AU2010100138A4

AU2010100138A4 - Inter Row Tyne

Info

Publication number: AU2010100138A4
Application number: AU2010100138A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Miles Christopher Ellery
Original assignee: AGGCAST Pty Ltd
Current assignee: AGGCAST Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2010-02-11
Filing date: 2010-02-11
Publication date: 2010-07-15
Anticipated expiration: 2018-02-11

Description

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR AN INNOVATION PATENT in the name of AUSINCO Pty Ltd entitled "INTER ROW TYNE" Filed by: Geoffrey Edward Tasker GET Solutions 48 Oakley St CARINDALE QLD 4152 AUSTRALIA 1 INTER-ROW TYNE ASSEMBLY In the agricultural environment, when planting seeds for large scale applications such as commercial farms, a ground engagement apparatus may be towed behind a tractor or fixed to the tractor's three-point linkage to create channels or furrows in the soil, which is followed by planting of a seed within the channel and the seed is 5 then covered and fertilised in preparation for germination. Usually, a plurality of ground engagement units are attached to a toolbar that aligns the ground engagement units at selected distances apart from each other and that there are a number of toolbars mounted in parallel in a frame attachable to a tractor via a tow bar or three-point linkage. 0 Various types of ground engagement apparatus, such as an inter-row tyne, are used to distribute fertiliser between the rows of planted seeds such that the there is promotion of post-germination growth of the planted crop. These inter-row tynes are typically not designed to minimise soil shatter, which occurs as the tyne passes through the soil in the process of creating the furrow and inserting the fertiliser. 5 Tynes typically cause soil shatter and clumping as their blunt leading edges are forced through soil above the fertiliser injection point under the surface. Typically, tynes are also not designed to reduce or limit the build up of mud on the fertiliser point as it passes through wet or moist soil or the build up of stubble on the leading edge of the ground engagement point as it passes through previously 20 cropped fields. It is therefore a preferred object of the invention to be able to minimise soil shatter, and mud and stubble build up on the leading edge of the point as it passes through the wide variety of soil, moisture levels and planting conditions encountered. The depth of the tyne point, and thus the furrow that it produces and the resultant 25 depth of the injected fertiliser, is critical for the correct location of fertiliser relative to the seed and thus the growth of the post-germination seedling or plant. Whilst many of the ground engagement apparatus have some form of adjustment, the adjustment is either too coarse to allow accurate depth management, or is not 2 calibrated or easily reproducible across the great number of apparatus attached to large agricultural machinery systems. It is therefore another preferred object of the invention to provide a suitably calibrated and easy to use depth selection and adjustment system to allow the depth 5 of the point below the soil to be easily, accurately and reproducibly selected across a plurality of apparatus. When the tyne is not required to be in an operational position, either when not required for use or during transportation, it is essential that the tyne and tyne shank be properly stowed to avoid damage and fouling. Typically this is accomplished 0 by either tyne shank removal or locating the shank at the upper extremity of its range of operational movement. Typically this stowed position is a part of the standard adjustment system and is not easily located or achieved. It is therefore another preferred object of the invention to provide a stop mechanism on the tyne shank to precisely limit the travel such that the exact 5 stowage position is easily and always located, making stowage or parking of the tyne shank easily achieved by a single operator. Delivery of fertiliser through a gas fertilizer delivery system can occur separately or simultaneously depending upon the agricultural requirements. Typically, a ground engagement apparatus has additional attachments required for the gas 0 fertiliser delivery that are poorly coupled with the apparatus and are normally manually attached to the outside of the tyne shank and tyne head. These additional protrusions cause increased drag and friction as the tyne and additional attached apparatus are dragged through the soil. Additionally, the extra protrusions and their attachment systems become easily worn and damaged, and 25 tend to become loose, break off or need to be regularly replaced. When the systems become worn, the components tend to move around, thus not providing the specified or optimal distance between the planted seed and the gas fertiliser delivered into the adjacent soil. Additionally, should gas fertiliser delivery items, or parts thereof, break off or become worn, the gas fertiliser delivery system 30 becomes inefficient or ineffective as well as the gas leaking to atmosphere causing loss of fertilizer from the soil and possibly causing Occupational Health and Safety issues.

3 It is therefore another preferred object of the invention to provide a ground engagement apparatus that is able to deliver the gas fertiliser, where the gas fertiliser attachment system is integrated into the tyne shank and ground engagement point, is not subject to abnormal wear such that the fertiliser delivery 5 system becomes inefficient or ineffective and thus the distance between the planted seed and delivered fertiliser is always optimised. It is also another preferred object of the invention to be able to easily remove and replace the ground engagement point without affecting operational efficiency of the entire gas fertilizer delivery systems. 0 It is significant to note the environment within which these cultivating apparatus operate, are maintained and stored. Typically such machinery is required to work in dry, hard, compacted and occasionally rocky soils or alternatively in sandy, loamy or clay based soils that are difficult to till when wet. The machinery often remains outdoors for long periods of time, exposed to the elements, and is rarely 5 garaged. Maintenance on these types of machinery is infrequent at times, leading to rusting and seizing of components, and yet the cultivator assemblies are expected to continue to operate for extended periods in harsh environments despite the lack of care. It is therefore another preferred object of the invention to provide a quality of 0 manufacturing and a specific finish on critical components within the assembly such that the ruggedized and finished product is able to cope with the harshest operating and maintenance conditions and still function effectively over a longer period of time. The invention may be better understood with reference to the accompanying 25 drawings which show one example of the invention. The drawings depict the application from a holistic context. In order that the invention may be readily understood and put into practical effect, preferred embodiments are described by way of example with reference to accompanying drawings as stated. 30 Figure 1 shows forward and rearward isometric views of the entire assembly. This figure depicts the invention for clarity, without specifying preferred embodiments.

4 Figure 2 has both sideways and endwise elevation views showing the upper tyne shank (1), lower tyne shank (2), hard stop (3), J knife point (4) J knife attachment point (5) and J knife leading edge tungsten tiles (6). The figure also depicts the gas fertiliser supply hoses (7) gas fertiliser supply hose integrated retaining 5 brackets (8) hose joiner (9) lower flexible hoses (10) and lower hose retainer (11). This figure provides a holistic view that depicts the invention for clarity, without specifying preferred embodiments. The assembly is attached to a cultivator unit toolbar at the tyne box head (12) by the toolbar clamp (13). The depth of the fertiliser delivered is determined through 0 adjustment of the tyne shank (1) within the tyne box head (12) and locating the tyne shank depth adjustment holes (14) against calibrated locating holes (15) in the tyne box head (12) and fixing the tyne shank in place with the locating pin (16). It is readily apparent to the skilled addressee that the present invention provides an inter row tyne, and components and assemblies therefore, which have many 5 advantages over the prior arrangements. Various changes and modifications may be made to the embodiments described and illustrated without departing from the present invention defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. An inter-row tyne comprising an upper tyne shank, a lower tyne shank, tyne head and toolbar attachment clamp, a J knife point, a gas fertilizer delivery system, an upper shank hard stop and depth adjustment holes. 5

2. The tyne shank of Claim 1 wherein the lower tyne shank includes a hard stop that allows the entire tyne shank to be quickly and easily positioned when not required for operations or in a parked position for transportation. Said hard stop is in a consistent fixed position which allows the entire shank to be properly located and secured by a single operator. 0

3. The tyne shank of Claim 1 wherein the tyne head and upper tyne shank each include a series of locator holes that are incrementally marked to allow an operator to accurately and consistently position the tyne shank at exactly the correct height required for optimal fertilizer delivery depth in all types of planting conditions.

4. A gas fertiliser delivery system and J knife point wherein: the gas fertiliser 5 system is integrated into the J knife point and shaped to reduce the overall profile of said J knife point, thus minimising soil shatter and balling or build up of mud and stubble as the J knife point passes through the soil. Said J knife point has a hardened and shaped leading edge which further reduces soil shatter and mud and stubble build up on said leading edge. The reduced profile and integrated 0 components of said gas fertiliser system and J knife point reduces drag and wear of components and systems as said J knife point passes through the soil during cultivation operations.

5. The gas fertiliser delivery system and J knife point of any one of Claims 2 to 4, wherein: the gas fertilizer delivery system is integrated into said tyne and is 25 physically enclosed by the J knife point. Said gas fertilizer delivery system contains attachment brackets built into said tyne head allowing ease of connection to the external gas fertilizer supply system. Said attachment tubes pass the gas through the hose joiner and into the flexible hoses enclosed within said J knife point. Accurate locating of the replaceable J knife point onto the lower tyne shank 30 correctly positions the gas fertiliser delivery 6 system such that the slim profile of the J knife point is unaffected by application of the gas delivery system and the optimal planting conditions and reduced drag and wear benefits of said J knife point are unaffected by the gas delivery system.