US 12,356,880 B2Granted

Powered clearing-disks, control system, and method of use

AssigneeDeere & Company

InventorsCary S. Hubner, Grant J. Wonderlich, Mark E. Barker

Life of this patent

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Abstract

An agricultural row unit adapted to be moved over soil by an agricultural planter to clear crop residue includes a residue clearing disk or brush. The row unit may include a motor to drive rotation of a crop residue disk or brush. The agriculture row unit may also include a controller configured to adjust the operating speed of the motor in response to factors internal and/or external to the agricultural row unit. The factors may include at least one of a speed of the agricultural planter along the row, a height of crop residue disk or brush the relative to a surface of the soil, a height of the crop residue disk or brush relative to a surface of the soil, amount of crop residue in the row, and a downforce pressure on the row unit.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A row unit configured to clear residue during a planting operation, comprising:

an axially extending linkage assembly including a first end and a second end movable in a vertical direction relative to the first end during the planting operation;
an attachment frame pivotably coupled to the second end of the linkage assembly;
a clearing brush coupled to the attachment frame and configured to rotate about a vertically extending axis to move residue laterally away from the vertically extending axis during the planting operation;
a motor coupled to the clearing brush and configured to drive rotation of the clearing brush about the vertically extending axis;
and
a lateral shield positioned adjacent to the clearing brush and configured to receive residue moved laterally by the clearing brush during the planting operation;
wherein the lateral shield is configured to pivot about a first laterally extending axis to facilitate vertical movement of the lateral shield relative to the attachment frame during the planting operation;
and
wherein the lateral shield is configured to contact ground and rotate about a second laterally extending axis during the planting operation.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/510,813Filed 16 Nov 2023 · continuation
Priority: 31 Oct 2019
Published: US 2024/0147890 A19 May 2024
Granted: 15 Jul 2025
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

A01B 69/024
Ridge-marking or like devices; Checkrow wires; Accessories therefor: adapted to cut and form a ridge or forrow in the soil surface, e.g. with a disc
A01C 7/006
Sowing: minimum till seeding
A01B 79/005
Methods for working soil: precision agriculture
A01C 19/02
Arrangements for driving working parts of fertilisers or seeders: by a motor

Family

Application62/928,600Us provisional application · filed 31 Oct 2019
Application17/062,802Parent of this continuation · filed 5 Oct 2020
US 2024/0147890 A1Pre-grant publication · published 9 May 2024
US 11,825,762 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2021/0127552 A1Published application
US 12,356,880 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.