Patent ID: RE45091

Claim:
An agricultural row-clearing unit for use with an agricultural planting row unit attached to a towing frame hitched to a tractor, said row clearing unit comprising: an attachment frame adapted to be rigidly connected to said towing frame, a support element having a leading end pivotally connected to said attachment frame at a pivotal connection for vertical pivoting movement relative to said attachment frame, at least one row-clearing wheel mounted on the trailing end of said support element, a hydraulic cylinder pivotally connected between said attachment frame and said support element for pivoting said support element around said pivotal connection to said attachment frame, said hydraulic cylinder including a movable rod coupling said cylinder to said support element, a cavity within said cylinder for receiving pressurized hydraulic fluid for advancing said rod in a direction that pivots said support element downwardly toward the soil, and an energy storage device coupled to said rod and said cylinder to apply a retracting force to said rod to pivotally bias said support element in a direction that urges said at least one row-clearing wheel upwardly away from the soil.