Deere + Company

Henry William Brandt, Jr

Donald Thomas Sorlie

Thomas E Hitzhusen

A structural orientation and protective apparatus is disclosed that is particularly useful in a tillage assembly for sod seeding purposes. The apparatus includes a pair of skids each of which is adjacent to a cutter wheel mounted on the tillage assembly for cutting a furrow in ground to be seeded, each skid including a ground engaging portion to determine the maximum depth of furrow cut by the cutter wheel. Each skid is mounted for pivotal motion about a horizontal axis at the forward end, with the forward end being inclined upwardly from the ground engaging portion. A vertical mounting plate on each skid has a bracket mounted therebetween at the rear portion to receive a vertical adjustment rod, one portion of which is connected to the frame of the apparatus for controlling the selected depth of furrow to be cut. A seed tube boot is fastened to the rear portion of the skid so that regardless of the selected depth of furrow cut, the tube remains in the same position relative to the ground. The particular positioning of the seed boot on the skid, as well as the particular structure of the skid itself, protects the seed boot against foreign objects that could damage or otherwise impair proper functioning of the seed boot.

Structural orientation and protective apparatus for tillage assembly

A depth control and protective apparatus is disclosed as particularly useful in a tillage assembly for sod seeding purposes. The apparatus includes a pair of skids mounted upon a pivoted arm, which arm has also mounted thereon a pair of cutter wheels for cutting a furrow in ground to be seeded, each skid including a ground engaging portion to determine the maximum depth of furrow cut by the cutter wheel. Each skid is mounted for essentially vertical movement with respect to the associated arm and cutter wheel mounted thereon to thereby determine and control the depth of furrow cut by the associated cutter wheel. A substantially circular plate has an oval aperture in the central portion through which the axle and drive for the cutter wheel extends, and an inwardly directed cylindrical flange extends to the periphery of the circular plate to protect the axle and to provide for movement of the skid relative to the cutter wheel and axle. A seed boot is fastened to the skid rearwardly of the cutter wheel by an ear extending above ground level between the cylindrical flange of the skid and the seed tube at a point spaced from the lower end thereof. Thus, regardless of the selected depth of the furrow cut, the tube remains in the same position relative to the ground.

Growing community of inventors

Des Moines, IA, United States of America

Henry William Brandt, Jr