Patent ID: 8544397

Claim:
An agricultural row unit for use with a towing frame hitched to a tractor, said row unit comprising an attachment frame adapted to be rigidly connected to said towing frame, a linkage pivotably coupled to said attachment frame, a row unit frame having a leading end pivotably coupled to said linkage to permit vertical pivoting movement of said row unit frame relative to said attachment frame, at least a furrow-forming device mounted on said row unit frame, a hydraulic cylinder coupled to said attachment frame and said linkage for urging said row unit frame downwardly toward the soil, said hydraulic cylinder including a movable ram extending into said cylinder, and a hydraulic-fluid cavity within said cylinder for receiving pressurized hydraulic fluid for advancing said ram in a direction that pivots said linkage and said row unit frame downwardly toward the soil, and an accumulator positioned adjacent to said hydraulic cylinder and having a fluid chamber containing a diaphragm, the portion of said chamber on one side of said diaphragm being connected to said hydraulic-fluid cavity in said hydraulic cylinder, and the portion of said chamber on the other side of said diaphragm containing a pressurized gas.