CA2099555A1 - Apparatus and method for double shoot sowing of seed and/or fertilizer - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT
The invention disclosed is a method for single or double shoot sowing of seed and/or fertiliser wherein two parallel lines of seed and/or fertiliser are deposited at different depths without substantial, unwanted, disruption of the surface soil, and an apparatus used in conjunction with a conventional furrow opener and material deposited that creates a furrow with at least one edge wall. The apparatus has a cutting edge that cuts a lateral furrow in an edge wall of a first furrow, a deflecting surface that covers first material deposited in the first furrow with soil from the lateral furrow, and a conduit that deposits second material along a lines above, parallel, and adjacent to the line.
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Description

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.~ Ap~aratus and Method ~or ~ouJol~ Shoot Sowing of S~ed ancl/or ~ertilizer.
Double shoot sowmg of 3eed and/or fer~liser is well known.
~ ' Typicalb however ~he second of ~e mate~iab -to be sown is del~wred a subst;~tial distance beh~d the first 90 as to pelmit ~e soil to fall into 1he first fi~row and cover ~e :first mate~ial wi~ or ~:~ S without assist~ce from various blades or plow-like devices between the two discharge orifices.
Such de~ces are not vvidely wed particularly in ~y l~d falming where di~uption o:f ~e 90il both at the surface and below is to be avoided. Fu~her, such devices typically do not pro~de for either ! a good contact wi~ ~e soil, good coverage, or a spec~ied and na~rowly c~Dfined pa~ o~
` '~ disposition. Scatter and lack of def~ni~on can be reduced by selectiv~ packing or ii~n~g o~ ihe ,~3 10 seed bed. Such method~ often do not pro~de for enou~h contr~l o~ the variables of dep~, - ' position, soil rorltact, soil iiItnness and fracturing.
~,.:i3 One known method is to provïde for seed to be deposited in the wake o~ a sweep, which m~y be large or 8mall, whereby soil is forced up ~d over the sweep to create a passage for the additional lateral se~ depo~ition. All of these methods Gause an mcreased and undesirable 90il disruption or 15 fract~ing above ~e sweep w~ile ha~ng too ~tlle impact on the fir~t ~Tow and ~e seed bed it~elf.
j~ ~ Maîy require a shaîp dng1e in the seed delivery tubes which can cause darnage to seed and/or ~"i other particuL~te materials delivered at high speed m modern air seeding apparatus.
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Another known me~od to lry to so~ve these problems is shown in USP 4,674,419 issued 23 Jun ~1 87 to I.D. Kopecly which pro~,ides for a ho~izontalb and downward~y disl)osed sealer plate 20 immediately to ~e rear of ~e conventional shank which compacts the soil at ~e edge of ~e iirst filrrow in a downward ~rection wi~ the in~nt of p~oviding a firm horizontal but laterally displaced seed bed and of causing ~e ver~cally compacted soi1 to fill ~e first furrow. ~xtensions of the sealer pl~te form nalrow groove~ fo~ disposi~on of ~e ~eed at ei~er lateral edge of ~e plate and w~ich m~y i;~her fracture Ihe ver~cath,r compacted soil and mo~e same towards t~e cen~er.
25 Such a des.ign reqL~ires additional delivery tubes for the seed which are sho~n to be exten~d o~l~e i ~ sealer plate and ~us fi~ther disluptive of the critical surface soil and lead to cloggin~ in wetter or ~,, / cla~y conditions.
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It is an object of the present im/en~on to pr~vide a douhle-shoot opener for attacl~ne~ to a conven~onal ver~cany oriented shank fùrrow opener in close prox~mi1y to the said shank, which 30 opener cuts a ~econd or lateral fi~Tow in the side wall of ~he first fi~row by displacing ~e side wall ~o;1 inwarc~y to cover iirgt mateAal placed by said shank without substan~al unwanted disruption ~i of the ~urface soil, and which pro~des a lligh degree of deiini~on and control of ~e loc~on of :1 lhe two materials.
~¦ The invention thus consisb in a ground opener adapted for use in conjunc~on wi~ a conventional :, 35 fi~row opener that creates a filrrow with at least one edge waJI when operating, said fi~row opener ha~ing a main a~is Iying in a substalltially ~ertical plane in the direction of lravel~ said ~ound opener comprising:
~ a) upper and lower su~ace~ each Iying in plane~:
`. i. disposed at a substarl~l angle to the ver~call, ; 40 ii. subatantial~y par~lel to ~e direc,tion of travel, i~ page --> 1 20~9555 1;~
.. . iii. intersecting said ver~cal plane along a horizontal line at or below t~e level of ~e ground when in working posi~on, and parallel to the direction of travel~
b) a forward cutting edge in said upper su~ace:
~:~ i. disposed at an ang1e swbstantialbl less than 90 degrees with respect to the said ho~izontal line so as to taper outwa~dly in a direction opposite to ~e direc1ion ~ travel, . ~ ii. adapted to cut mto an edge wall created by an associated filrrow opener, ;J, c) a soil deflecting front su~ace, dep~nding from and including ~e said cutbng edge, disposed to deilect ~oil sub~tantial~y inwardbr toward~ ~aid v~cal pl~e when in the wor~ing po~ition, ,.3 d) conduit means between said upper and lower surfaces to conduct mate~ial :&om recei~ng means 10 in said gro~d opeller to ou~et mea;ns substantially la-terally spaced firom said pla~e~ to deposit said mate~a1 witb~n said edge wal1.
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',, The inven~on fi~her com~nise~ a double-shoot ground opener adapted for use in conjuilction wi~
$ a conventional fi:ilrow opener lhat creates a fiurow with at least one vertical edge wall when operatin~, said fi~ow opener having:
15 1. a main a~is lying in a ~ubstantially ver~cal plane in ~e direction of l~

2. conduit means to conduct a first mate~ial to fir~t outlet means proximate said ver~cal plane, ' j 3. means adjacent said plane to attach said ground opene~ realwardly of said filrrow opener in -' clo~e association therewi~, "1 said ground opencr compnsing:
`.J 20 a) upper and lower surfaces each Iying in planes:
i. disposed at a substan~ angle to the ver~caL
~ ~ ii. sub~tantially parallel to the direct;on of traveL
., ii1. intersecting said vertical plane along a horizontal ~ne at .,~ or below the level o~e ground when in worl~ng position, ,:s 25 and parallel to the direction oI travel, b) a forward cut~ng edge in said upper surface:
` ~ i. di~posed at an angle ~ubstanbal~ less than 90 degrees with respect to ~e said holizontal lin0 so as to tapcr :~ outwardly in a direction opposite to the direction of travel, , 30 ii. adapted to cut into a ver~c~ edge wall created by an .i associated filrrow opener, .. c) a soil de:flec~ng firont sllrface, depending ~om and mcluding the sai~ cuffing edge, , d~posed to de:flect soil subst2ul~ally inwa~dly towards s2~d verlical plarle wherl in ~e work~g posi~on, 35 d) condwit means between said up~er and lower surfaces to conduct second mate~ lirom recei~qng means in said grolmd opener to second outlet means substan~ally laterally spaced from ~ :1 said plane, to deposit said material w~ aid 1ateral edge wall.
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The invention filrlher comp;ises a me~od for the applica~ion of seed or fer~ser comprising:
a) opensng in soil a conventional fblrow wiith at least one e~e wall, . 40 b) cutting a laterally ~lisplaced side-wall fi~row into ~e said edge wall below ~e soili s~face, G) sùbstan~lb ~imulistaneously deflec~ng soil cut :l~om saiid side-wall filrrow prima~y laterally . into sadd conven~onal fi~ow, g d) depositmg a seed or fer~lliser mate~iali into said side-wiaJI fi~ow.
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,~, ~A .~, ;' l~e il~vention fu~er cornprises a method for ~double shoot app~ication of seed and :t`er~liser :.~ cornpri~ng:
`. a) opening in soil a conventional filrrow with at least one substantialbl ver~cal edge w~
:` ~ b) depo~ting a first seed or fer~liser material at the bottom of said con~entiot~ rrow, 5 c~ cut~ng a laterally displaced ~de-wall fillrow into the said vertical edge walL above ~he deposited first mate~ial and below the soil sur~ace, ' d) deilectin~s 80il cut ~om said sidewaM fi~Tow to cover said first material, e) deposi~ing a second seed or ~er~;ser material above the de~ected soil alo~ a l~e laterallb `~ 3 displaced from ffie ~ne o~deposit o~said first mate~
10 The accompallying drawings show, in:
Figure 1, Side Elevation of ~e Opener of the invendon Figure 2, Rear Elevadon o~the Opener of Figure 1 ~,~ Figure 3, Front Eleva~on of the Opener of Figure 1 (shown wi~out connecting tabs ;; shownin Figure2) :.. ,"~ .
Figllre 4, Bottom View of ~e Opener of Figure 1 Figures Sa and 5b, side elevation and corre~ponding rear view of ~e o3pener of :Figure 1 (shown in workin~ position in conj~ction with a traditional filtmw shank opener.) The p~e~erred embodirnent of ~e ~pener of the invention is s~own in E igures 1-5.
As shown in Figure S ~e double shoot opener of ~e invention is gener~Lly desi~nated 28 Opener 20 28 is ~hown in working position attached imme&tely to ~e rear of collventional shank ~row grolmd opener 18. As shown in Fi~re Sa, conven'donal ground furrow opener 18 has cutbng side walls 25 and poînt 2~. Opener 18 cuts a ~rertical fi~row to depth 21 m a conventional r~er A
typical soil surface is shown at 5. Ground opener 18 includes an intemal path 19 for a first ~ material to be wwn, such a~ sesd and/or fer~er which m~y, for example, be de~vered by :~ 25 mo~iing air :l~om an a~r seeder or by grauty. This f~rst mate~ial followæ path ~f a~ow 20 while .~ m~ide the opener 18. The :~t nute~ial i8 discharged from ~e lower ex~emit~ of opener 18 mto ., the fi~ow at depth 21 to follow pa~ indicated by arrow 22.
; As the conventional opener 18 travels ~ough ~e soil while worl~ng :fiom right to le~ in figures 1 and 5, ~e soil ~ollows pa~ of alTow 27, Fig~Jres 1, 4, and 5, in relation to ~e double shoot opener ~. 30 28.
:~ Substantially parallel upper and lower surfaces of opener 28, 4 in Figure 1, and 6 in Fig~re 4, respective~, lie in planes ~at are each substa~ parallel to ~e ~irec~on of ~avel when in the working po~tion and are, preferably, plarLar. The plane of uppe~ 3urface 4 Ineets the gener~lb ~s~ . ver~cal side wall 14 of opener 28 at ~n obtr,se an~b along a hoIizontal l~e 15 which ;s bo~
-: 35 parallel to the direction of tr~el and at or, preferabh", below the sur~ace of ~e ground S when in . the working posi~on.
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.i A forward cutbng edge 1 o~ opener 28, incorporated into upper surface 4, d~verge~ firom ~e holizontal l~e 15 at an ~n~le substan~ally less than 90 degrees and extends late~ally outward :fiom the body of opener 2X.
:~ A de31ecbng surface 2, Figure 4, extend~g rea~wardb ~om cutbng edge 1 between ~pper and 5 lower surfaces 4 and 6, incorporates cuffing edge 1 and is onented at an angle o~ about 1~ to 25 '* degrees to upper surface 4 80 aB to de~lect soil primarib inwardly into ~e conven~on~l fi~ow immediately to the re~ of ground opener 18.
Cuffing edge 1 and deflecting sur~ace 2 co-operate so as ~o cut a laterally displaced filrrow, (not shown) complete~ beneath the ~ ace o~ ~e gro~d 5, into ~e ver~cal side wall o~ ~e 10 con~en~donal fi~.row cut b~r ~/ertical side walls 25 of ground opener 18. . The soi1 in which ~is lateral fi~row i8 formed is displaced inwardly mto the conven~ trench without swbstan~al fractu~ing or com~ession.
' '';1 o.~ ~igures 2 and 3 ~how a rear and front ~iew respec~eh,r of the opener 28. Since ~pper surface 4 is ` ~ parallel to the direction of travel, 30il in regi~n A is relative~ undishlrbed or lm~actllred by ~e 15 opening of ~e later~ row. Deflec~ng sur~ace 2, Figure 3, unpacts upon the soil cut from the lateral fimow and cau~es that soil to be folded into the conventional filrrow in ~e dhec~on of ';~ arrow 29 which is prMnarily inwardl~ but also downwar~dlb. l~us, area B is :filled ~nth soil to cover up first materi~l sown along pa~ 22 wiihout substantial compression of either of ~is ~ materi~l ol~ the soi1 imrnedi~tely below lower surface 6 of the opener 28 and outside of the .~ 20 corn~ention~ row.
,.i, Opener 28 may be attached to conventionat opener 18 as by tabs shown at 30 in Figure 2, not . shown elsewhere for clari~ of drawing.
~t~ The ~econd material, such as seed, enters opener 28 at 12 in a collventional manner and ~ows ;;: path 13 to exit orifice 10. Or~fice lO is honzontaLly oqiented as s~own in Figure 1. Preferab~r . 25 path 13 is cmved rea~ar~y for compactness of the opener.
.., a Seed pa~ 13 is between upper surface 4 and lower surface 6 so as to be laterally displaced :~om ~ ver~cal plane 31, ~es 2 and 3, before exi~ng ~e opener at or~fice 10 to follow path 11. Path !,"~.~' 1 1 iS shown ;n figure~ 2 and 3 wi1~out ~e eEect ~ soi1 in ~e bottom on the taterat fi~row for ~;: clarily o~ drawing.
:'~ 30 Preferab~ upper sllrface 4 is termmated lateralb with a ver~ical edge surface 3 at its outer Ihnit ~ ~ which op~onalty may extend downwardly to meet and tem~inate at lower surface 6. Ver~icat :~ su~face 3 meets deilecting surface 2 along hne 3a in Fig~e 1.
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.;i,; Also, opener 28 op~onally may include a V-sbapedl projection 32 formed by a sho~t mc~ned plane :s su~ace 7 inte~ecti~ c~ edge su~ace 3 and, at ~e apex o:f 32, lower :~ace 6 which is ~ 35 ~tersected along ~ie center }ine 8 of ~i:fice 10, Figure 4. The rear s~face ~ of V-shaped i. pqojec~on 32 may be sloped forwardly, as r,hown in Fig~e~ 1 and 4, to pro~iide a smooth seed ~i . pa~ 11.
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,1 l As shown m F~es 5a and 5b ~e seed is deposited in ~e l~ter~Lly displaced fi~row ~t dep~ 23 in a pa~ 24 which ig well defined by reason of V-sllaped projec~on 32.

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Claims (14)

1. A ground opener adapted for use in conjunction with a conventional furrow opener that creates a furrow with at least one edge wall when operating, said furrow opener having a main axis lying in a substantially vertical plane in the direction of travel said ground opener comprising:
a) upper and lower surfaces each lying in planes:
i. disposed at a substantial angle to the vertical, ii. substantially parallel to the direction of travel, iii. intersecting said vertical plane along a horizontal line at or below the level of the ground when in working position, and parallel to the direction of travel, b) a forward cutting edge in said upper surface:
i. disposed at an angle substantially less than 90 degrees with respect to the said horizontal line so as to taper outwardly m a direction opposite to the direction of travel,ii. adapted to cut into an edge wall created by an associated furrow opener, c) a soil deflecting front surface, depending from and including the said cutting edge, disposed to deflect soil substantially inwardly towards said vertical plane when in the working position.
d) conduit means between said upper and lower surfaces to conduct material from receiving means in said ground opener to outlet means substantially laterally spaced from said plane, to deposit said material within said edge wall.

2. An opener as claimed in claim 1 wherein the outlet means is rearward of the said soil deflecting surface.

3. An opener as claimed in claims 1 or 2 wherein one or more of the upper, lower and front surfaces are substantially planar.

4. An opener as claimed in claim 3 wherein the opener further comprises:
a) a substantially vertical outer edge extending downwardly from said upper surface, b) a V-shaped downward projection extending from said vertical outer edge to said lower surface between said soil deflecting surface and said second outlet.

5. A double-shoot ground opener adapted for use in conjunction with a conventional furrow opener that creates a furrow with at least one vertical edge wall when operating, said furrow opener having:
1. a main axis lying in a substantially vertical plane in the direction of travel, 2. conduit means to conduct a first material to first outlet means proximate said vertical plane, 3. means adjacent said plane to attach said ground opener rearwardly of said furrow opener in close association therewith, said ground opener comprising:
a) upper and lower surfaces each lying in planes;
i. disposed at a substantial angle to the vertical, ii. substantially parallel to the direction of travel, iii. intersecting said vertical plane along a horizontal line at or below the level of the ground when in working position, and parallel to the direction of travel, b) a forward cutting edge in said upper surface:
page -> 6 i. disposed at an angle substantially less than 90 degrees with respect to the said horizontal line so as to taper outwardly in a direction opposite to the direction of travel, ii. adapted to cut into a vertical edge wall created by an associated furrow opener, c) a soil deflecting front surface, depending from and including the said cutting edge, disposed to deflect soil substantially inwardly towards said vertical plane when in the working position, d) conduit means between said upper and lower surfaces to conduct second material from receiving means in said ground opener to second outlet means substantially laterally spaced from said plane, to deposit said material within said lateral edge wall.

6. An opener as claimed in claim 5 wherein the soil defecting surface is a single surface.

7. An opener as claimed in claim 6 wherein the outlet means is rearward of the said soil deflecting surface.

8. An opener as claimed in claims 6 or 7 wherein one or more of the upper, lower and front surfaces are substantially planar.

9. An opener as claimed in claim 8 wherein the opener further comprises:
a) a substantially vertical outer edge extending downwardly from said upper surface, b) a V-shaped downward projection extending from said vertical outer edge to said lower surface between said soil deflecting surface and said second outlet.

10. A method for the application of seed and fertiliser comprising:
a) opening in soil a conventional furrow with at least one edge wall, b) cutting a laterally displaced side-wall furrow into the said edge wall below the soil surface, c) substantially simultaneously deflecting soil cut from said side-wall furrow primarily laterally into said convention furrow, d) depositing a seed or fertiliser material into said side-wall furrow.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10 wherein said edge wall is substantially vertical.

12. A method for the double shoot application of seed and fertiliser comprising:
a) opening in soil a conventional furrow with at least one substantially vertical edge wall, b) depositing a first seed or fertiliser material at the bottom of said conventional furrow, c) cutting a laterally displaced side-wall furrow into the said vertical edge wall, above the deposited first material and below the soil surface, d) substantially simultaneously deflecting soil cut from said side-wall furrow primarily laterally to cover said first material, e) depositing a second seed or fertiliser material above the deflected soil along a line laterally to cover said first material, page -> 7

13. A method as claimed in claim 12 wherein the first material is deposited through the means used to open the conventional furrow.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the second material is deposited through the means used to cut and displace soil from said side-wall furrow.
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