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US 10,743,458 B2Granted
Planting trench closing systems, methods, and apparatus
AssigneePrecision Planting LLC
InventorsJeremy Hodel, Douglas Urbaniak, Timothy Kater
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems, methods and apparatus for closing a planting trench. Embodiments include a disc assembly for loosening soil adjacent to the planting trench. In some embodiments a closing wheel assembly pivots relative to a subframe of a row unit of a planter.
Claims25
A closing wheel assembly, comprising:
- a subframe;
- a first pivot arm and a second pivot arm, each mounted to the subframe at forward ends of the pivot arms, wherein each pivot arm comprises a prong rigidly mounted thereto;
- a first closing wheel disposed on a first side of the subframe and mounted on a rearward end of the first pivot arm;
- a second closing wheel disposed on a second side of the subframe and mounted on a rearward end of the at second pivot arm, wherein the first and second closing wheels are disposed to close a planting trench;
- a biasing assembly configured to bias the first and second closing wheels to soil, wherein the biasing assembly comprises:
- a pivoting adjustment bar oriented transverse to a direction of travel of the closing wheel assembly;
- a first spring attached to the prong of the first pivot arm and to a first lateral end of the pivoting adjustment bar;
- and
- a second spring attached to the prong of the second pivot arm and to a second lateral end of the pivoting adjustment bar;
- wherein the adjustment bar pivots about a central portion thereof such that the lateral ends are enabled to pivot about the central portion, such that the first and second closing wheels are enabled to pivot independently and vertically displace relative to one another;
- and
- a soil-loosening assembly mounted to the subframe ahead of the closing wheels in a direction of travel of the closing wheel assembly and disposed to loosen soil adjacent to the planting trench.
9 more elements
A method for closing a seed planting trench, comprising:
- loosening soil adjacent to the seed planting trench with a soil-loosening assembly mounted to a subframe of a closing wheel assembly, the soil-loosening assembling comprising a first disc disposed on a first side of the subframe and a second disc disposed on a second side of the subframe, wherein the first and second discs are oriented substantially parallel to sidewalls of the seed planting trench;
- and
- closing the seed planting trench with at least one closing wheel mounted on a rearward end of at least one pivot arm mounted to the subframe, the at least one closing wheel following the soil-loosening assembly in a forward direction of travel of the closing wheel assembly.
A method for closing a seed planting trench, comprising:
- loosening soil adjacent to the seed planting trench with a soil-loosening assembly mounted to a subframe of a closing wheel assembly;
- closing the seed planting trench with a first closing wheel disposed on a first side of the subframe and a second closing wheel disposed on a second side of the subframe, the first closing wheel mounted on a rearward end of a first pivot arm mounted to the subframe, the second closing wheel mounted on a rearward end of a second pivot arm mounted to the subframe, the at least one closing wheel following the soil-loosening assembly in a forward direction of travel of the closing wheel assembly;
- and
- biasing the first and second closing wheels to the soil using springs attached to prongs rigidly mounted to the pivot arms and to a pivoting adjustment bar at lateral ends of the adjustment bar, wherein the adjustment bar is oriented transverse to the forward direction of travel, and wherein the adjustment bar pivots about a central portion thereof such that the lateral ends are capable of pivoting about the central portion, such that said first and second closing wheels are capable of pivoting independently and vertically displacing relative to one another.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.