US-20260123566-A1 - ROW CLEANER AND ASSEMBLIES WITH TANDEM WALKING MODE FOR ROW PLANTER UNITS

Abstract

A row cleaner system provides a solution that improves both row cleaning operation in no-till or low-till farming operations to effectively remove debris ahead of the seed planting components and row closing components. The system may include means to selectively configure a row cleaner assembly for one or more of 1) independent row cleaner operation not fixed relative to the depth gauge wheel or basket, 2) selectively engage the row cleaner in a fixed relationship if desirable, and 3) adjustment of the angle of penetration of row closer wheels relative to the depth gauge wheel or basket.

Inventors

• Ronald Steve Martin

Assignees

• Ronald Steve Martin

Dates

Publication Date

20260507

Application Date

20250905

Claims (3)

1. 1 . A row cleaner for attaching to a row planter having a frame mounting plate and or frame securement or connector bars secured to a tool bar or the like to provide a stable mounting for the row cleaner, the row cleaner comprising: a depth gauge wheel or basket or “crumbler” configured with cleats or the like to better crumble dirt clods encountered in dry soil conditions and to avoid mud becoming glommed on to the wheel in wet soil conditions; an axle adapted to permit rotation of the depth gauge wheel; a row cleaner frame assembly comprising a first frame member and a second frame member and having a nose or front or torque brace joining the first and second frame members, wherein the frame members are connected via a pair of struts to upper and lower linkages forming a quad-linkage arrangement; a set of pivot points joining the struts and linkages; and a set of bearings or bushings or rollers to enable smooth and effective operation of a biasing member to provide downforce as needed to properly clear and clean a row in advance of the row planting operation.
2. 2 . The row cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the biasing member is an airbag or piston.
3. 3 . The row cleaner of claim 1 further comprising an adjustment mechanism configured to engage with the row cleaner frame and struts to selectively operate in either a “walking tandem mode” or in a fixed relative position mode and further adapted to change between a plurality of settings configured to provide relatively more or less aggressiveness of row cleaning operation causing the row cleaner wheels to more or less aggressively engage the soil and debris along the top of the soil.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present disclosure is generally applicable to the field of agricultural equipment, and more particularly for improved row cleaning for use on row planters for farming applications. AUTHORIZATION PURSUANT TO 37 C.F.R. § 1.171 (D)(C) A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright and trademark protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyrights whatsoever. BACKGROUND The background description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art. An example of a prior art rotary row cleaner is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,785,890 (Martin) entitled GROUND-DRIVEN ROTARY ROW CLEANER, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. In traditional and longstanding farming methods, tilling or tillage is typically used before planting to prepare a field. Tilling a field has both herbicidal and insecticidal benefits and may serve to break up the earth to enable seedlings to more easily extend root systems. However, there are downsides to tillage that are driving modern farmers towards “low-till” or “no-till” or “strip till” farming systems. In these farming systems, plant matter left over from previous harvests, called residue, is left in the fields between plantings. At the time of planting, a row cleaner system is used at the front or leading portion of a planter row unit to clear only a small portion or “strip” of earth of the residue to enable seeds and fertilizer to be placed in the ground in connection with a coulter or other tillage tool. The row cleaner removes residue and in connection with other planter components, such as coulter, opening or cutting discs and strip till shank, lightly tills the topmost soil or earth to provide for a clear path for seed and fertilizer placement. One key aspect to row cleaner operation is to maintain necessary clearance between the row cleaner and the coulter or other tillage tool for terrain responsive operation. Also, at the trailing end of the planter row unit closing wheels are used to close the seed slot opened during row planting operation. No-till farming systems provide benefits including increased water retention and absorption, and increased presence of beneficial fungi, bacteria, and fauna (e.g., earthworms). The use of a no-till farming system has the additional benefit of reducing topsoil erosion that may be caused by tilling. In no-till systems it has also been shown that because water retention is greater and soil erosion is reduced, the environmental impact from the runoff of fertilizer, herbicides, and pesticides is also reduced. The farming system known as strip till farming, is also a conservation method that uses low or minimum tillage. Strip till method provides the soil drying and warming benefits associated with conventional tillage and provides the soil erosion avoidance or protecting advantages of no-till farming. With strip till farming, only the portion of the soil that is to contain the seed row is tilled or disturbed. Strip till method typically requires multiple passes, depending on the strip-till implement used and the field conditions. Typically, rows that have been strip tilled are eight to ten inches wide. In no-till, low till or strip till methods weed suppression may be a problem and so farmers often use cover crops, mulching, laying straw, mowing or herbicides to maintain fields, which leads to extra cost and may lead to more residue during planting. Planters typically use a cutting disc (or disk) and/or coulter designed to cut through crop residue and break the top crust of the soil. Often row cleaners, such as made by Martin Industries of Elkton, Kentucky, are used to help remove or break up debris ahead of the coulter/cutting disc to allow the coulter or cutting disc to cut into the soil and help an opener make a furrow for more effective and uniform seed planting. After row cleaner, coulter and disk opener prepare the furrow for planting, the seed is dropped into the furrow that has been created (along with fertilizer and other additives as desired) and then a press wheel closes the furrow. Often a closing section is provided to help close the furrow ahead of a second stage press wheel. Row openers clear the path of debris and the coulter or cutting disc breaks the soil crust to facilitate opening and seed depth control for the furrow opener. The row closing section and trailing or second stage press wheel help insure moist soil is in contact with seeds to cover them at proper seed depth as it presses the soil firmly (t