Coulter wheel assembly including applying dry or liquid fertilizer

Abstract

A one pass seedbed preparation device having two fluted coulter assemblies per seedbed. The coulter assemblies are attachable to existing seed planting apparatus at their bias spring housings and are offset to provide self-cleaning action. Fertilizer delivery is then provided to an area surrounding the seedbed raised by the coulter wheels. The fertilizer may be delivered by a knife-blade cultivator, an injector or a rolling-disc drive.

We claim: 
     
       1. A coulter wheel assembly, comprising: a main support arm lying in a substantially horizontal plane and having a long and a short axis and a forward and a rearward end;   a spring housing assembly having a long axis in a substantially vertical plane;   a spring housing linkage arm having first and second projections substantially perpendicular to each other, said first and second projections being pivotally connected together;   said first projection attached to said spring housing assembly;   said second projection attached to said main support arm at said main support arm's forward end;   a spring adjustably mounted and enclosedly contained within said spring housing assembly such that it provides bias to keep said main support arm in a substantially horizontal plane;   a coulter wheel linkage arm attached to the main support arm at an oblique angle and extending substantially downward and rearward therefrom;   a coulter receiving wheel rotatably attached to said coulter linkage arm at said coulter linkage arm's downward portion such that said wheels axis of rotation is substantially perpendicular to both the main support arm's long axis and the long axis of spring housing assembly;   a fluted coulter wheel attached to said coulter receiving wheel;   a mounting means for adjustably securing said spring housing assembly to a device supplying a motive force; and   means for applying fertilizer.   
     
     
       2. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein: said spring is preset to apply 2200 pounds of bias force.   
     
     
       3. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein: said means for applying fertilizer comprises a liquid fertilizer injector attached to the main support arm on the rearward end of said main support arm to apply a stream of fertilizer to a seedbed;   said fertilizer injector including a tube, a coupler and a nozzle.   
     
     
       4. An apparatus including at least two pairs of said coulter wheel assemblies according to claim 1, wherein: said paired assemblies prepare a single seedbed; and   said paired member assemblies of the apparatus being mirror images of one another.   
     
     
       5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein: said mounting means for the paired assemblies comprises a pair of unequal length brackets for securably receiving said spring housing assemblies;   said brackets being of fixed lengths to provided a longitudinal offset between the coulter wheel assemblies.   
     
     
       6. The assembly according to claim 4, wherein: said mounting means holds each of said coulter wheel assemblies an unequal length from said motive force.   
     
     
       7. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein said means for applying fertilizer further includes: soil cutting means including a rolling disk-drive removably affixed to a bracket; and   an adjustable holding means to variably position a pressure-type nozzle for fertilizer delivery.   
     
     
       8. The assembly according to claim 7, wherein: said means for applying fertilizer is adjustably attached to main support arm and comprises;   attachment means for affixing said fertilizer delivery means to said main support arm;   a dry fertilizer delivery tube for placement in a trench formed by a soil cutting means; and   said soil cutting means being substantially in line with said coulter wheel when said attachment means are affixed to said main support arm. .Iadd.   
     
     
       9.  A tillage device for attachment to an implement comprising: a first coulter wheel assembly operably pivotally attached along a first substantially horizontal axis to said implement at a first position, said first coulter wheel assembly including a first ground engaging fluted coulter wheel operably rotatably attached to said assembly along a second substantially horizontal axis;   a second coulter assembly operably pivotally attached along a third substantially horizontal axis to said implement at a second position, rearwardly and to one side of said first position, said second coulter assembly being substantially a mirror image of said first coulter assembly and including a second ground engaging fluted coulter wheel operably rotatably attached along a fourth substantially horizontal axis to said second coulter wheel assembly, the pivotal attachment of the second coulter assembly being independent from the pivotal attachment of the first coulter wheel assembly;   wherein said first and second coulter wheels are disposed in an overlapping arrangement when viewed from a side view and wherein said first and second fluted coulters are disposed close enough together to thereby form a means for building a ridge of soil between the first and second fluted coulters as they rotate through the soil as the implement moves in a forward direction; and   wherein said first, second, third and fourth substantially horizontal axis are parallel to each other and substantially transverse to said forward direction. .Iaddend..Iadd.10. The tillage device of claim 9 including a first spring assembly operably attached to said implement and operably attached to said first coulter assembly for biasing said coulter assembly downwardly. .Iaddend..Iadd.11. The tillage device of claim 10 including a second spring assembly operably attached to said implement and operably attached to said second coulter assembly for biasing said second coulter assembly downwardly. .Iaddend..Iadd.12. The tillage device of claim 9 or 11 wherein said first coulter assembly includes a first arm having a front portion, said first arm having a first ground engaging substance applicator affixed to the rear portion, said first substance applicator being disposed directly behind said first fluted coulter wheel.   
     
     
        .Iaddend..Iadd.13.  The tillage device of claim 12 wherein said second coulter assembly includes a second arm having a front portion, said first arm having a second ground engaging substance applicator affixed to the rear portion, said second substance applicator being disposed directly 
     
     
        behind said second fluted coulter wheel. .Iaddend..Iadd.14.  The tillage device of claim 11 including first means for adjusting the vertical position of said first spring assembly with respect to the implement; and second means for adjusting the vertical position of said second spring assembly with respect to the implement. .Iaddend.