Abstract:
A tractor that can pull a wide variety of equipment such as that for tilling, seeding and fertilizing of field crops. The equipment can also include reservoirs for containing large quantities of seeds and fertilizers such as liquid manure. As tilling and fertilizing progresses these materials as dispensed changing the weight distribution on the tractor. The change can be compensated for during use by sensing weight and adjusting the position of the machine connecting structure in response thereto, such as a fifth wheel of the tractor, in real-time, to generally equalize weight distribution.

Description:
APPLICATION CROSS-REFERENCE  
       [0001]    This application is a continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 09/253,198, filed Feb. 19, 1999.  
     
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    This invention relates agricultural machinery and methods. In particular, it relates to real time adjustment of a fifth wheel associated with an agricultural apparatus to generally equalize weight distribution.  
         BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    Conventional methods of planting and tilling field crops require several passes over the field. If soil conditions are not favorable, an inordinate amount of time is spent cleaning the machinery. Furthermore, the time available to work the soil is roughly five (5) days. The present invention enables a farmer to take care of all functions in one pass over the soil, saving valuable time and fuel. Handling several operations requires several pieces of heavy machinery. Under normal circumstances the weight would unduly pack the soil. The present invention uses supporting tracks or wheels to distribute the weight without unduly packing the soil. Some of the supporting tracks or wheels may be driven. Nitrogen fertilizes the soil. The nitrogen in manure, however, is not as concentrated as the nitrogen in an ammonia fertilizer. Thus, any apparatus depositing liquid manure must carry more liquid manure than it would carry ammonia fertilizer. The weight, if not distributed, may harden the soil. The present invention distributes the weight, enabling the farmer to carry greater weight over the field without making the soil unsuitable for planting. Other problems have arisen concerning incorporating liquid manure into the soil. For example, spraying the liquid manure on top of the soil, broadcasting, gives the field an extremely unpleasant odor. The present invention allows one to attach tanks and other devices, such as plows, to incorporate liquid manure into the soil by injection while the soil is being tilled, thus exposing more soil to the manure and reducing the odor. These additional devices add weight to the complete apparatus. Even though much weight is added, the present invention distributes the weight, minimizing compaction of the soil.  
           [0004]    Conventional devices exist to accomplish two farming operations in the same pass. U.S. Pat. No. 5,558,471 describes an apparatus that cuts the soil and injects a chemical while being pulled by a tractor. The chemical comes from a tube attached near the cutting device. Another device, known as the Seed Hawk, is an attachment that fertilizes, seeds and firms the soil. The Seed Hawk has a fracturing knife that goes into the soil and deposits fertilizer coming from a drop tube attached to the fracturing knife. At the same time another fracturing knife attached to a seed drop tube follows the first fracturing knife and deposits seed into the soil. A wheel follows the fracturing knives and firms the soil. Other configurations perform the same functions, such as the Conserva Pak attachment. It operates in much the same manner as the Seed Hawk. Devices like the Seed Hawk and the Conserva Pak attachment can be connected to the present invention to perform the fertilizing, seeding and firming operations while carrying the tanks of seed and fertilizer, allowing a farmer to complete as much of the field in one pass as supplies will allow.  
           [0005]    Conventional devices cannot carry the weight of the equipment without unduly packing the soil. This method distributes the weight over wheels or tracks to avoid this problem. The present invention&#39;s cab-forward design allows room for a movable fifth wheel, which enables an operator to change the location of the fifth wheel to accommodate changes in weight distribution as seed and chemicals are used. German patent DE 42 17 249 describes a farm tractor with a tracklaying undercarriage and a place for a fifth wheel. It does not disclose using a modified cab of a semitractor with a movable fifth wheel or the tractor pulling components for seeding, tilling and spreading chemicals in one pass.  
           [0006]    Problems have also arisen concerning the application of liquid manure. Broadcasting the manure produces a much more offensive odor than injecting it. In an article entitled “Manure Applicators” in the December 1996 issue of  Successful Farming  (p. 28), farmers rated the odor of a field where manure was applied to the surface and a field where manure was injected into the soil. The farmers indicated that the injected field produced a much less pungent odor. The present invention injects liquid manure into the soil while it is being tilled.  
           [0007]    Furthermore, according to the same article, 20% of the nitrogen may be lost if manure stays on the surface of the ground for 24 hours or more without being incorporated (p.28, 32). Injecting the manure into the soil during tilling prevents nitrogen from escaping, increasing the efficiency of the fertilizer to where only approximately 5% of the nitrogen escapes (p.32). Further, the present invention permits an apparatus to carry a large amount of liquid manure and use it in a one-pass process. The invention may also include mechanisms, which distribute the weight of the combined equipment and load to minimize the compacting of the treated soil. The present invention injects liquid manure into the soil, conserving nitrogen.  
           [0008]    Thus, the present invention carries several types of equipment on one apparatus, the drivers distributing the weight. Several farming operations are performed at one time (tilling, seeding and fertilizing), saving valuable time and fuel. Lastly, the present invention enables a farmer to incorporate liquid manure while tilling, retaining nitrogen and minimizing the smell at the same time. I am aware of the following patents and publications, the disclosures are herein incorporated by reference: 1) U.S. Pat. No. 5,558,471, 2) the Seed Hawk sales brochure, 3) “Manure Applicators” in the December  1996  issue of Successful Farming (p. 28-33), 4) German patent DE 42 17 249, 5) the Conserva Pak sales brochure, 6) U.S. Pat. No. 3,428,334 and 7) U.S. Pat. No. 5,677,667.  
           [0009]    An aspect of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus to till soil, seed it, fertilize it and firm it simultaneously.  
           [0010]    Another aspect of the present invention is to provide an apparatus with a cab-forward design to allow a fifth wheel to adjust automatically as fertilizer and seed are used.  
           [0011]    Another aspect of this invention is to provide a means to apply herbicides while seeding and firming the soil.  
           [0012]    Yet another aspect of this invention is to provide means to apply liquid manure or other fertilizers to the soil while tilling and seeding.  
           [0013]    Still another aspect of this invention is to provide an apparatus for performing several farming functions in one pass using the following: a cab with an engine; a supporting frame; a fifth wheel connected to the cab and the supporting frame; drivers connected to the cab; and drivers supporting the supporting frame. In this manner the drivers spread the weight of the apparatus lessening the degree the soil is compacted as the apparatus travels over the soil.  
           [0014]    Yet another aspect for this invention is to provide a method for treating the soil including the following: means to till, seed and spread liquid manure on the soil; at least one tank for holding liquid manure connected to the device to inject liquid manure, and at least one tank holding seed connected to the device to seed the soil, filling all tanks, and driving the apparatus over the soil, performing several operations at one time.  
           [0015]    A further aspect of this invention is to provide a method for treating soil including: providing a device for pulling, a tank for liquid manure, a tank for seed, a device to deposit seed, a device to inject liquid manure, a fifth wheel, and a device to till the soil. One then connects the seed tank to the device for depositing seed and connects the liquid manure tank to the device that deposits it. One connects the pulling device to a fifth wheel and loads all farming devices on a supporting frame connected to the fifth wheel. Once the tanks are filled, one pulls the apparatus over the soil, performing several farming operations at one time.  
           [0016]    The above listing of aspects are merely illustrative and should not be deemed as all-inclusive. These, and other aspects and advantages of the present invention, will become apparent, as the same becomes better understood from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0017]    [0017]FIG. 1 is a side view of one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 2 is a side view of another embodiment of the present invention in which different chemical tanks are attached to the rear of the apparatus;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a hydraulic system;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an hydraulic system to be used to control the fifth wheel; and  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment having a tank, which may be attached on top of the cab.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0022]    Reference is now made to the drawings which illustrate the apparatus and method and wherein similar reference characters indicate the same parts throughout the several views. Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 4. A preferred embodiment of the invention is built around the following principal components:  
         [0023]    1) a tractor  2  having a plurality of wheels  76 ,  79  and a mechanism  81  that drives at least some of the wheels  76 ,  79  including:  
         [0024]    2) a fifth wheel  50  mounted along a longitudinal axis of the tractor  2 ;  
         [0025]    3) a sensing mechanism S 1  . . . SN that senses weight being applied through the fifth wheel  50  and a distribution of weight on the plurality of wheels  76 ,  79 ; and  
         [0026]    4) an adjustment mechanism  70 , AC that adjusts a position of the fifth wheel  50  along the longitudinal axis while the tractor  2  is moving, in response to the sensed weight, to generally equalize the distribution of the weight on the plurality of wheels  76 ,  79 .  
         [0027]    Other optional components that may be utilized in conjunction with the tractor  2  may include:  
         [0028]    5) devices for seeding  30 , fertilizing  20  and tilling  120  hooked together on one apparatus, with the device for seeding  30  mounted immediately behind the device for tilling (or tiller)  120 ;  
         [0029]    6) a device for fertilizing  20  may be used for spreading herbicides;  
         [0030]    7) devices for the individual functions may be interchanged with other like devices and combined without changing the basic concept of the invention as described in the claims; and  
         [0031]    8) a tiller  120  that is fed by a tube  180  that allows fertilizer to be spread while the soil is being tilled.  
         [0032]    Referring now to FIG. 1, a tractor  2 , including a cab  80 , is disclosed. The tractor  2  includes a front idler wheel  79  and a front drive wheel  76  encircled by a front belt  77  and a plurality of smaller wheels  75  form a front driver  81 . Any workable configuration or composition may be used for the front driver  81 ; a driver for the present invention is not limited to the embodiment shown. The tractor  2  that is preferably, but not necessarily, a substantially horizontal surface  85  for a fifth wheel system  86 . A preferred embodiment of the fifth wheel system  86  includes a fifth wheel  50 , a fifth wheel support  60  and an hydraulic adjusting device  70 . The fifth wheel  50  rides along a rail  110  as the apparatus moves through a field. The hydraulic adjusting device  70  and the rail  110  allows the fifth wheel  50  to change position to compensate for the change in weight distribution as seed and fertilizer are used. The operator would use a lever (not shown) in the cab  80  to move the fifth wheel  50  as the apparatus is moving. The fifth wheel  50  is attached to a hitch  140 , which is attached to a longitudinal support  230 .  
         [0033]    On the hitch  140  is a seed reservoir, or seed tank  90 , which stores seed (not shown). Seed flows from the seed tank  90 , through the large seed feeding tube  95  to the intermediate seed tank  100 . A combination of chemicals and seeds may be in the seed tank. Seed then travels through seeding tubes  35  to a seeder knife  30  before being deposited in the soil as the apparatus is moving.  
         [0034]    A reservoir for fertilizer, or fertilizer tank  10 , sits on the longitudinal support  230  to the rear of the apparatus along with the pumps  260 . A rear idler wheel  161  and a rear drive wheel  160  are encircled by a belt  150  along with various gears  170 , comprising a rear driver  145 . Any workable composition or configuration of the rear driver  145  may be used. In this preferred embodiment, the rear driver  145  may be steered. On top of the rear tracks or wheels  145  is a rear hitch system  300 , which includes a rear fifth wheel  302  and a rear fifth wheel support  304 . The rear fifth wheel  302  faces the opposite direction as the fifth wheel  50 . The rear fifth wheel  302  is fixed and does not slide. This rear hitch system  300  allows an operator to disengage the rear tracks or wheels  145  from the longitudinal support  230 . Disengaging the rear tracks or wheels  145  enables an operator to tow the apparatus from the rear.  
         [0035]    Fertilizer (not shown) flows from the fertilizer tank  10  to a fertilizer opener  20  through small fertilizer tubes  25 . (One may use a herbicide instead of fertilizer i 5  if desired; for brevity, fertilizer shall be used throughout this application.) The fertilizer may be liquid manure. Next to the fertilizer opener  20  is the seeder knife  30 . Thus, the fertilizer is being spread right before the seed is deposited. Pumps  260  pump the fertilizer from the fertilizer tank  10  through the fertilizer tube  180  to be spread while a tilling knife  130  tills the soil. The seeder knife  30  is mounted behind the tilling knife  130 .  
         [0036]    A firming wheel  40  is attached behind the seeder knife  30 . The firming wheel  40  rolls on the soil as the apparatus moves. Thus, as the apparatus moves, the tiller  120  tills the soil with a tilling knife  130 . The fertilizer opener  20  spreads fertilizer, and the seeder knife  30  drops seed at regular intervals into the tilled soil. The firming wheel  40  packs soil over the seed after the seed and fertilizer are deposited. As shown in FIG. 1 the apparatus introduces fertilizer and seeds into a common open row, but it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that separate rows may be used if desired.  
         [0037]    Referring now to FIG. 2, which is a second embodiment of the present invention. An alternative seed tank  92  is connected by an alternative seed tube  94  to the intermediate seed tank  100 . A third tank  102  may be connected to the fertilizer opener  20  or the fertilizer tube  180  connected to the tiller  120 . One tank may serve as the fertilizer tank  10 , and a third tank  102  may contain herbicide or any other chemical. Thus, seed and two chemicals may be tilled and compacted into the soil in one pass. The configuration of tanks on the longitudinal support  230  fails to change the basic operation of the present invention. Components with similar functions may be substituted for other components without changing the concept. All other components in this embodiment are as detailed for FIG. 1.  
         [0038]    [0038]FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a hydraulic system for the apparatus. The letter “P” represents a pump feeding into a priority system of pressure compensated flow control valves (V 1 , V 2  through VX). These valves feed motors (M 1 , M 2  through MX). The most important system to the farmer is fed through V 1 , and the least important is fed through VX. If pressure is lacking, the less important functions drop off, while the most important still operate. For example, one may decide that the motor driving the fifth wheel  50  is the most important. Therefore, V 1  would feed the fifth wheel  50  and other valves would feed other functions, such as seeding. This system is shown for clarity. While the system is described with reference to a hydraulic adjusting system, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other conventional mechanisms for relative movement would be effective, for example a system of electric motors and rack-and-pinion gears. Alternatively air motors or air pistons could also be used.  
         [0039]    [0039]FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a hydraulic system for the hydraulic adjusting device  70  for the fifth wheel  50  (FIGS. 1 and 2). This system has a pump P and a tank T. S 1  . . . SN are illustrative of multiple sensors on, for example, the fifth wheel (FIGS. 1 and 2) and the wheels  76  and  77 . Additional sensors may be located at other locations to provide weight information to the computer hereafter described such as at tank  10 . AC is an automatic control, which can control the fifth wheel in real time as hereafter described, and MO is the manual override, for example a lever. The manual override MO is outside the hydraulic circuit, and must be activated by an operator. A valve V controls flow to the hydraulic adjusting device  70 . This diagram is shown for clarity only, and any suitable hydraulic or electrical system may be used. The operator can tell by looking at the imprint left by the front tracks  81  that the weight is not being carried evenly by tracks  81  and  145  and can adjust the position of fifth wheel  50  accordingly. However, the apparatus can be instrumented to assist the operator in making this decision. For example, the fifth wheel  50  can be equipped with sensing devices such as transducers, strain gauges and the like, not shown, which can detect changes in the forces applied to the fifth wheel  50  by the attached hitch  140 . The detected information can be transmitted to the operator by suitable gauges, also not shown. This information can also be supplied to the on-board computer or microprocessor AC which can operate the hydraulic circuitry in real time (FIG. 4) in response to the information supplied by the sensing devices as known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 5,677,667 discloses a monitoring system, which may be used for weight shift detection.  
         [0040]    [0040]FIG. 5 shows how a container  270  with a container tube  280  and a support  290  may be stored on top of the cab  80 . For example, the container  270  is an auxiliary tank for chemicals or fertilizer. The weight in container  270  may require an operator to adjust the fifth wheel  50  while the tractor  2  is in motion, due to the change in weight distribution as the tractor  2  is in use.  
         [0041]    Also, the weight in container  270  may cause the front wheels or tracks  81  to dig into the soil under some conditions, causing the apparatus to dig into the soil, and/or unduly compacting the soil. Adjusting the fifth wheel  50 , in real-time, in response to sensed weight information enables the operator to counteract those forces.  
         [0042]    Operation of the Invention:  
         [0043]    To use the tractor  2  to perform a one-pass tilling, seeding and fertilizing operation, an operator fills up the appropriate tanks with chemicals and seed. For example tank  10  as shown in FIG. 1 may contain liquid manure. The seed, such as corn, would be placed in the seed tank  90 . When the apparatus has been fully loaded, the hydraulic system for the fifth wheel  50 , as shown in FIG. 4, is activated to move the fifth wheel horizontally along the longitudinal axis of the apparatus and evenly distribute the weight. Once this is done the operator drives the apparatus over the soil. While the operator is driving, the tilling apparatus  120  is tilling the soil, chemicals are being applied through the fertilizer opener  20 , seed is being deposited by the seeder knife  30 , and the seed is being covered by the firming wheel  40 . The tilling apparatus  120  is cutting the soil to enable manure to be incorporated into an open row in the soil. Liquid manure is being fed from the fertilizer tank  10  through the small fertilizer tubes  25  to the fertilizer opener  20  and through the fertilizer tube  180 , and seed is being fed from the seed tanks  90  through the seed feeding tube  95  to the seeder knife  30 . As the manure and seeds are being used, the weight distribution of the apparatus changes. As shown in FIG. 1, the portion of the apparatus carrying tank  10  and having rear tracks  145 , and other associated apparatus, will become progressively lighter, and less weight will be transferred to the front portion. The front portion has cab  80 , the front tracks  81 , and fifth wheel  50 . Removing this weight from fifth wheel  50  changes the weight distribution on front tracks  81  and may cause them to dig into the soil and create an unnecessary opportunity for erosion. The present invention changes the weight distribution of the total apparatus in response to weight loss during operation and while the apparatus is in motion. The weight distribution can also be adjusted manually when the operator pushes or pulls a lever in the cab, which moves the fifth wheel  50  to an appropriate location for the weight distribution while the apparatus is being driven. The rails  110  on the fifth wheel  50  allow the fifth wheel  50  to be moved along the longitudinal axis of the tractor  2  to a location to generally distribute the weight between the wheels  76  and  77 .  
         [0044]    While specific embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, this has been done by way of illustration and not as limitation. The invention should not be limited except as required by the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.