Patent ID: 7617782
Filing Date: 2009-11-17
Classification: A01C,Y02P,Y10S

Abstract:
1. Seed and fertilizer placement apparatus comprising: an upright shank having a leading edge, a pair of opposite sides, and a tip at the lower end of the leading edge for making a fertilizer trench in the ground as the shank is moved forwardly with the tip disposed below the surface of the ground; a seed shovel disposed behind said leading edge and including at least one wing projecting laterally outwardly beyond a corresponding side of the shank, said at least one wing having a forward, laterally outwardly extending edge disposed to make a generally horizontal seed shelf below the surface of the ground that extends laterally outwardly from the trench as the apparatus is moved forwardly with the tip and shovel disposed below the surface of the ground, said forward edge of the at least one wing being disposed above the tip of the shank such that the seed shelf formed by the wing is above the bottom of the fertilizer trench; a seed outlet disposed behind said forward edge of the at least one wing and laterally outboard of said corresponding side of the shank in position for discharging seeds onto the shelf formed by the at least one wing; a fertilizer outlet disposed behind said seed outlet and in fore-and-aft alignment with said leading edge of the shank for discharging fertilizer into the trench; and a fertilizer guide member behind said seed outlet and including a rearwardly facing, rear guide surface disposed to receive fertilizer discharging from said fertilizer outlet and direct the fertilizer into the trench, said guide member projecting downwardly below said forward edge of the at least one wing and terminating at substantially the same level as said tip of the shank, said seed and fertilizer outlets comprising separate parts of a common body, said body having an internal seed passage communicating with said seed outlet and a separate internal fertilizer passage communicating with said fertilizer outlet, said body having a lowermost bottom extremity spaced above the level of said tip of the shank, a pair of opposite sidewalls extending downwardly to said bottom extremity, and a rear wall interconnecting the sidewalls, said body having a notch that is open along a rearmost portion of said bottom extremity of the body and a lowermost portion of said rear wall of the body, said notch being disposed between lowermost portions of said sidewalls and intersecting with said internal fertilizer passage to present said fertilizer outlet, said fertilizer guide member having an upper end received within said notch and a lower end projecting downwardly out of the notch beyond the bottom extremity of the body to prevent soil from plugging the fertilizer outlet during operation.