Deere & Company

Donald Ray Peck

Richard Wayne Hook

Mark Donald Beeck

James Thomas Noonan

Benoit Jocelyn Poutre

Jarrod Ray Ruckle

Richard David Zaun

James Michael VanAuwelaer

Michael Sieben Egert

Warren L Thompson

James A Swartzendruber

Benoit Poutré

David Carl Winter

Douglas P Brown

Leo W Riegel

Benoit Jocelyn Poutre′

Donald L Burrough

Benoit Poutr&eacute;

Arman P Mortale

James Michael Van Auwelaer

Carl David Winter

A lift system includes parallel connected cylinder circuits with cylinders mechanically tied together on a first lift wheel arm. The base end of a third cylinder connected to a second lift wheel arm is connected in parallel with the pair of cylinders. The rod end of the third cylinder is constrained for movement with the rod end of a fourth cylinder also connected to the second wheel arm. The rod end of one of the pair of cylinders is connected in series with the base end of the fourth cylinder to thereby constrain the third and fourth cylinders on the second lift wheel arm to move in unison with the pair of cylinders on the first lift wheel arm. Series cylinder circuits move the wing cylinders in unison with the main frame cylinders to keep the implement level. The hydraulic circuit is also plumbed to retract outer wing wheels during wing fold operations to eliminate outer wing wheel interference.

Cylinder synchronization for an implement lift system

Sweep retaining structure includes a spring wire retainer with a base supported in a groove on the underside of the wedge support which mates with a stem portion of the sweep. The wedge support is apertured, and a central curved portion of the retainer passes through the aperture and supports a sweep-contacting end above the surface of the wedge support. The end is biased toward a contact area on the sweep to engage the area and eliminate sweep loss problems by preventing the sweep from slipping downwardly from the mounted position. To remove the sweep, a tool is inserted through the slot to depress the retainer end, and the sweep is forced off the wedge support. A raised area on the sweep directs soil away from the retainer and contact area to reduce wear and eliminate depression of the end during operation. The underside of the raised area positions the wire end and provides bend-resisting support for the wire.

Knock-on sweep structure and tools therefor

Sweep retaining structure includes a retainer having a contact end biased towards the sweep. The sweep includes two or more spaced end-receiving areas to accommodate changes in the mounted sweep position. In one embodiment, the retainer is a wire made of spring steel having a contact end biased against the underside of the sweep. In one embodiment, the underside of the sweep includes a series of stepped portions. As the sweep is forced on the adapter on the shank, the contact end springs into retaining position on the stepped portion that aligns with the spring end when the sweep is in the mounted position. The sweep can be attached loosely by hand in an initial position with operating forces moving the sweep to a wedge locked position.

Knock-on sweep structure

A sweep removal tool includes a pair of claws with angled surfaces conforming to the top edge of the sweep stem to locate the tool and help distribute sweep removal impact forces. A retainer depressor centered below the claws moves the retainer to a release position and slides between the angled surfaces during sweep removal. The depressor shape assures desired tine contact, even when the sweep is at an extreme position in the range of possible mounted positions, while preventing damaging contact as the depressor moves relative to the retainer during sweep removal. A curved surface extends between the claws and the depressor and facilitates free pivoting of the tine about the claw contact points to depress the retainer. The tool bottoms against the sweep when the depressor is moved to the release position to prevent retained damage from removal impact forces.

Tool for a knock-on sweep structure

Knock-on sweep structure includes a wedge adapter having opposite sides with upper and lower surfaces that engage the wrap-around portion of the sweep stem. The upper and lower surfaces diverge at different rates from a narrow end to a wide end to improve sweep-adapter contact. In one embodiment, the upper and lower surfaces on each side are planar and define a compound angle. The differential rate of divergence assures early contact between the adapter and stem at a plurality of spaced locations for improved retention and more reliable sweep positioning.

Knock-on sweep structure having mounting side surfaces diverging at different rates in the wedging direction

A depth control includes an actuator tube connected for movement with the rockshaft and having a threaded crank supported on the forward end of the tube. A valve operator bracket is slidably and nonrotatably received over the tube and includes a threaded portion engaging the crank threads to positively locate the bracket relative to the tube. The bracket carries a plunger which, as the rockshaft lowers the implement to the working position, is moved into contact with a valve actuator to close a valve and prevent further lowering of the implement. One turn of the crank gives the same positive movement along the tube each time the depth setting is adjusted so that working depth can be set very accurately and easily.

Crank adjusted depth control for an implement

A first tube of rectangular cross section is joined to a second tube by notching the first tube on two sides to assure that the top and bottom walls of the first tube touch the rounded corner of the second tube at a central location to define a weld receiving groove and to eliminate the gap between the abutted tubes for repeatable, well defined welds. To avoid large fixtures and structural locators adjacent a weld location, a small tab is provided in the notched end of the first tube. An oversized laser-cut slot in the side of the second tube receives the tab and has one slot boundary precisely located with respect to a reference point on the second tube. The first tube is urged in the direction to force the tab against the boundary and positively locate the first tube with respect to the reference point.

Method for welding rectangular tubes

A combination tillage and incorporating implement having widely spaced sweeps in several rows at the forward portion of the main frame with tow trailing rows of angled spider wheels supported in pairs, for ground contour following ability and ease and flexibility of manufacture, by rockable arms extending rearwardly from the frame. Spray nozzles or the like, positioned rearwardly of the sweeps and forwardly of the spider wheels, apply material to the soil loosened and leveled by the sweeps to eliminate banding and uneven application otherwise causded by sweeps parting the soil or by material being deposited on rough ground surfaces. The rotational axes of the wheels of each row are parallel and angled with respect to the transverse direction with the rear row of wheels being angled in the opposite direction to that of the leading row to provide aggressive mixing and smooth uninterrupted soil flow across the width of the implement.

Dual tillage implement

Frame for a disk harrow or similar implement

A simplified method of assembling a disk from the ground up by first assembling disk gangs and then connecting the disk gangs together to provide a self-standing front and rear main disk gang pairs. The main frame is assembled over main disk gang pairs after which wheel modules are attached. Disks of different sizes are assembled, utilizing generally identical main frame beams with the same connecting locations, by decreasing the distance between the forward and rear gang pairs and moving the main frame beams outwardly as the desired width of the disk increases.

Method of assembling a disk

A rotary incorporator for one pass incorporation of chemicals or small grains in previously tilled soil. The incorporator includes two rows of aggressive, large diameter spider wheels supported from a toolbar for rotation in the soil about axes offset at an acute angle to the transverse direction. The spider wheels, arranged to balance the forces transmitted to the toolbar, are angled in opposite directions on each half portion of the implement, with the wheels of the trailing row angled in opposite direction to and offset transversely with respect to the forwardly adjacent wheels in the forward row. The innermost wheels of each of the two rows are more widely spaced and smaller in diameter than most of the remaining wheels, and two additional smaller diameter spider wheels are centrally located between the innermost wheels and cooperate therewith to provide good incorporation and a smooth seed bed without hilling or chemical banding. A smaller diameter, depth limited spider wheel on each outermost end of the implement feathers the effect of the angled wheels. The spider wheels include tines having a concave soil working surfaces for good mixing and soil moving action and a large gullet area for good trash shedding and throwing characteristics.

Growing community of inventors

Clive, IA, United States of America

Donald Ray Peck