# US 10,306,822 B2 · Agricultural knife assembly

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- Number: US 10,306,822 B2
- Document ID: US10306822B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/596,821
- Filed: 2017-05-16
- Published: 2018-11-22
- Granted: 2019-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2017-05-16
- Assignees: One Pass Implements Inc.
- Applicants: One Pass Implements Inc.
- Inventors: Barry K. Melanson; Patrick M. Beaujot; Bruce W. Wilton
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10306822B2

## CPC

- A01C 5/04: Machines for making or covering holes for sowing or planting
- A01C 5/062: {Devices for making drills or furrows}
- A01C 7/002: {Dibble seeders}
- A01C 7/06: Seeders combined with fertilising apparatus
- A01C 7/206: {Seed pipes}
- A01C: PLANTING; SOWING; FERTILISING (parts, details or accessories of agricultural machines or implements, in general A01B51/00 - A01B75/00)

## Abstract

A knife assembly mountable to a frame of a seeder comprises a knife shank having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of the knife shank adapted to be directly or indirectly attached to the frame; a knife blade removably attached at or near the distal end of the knife shank; and a tube holder having a groove along a portion of its length, the groove designed to slidably receive a corresponding ridge on a flexible drop tube so that when a portion of the bottom of the flexible drop tube is worn, the flexible drop tube can be pulled from the bottom to slide down the groove and the worn portion can be cut off, the tube holder being attached at or near the distal end of the knife shank behind the knife blade so that both the knife blade and the flexible drop tube can be removed individually.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A knife assembly mountable to a frame of a seeder, comprising:
a knife shank having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of the knife shank adapted to be directly or indirectly attached to the frame;
a knife blade removably attached at the distal end of the knife shank; and
a tube holder having a groove along a portion of the tube holder's length, the groove designed to slidably receive a corresponding ridge on a flexible drop tube so that when a portion of the bottom of the flexible drop tube is worn, the flexible drop tube can be pulled from the bottom to slide down the groove and the worn portion can be cut off, the tube holder being attached at the distal end of the knife shank behind the knife blade;
whereby both the knife blade and the flexible drop tube can be removed individually.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The knife assembly of claim 1, wherein the flexible drop tube is made of a flexible material selected form the group consisting of a thermoplastic elastomer, thermoplastic vulcanizates, rubber, vulcanized rubber, and synthetic rubber including ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The knife assembly of claim 1, wherein the flexible drop tube is designed to receive a product hose at the drop tube's first end and deposit granular material at the drop tube's second end.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The knife assembly of claim 3, wherein the product hose is secured to the flexible drop tube by means of a hose clamp.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The knife assembly of claim 1, wherein the tube holder is removably attached to the knife shank by means of a fastener including a roll pin.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The knife assembly of claim 5, wherein the tube holder further comprises a tab and the knife shank further comprises a notch sized and shaped for receiving the tab of the tube holder.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The knife assembly of claim 1, wherein the tube holder further comprises at least one bracket forming an aperture for receiving a second hose for dispensing a liquid or gaseous product.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The knife assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the knife blade is a fertilizer knife and the flexible drop tube dispenses granular fertilizer.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The knife assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the knife blade is a seed knife and the flexible drop tube dispenses granular seed.