# US 5,704,431 A · Active face packer wheel > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,704,431 A - Document ID: US5704431A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 08/698,422 - Filed: 1996-08-15 - Granted: 1998-01-06 - Earliest claimed: 1996-08-15 - Assignees: Clint Berscheid - Inventors: Ron R. Lefebvre - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5704431A ## CPC - A01C 5/068: {Furrow packing devices, e.g. press wheels} - A01C: PLANTING; SOWING; FERTILISING (parts, details or accessories of agricultural machines or implements, in general A01B51/00 - A01B75/00) ## Abstract The invention provides a packer wheel to be towed behind agricultural equipment such as an air seeder, the wheel being used to pack the soil in which seed or fertilizer has been placed. The packer wheel includes a hub and a body extending from the hub to a peripheral wall. A plurality of circumferentially spaced slots extend from the peripheral wall inwardly of the wheel body. Adjacent slots define therebetween a fin which, due to the slots, is somewhat flexible. As the packer wheel rotates the fins will flex sightly, but enough to cause any mud, soil or debris that built up thereon to break away so that the packer wheel remains relatively clean, even in muddy conditions. The slots are shaped so that any mud or debris that builds up therein is automatically forced axially outwardly of the slots as the wheel rotates. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A packer wheel for use with agricultural equipment, comprising: central hub means defining a rotational axis; wheel body means defining peripheral wall means and side wall means extending between said hub means and said peripheral wall means; and a plurality of circumferentially equally spaced slot means extending from said peripheral wall means into said side wall means so as to create a flexible fin means between each pair of adjacent slot means; at least a portion of each slot means being angled relative to a radius of said wheel at the intersection of such radius with an innermost end of such slot means; and each slot means being defined by parallel, generally straight outer and inner faces and terminating at the innermost end thereof at a transversely extending generally arcuate end face. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The packer wheel of claim 1 wherein said arcuate end face is generally C-shaped and has a diameter greater than the separation between said outer and inner faces. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The packer wheel of claim 1 wherein said outer face of each said slot means extends transversely through said wheel body means parallel to said rotational axis and said inner face thereof includes adjacent portions which converge radially outwardly from the side wall means of said wheel body means towards said outer face. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The packer wheel of claim 3 wherein said inner face adjacent portions converge symmetrically to a peak at a longitudinal centerline of said wheel. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The packer wheel of claim 3 wherein said inner face adjacent portions converge asymmetrically to a peak spaced laterally from a longitudinal centerline of said wheel. ### Claim 6 A packer wheel for use with agricultural equipment, comprising: central hub means defining a rotational axis; wheel body means defining peripheral wall means and side wall means extending between said hub means and said peripheral wall means; and a plurality of circumferentially equally spaced slot means extending arcuately from said peripheral wall means into said side wall means so as to create a flexible fin means between each pair of adjacent slot means; each said slot means being defined by arcuate outer and inner faces, said outer face having a greater radius of curvature than said inner face, said slot means terminating at the innermost end thereof at a transversely extending generally arcuate end face. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The packer wheel of claim 6 wherein said outer and inner faces have a zone of convergence and diverge inwardly therefrom towards said end face, the inner face of one slot means meeting the outer face of the adjacent slot means at a sharp outer edge of the fin means defined between such slot means. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The packer wheel of claim 6 wherein said outer and inner faces are generally parallel, the inner face of one slot means meeting the outer face of the adjacent slot means at a rounded outer edge of the fin means defined between such slot means. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The packer wheel of claim 8 wherein said arcuate end face is generally C-shaped and has a diameter greater than the separation between said outer and inner faces. ### Claim 10 A packer wheel for use with agricultural equipment, comprising: central hub means defining a rotational axis; wheel body means defining peripheral wall means and side wall means extending between said hub means and said peripheral wall means; and a plurality of circumferentially equally spaced slot means extending from said peripheral wall means into said side wall means so as to create a flexible fin means between each pair of adjacent slot means; each of said slot means being generally L-shaped, with one portion of said slot means lying along a radius of said wheel and the other portion of said slot means being generally normal to the one portion thereof, and each said portion being defined by parallel, generally straight outer and inner faces, said slot means terminating at the innermost end thereof at a transversely extending generally arcuate end face. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The packer wheel of claim 10 wherein said arcuate end face is generally C-shaped and has a diameter greater than the separation between said outer and inner faces. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The packer wheel of claim 10 wherein said slot means terminates at an enlarged generally circular opening through said wheel body means, there being a radial slot face extending from the innermost end of said inner face to said opening and an angled slot face extending from the innermost end of said outer face to said opening. ### Claim 13 A packer wheel for use with agricultural equipment, comprising: central hub means defining a rotational axis; wheel body means defining peripheral wall means and side wall means extending between said hub means and said peripheral wall means; and a plurality of circumferentially equally spaced slot means extending from said peripheral wall means into said side wall means generally along a radius of said wheel so as to create a flexible fin means between each pair of adjacent slot means; each of said slot means being defined by generally parallel, generally straight outer and inner faces and terminating at the innermost end thereof at a transversely extending arcuate end face.