Extension for reducing seed bounce

An extension for use with a furrow opener is disclosed for properly placing seeds in a furrow. The extension attaches to the furrow opener to help direct bouncing seeds into the vertex in the bottom portion of the furrow. The extension comprises an elongated flexible body member defining a general arcuate shape, and also defines an upper segment and a lower segment. The upper segment defines an attachment structure for releasable engagement to the furrow opener. The lower segment depends downwardly and rearwardly from the furrow opener and extends into the furrow. The lower segment has a width dimension decreasing continuously along its length, the width dimension substantially equal to but less than the width of the furrow along the length of the extension. The extension does not contact the furrow. The lower segment terminates at a trailing end, which is spaced above the centrally located bottom portion of the furrow.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to agricultural seed planters and drills, and more 
particularly to seed planters and drills which include apparatus adapted 
to place seeds properly within a seed furrow. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Agricultural seed planting is typically accomplished by multi-row planters 
and drills. Each planter and drill comprise a plurality of row units 
adapted for opening a seed furrow, depositing seeds within the seed 
furrow, and closing the seed furrow around the seeds. Additionally, many 
other attachments, such as chemical applicators, may be added to the row 
units. 
The placement of a seed in a furrow greatly affects the growth 
characteristics of the plant. The seed drops from the planter into the 
furrow through a seed tube. The seed tube is designed and positioned on 
the planter to drop the seed into the bottom of the furrow. However, as 
the seeds pass through the seed tube, they are prone to bouncing, which 
affects the direction at which they leave the seed tube and fall into the 
furrow. Also, seeds often bounce off of the soil when dropped into the 
bottom of the seed furrow because of the speed with which they drop to the 
ground. 
When the seeds bounce either as they exit the seed tube or after they 
strike the ground, the seeds are likely to come to rest on a side of the 
seed furrow above the bottom, or even outside of the furrow. After the 
seed is placed in the furrow, the furrow is closed by furrow closers to 
cover the seeds with soil and form a seed bed. If the seeds are improperly 
placed in the furrow, the seeds are in turn likely to be covered by an 
inadequate layer of soil. The depth that seeds are placed in the soil 
affects many growth aspects of the resulting plant. 
Thus, improper seed placement in the furrow and the resulting affected soil 
coverage causes uneven plant emergence, poor stands, increased weed 
population, nonuniform maturity, longer insect life cycles, higher 
susceptibility to chemical damage, and ultimately lower yields. 
Attempts to reduce seed bounce include moving the planter at a slower 
velocity. The slower planter velocity decreases the velocity at which the 
seed strikes the soil, and also decreases the bouncing of the seed as it 
falls through the seed tube, both in turn reducing the amount of bounce to 
which the seed is subjected. Planting at a slower rate, however, increases 
the amount of time it takes to plant a given size field, thus affecting 
the farmer's efficiency and his ability to take advantage of proper 
planting conditions. 
Other attempts to reduce seed bounce have been developed, including U.S. 
Pat. No. 5,092,255, issued to Long et al. The Long patent discloses a 
strap that mounts to and extends beyond the end of the seed tube. The 
strap is flexible and has a flat transverse section, with a continuous 
width of approximately the width of a furrow. The strap extends into the 
furrow and is in contact with the soil at all times. During use, the strap 
bends rearwardly into an arcuate shape along its length as a result of 
being in contact with the soil. It appears that the strap is designed to 
contact the seed when the seed is resting in the soil, thereby potentially 
damaging the seed. The constant contact with the soil can also adversely 
affect the profile shape of the furrow. 
Other devices have been developed, such as the device disclosed in U.S. 
Pat. No. 5,425,318, issued to Keeton. The Keeton device is disclosed as 
reducing seed bounce and providing consistent seed depth and spacing. The 
Keeton device extends from the seed tube rearwardly and downwardly to 
contact the bottom of the furrow in order to press the seed into the soil. 
The Keeton device has varying flexibility along its length so that the 
device is flexible in the middle and rigid at the leading and trailing 
ends. The rigid trailing end presses the seed into the soil. The Keeton 
device subjects the seed to unnecessary and undesirable contact after the 
seed has come to rest in the trench, causing potentially detrimental 
impact on the seed, such as seed coat damage, or seed bruising. Damaging 
the seed in any way can kill the seed, and thus greatly affects the stand 
count. The Keeton device also trails far behind the opener disks and seed 
tube, and can interfere with the apparatus used to close the furrow. 
It is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art that the present 
invention was developed. 
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is the principal object of the present invention to provide a new 
extension for use with an agricultural seed planter or drill. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide an extension of the 
foregoing type which reduces seed bounce. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide an extension of the 
foregoing type which directs bouncing seeds into the bottom of a seed 
furrow. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide an extension of the 
foregoing type which guides the seeds to the bottom of the seed furrow 
without damaging the seed. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide an extension of the 
foregoing type which is effective in all soil types and which may be used 
with all known seed planter attachments. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide an extension of the 
foregoing type which is sturdy and durable but which may be quickly and 
easily added to existing seed planters or drills. 
Other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the 
following description and accompanying drawings. 
The present invention is embodied in an extension for use with a furrow 
opener for properly placing seeds in a furrow. A furrow opener creates a 
seed furrow, places seeds within the seed furrow, and utilizes a closing 
device for closing seed furrow to form a seed bed. The seed furrow has a 
centrally located bottom portion and upwardly and outwardly extending 
sidewalls defining a maximum width dimension, the sidewalls intersecting 
at a vertex in the bottom portion to define a minimum width dimension. 
The extension attaches to the furrow opener to help direct bouncing seeds 
into the vertex in the bottom portion of the furrow. The extension 
comprises an elongated flexible body member defining a general arcuate 
shape, and also defines an upper segment and a lower segment. The upper 
segment defines an attachment structure for releasable engagement to the 
furrow opener. The lower segment depends downwardly and rearwardly from 
the furrow opener and extends into the furrow. The lower segment has a 
width dimension decreasing continuously along its length, the width 
dimension substantially equal to but less than the width of the furrow 
along the length of the extension. The extension does not contact the 
furrow. The lower segment terminates at a trailing end, and is spaced 
above the centrally located bottom portion of the furrow. 
The lower segment of the extension has a downwardly facing concave lower 
surface which transforms along the length of the bottom segment to a 
downwardly facing planar lower surface at the trailing end. The lower 
segment can also define laterally extending and downwardly curving 
shoulder flanges. 
A more complete appreciation of the present invention and its scope can be 
obtained from understanding the accompanying drawings, which are briefly 
summarized below, the following detailed description of a presently 
preferred embodiment of the invention, and the appended claims.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
While the device of the instant invention can be used with a variety of 
planters and drills, it will be initially described in this instance as 
used with a double disk furrow opener style planter as described below. 
An agricultural planter 30, shown in FIG. 1, typically includes a number of 
planter row units 32 mounted on a main frame member 34. The planter 30 is 
pulled in a forward direction F by a tractor 36. Each row unit 32 forms a 
seed furrow 38 (see FIG. 2), deposits seeds 40 evenly along the seed 
furrow, and then closes the seed furrow to form a seed bed 42. The present 
invention is embodied in a seed placement extension 98, shown in FIGS. 
1-3, which reduces seed bounce as the seeds 40 exit the row unit 32, and 
helps position the seeds 40 optimally in the bottom portion 44 of the 
furrow 38 prior to closure of the furrow by the row unit 32. 
Each row unit 32, as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, comprises a seed hopper 46 for 
holding and dispensing seeds 40, a seed metering unit 48 positioned below 
the seed hopper 46 and which receives seeds from the seed hopper, and a 
seed tube 50 positioned below the seed metering unit 48 and which receives 
seeds 40 from the metering unit to place in the furrow 38. A furrow 
opening apparatus 52 is positioned generally beneath the seed hopper 46, 
and includes a residue divider 54 at the leading edge of the row unit 32, 
and a furrow opener 56 positioned more centrally under the hopper 46. The 
furrow opener 56 is partially encompassed by a pair of gage wheels 58, and 
a pair of furrow closer wheels 60 which trail behind the furrow opener 56 
and gage wheels 58. 
The seed furrow 38 is formed by the furrow opener 56 attached to each row 
unit 32. Although numerous types of openers are known in the art, a double 
disk furrow opener 62 is shown in FIGS. 2, 3, 10 and 11. The double disk 
opener 62 includes two circular disk blades 64 rotatably mounted on the 
row unit 32 to form a V-shape at the point of seed placement. The disk 
blades 64 have a diameter, and the peripheral edges 66 of each disk blade 
64 are adjacent to one another at the point where they form the V. The 
gage wheels 58 flank the disk blades 64 to support the row unit 32 and 
allow the disk blades 64 to mold a V-shaped seed furrow 38 at a 
predetermined depth within the soil. 
The furrow 38 formed by the furrow opener 56 is generally V-shaped, as 
shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, with a bottom portion 44 forming the vertex 
where the upwardly and outwardly extending sidewalls 68 intersect. Under 
ideal soil conditions, the furrow 38 maintains the V-shape until closed by 
the furrow closer wheels 60. In moist conditions, the soil along the 
sidewalls 68 is pulled loose, causing portions 70 of soil to lodge in the 
bottom portion 44 of the furrow 38 and along the sidewalls 68. Also, as 
the disk blades 64 wear out, they become smaller in diameter and the 
adjacent edges 66 of the disk blades 64 become spaced apart. As the disk 
blades 64 wear down, the increased spacing between the adjacent edges 66 
causes the furrow to gradually transform into a W-shape. 
The seed tube 50 extends downwardly from the metering unit 48, between the 
disk blades 64, and is positioned directly over the seed furrow 38 
adjacent to the rear 72 of the double disk blades 64, as shown in FIG. 2. 
The metering unit 48 regulates the distribution of seeds 40 from the seed 
hopper 46 to the seed tube 50. Thus, the seeds 40 are optimally evenly 
spaced along the seed furrow 38 as they fall from the seed tube 50. 
As shown in FIGS. 3, 4, 6 and 9, the seed tube 50 is attached to and 
extends downwardly from the meter unit 48. The seed tube 50 has an 
elongated hollow main body 74, with a generally rectangular 
cross-sectional structure defining a rearwardly facing surface 76, a 
forwardly facing surface 78, and opposing side facing surfaces 80. The 
seed tube 50 has a slight arcuate shape along its length in the rearward 
direction. An upper end 82 of the seed tube 50 is attached to the meter 
unit 48, while a downwardly depending lower and trailing end 84 of the 
seed tube 50 depends downwardly between the disk blades 64 so as to be 
positioned over the center of the furrow 38. The downwardly depending end 
84 defines an opening 86 through which the seeds 40 exit the seed tube 50 
and fall into the furrow 38. The lower end 84 of the seed tube 50 is swept 
rearwardly from the upper end 82 as a result of the slight arcuate shape. 
The forwardly facing surface 78 of the seed tube 50 is longer than the 
rearwardly facing 76 surface of the seed tube 50, such that the forwardly 
facing surface 78 forms a lower edge 90 of the opening 86, while the 
rearwardly facing surface 76 of the seed tube 50 defines the upper edge 92 
of the opening. 
A pair of protrusions 94 extend from the rearwardly facing surface 76 of 
the seed tube 50 at a position adjacent the lower end 84 of the seed tube 
50. The protrusions 94 are spaced longitudinally with respect to one 
another along the length of the seed tube 50. Each protrusion 94 can have 
an aperture 96 formed laterally therethrough. 
The seed tube 50 guides the seeds to the furrow 38, as seen in FIGS. 3, 4 
and 10. As the seeds 40 flow through the seed tube 50, they bounce around 
as a result of interaction with the walls of the seed tube 50 as well as 
the movement of the planter 30 over the ground. The rearward curve of the 
seed tube 50, as well as the orientation of the exit opening 86, are 
designed to compensate for the forward motion of the planter 30, and 
ideally the seeds 40 drop into the furrow 38 very gently. However, since 
the seeds 40 bounce as they move through the seed tube, they oftentimes 
drop out of the seed tube 50 at a less than optimal angle, or the seeds 40 
bounce outwardly from the end 84 of the seed tube 50 prior to hitting the 
ground, causing the seeds 40 to then bounce upwardly. 
The bouncing of the seeds 40 results in the seeds being disbursed 
throughout the furrow 38, not only along the bottom portion 44, but along 
the side walls 68 and often outside the seed furrow. The bouncing seeds 40 
result in the seeds being improperly positioned within the furrow 38. The 
improper placement of the seeds within the furrow 38 results in various 
growth related problems as described above. Moving the planter 30 at a 
slower velocity reduces the bouncing problem, but does not eliminate it. 
Moving the planter 30 at a higher velocity to increase the planting 
process exacerbates the bouncing problem. 
As best seen in FIGS. 6, 7 and 9, the extension 98 of the present invention 
mounts on the rearwardly facing surface 76 of the seed tube 50 near its 
depending lower end 84. The extension 98 extends downwardly and rearwardly 
from the seed tube 50 into the furrow 38, preferably not contacting the 
side walls 68 (FIG. 11). The extension 98 extends to the bottom portion 44 
of the furrow 38 and terminates at a position just above the vertex. The 
extension 98 substantially extends laterally across the width of the 
furrow 38 as it extends longitudinally down into the furrow. 
With the extension 98 of the present invention mounted on the depending 
lower end 84 of the seed tube 50, as the seeds 40 exit the opening of the 
seed tube 50 and bounce from the seed tube, the seeds 40 contact the 
extension 98 and deflect back into the furrow 38. If the seeds 40 bounce 
more than once within the furrow 38, they will again contact the extension 
98 further along its length and will again be deflected back into the 
furrow 38. As the seeds 40 come to rest in the bottom portion 44 of the 
furrow 98, the trailing end 100 of the extension 98 passes over the seeds 
40 without contacting the seeds 40. 
Referring to FIGS. 9, 13, 13A and 13B, a preferred embodiment of the 
extension 98 is shown, and has an elongated main body member 102 with a 
generally arcuate shape along its length, and is functionally divided into 
two segments along its length. The top segment 104 of the extension 98 is 
substantially rectangular in cross section, and defines a mounting 
structure 105 comprising two longitudinally spaced mounting apertures 106, 
as best seen in FIG. 9. The bottom segment 108 of the extension comprises 
laterally extended shoulder flanges 110 continuously narrowing to a 
minimum transverse dimension at the trailing end 100. In cross section, 
the bottom segment 108 of the extension 98 has a downwardly facing concave 
shape, and as the transverse dimension decreases to the trailing end 100, 
the cross section becomes substantially rectangular. 
In mounting the extension 98 to the seed tube 50, as best seen in FIGS. 6, 
9 and 12, the top segment 104 of the extension 98 is releasably attached 
to the seed tube 50. More particularly, the protrusions 94 on the seed 
tube 50 are positioned within the apertures 106 formed in the top segment 
104 of the extension 98. The engagement of the protrusions 94 in the 
mounting apertures 106 properly position the extension 98 on the seed tube 
50, and acts to inhibit any longitudinal or transverse movement of the 
extension 98 with respect to the seed tube 50. Two releasable fasteners 
112, such as plastic tie straps, are positioned around the extension 98 
and the seed tube 50, and are releasably fastened thereto to hold the 
extension 98 securely in position on the seed tube 50. 
The bottom segment 108 of the extension 98, when mounted on the seed tube 
50, substantially continues the rearward curvature of the seed tube 50 in 
a direction opposite the movement of the planter 30, and curves generally 
in an upward direction away from the ground. The trailing end 100 of the 
extension 98 angles toward the ground. 
As best seen in FIG. 3, the laterally opposing and downwardly extending 
shoulder flanges 110 are positioned with respect to the seed tube 50 such 
that the top edges 114 of the shoulder flanges 110 are positioned adjacent 
to and slightly rearwardly of the peripheral edges of the disk blades. The 
top edges of the shoulder flanges may contact the perimeter of both of the 
disk blades.64 The shoulder flanges 110 extend across the width of the top 
of the furrow 38, at the furrow's widest dimension. As the bottom segment 
108 of the extension 98 narrows toward its trailing end 100, the extension 
98 extends downwardly into the furrow 38 and continues to substantially 
cover the furrow 38 at any given depth, as shown in FIG. 11. Again, the 
trailing end 100 of the extension 98 terminates in a position a sufficient 
distance above the bottom portion 44 of the furrow 38 such that as the 
extension 98 moves along through the furrow 38, the trailing end 100 of 
the extension 98 will not contact any seeds 40 laying in the furrow, and 
thus minimizes any contact damage to the seeds. 
The bottom segment 108 of the extension 98 defines an upwardly convex top 
surface 116 and a downwardly concave lower surface 118, as shown in FIGS. 
8 and 10. The downwardly concave lower surface 118 acts to deflect the 
bouncing seeds 40 toward the center of the furrow 38. The seeds 40 are 
thus directed toward and land in the bottom portion 44 of the furrow 38. 
This helps place the seeds 40 in the optimal position within the furrow 
38, and helps reduce the number of seeds which come to rest on the side 
walls 68 or outside of the furrow 118. In short, the downwardly concave 
lower surface 118 of the bottom segment 108 of the extension 98 focuses 
the deflection of the seeds 40 toward the center and bottom portion 44 of 
the furrow 38, as shown in FIG. 10. 
The transverse dimension of the lower surface 118 of the bottom segment 108 
of the extension 98 becomes substantially planar adjacent to the trailing 
end 100 because the transverse dimension of the extension is substantially 
reduced, and a downwardly facing concave surface has less of an effect on 
the deflection of the seeds given the proximity of the trailing end to the 
bottom portion of the furrow. Also, very few seeds continue to bounce at 
that location on the extension. 
The extension is flexible along its entire length so that in the event the 
trailing end of the extension comes into contact with the soil, the 
trailing end of the extension will easily bend upwardly to minimize any 
damage to a seed 40 that may be contacted. Furthermore, while the 
extension 98 is designed to not contact the sidewalls 68 of the furrow 38 
during use, some incidental contact may occur. The flexibility of the 
extension 98 is beneficial during incidental contact with the soil because 
the extension bends to minimize any effect on the furrow. 
The extension 98 is preferably formed from a high density polymer to 
prevent the extension from becoming clogged with mud or moist soils in the 
event it incidentally contacts soil as it moves through the furrow 38. 
Aside from its self-cleaning tendencies, other advantages of the polymer 
extension include its immunity from rust as well as its resistance to 
herbicides, insecticides and fertilizers which may be applied during 
planting. Thus, the extension is effective in all soil types and may be 
used with all existing planter row unit 32 attachments. 
An alternative mounting structure 105' for use in attaching the extension 
98 to the rearwardly facing surface 76 of the seed tube 50, as shown in 
FIG. 5, includes an elongated slot 120 formed through the top segment 104 
of the extension 98, and a corresponding insert 122. The slot 120 is 
oriented longitudinally along the length of the top segment 104 of the 
extension. The insert 122 defines two longitudinally oriented apertures 
106 for receiving the protrusions 94 on the rearwardly facing surface 76 
of the seed tube 50. The insert 122 is positionable at a variety of 
positions within the slot 120. The variety of positions allows for the 
bottom segment 108 of the extension 98 to be moved upwardly with respect 
to the seed tube 50 to compensate for the reduction in size of the disk 
blades 64 as they wear down. By moving the bottom segment 108 of the 
extension 98 upwardly with respect to the seed tube as the disk blades 64 
decrease in size, the user can maintain the extension 98 in an optimal 
position in the furrow. 
As shown in FIGS. 14, 16, 17 and 18, the top segment 104 of the extension 
98 has a thickness dimension 124, including a top portion 126 and a bottom 
portion 128. The slot 120 formed through the top segment 104 of the 
extension defines two width dimensions. The slot 120 through the top 
portion 126 of the thickness dimension 124 defines laterally opposing, 
inwardly facing elongated sidewalls 130 spaced apart by a predetermined 
distance A. The slot 120 through the bottom portion 129 of the thickness 
dimension 124 defines laterally opposing, inwardly facing elongated 
sidewalls 132 spaced apart by a predetermined distance B, which is greater 
than the predetermined distance A. The opposing edges 130 of the slot 120 
through the top portion 126 have a saw tooth configuration, while the 
opposing edges 132 of the slot 120 through the bottom portion 128 are 
planar. A first engagement surface 134 is formed between the longitudinal 
sidewalls 130 of the slot 120 in the top portion 126 and the longitudinal 
sidewalls 132 of the slot 120 in the bottom portion 128. 
The insert 122 is elongated and has a thickness 136 divided into a top 
portion 138 and a bottom portion 140. The top portion 139 of the thickness 
136 of the insert 122 has laterally spaced outwardly facing side walls 142 
with a sawtooth configuration complimentary to the sawtooth configuration 
of the inwardly facing sidewalls 130 of the slot 120. The length of the 
insert 122 is sufficient to encompass the apertures 106 necessary for 
receiving the protrusions 94 from the rearwardly facing surface 76 of the 
seed tube. The bottom portion 140 of the insert 122 has a shape and 
dimension complimentary to the slot 120 formed in the bottom portion 128 
of the top segment 104 of the extension 98. A second engagement surface 
144 is formed at the transition between the top 138 and bottom 140 
portions of the thickness 136 of the insert 122. 
In operation, the insert 122 is received in the slot 120 of the extension 
98 such that the sawtooth shaped outwardly facing side walls 142 of the 
insert 122 mesh with the sawtooth shaped inwardly facing side walls 130 of 
the slot 120 and longitudinally position the insert 122 in the slot 120. 
The bottom portion 140 of the insert 122 is received within the slot 120 
in the bottom portion 128 of the top segment 104 of the extension 98. The 
first 134 and second 144 engagement surfaces mate to prevent the insert 
122 from passing through the top segment 104 of the extension 98. 
Releasable fasteners 112, such as plastic tie straps are then utilized in 
the manner described above to attach the extension 98 to the rearwardly 
facing surface 76 of the seed tube 50. 
If desired, grooves 146 can be formed in the edges of the top segment of 
the extension to receive the tie straps to help longitudinally position 
the extension 98 upon the seed tube 50. 
In order to improve the flexibility of the trailing end 100 of the 
extension 98, as indentation 148 can be formed on the top surface 116 of 
the extension 98 at a position centrally located in the bottom segment 
108, preferably rearwardly from the lower edges 150 of the shoulder 
flanges 110, as shown in FIGS. 13A and B. The indentation 148 forms a 
living hinge in the bottom segment of the extension 98 which allows the 
trailing end 100 to bend upwardly more easily if the extension 
incidentally contacts the soil or seeds 40. 
An alternative embodiment of the extension 98 can be seen in FIGS. 15 and 
19 through 24. This alternative embodiment 98' has a top segment 104' 
identical to the first embodiment of the extension 98, and a modified 
bottom segment 108'. The bottom segment 108' of the second embodiment 
comprises the outwardly and downwardly extending shoulder flanges 110' 
forming an upper convex surface 116' and a lower concave surface 118'. The 
bottom segment 108' of the extension 98' terminates at a line transverse 
to the extension adjacent to the lower edge 150' of the shoulder flanges 
110'. 
The second embodiment of the extension 98' is mounted to the seed tube 50 
in the same manner as the first embodiment, and is positioned with respect 
to the disk blades in the same manner also. The bottom segment 108' does 
not extend through the furrow 38 to the bottom portion 44, but instead 
extends approximately only halfway down the side walls 68 of the furrow 
38, as shown in FIGS. 23 and 24. 
The portion of the extension 98' extending into the furrow 38 substantially 
covers the width of the furrow 38 along the length of the extension since 
the extension 98' narrows to the trailing end 100'. The second embodiment 
of the extension 98' exhibits the same deflection characteristics as the 
first embodiment. This second embodiment of the extension 98', however, 
decreases the likelihood of any contact between the extension 98' and the 
seeds 40 once the seeds have come to rest in the furrow 38, while 
maintaining a desirable level of deflection to position the bouncing seeds 
toward the center and bottom portion 44 of the furrow 38. 
A bracket 152 for holding a fertilizer tube 154 can be seen in FIGS. 25, 
26, and 27. It is sometimes desired to place liquid starter fertilizer on 
the seeds 40 after they come to rest in the furrow 38, prior to the furrow 
being closed. The provision of a liquid fertilizer reservoir on the 
planter 30, and a fertilizer tube 154 extending from the reservoir to the 
furrow 38 is known. 
The fertilizer tube 154 is attached to the bracket 152 on the extension 98 
so that the end 156 of the tube 154 extends past the terminal end 100 of 
the extension 98. This positioning allows the application of fertilizer to 
the seeds 40 without the fertilizer building up on the extension 98 and 
making the soil around the extension 98 muddy. The bracket 152 has a flat, 
L-shaped main body member 158 defining a long leg 160 and a short leg 162 
integrally formed together at substantially right angles. The long leg 160 
defines a plurality of attachment apertures which correspond with bracket 
mounting apertures formed in the top segment 104 of the extension 98, 
which are positioned below the mounting apertures 106 on the extension 98. 
The bracket 152 is attached to the extension 98 by fasteners 168, such as 
rivets, placed through the attachment apertures 164 on the bracket 152 and 
the bracket mounting apertures on the extension 98. 
The short leg 162 defines an aperture 170 therethrough for receiving the 
fertilizer tube 154, and assists in positioning the fertilizer tube 154 as 
described above. 
The extension of the present invention has been described to this point as 
being attached to the seed tube extending downwardly and rearwardly from 
the row units 32 of planters 30. The extension 98 can also be used on 
drills 172, which are similar to planters 30 in that they open a furrow 
38, place seeds 40 in the furrow, and close the furrow. A schematic 
representation of a drill can best be seen in FIGS. 28, 29 and 30. A drill 
172 includes a furrow opener 56', shown as double disk openers 62' as 
described above, a hopper (not shown) positioned above the openers 62', 
and a chute 174 extending from the hopper down into the space between the 
disk blades 64'. The drill 172 utilizes a closer wheel (not shown) pulled 
behind the drill to push soil into the furrow 38 to cover the seeds 40. 
The major differences between drills 172 and planters 30 is that the 
drills form more closely spaced furrows than do planters, and as such they 
plant more seeds per unit area. They also do not have seed tubes 50 but 
instead have chutes 174. A scraper mechanism 176 is typically mounted on 
the drill 172 to rest against the inner sides of the disk blades 64' to 
scrape off accumulated mud. 
The seeds 40 fall from the hopper in to the chute 174, and are then dropped 
from the chute substantially straight down between the disk blades 64' 
into the furrow 38. The inner sides 178 of the disk blades 64' funnel the 
seeds 40 into the furrow 38. Since the seeds 40 fall a relatively great 
distance, they are likely to bounce once they contact the furrow 38. The 
extension 98" can be attached to the scraper 176 by an L-shaped bracket 
180, which defines an aperture 184 for receiving a releasable fastener, 
such as screw 186, as shown in FIGS. 28 and 29. The extension operates as 
described earlier to inhibit seed bounce. The top segment 104" of the 
extension 98" defines an aperture 182 for use in attaching the extension 
to the L-shaped bracket. The top segment 104" of the extension 98" is bent 
at a more severe angle, and thus does not have a continuous arcuate shape, 
relative to the bottom segment 108" of the extension 98" since the 
L-shaped bracket extends more severely downwardly as compared to the seed 
tube on the planter. 
The slot 120' and insert 122 can be formed on the extension 98" in order to 
allow adjustment of the bottom segment 108" in the furrow. 
In another embodiment of the attachment structure 105', the slot 120' in 
the top segment 104' of the extension 98"' has straight, planar 
longitudinal edges 130', and the corresponding mating longitudinal edges 
142' of the insert 122' are also straight and planar, as seen in FIG. 31. 
The insert 122' defines a threaded aperture 182' for receiving a threaded 
fastener 151. The threaded fastener 151 defines a head 153 having a wide 
annular flange 155, the wide flange having a plurality of serrations 157 
on its lower surface 159. The fastener 152 preferably has an acme thread, 
and the aperture 182' is preferably pre-threaded with a complimenting acme 
thread pattern. The insert 122' is held in place on the top segment 104' 
of the extension by placing the insert 122' in mated engagement with the 
slot 120', as generally described above, inserting the threaded fastener 
151 into the aperture 182' and tightening the threaded fastener 151 down 
sufficiently so that the bottom surface 159 of the flange 155 engages the 
top surface 161 of the upper segment 104' and draws the insert 122 tightly 
into the slot 120. The flange 155 extends across the width of the insert 
122' and overlaps onto the top surface 161 of the top segment 104' (FIG. 
32) to hold the insert 122' in a fixed relationship to the top segment 
104'. The serrations 157 on the bottom surface 159 of the annular flange 
155 grip the material of the extension 98"' to minimize the chance of the 
threaded fastener 151 loosening by unthreading. 
To adjust the amount the extension 98"' extends beyond the seed tube 50, 
the fastener 151 is unscrewed from the aperture 182', by for instance a 
screw driver (not shown), a sufficient amount to disengage the bottom 
surface 159 of the flange 155 from the top surface 161 of the top segment 
104' extension 98"'. The insert 122' can then be slid along the slot 120' 
to the desired position, at which time the fastener 151 is tightened into 
the aperture 182' to re-engage the bottom surface 159 of the flange 155 
with the top surface 161 of the top segment 104'. 
Alternatively in this embodiment of the mounting structure 105', as shown 
in FIG. 33, the fastener 151' can be received into the aperture 182" 
through the bottom of the insert 122', with a top portion 163 of the 
fastener 151' extending past the top surface 161 of the top segment 104'. 
The aperture 182" is preferably slightly undersized for the fastener 151', 
allowing the fastener 151' to tap its own thread. A nut 165, defining an 
annular flange 167 having a serrated lower surface 169, the flange 167 
extending across the insert 122' and overlapping the top surface 161 of 
the top segment 104', is positioned on the fastener 151 and tightened 
thereto. The lower surface 169 is brought into engagement with the top 
surface 161 of the top segment 104' to fixedly position the insert to the 
extension 98"". 
The insert 122' can be repositioned in the slot 120' by loosening the nut 
165, for instance with a wrench (not shown), to disengage the bottom 
surface 169 of the flange 167 from the top surface 161, sliding the insert 
122' within the slot 120', and tightening the nut 165 back down. The head 
171 of the fastener 151' is designed to fit flush with the bottom surface 
173 of the insert 122' so as to not interfere with the attachment of the 
extension 98"" to the seed tube 50. 
Presently preferred embodiments of the present invention and many of its 
improvements have been described with a degree of particularity. This 
description has been made by way of preferred example and is based on a 
present understanding of knowledge available regarding the invention. It 
should be understood, however, that the scope of the present invention is 
defined by following claims, and not necessarily by the detailed 
description of the preferred embodiment.