Dynamic row spacing planter system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9635799-B2
Application number	US-201314421659-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 30, 2013
Priority date	Aug 31, 2012
Publication date	May 2, 2017
Grant date	May 2, 2017

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a transformable agricultural planter that is structured and operable to transform to a Transport Configuration wherein a width of the planter is less than or equal to a Department Of Transportation maximum load width for which special ‘Wide Load’ permits are not required. The planter includes a support cart including a telescoping support axle having a plurality of wheel assemblies mounted thereto and a plurality of actuators connected to the telescoping support axle. The actuators are operable to extend and retract the telescoping support axle such that a spacing between the wheel assemblies can be set to any desired distance. The planter additionally includes a main toolbar assembly connected a toolbar lift and spin assembly rotatably mounted to the support cart and operable to rotate, raise and lower the main toolbar assembly between the Transport Configuration and a Planting Configuration.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A transformable agricultural planter, said planter comprising:
a support cart including a telescopic wheel-axle assembly, the telescopic wheel-axle assembly comprising:
a telescoping support axle having a plurality of wheel assemblies mounted thereto; and
a plurality of actuators connected to the telescoping support axle and operable to extend and retract the telescoping support axle such that a spacing between the wheel assemblies can be set to any desired distance between a minimum and maximum length of the telescoping support axle as defined by the structural dimensions and operational limitations of the telescoping support axle;

a toolbar lift and spin assembly rotatably mounted to the support cart; and
a main toolbar assembly connected to the toolbar lift and spin assembly, the toolbar lift and spin assembly structured and operable to rotate, raise and lower the main toolbar assembly between a transport configuration and a planting configuration.

2. The planter of claim 1 , wherein the telescopic wheel-axle assembly comprises a plurality of concentric sections telescopingly disposed with each other, wherein the wheel assemblies are connected to the concentric sections and the actuators operatively interconnecting the concentric sections, and each actuator is operable to extend and retract a respective one of the concentric sections such that each concentric section can be extended and retracted independently of the other concentric sections.

3. The planter of claim 1 , wherein each actuator comprises a linear transducer for controlling operation of the respective actuator such that the spacing between the wheel assemblies can be controlled and set.

4. The planter of claim 1 , wherein the toolbar lift and spin assembly comprises a sensor feedback system that monitors the operation of the toolbar lift and spin assembly.

5. The planter of claim 1 , wherein the main toolbar assembly comprises:
a row unit mounting beam connected to the toolbar lift and spin assembly;
a plurality of row unit carriage assemblies slidingly mounted to the row unit mounting beam; and
a plurality of row units, each row unit oscillatingly connected to a respective one of the carriage assemblies such that each row unit can be moved along the mounting beam and retained in a desired location along the mounting beam so that the row units can be variably spaced apart from each other.

6. The planter of claim 5 , wherein each row unit is connected to the carriage assembly via a plurality of suspension arms, and each carriage assembly comprises a lever locking mechanism including lever, a locking pin and a friction plate that are cooperable to retain the respective carriage assembly and row unit at the desired location along the row unit mounting beam.

7. The planter of claim 5 , wherein the main toolbar assembly comprises a lock bar structured and operable to selectively place a plurality of the row units in a rigid connection with the row unit mounting beam such that the row units can be utilized as jack stands to lift the support cart wheel assemblies off the ground.

8. The planter of claim 5 , the plurality of row units comprised twelve row units.

9. The planter of claim 1 , wherein the support cart further comprises a telescoping neck structured and operable to connect the planter to a mobile platform.

10. The planter of claim 1 , wherein the support cart, the toolbar lift and spin assembly and the main toolbar assembly are structured and operable to cooperatively transform the planter from the planting configuration to the transport configuration wherein a width of the planter in the transport configuration is less than or equal to a maximum load width defined by a Department Of Transportation for which special ‘Wide Load’ permits are not required.

11. A transformable agricultural planter, said planter comprising:
a support cart including a telescopic wheel-axle assembly, the telescopic wheel-axle assembly comprising:
a telescoping support axle comprising a plurality of concentric sections telescopingly disposed with each other;
a plurality of wheel assemblies connected to the concentric sections; and
a plurality of actuators operatively interconnecting the concentric sections, and each actuator is operable to extend and retract a respective one of the concentric sections such that each concentric section can be extended and retracted independently of the other concentric sections to set a spacing between the wheel assemblies to any desired distance between a minimum and maximum length of the telescoping support axle as defined by the structural dimensions and operational limitations of the telescoping support axle;

a toolbar lift and spin assembly rotatably mounted to the support cart; and
a main toolbar assembly connected to the toolbar lift and spin assembly, the toolbar lift and spin assembly structured and operable to rotate, raise and lower the main toolbar assembly between a transport configuration and a planting configuration.

12. The planter of claim 11 , wherein each actuator comprises a linear transducer for controlling operation of the respective actuator such that the spacing between the wheel assemblies can be controlled and set.

13. The planter of claim 11 , wherein the toolbar lift and spin assembly comprises a sensor feedback system that monitors the operation of the toolbar lift and spin assembly.

14. The planter of claim 11 , wherein the main toolbar assembly comprises:
a row unit mounting beam connected to the toolbar lift and spin assembly;
a plurality of row unit carriage assemblies slidingly mounted to the row unit mounting beam; and
a plurality of row units, each row unit oscillatingly connected to a respective one of the carriage assemblies such that each row unit can be moved along the mounting beam and retained in a desired location along the mounting beam so that the row units can be spaced apart from each other.

15. The planter of claim 14 , wherein each row unit is connected to the carriage assembly via a plurality of suspension arms, and each carriage assembly comprises a lever locking mechanism including lever, a locking pin and a friction plate that are cooperable to retain the respective carriage assembly and row unit at the desired location along the row unit mounting beam.

16. The planter of claim 14 , wherein the main toolbar assembly comprises a lock bar structured and operable to selectively place a plurality of the row units in a rigid connection with the row unit mounting beam such that the row units can be utilized as jack stands to lift the support cart wheel assemblies off the ground.

17. The planter of claim 11 , wherein the support cart further comprises a telescoping neck structured and operable to connect the planter to a mobile platform.

18. The planter of claim 11 , wherein the support cart, the toolbar lift and spin assembly and the main toolbar assembly are structured and operable to cooperatively transform the planter from the planting configuration to the transport configuration wherein a width of the planter in the transport configuration is less than or equal to a maximum load width defined by a Department Of Transportation for which special ‘Wide Load’ permits are not required.

19. A transformable agricultural planter, said planter comprising:
a support cart including a telescopic wheel-axle assembly, the telescopic wheel-axle assembly comprising:
a telescoping support axle comprising a plurality of concentric sections telescopingly disposed with each other;
a plurality

Assignees

• Monsanto Technology Llc

Inventors

• Hundley Christopher A
• Thielen Andrew D
• Forinash Brian
• Baitinger David J
• Forbes Timothy J

Classifications

• A01C7/201

  Mounting of the seeding tools · CPC title

• A01C7/08

  Broadcast seeders; Seeders depositing seeds in rows · CPC title

• A01B73/005 Primary

  for endwise transportation, i.e. the direction of transport being substantially perpendicular to the direction of agricultural operation (A01B73/02 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A01B73/00

  Means or arrangements to facilitate transportation of agricultural machines or implements, e.g. folding frames to reduce overall width (arrangements of lifting devices for soil working implements A01B63/00) · CPC title

• A01C7/208

  Chassis; Coupling means to a tractor or the like; Lifting means; Side markers · CPC title