Depth Detection of a Soil Coulter

An apparatus for operating upon a soil bed comprising:

• a soil coulter for soil penetration comprising a disk having a peripheral edge and two spaced side walls extending from the peripheral edge toward a center of the disk;
• a hub mounting the disk for rotation about an axis of the disk so that the peripheral edge rotates in the soil and the coulter penetrates the soil to a depth below a surface of the soil;
• an operating component for operating in a furrow formed by the peripheral edge of the disk;
• a detector responsive to electromagnetic radiation from material adjacent the coulter disk for emitting a signal related thereto, the sensor being mounted at one side wall of the disk for rotation therewith;
• the detector being mounted on the disk at a position thereon such that the sensor as the disk rotates is located above the surface of the soil during a first part of its rotation and is located below the surface during a second part of its rotation;
• a control system responsive to the signal to calculate the depth of penetration of the coulter in the soil;
• and an assembly for changing a downward pressure on the disk so as change a depth of penetration of the coulter disk and hence a depth of the operation.

Apparatus for measuring soil surface roughness comprising:

• a disk having a peripheral edge and two spaced side walls extending from the peripheral edge toward a center of the disk;
• a hub mounting the disk for rotation about an axis of the disk so that the peripheral edge rotates in the soil and the coulter penetrates the soil to a depth below a surface of the soil;
• a sensor mounted in one side wall of the disk;
• the sensor being mounted on the disk for rotation therewith;
• the sensor being mounted on the disk at a position such that the sensor as the disk rotates is located above the surface of the soil during a first part of its rotation and is located below the surface during a second part of its rotation;
• the sensor being adapted to issue a signal which changes in response to whether the sensor is above or below the soil surface;
• and a controller responsive to the signal to calculate from the signals a depth of penetration of the coulter in the soil;
• wherein the controller is arranged to detect variations of the depth of the surface to provide a value indicative of the roughness of the surface.