool 5 attached
to the lower
shank end 7 of the shank 3. The ground engaging tool 5 is operative to create
a furrow 9
in the soil 11 when the implement is moved along the ground. The illustrated
shank 3
also has a seed boot 13 attached to the rear side of the lower shank end 7 and
a seed tube
following generally along the rear side of the shank 3 to the seed boot 13 for
carrying
seed, fertilizer, and the like to the boot 13 to be directed into the furrow
9. Such a
configuration is typical of an air seeder.
15 The shank 3 is conventionally attached to an implement frame member 17 and
is
illustrated as extending in a curve rearward and then downward from the
implement
frame member 17 to the lower shank end 7. This type of shank is commonly used
in
cultivators, air seeders and the like.
A bracket 19 is attached to the shank 3 such that the bracket 19 extends down
from an
upper forward portion of the shank 3. First and second spring arms 21, 22, as
seen in Fig.
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3, are attached to a lower end of the bracket 19 such that a spring arm 21, 22
extends
rearward and downward from the lower end of the bracket 19 on each side of and
below
the shank 3. The spring arms 21, 22 are biased to a neutral position such that
movement
of the spring arms 21, 22 away from the neutral position is resisted by a bias
force
exerted by coil springs 25.
First and second soil moving elements, illustrated as discs 27, 28 are
attached to lower
ends of the respective first and second spring arms 21, 22 such that the discs
27, 28 are in
proximity to the lower shank end 7 when the spring arms 21, 22 are in the
neutral
position and such that leading faces 31 of the discs 27, 28 are oriented at
opposed angles
to the operating travel direction T such that forward portions of the leading
faces 31 are
farther apart than rearward portions of the leading faces 31. Thus soil
contacted by each
leading face 31 is moved toward the shank 3 rearward of the shank 3 and over
the furrow
9 created by the ground engaging tool 5.
Scrapers 33 are oriented to clean soil from the leading faces 31 of the discs
27, 28. In the
illustrated embodiment, the distal ends of arms 21, 22 are bent and welded
together at
joint 36 and the scrapers 33 comprise a plate or angle iron welded to the
joint 36. In
addition to cleaning the discs, the scraper thus also reinforces the joint 36.
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In the illustrated embodiment, the discs 27, 28 are also oriented at an angle
to the vertical
such that upper portions of the leading faces 31 are farther apart than lower
portions of
the leading faces 31. Thus soil contacted by each leading face 31 is moved
somewhat
upward as well as toward the shank 3. The incline of the discs 27, 28 off the
vertical and
off the operating travel direction T also causes the discs 27, 28 to draw
themselves into
the soil rather than simply rolling on top.
The illustrated shank 3 is typical of the shape of shanks used on various
brands of
agricultural implements, however the dimensions and angles of curvature vary
from one
model to another. The configuration of the bracket 19 will be modified to suit
the
particular shank 3 on which the apparatus wilt be mounted so that the spring
arms 21, 22
extend rearward and downward at a under the shank 3 and on each side of the
shank.
With such a configuration the discs 27, 28 will readily ride up and over
obstructions.
Generally the bracket 19 will be attached to the shank 3, however with some
models of
implement attachment may be more conveniently made to the implement frame 17
or
some other part of the implement such that the bracket tube 43 or like
attachment
member at the lower end of the bracket 19 is under the upper forward portion
of the
shank 3.
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With the spring arms 21, 22 oriented below and on each side of the shank 3 the
rear of the
shank 3 is left clear for unobstructed attachment of the seed boot 13 and seed
tube 15, as
opposed to the prior art furrow closers where the rear of the shank 3 is
obstructed.
Fig. 2A illustrates an alternate embodiment of the first and second spring
arms. The
spring arm 221 again extends rearward and downward from the lower end of the
bracket
219, however instead of being substantially straight and oriented at an angle
as in the
embodiment of Fig. 2, it curves rearward and downward as illustrated. The
spring arm
2211s again biased to a neutral position such that movement of the spring arm
221 away
from the neutral position is resisted by a bias force exerted by coil springs
225.
As illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8 the spring arms 21, 22 are attached at top
ends thereof to
coil springs 25, and are pivotally mounted to the bracket 19 by a spring tube
41 through
the coil springs 25 and through a bracket aperture defined by a bracket tube
43 at the
lower end of the bracket 19. The coil springs 25 are connected by a cross
member 45.
The spring arms 21 and 22, coil springs 25, and cross member 45 are configured
the same
as a conventional paired tine harrow as is known in the art, and such a tine
harrow can be
conveniently and economically used to provide these elements of the apparatus.
Upper stop 47 and lower stop 49 are oriented to bear against the cross member
45 and
define the limits of a neutral vertical range N within which the spring arms
21, 22 can
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pivot freely with respect to the bracket 19 before the bias force of the coil
springs 25 is
exerted on the spring arms 21, 22.
In the schematic illustration of Fig. 8 the coil has been deleted so that the
relationship
between the cross member 45 and stops 47, 49 can be illustrated. The spring
arm 21 is
shown at the upper limit of its neutral vertical range in position PAl,
prevented from
further upward free movement by the cross member 45 bearing against the upper
stop 47.
Fig. 8 also shows the spring arm 21 at the lower limit of its neutral vertical
range in
position PA2, prevented from further downward free movement by the cross
member 45
bearing against the lower stop 49. When the implement is raised for transport,
the lower
stop 49 prevents the spring arms 21, 22 from failing lower than position PA2
thus
maintaining the discs in a raised position so the implement can be transported
with the
discs above the ground.
Between the upper and lower stops 47, 49 the cross member 45 moves freely and
so no
bias force is exerted on the spring arms 21, 22 by the coil springs 25.
Lateral movement
of the spring arms 21, 22 however will be resisted by a bias force exerted by
the coil
springs 25 when the arms are in the neutral vertical range N.
In the illustrated embodiment of Fig. 8 the upper stop 47 is provided by a
bolt 55 through
the spring tube 41 adjacent to each end of the bracket tube 43. The lower
stops 49 are
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provided by bolts 50 threaded through the wall of the bracket tube 43 and
bearing against
the outer wall of the spring tube 41. The bolts 50 are locked with jam nuts
51. By
loosening the bolts 50 the spring tube 41 can be rotated to vary the position
of the upper
stop 47 with respect to the bracket 19 and then locked by tightening the bolts
50 and jam
nuts 51, and thus adjust the upper limit of movement of the spring arms 21,
22. Threaded
holes can be provided in the wall of the bracket tube 43 at a number of
locations to allow
the position of the lower stop 49 to be adjusted as well.
Alternatively as illustrated in Fig. 9 a slotted gauge member 270 could be
attached by the
bolts 250. The gauge member 270 is shown in Fig. 10. The gauge member 270 can
be
moved on the bolts 250 along the slots 272. The bolts 250 are tightened as
before to lock
the spring tube 41 with respect to the bracket tube 43, and then the nut 256
is tightened to
secure the gauge member 270 so that the lower slop 249 at the end of the gauge
member
270 is in the desired position so that the cross member 45 would bear against
the lower
stop 249 at the desired lower limit of the neutral vertical range. The bracket
19 and upper
stop 47 are as in Fig. 8. The cross member 45 and spring arm 21 arc
illustrated at upper
and lower positions PA1, PA2 as in Fig. 8 as well.
If it is desired to conduct a field operation without the discs 27, 28
engaging the soil, that
can be readily accomplished by loosening the bolt 50 and raising them out of
the way.
The arms 21, 22 could be chained up to the bracket 19, or the lower stop 49,
such as with
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gauge member 270 in Fig. 9, could be adjusted so that when the arms 21, 22 are
at the
lower limit of the neutral vertical range N the discs 27, 28 are above the
ground in a non-
operating position.
A further alternative mount is illustrated in Fig. 11. The spring coil has
been deleted so
that the relationship between the cross member 45 and stops 47, 49 can be
illustrated.
The spring arm is prevented from upward free movement by the cross member 45
bearing
against the upper stop 47. The spring arm is prevented from downward free
movement
by the cross member 45 bearing against the lower stop 349. When the implement
is
raised for transport, the lower stop 349 prevents the spring arms from falling
and
maintains the discs in a raised position so the implement can be transported
with the discs
above the ground.
Between the upper and lower stops 47, 349 the cross member 45 moves freely and
so no
bias force is exerted on the spring arms by the coil springs. In the
illustrated embodiment
of Fig 11, the range of up and down movement of the cross member 45 is quite
small,
essentially being a loose fit of the cross member 45 between the stops 47,
349.
In the illustrated embodiment of Fig. 11 a gauge member 370 is attached by the
bolt 350
through the spring tube 341 and spacers 351. The gauge member 370 is shown in
Fig.
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12. The gauge member 370 is clamped against the bracket tube 343 by bolt 350
in the
desired position.
As illustrated in Fig. 3 a flexible tether 35 is attached at one end to one
spring arm 21 and
at the opposite end to the other spring arm 22 such that outward movement of
one spring
arm 21, 22 away from the shank 3 will cause the tether 35 to exert an inward
force on the
other spring arm toward the shank 3. When engaged in the soil, the orientation
of the
discs 27, 28 causes the soil to exert a force on each disc away from the shank
3, however
by tying the spring arms 21, 22 together with the tether 35, these forces arc
resisted and
the discs are maintained in the preferred location relative to the shank 3 so
that soil
moved by the discs 27, 28 will land on top of the furrow 9 to close the furrow
and level
the soil. The flexible tether 35 does allow the spring arms 21, 22 to move
freely toward
each other, exerting a force only when the arms try to move apart. The tether
35 is
illustrated as a chain, which is simple and economical and will not stretch.
It is
contemplated that in some applications it may be desired to provide a tether
35 that has
some degree of resilience, such that a shock to one disc, such as by hitting a
stone which
forces it outwards, will not subject the other disc to the same degree of
shock.
Typically during operation the spring arms 21, 22 are oriented in the neutral
vertical
range N when the ground engaging tool 5 is engaged with the ground and
creating a
furrow 9 on substantially level ground. While the discs 27, 28 are relatively
light, their
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weight, combined with their ground engaging angled orientation, will cause
them to
engage sufficient soil to cover the furrow 9 and level the ground. Care must
be taken that
the discs 27, 28 do not move excessive soil, creating their own disc furrows
on each side
of the furrow 9. The discs 27, 28 can be oriented so that they barely touch
the ground as
well, so that they essentially just catch soil that is thrown up and to the
side by the ground
engaging tool 5, and deflect it back over the furrow 9.
With the arms 21, 22 in the neutral position during operation, there is no
downward bias
force exerted during normal operations, but when an obstruction such as a rock
or lump
of soil is encountered, the disc 27 or 28 will begin to rise and will be met
by a resisting
bias force once the arm 21 or 22 moves out of the neutral position or neutral
vertical
range N. If the upward force exerted by the obstruction is greater than the
bias force the
arm will continue to rise against the bias force, but once past the
obstruction the arm will
be forced down back into the neutral position. The bias force thus prevents
the discs 27,
28 from flying up when an obstruction is encountered, and quickly returns the
discs to the
desired operating position.
Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate an alternate embodiment of the furrow closer of the
invention
wherein the first and second soil moving elements comprise first and second
deflector
plates 127, 128 fixed to the lower ends of the respective first and second
spring arms 121,
122. This embodiment is otherwise similar to the embodiment of Figs. I - 4
mounted on
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coil springs 125 and including a tether 135 to prevent outward movement of one
arm with
respect to the other. The illustrated deflector plates 127, 128 are curved to
smoothly
direct soil over the furrow. In certain conditions, such as in dry soil, such
non-rotating
soil moving elements can provide satisfactory service.
A wear bar 157 is also shown. The wear bar 157 is fastened to the spring arm
121 by
passing same through a socket 159 attached to the arm 121 and clamping to the
arm 121
with the same clamp 161 that attaches the tether 135. The end of the wear bar
157
projects somewhat lower than the deflector plate 127 and engages the soil to
raise the
deflector plate 127 somewhat to control the amount of soil deflected. As the
wear bar
157 wears, the clamp 161 can be loosened to move it out.
Figs. 13 - 16 illustrate an alternate furrow closer apparatus 401 for
attachment to a shank
of a ground working implement, the shank extending rearward and downward from
an
implement frame member to a lower shank end adapted for attachment to a ground
engaging tool as illustrated in Fig. 1. The apparatus 401 comprises a bracket
419
adapted for attachment to the shank by clamps 402 such that the bracket 419
extends
down from an upper forward portion of the shank in the same manner as is
illustrated in
Fig. 1.
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A bracket aperture 442 is defined by a lower end of the bracket 419. The
bracket
aperture 442 is oriented substantially horizontally and perpendicular to an
operating
travel direction T of the implement. In the illustrated apparatus 401 the
bracket aperture
442 is provided by a bracket tube 443 welded to the bracket 419.
Right and left spring arms 421 are attached at top ends thereof to right and
left coil
springs 425, and the right and left coil springs 425 are connected by a cross
member 445.
As described above the spring arms 421, coil springs 425, and cross member 425
can be
conveniently provided by a conventional paired tine harrow such as are readily
economically available. Right and left soil moving elements, illustrated as
discs 427, arc
rotatably attached to lower ends of the respective right and left spring arms
421.
A spring tube 441 extends through the coil springs 425 and through the bracket
aperture
442 to attach the spring arms 421 to the bracket 419 such that a spring arm
421 extends
rearward and downward from the lower end of the bracket 419 on each side of a
shank
location as in the same manner as described above.
In the illustrated apparatus 401, the cross member 445 is attached to the
bracket 419 by
right and left clips 444 attached to the spring tube 441 on corresponding
right and left
sides of the bracket aperture 442 such that the right and left clips 444
define right and left
clip apertures 446. The cross member 445 extends through the right and left
clip
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apertures 446. The clip apertures 446 are slightly larger than the cross
member 445 such
that the cross member 445 fits loosely and is movable in the clip apertures
446. This
loose fit provides the up and down neutral range discussed above with respect
to the prior
embodiments, and also allows the spring arms 421 and coils 425 to vibrate
freely,
reducing the occurrence of parts, such as the bolts fastening the disc to the
apparatus,
becoming loose. The clips 444 can be tightened firmly to the spring tube 441
and the
cross member 445 will be held loosely, as seen in Fig. 16.
The apparatus 401 also comprises a releasable lock 452 operative to lock the
spring tube
441 to the bracket tube 443 to selectively allow or prevent rotation of the
spring tube 441
in the bracket tube 443 to adjust the angle of the spring arms 421.
Conveniently the lock
452 is provided by a bolt engaging threads in the bracket tube 443 such that
rotating the
bolt causes an end of the bolt to bear against the spring tube 441. A jam nut
on the bolt
secures the bolt against unintentional release.
The cross member 445 extends along an outer surface of the bracket tube 443
from the
right coil spring 425R to the left coil spring 425L. Right and left clips
444R, 444L are
located adjacent to right and left ends of the bracket tube 443 to prevent
lateral movement
of the spring tube 441 in the bracket tube 443.
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The clips 444 are attached to the spring tube by bolts 454 extending through
the spring
tube. The heads 456 of the bolts 454 are engaged in recesses 458 defined by
the clips 44
such that the bolts 454 are prevented from turning with respect to the clips
444 to
facilitate installation and removal of nuts from the bolts 454.
A flexible tether such as described above can also be attached between the
right and left
spring arms.
On farms where cattle are fed on fields, baler twine is often present on land
being worked
by air seeders and the like. When using ground engaging rotating discs such as
in the
furrow closing apparatus described above, such twine commonly wraps around the
shaft
connecting the discs to the implement. A twine inhibiting rotating disc
apparatus 500 is
illustrated in Figs. 18 and 19. The apparatus 500 is suited for use on the
furrow closer
described above, but could be adapted for use on any ground working implement
A spring arm and ground engaging disc is illustrated in Fig. 17. comprising an
arm 521
adapted for attachment to an implement 517 at an upper portion thereof. A
mounting
plate 560 is fixed to a lower portion of the arm 521 and a shaft 562 extends
perpendicular
to a surface of the mounting plate 560. A hub 564 is rotatably attached to the
shaft 562
and a disc 527 is attached to the hub 564 by a substantially circular pattern
of bolts 566.
The bolts 566 extend through the disc 527 and hub 564 and then toward the
mounting
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plate 560, substantially parallel to the shaft 562. As the disc 527 and bolts
566 rotate,
twine often catches on the bolts 566 and wraps around the shaft 562.
Figs. 18 and 19 illustrate the apparatus 500 of the invention comprising such
a disc
arrangement where a ring 570 is positioned between the disc 527 and the
mounting plate
560. The ring 570 defining a ring aperture 572 having a diameter larger than
an outside
diameter of the circular pattern of bolts 566, as shown in Fig. 18, such that
the bolts 566
extend into the ring aperture 572 and such that the ring 570 rotates around
the circular
pattern of bolts 566. As seen in Fig. 19, the ring 570 has a width W greater
than a
distance D from inner ends of the bolts 566 to the mounting plate 560, as
shown in Fig.
17, such that the ring 570 is prevented from passing between the ends of the
bolts 566
and the mounting plate 560.
The ring 570 has a width W configured such that an inner edge El of the ring
570 is
adjacent to the surface of the mounting plate 560, and an outer edge of the
ring is
adjacent to the disc, and such that the ring can rotate freely between the
surface of the
mounting plate and the disc
As the disc 527 is engaged in the ground and rotating during operation, the
ring 570
rotates freely on the bolts 566 and reduces the occurrence of twine contacting
the bolts
566 and then wrapping around the shaft 562. It is contemplated that the ring
570 would
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conveniently be made from a light weight plastic material. The arrangement is
also
typical of known ground engaging discs in other farm implements, and it is
contemplated
the ring 570 could have similar benefits in these as well.
The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the
invention.
Further, 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 scope of
the claimed invention.
