Planting – Drilling – Frame and planting-element arrangement
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-09
2001-11-27
Novosad, Christopher J. (Department: 3671)
Planting
Drilling
Frame and planting-element arrangement
C111S164000, C172S536000, C172S736000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06321667
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an agricultural planting machine and more particularly to a planting machine having a pair of rotating disks that open a furrow in which the seeds are deposited as the machine advances and a pair of gauge wheels on opposite sides of the furrow opening disks that control the depth of the furrow opened by the disks. A machine of the above general type is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,111,137 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,111,137, both of which are owned by Deere & Co.
In such a machine, it is desirable to have the gauge wheels positioned on the opposite sides of the furrow opening disk in a close relationship to accurately gauge the depth of the furrow and to prevent the build-up of dirt or trash between the gauge wheels and the opener disks. Due to the wear of the machine, it is sometimes necessary to adjust the position of the gauge wheels to maintain the close relationship of the wheels with the opening disks. For that purpose, it is known to provide shims or spacer washers on the opposite side of the arm that rotatably supports the gauge wheels, the upper end of the arm being mounted on a generally transverse shaft so that the lateral position of the gauge wheel relative to the adjacent disk can be adjusted by removing the bolt that holds the gauge wheel arm until the desired minimum clearance between the gauge wheel and the side of the furrow opening disk is achieved. The above procedure, of course, may be somewhat difficult and time consuming, since to make the adjustment, the gauge wheel arm and the gauge wheel mounted thereon must be removed to add or subtract the washers or shims.
The device illustrated in the above-mentioned Ege patent also provides for axial adjustment of the gauge wheel. The device there described is perfectly adequate for its intended purpose but does put substantial forces on the bearing on which is mounted the gauge wheel. In order to avoid excessive wear on the bearing, while retaining the ease of adjustment inherent in the Ege device, the present invention is directed to a device for axially adjusting the position of the gauge wheels, that is laterally adjusting the gauge wheels in connection with the adjacent furrow opening devices while alleviating excessive wear on the bearings by locking the bearing to the gauge wheel arm so that the arm and bearing react as a unit.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, an improved mechanism is provided for adjusting the position of the gauge wheel relative to the furrow opening disk. More specifically, an exteriorly threaded bushing is interposed between the gauge wheel arm and the shaft the arm having an internal thread that engages the external thread on the bushing. The bushing is locked to the arm, and when unlocked, the position of the gauge wheel relative to the furrow opening disks is easily adjusted by simply rotating the bushing until the gauge wheel achieves its desired position, after which the bushing can again be locked to the arm to hold the position of the gauge wheel in the desired location.
An important feature of the invention resides in its simple inexpensive construction. Another important feature of the invention resides in the fact that the adjustment can be easily accomplished in the field with a minimum amount of tools, so that the operator is not discouraged from adjusting the relationship between the furrow opening disks and gauge wheel to its optimum position.
The invention consists of certain novel features and a combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the details may be made without departing from the spirit, or sacrificing any of the advantages of the present invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4009668 (1977-03-01), Brass et al.
patent: 5427038 (1995-06-01), Ege
patent: 5595130 (1997-01-01), Baugher et al.
patent: 5802995 (1998-09-01), Baugher et al.
Emrich & -Dithmar
Novosad Christopher J.
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