Patent ID: 9326442
Filing Date: 2016-05-03
CPC Classification: A01C

Claim Text:
1. A side mounted fertilizer blade assembly for injecting fertilizer fluid under the surface agricultural topsoil, comprising: (a) an elongated side mounted shank member having a proximate end adapted for side mount attachment to a machine shank of a fertilizer implement, the shank member having an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion being generally upright and having a generally constant cross section, the lower portion extending down and forward from the upper portion and being tapered toward the distal end thereof, the upper portion and the lower portion each having a front surface, two parallel side surfaces and a back surface, the shank member also having at least one fastener hole, (b) a point member adapted for attachment to the lower portion of the shank member and adapted for drafting through soil beneath a soil surface, the point member including a forward leading edge portion, a base portion and opposite flank portions that connect between the leading edge portion and the base portion, the leading edge portion, the base portion and the flank portions defining a channel for receiving the lower portion of the shank member, the point member having at least one fastener hole that is positioned to align with the at least one fastener hole in the shank member for receiving at least one fastener for removably fastening the point member to the shank member, the leading edge portion of the point member defining cutting surfaces operable for breaking apart soil as the point passes through the soil, (c) each flank portion of the point member having generally flat side surfaces that are generally parallel to and closely spaced away from the side surfaces of the shank member and which each originate at a forward boundary and terminate at a rear boundary that defines rear perimeter which extends from the proximate end of the point member to the distal end of the point member and that extend past the rear surface of the lower portion of the shank member such that the flank portions and the rear surface of the lower portion of the shank member define a tube channel, the flank portions also presenting pockets that cause soil to shatter and break apart as the soil passes over the flank portions, (d) a pair of soil guard plates affixed to the opposite side surfaces of the shank member above the point member, the soil guard plates extending behind the back surface of the shank member thereby defining a protected channel behind the back surface of the shank member, (e) a fertilizer tube mounted behind the shank member and extending to the distal end of the shank member, the fertilizer tube having at least one opening at the distal end thereof for releasing fertilizer fluid, the fertilizer tube mounted to the shank member such that the fertilizer tube is received by the protected channel defined by the soil guard plates and the shank member and the tube channel of the point member, the protected channel defined by the soil guard plates and the shank member and the tube channel of the point member extending sufficiently such that at least most of the portion of the fertilizer tube which is beneath the soil surface is protected from the abrasive action of passing soil as the blade assembly is drafted through the soil.