Abstract:
An applicator for applying dry fertilizer or livestock waste in the form of a slurry beneath the soil surface with minimum soil displacement includes a leading spring-cushioned, conical-shaped, wavy coulter angularly offset from the direction of travel which displaces soil laterally in forming a furrow adapted to receive fertilizer. The coulter is trailed by a single, or a pair of, rotary blade(s) which fill the furrow, covering the deposited fertilizer. A second embodiment includes a second wavy coulter disposed between the leading coulter and the trailing rotary blades for directing soil in a laterally opposed direction from the soil displaced by the leading coulter in forming a wider furrow. The single conical coulter and dual conical coulter embodiments are easily interchangeable in the applicator, and are easily removed and replaced with a curved shank and sweep assembly to convert to sweep fertilizer application.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 from prior provisional application No. 61/609,037 which was filed on Mar. 9, 2012, herein incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to agricultural fertilizer applicators; and more particularly, it relates to apparatus for subsoil application of dry fertilizer or livestock waste in the form of slurry (that is, a freely flowable mixture of liquids and solids). 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Historically, livestock waste, particularly in solid form, has been spread on the surface of the soil by a manure spreader using a flail to fling the material to the rear. A more modern side-discharge spreader also deposits the material on the surface of the soil. 
         [0004]    The advent of confinement systems for animals which include pits below the confinement area produces a large amount of animal waste in a slurry form which must be handled and disposed of. Typically, the slurry is pumped in a large tank carried by a wagon, but originally it was for the most part, spread or sprayed on the surface of the soil. 
         [0005]    This procedure has, as a principal objection, a strong odor which remains after the waste is spread. Moreover, surface spreading of animal waste is not desirable with the potential runoff of nitrates and phosphorus into rivers and streams. This is objectionable because livestock waste is high in nitrogen, and swine waste is also high in phosphorus and with increasing concern with the quality of drinking water, this procedure is becoming less and less acceptable. 
         [0006]    Various methods have been proposed for depositing the slurry underground. One method is to use a fertilizer knife, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,592,294 and to weld a large pipe to the rear of the knife to deliver the slurry behind the knife and into the slot cut in the soil by the knife. This leaves a very narrow band of fertilizer having a high concentration of nitrogen and other nutrients. 
         [0007]    Another method of subsoil delivery of animal waste employs a standard chisel plow shank with an attached wide cultivator sweep, in an attempt to distribute the slurry further laterally and to avoid the concentration which occurs in the case of a simple fertilizer knife, described above. 
         [0008]    This method, however, presents still another problem—namely, the cultivator sweep unnecessarily tills the soil and may result in burying surface residue. This may be a separate problem, particularly for farmers whose land may have been designated HEL, because there are federal requirements to maintain a certain percentage of crop residue on the surface of such soil. Both the chisel plow shank (which is a wide shank) and cultivator sweeps are designed to create a plowing action that mixes the soil with the residue, buries a large percentage of the residue, and leaves a furrow of exposed liquid behind the shank. 
         [0009]    A more recent improvement is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,131. This device uses a spring-cushioned coulter running ahead of the applicator for cutting an initial slot in the residue and providing a break line in the soil to be parted by a trailing shank. The shank spreads the initial slot and deepens it. The shank includes a shoe provided with a pair of wings extended laterally. The shoe is in the form of a tillage point which fractures and lifts the soil in front of the shank. The wings lift the soil laterally of the shank from the center toward the outward ends of the wings to provide slots for promoting lateral distribution of the slurry. 
         [0010]    The applicator of the &#39;131 patent is suitable for delivering higher application rates of slurry, in the range of 9,000 to 10,000 or more gallons per acre. However, the ground speed of the &#39;131 patent is limited to a range of 3-5 miles per hour. At these slower speeds, the soil is lifted sufficient to form lateral fissures in the soil at a depth of approximately 5 to 6 inches which permits the slurry to flow laterally of the applicator shank. Any greater speed would cause too much soil disruption, lifting and redistribution (i.e. tillage) due to the use of a forward portion of the shoe which acts like a plow point, having a surface which is inclined upwardly and rearwardly for fracturing and lifting the soil in front of the shank. Another recent improvement is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,973,884. 
         [0011]    The rotary liquid slurry injector of the present invention requires less horsepower and results in a much more desirable flow of heavy residue. It provides excellent residue flow for 24 hour operation, including dew-soaked residue. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0012]    The present invention is designed to operate in a wide variety of soil types and heavy residue. The present invention employs two (2) conical shaped wavy blades to provide openings side-by-side. The front coulter creates a slot and moves soil laterally. A second rear blade is mounted to move soil laterally in the opposite direction. The loosened soil between the two (2) paths is fractured to allow liquid to fill in the voids. One conical wavy blade system could provide an alternate embodiment. This would reduce maximum gallons per acre and create more concentration of nutrients. A slurry delivery tube is mounted to the rear coulter hub support arm. Adjustment is provided so that the front coulter can be operated at the same depth as the rear coulter or operated shallower if desired. In hard soil it is often desirable to run the rear coulter deeper since less down pressure is often required because the front coulter has loosened an adjacent soil path. This coulter application has limitations regarding gallons per acre. Depending on soil moisture, a range of 3000-9000 gallons per acre is fairly realistic using the present invention. The shank that the rear coulter and the closer blades are mounted to can be removed by removing one (1) bolt and loosening two (2) others. A curved shank, as shown in U.S. Pat. 6,973,884, may be installed in a forward assembly for sweep application. The high gallon per acre sweep can accommodate a 20,000 gallon application rate, thus providing a very wide range of application. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    The appended claims set forth those novel features which characterize the invention. However, the invention itself, as well as further objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, where like reference characters identify like elements throughout the various figures, in which: 
           [0014]      FIG. 1  is a right side elevation view of a rotary applicator for depositing slurry fertilizer in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a side elevation view of a conical wavy coulter blade; 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is an edge-on view of the conical wavy coulter blade shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is a right side elevation view of a rotary applicator for depositing slurry fertilizer, commercial liquid or dry fertilizer with a single conical blade in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  is a right side elevation view of an alternate embodiment of the inventive rotary applicator for depositing slurry fertilizer with a single conical blade having a rigid, non-swivel mount; and 
           [0019]      FIG. 6  is a right side elevation view of another embodiment of the inventive rotary applicator for depositing slurry fertilizer incorporating a sweep for applying more gallons per acre application. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0020]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a right side elevation view of the overall rotary applicator unit for spreading dry fertilizer or livestock waste in the form of a slurry. Reference number  1  generally designates a spring reset mechanism for a single row unit of a slurry applicator. As is known, a number of such applicator units are mounted on a wagon with a tool bar  27  drawn by a tractor (not shown). The applicator units are mounted in side-by-side relation and in a spaced manner. The tool bar  27 , or frame, may have its own support wheels, or may be mounted to a wagon carrying the slurry. In any case, tool bar  27  trails a slurry wagon, or container, (also not shown for convenience) for a large amount of slurry fertilizer which is to be applied to a field. A coiled spring  73  is compressed (i.e. preloaded) and pivotally connected to a main shank  5  by bolt  55 . When a rock or other obstruction is encountered by the rear conical coulter blade  21 , the main shank  5 , the rear conical coulter blade  21 , and slurry tube  52  are pivoted upwardly away from the obstruction. As the coiled spring  73  is compressed, bolt  55  telescopes and pivots at mounting bolt  75  out of a trunion  2 . Main shank  5  pivots at pin  7 . Opening  70  allows a front shank bolt  28  to be inserted in a shank clamp weldment  29 . Shank clamp weldment  29  pivots about pivot pin  7 . 
         [0021]    The spring cushion/reset mechanism  1  is mounted to a conventional toolbar  27  by mounting plates  56  and a mounting bracket  3  that pivots on a bolt  57 . With an upper bolt  4  inserted through mounting bracket  3 , mounting plates are tightly clamped against the toolbar  27  located between bracket  3  and the mount plates. At the forward portion of the mounting assembly, steel plates are formed inward. At the forward portion of the plates  58  is a cross piece of steel  10 . A similar piece of steel is welded behind a front coulter mount bar  12 . This provides a rectangular sleeve of receptacle so that the coulter mount bar  12  can be telescoped vertically within the sleeve and pinned (see pins  11 ) to adjust a front coulter  20  to the desired operating depth. Additional holes  59  are provided in coulter mount bar  12  to allow the front coulter  20  to be positioned at the same depth or shallower than the rear coulter  21 . 
         [0022]    On a lower forward portion of coulter mount bar  12  a vertical shaft  13  is welded and the forward portion of a spring-cushioned assembly  16  is provided with a sleeve  14  telescopically coupled to vertical shaft  13 . A front coulter assembly  89  including front coulter blade  20  is similar to assemblies used on various agricultural tillage tools. Rear coulter assembly  85  and closer assembly  90  are bolted to a main shank  5  by means of a U-bolt and nuts  22  at the forward portion. Another bolt  23  attaches the rear portion of main shank  5  to an intermediate portion of the rear coulter assembly  85 . Bolts  47  attach rear coulter mount bar  18  to the rear coulter assembly  85 . A pair of coulter hub support arms  78  are coupled to rear coulter mounting bar  18  and support the rear coulter hub  17 . Additional holes  25  in rear coulter mounting bar  18  provide an independent depth setting for units operating in tire tracks in wet conditions. Additional holes  59  in front coulter mount bar  12  allow the front coulter  20  to also be independently lowered in the tire tracks. Pin  13  and sleeve  14  also allow swivel of the front coulter  20  about a generally vertical axis. Also, rear coulter mount bar  18  may be shimmed between rear coulter  21  and the path of a closer mount plate  19  to change variation of the path of the front coulter  20  through the soil (vertically or left to right) versus the path of the rear coulter  21  through the soil. 
         [0023]    A bar  51  supports a short pipe  52  which extends behind rear coulter blade  21 . To facilitate delivery in the slots created by the coulters  20  and  21 , a clip  53  provides support to clamp a slurry delivery hose behind rear coulter blade  21 . A pair of furrow closing blades  30  are laterally spaced approximately 12″ apart and operate at acute angles relative to the direction of travel thereby forming a berm of loose soil on the top of the slots formed by the front and rear coulter blades  20  and  21 . Some liquid fertilizer soaks into the surface soil. The purpose of the furrow closing blades  30  is to cover this area to reduce odor and prevent liquid from flowing down slope on steep hills. To allow the furrow closing blades  30  to follow the soil contour, pin  34  allows frame weldment  45  to pivot vertically. Cross plate  43  limits movement when the frame weldment  45  contacts cross plate  43 . Formed cross plate  43  has a slotted hole therein to allow for angular adjustment of the furrow closing blade  30  relative to the direction of travel similar to conventional closers. 
         [0024]    A hub  31  is welded to support arms  32 . A coiled spring  35  is disposed about and extends the length of bolt  38 . A nut  37  disposed on bolt  38  limits downward movement of furrow closer assemblies  90  and furrow closing blades  30 . Castings  36  are positioned on each end of spring  35  to fit the spring coil. A pivot bolt  39  is attached to a tab  60  that is welded to pin  40 . Pin  40  telescopes through sleeve  41 . Pin  40  has multiple holes and spring  35  compression can be changed by removing pin  42  and telescoping pin  40  forward or rearward through sleeve  41  to change the downward force exerted on furrow closing blades  30 . Removal of the front shank bolt  28  and loosening bolts  71  respectively in mounting plates  56  and shank clamp weldment  29  allows the rear coulter assembly  85 , a furrow closer assembly plate weldment  88  and main shank  5  to be removed as one (1) single assembly and be replaced with a formed shank and sweep to convert to sweep incorporation. 
         [0025]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , there is shown a side elevation view of a wavy conical shaped coulter blade  20  with a flat center portion  80  contemplated for use in the present invention. Waves with crests  82  and valleys  83  are formed from a flat center to an outer periphery of the conical shaped coulter blade  20 . A center hole  81  within the wavy conical coulter blade  20  is sized to fit over the blade&#39;s inner hub  17  for mounting the coulter blade  20  to the hub. For this purpose, there are provided four (4) bolt holes  84  as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0026]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , there is shown an edge-on view of the conical wavy coulter blade  20 . As the leading edge of the conical shaped blade enters the soil, the coulter blade  20  swivels on sleeve  14  as shown in  FIG. 1 . The conical shape of coulter blade  20  is shown in its curvature  86 . As the blade  20  rotates forward, its conical shape  86  enters the soil along the line of travel and soil is lifted and moved laterally providing a slot for the liquid fertilizer to flow down into. As any excess water in the slurry infiltrates the soil below the slot, the solids are buried at the bottom. This prevents high surface soil fertility. 
         [0027]      FIGS. 4 and 5  illustrate additional embodiments of the invention respectively including pivotally mounted swiveling single blade and a non-pivoting, fixed single blade.  FIG. 5  illustrates yet another embodiment of the present invention including the combination of a single blade and a shank and sweep arrangement with a delivery tube. Elements shown in  FIGS. 4 ,  5  and  6  which are also illustrated in  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  3  and discussed above are provided with the same element members throughout all of the figures. 
         [0028]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , depicts the single blade system. The rear blade is removed and a curved shank  105  is installed behind the front coulter blade  20 . Bracket  151  is bolted to the aft, lower end of shank  105  and supports a short pipe  152  behind coulter  20 . A clip  153  provides a support to clamp a slurry delivery hose  154  to pipe  152  aft of coulter  20 . A pair of blades  30  are spaced approximately 12″ apart and operate at an acute angle to the direction of travel thereby building a berm of loose soil on the top of the slot created by the coulter  20 . Some liquid soaks into the surface soil. The purpose of the blades is to cover this area to reduce odor and prevent liquid from moving on steep hills. Formed cross plate  46  has slotted holes to allow blade  30  angle adjustment similar to conventional closers. Additional holes  59  in front coulter mount bar  12  allow the front coulter  20  to also be independently lowered to provide the same depth in the tire tracks where the surface of the soil is appreciably lower. This can occur in wet conditions because the tank tires will cut a slight rut. 
         [0029]    With reference to blade  30 , a single closing blade could be employed to move soil opposite the lateral direction of the soil moved by the conical wavy blade  20 . However, it would reduce the amount of soil covering the furrow especially in adverse soil conditions as compared to the use of a pair of covering blades. 
         [0030]    A hub  31  is welded to support arms  32 . A spring  35  sleeves over bolt  38 . A nut  37  on bolt  38  telescopes inside spring  35 . A pivot bolt  39  attaches to mount  160  and clamps to shank  105  in an arrangement which applies a downward force on furrow closing blade  30 . 
         [0031]    Referring to  FIG. 5 , is shown a right side elevation of another embodiment of a rotary applicator for depositing the slurry fertilizer with a single conical blade  20  in accordance with the present invention incorporating a rigid, non-swivel mount. The hub, or spindle,  17  is fixed to arm  78 . The portion of the conical blade  20  ahead of the spindle  17  enters the soil in line of travel direction and the rear portion moves soil laterally to provide a furrow. The disadvantage to the non-swivel assembly is that any time the tank unit is not going straight in line, the massive side forces are created and causes stress to the tank mount and the coulter assembly. The fixed mount is not a problem when attached to a tool bar that is pulled behind a farm tractor drawbar. 
         [0032]    Referring to  FIG. 6 , removal of the front shank bolt  70  and loosening bolts  71  allows the rear coulter assembly  99  and closer assembly  85  and plate weldment  88  and shank  5  to be removed as one (1) single assembly and be replaced with a formed shank  105  and sweep  106  with delivery tube  107  to convert to sweep incorporation as depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 6,973,884. Sweep  106  includes a pair of wings extending outwardly and substantially horizontally in opposite directions, where one of the wings is shown as element  110  in  FIG. 6 . These outwardly extending wings  110  form left and right lateral extensions of a lower portion of the furrow. This applicator is not limited to livestock waste. A single blade unit would be ideal for applying liquid or dry commercial fertilizer. 
         [0033]    While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects. Therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. The matter set forth in the foregoing description and accompanying drawings is offered by way of illustration only and not as a limitation. The actual scope of the invention is intended to be defined in the claims when viewed in their proper perspective based on the prior art.