Great Plains Manufacturing, Incorporated

Roy E Applequist

Eric Johnson

Ray Addison Adee

A seed firming wheel attachment is disposed behind the paired discs of an opener to gently press deposited seeds down into the bottom of a V-shaped trench formed by the discs. An improved bearing assembly couples the wheel of the attachment to its support arm in such a manner that one side face of the upright wheel is left completely smooth and flat without projecting nuts or other structures that would tend to accumulate mud and trash. The solid, unbroken expanse of the smooth side face also serves to shield the bearing assembly against exposure to the elements from that side of the wheel. A specially configured inner race of the bearing assembly has a shaft portion that extends from the opposite side of the wheel to serve as a spacer between the wheel and its support arm, a receiver for the threaded fastening bolt of the assembly, and a sealing surface for a second, resilient, annular seal of the assembly against the elements.

Seed firming wheel for grain drills and the like

A pull-type folding implement, such as a grain drill, has individual and independent radial flotation for each of its drill units such that each unit can rise and fall, while remaining level, independently of the other, as well as cock and cant independently of the other as may be necessary to accommodate uneven ground terrain, yet the units may be folded into compact, fore-and-aft extending transport positions in which ground wheels thereof are retracted off the ground and the units are carried by a main, fore-and-aft carrier frame of the implement. A third, center unit may be provided between the two outer units and utilizes its own set of ground wheels during both field working and over-the-road travel when the other units are folded in, the center unit likewise having a floating connection with the carrier frame which permits the center unit to rise and fall, cock and cant when experiencing terrain irregularities. Because the weight of the two outer units is borne entirely by the carrier frame when the outer units are folded in for transport, a safety interlock is provided which prevents unfolding of the outer units from the carrier frame unless the ground wheels of the outer units have first been lowered into ground engaging positions capable of supporting the load of the outer units. Special cocked pivot assemblies coupling the outer units with the central carrier frame cause the units to be likewise cocked about their longitudinal axes when folded into the transport position such that depending, outboard extremities of the units are provided with an extra measure of ground clearance at that time.

Folding implement frame for grain drills and the like

A foldable implement construction includes an implement tool carrying center frame pivotally connected to a draft frame and is provided with a pair of transversely extending outrigger tool sections connected on respective opposite sides of the center frame by a single ball and socket-like hinge which provides a single hinge for both horizontal swinging of the outrigger sections from their transversely extending working position to a longitudinally extending transport position, and further provides for radial pivotal movement of the outrigger sections in their working position to allow the latter to cant and rise and fall in accordance with uneven terrain. Superstructure provided on the center frame cooperates with the ball and socket hinge to both limit of the degree of radial pivotal freedom of the outrigger sections in the working position and to cantilever mount the outrigger sections on the center frame in the transport position, whereby to eliminate the need for wheels for supporting the outer extremities of the outrigger sections when the latter are swung between their working and transport positions. The center frame is also provided with a transversely extending tool section and includes wheels and associated mechanism mounted thereto for vertical shifting into and out of engagement with the ground to permit raising each of the tool sections out of contact with the ground in order to allow folding of the outrigger sections for transport. Each of the tool sections is provided with a vertically shiftable, removably mounted tool carrying frame to permit simple interchange of tools, and includes mechanism for manually varying the penetration depth of the implement tools, without resort to vertically shiftable, ground engaging wheels for altering the elevation of the entire tool section.

Elevation altering structure for agricultural implements

A foldable implement construction includes an implement tool carrying center frame pivotally connected to a draft frame and is provided with a pair of transversely extending outrigger tool sections connected on respective opposite sides of the center frame by a single ball and socket-like hinge which provides a single hinge for both horizontal swinging of the outrigger sections from their transversely extending working position to a longitudinally extending transport position, and further provides for radial pivotal movement of the outrigger sections in their working position to allow the latter to cant and rise and fall in accordance with uneven terrain. Superstructure provided on the center frame cooperates with the ball and socket hinge to both limit of the degree of radial pivotal freedom of the outrigger sections in the working position and to cantilever mount the outrigger sections on the center frame in the transport position, whereby to eliminate the need for wheels for supporting the outer extremities of the outrigger sections when the latter are swung between their working and transport positions. The center frame is also provided with a tranversely extending tool section and includes wheels and associated mechanism mounted thereto for vertical shifting into and out of engagement with the ground to permit raising each of the tool sections out of contact with the ground in order to allow folding of the outrigger sections for transport. Each of the tool sections is provided with a vertically shiftable, removably mounted tool carrying frame to permit simple interchange of tools, and includes mechanism for manually varying the penetration depth of the implement tools, without resort to vertically shiftable, ground engaging wheels for altering the elevation of the entire tool section.

Raisable implement frame with operably connected wheel and draft frames

A foldable implement construction includes an implement tool carrying center frame pivotally connected to a draft frame and is provided with a pair of transversely extending outrigger tool sections connected on respective opposite sides of the center frame by a single ball and socket-like hinge which provides a single hinge for both horizontal swinging of the outrigger sections from their transversely extending working position to a longitudinally extending transport position, and further provides for radial pivotal movement of the outrigger sections in their working position to allow the latter to cant and rise and fall in accordance with uneven terrain. Superstructure provided on the center frame cooperates with the ball and socket hinge to both limit of the degree of radial pivotal freedom of the outrigger sections in the working position and to centilever mount the outrigger sections on the center frame in the transport position, whereby to eliminate the need for wheels for supporting the outer extremities of the outrigger sections when the latter are swung between their working and transport positions. The center frame is also provided with a transversely extending tool section and includes wheels and associated mechanism mounted thereto for vertical shifting into and out of engagement with the ground to permit raising each of the tool sections out of contact with the ground in order to allow folding of the outrigger sections for transport. Each of the tool sections is provided with a vertically shiftable, removably mounted tool carrying frame to permit simple interchange of tools, and includes mechanism for manually varying the penetration depth of the implement tools, without resort to vertically shiftable, ground engaging wheels for altering the elevation of the entire tool section.

Growing community of inventors

Salina, KS, United States of America

Roy E Applequist