Patent ID: 6520100
Filing Date: 2003-02-18
Classification: A01C

Abstract:
A row planter comprising:a tool bar; and a plurality of planting units mounted to the tool bar, each of said planting units including an opener operable to open a furrow in the direction of travel of the planter, a metering assembly operable to meter seeds from a seed source, a seed deposit element presenting a seed outlet adjacent the furrow opened by the opener so that seeds from the metering assembly are deposited in the furrow, and a depth gauge wheel assembly operable to control the depth of the furrow opened by the opener and thereby control the depth of the seeds planted therein, all of said planting units being arranged in a plurality of multiple-unit sets, said planting units of each of the sets being positioned and configured so that the seed outlets thereof are spaced apart a planting row spacing, adjacent ones of said multiple-unit sets cooperatively presenting adjacent seed outlets defining an unplanted space therebetween, with the unplanted space being greater than the planting row spacing, each of said sets of planting units consisting of a pair of said planting units, mounting structure positioning said pair of planting units in a staggered relationship with portions thereof overlapping, each of said planting units of the pair including respective inboard and outboard depth gauge wheels, said inboard wheels being narrower than said outboard wheels and being sufficiently narrow for enabling said staggered relationship.