Abstract:
An improved method of monitoring penetration of a planting unit into a ground surface comprising engaging a planting unit with a ground surface wherein the planting unit has a planting unit frame and the planting unit frame is cooperatively engaged with a support member by a planting frame and wherein the planting unit comprises, a seed trench opening assembly operable to create a seed trench in a ground surface, a depth regulating member having a vertical position relative to the seed trench opening assembly and monitoring penetration of the furrow forming structure into the ground surface.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The methods described herein are generally applicable to the field of agricultural equipment. The embodiments shown and described herein are more particularly for improved delivery of seed to a furrow as used with seed planter row units. 
   CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This non-provisional utility patent application entitled “Method for Planter Depth Monitoring” and is a continuation of the non-provisional utility patent application filed on Jul. 14, 2006, and assigned Ser. No. 11/486,728 by the USPTO, is incorporated by reference herein. A non-provisional utility patent application entitled “Apparatus for Planter Depth Monitoring” and was also filed on Jul. 14, 2006, and assigned Ser. No. 11/486,729 by the USPTO, is also incorporated by reference herein. Applicant claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §120 from both of the preceding cited and co-pending patent applications. 
   STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
   No federal funds were used to develop or create the invention disclosed and described in the patent application. 
   REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISK APPENDIX 
   Not Applicable 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  provides a side view of one embodiment of a row planter unit. 
       FIG. 2  provides a rear view of one embodiment of a furrow opening device with a depth regulation device. 
       FIG. 3  provides a closer view of one embodiment of the depth monitoring apparatus engaged with one embodiment of a row planter unit. 
       FIG. 4  provides a blow-up of one embodiment of a planter unit shank assembly. 
       FIG. 5  provides a close view of one embodiment of the depth monitoring apparatus disengaged from a row planter unit. 
       FIG. 6A  provides a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the depth monitoring apparatus with the switch open. 
       FIG. 6B  provides a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the depth monitoring apparatus with the switch closed. 
       FIG. 7  provides a prospective view of one embodiment of the depth monitoring apparatus engaged with one embodiment of a row planter unit. 
       FIG. 8  provides a side view of another embodiment of a row planter unit. 
       FIG. 9  provides a more detailed side view of another embodiment of a row planter unit. 
       FIG. 10  provides a rear view of another embodiment of a row planter unit. 
       FIG. 11  provides a top view of another embodiment of a row planter unit. 
       FIG. 12  provides a top view of one embodiment of the depth regulating means engaged. 
       FIG. 12A  provides a cross-sectional view of the depth monitoring means indicating furrow penetration to a desired depth with depth regulating means engaged. 
       FIG. 13  provides a top view of the embodiment as shown at  FIG. 12  with the depth regulating means non-engaged. 
       FIG. 13A  provides a cross-sectional view of the depth monitoring means indicating failure to achieve furrow penetration to a desired depth with depth regulating means non-engaged. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   Listing of Elements 
   
     
       
             
             
             
           
             
             
             
           
         
             
                 
                 
             
             
                 
               Element Description 
               Element Number 
             
             
                 
                 
             
           
           
             
                 
             
           
        
         
             
                 
               Lateral Support Member 
               1 
             
             
                 
               Planting Unit 
               2 
             
             
                 
               Planting Unit Frame 
               3 
             
             
                 
               Furrow Opening Assembly 
               4 
             
             
                 
               Ground Surface 
               5 
             
             
                 
               Seed Delivery Assembly 
               6 
             
             
                 
               Furrow Closing Assembly 
               7 
             
             
                 
               Gauge Wheel 
               8 
             
             
                 
               Pivoting Arm Assembly 
               9 
             
             
                 
               Stop 
               10 
             
             
                 
               Intentionally Blank 
               11 
             
             
                 
               Intentionally Blank 
               12 
             
             
                 
               Intentionally Blank 
               13 
             
             
                 
               Contact Switch 
               14 
             
             
                 
               Saddle Link 
               15 
             
             
                 
               Gauge Wheel Arm Pivot 
               16 
             
             
                 
               Parallel Linkage 
               17 
             
             
                 
               Gauge Wheel Rotation Axis 
               18 
             
             
                 
               Intentionally Blank 
               19 
             
             
                 
               Intentionally Blank 
               20 
             
             
                 
               Rocker 
               21 
             
             
                 
               End Bolt 
               22 
             
             
                 
               Side Bolt 
               23 
             
             
                 
               Yoke Link 
               24 
             
             
                 
               Spring Loaded Plunger 
               25 
             
             
                 
               Contacts 
               26 
             
             
                 
               Intentionally blank 
               27 
             
             
                 
               Furrow 
               28 
             
             
                 
               Switch Cavity 
               29 
             
             
                 
               Wire 
               30 
             
             
                 
               Rack 
               31 
             
             
                 
               Depth Adjustment Slots 
               32 
             
             
                 
                 
             
           
        
       
     
   
   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION 
   Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views,  FIG. 1  shows a lateral support member  1  of a seed planting assembly with a planting unit  2  attached to said lateral support member  1  via parallel linkage  17 , which is one means of attaching a planting unit  2  to the lateral support member  1  as recited in the claims. The planting unit  2  includes a furrow opening assembly  4 , a planting unit frame  3 , a pivoting arm assembly  9  with a gauge wheel  8  rotatably attached at one end, a seed delivery assembly  6  and a furrow closing assembly  7 . The seed planting assembly shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  4  and  7  of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,427,038, “Adjustable Gauge Wheel for a Planter” issued to Ege (hereinafter Ege), which is incorporated by reference herein and well known to those skilled in the art. The seed planting assembly shown in  FIGS. 8 ,  9 ,  10 ,  11  and  12  is similar to that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,148,747, “Equalizing Gauge Wheel Mechanism for Row Crop Planter” issued to Deckler et al. (hereinafter referred to as Deckler), which is also incorporated by reference herein and also well known to those skilled in the art. The present art is shown in combination with the prior art in  FIGS. 10 ,  11  and  12 . The embodiment disclosed in Deckler also generally includes a furrow opening assembly  4 , a planting unit frame  3 , a pivoting arm assembly  9  with a gauge wheel  8  rotatably attached at one end, a seed delivery assembly  6  and a furrow closing assembly  7 . The present invention may be applied to existing seed planting assemblies with any number of planting units  2  attached to the lateral support member  1 . Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is not limited by the number of planting units  2  engaged with the lateral support member  1  of the seed planting assembly. In the embodiments described and disclosed herein, a double disc opener is shown as one type of furrow forming means as recited in the claims, and selection of alternate furrow forming means in no way limits the scope of the current invention. 
     FIG. 3  shows a close-up view of one embodiment of the depth monitoring apparatus in combination with Ege. In  FIG. 3 , the depth monitoring apparatus is comprised of a contact switch  14  with a spring loaded plunger  25  mounted to the stop  10 . The spring loaded plunger communicates with a rocker  21  in which the hole has been slotted. The rocker  21  is mounted on the stop  10  via the end bolt  22  and provides the limit for upward movement of the pivoting arm assembly  9  with respect to the other elements of the planting unit  2 . The stop  24  is mounted to the planting unit frame  3  via the side bolt  23 . The rocker  21  in combination with the stop  10  is one type of stop means as recited in the claims. This type of stop means is a type of equalization means, as is well known to those skilled in the art, which allows for a certain amount of vertical travel of one pivoting arm assembly  9  with respect to the other pivoting arm assembly  9  associated with the planting unit  2 . As is shown in  FIG. 2 , the furrow opening assembly  4  in this embodiment is typically positioned between a pair of gauge wheels  8 , wherein each gauge wheel  8  communicates with the planting unit  2  via a pivoting arm assembly  9 . In  FIG. 5  the rocker  21  and stop  10  are shown in combination with a contact switch  14 , which together are one type of depth monitoring or indicating means as recited in the claims. 
   In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 5 , the bolt hole in the rocker  21  has been elongated so that the rocker  21  may move in a vertical transverse relation to the axial direction of the end bolt  22 . The bolt hole in the rocker  21  is elongated by such an amount (in the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 6A ,  6 B and  7  it is elongated by one eighth of an inch) such that movement of the rocker  21  by the amount of elongation is sufficient to actuate a typical electrical contact switch  14 . In  FIG. 6A , the rocker  21  is fully engaged with the pivoting arm assembly  9 , which subsequently positions the bottom of the elongated hole in the rocker  21  against the bottom of the end bolt  22  and the top outer surface of the rocker  21  against the spring loaded plunger  25 , which opens the contact switch  14  and keeps the contacts  26  separated so that the circuit is open. In  FIG. 6B , the rocker  21  is not fully engaged with the pivoting arm assembly  9 , in which case the spring loaded plunger  25  in combination with gravity subsequently positions the top of the elongated hole in the rocker  21  against the top of the end bolt  22 . The top outer surface of the rocker  21  is acted upon by the spring loaded plunger  25 , which allows the contacts  26  to close, thus completing a circuit (not shown) of which contact switch  14  may be a part. In this way, the depth monitoring apparatus is able to detect when the desired vertical relation between the furrow opening assembly  4  and the gauge wheel  8  is not maintained, which indicates that the furrow opening assembly  4  is not penetrating the ground surface  5  to the desired depth. 
   In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 7 , a gauge wheel  8  is used as a depth regulation means, but a gauge wheel  8  is merely one type of depth regulation means as recited in the claims. In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 7 , the gauge wheel  8  is rotatable around the gauge wheel rotation axis  18 . The pivoting arm assembly  9  is pivotably engaged with the planter unit frame  3  at the gauge wheel arm pivot  16 . The operator is able to adjust the vertical relation between the furrow opening assembly  4  and the gauge wheel  8  by setting the position of the stop  10 , thereby controlling the degree of penetration of the furrow opening assembly  4  into the ground surface  5 . Adjusting the position of the stop  10  determines the maximum vertical position of the gauge wheels  8  with respect to the furrow opening assembly  4  because the stop  10  and rocker  21  define the limit for vertical movement of the pivoting arm assembly  9  with respect to the furrow opening assembly  4  as well as the other elements of the planting unit  2 . 
   When the gauge wheel  8  is fully engaged with the ground surface  5  (as represented by  FIG. 6A ), the pivoting arm assembly  9  is engaged with the rocker  21 . When the gauge wheel  8  is not fully engaged with the ground surface  5  (as represented by  FIG. 6B ), the gauge wheel is allowed to drop in vertical relation with respect to the furrow opening assembly  4  and the other elements of the planting unit  2 , and the rocker  21  is no longer engaged with the spring loaded plunger  25 . Subsequently, the vertical relation between the furrow opening assembly  4  and the gauge wheels  8  is less than that which was set by the operator and the contacts  26  in the contact switch  14  are allowed to communicate. In this embodiment, the depth monitoring apparatus detects whether the pivoting arm assembly  9  is fully engaged with the rocker  21 , thereby detecting whether the furrow opening assembly  4  is penetrating the ground surface  5  to the furrow  28  depth set by the operator. The resulting information can be relayed to the seed planting assembly operator, as is well known to those skilled in the art, by transmission means, such as electrical conduit, wireless transmitters using radio frequencies, which may be blue tooth enabled, microwave frequencies or other means as recited in the claims, to a display accessible to the seed planting assembly operator. Visual sensory means, such as lights, are another type of sensory means which may be used to alert the operator that the furrow opening assembly  4  is not penetrating the ground surface  5  as recited in the claims. 
   The operation of the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 8-13  is similar to the depth monitoring apparatus in the embodiments previously shown in  FIGS. 1-7 . In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 8-13 , the pivoting arm assembly  9  is also pivotably engaged with the planting unit frame  3 , and the depth to which the furrow opening assembly  4  is allowed to penetrate the ground surface  5  is again adjustable by the operator and dictated by the relative vertical position between the furrow opening means  4  and the gauge wheels  8 . The relative vertical position of the gauge wheels  8  with respect to the furrow opening assembly  4  when the gauge wheels  8  are fully engaged with the ground surface  5  is indicated by the engagement of the saddle link  15  with the yoke link  24 . The saddle link  15  is one type of equalizing arm to allow for a certain degree of independent vertical motion between two gauge wheels  8 , which may be used alone or in pairs, as is well known to those skilled in the art and as further illustrated by the rear view shown in  FIG. 10 . The combination of the saddle link  15  and the yoke link  24  is one type of stop means as recited in the claims.  FIG. 11  provides a top view of the saddle link  15  engaged with the yoke link  24  in relation to rack  31  and depth adjustment slots  32  which are partially shown without a depth monitoring indicating means installed therein to illustrate the existing relationship between the elements of the prior art. One embodiment of the present art as disclosed and claimed herein is illustrated in  FIG. 12 ,  FIG. 12A ,  FIG. 13  and  FIG. 13A . As illustrated in the preceding figures, the present art may be cooperatively engaged with depth adjustment and regulating means of the prior art. 
     FIG. 12  illustrates the condition wherein the pivoting arm assembly  9  of the depth regulating means are “up” indicating the furrowing opening assembly  4  is penetrating the ground surface  5  to the set depth. The depth monitoring means as employed is a switch  14  integrated into switch cavity  29  formed in the saddle link  15 . As illustrated in  FIG. 12A , the switch  14  is depressed when the saddle link  15  is engaged with yoke link  24 . As illustrated in  FIG. 12  and  FIG. 12A , the spring loaded plunger  25 , shaped as a clamshell in this embodiment for engagement with the yoke link  24 , is actuated and contacts  26  of switch  14  are open. In this condition, the open switch  14  does not complete the circuit (not shown) and does not allow transmission of a signal through wire  30 . 
     FIG. 13  illustrates the condition wherein the depth regulating means, having pivoting arm assembly  9 , is “down” indicating the furrowing opening assembly  4  is not penetrating the ground surface  5  to the desired or set furrow  28  depth. The depth monitoring means as employed is again a switch  14  integrated into switch cavity  29  which is formed in saddle link  15 . As illustrated in  FIG. 13A , the switch  14  is not depressed when the saddle link  15  is not engaged with yoke link  24 . As illustrated in  FIG. 13  and  FIG. 13A , the spring loaded plunger  25  is not actuated and contacts  26  of switch  14  are closed. In this condition, the closed switch  14  will complete the circuit (not shown) and allow transmission of a signal through wire  30 . 
   Although not shown, it will be apparent to those skilled in the arts that a limit switch may also be used in combination with the stop and depth regulating means for depth monitoring or indication. In this embodiment, the target portion of the limit switch would be mounted to the stop means and a switch activator mounted to the depth regulating means, wherein said depth monitor or indicator means would be actuated by physical contact between the target and switch activator portions of the limit switch. In another embodiment, not shown, the target portion of the limit switch would be mounted to the depth regulating means and a switch activator mounted to the stop means, wherein said depth monitor or indicator means would be actuated by physical contact between the target and switch activator portions of the limit switch. 
   The scope of the current invention is not limited by the choice of switch, switch types or number of switches employed to detect differences in the vertical relation between the furrow opening means  4  and the gauge wheels  8  in any of the embodiments. Any other detection means or technology, such as a mechanical device, an electro-mechanical device, electro-photo device or any combinations thereof, may be used as a depth monitoring or indicating means as recited in the claims. 
   As with the previously described embodiment, when the gauge wheels  8  are not fully engaged with the ground surface  5 , the furrow opening assembly  4  is not penetrating the ground surface  5  to the desired depth and the gauge wheels  8  are allowed to assume a lower vertical relation with respect to the other elements of the planting unit  2 , which subsequently changes the relative vertical position of the gauge wheels  8  and the furrow opening assembly  8 . 
   In planting units  2  such as those described herein, the weight of the elements attached to the planting unit frame  3  generally provide a first source of down pressure to the furrow opening assembly  4 . As such, down pressure is necessary for the penetration of the ground surface  5  by the furrow opening assembly  4  and the proper amount of down pressure is critical to achieving optimal emergence and yields. Many times additional means of providing the furrow opening assembly  4  with down pressure are employed and typically called supplemental down pressure systems and may include pneumatic systems, spring tension systems or pressurized fluid systems. The disclosed invention is applicable to all types of planters regardless of whether the planter is outfitted with a supplemental down pressure means and if so, which type it employs. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is not limited by the presence or absence of supplemental down pressure means on a given planting unit  2  or the type of supplemental down pressure means. 
   By providing the operator with a display to alert the operator to whether the furrow opening assembly  4  is penetrating the ground surface  5  to the desired depth, the depth monitoring apparatus provides an efficient means for determining if more or less down pressure is needed under a given set of planting conditions. As disclosed in the prior art, those skilled in the arts have provided adequate means for control and or adjustment of the down pressure applied. Furthermore, the display means may be incorporated with a computer programmed to compile a percentage of acres for which the furrow opening assembly  4  penetrated the ground surface  5  at the selected depth for each planting unit  2 , thereby providing the operator with a data set to use when adjusting the down pressure to the optimal amount. The display means could also be integrated with existing planter monitors that display other information critical to optimal operation, such as seed delivery, seed delivery rate, acres planted, global positioning systems data and or seed population per acre. 
   It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments pictured and described herein, but is intended to apply to all similar methods for monitoring, indicating or validating depth control and or furrow penetration of a planting, seeding or drill unit during operation. Accordingly, modifications and alterations from the described embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art without departure from the spirit and scope of the present invention.