Deere & Company

Kevin William Hoehn

Michael E Friestad

William Douglas Graham

Robert Edwin Bennett

Keith L Felton

Douglas A Graham

Tyler G Groves

Andrew Dale Sahr

John Henry Meinert

Warren L Tompson

Dale A Quam

A combination fertilizer and seeding Implement includes a front section of disk type fertilizer openers and a rear section of frame mounted seed openers. The fertilizer openers are connected by drawbars to a rockshaft which is vertically adjustable to accommodate different ranges of operating depths of the frame mounted tools. Shank depth is set by frame height, and the vertical adjustability of the rockshaft facilitates a wide range of frame operating heights for different tool depths while maintaining optimum disk opener drawbar angles.

Seeding implement with front rockshaft-mounted fertilizer openers

A seeding machine having a plurality of seed meters receiving rotary input from a common input shaft. First and second gearboxes respectively connect the common rotary input to individual seed meters. A flexible drive extends from the gearbox adjacent the common rotary input to the seed meters. Spring clutches, normally connected, are electrically actuated to disengage the drive to the individual seed meters. The clutches may be integrated in the gearbox adjacent the rotary drive or the gear box for the individual seed meters.

Integrated clutches for a seeding machine

A flexible rockshaft includes joint structure facilitating the adjustment of the rotational angle of rockshaft segments relative to each other. A link inserted between a rockshaft segment and the rockshaft flex member rotates on the same or a parallel pivot as adjacent rockshaft segment, and an adjustable length connecting mechanism on the link provides angular adjustment. In one embodiment, shims supported on the link are selectively clamped between a threaded stop and an internally threaded link. The number of shims may be easily varied to change the angular position of one rockshaft segment relative to the adjacent segment. In another embodiment, a simpler threaded member with positioning nuts is located on the additional link and provides inexpensive angular adjustability.

Jointed rockshaft with angularly adjustable segments

A series of thin shims with concave profiles matching the cylinder rod is supported from the cylinder. A carrier mechanism attached to either the rod end or cylinder barrel supports a plurality of shims that can be pivoted between storage positions and stop positions. A pivoting and spring loaded latching arm works in conjunction with notches on the shim profile to lock individual shims in either the working or the storage position. Multiple shim stack operating ranges are provided by insertion of thicker shims between the main shim pack and the mating part. The mating part can be a cylinder rod end or cylinder rod guide, depending upon the shim pack carrier mechanism.

Cylinder mounted stroke control

A level indicator for a disk harrow or the like having a motorized on-the-go leveling adjustment. A small diameter flexible cable is attached to the spring retainer which bears against one end of the coil spring on an adjustable link structure located between pivoting hitch structure and the adjustable ground wheels. The opposite end of the cable is attached to a slide which is free to move vertically in a bracket fixed to the motor mounting bracket. The weight of the slide maintains tension on the cable and as the motor is activated to move the spring retainer relative to the motor mounting bracket, the cable moves the slide vertically to provide an indication of the leveling adjustment. The consistent relationship between the spring retainer and the motor bracket at a given adjustment position provides an easy to read indication even though the entire leveling system may be moving relative to the machine frame.

Leveling position indicator

Adjustable link structure for providing on-to-go disk harrow adjustment from the cab of the towing vehicle. The mechanism for automatically maintaining the frame of a disk harrow at a level condition as the frame is raised and lowered relative to the ground includes an adjustable link member with a rotary hydraulic motor utilized to adjust a mechanical screw type mechanism to maintain a set adjustment position independently of continued fluid pressure to the motor.

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Bettendorf, IA, United States of America

Kevin William Hoehn