Dawn Equipment Company

Deere + Company

Underground Agriculture, LLC

Other

Joseph D Bassett

James H Bassett

Rodney J Arthur

An agricultural implement includes at least one row unit having a plurality of support members, each of which is pivotably coupled to an attachment frame or another of the support members to permit vertical pivoting vertical movement of the support members, and a plurality of soil-engaging tools, each of which is coupled to at least one of the support members. A plurality of hydraulic cylinders are coupled to the support members for urging the support members downwardly toward the soil. A plurality of controllable pressure control valves are coupled to the hydraulic cylinders for controlling the pressure of hydraulic fluid supplied to the cylinders. A plurality of sensors produce electrical signals corresponding to predetermined conditions, and a controller is coupled to the sensor and the controllable pressure control valves. The controller receives the electrical signals from the sensors and produces control signals for controlling the pressure control valves.

Agricultural systems

An agricultural row unit for planting seeds in a furrow includes an opening tool that cuts a furrow in the soil to be planted, and a gauge wheel that engages the soil to control elevation. A depth control actuator applies a controllable down force to the gauge wheel, and a sidewall compaction sensor extends into sidewalls of the furrow and produces a signal representing the compaction of the soil. A controller supplies the depth control actuator with a control signal representing a down pressure set point to form a furrow having a desired depth. The controller uses the signal representing the compaction of the soil in the sidewalls to determine whether the down pressure set point should be increased or decreased, and supplies the depth control actuator with a control signal when it is determined that the down pressure set point should be increased or decreased.

System for automatically setting the set point of a planter automatic down pressure control system with a seed furrow sidewall compaction measurement device

System and method for adaptively controlling depth of ground-engaging planting row unit using forward sensor that measures residue ahead of row unit

A robotically controlled system including a fence enclosure that can move and/or shape-shift itself autonomously and automatically without manual intervention. The system includes coils of electric fence wire that are spring-loaded or otherwise tensioned so that the length of electric fence wire between each post robot is able to contract or expand as the system of robots adapts to optimize the shape of the fence enclosure as the entire enclosure is moved by the robots around a field or other grazing pasture on an area of land.

Robotic rotational grazing system

An agricultural row unit for use with a towing frame hitched to a tractor includes an attachment frame adapted to be rigidly connected to the towing frame, a linkage pivotably coupled to the attachment frame, and a row unit frame having a leading end pivotably coupled to the linkage to permit vertical pivoting movement of the row unit frame relative to the attachment frame. A hydraulic cylinder coupled to the attachment frame and the linkage, for urging the row unit frame downwardly toward the soil, includes a movable ram extending into the cylinder, and a hydraulic-fluid cavity within the cylinder for receiving pressurized hydraulic fluid for advancing the ram in a direction that pivots the linkage and the row unit frame downwardly toward the soil. An accumulator positioned adjacent to the hydraulic cylinder has a fluid chamber containing a diaphragm, with the portion of the chamber on one side of the diaphragm being connected to the hydraulic-fluid cavity in the hydraulic cylinder, and the portion of the chamber on the other side of the diaphragm containing a pressurized gas.

Row unit for agricultural implement

A system for controlling the depth of at least one closing wheel in an agricultural row unit for planting seeds in a furrow. The row unit includes a firming device that passes the seeds into the soil at the bottom of the furrow, and at least one closing wheel that is pressed into a side of the furrow to close the furrow over the seeds. A control system senses the depth of the closing wheels in the furrow relative to the depth of the firming device, and adjusts the downward pressure on the closing wheel, based on changes in the sensed depth of the closing wheel, to compensate for changes in the hardness of the soil. The up and down movement of the firming device can be adjusted independently of the movement of the closing wheel. The firming device can include multiple holes through which pressurized air is forced to dislodge any dirt or mud that accumulates on the soil-engaging parts of the firming device, and can be made according to an additive manufacturing process that allows narrow channels to be formed internal to the firming device.

Seed firming device for improving seed to soil contact in a planter furrow with feature designed to prevent the buildup of soil on the outer surfaces by discharging pressurized fluid

An agricultural seed planter is provided. The agricultural seed planter has a large diameter rotating planting wheel with fingers or teeth spaced around the periphery of the planting wheel. The teeth are positioned so as to achieve a spacing of the seeds when planted in the soil. The teeth have a small dimple in the end and an even smaller hole passing through the entire length. The dimple provides a place for the seed to sit in and the small hole allows positive or negative air pressure to be transmitted to the seed. The negative air pressure creates a vacuum suction that attaches the seed to the teeth, and the positive air pressure releases the seed from the teeth. In an example implementation, the wheel includes many individual mechanical modules that are linked together to form the wheel.

Rotating ground driven high speed precision vacuum planter with seed injection teeth

A robotically controlled system including a fence enclosure that can move and/or shape-shift itself autonomously and automatically without manual intervention. The system includes coils of electric fence wire that are spring-loaded or otherwise tensioned so that the length of electric fence wire between each post robot is able to contract or expand as the system of robots adapts to optimize the shape of the fence enclosure as the entire enclosure is moved by the robots around a field or other grazing pasture on an area of land. At least one of the post robots is able to provide an earth ground connection that is movable as the fence enclosure is moved.

Movable electrified fence for rotational grazing

An agricultural planting system for controlling the depth of an opener device in an agricultural planter includes an agricultural planter, an opener device, a gauge wheel, a GPS device, and a controller. The opener device is mounted on the agricultural planter for engaging the ground of a field. The gauge wheel is mounted on the agricultural planter for rotating on the ground of the field. The GPS device is coupled to the agricultural planter. The GPS device is configured to determine a location of the agricultural planter in the field. The controller is in electrical communication with the agricultural planter and the GPS device. The controller has predetermined settings associated with a map of the field. The controller is configured to select a relative elevation of the opener device and the gauge wheel based at least in part on the location determined by the GPS device.

Agricultural planting system with automatic depth control

An agricultural mowing device includes a shaft, a first cutting device, and a second cutting device. The shaft has an upper section, a middle section, and a lower section. The shaft is advanced in a field between two adjacent rows of planted matter. The first cutting device is mounted to the lower section of the shaft. The first cutting device extends laterally from the shaft to a distance covering only a distance between the two adjacent rows. The first cutting device cuts plant matter that grows between the two adjacent rows. The second cutting device is mounted to the middle section of the shaft. The second cutting device extends laterally from the shaft to a distance covering at least a portion of at least one of the two adjacent rows. The second cutting device cuts plant matter that grows in the at least one of the two adjacent rows.

Growing community of inventors

Sycamore, IL, United States of America

Joseph D Bassett