Powered rolling and crimping device for crop termination
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of Agriculture
InventorTed S. Kornecki
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The powered rolling and crimping device is used to terminate cover crops in a minimum tillage soil conservation system. The device includes a powered crimping mechanism in combination with a crop roller. Power is transferred from a tractor power takeoff to a plurality of cam mechanisms via mechanical gearbox. The cam mechanisms raise and lower a crimping bar. As an operator directs a walk-behind tractor across a field of cover crops, a crop roller first flattens the crops and the powered crimping bar crimps the crops, thereby terminating the cover crops without severing the crop stalks disturbing the soil.
Claims18
A powered rolling and crimping device, the device comprising:
- a power source;
- a lifting assembly receiving power from the power source;
- the lifting assembly comprising:
- (a) a gearbox receiving power from the power source;
- (b) at least one output shaft receiving power from the gearbox;
- and
- (c) at least one cam mechanism mounted on the output shaft;
- a crimping bar connected to the lifting assembly, the cam mechanism raising and lowering the crimping bar;
- a crop roller operatively connected to the crimping bar and the lifting assembly;
- whereby as the powered rolling and crimping device is propelled across a field of crops, the crop roller rolls over the crops and the crimping bar crimps the crops.
A method of terminating cover crops, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a power source to a crop rolling and crimping device;
- (b) transferring power from the power source to a gearbox on the crop rolling and crimping device so that the gearbox receives torque from the power source;
- (c) directing power from the gearbox to a plurality of cam mechanisms;
- (d) connecting the cam mechanisms to a crimping bar so that the cam mechanisms lift and release the crimping bar;
- (e) positioning a crop roller in front of the crimping bar on the crop rolling and crimping device;
- (f) propelling the crop rolling and crimping device across a field of crops so that the crop roller rolls over the crops and the crimping bar crimps the crops, thereby terminating the crops.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.