Patent ID: 8151717

Claim:
An agricultural implement for tilling at least a strip of soil to be planted, comprising a tillage device for penetrating and tilling a strip of soil and displacing soil and residue upwardly, a depth control device laterally offset from the centerline of said strip of soil and mounted for rotation about an axis of rotation located rearwardly of the trailing end of said tillage device and positioned to intercept soil and residue displaced upwardly by said tillage device, said depth control device having a soil-engaging surface for controlling the elevation of said implement, and multiple tines mounted on said depth control device and extending laterally away from only one side of said depth control device toward said centerline to intercept a portion of the soil and residue displaced upwardly by said tillage device, said tines being attached to said depth control device only at one end of each tine with the attachment located radially inwardly from said soil-engaging surface of said depth control device and the free ends of said tines terminating laterally short of said centerline and vertically between the elevations of the upper and lower edges of said depth control device, whereby said tines remain entirely above the soil engaged by said depth control device as said depth control device rotates.