Abstract:
An agricultural implement with an elongated bar having a front side nearer in use to a drive vehicle and a rear side. A first plurality of row units are laterally spaced apart along the bar and extend rearwardly thereof connected through parallel linkage to the front side of the elongated bar. A second plurality of row units are laterally spaced apart along the bar and extend rearwardly thereof interleaved with the first plurality of row units and connected through parallel linkage to the rear side of the bar. Parallel linkage for both the first and second plurality of row units is directly mounted to and extends rearwardly of and below the bar to position all row units to the rear of the bar, allowing both field crops or row crops to be planted.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to agricultural planters, and more particularly, it relates to a row crop planter which is capable of planting crops at a relatively wide row spacing, yet which is easily convertible without adding or removing any structure to plant a crop at a row spacing approximately one-half of the wide spacing. Such a planter enables a farmer, for example, to plant corn at 30″ row spacing and thereafter plant soy beans at 15″ spacing, without physically removing, attaching or relocating individual row units. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   It is fairly common practice for farmers having larger farms to plant more than one crop. In the Midwest, a farmer may plant both corn and soy beans and in western states, a farmer may plant corn and wheat. Typically, corn being the larger crop, is planted in a row spacing of about 30″, using presently available hybrid corn. Soybeans may be planted at smaller spacings such as 15″ spacing, depending on the preferences and equipment of the farmer. 
   Since the planting season typically may include only a relatively few days of good planting weather, it has become highly desirable to minimize the amount of time necessary to convert a planter from one crop to another. One solution to the above-mentioned problem is to provide a tandem planter, that is, two identical planters, one pulled behind the other with the row units of the two planters being offset so that the row units of the rear planter are located to form furrows midway between the furrows formed on the forward planter. However, tandem planters are expensive and have a considerable length such that they become unwieldily in making critical field maneuvers and in transport. 
   Another attempt to provide interplant row units is to mount the interplant units on the same mounting bar as the regular units so that the mounting units are side by side across the planter frame. This is possible and enables the achievement of 15″ rows because commercial row units of a desirable type having double disc furrow openers and adjacent gauge wheels are available and they have a nominal width of about 15″, leaving 15″ between adjacent row units modeled to plant row spaced at 30″. There are, however, difficulties with such arrangements. It has been found in practice that when row units are mounted on a common bar in side-by-side relation, the adjacent gauge wheels of adjacent units are very close to one another and provide a natural trap for unbroken clods of soil or trash such as corn stalks or remaining unburied crop. This problem has become exacerbated with modern conservation planting techniques which leave more and more trash on the surface of the soil. Moreover, side-by-side positioning of row units unduly restricts access for farmers to replenish seed or other material in the hoppers or bins for the row units or to repair same, when required. 
   Some attempts at solving the above-identified problem have been to mount some individual row units in front of one or more transverse bars so that these units are pushed or driven rather than pulled. While this arrangement permits easy access to the hoppers for replenishing the commodity in the hopper, it also requires pushing at least half of the units which is less satisfactory than pulling all of the units. Moreover, using both push and pull row units may require separate hydraulic mechanism for lifting and lowering the units and for placing the support wheels or drive wheels of the agricultural implement so as not to interfere with the operation of the row units. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide an agricultural device in which row units are in two groups, one of which can be used for wide row crops such as corn when used together can plant narrow row crops such as soy beans or wheat. 
   Another object of the present invention is to provide an agricultural implement of the type set forth in which all row units are pulled rather than some of the units being pushed and some of the units being pulled. 
   Still another object of the present invention is to provide an agricultural implement of the type set forth in which parallel linkage structure connecting the row units to the frame extend underneath or are positioned below the frame, with the support or drive wheels to forward of the frame member to which the row units are connected. 
   A final object of the present invention is to provide an agricultural device of the type set forth in which alternate row units are staggered rearwardly so as to provide easy access to the units for the farmer and to prevent trash build-up between adjacent gauge wheels. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention consists of certain novel features and a combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the details may be made without departing from the spirit, or sacrificing any of the advantages of the present invention. 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a series of row units mounted to a tool bar extending laterally with respect to the drive vehicle; 
       FIG. 2  is an enlarged side elevational view of row unit mounted to the front of the draft tube. 
       FIG. 3  is a view like  FIG. 2  showing a row unit mounted to the rear of the draft tube and further showing the support or drive wheels in the working or field position; 
       FIG. 4  is a view like  FIG. 3  showing the support or drive wheels in the elevated or transport position; 
       FIG. 5  is an elevational view showing the mounting structure for row units; 
       FIG. 6  is a front view of the tool bar and associated linkage shown in  FIG. 5 ; and 
       FIG. 7  is a top view of the tool bar and mechanism shown in FIGS.  5  and  6 . 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Referring now to  FIGS. 1-4 , there is disclosed a planter  10  connected to a drive vehicle (not shown) which would be situated to the left as the planter is viewed in  FIGS. 1-4 . As seen in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , a frame member  12  extends between a draft tube  15  and the drive vehicle. The frame  12  may take the form of a generally rectangular frame member in which two struts  12  form a triangle with the apex of the triangle meeting at the connection point of the frame to the drive vehicle or tractor with the third member being positioned underneath it. This connection to the tractor is well known in the art and may take a variety of forms but is represented by the frame member  12 . The draft tube  15  extends in use laterally to the direction of travel of the agricultural implement  10  and is in the form of a hollow tube having a front side  16 , a rear side  17 , and top and bottom  18  and  19 , respectively. When the front of an apparatus is referred to herein, it is meant the portion of the apparatus toward the drive vehicle or tractor. 
   Row units  25 A and  25 B and thus seen in  FIGS. 1-3  are laterally spaced apart along the draft tube  15 , the row units  25 A being generally placed for wide spaced crops such as corn, for instance at 30″ center to center, while the row units  25 B are likewise arranged and positioned intermediate row units  25 A. Therefore, when all row units  25 A and B are being simultaneously used, the crops will be planted at 15″ spacing, whereas when only alternate row units are used, then the crop will be planted at 30″. 
   Referring now to  FIGS. 1-3 , the row units  25 A and B are identical in structure, the only difference being in the frame structure mounting the row units to the draft tube  15 . Each row units  25 A and B has cradle structure  26  including opposed side panels  27  and end panels  28 . Further, each row unit  25  includes a hopper  30  and a lid  31 . The designation A and B is used to indicate alternate row units with row units  25 A being indicated as row unit  1  for purposes of illustration, whereas unit  2  is indicated as  25 B. It being seen from the drawings that the B units are spaced rearwardly of the A units in use, the extent to which may be adjusted, as will be described. 
   Further, each of the row units  25 A and B include a shank  35  extending downwardly and generally parallel to the draft tube  15  and supports the cradle  26 . A rearwardly extending shank  36  extends from the shank  35  to provide frame work on which are mounted spaced apart gauge wheels  40 , openers  41  with associated scrapers  42  and closers  45  mounted on frame member  47  by means of a pivot shaft  46 . The gauge wheels  40 , openers  41 , and closers  45  are all standard farm implements and well known in the art. 
   Standard parallel linkage  50  connects the row units  25 A and B to the draft tube  15  and includes upper and lower linkages  51  and  52  respectively with apertures  53  being in the upper links  51  and apertures  54  in the lower links  52 . Linkage  50  is noted with a capital A or capital B depending on which row unit  25 A or  25  B the linkage  50  serves to connect to the draft tube  15 . As seen, the row units  25 A are mounted to the front side  16  of the draft tube  15  while row units  25 B are mounted to the rear side  17  of the draft tube  15 . 
   Referring particularly to  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  5 - 7 , the linkage  50  and mounting mechanism for the row units  25 A are illustrated. The linkage  50 A connects the row unit  25 A to a vertically extending angle iron  60 A. The angle iron  60 A has flanges  61 A and  62 A perpendicular to each other with flange  62 A extending from just above the top of the draft tube  15  to well below it and mounted to the front side  16 . Another angle iron  65 A is positioned with perpendicular flanges  66 A and  67 A to the rear of the angle iron  60 A and more particularly the sides  62 A and  66 A are connected by suitable bolts  76  as seen in FIG.  7 . The links  50 A including the upper links  51 A and lower link  52 A are connected to the angle irons  65 A by suitable bolts  79  and to the row units  25 A at the cradle side  27  by bolt  81  and to the shank  35  by bolt  81 . As may be seen from the drawings, particularly  FIGS. 5 ,  6  and  7 , the parallel linkages  50 A and the angle irons to which they are connected, are mounted to the front side  16  of the draft tube  15  by means of spaced apart bolts  75  secured by appropriate fasteners  76 . Therefore, although the row units  25 A extend rearwardly of the draft tube  15 , the row units  25 A are mounted to the front side  16  of the draft tube. 
   Referring specifically now to the aforementioned drawings and  FIG. 3 , it is seen that row units  25 B are also connected to the draft tube  15  and extend rearwardly but the row units  25 B are connected to the rear surface or side  17  of the draft tube  15 . Angle irons  60 B are provided and are similar or identical to the angle irons  60 A having flanges  61  B and  62 B. For each row unit  25 B, there is extra hardware provided in the form of an angle iron  65 B which corresponds to the previously described angle iron  65 A and is spaced from the angle iron  60 B by a third angle iron  65 C. Angle iron  65 C is connected to angle iron  65 B by a series of bolts  72  while the angle iron  67 B is connected to the associated linkage  50 B by means of bolts  79 . A strengthening member  69 B connects angle irons  60 B and  65 C. 
     FIGS. 3 and 4  particularly show the support wheel assemblies  85  which are connected by means of a support member  86  extending downwardly from the draft tube  15 , the support member  86  having a top portion  87 , from which hangs a hydraulic cylinder  90 . Hydraulic cylinder  90  is mounted to support member  86  by means of a upper pivot pin  91 , the hydraulic cylinder  90  having a piston  92  connected to a pivot  93  on a linkage  95  connected to the support or drive wheel  100  as at stub shaft or axle  101 .  FIG. 3  illustrates the support or drive wheels  100  in the working or field position in which the gauge wheels  40  and associated openers  41  and closers  45  are also in contact with the ground as seed or other material are introduced into the field. By extending the piston  92  of the hydraulic cylinder  90  with standard hydraulic mechanisms connected to the tractor (not shown), the frame  12  along with the associated mechanism including all of the row units  25 A and  25 B are elevated off the ground either at the end of a row when the planter  10  must be turned or when the planter  10  is being hauled along the road. 
   Several aspects of the present invention are of considerable importance, the first being that all of the row units  25 A and  25 B are positioned to the rear of the draft tube  15 . As seen in the drawings, the row units  25 A are rearwardly staggered with respect to the row units  25 B. Row units  25 B extend further rearwardly than the row units  25 A, thereby facilitating maintenance, access to the hoppers  30  and preventing trash build-up between the adjacent row units and particularly the gauge wheels  40  thereof. The extent to which row units  25 A and B are staggered may be varied depending on the structure of the angle irons  60 B,  65 B and  65 C. As before stated in the Background of the Invention, no till farming has increased the amount of trash present in many fields and staggering the row units  25 A and  25 B alleviates a serious trash problem. An additional feature of the present is the location of the support or drive wheels  100  forward of the draft tube  15  thereby providing substantial room to the rear of the draft tube for the row units  25 A and B. Although discussed hereinbefore that the row units  25  may be placed on 30″ centers, it is clear that a variety of spacings may be useful in the present invention. 
   Another important aspect of the present invention is that in the field or working position as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the bottom of the draft tube  15  is preferably no less than 31″ above the ground as compared to the usual frame height of about 21″. The additional vertical room obtained by raising the frame members an extra 10″ above the ground permits the row units  25 A and B to be located rearward of the draft tube  15  and all the linkage  50  therefore positioned below the draft tube. The wheels  100  have to be forward of the draft tube  15  as in the present construction, there is no room for them to the rear of the draft tube as is common practice. Movement of the support wheel assemblies  85  including the associated mechanism forward of the draft tube  15  also moves the center of gravity of the unit forward using pivot  94  as a fulcrum when the unit is elevated to the transport position as shown in FIG.  4 . By elevating the frame, the linkage  50 , at least for the row units  25 A, can pass underneath the draft tube  15  still permitting the planter  10  to move up and down through the field as required. The linkage  50  for the row units  25 B are also positioned below the draft tube  15  but do not extend beneath the draft tube. 
   While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes, modifications and improvements may be made, for example in the processing of the materials or in the electrode and/or cell design without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention.