Patent ID: 7210538

Claim:
A method for providing flotation to a wing of an agricultural seeder relative to the ground, comprising the steps of: a) providing a wheel-supported main frame adapted to be removably affixed to a tractor for movement along the ground in a direction of travel; b) providing a first elongated wing with an inner end and an opposing outer end, the first wing having a longitudinal axis generally perpendicular to the direction of travel and a center point along the longitudinal axis generally equidistant from the inner and outer ends; c) providing a first plurality of agricultural implements affixed to the first wing and generally regularly spaced along the longitudinal axis thereof; d) providing a first elongated support arm pivotally affixed at one end to the main frame and at the other end to the center point of the first wing; e) providing a first hydraulic cylinder interconnecting directly at the first support arm and directly at the main frame such that the first cylinder can raise the first wing to a transport position and lower the first wing to a working position in contact with the ground; f) providing a second elongated wing with an inner end and an opposing outer end, the second wing having a longitudinal axis generally perpendicular to the direction of travel and a center point along the longitudinal axis generally equidistant from the inner and outer ends, said inner ends of said respective first and second wings being generally adjacent to each other in the working position and form a generally continuous line across the width of the seeder; g) providing a second plurality of agricultural implements affixed to the second wing and generally regularly spaced along the longitudinal axis thereof; h) providing a second elongated support arm pivotally affixed at one end to the main frame opposite the point at which the first support arm is affixed and at the other end to the center point of the second wing such that the first and second wings are on opposite side of the main frame; i) providing a second hydraulic cylinder interconnecting directly at the second support arm and directly at the main frame such that the second cylinder can raise the second wing to a transport position and lower the second wing to a working position in contact with the ground; j) lowering the first and second wings to the ground by activating the respective first and second hydraulic cylinders; and k) locking the first and second hydraulic cylinders in the lower position whereby the first and second wings float about the point at which the first and second support arms are pivotally affixed to the center points of the respective first and second wings, wherein the first and second wings are only attached to the wheel-supported main frame by the first and second support arms, respectively, so that inner and outer ends pivot freely only about the center point of each first and second wings.