Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
SEED FIRMER LIFE EXTENDER
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Description of the Related Art.
[001] Seed firmers are known and used extensively in agricultural planting
systems. Such
firmers add to the expense of a planting implement but are thought to more
than pay for
themselves in terms of increased yield. U.S. Patent No. 5,425,318 describes
one type of seed
firmer; U.S. Patent Nos. 5,730,074, 5,852,982, 6,082,274, and 6,220,191
describe seed firmers
having liquid dispensing arrangements; and U.S. Patent No. 7,497,174 describes
a mounting
system for seed firmers. Improvements in the cost and performance of the
firmer are always
welcomed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[002] The present invention is a seed firmer construction which provides a
replaceable tip or
end for extending the life of the firmer. The seed firmer generally has two
components that
degrade with use, the flexible arm and the embedding pusher. The flexible arm
generally lasts
much longer than the embedding pusher portion because the pusher wears against
the ground and
eventually wears away. Embodiments of the invention include an embedding
pusher portion that
has a stop and a guide for accepting a replaceable extender. Other embodiments
include an
embedding pusher portion that engages the rest of the firmer arm. Thus, the
portion of the firmer
that wears down may be easily replaced which extends the life of the firmer,
multiple times over
the useful life of the flexible arm.
[003] In one embodiment, the end of the firmer has a slot or interference
portion that is
bounded by a stop portion. The embedding pusher attachment slides into the
slot or interference
portion and abuts the stop portion. The bottom of the embedding pusher
operates in a
conventional manner pushing the seed
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downwardly into the ground to thus embed the seed in the soil. During the
usable life of
the firmer, the flexible portion may operate on several embedding pusher
attachments. In
another embodiment, the embedding end is attached to the flexible arm, with
the pusher
attachment detactably extending from the embedding arm. In further embodiment,
the
arm of the attachment portion of the firmer has a connecting portion that
attaches to a
replaceable embedding element.
[004] The embodiments of the firmer of the present invention optionally
provide a
passageway for fluid to be dispensed proximate the end of the firmer. The end
of the
passageway includes a directional attachment that directs fluid in relation to
the end of the
firmer. Other embodiments attach to the planting system either by connection
to the seed
tube, or connection to a mounting bracket on the planter. A further embodiment
includes
a delivery tube deployed within the walls of the embedding portion, with the
end cap of
the tube providing alternative passageways for the dispensing of liquid.
[005] In one embodiment, the embedding arm has a width that expands from the
width
of about a seed at the bottom to double or triple width at the top. This
nanowing of the
embedding arm provides sufficient structure to support the constant
interaction with the
soil as the firmer is pulled through rows of plants. The thicker portion of
the embedding
arm provides sufficient width for the optional liquid delivery pipe or tube.
[006] Many embodiments include an aperture at the end proximate where the seed
is
embedded. In one embodiment, a plug is used at that end. The plug may include
an
overhang to protect the hole from accumulation of debris. In one embodiment,
the plug
may be drilled to create either a straight backward stream of exiting liquid,
while in
another embodiment the plug may have two or more holes to create several
distinct
streams of exiting liquid. Another embodiment has a single plug with a through
bore for
creating the straight backward stream of exiting liquid, with an additional
cap with one or
more holes that create other angled streams. The cap may be snap fit or
otherwise
attached over the plug.
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[007] The extender portion of the firmer may attach to the pusher portion of
the firmer via a
variety of physical and mechanical couplings. For example, a peg in hole
coupling, a glue based
coupling, and a sonic welded coupling are all possible implementations of the
invention. In
several embodiments, a tongue and groove arrangement is used to couple the
extender and the
pusher portions. In one embodiment, one of said flexible portion and said
firming attachment has
a projection, and the other of said flexible portion and said firming
attachment has a portion
adapted to form an interference fit with said projection. In one further
embodiment, the extender
has a T shaped projection on the surface interfacing with the pusher portion
which has a
corresponding T-shaped groove to accept the projection and couple the two
pieces together. This
allows the extender to slide into the groove until abutting the stop. In
another embodiment, one
of said extender attachment and said firming arm has a ridge, and the other of
said extender
attachment and said firming arm has a depression, said ridge structured and
arranged to form an
interference fit. In one further embodiment, the surfaces having the tongue
and groove include a
further mating bump and depression, arranged so that the engagement of the
bump and
depression deter further relative movement of the extender and pusher
portions. Thus, in several
embodiments, the extender may be slid into the groove and snap fit at a
precise location.
[008] While the extender is disposed on one end of the firmer, the flexible or
pushing portion is
disposed at the other end and is adapted to be mounted to the planter in
alignment with the seed
chute. In one embodiment, the mounting portion of the pushing portion has
elements that interfit
and complement elements on the seed chute so that the pusher portion is
directly aligned with the
seed chute. In another embodiment, the pushing portion has a flat mounting end
that is
configured for engagement with a mounting device for holding a flat flange.
[009] Liquid delivery is provided by a tube and discharge path formed in the
firmer. In one
embodiment, the solid firmer has a passageway shaped to receive a pipe, in one
embodiment a
curved pipe. Once the firmer is first molded, the curved pipe is inserted
while the firmer material
is setting up. One end of the pipe is attached to a tube, typically a plastic
tube, to receive liquid
(e.g., water, fertilizer, herbicides, and/or insecticides) from a source. In
one embodiment, that
first end of the pipe has ridges or is gnarled or otherwise roughened to
enhance the connection of
the tube. The other side of the pipe faces a discharge area of the firmer. An
internal channel leads
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to a discharge passage. In one embodiment, a central discharge passage is
straight back of the
firmer. In another embodiment, multiple passages are present to direct liquid
discharge at an
angle to the body of the firmer. In yet another embodiment, a cap may be
placed over the central
discharge passage to redirect the discharging liquid in various angles.
[0010] Other embodiments of the invention include a firmer defined by a pair
of sidewalls. The
sidewalls hold the liquid tube proximate the end of the firmer, and attach to
the mounting end of
the firmer. The extender is detachably connected to the sidewalls, and may
thus be replaced
when sufficiently worn without having to replace the other portions of the
firmer.
[0011] In yet another embodiment, the mounting portion of the firmer includes
the pushing arm,
and the end of the pushing arm attaches to the extender/embedding portion of
the firmer. The
optional liquid pipe may be included in the extender/embedding portion, or may
be optionally
coupled to the extender/embedding portion.
[0012] The present invention, in one form, relates to a seed firmer having a
flexible portion and
an embedding pusher portion. The flexible portion biases the embedding pusher
portion into the
soil. The embedding pusher portion includes a slot or interference portion for
receiving an
embedding pusher attachment, the stop bounded at the end by a stop portion
which retains the
embedding pusher attachment as it is drawn over the soil.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] The above mentioned and other features and objects of this invention,
and the manner of
attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention itself will be
better understood by
reference to the following description of an embodiment of the invention taken
in conjunction
with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
[0014] Figure 1 is a side view of a first embodiment of the firmer of the
present invention shown
in use.
[0015] Figure 2 is a sectional view of Figure 1 showing a through channel.
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[0016] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the first embodiment of the extender
of the
present invention.
[0017] Figure 4 is a side sectional view of the firmer of the first embodiment
of the
present invention showing the interconnection of the extender and firmer body.
[0018] Figure 5 is a perspective view of an end portion of the first
embodiment of the
present invention.
[0019] Figure 6 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the present
invention.
[0020] Figure 7 is an enlarged view of the liquid dispensing end of the second
embodiment of the present invention.
[0021] Figures 8A, 8B, and 8C are cross-sectional views of three embodiments
of a liquid
dispensing plug according to the present invention.
[0022] Figure 9 is an enlarged view of the interconnection of the extender and
the firmer
body of the second embodiment of the present invention.
[0023] Figure 10 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the present
invention.
[0024] Figure 11 is an exploded view of a fourth embodiment of the present
invention.
[0025] Figure 12 is an exploded view of a fifth embodiment of the present
invention.
[0026] Figure 13 is a side view of a sixth embodiment of the present
invention.
[0027] Figure 14 is a side view of a seventh embodiment of the present
invention.
[0028] Figure 15 is a side view of a eighth embodiment of the present
invention.
[0029] Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts
throughout the several
views. Although the drawings represent embodiments of the present invention,
the drawings are
not necessarily to scale and certain features may be exaggerated in order to
better illustrate and
explain the present invention. The exemplification set out herein illustrates
embodiments of the
invention, in several forms, and such exemplifications are not to be construed
as limiting the
scope of the invention in any manner.
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
[0030] The embodiments disclosed below are not intended to be exhaustive or
limit the invention
to the precise forms disclosed in the following detailed description. Rather,
the embodiments are
chosen and described so that others skilled in the art may utilize their
teachings.
[0031] Figure 1 shows seed firmer 100 disposed in operation, having embedding
pusher portion,
or extender, 110 positioned relative to seed chute 10 in a conventional
manner. Seed chute 10 is
positioned relative to disc 40 by mount 30 so that chute 10 delivers seeds 50
to trough 60, with
extender portion 110 being so positioned to embed seeds 50 into the soil of
trough 60. Firmer
100 includes interior channel 70 which extends from nipples 80 to end point
90, and is sized to
receive tube 20, which in this exemplary embodiment involves conventional
liquid tubes that
deliver herbicides, fertilizers, pesticides, and/or mixtures of those
chemicals to deposit on or near
seed 50 once embedded.
[0032] Firmer 100 has an attachment portion, extender 110, that is located at
a position on firmer
100 that contacts and embeds seeds 50 into the soil defining trough 60. In one
embodiment,
extender 110 fits into slot or interference portion 410 in firmer 100 (see
Figure 4), with slot or
interference portion 410 bounded by hard stop portion 510 (see Figure 5) that
retains extender
110 against the direction of movement of firmer 100 over the soil. In this
embodiment, extender
110 has tongue 420 having a "T" shape that slideably engages slot or
interference portion 410 so
that when not in use,
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extender 110 may be easily replaced. When firmer 100 is in use, the force
subjected to
extender 110 urges it into hard stop 510. The exact shape and arrangement of
the
slideable engagement of slot 410 and tongue 420 may have several variations,
for
example a circular or arc shaped tongue and slot, or a tongue and slot with
several angles.
[0033] Extender 110 (see Figure 3) may be made of conventional materials so
that seeds
50 are pressed by the conventional surface and the material wears similarly to
conventional firmers. However, once embedding surface 330 wears away so as to
diminish the capacity of firmer 100, extender 110 may be replaced. Replacement
is made
without removing firmer 100 from mount 30. Instead, a farmer may simply slide
the old
one of extender 110 and slide in a new one. Hard stop 510 limits the range of
motion of
extender 110, and when firmer 100 is drawn across trough 60 then extender 110
is
pressed into hard stop 510.
[0034] Firmer 100 also has an elongated interior channel 70 which is
structured and
arranged to receive tube 72, which in the disclosed embodiment is a convention
liquid
delivery tube, for delivering liquid on or near an embedded one of seeds 50
(see Figures 2
and 5). An open end of interior channel 70 is configured to receive nipple 80,
which
serves as a fluid connection between supply tube 20 and interior tube 72.
Interior tube 72
is disposed within channel 70 and supported by tube holder 25, which in one
embodiment
includes a washer-shaped piece having a perimeter roughly congruent to the
shape of
interior channel 70.
[0035] End point 90 may be configured to be an outlet at one end of channel
70, with that
end of channel 70 initially manufactured so that end point 90 closes one end
of channel
70. This allows customization of a single piece, so that the exit holes may be
drilled to
suit the particular application. For example, a straight hole in facing
surface 94 delivers
liquid directly over embedded seed 50 (a -straight shooter"), which may be
good for an
insecticide, while side surfaces 92 may have holes drilled in them so that
liquid is
delivered on each side of embedded seed 50 (a "split shooter"), which may be
better for
fertilizer. In one embodiment (not shown), channel 70 is structured and
arranged to
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accommodate multiple tube so that a series of end points are associated with
each tube,
allowing for combinations of straight shooters and split shooters in a single
seed firmer.
[0036] Other embodiments have a tube disposed within the body of the firmer,
for
example the embodiments of Figures 6 and 10. The embodiment of Figure 6 has
flexing
portion 640 coupling flat end 650 and embedding arm 680. Pipe 670 extends from
embedding portion 680 and extends within portion 680 to spray nozzle 690. Pipe
670 is
structured and arranged to receive a flexible tube (not shown) over its
exposed end, and
may have a roughed, serrated, or ridged surface to further engage the flexible
tube.
Firmer 600 may also have one or more tube retention pieces 675 to retain the
flexible tube
with firmer 600. Extender 610 engages embedding arm 680 as shown in Figure 9
and
described below. The embodiment of Figure 10 has flexing portion 1040 coupling
chute
end 1050 and embedding arm 1080. Pipe 1070 extends from embedding portion 1080
and extends within portion 1080 to spray nozzle 1090. Pipe 1070 is structured
and
arranged to receive a flexible tube (not shown) over its exposed end, and may
have a
roughed, serrated, or ridged surface to further engage the flexible tube.
Firmer 1000 may
also have one or more tube retention pieces 1075 to retain the flexible tube
with firmer
1000. Extender 1010 engages embedding aim 1080 as shown in Figure 9 and
described
below.
[0037] Embodiments of the inventive firmers of the present application may be
mounted
on the planting equipment in a variety of ways. In one embodiment, as shown in
Figure
10, firmer 1000 includes seed chute connection portion 1050 structured and
arranged to
be connected to the exterior mounting of a seed chute (not shown). In another
embodiment, shown in Figure 6, firmer 600 has flat end 650 so that firmer 600
may be
attached within a planter bracket assembly similar to that disclosed in the
aforementioned
U.S. Patent No. 7,497,174. Embodiments disclosed in the present application
may be
adapted to either mounting style.
[0038] In addition to the alternative styles of mounting to a seed chute (not
shown),
embodiments of the invention also have alternative arrangements of the
replaceable
embedding portion of the firmer. Figure 6 shows firmer 600 having embedding
end 680
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with spray nozzle 690 and extender 610. Firmer also has flat end 650 merging
into flexible arm
640 which resiliently biases embedding end 680. Liquid, such as pesticide,
herbicide, and/or
fertilizer, may be directed proximate embedding end 680 by a flexible tube
(not shown) being
engaged with arm 675 and attaching to fixed tube 670. Fixed tube 670 extends
through
embedding end 680 to nozzle 690. Figure 7 shows a view of embedding end 680
from the
perspective of the trailing embedded seed. Extender 610 is the portion of
firmer 600 pushing a
seed (not shown in Figure 7) into the ground. In this embodiment, embedding
end 680 generally
narrows to the general size of the seed, with nozzle 690 extending over the
location of the
embedded seed.
[0039] Firmer 600 may have alternative versions of nozzle 690. In the
alternative embodiment
of Figure 8A, central bore 800 extends through cylindrically shaped nozzle
690' and terminates
at angled passages 810 and 820, which are structured and arranged to direct
liquid to a position
offset from the seed. Flange 830 extends outward to shield the space through
which angled
passages 810 and 820 direct fluid. Valley 840 is located proximate the open
end of central bore
800, and is structured and arranged to be engaged by a ridge or bump within
embedding end 680
to secure the position of nozzle 690'. The alternative embodiment of Figure 8B
has central
passage 850 for directing fluid onto the seed. A further alternative
embodiment is shown in
Figure 8C, which includes splitter 870 that attaches over nozzle 690' so that
fluid coming
through central passage 850 is directed in other directions through splitter
holes 880, for example
with similar angles as passages 810 and 820 of the embodiment of Figure 8A.
The exact shape,
size, and angle of splitter holes 880 may be varied for several unillustrated
alternative
embodiments of splitter 870.
[0040] In the embodiment of Figure 6, extender 610 engages embedding end 680.
One
embodiment of the connection of extender 10 and embedding end 680 is depicted
in the
arrangement of Figure 9. In this arrangement, embedding end 680 has T-shaped
tongue
684 extending from stop portion 682 and below bottom surface 686. Tongue 684
is
structured and arranged to match the contour of recess 614 of extender 610.
Near the end
of tongue 684 opposite stop 682, bottom surface 686 has a recess portion 688.
Recess
portion 688 is structured and arranged to engage with ribs 612 which extend
from
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extender 610. The engagement of ribs 612 with recess portion 688 allows
extender 610 to
be slid onto tongue 684 without any impediment, and when stop end 616 of
extender 610
nears stop portion 682, then ribs 612 are close to engagement with recess
portion 688 and
thus provides a slide in and lock procedure for securing extender 610 with
embedding end
680.
[0041] Other embodiments of the invention involve the firmer having a central
portion
with attachment, flexing, and embedding portions connected together by a
sandwiching
arrangement between corresponding sidewalls, for example the embodiments of
Figures
11 and 12. In the embodiment of Figure 11, firmer 1100 has flat end 1150,
central
portion 1140, and embedding end 1180 formed in one integral piece. Pipe 1170
is
disposed over embedding portion 1180, and under upper portion 1185, with
extender
1110 abutting embedding portion 1180. Sidewalls 130 sandwich those components,
and
in some embodiments hold all together, using connectors 1145 received in
sidewall holes
1135. In other unillustrated embodiments, extender 1110 may have a tongue-
groove
connection with embedding portion 1180, and be independent of, or
alternatively
sandwiched between, sidewalls 1130. Connectors 1145, which may be in the form
of a
screw, rod, putty, or other piece of connecting material and combinations of
those, may
secure sidewalls 1130 as sandwiching plates holding other components in their
desired
positions. In some embodiments, one or more connectors 1145 are releasable or
otherwise alterable, while in other embodiments all connectors 1145 are fixed
and engage
sidewalls 1130, including extending through other components of firmer 1100.
The
embodiment of Figure 12 has similar features to that of Figure 11, with the
exception that
chute end 1250 being structured and arranged for connection to a conventional
seed chute
(not shown).
[0042] A further embodiment having separate attaching and embedding portions
is shown
in Figure 13. In this embodiment, flexible portion 1340 and flat end 1350
(which could in
another embodiment be replaced by a chute end, not shown here) are formed as a
single
integral piece, and embedding arm 1380 is formed as a separate piece. In this
embodiment. pipe 1370 extends from connection portion 1350 to spray nozzle
1390, and
the bottom of connection portion 1350 abuts flange 1330 of flexible portion
1340.
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Extender 1310 is connected to embedding arm 1380 with a tongue and groove
connection
similar to some previous embodiments. Connector 1345, which may be in the form
of a
screw, rod, putty, or other piece of connecting material, extends through
flange 1330 to
couple with connection portion 1350. In alternative embodiments (not shown),
pipe 1370
may enter embedding arm 1380 above the overlap with flexible portion 1340 so
that
connector 1345 in that embodiment is affixed from the top.
[0043] Another embodiment shown in Figure 14 has a two piece design for firmer
1400,
with flexible portion 1440 having connection portion 1430 inserted into
receiving portion
1435 or embedding portion 1480. In this embodiment, flat end 1450 may be
alternatively
shaped as a chute portion (not shown), and extender 1410 may be attached to
embedding
portion 1480 by a tongue and groove connection, or other connection.
[0044] An additional embodiment having a less substantial embedding portion is
shown
as firmer 1500 in Figure 15. In this embodiment, flat end 1550 (which may
alternatively
be a chute end, not shown) has tube brackets 1575 disposed along flexible
portion 1540
and embedding portion 1580 to provide for holding a tube (not shown) along the
upper
body of firmer 1500 to dispensing passage 1585 and spray nozzle 1590. Extender
1510,
in this embodiment, may be attached to embedding portion 1580 via a tongue and
groove
connection, and is substantially thicker than those of the previous
embodiments. This
arrangement maximizes the size of replaceable extender 1510. Because of the
greater
size of extender 1510, the size of embedding portion 1580 is reduced. Thus, a
pipe may
not be feasible within embedding portion 1580, rather provision is made for
attachment to
flexible tube 1520. Flexible tube 1520 may be connected to a liquid delivery
system (not
shown) for dispensing water, nutrients, pesticides, and/or herbicides.
[0045] While this invention has been described as having an exemplary design,
the
present invention may be further modified within the spirit and scope of this
disclosure.
This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or
adaptations of the
invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended
to cover such
departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary
practice in the
art to which this invention pertains.
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