Abstract: A row unit for an agricultural implement includes a closing disc configured to move soil into a trench. The row unit includes a first arm having a first end coupled to a center portion of a coupling and a second end configured to rotatably couple to a support structure of the row unit. A second arm includes a first end coupled to an outer portion of the coupling and a second end configured to rotatably couple to the support structure. The outer portion of the coupling is rotatable relative to the center portion, and rotation of the outer portion relative to the center portion drives a rotational axis of the closing disc to revolve about a longitudinal axis of the center portion to enable the closing disc to maintain a desired toe angle relative or a desired camber angle as the row unit travels across a field.

Abstract: An apparatus that cleanly severs and clears crop debris from a planting row or closes a furrow while causing minimal disturbance to the soil. The residue coulter apparatus comprises a pair of flat discs each having a plurality of back swept teeth extending about their periphery. The teeth include a beveled cutting edge on the outer edge of the teeth adapted to sever residue from the field or close a furrow. The discs are oriented substantially vertical to the ground. Two discs are used in combination to clear a pathway for planting seed or for closing a furrow.

Abstract: A ground opener that is allowed to caster in one direction is associated with a pair of arms connected by a pivot connection that allows one arm to move relative to the other arm. The movable arm is forced against the stationary arm when the ground opener impacts the soil as the ground opener is pulled along a relatively straight travel path. When the ground opener is turned radially from the straight travel path, the movable arm may cast away from the stationary arm. The disc opener is coupled to the movable arm through a central hub and, as such, the trailing edge of the disc opener will move away from the stationary arm as the disc opener is turned. When the disc opener has completed the turn, the torque on the disc opener will lessen thereby allowing the movable arm to move back toward the stationary arm.

Abstract: An agricultural ground working apparatus includes a mounting bracket adapted for attachment to an implement frame. A shank is pivotally attached to the mounting bracket about a shank pivot axis and extends downward from the mounting bracket to a lower end thereof adapted for engaging the ground. Right and left disc arms are pivotally attached at upper portions thereof to the mounting bracket such that the disc arms pivot about arm pivot axes independent of the shank. The disc arms extend rearward and downward from the mounting bracket on each side of the shank, and right and left discs are rotatably attached to lower portions of the corresponding right and left disc arms.

Abstract: A residue coulter apparatus that cleanly severs and clears crop debris from a planting row, causing minimal disturbance to the soil. The residue coulter apparatus comprises a pair of flat discs each having a plurality of back swept shark type teeth extending about their periphery. The teeth include a double beveled cutting edge on the outer edge of the teeth adapted to sever residue from the field. The clearing discs are oriented substantially vertical to the ground. Two clearing discs are used in combination to clear a pathway for planting seed. The clearing discs are angled toward each other so that the leading edges of the clearing discs are pointed in a toe-in orientation. The present design effectively removes crop debris without over discharge and causes minimal soil disturbance.

Abstract: A tillage implement with on-the-go angle and depth controlled discs. The toolbar upon which the discs are mounted is pivotally secured to the wheeled implement frame assembly and may be hydraulically pivoted to raise or lower the discs relative to the frame assembly. In addition, the discs are secured to the toolbar in pairs and are angularly adjustable with respect to each other, and to the direction of motion of the implement, through a pair of hydraulically actuated gears.

Abstract: A tillage implement includes straight bar ripper structure with a main forward toolbar supporting subsoiler shanks from special brackets which can also support coulters ahead of the shanks independently of additional toolbar structure. An optional rear or secondary toolbar is attached by four-bar linkages to the main toolbar. The four-bar linkages allow the operator to adjust the height of the secondary toolbar relative to the main toolbar to accommodate changes in the operating depth of the rippers. The linkages may also be released to allow the secondary toolbar to float relative to the main toolbar. The secondary toolbar accommodates different attachments behind the rippers, such as disk bedders, lister bedders and strip till rigs which can operate at optimum attack angles and penetration regardless of the operating depth of the ripper.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for improved agricultural seeding; especially useful in no-till direct seeding. In the illustrated embodiment an inclined furrow is cut with a rotating disk that is inclined with respect to the vertical and the horizontal; the furrow has a raised lip, and straw and the like stalks are cleaved during the cutting. Seed is inserted by known means, and then a packer wheel, preferentially inclined in vertical and horizontal directions opposite to those the disk is inclined, runs across the lip and closes the furrow. Advantages include substantially reduced energy required for the furrow cutting, less weight required on the furrowing disk, more even seeding depth, less hairpinning, less soil disturbance, and less weed seed burial.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for improved agricultural seeding; especially useful in no-till direct seeding. In the illustrated embodiment an inclined furrow is cut with a rotating disk that is inclined with respect to the vertical and the horizontal; the furrow has a raised lip, and straw and the like stalks are cleaved during the cutting. Seed is inserted by known means, and then a packer wheel, preferentially inclined in vertical and horizontal directions opposite to those the disk is inclined, runs across the lip and closes the furrow. Advantages include substantially reduced energy required for the furrow cutting, less weight required on the furrowing disk, more even seeding depth, less hairpinning, less soil disturbance, and less weed seed burial.

Abstract: A device for working the ground comprising a frame and a plurality of discs is disclosed. Each disc is rotatably mounted on a shaft which is provided on one end of a pivotable standing shaft. In order to prevent jamming of the discs by earth thrown up by adjacent discs, each standing shaft is placed on the concave side of its associated disc. The shafts are inclined relative to the ground with this inclination being adjustable. The spacing between adjacent discs is adjustable as is the orientation of the discs.

Abstract: A seed covering apparatus for covering seeds with soil after an agricultural seed planter places the seeds within an open seed trench and before the planter closes the seed trench. The apparatus includes a disk with a center guide hole and a sealed bearing attached within the guide hole. An adjustable mounting assembly fixes the sealed bearing to the planter so that the disk can rotate about the bearing along one side of the seed trench. The mounting assembly orients the disk at an acute angle to the seed trench so that rotation of the disk along the side of the trench transfers soil from the side into the bottom of the seed trench. The transferred soil completely covers the seeds within the trench prior to closure of the trench by the planter.

Abstract: A clearing assembly of a farm implement comprises a clearing wheel having peripheral teeth for clearing mulch and means for attaching the clearing assembly for centrally positioning the clearing wheel in front of a tool of a unit of the farm implement. The clearing assembly has a vertical standard and an arm attached radially to the lower end of the standard. The outer end of the arm is connected to the hub of the Wheel. The upper end of the standard is adjustable vertically and rotatively within the attaching means to position the clearing wheel vertically for minimum penetration of soil and transversely for clearing a path with a centerline directly in front of the tool of the unit.

Abstract: A device for working the ground comprising a frame and a plurality of discs. Each disc is rotatably mounted on a shaft which is provided on the free end of a pivotable standing shaft. In order to prevent jamming of the discs by earth thrown up by adjacent discs, each standing shaft is placed on the concave side of its associated disc. The shafts are inclined relative to the ground, thus providing an improved working of the ground. The spacing between adjacent discs is adjustable as is the orientation of the discs.

Abstract: The ridge preparation tool is adapted to be attached to a seed planter directly ahead of the trench-forming structure of the planter so as to skim off the crest of the ridge for the production of a clean, relatively narrow strip of prepared soil in which the trench-forming structure can operate effectively. The free-wheeling skimming disc of the tool is held at an oblique angle to the centerline of the planter and may be adjusted to increase or decrease the extent of side throw of the skimmed off materials by selectively raising or lowering an outwardly bent mounting arm that holds disc at its oblique angle. Raising or lowering the angled mounting arm causes the disc to cock inwardly or outwardly while maintaining the same oblique angle. The throw-adjusted disc can be returned to the same skimming depth by appropriate manipulation of a vertical adjustment unit associated with the tool.

Abstract: An adjustment means for a cultivator disc which provides lateral, vertical and angular adjustment means. A plurality of discs are mounted in parallel on a gang frame, and may be individually adjusted in the field to exact, predetermined positions established by a positive positioning means, and then firmly held in place by a clamping means. In the presently preferred embodiment, the individual support shafts of each cultivator disc are supported by the angle adjustment brackets, which are supported by the lateral adjustment brackets, which are slidably supported in predetermined fixed positions in lateral housings attached to the main towing bar of the cultivator assembly.

Abstract: This invention provides a double adjustable weeding disk support device in order to make rapid and positive adjustments of the depth and cut of the weeding disks. This invention is characterized by a shaft having conventional weeding disks rotatably mounted on the lower end and a series of openings near the other end. The shaft projects upward through openings in the frame crossbar of a conventional cultivator, through an opening in a plate mounted in rigid relationship with the frame crossbar and through the collar mounted on an adjustment arm with the shaft being fixed by means of bolt through opposite openings in the collar and through an opening in the shaft. The adjustable arm can be held in fixed relationship with the fixed plate by inserting a bolt through mating openings in the adjustment arm and in the plate.

Abstract: A debris and soil shaver for no till farming is disclosed which has a disk-like member which floats up and down as it is pulled across the ground surface. The disk is angled with respect to a predetermined direction of travel of an agricultural apparatus which is adapted to pull the shaver. The disk is rotatably mounted to a first support member about a central transverse disk axis. The first support member is pivotally mounted to a vertical second support member about a pivot axis. The pivot axis and central transverse axis are angled with respect to one another. The second support member is clamped to the agricultural apparatus which pulls the shaver. With such a construction, pivotal movement of the first support member about the pivot axis causes the angle of the disk relative to the ground surface to change. The angle adjusting prevents the disk from engaging too much soil and allows the disk to seek a path of least resistance as it rolls across a planting field.

Abstract: A shank mounting arrangement for a disk hiller or similar implement which provides simple and precise angular adjustment of the shank independently of vertical adjustment. An upright slotted tube is fixed to a support beam and an upright apertured shank is slidably received in the tube. An adjustable collar including a plurality of holes adapted for alignment with the slots in the upright tube is mounted for rotation with respect to the upright tube, and a pin is inserted through the holes, slot and an aperture in the shank for retaining the shank in a preselected one of a plurality of vertical positions relative to the support beam. The collar may be rotated independently of vertical adjustment to change the angle of the shank.

Abstract: A row crop cultivator for use in farming which includes a pair of weeding disks associated with each cultivator unit of which a plurality is ganged together in series. Each weeding disk is bearingly supported by a vertical shaft which is received by a cross bar in a manner which permits the shaft associated with the weeding disk to be adjusted as to depth and angular orientation. Such changes in the vertical shaft for the weeding disks are directly transferred to the weeding disk itself. Disposed adjacent the uppermost point of the shaft is a degree gauge plate and adjacent thereto is a depth gauge structured out of angle iron. As the farmer makes adjustments as to angular orientation and depth of one weeding disk, he need not be concerned with the specific values until the optimum depth and angular orientation have been found for the particular field being cultivated.

Abstract: A row crop cultivator for use in farming which includes a pair of weeding disks associated with each cultivator unit of which a plurality is ganged together in series. Each weeding disk is bearingly supported by a vertical shaft which is received by a cross bar in a manner which permits the shaft associated with the weeding disk to be adjusted as to depth and angular orientation. Such changes in the vertical shaft for the weeding disks are directly transferred to the weeding disk itself. Disposed adjacent the uppermost point of the shaft is a degree gauge plate and adjacent thereto is a depth gauge structured out of angle iron. The vertex edge of the depth gauge serves as a pointer for the graduations on the degree gauge plate, while the top surface of the degree guage plate serves as a pointer or alignment marker for the graduations on the depth gauge.

Abstract: Closely spaced cultivating tools are mounted along a tool bar and each tool may be locked in a raised position relative to the ground or may be lowered into floating engagement with the ground during use of the implement. A small tool bar is mounted parallel to a larger tool bar and the cultivating tools are slidably clamped on the small tool bar. Improved mounting structure allows each cultivating tool to be mounted on the small tool bar without having to slide each cultivating tool onto or off of the tool bar from the ends of the tool bar and without having to disassemble the mounting structure. The tool bar assembly includes row indicia for indicating where the tools are to be located along the tool bar and which tools should engage the ground and which tools should be raised away from the ground for various cultivating operations on row crops. A tool angling mechanism allows selective adjustment of the angle to the line of draft of each tool without the use of wrenches or other hand tools.