Deere + Company

Ronald M Steilen

Vernon E Rettig

Lester D Schreiner

Steve A Junge

Marvin L Bigbee

Glenn D Head, Jr

John R Myers

Jeffrey J Postal

Robert J Bartusek

A compact, leaf spring biased shank assembly with a shank bracket which clamps to a tube and leaves the upper portion of the tube relatively unobstructed to eliminate interference with the lift mechanism and/or implement frame. The shank bracket includes easily accessible down pressure and shank height pins for quick, effortless adjustments of the shank assembly. The leaf spring is C-shaped and is designed to approach a straightened condition as the shank moves.

Compact shank assembly with leaf spring

Hopper and meter support structure for easy removal of hopper and metering mechanisms to facilitate converting a complete grain drill or similar implement from one row spacing to another. A molded plastic hopper rests on transversely extending beam members of the grain drill main frame and includes lower flanges supported on two lower tubular beam members. The metering mechanism includes flanges which are sandwiched between the tubular beams and the hopper flanges, and these components are held in position by angles which are removeably attached to the lower beams. By simply removing the angles, the entire hopper and meter support structure may be lifted from the beam members.

Hopper and metering mechanism structure for an agricultural implement

A shank assembly including a rearwardly opening bracket pivotally mounting a shank. A tension link extends upwardly from a central portion of the shank and through an apertured strap. A stop member at the upper end of the link limits the downward rocking of the shank. An adjustable arm assembly including a trunnion slidably received over the tension link is pivotally connected to the bracket and adjustably compresses a down-pressure spring which encircles the link between the trunnion and the shank. Individual down-pressure adjustments can be made without affecting the transport height of the assembly.

Furrow opener assembly with integral down-pressure adjustment

Three-point hitch structure for connecting an implement to a towing vehicle wherein the upper link is made variable by means of a hydraulic cylinder pinned to a plate to provide three pivot points. When the cylinder is retracted, the two components act as a fixed length link, with the middle pivot point maintained slightly off center with respect to the two outer pivot points by a stop member. When the cylinder is extended, the middle pivot moves away from the centerline joining the two outer pivot points to allow the overall length to either lengthen or shorten. The towed vehicle is therefore free to rock with respect to the hitch and includes gauge and stabilizing wheels to maintain the implement in proper relationship with the ground contour. The link cylinder is plumbed into the hitch lift circuit so that when the implement is raised to transport position, the upper link automatically becomes fixed length and when the implement is lowered to operating position, the link automatically returns to a variable length configuration.

Hitch structure with variable link

An improved double disk blade opener assembly and disk blade therefor are provided for a grain drill or the like. A pair of bearings are supported on opposite sides of a seed boot casting or arm structure mounted on the implement. Each bearing supports a threaded shaft which extends outwardly therefrom to a blade-receiving end. A pair of generally flat disk blades each fabricated from a single piece of sheet metal and having opposed outwardly cupped central portions to accommodate the bearings are secured on and rotate with the shafts. Mounting the bearings in the boot rather than in bearing caps on the blade decreases the overall width of the opener and increases trash flow between adjacent openers. Socket screws which previously were used to secure the blade assembly to the boot, which required tapping of the boot and which frequently worked loose therefrom are eliminated. The specially shaped disk blades retain the desired furrow cutting characteristics of conventional flat disk blades.

Double disk opener assembly and disk blade therefor

A two-wheeled trailer hitch supporting two three-point hitch mounted implements side-by-side for field operation. The implements are mounted on outriggers which are foldable forwardly to narrow the unit for transport. A pair of rigid diagonal drag links movable fore-and-aft by a cylinder-activated slide block is connected to the outriggers for pivoting them approximately ninety degrees between the field and transport positions. Lift frame structures selectively engage the three-point hitch linkages to raise the implements on the respective outriggers. The lift frame structure is disengaged from the linkages when the implements are lowered for greater flexibility in the field-working position.

Multiple implement hitch and transport

For an implement, a caster wheel assembly including a tubular member connected to reciprocate as the caster wheel swivels. An adjustable brake assembly resists movement of the tubular member to eliminate caster wheel wobble as the implement is transported. A plurality of caster wheel assemblies permit the implement to crab between the towing vehicle and a trailing implement. The brake assemblies provide convenient locking and control of selective wheels for the desired swivel action in numerous operating situations.

Caster wheel brake

An adjustable and flexible metering gate for a fluted feed cup assembly on a grain drill. The metering gate is fabricated from a flexible material, and the adjusting lever for the gate is located on the side of the cup opposite the portion of the fluted feed roll which is exposed to the grain so that the gate can flex and pass foreign objects without damage and then return to its original position. The feed cup is fabricated from plastic.

Feed cup assembly with flexible metering gate

A scraper assembly for a double disk furrow opener having a hinge bracket bolted rigidly to the cast boot assembly. Scrapers are supported by the hinge bracket and urged against the inside of the blades by a leaf spring. The bolt holds the relative position of the assembly to prevent the scrapers from overhanging the edge of the disk blades, and the leaf spring allows individual scraper action.

Scraper for double disk furrow opener

A press grain drill includes a plurality of opener units mounted on an elongated tow tube and including a plurality of elongated, pivotably coupled elements forming a pair of parallelograms which support a self-penetrating shovel and a press wheel respectively. A first one of the parallelograms permits up and down movement of the shovel relative to the tow tube while maintaining the pitch of the shovel relative to the ground substantially constant. A second one of the parallelograms responds to each movement of the shovel to move the press wheel in the same direction and relative to the shovel so as to maintain the depth of the shovel within the ground substantially constant. Whenever the tow tube which is coupled by pairs of parallel links to an elongated main frame tool bar is raised relative to the tool bar for towing, a lift tube coupled to the links via bracket numbers engages the opener units to lift them relative to the tow tube.

Press grain drill

A compact agricultural planter unit is provided for narrow row crops. The unit includes a pair of double disk furrow openers in combination with adjustable depth gauge wheels. The disks and wheels are carried by frame structure positioned between the wheels and are rotatably mounted on pivots located radially inwardly of the wheel peripheries. Manually adjustable structure for selecting the furrow depth or position of the gauge wheels relative to the disks extends slightly radially outwardly beyond the wheels.

Planter

An improved assembly is provided for mounting a disk blade to the drawbar or standard of a furrow opener on a grain drill, planter or similar implement. A bearing support is attached to the drawbar. A bearing includes an outer race held by the bearing support, an inner race extending axially beyond the support and a single disk blade receiving bolt depending from the inner race. A disk blade is secured on the bolt between the inner race and a securing nut threaded on the end of the bolt so that the bolt, disk blade and inner race rotate together about the axis of the bolt. Since the bearing is not riveted or otherwise supported on the disk blade, the blade can be removed from the bolt and replaced easily and quickly without having to replace the bearing. The bearing case normally riveted to the disk blade is eliminated increasing the clearance between blades for better flow of dirt and trash.

Disk blade assembly

An agricultural implement having a transverse main frame and transversely extending tool-carrying outer sections rearwardly foldable for transport. The main frame supports a pair of slide members which shift laterally thereon and to which the outer sections are pivotally connected. A hydraulically powered cylinder shifts the slide members transversely to separate the outer sections and provide clearance for tools carried thereon and smaller hydraulic cylinders swing each outer section about the pivotal connection and between their transverse and fore-and-aft positions.

Rearfolding implement

An agricultural implement includes a main frame and tool-carrying outer sections foldable between transversely extending operational and fore-and-aft extending transport positions. The folding mechanism transversely separates the inner ends of the outer sections as it simultaneously rotates the sections rearwardly into transport position. Tools supported on adjacent ends of the sections are thus separated to eliminate interference therebetween during transport.

Growing community of inventors

Ankeny, IA, United States of America

Ronald M Steilen