Agco Corporation

Great Plains Manufacturing, Incorporated

Ranjit Patwardhan

Monte J Rans

William H Thompson

William E Higgs

A wheel assembly for an agricultural implement. The agricultural equipment includes a laterally-extending toolbar with one or more agricultural tools extending from the toolbar. The wheel assembly comprises a wheel configured to rotate along a ground surface. The wheel assembly additionally comprises a base bracket configured to be rigidly secured to the toolbar. The wheel assembly further comprises a wheel bracket adjustably engaged with the base bracket. Adjustment of the wheel bracket with respect to the base bracket causes a corresponding lateral shifting of the wheel with respect to the toolbar.

Shiftable wheels for agricultural implements

A planter may be disclosed, the planter may comprise a handle, a first shaft, a second shaft, and a link. The first shaft may be operatively connected to the handle, link, or second shaft. The link may be arranged to translate rotational motion of the first shaft to the second shaft.

Closing wheel adjustment

A furrow closing apparatus is used with a planter that opens a furrow and deposits seeds as the planter moves in a forward direction over the ground. The furrow closing apparatus includes a frame attached to the planter and first and second closing wheels rotatably mounted on respective first and second closing wheel axles. A pivot axle extends from the frame generally transverse to the direction of travel of the planter and an equalizer bracket pivotably connected to the pivot axle. The equalizer bracket receives the first closing wheel axle in a position aft of the pivot axle and receives the second closing wheel axle in a position forward of the pivot axle such that the equalizer bracket pivots as the closing wheels traverse uneven ground to cause the first closing wheel and the second closing wheel to apply a substantially equal force in closing the furrow.

Closing wheel equalizer

A metering device having an obstruction within its metering chamber to prevent inputs such as seeds from passing from a seed sump to other areas within the metering chamber and causing to the metering device to become overfilled with seeds when the metering device is raised out of the planting position. In one embodiment, the obstruction includes one or more hingedly connected flaps that move due to the changing orientation of the metering device. In one or more positions of the metering device, the obstruction is positioned to prevent the seeds from leaving the seed sump. The seeds are prevented from leaving the seed sump without having to manually shut a gate on each metering devices of a planter.

Seed flap for seed meter

A planter row unit has a pair of ground-engaging gauge wheels located in close proximity to opposite sides of a furrow opener of the unit. The depth of penetration of the furrow opener depends upon the vertical position of the gauge wheels relative to the furrow opener. Wheel arms that connect the gauge wheels to the frame of the row unit are operably coupled with a depth adjustment lever through a rigid link that transmits adjusting movement of the depth adjustment lever to the gauge wheels to raise or lower the same. The link is made adjustable in length to provide fine depth adjustment of the unit for calibration purposes or otherwise.

Growing community of inventors

Hesston, KS, United States of America

Ranjit Patwardhan