Patent ID: 8307909

Claim:
A minimum tillage apparatus, comprising: a frame having at least four transverse frame members disposed substantially perpendicular to a direction of travel of said apparatus; at least one axle and at least two wheels, at least a first one of said four transverse frame members being disposed forward of said axle in said direction of travel, and at least a second one of said four transverse frame members being disposed rearward of said axle in said direction of travel; a first plurality of coulter wheel assemblies coupled to said first one of said four transverse members; a second plurality of coulter wheel assemblies coupled to said second one of said four transverse members, each one of said second plurality of coulter wheel assemblies being staggered in said direction of travel with respect to said first plurality of coulter wheel assemblies; a third plurality of coulter wheel assemblies coupled to a third one of said four transverse members, each one of said third plurality of coulter wheel assemblies being staggered in said direction of travel with respect to at least one of (i) said first plurality of coulter wheel assemblies and (ii) said second plurality of coulter wheel assemblies; a fourth plurality of coulter wheel assemblies coupled to a fourth one of said four transverse members, said fourth one of said transverse frame members disposed on an opposite side of said axle relative to said third one of said transverse frame members, said fourth plurality of coulter wheel assemblies being staggered in said direction of travel with respect to said third plurality of coulter wheel assemblies and with respect to at least one of said first and said second pluralities of coulter wheel assemblies; a mounting structure corresponding to each coulter wheel assembly and configured to couple the corresponding coulter wheel assembly to the frame, each mounting structure being configured to be movably fixable to plural different locations on the corresponding transverse member; each coulter wheel assembly comprising (i) a downwardly and rearwardly extending shank, (ii) a rotatable hub attached to a lower part of the shank, (iii) a resilient element configured to resist at least upward deflection of the rotatable hub, (iv) the coulter wheel assembly configured to permit upward and lateral deflection of the rotatable hub in response to impact with obstacles and to resiliently resist said deflection; and a plurality of coulter wheels, each coupled to a corresponding one of the rotatable hubs, each coulter wheel assembly supporting a single coulter wheel.