Row-clearing unit for agricultural implement

Abstract

An agricultural row-clearing unit for use with an agricultural row unit attached to a towing frame hitched to a tractor comprises an attachment frame adapted to be rigidly connected to the towing frame, a support element having a leading end pivotally connected to the attachment frame for vertical pivoting movement relative to the attachment frame, at least one agricultural tool mounted on the trailing end of the support element, and a hydraulic cylinder connected between the attachment frame and the support element for pivoting the support element around the pivotal connection to the attachment frame. The hydraulic cylinder includes a movable rod coupling the cylinder to the support element, a cavity within the cylinder for receiving pressurized hydraulic fluid for advancing the rod in a direction that pivots the support element downwardly toward the soil, and an energy storage device coupled to the rod and the cylinder to apply a retracting force to the rod to bias the support element in a direction that urges the agricultural tool(s) upwardly away from the soil.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An agricultural row-clearing unit for use with an agricultural planting row unit attached to a towing frame hitched to a tractor, said row clearing unit comprising:
 an attachment frame adapted to be rigidly connected to said towing frame, 
 a support element having a leading end pivotally connected to said attachment frame at a pivotal connection for vertical pivoting movement relative to said attachment frame, 
 at least one row-clearing wheel mounted on the trailing end of said support element, 
 a hydraulic cylinder pivotally connected between said attachment frame and said support element for pivoting said support element around said pivotal connection to said attachment frame, said hydraulic cylinder including
 a movable rod coupling said cylinder to said support element, 
 a cavity within said cylinder for receiving pressurized hydraulic fluid for advancing said rod in a direction that pivots said support element downwardly toward the soil, and 
 an energy storage device coupled to said rod and said cylinder to apply a retracting force to said rod to pivotally bias said support element in a direction that urges said at least one row-clearing wheel upwardly away from the soil. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The row-clearing unit of  claim 1  which includes an accumulator having a fluid chamber containing a diaphragm, the portion of said chamber on one side of said diaphragm connected to said hydraulic-fluid cavity in said hydraulic cylinder, and the portion of said chamber on the other side of said diaphragm containing a pressurized gas. 
     
     
       3. The row-clearing unit of  claim 2  in which said cavity is closed so that the volume of hydraulic fluid in said cylinder and accumulator is fixed. 
     
     
       4. The row-clearing unit of  claim 1  in which said energy storage device is a compressed coil spring disposed around a portion of said rod with one end of said spring coupled to said rod and the other end of said spring coupled to said cylinder so that said spring continuously biases said movable rod in a retracting direction relative to said cylinder. 
     
     
       5. The row-clearing unit of  claim 1  in which said rod forms a shoulder within said cavity so that the pressure of said hydraulic fluid urges said rod in an advancing direction. 
     
     
       6. The row-clearing unit of  claim 1  in which said agricultural row unit is a planting row unit. 
     
     
       7. The row-clearing unit of  claim 6  which said attachment frame is adapted to be rigidly connected to said towing frame via an attachment frame of a planting row unit. 
     
     
       8. An agricultural implement for use with a towing frame adapted to be hitched to a tractor, said implement comprising
 an attachment frame adapted to be rigidly connected to said towing frame, 
 a support element having a leading end pivotally connected to said attachment frame at a pivotal connection for vertical pivoting movement relative to said attachment frame, 
 at least one agricultural tool mounted on the trailing end of said support element, 
 a hydraulic cylinder pivotally connected between said attachment frame and said support element for pivoting said support element around said pivotal connection to said attachment frame, said hydraulic cylinder including
 a movable rod coupling said cylinder to said support element, 
 a cavity within said cylinder for receiving pressurized hydraulic fluid for advancing said rod in a direction that pivots said support element downwardly toward the soil, and 
 an energy storage device coupled to said rod and said cylinder to apply a retracting force to said rod to pivotally bias said support element in a direction that urges said at least one agricultural tool upwardly away from the soil. 
 
 
     
     
       9. An agricultural implement for use with a towing frame adapted to be hitched to a tractor, said implement comprising
 a planting row unit having
 a frame element rigidly adapted to be rigidly attached to said towing frame, and 
 a planting assembly pivotally connected to said frame element, and 
 
 a row-clearing unit having
 a frame element adapted to be rigidly connected to said towing frame, 
 a support element having a leading end pivotally connected to said frame element of said row-clearing unit at a pivotal connection for vertical pivoting movement of said support element, 
 at least one clearing wheel mounted on the trailing end of said support element, 
 a hydraulic cylinder pivotally connected between said frame element of said row-clearing unit and said support element for pivoting said support element around said pivotal connection, said hydraulic cylinder including
 a movable rod coupling said cylinder to said support element, 
 a cavity within said cylinder for receiving pressurized hydraulic fluid for advancing said rod in a direction that pivots said support element downwardly, and 
 an energy storage device coupled to said rod and said cylinder to apply a retracting force to said rod to pivotally bias said support element in a direction that urges said at least one clearing wheel upwardly away from the soil to be cleared. 
 
 
 
     
     
       10. The agricultural implement of  claim 9  in which said frame element of said row-clearing unit is adapted to be rigidly connected to said towing frame via said frame element of said planting row unit. 
     
     
       11. The agricultural implement of claim 8, in which said energy storage device is a compressed coil spring. 
     
     
       12. The agricultural implement of claim 11, in which a bias force of said compressed coil spring is adjustable. 
     
     
       13. The agricultural implement of claim 12, in which said compressed coil spring is configured to provide an upward bias force. 
     
     
       14. The agricultural implement of claim 11, in which said compressed coil spring is disposed around a portion of said rod with one end of said spring coupled to said rod and the other end of said spring coupled to said cylinder so that said spring continuously biases said movable rod in a retracting direction relative to said cylinder. 
     
     
       15. The agricultural implement of claim 11, in which said compressed spring coil is disposed between a flange attached to an inner end of said rod and a flange attached to an interior of said cylinder. 
     
     
       16. The agricultural implement of claim 8, in which said agricultural implement is part of a planting row unit or a row-clearing unit. 
     
     
       17. The agricultural implement of claim 15, in which a downward force is a function of a weight of the planting row unit. 
     
     
       18. The agricultural implement of claim 8, in combination with a hydraulic control system having a controller, said hydraulic cylinder including a control valve coupled via a line to the controller to control a supply of said pressurized hydraulic fluid. 
     
     
       19. The agricultural implement of claim 8, in which a bias force of said energy storage device is adjustable. 
     
     
       20. The agricultural implement of claim 8, in which said hydraulic cylinder is configured to apply said retracting force as a function of a force exerted on the at least one agricultural tool. 
     
     
       21. The agricultural implement of claim 8, in which said hydraulic cylinder is configured to apply a compression force as a function of a resistance offered by the soil on the at least one agricultural tool. 
     
     
       22. The agricultural implement of claim 8, in which the at least one agricultural tool includes a clearing wheel, a fertilizer opener, or a roller for firming loose soil. 
     
     
       23. The agricultural implement of claim 8, in which the agricultural implement is an agricultural planter, a seeder, a fertilizer applicator, or a tillage equipment. 
     
     
       24. The agricultural implement of claim 8, in which a downward force is held on the at least one agricultural tool to prevent uncontrolled bouncing of the at least one agricultural tool over the soil. 
     
     
       25. The agricultural implement of claim 8, in combination with a GPS system that tracks a location of the tractor. 
     
     
       26. The agricultural implement of claim 25, in combination with a control system that avoids double-planting of rows. 
     
     
       27. The agricultural implement of claim 26, wherein the control system is configured to selectively turn off the supply of the hydraulic fluid to avoid disrupting a row already planted. 
     
     
       28. The agricultural implement of claim 8, wherein the hydraulic fluid includes oil. 
     
     
       29. The agricultural implement of claim 28, wherein the oil is displaced by the energy storage device. 
     
     
       30. The agricultural implement of claim 29, wherein the energy storage device is configured to displace the oil. 
     
     
       31. The agricultural implement of claim 28, wherein the energy storage device includes an accumulator diaphragm or piston that supplies or accepts the oil. 
     
     
       32. The agricultural implement of claim 31, wherein the accumulator diaphragm or piston operates at a relatively constant pressure. 
     
     
       33. The agricultural implement of claim 31, wherein the hydraulic cylinder is pneumatic. 
     
     
       34. The agricultural implement of claim 8, further comprising one or more springs to urge the implement downwardly with a controllable force. 
     
     
       35. The agricultural implement of claim 8, wherein the energy storage device includes a piston that supplies or accepts the hydraulic fluid. 
     
     
       36. The agricultural implement of claim 35, wherein the energy stored by the energy storage device includes oil or a gas. 
     
     
       37. The agricultural implement of claim 8, wherein the cavity includes a hydraulic-fluid chamber and a gas-filled chamber. 
     
     
       38. The agricultural implement of claim 37, wherein a gas or fluid or both a gas and fluid is stored with the energy storage device. 
     
     
       39. The agricultural implement of claim 8, wherein the energy storage device is coupled to said rod, and wherein a retracting movement of said rod raises said at least one agricultural tool. 
     
     
       40. The agricultural implement of claim 8, in combination with a hydraulic control system and at least one other agricultural implement, wherein the hydraulic control system comprises a plurality of ports supplied by a plurality of feed lines separately controllable via separate control signals supplied by a controller. 
     
     
       41. The agricultural implement of claim 40, wherein a downforce on the agricultural implement is remotely adjustable and a downforce on the at least one other agricultural implement is remotely adjustable. 
     
     
       42. The agricultural implement of claim 41, wherein the downforce is adjustable from a cab of the tractor. 
     
     
       43. The agricultural implement of claim 40, wherein a downforce on the agricultural implement and the at least one other agricultural implement is releasable to allow the agricultural implement and the at least one other agricultural implement to rise quickly. 
     
     
       44. The agricultural implement of claim 40, wherein the controller is configured to control the supply of the hydraulic fluid at different times to selective ones of the feed lines. 
     
     
       45. The agricultural implement of claim 40, wherein a down force is selected manually or automatically by the hydraulic control system. 
     
     
       46. The agricultural implement of claim 45, wherein the down force is remotely adjustable from a cab of the tractor.