GAUGE WHEEL COVER CROP CRIMPER

A planter implement (12) includes one or more row units (10) equipped with a furrowing assembly (22), a seed/fertilizer assembly (24), and a furrow-closing assembly (26). The unit (10) is equipped with a pair of right- and left-hand crimper wheels (30) respectively mounted on opposite sides of the furrowing assembly (22). Each crimper wheel (30) has a pair of support rims (52, 54) with a series of elongated bar elements (56) extending between and secured to the rims (52, 54). The bar elements (56) extend beyond the outer periphery of the rims (52, 54) in order to crimp surface crops as the row units (10) pass over a field; the bar elements (56) are oriented to direct material outwardly from each wheel (30) in order to prevent clogging thereof. The crimper wheels (30) are adjustably mounted on the row units (10) and serve as gauge wheels for the units (10).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention is concerned with improved earth-engaging agricultural implements equipped with a pair of laterally spaced apart, rotatable crimper wheels operable to crimp surface crops as the implement traverses a field. More particularly, the invention is concerned with such implements, the crimper wheels themselves, and corresponding methods; the crimper wheels preferably comprise substantially circular rims with a plurality of elongated, circumferentially spaced apart bar elements secured to said rims and extending outwardly beyond the outer margins of the rims. The crimper wheels also serve as gauge wheels for the implement.

Description of the Prior Art

Many large-scale farming operations rely heavily on tillage for weed control. Tillage breaks up the soil to kill weeds and prepare for planting. However, intense tillage can compact the soil, cause erosion, and deplete soil nutrients; moreover, tillage is fuel- and labor-intensive. Consequently, some farmers are turning to cover crops in lieu of tillage for weed control. Cover crops, e.g., winter cereal rye or hairy vetch-triticale, are planted in the fall following cash crop harvesting; alternately, naturally occurring weeds and the like can serve as cover crops. The following Spring, the farmers make use of a roller crimper which mows the cover crop down and cuts or abrades the cover crop stems, terminating the growth thereof. This forms a matting or mulch of the cover crop, leaving a high amount of biomass on the soil surface. This matting blocks sunlight from reaching the soil surface, which inhibits weed establishment, and also provides a source of soil nutrients. Cash crop seeds can then be planted directly through the matting, which then grow up through the cover crop residue.

Conventional crimpers are generally in the form of large, elongated rollers having a series of outwardly extending, curved or chevron-pattern blades around the periphery thereof. Typically, the roller may be water-filled to increase its weight. In the use of such crimpers, it is usually necessary for a grower to make successive trips through a field, to first crimp the surface crop, and thereafter to plant seed. This is a time- and energy-intensive process.

Generally, large agricultural seed planters make use of rotatable coulters or trash wheels which initially open or otherwise condition the soil, along with a follower in the form of a dual-disk opener which serves to open a narrow furrow in the soil. A seed delivery assembly then deposits seed into the opened furrow. A follower closing wheel mechanism then closes the now-seeded furrow. In addition, these planters conventionally make use of gauge wheels in order to ensure that the depth of the furrow remains essentially constant as the implement passes through a field. Such gauge wheels may be in the form of resilient rubber-like tires, which are mounted adjacent or in spaced relationship to the disk opener.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the invention, agricultural implements are provided, which comprise a soil-engaging device, such as a furrow opener, with a pair of rotatable, right- and left-hand crimper wheels respectively mounted on opposite sides of the device and operable to crimp surface crops astride the device as the implement traverses a field. Implements in accordance with the invention may include planters, fertilizers, drills, scarifiers, tillers, and any other type of soil-conditioning equipment. One class of preferred implements are seed planters, each including a furrow opener, mechanism for depositing seed in the open furrow, and a closing wheel assembly designed to close the seeded furrow. The crimper wheels in such planters serve the dual purpose of crimping surface crops while also functioning as gauge wheels. Moreover, these planters allow a grower to simultaneously crimp surface crops while seeding, thereby eliminating separate crimping and seeding operations.

The rotatable crimper wheels per se are also novel and comprise a pair of substantially circular, laterally spaced apart rims presenting outer margins, with a plurality of elongated, circumferentially spaced apart bar elements extending between and operatively secured to the rims, the bar elements extending radially outwardly beyond the outer margins of the rims; further, the bar elements are oriented to move cover crop, field trash, and earth outwardly to prevent clogging of the crimper wheels. Structure is further provided to rotatably mount the crimper wheels in an operative relationship on opposite sides of the implement. In preferred practice, the crimper wheels are designed so that the rims thereof lie in respective planes, with the bar elements mounted at a non-orthogonal angle relative to the planes; the bar elements are also longitudinally twisted along the lengths thereof. In this way, the crimper wheels provide a limited amount of up-and-down “bouncing” over the cover crop, in order to properly crimp the cover crop. This is to be contrasted with perpendicularly oriented bars which could create excessive “bouncing” which may affect seed depth.

In a related aspect of the invention, soil-treating methods are provided, comprising the steps of using an implement to engage the soil, and, during such soil-engaging step, using a pair of spaced-apart, rotatable crimper wheels of the type described above, mounted on the implement to crimp cover crop on opposite sides of the implement during passage through a field. In the context of planters, a furrow is first created, seed is deposited therein, followed by closing of the furrow. The crimper wheels serve to both crimp cover crop and as gauge wheels to substantially maintain furrow depth.

While the drawings do not necessarily provide exact dimensions or tolerances for the illustrated components or structures,FIGS. 1-8are to scale with respect to the relationships between the components of the structures illustrated therein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Turning now to the drawings, and particularlyFIG. 1, a row unit10forming a part of a planter implement12is illustrated inFIG. 1. Generally, a plurality of such row units would be used in an overall planter, in order to plant successive rows of seed in a field. Broadly, the row unit10includes a fore-and-aft extending unit body14which supports the various assemblies of the unit and is attached to a tool bar16by means of U-bolts18or similar expedients. In more detail, the unit body14is equipped with a forward coulter assembly20, an intermediate furrowing assembly22, a seed fertilizer assembly24, a rearmost furrow-closing assembly26, and a parallel arm assembly28. The assembly22includes a pair of specialized crimper wheels30on opposite sides thereof, which are important for purposes to be explained.

The coulter assembly20is itself conventional and includes a forwardly extending arm32, which rotatably supports an earth-penetrating coulter blade34serving to initially open the soil as the row unit10traverses a field. In alternate forms, the arm32can support one or more trash-clearing disks (not shown) in lieu of blade34. As used herein, “coulter” is generic to all types of forward soil-opening or conditioning devices.

The furrowing assembly22includes a pair of inclined, converging, rotatable disks36, which lie in individual, converging planes so as to present a generally V-shaped base38. The purpose of the disks36is to open a furrow40(seeFIG. 9) in the earth during travel of the row unit10. A guard41is provided adjacent the forward margins of the disks36to minimize buildup of vegetation or trash between the disks. The seed/fertilizer assembly24is operatively coupled with the furrowing assembly22in order to deliver seed and/or fertilizer into the furrow40. In particular, the assembly24includes a support shelf42supporting one or more fillable bins44. As best illustrated inFIG. 2, the unit body14presents an open-top delivery throat46extending downwardly and communicating with a delivery tube48, which lies between the disks36. The bottom outlets of the bins44are in operative communication with the throat46via a chute50(FIG. 1) so as to deliver seed and/or fertilizer into the furrow40via tube48.

The operating depth of the disks36can be adjusted by means of a conventional mechanism51having predetermined adjustment openings51a. As is well understood in the art, the disks36can thus be up-or-down adjusted so as to create furrows40of greater or lesser depth as desired.

As mentioned previously, the assembly22is equipped with a pair of side-mounted crimper wheels30, which are rotatably mounted on opposite sides of the disks36. The crimper wheels are handed, i.e., right-hand and left-hand wheels are respectively mounted on corresponding sides of the assembly22. As best illustrated inFIGS. 5-8, each crimper wheel30includes a pair of substantially annular, laterally spaced apart support rims52and54with a series of elongated, circumferentially spaced apart bar elements56extending between and secured to the rims52,54; a synthetic resin wear rim55is secured to the outer face of support rim54, as best seen inFIGS. 6-8. As illustrated, the bar elements56are longitudinally twisted along the lengths thereof and are at non-orthogonal angles relative to the planes of the rims52,54. Moreover, it will be seen that the bar elements56extend outwardly beyond the outer peripheries of the rims52,54, and are oppositely angularly oriented in the right-hand and left-hand wheels. An intermediate reinforcing plate58is provided between the rims52,54and is likewise secured to the bar elements56. The plate58is equipped with a central hub60so as to permit rotatable mounting of the crimper wheels30to the row unit10.

Each crimper wheel30is mounted on a side of the unit body14by means of an adjustable mounting arm62; normally, the arms62support conventional gauge rollers or tires, but are used in the context of the present invention to support the wheels30. One end of the arm62has a bearing64received within the hub60of the associated crimper wheel30, whereas the other end has a socket66which is secured to a corresponding mounting stud68. In this way, the height of the respective crimper wheel30may be adjusted, thereby allowing the wheels to function as gauge wheels, as will be explained.

The furrow-closing assembly26is also conventional and includes a pair of V-oriented closing disks70. These disks70are supported on a trailing leg72secured to unit body14and are adjustable by means of a lever74.

Similarly, the parallel arm assembly28is well known, and includes an upright75and a pair of side-by-side spring units76serving to maintain the row unit in a level condition as it traverses a field.

Operation

The general operation of row unit10can readily be understood from the foregoing description. As the row unit traverses a field, the earth is first penetrated or conditioned by means of coulter34of assembly20, followed by opening of the furrow40by the disks36of assembly22. As the furrow40is opened, seed and/or fertilizer is deposited in the furrow40through the delivery tube48. Finally, the furrow-closing assembly26serves to close the now-seeded and/or fertilized furrow40. During this operation, the crimper wheels30come into play in order to crimp surface crop on either side of the disks36, by virtue of the protrusion of each of the bar elements56outwardly beyond the margins of the rims52,54. Additionally, the handed orientation of the bar elements56serves to expel cover crop and other materials outwardly in both directions to inhibit or eliminate clogging of the disks36. At the same time, the wheels30serve as gauge wheels in order to substantially maintain the depths of the disks36. Consequently, the normally separate operations of surface crop crimping and seeding (and/or fertilizing) can be simultaneously performed.

FIG. 9illustrates a portion of a large planter implement having a plurality of row units10. The latter are arranged so as to substantially completely crimp the entire swath of field traversed by the planter implement. As depicted, there are two tiers of row units10mounted on individual, spaced apart tool bars16and16a. Note that the row units mounted on the trailing tool bar16aare laterally offset and between a pair of row units mounted on leading tool bar16. This arrangement serves to crimp the entire swath of field. Thus, each row unit crimps an area bounded by the coverage lines78, with a slight overlap between adjacent lines. The regions of the furrows40are effectively crimped owing to the passage of the disks36and70. Although not shown, those skilled in the art appreciate that a large implement such as that illustrated inFIG. 9will be equipped with a series of ground wheels. Such ground wheels will of course flatten surface crops as the implement moves along the field. However, if desired, smaller width crimper wheels may be mounted in a trailing relationship to these ground wheels, to thereby ensure full crimping of the field swath.

The present invention provides appropriate crimping of cover crop without complete cutting or severing thereof. This is particularly the case where planting is carried out during the crimping operation. That is, crimping is done in the direction of planting, thus avoiding cross-cutting of the cover crop. This is to be contrasted with prior art techniques where planting and crimping are separately carried out. The resultant sequential field passages for crimping and seeding may result in cross-cutting because the separate field passages can be at an angle or even perpendicular to each other, and the cross-cut cover crop will then grow back, interfering with growth of the cash crop.