Flex roller-crimper for improved management and termination of cover crops and other plant material

An agricultural device

• comprising:
• a frame;
• and
• a plurality of modular roller-crimping devices supported by the frame arranged in at least one row oriented in a direction that is transverse to a direction of travel of the agricultural device,
• each of the plurality of modular roller-crimping devices having an exterior surface configured to at least partially crush stems of residual plant matter, and being individually movably mounted to the frame such that each of the plurality of roller-crimping devices will move at least vertically with respect to the frame when subjected to a temporary increase in resistance caused by an encounter with a non-uniform region in the field,
• each of the plurality of modular crimping devices for crushing and terminating cover crops or plants materials comprising:
• a mounting plate to affix the device to an agricultural frame,
• parallel arm linkages pivotally attached to the mounting plate on a rearward side and extending away from the mounting plate having a crossbar member on a frontward side,
• a tensioning mechanism attached to the parallel arm linkages at the crossbar member on the frontward side and connecting to the mounting plate on the rearward side, the tensioning mechanism being connected between the crossbar member and the mounting plate such that the tensioning device is about parallel relative to the ground,
• a rolling-crimping cylindrical drum attached to parallel arm linkages such that the rolling-crimping cylindrical drum can rotate,
• the parallel arm linkages comprising a telescoping parallel arm system, the telescoping parallel arm system comprising a mounting plate with rigidly connected open channel parallel arms having internal telescoping parallel arms rigidly connected to a crossbar member,
• the telescoping parallel arms sliding within the open channel parallel arms to fluidly and dynamically adjust in height to tension provided by the tensioning mechanism, the tensioning mechanism connected between the crossbar member and the mounting plate such that the tensioning mechanism is about parallel relative to the ground, a stop bolt positioned perpendicular through the open channel allowing the telescoping parallel arms to manipulate a minimum and maximum height adjustment range.