CA1059381A - Multi-operation tillage apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

MULTI-OPERATION TILLAGE APPARATUS
Abstract of the Disclosure A tillage apparatus is disclosed that is particularly use-ful for completing all necessary sod seeding operations during a single passage of the apparatus across a field. The apparatus includes a plurality of tillage units each of which includes a pair of tillage blades, or cutter wheels, and a mounting assembly upon which is mounted a pair of seed tubes each of which is closely followed by a packer wheel. Each tillage blade is posi-tioned to cut a furrow when the blade is rotated with the peri-phery of the blade in ground contact, and the mounting assembly positions the seed tube directly behind the blade so that seed is deposited in the furrow cut by the blade. In addition, the seed tube is protected by the mounting assembly from damage due to materials thrown rearwardly by the rotating blade. The packer wheel has a smooth circular periphery and is of a width less than that of the furrow cut by the tillage blade whereby the periphery of the packer wheel is received within the furrow formed by the blade so that, as the apparatus moves across a field, seed is packed in the bottom of the furrow. The mounting assembly also includes a depth-defining band adjacent to each tillage blade to control the depth of the furrow cut by the associated tillage blade, and each tillage blade mounting assem-bly includes an anti-wrap shield to prevent wrapping of materials about the blade mounting assembly.

Description

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MUI.TI-OPERATION TILLA(~.E APPARATUS
':' This invention relates to a tillage apparatus, and, more Particularly relates to a multi-operation tillage apparatus for sod seeding purposes.
Recent developments in the practice of growing legumes-in an established grass sod have disclosed the inadequacies of conventional tillage apparatus, such as, for example, disc har-rows, and field cultivators for preparing such ground for seed-ing. Often the particular ground surface, in contrast with ground commonly used for grain crops, will be uneven or rocky or will have grass swards of differing thicknesses. In the prepara-tion of such ground for sod seeding or grassland renovation, it is desirable to minimize the number of trips required over the same ground surface in order to complete the several operations commonlv needed, such as, tilling, seeding, cultipacking and/or spraying of herbicides, and thus a premium is placed upon the ef-ficiency of the initial tilling action. If this, for example, can be accomplished by means of a tilling structure capable of performing a number of required operations, then fewer passages across the field are required to accomplish the desired end.
Cutting of the sward and sod mat and provision of a furrow therein of appropriate width and depth suitable for seeding has been shown to require both a particular tillage blade and a source of power o appreciable magnitude for driving of the blade. While this power could be provided by an engine mounted on the tillage apParatus itself, the engine of a tractor is pre-ferably utilized, as, for example, taught by the patent to Kaller, U. S. Patent No. 2,957,529, s~ that the tillage apparatus can be disconnected from the tractor in order to release the tractor for other uses. While requiring more power from the tractor than would be required for tilling with a conventional rotary hoe or disc harrow, a tillage apparatus that includes a ~05!~381 ... ...
1 plurality of tillage unit assemblies each having at least one blade rotating at a speed of between 500 to 1,200 rpm have here-tofore been utilized to till sod.
It has also heretofore been known that a tillage apparatus may be provided for cutting a furrow, planting seed in the cut furrow, and packing the furrow, as well as also adding fertilizer and the like. Such apparatus has not, however, proved to be com-pletely successful, at least under some condit:ions and circum-stances, such as, for example, in the particular combination of tillage blade, seed tube and packer wheel and/or the particular interrlated structures of these elements, and im~rovements of ;
such apparatus is therefore deemed desirable.

Summary of the Invention .
This invention provides an improved multi-operation tillage apparatus that is particularly well suited fox sod seeding pur- ;
poses and includes improved mounting assemblies for both the til-lage blade and seed tube, as well as providing an improved packer wheel that is received within the furrow cut by the tillage blade in order to pack seed in the bottom of a cut furrow.
The apparatus may be detachably connected to a conventional tractor which tows the apparatus and supplies power to the till-age blades mounted upon a plurality of tillage unit assemblies suspended from a tool bar. Each tillage blade mounting assembly includes an anti-wrap shield to prevent foreign matter from wrap-ping about the hub or other parts of the tillage blade m~unting assembly. ~ depth band is also provided adjacent to each tillage blade to control the depth of furrow cut by the blade and a seed tube mounting assembly is connected to the depth band so that a seed tube is positioned directly behind each tillage blade with the seed tube mounting assembly being configured in a manner to protect the seed tube so that seed is dependably deposited in the furrow cut by the associated tillage blade. A packer assembly

- 2 -~", ios9~8~ -1 is provided for each of the furrows cut by the tillage blade, and each Packer assembly includes a thin disc that is positioned be-hind each blade and seed tube and has a peripher~ of sufficientl~
narrow width so as to be received in the furrow cut by the blade to pack seed at the bottom of the furrow.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an im-proved tillage apparatus~
It is another object of this invention to provide an improved tillage apparatus that is suitable to accomplish the many opera-tions necessary for sod seeding in one passage across a field tobe seeded.
It is still another object of this invention to provide an improved tillage apparatus having an improved mounting assembl~.
It is still another object of this invention to provide an improved tillage apparatus including improved mounting assemblies for both the tillage blades and seed tubes. ~ i It is yet another object of this invention to provide an improved tillage apparatus having an improved mounting assembly for a seed tube in which the tube is protected so as to depend-ably deposit seed in a cut furrow.
It is still another object of this invention to provide animproved tillage apparatus having a depth band to control the depth of furrow cut by each associated tillage blade.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide an im-proved tillage apparatus having an anti-wrap shield to prevent foreign matter from wrapping about the tillage blade mounting as-sembl~.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide an im-proved tillage apparatus that includes a packer disc having a pe-riphery of lesser width than the furrow cut by an associated till-age blade so that the packer disc is received in the cut furrow `
to pack seed at the bottom of the cut furrow.

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1 With these and other objects in view, which will become ap-parent to one skilled in the art as the description proceeds, this invention resides in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described ;~
and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being ;~
understood that variations in the precise embodiment of the here- ;
indisclosed invention are meant to be included as coming within the scope of the claims. ~, Brief Description of the Drawings ' The accompanying drawings illustrate a complete embodiment ,~
of the invention according to the best mode so far devised for practical application of the principles thereof, and in which~
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the tillage apparatus of this invention shown connected to a tractor;
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one unit of the tillage ap-paratus as shown in Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a schematic view of the tillage apparatus shown in detail in Figs. 1 and 2 to illustra~e the application of the drive to the tillage blades and seed hoppers.
Fig. 4 is a plan view of the rear portion of a tillage unit assembly as shown in Fig. 2, (with parts broken away). ;~
Fig. 5 is a partial side elevation view of the rear portion of a tillage unit assembly, to illustrate blade drive.
Fig. 6 is a rear view of the tillage unit assembly shown in Fig. 5.
Fig. 7 is a side elevation view of a tillage unit assembly with one blade removed to illustrate the furrow defining band, seed tube mounting assembly and anti-wrap shield.
Fig. 8 is a side elevation view of the interior side of a 30 tillage blade having a disc thereon that forms a part of the ,;
anti-wrap shield.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view taken along the axis of the cutter wheels and adjacent structure.

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10593~
1 Description of the Preferred Embodiment The tillage apparatus conventionally includes a suitable frame or tool bar 8 having elongated members 10 and 11 with cross braces 12 fastened thereto to form a platform. As shown, gauge wheels 13 can be m~unted on frame 8, as is conventional. A gear box 16 (see Fig. 3) is mounted on the platform (above or below) and a shaft 17 extends from the gear box and is attached, as by means of a universal joint 18 to a suitable link 19 having a uni-versal joint (not shown) at its other end detachably connectable to a power take-off shaft 21 on tractor 20. The power take-off shaft must, of course, have sufficient power to drive the tillage i device and can be, for example, a 540 rpm power take-off (PTO) of a 80 HP tractor.
Tillage device 9 is conventionally attached to the rear of tractor 20 preferably by a conventional three-point hitch that in-cludes a pair of lift arms 22, 23 pivotally connected to ~e ap-paratus and extending between the apparatus and the tractor, and an upper link, not shown, extending between an upper hitch point on the tractor and a mounting bracket on the frame. As is conven-tional, the tillage device may be detached from the tractor. Inaddition, an operator, from his position on the seat of the trac- ~;~
tor, may lift the tillage device from the ground as desired, as is also conventional.
Journaled on journal blocks 28 in a long transverse shaft 29 (or a pair or more of shorter shafts, if desired). Shaft 29 ,~ ~
i9 driven (rotated) as, for example, by one or more chains 30 ex- ~- ;
tending between corresponding sprockets 31 and 32 mounted on shaft 29 and the power output shaft 33 in the gear box 16. ;~
The tillage device includes a plurality of tillage units 34, ~;~
each of which has a housing that serves as an arm 36, which arm is, for example, about two feet in length, and is pivotally mounted at one end upon a suitabIe bearing 37 (see Fig. 4) af-- fixed to shaft 29. At its distal end the arm or housing supports

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1 a rotatable short shaft 39. A suitable driving means is pro-vided for causing the short shaft to rotate as the shaft 29 is ~ ~
driven, and this may comprise a sprocket driven chain 40 driven ;~ ;
by a sprocket 41 keyed to shaft 29 and engaging with a sprocket 42 keyed to shaft 39. Any conventional means for taking up slack in the chain may be used. ` ;
One or more tillage blades are fastened to the short shaft 39, a pair of similar blades 44 and 45 being preferred although other blades could be added if desired. In general, the lateral distance between each furrow made in the sod is to be uniform spaced, for example, at eight inches, and since a plurality of the described tillage unit assemblies are to be mounted on shaft 29, the distance between ad~acent blades of ad~acent unit assem- ;
blles will correspond to the distance between the blades on any one given unit assembly. To avoid the necessity of lifting and lowering all blades of the apparatus when obstructions ~such as ii.
rocks) are encountered or when nonuniform ground surfaces are be-ing tilled, each of the present tillage unit assemblies is inde-pendentl~ biased downwardly by spring means, not shown, to sup-plement the bias of gravity on the pivoted arms.
A suitable means for limiting the depth of penetration ofeach tillage blade is also provided. As shown in Figs. 4 and 7, this may consist of a band 52 fastened to housing arm 36 so that the bottom poxtion engages the ground as the associated tillage blade cuts a furrow into the ground. As shown best in Fig. 7, band 55 surrounds hub 53 on mounting short shaft 39. In addition, a circular flange 55 (see Fig. 7) extends inwardl~ from the circular face 56 (connected with the outer edge of band 52) to form an anti-wrap shield in conjunction with disc 57 fixed to the inner side of the tillage blade ~as shown in Fig. 8). Disc 57 is received within flange 55 with close clearance therebetween (preferably 1/32 inch). This prevents foreign matter such as : . .

~~-^~` ~oss3s~ ~, weeds, vines and the like, from wrapping about the hub or other `~
mounting assembly upon which the tillage blade is mounted.
Band 52 has a seed tube mounting assembly 60 extending from the lower portion thereof so ~hat the band can be considered a part of the seed tube mounting asse~bly rrounting the seed tube to arm 36. Seed tube mounting assembly 60 includes an arm 61 the -bottom of which is parallel to the bottom of band 52 at the front end of the arm where connected to the rear of the band. The rear portion of arm 61 has a recess 62 in the bottom thereof which 10 terminates at an ear 63 which extends below the line of the for-ward portion of the arm. The rear edge of arm 61 is attached to the bottom end of seed tube 64, with the bottom of the seed tube terminating at a ~oint slightly above the line of the forward end of the arm and therefore above the ear 63 at the rear of arm 61.
As shown in the drawings, arm 61 is curved outwardly as it extends rearwardly from band 52 so that the seed tube 64 (attached to the inner side of arm 61) is directly behind the tillage blade so that as the apparatus is moved, seed passed through the seed tube :
is deposited in the furrow cut b~ the tillage blade. In addition, 20 the arm is curved inwardly toward the-top of the rear section (connected with seed tube 64). The seed tube is connected with tubing 65 extending to seed hopper or reservoir 66 through a conventional seed metering circuit (not shown). There is one hopper 66 for each pair of tubes 65. Each hopper 66 is rigidly supported on the tillage units 34 by means of a bracket structure ;-90 composed of a cross piece 91 bolted at 92 to the top side of the bands 52. An upright bracket 93 extends between the center of cross piece 91 and the underside of hopper 66. Each hopper has a metering drive shaft 94 on which a sprocket 95 (Fig. 3) is 30 nDunted. A chain drive, shown only partially at 96 in Fig. 1 and schematically in Fig. 3 is driven by a cross shaft 97. The shaft 97 is driven by the ground wheel on the right side of the imple - ment through a chain drive indicated in its entirety by reference 0~;i93~
1 numeral 98. A vertical triangular shaped plate 99 is fixed to and projects rearwardly from the bracket structure 90 and serves as a support for the packing assembly 72.
Each of the tillage unit asse~blies described comprises a standard assembly which can be readily mounted upon or removed from the drive shaft. For example, if the particular sod field being tilled is such as to require an amount oE power which the tractor is unable to deliver to shaft 22, the operator can remove one or both of the outermost assemblies from those shafts. Nor-mally, an equal number of assemblies are mounted on shafts 22.
In practice, it has been found that, for example, six pairs of cutter wheels (tillage blades) spaced in eight inch rows can be ;`
utilized in a device having an eight foot working width.
As shown, the tillage blade 4~1 which for example may beabout twelve inches in diameter, comprises a central body portion 68 preferably of mild steel with a rsinforced hub section 69.
Wear resisting elements, comprising short lengths of rod-like material 70, are welded to each side of the blade adjacent its periphery and extend in an unbroken length transversely over the periphery. A tungsten carbide material, such as~_Stellite, is satisfactory for this purpose. Preferably, these elements extend along the sides of the blade in a trailing direction as related to the rotation of the blade.
As the blade rotates, preferably on a slightly canted axis (flange 57, however, not being canted), the wear elements cut a furrow whose depth is commensurate with the restraint provided by the band 52 and a width commensurate with the canted axis and ~
width of the wear elements of the blade. During this furrow cut- -ting, a major Portion of the displaced earth is thrown rearward]y, and the rate of furrowing is dependent upon the rate of travel of the tractor.
The size and strength of the described tool bar platform, ~, moreover, is such as to support auxiliary equipment, such as .. . . . . .

lOS938~

spraying equipment which may be mounted on the front of the till-age device with spray heads (not shown) to spray herbicide or the like on the ground just preceding ~e tillage blade (the spray be-ing preferably in a narrow band of, for example, four inch widths, with the furrow being cu-t centrally thereof). Herbicide is pre-ferably stored in tanks which may be located at the front of the tractor with suitable tubing provided to deliver the herbicide to the spray h eads.

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The tillage device preferably also includes a packing assem-10 bly 72. Packing asse~ly 72 is provided to follow each tillage blade and, as shown, each assembly includes a T-shaped bracket 74 pivotally mounted at its forward end on plate 99 and having verti-cal arms 76 and 77. Packer wheel 79 is rotatably mounted between arms 76 and 77 by means of hub 81 received on shaft 82 to allow the packer wheel to rotate freely. Each packer disc is aligned with a tillage blade and seed tube, and as shown in Fig. 4, the periphery of each packer disc is of a width less than the furrow cut by the tillage blade, so that the packer disc is received in the furrow cut by the tillage blade. Thus, the tillage blade 2~ cuts a furrow that is substantially wider than the packer disc, and the packer disc is aligned with the center of the cut furrow ,... ..
to pack seed at the bottom o the furrow.
Apparatus of the general type described herein, including apparatus having a cutting means, seed tube, and packer, is shown generally in U~ S. Patent Nos. 3,611,956; 3,749,035 and 3,866,552, and may be referred to for a more complete general explanation of such units.
While the described device is especially useful for grass-land renovation purposes, it is by no means limited solely there-30 to, and may be employed in other agricultural usages. Hence,the invention is not to be considered as being limited to the particular details given, nor to the specific application to ,: :
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1 which reference has been made during the description of the apparatus, except insofar as may be required by the scope of the appended claims. ~ :
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Claims (20)

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A tillage apparatus, comprising: frame means; a mount-ing unit having a first portion connected with said frame means and a second portion spaced from said first portion; tillage blade means mounted on said second portion of said mounting unit, said tillage blade means including a ground engaging portion to form a furrow of predetermined narrow width when said tillage apparatus is moved in a predetermined normal operating direction;
a seed tube; seed supply means; tubing means connecting said seed supply means with said seed tube to deliver seed to said seed tube; depth control means connected with said mounting unit, said depth control means being adjacent to said tillage blade means to control the depth of furrow cut by said tillage blade means; seed tube mounting means connected to said depth control means and said seed tube so that said seed tube is positioned behind and substantially aligned with said tillage blade means with respect to said predetermined normal operating direction so that seed from said seed tube is deposited in said furrow cut by said tillage blade means, said seed tube mounting means being configured and positioned to protect said seed tube during cut-ting of said furrow by said tillage blade means; and packer means connected with said mounting unit, said packer means having a ground engaging portion positioned rearwardly of said seed tube and being substantially aligned with said tillage blade means with respect to said predetermined normal operating direction, said ground engaging portion of said packer means having a width less than that of said furrow formed by said tillage blade means, so that said ground engaging portion of said packer means is re-ceived in said furrow formed by said ground engaging portion of said tillage blade means to pack seed in the bottom of said fur-row when said tillage apparatus is moved in said predetermined normal operating direction.

2. The tillage apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus includes an anti-wrap means having one portion that is fixed in position with respect to said mounting unit and a second portion constrained for movement with said tillage blade means to prevent foreign matter from collecting between said mounting means and said tillage blade means.

3. The tillage apparatus of claim 2, wherein said one por-tion of said anti-wrap means includes an outwardly extending circular flange and said second portion includes a disc received in said circular flange.

4. The tillage apparatus of claim 1, wherein said depth control means includes a disc having a circular flange mounted at the periphery thereof, said flange having a ground engaging bot-tom portion.

5. The tillage apparatus of claim 4, wherein said apparatus includes an axle extending from said mounting unit and having said tillage blade means mounted thereon, and wherein said depth control means is mounted on said mounting unit with said circular flange coaxial with said axle, with said axle passing through the center of said disc.

6. The tillage apparatus of claim 5, wherein said apparatus includes an anti-wrap means that includes a second flange con-nected with and outwardly extending from said disc of said depth control means, and a second disc connected with said tillage blade means and coaxial with said axle, said second disc being received in said flange of said anti-wrap means.

7. The tillage apparatus of claim 4, wherein said seed tube mounting means includes an arm having a front portion and a rear portion, with said front portion of said arm being attached to said flange of said depth control means adjacent to said disc, said arm extending rearwardly from the lower portion of said depth control means so that at least said front portion of the bottom of said arm and the bottom portion of said flange mutually engage the ground, the rear portion of said seed tube mouunting means being curved outwardly with respect to said front portion and having said seed tube connected at the rear edge thereof so that said seed tube is aligned with said tillage blade means.

8. The tillage apparatus of claim 7, wherein the rear por-tion of said arm has a recess in the bottom and wherein said arm terminates in an ear that extends below a line extending from said forward portion of said arm and said bottom portion of said flange of said depth control means, said seed tube terminating at the rear of said seed tube mounting means adjacent to but above the line extending from said forward portion of said seed tube mounting means and the bottom of said flange, whereby the con-figuration of said seed tube mounting means protects said seed tube during normal operation.

9. The tillage apparatus of claim 1, wherein said seed tube mounting means includes an arm having front and rear portions with said seed tube mounted at the rear portion thereof, said arm being curved outwardly from front to rear so that said seed tube is aligned with said tillage blade means when the front portion of said arm is connected with said depth control means.

10. The tillage apparatus of claim 1, wherein said packer means includes a thin disc the periphery of which engages the ground and is received in said furrow cut by said tillage blade means.

11. A tillage apparatus, comprising: frame means; a mount-ing unit having a first portion connected with said frame means and a second portion spaced from said first portion; tillage blade means mounted on said second portion of said mounting means, said tillage blade means including a ground engaging portion form-ing a furrow of predetermined narrow width when said tillage de-vice is moved in a predetermined normal operating direction; a seed tube; a seed tube supply means; tubing means connecting said seed tube supply means with said seed tube to deliver seed to said seed tubes; a depth control band connected with said mount-ing unit and adjacent to said tillage blade means, the lower por-tion of said band engaging the ground to define the depth of a furrow cut by said tillage blade means; seed tube mounting means having a front end connected to the rear portion of said depth control band and a rear end connected to said seed tube, the rear end of said seed tube mounting means being curved out-wardly with respect to said front end so that said seed tube is substantially aligned with said tillage blade means with respect to said predetermined normal operating direction, said mounting means protecting said seed tube during cutting of said furrow by said tillage blade means; and packer means mounted on said second portion of said mounting unit, said packer means having a ground engaging portion the width of which is less than the width of said furrow formed by said ground engaging portion of said till-age blade means, said ground engaging portion of said packer means being received in said furrow formed by said ground engag-ing portion of said tillage blade means when said tillage appara-tus is moved in said predetermined normal operating direction.

12. The tillage apparatus of claim 11, wherein the front end of said seed tube mounting means has a bottom portion aligned with the tangent of the lower portion of said depth control band, and wherein the rear end of said seed tube mounting means has a bottom portion that is recessed with respect to the front end, said rear end of said seed tube mounting means also having a de-pending ear rearwardly of said recess and extending below the line of the bottom of said front end of said seed tube mounting means with said seed tube terminating above said rear ear at the rear end of said seed tube mounting means.

13. A tillage apparatus, comprising: frame means, a mount-ing unit having a first portion connected with said frame means and a second portion spaced from said first portion; tillage blade means having a hub and a ground engaging portion to form a furrow of predetermined narrow width when said tillage apparatus is moved in a predetermined normal operating direction; an axle connected with said mounting unit and having said tillage blade means attached thereto; anti-wrap means having an outwardly ex-tending circular flange on said mounting means connected with said axle and a disc mounted on the inner side of said tillage blade means, said disc being tightly received in said flange but free to rotate with respect thereto so that foreign matter is prevented from wrapping about said axle; and packer means mounted on said second portion of said mounting unit, said packer means having a ground engaging portion the width of which is less than the width of said furrow formed by said ground engaging portion of said tillage blade means, said ground engaging portion of said packer means being received in said furrow formed by said ground engaging portion of said tillage blade means when said tillage apparatus is moved in said predetermined normal operating direction.

14. The tillage device of claim 13, wherein the second por-tion of said mounting unit includes an apertured disc having a depth control band concentric with the periphery thereof, said depth control band being coaxial with said axle and having a bottom portion that is ground engageable, and said apertured disc having said circular flange of said anti-wrap means mounted thereon.

15. A tillage apparatus, comprising: frame means, a mount-ing unit having a first portion connected with said frame means and a second portion spaced from said first portion; tillage blade means mounted on said second portion of said mounting unit, said tillage blade means including a ground engaging portion to form a furrow of predetermined narrow width when said tillage apparatus is moved in a predetermined normal operating direction;
and packer means mounted on said second portion of said mounting unit, said packer means having a ground engaging portion the width of which is less than the width of said furrow formed by said ground engaging portion of said tillage blade means, said ground engaging portion of said packer means being received in said furrow formed by said ground engaging portion of said till-age blade means when said tillage apparatus is moved in said pre-determined normal operating direction.

16. The tillage apparatus in claim 15, wherein said tillage blade means is a rotatable disc the ground engaging portion of which has a plurality of furrow cutting means thereon to cut a furrow having a width greater than that of said disc.

17. The tillage apparatus of claim 15, wherein said appara-tus includes a seed tube and a seed tube mounting assembly, said seed tube terminating adjacent to and rearwardly of said blade means, and said seed tube mounting assembly being configured to position and protect said seed tube during normal operation of said apparatus.

18. The tillage apparatus of claim 15, wherein said tillage apparatus includes a plurality of tillage blade means and packer means, as well as a plurality of mounting units each of which has one of said tillage blade means and one of said packer means mounted thereon.

19. A tillage apparatus for use with a towing vehicle sup-plying power to said tillage device, said tillage device cutting and packing a plurality of continuous narrow spaced furrows, com-prising: an elongated transverse tool bar supporting a trans-verse drive shaft, said tool bar being connected to said vehicle so that power is supplied to said drive shaft from said towing vehicle; a plurality of tillage unit assemblies detachably mounted side by side on said drive shaft, each of said assemblies comprising an arm pivotally journalled at one end upon said transverse drive shaft and carrying a rotatable short transverse shaft at its other end, at least one tillage blade affixed to said short transverse shaft and rotatable therewith, and each said tillage blade constituting a generally planar disc-like plate in substantial alignment with the direction of towing and having a generally circular cutting periphery; blade driving means interconnecting said drive shaft and said short shaft and providing for rotation of said blade upon actuation of said drive means, whereby each tillage blade cuts a continuous discrete nar-row furrow as the apparatus is towed over the ground; a plurality of seed tubes a different one of which terminates adjacent to each of said tilling blades for depositing seed in a furrow cut by said blades; and a plurality of packer unit assemblies detach-ably mounted side by side behind each of said plurality of till-age unit assemblies, each of said packer unit assemblies includ-ing a generally planar disc-like plate in substantial alignment with the direction of towing and having a generally circular packing periphery of less width than the furrow cut by said tillage blades.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said apparatus in-cludes depth-defining means disposed adjacent to said tillage blade and having one portion engageable with the ground to determine the depth of cut of said furrow formed by said tillage blade.