Opener for agricultural implement

Abstract

An opener for depositing fertilizer and seed in a single pass, double-shoot manner includes a rotating disc that cuts a furrow in a planting surface, a fertilizer tube that drops fertilizer into the furrow, and a trailing seed tube assembly, having a cutting edge, that cuts a vertically and horizontally offset trench in the furrow to form a seed bed in the planting surface onto which seed is deposited. The seed trench provides a seed bed that is offset from the bottom of the furrow to provide horizontal and vertical stratification of the seed and fertilizer.

1 - 7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . An opener for use with a seeder having a frame and configured to travel along a line of travel, comprising:
 a disc mount configured to be coupled to the frame;   a rotatable disc coupled to the disc mount and angled relative to the line of travel of the planting implement, the disc configured to cut a furrow;   a fertilizer tube mounted to the disc mount and configured to deposit fertilizer into a fertilizer trench formed in the furrow; and   a seed boot assembly coupled to the disc mount rearward of the fertilizer tube and the disc, the seed boot assembly including a hollow tubular member through which seed may be passed and a stationary cutting edge configured to cut a ledge into the furrow onto which seed may be deposited, wherein the stationary cutting edge is integrally formed with the hollow tubular member.   
     
     
         9 . The opener of  claim 8  wherein the cutting edge is angled upward relative to the hollow tubular member and configured to lift soil as the cutting edge cuts through the furrow. 
     
     
         10 . The opener of  claim 8  wherein the cutting edge is angle downward relative to the hollow tubular member and configured to force soil onto fertilizer deposited in the furrow as the cutting edge cuts through the furrow. 
     
     
         11 . The opener of  claim 8  wherein the hollow tubular member deposits seed at a depth different than that which fertilizer is deposited by the fertilizer tube. 
     
     
         12 . The opener of  claim 11  wherein the hollow tubular member deposits seed at a position laterally offset from that which fertilizer is deposited by the fertilizer tube. 
     
     
         13 . The opener of  claim 12  wherein the seed boot assembly further includes a rearwardly extending portion configured to prevent clogging of the hollow tubular member. 
     
     
         14 . The opener of  claim 8  wherein the seed boot assembly is configured to be selectively coupled to the disc mount at variable mounting positions to adjust a depth at which the knife cuts the ledge into the furrow. 
     
     
         15 - 19 . (canceled)