Powered clearing-disks, control system, and method of use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12356880-B2
Application number	US-202318510813-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 16, 2023
Priority date	Oct 31, 2019
Publication date	Jul 15, 2025
Grant date	Jul 15, 2025

Abstract

An agricultural row unit adapted to be moved over soil by an agricultural planter to clear crop residue includes a residue clearing disk or brush. The row unit may include a motor to drive rotation of a crop residue disk or brush. The agriculture row unit may also include a controller configured to adjust the operating speed of the motor in response to factors internal and/or external to the agricultural row unit. The factors may include at least one of a speed of the agricultural planter along the row, a height of crop residue disk or brush the relative to a surface of the soil, a height of the crop residue disk or brush relative to a surface of the soil, amount of crop residue in the row, and a downforce pressure on the row unit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A row unit configured to clear residue during a planting operation, comprising:
an axially extending linkage assembly including a first end and a second end movable in a vertical direction relative to the first end during the planting operation;
an attachment frame pivotably coupled to the second end of the linkage assembly;
a clearing brush coupled to the attachment frame and configured to rotate about a vertically extending axis to move residue laterally away from the vertically extending axis during the planting operation;
a motor coupled to the clearing brush and configured to drive rotation of the clearing brush about the vertically extending axis; and
a lateral shield positioned adjacent to the clearing brush and configured to receive residue moved laterally by the clearing brush during the planting operation;
wherein the lateral shield is configured to pivot about a first laterally extending axis to facilitate vertical movement of the lateral shield relative to the attachment frame during the planting operation; and
wherein the lateral shield is configured to contact ground and rotate about a second laterally extending axis during the planting operation.

2. The row unit of claim 1 , wherein the clearing brush is cylindrical.

3. The row unit of claim 1 , wherein the lateral shield is vertically and axially aligned with at least a portion of the clearing brush and laterally spaced apart from the clearing brush during the planting operation.

4. The row unit of claim 1 , wherein the lateral shield is adjustable laterally to a plurality of positions such that in each position of the plurality of positions the lateral shield is spaced apart a different distance laterally from the clearing brush.

5. The row unit of claim 1 , wherein the lateral shield is adjustable axially to a plurality of positions relative to the clearing brush.

6. The row unit of claim 1 , wherein the lateral shield is coupled to the attachment frame via a brace assembly including a first arm configured to pivot about the first laterally extending axis.

7. The row unit of claim 6 , wherein the brace assembly includes a second arm extending downward from the first arm; and
wherein the second arm includes a first end coupled to the first arm and a second end coupled to the lateral shield.

8. The row unit of claim 7 , wherein the first end of the second arm is coupleable to the first arm at, at least one of:
a plurality of axially adjacent locations on the first arm to facilitate axial adjustment of the lateral shield relative to the clearing brush; and
a plurality of laterally adjacent locations on the first arm to facilitate lateral adjustment of the lateral shield relative to the clearing brush.

9. The row unit of claim 1 , wherein the clearing brushing is coupled to the attachment frame such that the vertically extending axis about which the clearing brush is configured to rotate forms a non-right angle with a level surface of the ground.

10. The row unit of claim 1 , further comprising a knock-off shield coupled to the attachment frame and positioned laterally between the vertically extending axis about which the clearing brush is configured to rotate and the lateral shield.

11. The row unit of claim 10 , wherein the clearing brush is configured to contact the knock-off shield during rotation of the clearing brush about the vertically extending axis.

12. The row unit of claim 10 , wherein at least a portion of the knock-off shield is positioned axially rearward of the vertically extending axis about which the clearing brush is configured to rotate.

13. The row unit of claim 10 , wherein a position of the knock-off shield is adjustable axially relative to the vertically extending axis about which the clearing brush is configured to rotate.

14. A row unit for an agricultural machine configured to clear residue during a planting operation, comprising:
an attachment frame;
a lateral shield positioned adjacent to the attachment frame; and
a rotatable residue clearer coupled to the attachment frame and configured to move residue laterally toward the lateral shield during the planting operation;
wherein the lateral shield is configured to pivot about a first laterally extending axis to facilitate movement of the lateral shield relative to the attachment frame during the planting operation; and
wherein the lateral shield is configured to contact ground to cause rotation of the lateral shield about a second laterally extending axis during the planting operation.

15. The row unit of claim 14 , wherein the rotatable residue clearer rotates about a vertically extending axis.

16. The row unit of claim 14 , wherein the rotatable residue clearer is a brush.

17. A method of operating a row unit of an agricultural machine to clear residue, comprising:
rotating a clearing brush of the row unit about a vertically extending axis to move residue laterally away from the vertically extending axis during a planting operation;
receiving the residue moved by the clearing bush with a lateral shield of the row unit, which is spaced apart from the clearing brush; and
forming a row of residue that is spaced apart from the vertically extending axis and positioned laterally between the clearing brush and the lateral shield.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
contacting the ground with the lateral shield during the planting operation to cause pivoting movement of an arm, to which the lateral shield is coupled, relative to an attachment frame, to which the arm and the clearing brush are coupled, to move the lateral shield vertically.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
contacting the ground with the lateral shield during the planting operation to cause rotation of the lateral shield.

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Hubner Cary S
• Wonderlich Grant J
• Barker Mark E

Classifications

• A01B79/005

  Precision agriculture · CPC title

• Y02P60/20

  Reduction of greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions in agriculture, e.g. CO2 · CPC title

• A01C19/02

  by a motor · CPC title

• A01C5/06

  Machines for making or covering drills or furrows for sowing or planting · CPC title

• A01B69/024 Primary

  adapted to cut and form a ridge or forrow in the soil surface, e.g. with a disc · CPC title