# US 8,770,310 B2 · Vertical tillage system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,770,310 B2 - Document ID: US8770310B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/928,144 - Filed: 2013-06-26 - Published: 2013-11-14 - Granted: 2014-07-08 - Earliest claimed: 2007-11-28 - Assignees: CNH Industrial America LLC - Applicants: CNH America LLC - Inventors: Michael George Kovach; Tracey Duane Meiners; Dean Alan Knobloch; Gaylen James Kromminga; Gregory S. Smart - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8770310B2 ## CPC - A01B 49/027: {with a rotating, soil working support element, e.g. a roller} - A01B 5/04: drawn by tractors - A01B 29/048: {Bar cage rollers} - A01B 49/02: with two or more soil-working tools of different kind - Y10T 29/49448: Agricultural device making - A01B: SOIL WORKING IN AGRICULTURE OR FORESTRY; PARTS, DETAILS, OR ACCESSORIES OF AGRICULTURAL MACHINES OR IMPLEMENTS, IN GENERAL (making or covering furrows or holes for sowing, planting or manuring A01C5/00; mowers convertible to soil working apparatus or capable of soil working A01D42/04; mowers combined with soil working implements A01D43/12; soil working for engineering purposes E01, E02, E21) - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract A vertical tilling implement to be pulled behind and agricultural vehicle having a number of gangs of fluted-concave disc blades, rolling baskets, and wheels connected to a main frame. As the vertical tilling implement is pulled, the fluted-concave disc blades move the soil in a direction lateral to the side of the blades as well as up. Meanwhile, the rolling bars aid in leveling the seedbed and crushing the remaining large pieces of soil. The vertical tilling implement reduces the amount of subsoil compaction and cuts through heavy residue making it ideal for use in the fall or in the spring. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A tilling implement, comprising: a front row of disc blades coupled to a main frame and having a front right portion and a front left portion; a rear row of disc blades coupled to the main frame and having a rear right portion and a rear left portion, the rear right portion following behind the front right portion and the rear left portion following behind the front left portion, wherein at least a portion of the disc blades comprises fluted-concave disc blades; a pair of wheels, each positioned forward of the main frame along a direction of travel, and proximate to a laterally outward end of the front row of disc blades, wherein the pair of wheels is configured to reduce motion of the main frame perpendicular to the direction of travel caused by the fluted-concave disc blades rotatably engaging the soil; at least one member providing downward pressure, the at least one member attached to the main frame at a position proximate to a rear end of the main frame relative to a position of the disc blades and exerting a downward pressure that reduces and dampens the motion of the main frame caused by the fluted-concave disc blades rotatably engaging the soil; wherein the implement includes no ground engaging tool between the front right portion and the rear right portion, and no ground engaging tool between the front left portion and the rear left portion; and wherein all ground engaging tools disposed on the implement are configured to rotate in operation. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein each disc blade of the front row comprises a fluted-concave disc blade. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein each disc blade of the rear row comprises a fluted-concave disc blade. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one member providing downward pressure includes a rolling basket. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein the rolling basket includes helically twisted bars. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the front left portion and the front right portion are angled symmetrically with respect to a line perpendicular to a centerline of the implement. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein the front left portion and the front right portion are positioned at an angle of about 18 degrees with respect to the line perpendicular to the centerline. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the disc blades of the front row are arranged in at least one gang, and the disc blades of the rear row are arranged in at least one gang. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the disc blades include a plurality of diameters, and wherein the disc blades having the smallest of the plurality of diameters are arranged at an end of each of the rows farthest from a centerline of the implement. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the rear left portion and the rear right portion are angled symmetrically with respect to a line perpendicular to a centerline of the implement. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the rear left portion and the rear right portion are positioned at an angle of about 18 degrees with respect to the line perpendicular to the centerline. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the front left portion and the front right portion and the rear left portion and the rear right portion are angled symmetrically with respect to a centerline of the implement. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the disc blades have a concavity of 1.25 to 1.69 inches. ### Claim 14 A ground working implement comprising: a front row of disc blades coupled to a main frame and having a front right portion and a front left portion; a rear row of disc blades coupled to the main frame and having a rear right portion and a rear left portion, the rear right portion following behind the front right portion and the rear left portion following behind the front left portion when the implement is displaced through a field, wherein at least a portion of the disc blades of the front row, at least a portion of the disc blades of the rear row, or a combination thereof, comprises fluted-concave disc blades; a pair of wheels, each positioned forward of the main frame along a direction of travel, and proximate to a laterally outward end of the front row of disc blades, wherein the pair of wheels is configured to reduce motion of the main frame perpendicular to the direction of travel caused by the fluted-concave disc blades rotatably engaging the soil; an adjustable pressure assembly attached to a rear end of the main frame, and a rolling basket assembly connected to the adjustable pressure assembly, the rolling basket assembly extending downward toward a tilling path; wherein the implement includes no ground engaging tool between the front right portion and the rear right portion, and no ground engaging tool between the front left portion and the rear left portion; and wherein all ground engaging tools disposed on the implement are configured to rotate in operation. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the front left portion, front right portion, rear left portion and rear right portion are angled symmetrically with respect to a line perpendicular to a centerline of the implement. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the front left portion and the front right portion are positioned at an angle of about 18 degrees with respect to the line perpendicular to the centerline. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the front and rear rows of disc blades are spatially arranged to form an x-shaped pattern, the front and rear rows of disc blades are spatially arranged to form a k-shaped pattern, or the front and rear rows of disc blades are spatially arranged to form a diamond-shaped pattern. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein each disc blade of the front row comprises a fluted-concave disc blade, each disc blade of the rear row comprises a fluted-concave disc blade, or a combination thereof. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the rolling basket assembly includes a plurality of rolling baskets. ### Claim 20 A tilling implement, comprising: a front row of disc blades coupled to a main frame and having a front right portion and a front left portion, wherein the front right portion extends across a right tilling path, and the front left portion extends across a left tilling path; a rear row of disc blades coupled to the main frame and having a rear right portion and a rear left portion, the rear right portion following behind the front right portion in the right tilling path and the rear left portion following behind the front left portion in the left tilling path when the implement is displaced through a field, wherein at least a portion of the disc blades of the front row, at least a portion of the disc blades of the rear row, or a combination thereof, comprises fluted-concave disc blades; a pair of wheels, each positioned forward of the main frame along a direction of travel, and proximate to a laterally outward end of the front row of disc blades, wherein the pair of wheels is configured to reduce motion of the main frame perpendicular to the direction of travel caused by the fluted-concave disc blades rotatably engaging the soil; at least one member providing downward pressure, the at least one member attached to the main frame at a position proximate to a rear end of the main frame relative to a position of the disc blades and exerting a downward pressure that reduces and dampens the motion of the main frame caused by the fluted-concave disc blades rotatably engaging the soil; wherein the implement includes no ground engaging tool between the front right portion and the rear right portion, and no ground engaging tool between the front left portion and the rear left portion; and wherein each ground engaging tool in the right tilling path and each ground engaging tool in the left tilling path is configured to rotate in operation.