8090results about "Spades" patented technology

An agricultural implement system is provided that includes a down force cylinder configured to apply a downward force to a row unit, and a depth control cylinder configured to vary a penetration depth of a ground engaging tool of the row unit. The agricultural implement system also includes a valve assembly in fluid communication with the down force cylinder and the depth control cylinder. The valve assembly is configured to automatically adjust the downward force by varying fluid pressure within the down force cylinder based on fluid pressure within the depth control cylinder.

An improved ergonomically efficient tool having two adjustable and lockable bends allowing the handle to be bent to selected angles at each bend. An alternate embodiment includes a telescoping feature between the two bends allowing the handle length to be adjusted to the height of a user. The two bends and the telescoping feature cooperate to minimize a user's need to stoop over to use the tool and make it easier and more ergonomically efficient to use. A coupling feature in a further embodiment allows multiple tool heads to be easily attached to the bendable handle.

A no-till drill with a novel walking beam assembly that allows the drill to be pulled over severe terrain conditions that include large rocks, fallen limbs and other large obstructions. The inventive walking beam assembly includes two independent pivot points that allow the cutting and opening disks to maintain substantially constant or continuous contact with the ground, such that the length of the furrow formed and seed deposited therein are maximized. A closing disk assembly is suspended from the rear of the drill independently from the walking beam assembly. This independent suspension allows the walking beam assembly to function without interference from the closing disks.

The invention discloses a spin milling type multifunctional machine for deeply ploughing and crushing ridges, which is based on a tractor. A hydraulic mechanism and a linking spin milling drill bit device or a cultivation component is arranged on a rear frame of the tractor; the linking spin milling drill bit device is provided with one or more drill bit shafts; spiral hinges are arranged on the drill bit shafts and provided with apical teeth; the linking spin milling drill bit device is provided with a device for preventing a straw from being wound; the hydraulic mechanism drives a spin milling drill bit to move up and down; and a gearbox drives the spin milling drill bit by a connecting rod and a gear. According to the spin milling type multifunctional machine, the drill bit enters intosoil and then vertically cuts, spin mills and crushes the soil and ensures that the soil is automatically suspended to form the ridges; the soil crushing section of the crushed ridge is T-shaped; thelower part of the compacted soil on the ground is in a U-shaped groove, so that the whole layer of the soil is in a loosing state during cultivation; and in addition, the invention plays roles of covering and replacing the soil, increases an active layer, improves the capabilities of preserving moisture and fertility and the permeability of the soil, benefits the utilization of deep growing of the crop root system to water and fertilizer, relatively reduces pests and weeds and ensures that the crop is easy to obtain high and stable yield.

An implement has a tongue used to tow the implement that can be raised or lowered with respect to the rest of the implement. The tongue is raised or lowered by a hydraulic cylinder. The raising and lowering ports of the cylinder are connected to two hydraulic accumulators to permit the tongue to flex up or down while the implement is towed through the field. These accumulators are disconnected from the cylinder when the wings of the implement are lifted and the implement is towed over the road to prevent the implement from oscillating backwards and forward about an axis defined by its wheels.

A zone tillage tool comprises a tool frame connected by a parallel lift linkage to a tool bar. A fall tillage coulter or dual spring tillage coulters can be carried on the tool frame in advance of a pair of containment coulters. The fall tillage coulter tills soil in a zone that is approximately 7 to 9 inches deep while the spring tillage coulters till 2 to 3 inches deep. The fall tillage coulter includes a plurality of shovel bits located around the circumference thereof at a forward rake angle. The tip of each shovel bit has a generally vertical entry position into the ground due to the forward rake angle. As the fall tillage coulter rotates, the shovel bits rotate around and exit the soil in a generally horizontal position, thereby lifting and loosening the soil without compacting the soil through a series of rearwardly and upwardly directed soil scooping actions.

The farm implement of this invention is movable across ground along a direction of travel for tillage. The farm implement includes at least a frame and a disc / drive unit. The disc / drive unit includes first and second pluralities of discs, each having a ground-engaging outer periphery defining a plane angled acutely relative to the direction of travel. The first discs are angled to an opposite side of the direction of travel than the second discs. Positioned in front of the first discs is a ground-engaging driver rotatably coupled to the frame for rotating as the driver engages and is moved across the ground along the direction of travel. A driven flow controller is rotatably coupled and situated between the plurality of first discs and the plurality of second discs. The ground-engaging driver is operatively controlling and preferably accelerating the rotational speed of the driven flow controller.

An apparatus for preparing soil for the placement therein of at least one of seed and fertilizer. A frame is provided with there being first structure on the frame for penetrating the soil to create an opening for at least one of seed and fertilizer as the frame is advanced in a travel direction. A second structure is provided on the frame at least partially downstream of the first structure for at least one of a) stripping soil clods from the first structure and b) loosening soil downstream of the first structure.

A single crystal substrate and method of fabricating the same are provided. The single crystal substrate includes an insulator having a window exposing a portion of a substrate, a selective epitaxial growth layer formed on the portion of the substrate exposed through the window and a single crystalline layer formed on the insulator and the selective epitaxial growth layer using the selective epitaxial growth layer as an epitaxial seed layer.

Apparatus for clearing crop residue from a field is adapted for attachment to a tool bar of an agricultural implement or to a planter unit such that the apparatus is pulled through a field by the implement. The apparatus includes a support structure extending forward of the tool bar and at least one and preferably a pair of floating arms pivotally attached to a forward portion of the support structure and extending rearwardly, with a toothed wheel rotationally attached to an aft end of the arm(s). A coulter attached to the support structure is disposed between and extends forward of the soil-engaging toothed wheel(s) and in combination with the wheel(s) severs and removes residue in the seeding pathway. An adjustable biasing arrangement urges the toothed wheels, either in unison or independently, downwardly into engagement with the soil. Upper and lower stop limits are provided to limit vertical positioning of the toothed wheel(s).

An agricultural seeder or fertilizer having a meter device which dispenses seed or fertilizer to a plurality of ground-engaging members. The supply of metered seed or fertilizer to each of the ground-engaging members is controlled via input from a GPS / GNSS satellite navigation system to prevent the meter device delivering seed or fertilizer to selected of the ground-engaging members which would otherwise pass over soil which has been previously seeded or fertilized. Raising means, responsive to input from said GPS / GNSS satellite navigation system detecting that the device is travelling or is about to travel over areas of soil that has been previously seeded or fertilized, is further is provided to raise the selected ground-engaging members to which delivery of seed / fertilizer has been prevented in order to prevent soil which has been previously seeded or fertilized from being disturbed. A method of operating a seeder / fertilizer implement to achieve the aforesaid is further disclosed.

An agricultural implement system is provided that includes a down force cylinder configured to apply a downward force to a row unit, and a depth control cylinder configured to vary a penetration depth of a ground engaging tool of the row unit. The agricultural implement system also includes a valve assembly in fluid communication with the down force cylinder and the depth control cylinder. The valve assembly is configured to automatically adjust the downward force by varying fluid pressure within the down force cylinder based on fluid pressure within the depth control cylinder.

An agricultural tillage implement that employs multiple apparatus to carry out a strip-till farming operation is disclosed. A tillage shank runs a point through the compaction layer to fracture and loosen the soil, forcing it upwardly and outwardly where a pair of angled soil-gathering blades, located adjacent the shank, redirect the soil into a newly created berm. A trailing conditioning rotary reel having a particular cross-sectional profile forms the soil into a uniform raised berm ideally suited for planting.

A planting system for planting multiple seed varieties. The planting system includes a planter having a plurality of tanks and a plurality of row units. A plurality of seed meters are included in of the plurality of the row units. A seed transport belt is disposed below the plurality of seed meters to transport seed from each of the plurality of seed meters into a seed tube. Each of the plurality of seed meters is engaged and disengaged by a clutch, and the seed transport belt is disposed below the plurality of seed meters in an angled orientation.

In one embodiment, an agricultural row unit for use with a towing frame hitched to a tractor includes an attachment frame adapted to be rigidly connected to the towing frame. A support member is pivotably coupled to the attachment frame to permit vertical pivoting movement of the support member relative to the attachment frame, and at least one furrow-closing device is mounted on the support member. A hydraulic cylinder is coupled to the support member for urging the row unit frame downwardly toward the soil. The hydraulic cylinder includes a movable ram extending into the cylinder, and a hydraulic-fluid cavity within the cylinder for receiving pressurized hydraulic fluid for urging the ram in a first direction that pivots the support member in a first vertical direction. An accumulator has a fluid chamber containing a pressurized gas for urging the ram in a second direction that pivots the support member in a second vertical direction.

A single arm row cleaner unit mountable to a grain drill opener arm includes a row cleaner arm and a mounting saddle. The mounting saddle is generally configured for attachment to a main arm of a furrow forming assembly. A row cleaner arm may be pivotally attached to the mounting saddle about a mandrel, and a row cleaner wheel may be pivotally mounted to the row cleaner arm. A biasing member may be positioned adjacent the mandrel to engage the row cleaner arm and a biasing member retainer, which may be affixed to the mounting saddle. A deflector may be positioned adjacent the row cleaner wheel and biased there against. A connector and lever arm may be used to communicate forces from a closing wheel arm to the row cleaner wheel for adequate clearance of the row cleaner wheel during transport of the grain drill.

A sliding-type portable communication apparatus, which has an pop-up type display device, including a first housing; a second housing adapted to slide on the first housing along the longitudinal direction thereof; and a display device having a first region, which is exposed or concealed according to the position of the second housing, and a second region, which is disposed adjacently to the first region and which remains exposed regardless of the position of the second housing, the display device being adapted to advance or retract in a direction perpendicular to the upper surface of the first housing, while remaining in a plane to the upper surface of the first housing.

An agricultural planting system and method comprising a soil sampling and analysis means, wherein soil samples are taken and analyzed in real-time during a planting operation (or, optionally, via a separate, prior operation) to determine the conditions and nutrient content of the soil, and a planting system, wherein the planting system is capable of planting seeds in any arbitrary position on an X-Y plane directly beneath the planting system, whereby the data gathered from the analyzed soil samples is used to determine the optimal placement of seeds or plants in a field in order to take advantage of the soil conditions present and to optimize crop yield.

An agricultural implement system is provided that includes a down force cylinder configured to apply a downward force to a row unit, a depth control cylinder configured to vary a penetration depth of a ground engaging tool of the row unit, a press wheel cylinder configured to vary contact force between a press wheel and a soil surface, a closing disk cylinder configured to vary contact force between a closing disk and the soil surface, a residue manager cylinder configured to vary contact force between a residue manager and the soil surface, or a combination thereof. The agricultural implement system also includes an electronic control unit configured to automatically regulate a pressure within the cylinders, and a manual backup system configured to facilitate manual pressure adjustment of the cylinders.

Cover crops may be rolled and crimped using an apparatus which may be rolled across a field at a relatively high speed without excessive vibration. The apparatus includes a substantially cylindrical drum which has a plurality of rows of outwardly extending blades projecting therefrom. The blades may be wave-shaped, curved, substantially straight and discontinuous, blades paired with a plurality of spaced apart outwardly extending rings, or combinations thereof. In use as the apparatus is rolled across a field having a crop thereon, the blades contact and crimp the stalks of the crop, effectively killing the plant.

An agricultural row unit for use with a towing frame hitched to a tractor includes an attachment frame adapted to be rigidly connected to the towing frame, and a furrow-opening module comprising a first linkage pivotably coupled to the attachment frame, a first movable frame pivotably coupled to the linkage to permit vertical pivoting movement of the first movable frame relative to the linkage, a furrow-opening device mounted on the first movable frame, and a first biasing element pivotably attached to the linkage and coupled to the first movable frame for urging the furrow-opening device downwardly against the soil. The row unit also includes a furrow-closing module and a second biasing element for urging the at least one furrow-closing device downwardly against the soil.

A winged implement includes an hydraulic control circuit having two operator-controlled valves, including a work valve and a transport valve. Using only these controls, and without leaving the tractor cab, the operator can (1) fold the implement for transport; (2) unfold the wings; (3) place the implement in the field use position with substantial constant down pressure on the wings; and (4) raise the wings and center section to an intermediate position with the wings inclined upwardly for end row turns.

Implement toolbars as used for planters have become very long in recent years. In order to assure good ground contact, the long toolbar of the present invention is divided up into more than three sections, including a center section and wing sections. The wing sections fold forward for transport on public roads, over field accesses, and through gates. The resulting planter can be longer than prior art planters while providing sound ground contact and a compact transport mode.

This disclosure is directed to the field of agricultural machinery and relates to implements generally used in combination with a multi-row soil trench closing mechanism. Specifically, the disclosure relates to row treating units adapted to be attached to and following a multi-row planter and incorporating a combination of tools that includes a seed trench closing wheel assembly and a firming / packing wheel assembly. The deployment of and down force exerted by the packing wheel is independently adjustable and controlled using pneumatic air bag operators and the soil penetration of the trench closing wheels is limited.

A seed tube for an agricultural planter having a rearwardly curving forward wall, a rearwardly curving rearward wall and opposing sidewalls defining a seed passageway which curves rearwardly from an upper ingress end toward a lower egress end. Wear resistant material is disposed proximate the egress end which provides a point of first contact with the opener disks thereby preventing appreciable wear of the egress end of the seed tube.

A seeding machine includes at least one seed metering system and at least one seed placement system. Each seed placement system is in communication with a corresponding seed metering system. Each seed placement system includes a housing having a seed slide, and a wheel at least partly disposed within the housing. The wheel has a circumferential periphery with a plurality of contiguous disc joint surfaces. The periphery is positioned adjacent to at least part of the seed slide. The invention comprises, in another form thereof, a method of placing seeds with a seeding machine in a trench formed in soil. Seeds are received at a predetermined rate at a seed placement system. The seed placement system includes a seed slide, and a wheel having a conferential periphery position closely adjacent to at least part of the seed slide. The seeds are engaged at the predetermined rate against the wheel periphery. The seeds are carried past a closely adjacent area of the seed slide using the wheel periphery. The seeds are released from the wheel periphery.

A seeder implement (125) includes a fork (146) having a first spindle support arm (150) that supports a first spindle (164) and a second spindle support arm (152) that supports a second spindle (168). A first disk (160) is supported on the first spindle (164), wherein the first spindle (164) is oriented in a first orientation and at a first acute angle relative to a lateral line. The first disk (160) is oriented at a second acute angle relative to the ground surface. A second disk (166) is supported on the second spindle (168), wherein the second spindle (168) is oriented in a second orientation and at a third acute angle relative to the lateral line. The second disk (166) is oriented at a fourth acute angle relative to the ground surface. The first disk (160) is longitudinally offset ahead of the second disk (166), and there are no structural components between the first and second disks (160, 166) other than the first and second spindles (164, 168). In one embodiment, a packing wheel (142) is disposed to close and compact furrows opened by the disks (160, 166) and is disposed in the same orientation as one of the disks (160, 166).

A furrow opener apparatus includes a parallel link trailing arm having a rear link that is maintained substantially horizontal as the arm moves up and down. Front and rear furrow openers are attached to the rear link. A packer wheel arm is attached to the rear link and extends rearward and downward from the rear link, and a packer wheel is mounted to the packer wheel arm and aligned with one of the furrow openers. A bias device exerts a downward bias force on the trailing arm, furrow openers, and packer wheel. The furrow openers, the packer wheel, and the rear link are maintained in rigid orientation with respect to each other when in a working mode, and a vertical operating position of at least one of the furrow openers with respect to the packer wheel is adjustable to vary a depth of the furrow.