Patent ID: 8453586

Claim:
A furrow opener for mounting on a cultivator shank for being supported for movement together with the cultivator shank in a forward working direction for depositing into the ground a primary material from a primary delivery tube and a secondary material from a secondary delivery tube, the opener comprising: an opener body arranged to be mounted on the cultivator shank, the opener body including a bottom side extending rearward from a front end to a rear end of the opener body; a knife arranged to be supported on the front end of the opener body to extend downwardly and forwardly from the opener body so as to be arranged to form a primary furrow in the ground in the forward working direction; a primary passage extending through the opener body from a primary inlet opening arranged to communicate with the primary delivery tube to a primary outlet opening in the bottom side of the opener body so as to be arranged to deposit the primary material in the primary furrow therefrom; at least one wing arranged to be supported on the rear end of the opener body to extend laterally outward from the opener body so as to be arranged to form a secondary furrow in the ground in the forward working direction offset laterally in relation to the primary furrow; and a secondary passage extending from a secondary inlet arranged to communicate with the secondary delivery tube to a secondary outlet opening at a rear end of said at least one wing so as to be arranged to deposit the secondary material in the secondary furrow; the bottom side of the opener body being stepped in profile such that the bottom side of the opener body comprises: a front portion which is enclosed at the bottom side and which extends rearwardly from the front end of the opener body to a trailing edge; and a step portion which is upright in orientation and extends upwardly from the trailing edge of the front portion so as to be more vertical in orientation than the front portion; the primary outlet opening being primarily located in the step portion of the bottom side of the opener body such that the primary outlet opening primarily faces rearwardly.