CA2092465A1

CA2092465A1 - Shank-attached packer assembly

Info

Publication number: CA2092465A1
Application number: CA 2092465
Authority: CA
Inventors: Rick Prosko; James Sowa
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1993-03-25
Filing date: 1993-03-25
Publication date: 1994-09-26
Also published as: AU5777594A

Abstract

ABSTRACT
An improved packer apparatus in which the means of applying pressure downwards on the packer wheel, a coil spring in the example, is at the point of pivotal attachment of the wheel mounting bracket to the cultivator shank. This allows the packer assembly to be very compact and have few moving parts, and in consequence it causes no interference to the shank when an obstruction is struck, is in less danger of breakage, does not exert upwards pressure on the shank, and has greater freedom of movement than earlier packer assemblies. The described example can also allow for varying the packing pressure by reversing the spring or connecting the wheel mounting bracket through a different hole in the bracket, or both. A neoprene bushing ensures trouble-free, grease-free maintenance of the one only moving part in the attachment/pivot assembly.

Description

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INTRODUCTION AND DeSCRlPrlON OF THE PRIOR ART
The invention to be described is a new type of packer assembly for automatic seeding systems, and is appropriate for all sorts of airseeders. As with previous packers, there is a packer wheel attached to the shank; but the invented wheel has a different attachment configuration that allows for several advantages over existing systems.
With present shank-mounted packers there is a mechanism for applying pressure to the wheel that is separate from the pivot point between the wheel and the shank. Problems arising from this include the following:
; (1) there isn't enough room between the pressure mechanism and the frame of the cultivator; when the shank has to trip over an obstacle, ; it's not able to move all the way back without damaging the packer ~:'< assembly;
.j ij (2) the springs used cause the mechanism to slide up on Ihe shank;
`1 (3) too complex; too many moving parts in the pressure mechanism--a common complaint is that the assemblies fall off--;
(4) the spring pressure can't be varied enough, and various soils nee(l widely different amounts of pressure;
(5) high maintenance: they must be greased or will wear out quickly due to metal wearing on metal;
(6) the wheel is mounted so far behind the shank that when the shank ~' is tripping over an obstacle the obstacle strikes directly on the packer wheel causing it ~o break off;
(7) the packer has a limited amount of movement;
. (8) they aren't readily adaptable to all airseeders;
(9) the assembly is cumbersome, yet not easy to remove should you desire to have no packer; and ( 10) most use a cast formed shank mould. and as a re~sult they break ,.~

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On a review of this list, it will be immediately apparent that a new type of assembly is in order. The invented one has these advantages:
(I) the sprhlg and pivot point are together as one, making it very compact and causing no interference with the trip mechanism of the shank;

(2) because the spring and pivot are together there is no upward pressure from the packer wheel to the shank, but rather a twisting motion, so the pressure mechanism will not slide up the shank;

(3) simplicity: there is only one moving part which has a neoprene bushing not needing lubrication;

(4) four different pressure settings are possible for the packing wheel, by permutations of an extra hole in the wheel mounting bracket and the slight offset of the spring con~act points, which can be reversed to give different pressure;

(5) as the shank trips over an obstacle the wheel moves ahead and downwards and hits the obstacle at a point where it is under no pressure, then simply rolls with the obstacle back into packing position;

(6) the spring mounting allows free movement of the assembly;

(7) because of compact design, the assembly is easily adaptable to any airseeder;

(8) the assembly is quickly and easily removed by taking one pin out;

(9) due to simplicity it's very low in maintenance and very durable;
and (10) mounting and brackets are made of steel and will not break easily.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

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For this description, ret`er lo the following diagrams, wherein like numerals refer to like parts:
Figure 1, illustrated embodiment of the invented packer assembly in usage position Oll shank; perspective view;
Figure 2, the illustrated embodiment; top plan view;
Figure 3, the illustrated embodiment; rear elevation;
Figure 4A, attachment plate of the illustrated embodiment; rear elevation;
Figure 4B, attachment plate of the illustrated embodiment; side elevation;
Figure 4C, attachment plate of the illustrated embodiment, with U-ql clamp; top view; and Figure 5, further usage situation of the ilhlstrated embodiment of theinvented packer assembly, with cultivator blade striking obstruction; perspective .~
The invented packer assembly indicated as lO on Figure l is attached to shank 12 bearing blade 14 and airseeder 16 by attachment mechanism generally indicated as 20. U-clamps 22 surround shank 12, while flange 25 has pin 24 insened through it and through wheel mounting bracket 30 extending to wheel 32. This will be !~ better understood with reference to Figure 2, where assembly lO is seen in top plan : -:
without shank 12; bracket 30 attaches to wheel bearing 34 by means of a bracket pipe 3 33, characteristically heavy wall pipe Of 21/64" I.D.. Spring 40 coils around spring pipe 42, characteristically heavy wall of 4" l.D., bracing between plate 19 and 3 mounting bracket 30. A neoprene bushing, not visible, is placed between spring pipe 42 and pin 24. Figure 3 affords a rear elevation view of the assembly 10, with ~he addition of nuts 50 securing the U-clamps 22. Note that in Figure 3 the spring 40 has less coils than in Figure 2; other different springs with more or less coils (not illustrated) could t imilnrly be provided to apply ditferent Imoun~i of preisure.

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Figures 4A, 4B, and 4C show more clearly the plate 19, characteristically 1/2" thic!c by 4 " high by 4112 " wide, and having four 1/2 " diameter holes 18 for the U-clamps 22 (not shown in Figures 4A or 4B). Dual flanges 25 extending from plate 19 are characteristically 11/2" high, 1/2'' itl thickness, and extend anywhere from 1]/2 to 3"
from plate 19, depending on the size of mounting bracket (not shown) being accommodated. Holes 26 are characteristically of 3/4" diameter; pin 24, seen on Figures 1, 2, and 3, is fit through holes 26. Note the curvature of plate 19, visible ,.
most clearly on Figure 4B; this matches the curvature of shank 12 (as seen on Figure 1) at the portion of shank 12 where assembly 10 is attached.
The assembly 10 is illustrated in action in Figure S, where blade 14, travelling in direction of point lS, has risen over obstruction 100. It can be easily seen , .
that assembly 10, attached as it is to shank 12, merely rises also and will bounce off obstruction 11)0 without trouble. Multiple packer assemblies 10 and shanks 12 will usually be attached in parallel to a cultivator frame 200. although ~hese are not shown on Figure S. During unobstructed use, which Pigure I can be taken to illustrate, spring 40 merely presses on bracket 30, which is welded to or integral with bracket pipe 33 (seen on Figure 2), and so presses wheel 32 downwards to pack earth (not shown) on row (not shown) containing seed (not shown) deposited by airseeder 16 after blade 14 has opened a row. As mentioned, the amount of this pressure can be varied by having different numbers of coils on spring 40, or--for any given spring--by reversing the ~, spring or by attaching the mounting bracket 30 by different holes (reversing and different holes options are not illustrated).
`~ An object of the present invention is to provide for an apparatu~ as described in which the means of applying pressure is a spring wound around the longitudinal axis of the pivot means.
The foregoing is by example only, and the scope of the invention should be limited only by the appended claims.

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Claims

1. A packer apparatus to pack earth behind a cultivator shank, consisting of:
a packer wheel;
a wheel mounting bracket attached at one end to the wheel;
pivot means of pivotally attaching the wheel mounting bracket to the shank; and means of applying pressure downwards on the wheel mounting bracket at or very near the place where said pivot means attaches the bracket to the shank;
whereby the mounting bracket is attached to and pulled by the shank, and whereby pressure is exerted on the bracket, and hence on the packing wheel, in order to pack earth behind the shank.

2. An apparatus as in Claim 1, in which the means of applying pressure is a spring wound around the longitudinal axis of the pivot means.

3. An apparatus as in Claim 2, in which there is user-choosable means to vary the pressure applied to the packer wheel.

4. An apparatus as in Claim 2, in which the user may vary the pressure by reversing the spring.

5. An apparatus as in Claim 3, in which the user may vary the pressure by changing the place at which the mounting bracket is attached to the pivot means.

6. An apparatus as in Claim 1, in which there is an airseeder attached to the shank, and the packer wheel packs earth on top of a seed deposited by the airseeder.

7. An apparatus for packing earth behind a cultivator shank, consisting of:
a packer wheel;
a wheel mounting bracket attached at one end to the wheel and with a hole through the other; and a bracket attachment mechanism to pivotally attach said other end of the wheel mounting bracket to the shank; said mechanism consisting of:
a plate with four holes;
2 U-clamps to fit through the holes and around the front of the shank;
2 flanges extending backwards from the plate;
a flange hole in each flange;
a pin to fit through the flange holes and the hole in the mounting bracket;
a neoprene bushing to cover the pin between the flanges;
a pipe to cover the bushing; and a coil spring around the pipe, braced against the plate on one end and the bracket on the other;
whereby the packer wheel mounting bracket is pivotally attached to and pulled by the shank, and whereby pressure is exerted on the bracket by the coil spring, and hence on the packing wheel, in order to pack earth behind the shank.

8. An apparatus as in Claim 7, in which there is an airseeder attached to the shank, and the packer wheel packs earth on top of a seed deposited by the airseeder.

9. An apparatus as in Claim 7, in which the pressure applied can be varied by having a coil spring of less or more coils.

10. An apparatus as in Claim 7, in which the ends of the spring are offset different amounts from the longitudinal axis of the spring, so that pressure can be varied by the user by reversing the spring.

11. An apparatus as in Claim 10, in which there is more than one hole in the bracket to allow the bracket to be affixed to the bracket attachmentmechanism at different places, thus allowing the pressure to be further varied by the

12. An apparatus as in Claim 7, in which the plate is curved to match the curvature of the shank.

13. An apparatus as in Claim 7, in which the plate, bracket, pipe, and pin are made of steel; the plate is 1/2" thick by 4" high by 4 1/2" wide; the flanges extend from 1 1/2" to 3" from the plate; the pipe is 4" interior diameter; and the bracket is connected to the packing wheel by a bracket pipe integral with the bracket or welded there, of 2 1/64" interior diameter.