Patent ID: 8161894
Filing Date: 2012-04-24
Classification: A01C

Abstract:
1. A fertilizer blade assembly for injecting fertilizer fluid under the surface of agricultural topsoil, comprising: (a) an elongated shank member that extends between a proximate end and a distal end, the proximate end adapted for attachment to a bracket piece of a fertilizer implement, the distal end extending downward and to a lesser extent forward from the proximate end, the elongated shank member having a generally constant rectangular cross section extending from its proximate end to its distal end and presenting a front surface, an opposite back surface and opposite side surfaces extending between the front and back surfaces such that the spacing between the front and back surfaces is substantially greater than the spacing between the side surfaces, the shank member further defining at least one fastener hole, (b) a point member including a forward leading edge portion, a base portion and opposite flank portions which 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 shank member, the point member having at least one fastener hole which 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, (c) the leading edge portion of the point member defined by two opposing generally symmetrically angled cutting surfaces which converge to present a leading edge, the leading edge being generally parallel to the front surface of the shank member at the proximate end of the point member and diverging forward of the front surface of the shank member at the distal end of the point member, (d) each flank portion of the point member having generally flat side surfaces which are generally parallel to and closely spaced away from the side surfaces of the shank member and which each originate at a forward boundary at one of the opposite cutting surfaces of the edge portion and terminate at a rear boundary which defines a rear perimeter that extends from the proximate end of the point member to the distal end of the point member, (e) each flank portion of the point member also presenting a plurality of crumbler ridges projecting from the outside surface of the flank portion, each crumbler ridge being generally rectangular in cross section, each crumbler ridge originating at a forward point adjacent to the flank portion's forward boundary and terminating at a rear point which is adjacent to the flank portion's rear boundary, such that the rear point is positioned above the forward point, the crumbler ridges spaced such that, for a crumbler ridge which is not the bottom crumbler ridge in the pattern, the forward point of the crumbler ridge is located at least as high as the rear point of the crumbler ridge which is located under the crumbler ridge, and, (f) a fertilizer tube mounted behind the shank member and extending to the distal end of the shank member having at least one opening at the distal end thereof for releasing fertilizer fluid, whereby, as the fertilizer knife assembly is drafted through a top layer of soil, the point member splits the soil and then crumbles the soil with the crumbler ridges to produce a furrow filled with crumbled small clumps of soil having a width substantially less than its depth, the crumbled soil capturing and retaining a substantial portion of the fertilizer fluid released from the fertilizer tube.