Planter implement with adjusting position-display apparatus and system thereof

In an agricultural planting implement an improved planting depth control system including a frame;

• a lift/lower system for moving said planting implement between a raised transport position and a lowered planting position;
• a plurality of separate single row planting units movably connected to said frame to permit free vertical movement of each unit, each planting unit mounting a furrow opening means and a power support means;
• a separate ground engaging gauge means being associated with each of said planting units for supporting the respective planting unit over the ground, each of said power support means adjustably controlling the position of the respective planting unit relative to the respective gauge means for controllably adjusting the depth of penetration of the respective furrow opening means into the ground;
• position sensing means for ascertaining the position of adjustment of each gauge means relative to the respective furrow opening means thereby providing an indirect indication of the planting depth of the respective planting unit;
• means located at an operator observable position for displaying information provided by the sensing means of each planting unit;
• and means located at an operator's control position for manipulation by said operator to independently control said power means of each of said planting units, whereby an operator of said implement can monitor and independently control the depth at which each of said planting units is operating from the implement control position.

In an agricultural planting implement having a main support bar, a plurality of ground-supported planting units movably attached to the main support bar and a lift/lower system for moving said planting units between a raised inoperative position and a lowered planting position, each of said planting units provided with a ground engaging gauge element adjustably attached to and supporting said planting unit, an improved operator monitoring and adjustment system comprising:

• a control means mounted at an operator's control position for said planting implement for independent adjustment of said units both individually and in unison;
• a unit position monitoring means;
• a position sensing means mounted on each unit and providing information to said monitoring means indicative of the position of adjustment of said respective gauge element relative to said respective unit, said monitoring means displaying to the implement operator the relative position of adjustment of each respective gauge elment relative to each of said respective planting units;
• and a power means mounted on each of said planting units and connected between the respective gauge element and planting unit, said power means being responsive to operator adjustment of said control means for selectively adjusting the position of the respective gauge element relative to the respective planting unit individually and adjusting the positions of the respective gauge elements of all of said planting units in unison.

In combination with a planter implement having a lift/lower system for moving said implement between a raised position for transport and a lowered position for planting and being designed for control from a remote operator's position, said planter implement having a plurality of planting units each including planting components and a ground engaging gauge element for support of the respective planting unit on the ground while in said planting position and each adjustable as to the depth setting of the respective planting components relative to the respective gauge element, the improvement comprising:

• each of said planting units including power means for adjusting the relative positional setting between the planting components of the respective unit and the respective gauge element to determine the planting depth setting of each respective planting unit;
• means for actuating each of said power means independently of the actuation of each other such power means to adjust the depth setting of such planting components of the respective planting unit independently of the depth setting of each other such planting unit;
• and
• control means mounted at the operator's position and adjustable by the operator to provide an operator-selected depth setting control signal to said actuating means, whereby each of said power means is independently controlled to maintain the depth setting selected by the operator.

In an agricultural planting implement having a lift/lower system for moving said planting implement from a raised transport position to a lowered planting position, an improved planting depth control system including a frame;

• a plurality of separate single row planting units movably connected to said frame to permit free vertical movement of each unit, each planting unit comprising:
• furrow opening means;
• power support means;
• ground engaging gauge means for supporting the respective planting unit over the ground, said power support means being connected between said furrow opening means and said gauge means and responsive to control signals to adjustably control the positions of said furrow opening means relative to said gauge means and thereby control the depth of penetration of the respective furrow opening means into the ground independently of the operation of the power support means of each of the other planting units;
• position sensing means for ascertaining the position of adjustment of said ground engaging gauge means relative to the respective furrow opening means thereby providing an indirect indication of the planting depth of the respective planting unit;
• said planting implement further comprising display means located at an operator observable position for displaying information provided by the sensing means of each planting unit;
• and control means located at an operator's control position for manipulation by said operator to generate said control signals to control the relative positions of said furrow opening means relative to said gauge means, whereby an operator of said implement can monitor and control the depth of penetration of the furrow opening means of said planting units.