Patent ID: 7159523

Claim:
A seeding and fertilizing apparatus comprising: an implement frame comprising at least front and rear lateral frame members mounted on wheels for travel over the ground in an operating travel direction; a plurality of seed assemblies attached to the implement frame, each seed assembly comprising: a trailing arm pivotally connected at a front end thereof to the frame about a substantially horizontal front arm axis oriented substantially perpendicular to the operating travel direction; a seed knife attached to the trailing arm and operative to create a seed furrow when a bottom end thereof is engaged in the ground; a packer wheel rotatably attached to the trailing arm rearward of the seed knife and oriented to roll substantially along the seed furrow; wherein a vertical operating position of the seed knife with respect to the packer wheel is adjustable to vary a depth of the seed furrow; and a bias device operative to exert a downward bias force on the trailing arm, seed knife, and packer wheel; a plurality of fertilizer assemblies each comprising a fertilizer disc rotatably mounted to the fertilizer assembly and operative to create a fertilizer furrow when engaged in the ground; wherein the fertilizer discs and seed knives are movable from a transport position above the ground to a lowered operating position wherein the fertilizer discs and seed knives are engaged in the ground; wherein the seed assemblies and fertilizer assemblies are oriented laterally on the implement frame such that in operation each fertilizer furrow is located between adjacent seed furrows; wherein the fertilizer discs are mounted to the front frame member such that same engage the ground along a front line substantially perpendicular to the operating travel direction; wherein a first set of seed assemblies each has a trailing arm pivotally connected at a front end thereof to the front frame member such that a first set of seed knives operate along a middle line substantially perpendicular to the operating travel direction and a desired distance rearward of the front line; and wherein a second set of seed assemblies each has a trailing arm pivotally connected at a front end thereof to the rear frame member such that a second set of seed knives operate along a rear line substantially perpendicular to the operating travel direction and a desired distance rearward of the middle line.