Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application claims the benefit of co-pending U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/353,898, filed Feb. 2, 2002. This application is also related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/353,492 entitled “Strip-Till Conditioning Rotary Reel” filed on the same date as this application and in the name of the same inventors. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates generally to an agricultural strip-till implement, and more particularly to such an implement that represents a tillage system using a combination of coulters, tillage shanks, soil-gathering blades, and conditioning rotary reels, to produce an ideal tilled strip ready for planting seed with no additional passes. This implement provides improved crop residue management and better soil tilth resulting in superior seedbed conditions. 
   No-till farming is generally performed without any fall or spring tillage prior to planting. No-till planters are generally equipped with a row cleaner to move the previous year&#39;s residue out of the path of the row unit that places the seeds in the soil. Most no-ill planters also have a wavy coulter that operates approximately at the same depth as the seeds are planted. The waves on the coulter provide some minimal tillage to allow the planter to operate in loosened soil. In many soil conditions, the coulter does not loosen the dense soil that has not been previously tilled. Sidewall compaction occurs—that is, the openers press the soil sideways to allow a slot to drop the seeds in. This soil becomes difficult for the closing wheels to make into a mellow condition for good seed-to-soil contact. Poor seed germination and emergence, along with poor root development is a common yield limitation of no-till and some strip-till operations caused often by compacted soil with limited or poorly distributed pore spacing (to hold air and water). Proper pore size and distribution is critical for air and water exchange, which improves potential water infiltration and utilization—essential for healthy plant development. Familiar strip-till operations and implements have exhibited these limitations because they have heretofore not created a seedbed of sufficient size and soil tilth to permit healthy root and plant development. It is the purpose of the implement and components of the instant invention to create a seedbed with all the characteristics and features necessary to produce high yielding healthy crops. 
   Strip-till is an emerging farming practice that is evolving primarily out of no-till farming, and generally can be described as tilling a narrow strip of soil, that is followed by a planter row unit directly in each of the strips. Initial strip-till attempts were undertaken by using conventional anhydrous ammonia applicators, which typically used a coulter, knife mounted to shank, double disc sealer, and was equipped with markers to till/layout the strips to be planted on in the spring. The shanks, or knives were placed on a toolbar with the same row width as on the planter. For example, if a farmer has an 8-row 30″ planter, he would use an 8-row strip-tillage unit to till the strips on 30″ centers. This was a good start, but it was soon realized that a strip needs more soil movement, more residue flow, and a reduction in the clod size in the seedbed. The anhydrous ammonia system was stressed to do the additional tillage, handle the residue and condition the seedbed for ideal plant seed-to-soil contact. 
   The need is to provide tillage in the strip to increase fracture and air pore space and thereby make available adequate root growth area to support a highly productive plant. This loosening is extremely important, particularly in areas of the ground that have been compacted by heavy rains, high traffic areas, or on the end rows of the ground where traffic is often concentrated. 
   Depending upon soil types, moisture content of the soil, or compaction, the soil forming the strip is made up of large clods or big chunks of soil and holes where soil chunks were displaced. The need has thus developed for a conditioning rotary reel to reduce the clod size and make the strip more uniformly level along its length, thus filling in and leveling the soil strip. 
   Strip-tilling is generally done in the fall of the year. Anhydrous ammonia, liquid and/or dry fertilizer can be placed in the strip at the same time that the tillage is being performed. 
   When loosening firm or compacted soil, the tillage point will tend to explode soil upwardly and outwardly creating clods or chunks of soil. Uniform density throughout the berm is ideal for optimum seed-to-soil contact. For proper seed-to-soil contact and uniform moisture, it is preferred that the berm be relatively free of large clods and large air pockets between the clods. This creates the need for a device to reduce the clod size and make the strip more consistent in soil density without air pockets or large protruding clods. 
   It would be advantageous to provide a strip-till system that overcomes the problems, and improves upon the shortcomings, of the prior art. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is an object of the instant invention to provide a strip-till system/implement that overcomes the problems and improves upon the shortcomings of the prior art. 
   It is another object of the instant invention to provide a strip-till system/implement with improved seedbed preparation features and characteristics. 
   It is another object of the instant invention to provide an agricultural tillage implement that is designed to perform complete tillage of the soil in a single pass while leaving a raised-berm seedbed. 
   It is another object of the instant invention to provide an agricultural tillage implement that employs a novel seedbed conditioning rotary reel, thus creating an improved seedbed in which to grow crops such as corn. 
   It is still another object of the instant invention to provide a novel seedbed conditioning rotary reel that will create a much-improved seedbed in which to grow crops. 
   It is a further object of the instant invention to provide a strip-till system with an improved relationship between the tillage point, gathering blades, and a conditioning rotary reel. 
   It is a further object of the instant invention to provide a strip-till system with a uniquely contoured conditioning rotary reel. 
   It is a further object of the instant invention to provide an improved strip-till system wherein the gathering blades are widely space and positioned along side the knife to gather substantially all the soil that is exploded by the knife and maintain the ability to handle the higher amounts of residue in today&#39;s high production farming. 
   It is a still further object of the instant invention to provide an improved strip-till system wherein the gathering blades are mounted to the shank mount so that: (1) the further forward gathering blade pivot allows for vertical movement with less rearward movement, (2) the blades do not substantially pivot rearwardly as the depth increases as in previous systems (and thus previous systems do not capture all the soil) as operating depth changes due to ground profile, and (3) the blades stay in the ground when the shank trips (unlike previous systems). 
   It is an even still further object of the instant invention to provide an improved strip-till system wherein the soil coming off the gathering blades is oriented into a relatively narrow raised band of soil and the conditioning rotary reel is positioned fore-and-aft to contain all the soil within the conditioning rotary reel, providing better conditions for the planter, to improve seed-to-soil contact. 
   It is an even still further object of the instant invention to provide an improved strip-till system with a conditioning rotary reel carefully positioned fore-and-aft to gather/contain soil from the blades:
         If too close, the conditioning rotary reel will plug;   If too far rearward, then soil will overshoot outside of the conditioning rotary reel, thus reducing strip height;       

   It is another objective of the instant invention to provide a strip-till implement comprised of several working units, each made up of various elements or apparatus, assembled in a unique combination, or system, to create an ideal field condition, or seedbed, for growing plants. An improved soil profile allows roots to expand into a greater volume of soil and obtain more nutrients, especially during the most critical times of the plant production cycle. Soil nutrient and water availability is foremost a function of good soil tilth. When the root zone has the ideal balance of minerals and organic matter and pore spacing, the plants thrive. 
   Slow seed germination and non-uniform plant stands, caused by seedbeds that are too cold, wet or dry, or poor seed-to-soil contact, are other common yield limitations in no-till and strip-till farming. By creating a berm with the implement of the instant invention, usually 2 to 4-inches above the unworked soil surface at planting, the seedbed can dry down and warm up faster. This allows for earlier planting, improved seed-to-soil contact, and more uniform germination, thus more uniform stands that utilize sunlight, water and nutrients more effectively. 
   These and other objects and objectives are attained by providing an agricultural tillage implement that employs multiple apparatus to carry out a strip-till farming operation. A tillage shank runs a point through the compaction layer to fracture and loosen the soil, forcing it upwardly and outwardly where a pair of angled soil-gathering blades, located adjacent the shank, gathering and orienting the soil back into a newly created berm. A trailing conditioning rotary reel having a particular cross-sectional profile forms the soil into a uniform raised berm ideally suited for planting. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a side elevational view of a working unit of an implement embodying the strip-till primary tillage system of the instant invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a rear elevational view of the working unit shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a partial right front perspective view of the working unit shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ; 
       FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the ground worked by the working unit of  FIGS. 1-3 ; and 
       FIG. 5  is a plan view of the conditioning rotary reel bar  110 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   In the following description, right hand and left hand references are determined by standing at the rear of the machine and facing in the direction of forward travel. Also, in the following description, it is to be understood that such terms as “forward,” “left,” “upwardly,” etc., are words of convenience and are not to be construed as limiting terms. 
   For purposes of discussion, the term “working unit” will be used herein to refer to a grouping of apparatus, for example as shown in  FIG. 3 , that engage the ground in concert to accomplish a certain tasks. In the case of the instant invention, the task accomplished is the creation of an improved strip-till seedbed in the form of a raised berm superiorly suited for planting. 
   Referring now to  FIG. 1 , reference numeral  10  generally designates the preferred embodiment of the working unit of the instant invention. In this figure, the various ground-engaging apparatus are shown in a raised or transport position. For comparison, in the working position the tillage point would be in the ground several inches with the blade and conditioning reels assemblies generally at ground level. The working unit  10  is attached to an implement frame adapted to be drawn across the ground by a tractor, the forward direction to the right in FIG.  1 . The implement frame conventionally includes a long, main tubular frame member, or toolbar,  12  that extends transversely to the direction of travel the desired width for the number of working units chosen. Toolbar  12  may comprise one or more sections that, in wider configurations, fold up into a more compact “package” for transport and storage. The location of the working units may be changed when it is desired to alter the spacing between adjacent working units, i.e., the working units may be relocated relative to one another along the toolbar. Typical implements have 6, 8, 12, 16 or more working units mounted to the toolbar at lateral spacings of 30-36 inches or as determined by planter row spacing. This side-by-side arrangement of multiple working units, each operating to create a seedbed row or a row of crops, is sometimes referred to as an “indexed” system. 
   The working unit  10 , described with reference to  FIGS. 1-3 , comprises four basic components: (1) a toolbar mounting assembly  14 , (2) shank assembly  16 , (3) soil gather blade assembly  18 , and (4) conditioning rotary reel assembly  20 . 
   Toolbar mounting assembly  14  is comprised of a heavy-gauge steel irregularly shaped coupler  30  with a transverse adjustable opening, or track,  32  therethrough that is fitted to the toolbar  12 . The coupler  30  is sufficiently rigid and affixed to the toolbar such that the remainder of the basic components form a working unit supported by the toolbar. 
   Shank assembly  16  is comprised of shank  36 , a shank bracket  38  including a pair of side plates  40 ,  42  affixed to coupler  30  of the toolbar mounting assembly  14 , a compression spring  44  affixed at the top end to coupler  30  at  46  and to shank bracket  38  at the bottom end by bolt  48 . The shank bracket  38  is pivotably affixed to toolbar coupler  30  by pin  51  such that the shank  36  may pivot a distance limited by the amount that spring  44  can be compressed. Shank  36  is affixed to shank bracket  38  by bolts  52  and  53 . Shank  36  is formed of heavy plate stock having a thickness of about 1-¼ inches, although this dimension is not critical to the instant invention. The shank  36  is characterized herein as being generally curved; however, other configurations could prove satisfactory. In any event, shank  36  is shown to extend forwardly at the base where there is located a ground-breaking tillage point  54 . The tillage point  54  is commonly referred to as a fertilizer knife to accommodate anhydrous ammonia and or other product nutrients. Tillage point  54  is normally run in the range of about 5 to 9-inches deep. The point runs in the compaction layer, fractures the layer and relocates the soil particles. Shank  36  is adjustable vertically by raising and lowering the toolbar in known manner. To protect the shank  36  and other components of the implement  10  from severe damage, tillage point  54  is provided with a shear bolt  55  that fails upon being subjected to a predetermined force created by impact between the point  54  and a relatively immovable object such as a rock, tree root or the like. Failure of shear bolt  55  allows point  54  to pivot rearwardly about bolt  57 . 
   A gathering blade bracket  60  is rigidly fixed at the lower end to blade yoke  62  and at the upper end to coupler  30  by the pivot bolt  50 . Yoke  62  has two downwardly extending yoke arms  64 ,  66  rotatably attached, respectively to blades  68  and  70 . These blades may be of any suitable type; however, concave disc blades are preferred. The blades are angled inwardly, front to back, to gather the soil exploded by the shank  36  and redirect it inwardly toward the conditioning rotary reel. A pair of adjustable compression springs  72 ,  74 , one on each side of coupler  30  are affixed at the top end to support arm  80  of the conditioning rotary reel assembly  20  and at the lower end to gathering blade bracket  60 . Thus, the blades are biased downwardly. The length of the gathering disc bracket  60  is such that the blades  68 ,  70  are positioned substantially adjacent and slightly rearwardly to the shank  36  and the groundbreaking point  54 . By positioning the pivot point  50  of the gathering blade assembly  18  forward of the shank  36  the gathering blades are caused to move mostly upwardly when the depth of tillage point  54  changes (as it constantly does when crossing a field), thus maintaining the positional relationship between the gathering discs and the shank. More specifically, as tillage point  54  breaks through the ground, it creates a flow of soil from each side of shank  36 , much like snow flowing off of a V-shaped snowplow. The gathering blades  68 ,  70  are positioned adjacent and slightly rearwardly of the shank such that they engage this flow of soil and redirect it toward the path of the shank for treatment by the conditioning reel. The pivot point of the gathering blade assembly maintains the positional relationship between the blades and the shank no matter how the depth of the tillage point varies. This positioning prevents soil exploded by the shank point from projecting outside of the blades, and ensures that there is sufficient soil to build a proper berm. The blades are adjustable for depth, angle, and distance between blades to permit the operator to maximize the containment of soil to build a berm. The blades may be dull-edge or sharp-edge, depending upon how much soil is to be moved. Dull blades tend to ride on top, while sharp blades tend to cut in. 
   Conditioning rotary reel assembly  20  is comprised of support arm  80  rigidly affixed at the forward end to coupler  30  and extending rearwardly therefrom in a cantilevered configuration. Support arm  80  is shown as two identical flat bars  82 ,  84  bolted to either side of coupler  30  and pivotably connected to reel arm  90  at pivot bolt  86 . An adjustable compression spring  88  extends between support arm  80  and a stop plate  91  rigidly affixed to reel arm  90  such that the reel arm  90  may pivot about pivot bolt  86  to adjustably absorb movement of the rotary reel due to uneven areas of the ground or impacts with obstacles on the field. Most importantly, however, compression spring  88  adjusts the down pressure for controlling clod sizing. 
   In the preferred embodiment, a coulter is affixed forwardly of the shank  36  to either toolbar  12  or another toolbar or structural member of the implement frame in know fashion. Numerous examples exist in the prior art, but examples of such a coulter are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,797,460 and 6,102,132 and would prove satisfactory in the instant application. A coulter thus located results in cutting and sizing residue. The depth of cut of the coulter would be adjustable upwardly or downwardly within a clamp, and adjusted to accommodate or compensate for various settings of the tillage depth or soil conditions. General practice would be to use a coulter with a diameter of approximately 20 to 24-inches. The coulters may be either wavy or smooth depending upon desired results and working conditions; smooth being preferred. For in-row root cutting and less surface disruption, a smooth coulter would be selected. In any event, the primary purpose of the coulter is to cut the residue and cut a groove into the soil to enhance soil flow at the tillage point and equalize soil flow off of each side of the tillage point. 
   The final apparatus of the system is a conditioning rotary reel  100  that conditions the strip of soil to shape and pre-settle the berm, to give ideal seed-to-soil contact and uniform berm size, thus promoting early, fast and uniform emergence. The rotary reel of the instant invention is mounted to a yoke  102  on bearings to provide smooth and free relative rotation of the reel. The yoke  102  is affixed to reel arm  90  pivotally mounted to support arm  80 . The reel assembly  20  is shown to include an adjustable spring  88 , which would be adjusted as needed to maintain firm engagement between the conditioning rotary reel and the ground sufficient to break up clods. Generally, the larger the clods in the field, the greater the down pressure required. If down-pressure is required to augment the weight of the reel itself, any appropriate mechanism or approach can be used, such as, for example, spring packs or weights. 
   As the shank cuts through the soil, it explodes the soil outwardly where it contacts the gathering blades and is redirected inwardly toward the path of the shank. If the surface of the ground is level and the density is generally uniform, the soil exploded is uniform on the two sides of the shank, and is uniform when turned inwardly by the blades; however, as is more often the case, the ground is not level and the soil is not of uniform density, the exploded soil is not of equal volume on the two sides of the shank and, thus, the soil turned by the blades is not uniform and of equal volume. This lack of uniformity of volume and density causes the blade being hit by the higher volume to throw more soil inwardly, and to actually throw some soil all the way across the shank path and onto an untilled area of the ground. This situation presents a problem in that it does not provide sufficient volume of soil to build the desired berm. To avoid this, the conditioning rotary reel must be located close enough to the blades to catch the extra volume of soil and encompass it into the berm. Generally, this requires the conditioning rotary reel to be located in the range of 6 to 10 inches from the back of the blades. 
   Referring now to  FIGS. 1-3 , a general depiction of rotary reel  100  conforming to the teachings of the instant invention can be seen to include a pair of opposing end plates  104 ,  106 . The end plates may be notched or scallop-shaped to reduce plugging in wet conditions and avoid creation of a groove beside the berm. The end plates are partially maintained in transverse alignment by a support shaft  108  that extends through centrally located apertures in each of the end plates. Support shaft  108  is affixed, as by welding, to each of the end plates and extends beyond each to fit into bearings on yoke  102 . A plurality of elongate ground-engaging bars  110 , made from flat stock, extends from end-to-end across the end plates and are affixed thereto. The end plates have slots, as at  112  in  FIG. 1 , into which the bars fit. After welding, this arrangement provides superior support and strength for the connection. While it is preferred that the bars be fabricated from flat stock, satisfactory results can be obtained by the use of other structures, such as, for example, bar stock or lengths of tubular material. It should be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art that other methods and arrangements for affixing the bars to the end plates would provide a satisfactory structure. 
   Each of the bars  110  is, as can best be seen in  FIG. 5 , generally concave, or hat-shaped, in plan view. While the term “hat-shaped” is used herein to describe the planar configuration of the bars, it is intended merely as an aid in understanding, not a limitation. The plan view configuration may take any concave shape that will produce a useful shape for the berm created. The preferred embodiment is as shown in  FIG. 5 , and will produce a raised berm with a generally flat top. It should be understood, however, that almost any shape can be created and might vary for different crops or field conditions. In the preferred embodiment, the concave edge  114  is directed generally radially inwardly toward the axis of rotation of the conditioning rotary reel, as defined by the longitudinal axis of support shaft  108 ; however, the direction of the concave portion may vary from the radial direction and still prove satisfactory. The shape of the concave edge  114  is the chosen shape of the berm to be created, i.e., the shape of the berm as shown at  116  in  FIG. 4  is determined by the configuration of the concave edge  114  of  110 . The width of bars  110 , and thus the width of conditioning rotary reel  100  is chosen or determined such that the outer flat portions,  118 ,  120  ride at least partially on untilled soil such that the conditioning rotary reel does not leave a groove beside the berm. As stated above, the shaped, concave portion of the bars can be modified in specific contour so as to achieve the same result or changed to build larger or smaller berms. The depth of the seedbed is determined by the operational depth setting of tillage point  54 , and the height of the berm is established by the amount of soil turned up by the tillage point (plus the amount of air and residue mixed with the soil). The width of the berm is determined by the setting between blades  68 ,  70  and the width of conditioning rotary reel  100 . By way of example, a satisfactory embodiment of the conditioning rotary reel is 11 inches wide with an end plate diameter of 14 inches, and a general depth for the concave portion of about 2 inches. 
   Both the gathering blades and the conditioning rotary reel are spring loaded to urge them to follow the ground contour and also provide the necessary down pressure to gather the proper amount of soil by the gathering blades and to provide clod pulverization with the conditioning rotary reel. Additionally, the gathering blades are adjustable in height. 
   It will be understood that changes in the details, materials, steps and arrangements of parts which have been described and illustrated to explain the nature of the invention will occur to and may be made by those skilled in the art upon a reading of this disclosure within the principles and scope of the invention. The foregoing description illustrates the preferred embodiment of the invention; however, concepts, as based upon the description, may be employed in other embodiments without departing from the scope of the inventions. Accordingly, the following claims are intended to protect the invention broadly as well as in the specific form shown.

Technology Category: 1