Automatic down pressure adjustment system for set of ganged disc openers

A farm implement comprising:

• a toolbar configured to be coupled to a towing vehicle;
• a rockshaft;
• an actuator interconnected to the toolbar and the rockshaft, the actuator having an extendable arm configured to rotate the rockshaft;
• a plurality of disc opener assemblies mounted to the toolbar and the rockshaft, and configured to cut a plurality of trenches into a ground surface, wherein each disc opener assembly has a disc mounted to a first axle and configured to cut a trench in a ground surface at a user-selected penetration depth, a gauge wheel mounted to a second axle offset from the first axle, a spring that applies a down force on the disc in response to rotation of the rockshaft, and a depth control arm coupled to the second axle and operative to set a position of the gauge wheel relative to the disc to set the penetration depth for the disc;
• and
• a down force adjustment assembly associated with at least one of the disc opener assemblies and receives a desired value for a down pressure applied by the at least one of the disc opener assemblies, the down force adjustment assembly automatically adjusting a rotational position of the rockshaft to change the down pressure applied by the at least one of the disc opener assemblies to the desired level to maintain the penetration depth of the discs substantially constant at the user-selected penetration depth and to prevent excessive down pressure.

A depth control assembly for use with a set of disc opener units ganged together to a tool bar and a rockshaft of a farm implement, the disc opener units each having a disc configured to cut a trench soil, the assembly comprising:

• a hydraulic cylinder interconnected to the tool bar and the rockshaft and configured to rotate the rockshaft, the hydraulic cylinder applying a down pressure onto the discs based on a rotational position of the rockshaft so that the disc cuts the trench in the soil at a desired penetration depth;
• a gauge wheel for each disc opener unit and positionable at a plurality of heights relative to the disc to set a cutting depth for a respective disc;
• a control lever for each disc opener unit and operable to position a respective gauge wheel at one of the plurality of heights relative to the disc;
• a load center mounted to at least one of the control levers and operative to measure a strain placed on the control lever in response to changing soil conditions;
• and
• a controller receiving a desired value for the down pressure applied by the hydraulic cylinder on the discs and being communicatively linked to the load center to receive strain data from the load center, the controller adjusting pressure in the hydraulic cylinder in response to the strain data to adjust the down pressure applied to the discs to the desired value automatically in response to changes in soil conditions.