# US 11,432,478 B2 · Film deployer, improved trash whipper and improved planter > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,432,478 B2 - Document ID: US11432478B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/482,281 - Filed: 2017-02-15 - Published: 2019-12-05 - Granted: 2022-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-02-14 - Assignees: Norseman Machinery Imports Pty Ltd - Applicants: Norseman Machinery Imports Pty Ltd - Inventors: Michael Freeman - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11432478B2 ## CPC - A01G 13/37: Arrangements for laying out or removing ground coverings - A01B 29/04: with non-smooth surface formed of rotatably-mounted rings or discs or with projections or ribs on the roller body; Land packers - A01B 29/06: with special additional arrangements - A01B 35/16: with rotating or circulating non-propelled tools - A01B 49/06: for sowing or fertilising - A01C 5/064: {with rotating tools} - A01C 5/066: {Devices for covering drills or furrows} - A01C 7/006: {Minimum till seeding} - A01G 13/39: Arrangements for perforating installed ground coverings - Y02P 60/20: Reduction of greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions in agriculture, e.g. CO2 - A01G: HORTICULTURE; CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES, FLOWERS, RICE, FRUIT, VINES, HOPS OR SEAWEED; FORESTRY; WATERING (picking of fruits, vegetables, hops or the like A01D46/00; propagating unicellular algae C12N1/12) - A01B: SOIL WORKING IN AGRICULTURE OR FORESTRY; PARTS, DETAILS, OR ACCESSORIES OF AGRICULTURAL MACHINES OR IMPLEMENTS, IN GENERAL (making or covering furrows or holes for sowing, planting or manuring A01C5/00; mowers convertible to soil working apparatus or capable of soil working A01D42/04; mowers combined with soil working implements A01D43/12; soil working for engineering purposes E01, E02, E21) - A01C: PLANTING; SOWING; FERTILISING (parts, details or accessories of agricultural machines or implements, in general A01B51/00 - A01B75/00) - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract The present invention provides a ground engaging film roller 30.2 having a generally horizontal axis of rotation and an outer circumference for engaging ground, the roller having opposed outer ends 30.21 of a larger circumference than the circumference of portions 30.22 located between the opposed ends. The present invention also provides a film deployment system having a ground engaging film roller as described above, which is rotationally mounted to a frame 30.1, the ground engaging film roller 30.2 receiving film from above and to a front location of the roller, and passing between a film locating roller 30.3 and the ground engaging roller 30.2, the ground engaging roller 30.2 shaping the ground it engages by forming a channel in ground at the opposed ends 30.21 of the roller 30.2 for the film to be located as it leaves engagement with the ground engaging roller 30.2. The present invention also provides an agricultural or horticultural implement 10, 30 for performing an agricultural or horticultural process, the implement 10,30 including whipper arrangement 50 at a location forward of where the process will be performed. The agricultural or horticultural implement 10, 30 can be such that to the rear of where the process is performed there can located film deployment system 30 as described above. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A film deployment system having a ground engaging film roller which has a generally horizontal axis of rotation and an outer circumference for engaging ground, said ground engaging film roller having opposed outer ends of a larger circumference than the circumference of portions located between the opposed ends, said ground engaging film roller being rotationally mounted to a frame, said ground engaging film roller receiving film from above and to a front location of said ground engaging film roller, and passing between a film locating roller and said ground engaging film roller, said ground engaging film roller shaping the ground it engages by forming a channel in ground at the opposed ends of the ground engaging film roller for said film to be located as it leaves engagement with said ground engaging film roller, wherein there is positioned near to said opposed ends of said ground engaging film roller one or more of the following: an insertion disc which is adapted to simultaneously form a deeper channel in said channel formed by said ground engaging film roller and to push said film into said deeper channel; an insertion disc the position of which is adjustable laterally so as to position same at different parts of said channel formed by said opposed ends of said ground engaging film roller; an insertion disc which cooperates with a scraper; an insertion disc which cooperates with a shielding brush; an insertion disc which follows said opposed ends of said ground engaging film roller which dictates the width of clear film left exposed above soil, after said system has passed. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The film deployment system as claimed in claim 1, wherein one or more coulters are arranged so that soil not covered by said film is moved towards the edges of said film and engages the outboard face of said insertion disc, the soil thereby prevented from moving past said disc, so as to fill said channel and thereby overlie and hold the edges of said film captive in the ground. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The film deployment system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said one or more coulters are one or more of the following: a pair of coulters on each side of said ground engaging film roller; a covering coulter on each side of said film; a covering coulter forward of said insertion discs on each side of said film; a covering coulter forward of said insertion discs on each side of said film mounted on a spring biased arm; a shaping coulter on each side of said film which is rear of the axis of rotation of said insertion disc. ### Claim 4 A film deployment system having a ground engaging film roller which has a generally horizontal axis of rotation and an outer circumference for engaging ground, said ground engaging film roller having opposed outer ends of a larger circumference than the circumference of portions located between the opposed ends, said ground engaging film roller being rotationally mounted to a frame, said ground engaging film roller receiving film from above and to a front location of said ground engaging film roller, and passing between a film locating roller and said ground engaging film roller, said ground engaging film roller shaping the ground it engages by forming a channel in ground at the opposed ends of the ground engaging film roller for said film to be located as it leaves engagement with said ground engaging film roller wherein to the rear of said system there is located a film engaging spade which is adapted to do one or both of the following: engage and or sever said film when actuated by an operator or control system; secures film to a ground location at the start of a film laying run. ### Claim 5 A film deployment system having a ground engaging film roller which has a generally horizontal axis of rotation and an outer circumference for engaging ground, said ground engaging film roller having opposed outer ends of a larger circumference than the circumference of portions located between the opposed ends, said ground engaging film roller being rotationally mounted to a frame, said ground engaging film roller receiving film from above and to a front location of said ground engaging film roller, and passing between a film locating roller and said ground engaging film roller, said ground engaging film roller shaping the ground it engages by forming a channel in ground at the opposed ends of the ground engaging film roller for said film to be located as it leaves engagement with said ground engaging film roller wherein said system is located in one of the following: a film deploying implement which is adapted to deploy film; a seed planter having a trailing film deploying implement or system; an agricultural or horticultural process implement having a trailing film deployment implement or system; a film deploying implement in which there is located a weight pin mechanism which detects how much weight is being carried and or applied to the ground by said film deployment implement, and compensates by application of hydraulic pressure to a hydraulic cylinder to apply a desired weight to be carried and or applied to the ground. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The film deployment system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said system includes one or more racks to carry replacement rolls of film to replenish said system once film has been fully deployed. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The film deployment system as claimed in claim 5, wherein there is positioned near to said opposed ends of said ground engaging film roller is one or more of the following: an insertion disc which is adapted to simultaneously form a deeper channel in said channel formed by said ground engaging film roller and to push said film into said deeper channel; an insertion disc the position of which adjustable laterally so as to position same at different parts of said channel formed by said opposed ends of said ground engaging film roller; an insertion disc which cooperates with a scraper; an insertion disc which cooperates with a shielding brush; an insertion disc which follows said opposed ends of said ground engaging film roller which dictates the width of clear film left exposed above soil, after said system has passed. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The film deployment system as claimed in claim 7, wherein one or more coulters are arranged so that soil not covered by said film is moved towards the edges of said film and engages the outboard face of said insertion disc, the soil thereby prevented from moving past said disc, so as to fill said channel and thereby overlie and hold the edges of said film captive in the ground. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The film deployment system as claimed in claim 8, wherein said one or more coulters are one or more of the following: a pair of coulters on each side of said ground engaging film roller; a covering coulter on each side of said film; a covering coulter forward of said insertion discs on each side of said film; a covering coulter forward of said insertion discs on each side of said film mounted on a spring biased arm; a shaping coulter on each side of said film which is rear of the axis of rotation of said insertion disc. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The film deployment system as claimed in claim 7, wherein to the rear of said system there is located a film engaging spade which is adapted to do one or both of the following: engage and or sever said film when actuated by an operator or control system; secure film to a ground location at the start of a film laying run. ### Claim 11 (depends on 5) The film deployment system as claimed in claim 5 and a trash whipper arrangement comprising a pair of angularly oriented ground engaging whipper coulters mounted to a forward end of a pivoted four bar linkage which has two stationary pivots mounted to a support which carries said whipper, which when in use has said two stationary pivots located in a generally horizontal plane. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The film deployment system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said four bar linkage moves said coulters both rearwardly and upwardly relative to said support in the event that the whipper in use engages an obstacle and or by forces generated by the whipper coulters moving through ground. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The film deployment system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the coulters are arranged to rotate around axes which are at an angle to the horizontal plane and have a component of direction which is in the direction of movement of the arrangement when it is moving. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The film deployment system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said coulters includes one or more than one of the following: teeth on an outer circumference thereof, the rotation axes of respective coulters are set so as to provide a surface of said coulter which will act as an inclined plane in the direction of travel, which function to apply a lifting force to said coulters as said coulters travel through ground. ### Claim 15 An agricultural or horticultural implement wherein there is located a film deployment system having a ground engaging film roller which has a generally horizontal axis of rotation and an outer circumference for engaging ground, said ground engaging film roller having opposed outer ends of a larger circumference than the circumference of portions located between the opposed ends, said ground engaging film roller being rotationally mounted to a frame, said ground engaging film roller receiving film from above and to a front location of said ground engaging film roller, and passing between a film locating roller and said ground engaging film roller, said ground engaging film roller shaping the ground it engages by forming a channel in ground at the opposed ends of the ground engaging film roller for said film to be located as it leaves engagement with said ground engaging film roller, wherein said implement further includes a trash whipper arrangement comprising a pair of angularly oriented ground engaging whipper coulters mounted to a forward end of a pivoted four bar linkage which has two stationary pivots mounted to a support which carries said whipper, which when in use has said two stationary pivots located in a generally horizontal plane. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The agricultural or horticultural implement as claimed in claim 15, wherein said implement is for one or more of the following: seed planting; fertilizing; weed treatment; and insecticide treatment. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The agricultural or horticultural implement as claimed in claim 15, wherein said four bar linkage moves said coulters both rearwardly and upwardly relative to said support in the event that the whipper in use engages an obstacle and or by forces generated by the whipper coulters moving through ground. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The agricultural or horticultural implement as claimed in claim 15, wherein the coulters are arranged to rotate around axes which are at an angle to the horizontal plane and have a component of direction which is in the direction of movement of the arrangement when it is moving. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The agricultural or horticultural implement as claimed in claim 15, wherein said coulters includes one or more than one of the following: teeth on an outer circumference thereof, the rotation axes of respective coulters are set so as to provide a surface of said coulter which will act as an inclined plane in the direction of travel, which function to apply a lifting force to said coulters as said coulters travel through ground.