Abstract: A seed delivery apparatus having a seed meter configured to entrain seeds on a seed disc and to release said entrained seeds at a seed release location; a seed conveyor having an upper end disposed to receive released seeds from said seed meter and a lower end through which the released seeds are discharged proximate a soil surface; and a loading wheel rotatably disposed at said upper end of said seed conveyor to introduce the released seeds from said seed meter into said seed conveyor, wherein said loading wheel has a plurality of radial fingers with each of said radial fingers having a sinusoidal configuration.

Abstract: Provided is a crawler pad with improved durability for preventing foreign materials from coming through between crawler pads, greatly improving the strength of steel cores and improving the integrity of a pad body and a steel core. In the prior one, the typical crawler pad had a problem that its life time keeps shortened because foreign materials such as sands, etc. penetrate through into the space between neighboring crawler pads, and the rubber-made pad body was damaged. Foreign material prevention stops are formed on with protruded from the front and back surfaces of the ground contact part, and function to firstly prevent foreign material from coming into space between two neighboring pad bodies, and overlap inclines are formed on the front and the back lower surfaces of the pad body respectively with inclined downwards so as to be overlapped with those of neighboring another pad body and thereby to form an overlap region and secondly prevent foreign material from coming into.

Abstract: A seed delivery apparatus and methods in which a seed conveyor delivers seed from a metering device to a trench in a controlled manner to maintain seed placement accuracy within the trench.

Abstract: In order to achieve a solution which assists a farmer in working land in a way which reduces the risk of soil compaction of the land there is, among others, a method of determining a work trajectory to be followed by an agricultural work vehicle. The method includes accessing a soil carry capacity map of an area of land to be worked by the agricultural work vehicle, receiving load data of the agricultural work vehicle so as to determine the agricultural work vehicle load and determining the work trajectory to be followed by the agricultural work vehicle. The work trajectory is determined by correlating the soil carry capacity map and the load data of the agricultural work vehicle, so as to optimize that the area to be worked with low carry capacity is worked with low agricultural work vehicle load.

Abstract: A ventilating wheel provides a plurality of angled vanes extending from a hub. The ventilating wheel secures to the slide rail of a snowmobile suspension system. An endless track extends over the underside of the slide rail. A Hyfax may secure to the slide rail interposed between the track and slide rail to reduce friction therebetween. The ventilating wheel is in rolling contact with the track and is rotated thereby to draw air and snow over the slide rail. In some embodiments, air and snow flow over the radiator is induced. The ventilating wheel may serve as an idler wheel defining the shape of the track. In other embodiments, the ventilating wheel mounts to a straight portion of the slide rail and serves to reduce pressure on the Hyfax. In still other embodiments, the ventilating wheel serves only to increase air and snow circulation.

Abstract: A track shoe for a crawler track has a hollow body with top and bottom sections and perimeter side walls defining a void therebetween. A supporting pillar is located in the void and extends between the top and bottom sections. The pillar is located in the main loadbearing region of the shoe and bears most of the load on the shoe. This enables the thickness of the side walls to be minimized. The shoe can be manufactured more efficiently by complementing foundry methods.

Abstract: With the objective of providing an elastic crawler shoe capable of securing desired ground contact pressure on an icy road or a pressed snow road, thereby preventing a skid, a ground contact face of an elastic body which is bonded to a core bar so as to cover the core bar has grooves, and a central ground contact face in a longitudinal direction of the elastic crawler shoe is provided with stepped parts relative to end portions thereof so as to be protrusively stepped.

Abstract: Low ground pressure tire chains for skid-steer loaders and other construction machinery. A track (12) for parallel drive wheeled vehicles (10) having spaced apart pairs of wheels (14,16) assembled with a plurality of base units (24) pivotally interconnected in series by opposing links (26), each base unit comprising a pair of opposing side supports (32) with a wedge portion (36) extending towards the opposing side support to wedgingly receive a portion of a tire in a gap between the opposing side support's. A pair of spaced-apart transverse cross members (34) extending between the side supports and define cavities (50) between a leading edge and the wedge portion for receiving fasteners to secure a bottom plate (52) to the base unit. The assembled track mounts around the tires of the loader to provide traction and floatation of the loader during operation in mud or sand.

Abstract: A track (12) for small loaders (10) having spaced-apart pairs of wheels (14, 16) assembled with a plurality of base units (24) pivotally interconnected in series by opposing links (26), each base unit comprising a pair of opposing side supports (32) with a wedge portion (36) extending towards the opposing side support to wedgingly receive a portion of a tire in a gap between the opposing side supports. A pair of spaced-apart transverse cross members (34) extend between the side supports and define cavities (50) between a leading edge and the wedge portion for receiving fasteners to secure a bottom plate (52) to the base unit. The assembled track mounts around the tires of the loader to provide traction and floatation of the loader during operation in mud or sand.

Abstract: A rubber pad comprises a support plate having substantially the same shape as an outer surface of an iron shoe plate provided on its outer surface with lugs, a rubber block vulcanized and adhered to the support plate, wherein the support plate is provided with a bolt or a female member fixed to at least one side face of the support plate, a hook member fixed to the support plate at a position opposite to the bolt or female member. Further, the rubber pad is provided with a fastening member securing the rubber pad to the iron shoe plate through another female member or bolt.

Abstract: The soft bottom track assembly of the present invention includes inner pad assemblies, side plate assemblies, and link and cross bolt assemblies. An inner pad assembly includes a multiplicity of longitudinally arranged pads, hingedly attached one to the next, each having an upper iron casting with a rubber/urethane material bonded thereto. The pads are arranged in rows, with each row staggered from each adjacent row so that there are always pads in contact with the surface on which the track is riding. A raised area on the cast iron backing provides traction between the tire and the track assembly. Each pad includes holes for hinged attachment to adjacent pads, also permitting adjustment of the size of the track length, depending on the hole arrangement selected during track assembly installation.

Abstract: A self-cleaning track for reducing the accumulation of debris between the moving and non-moving components of an endless track. The inventive device includes a plurality of track pads interconnected to form an endless track. Each track pad comprises at least one grouser member extending between a pair of opposing side members, a cavity within each of the side members, an opening projecting into a side of each side member exposing the cavity, a pair of slots on opposing sides of the side members for pivotally receiving a link member, and a ramp portion projecting into each side member from the a lower portion of the slots. The opening allows debris accumulated within the cavity to escape freely. The ramp portions of the slots allow the debris to descend from the cavity when the track pad is in a substantially upper position along the endless track.

Abstract: An elastomeric belt laying vehicle is disclosed for transmitting greater tractive effort to the earth as compared to comparably powered wheel vehicles and being operable at high speed on improved road surfaces without inflicting damage thereto. A pair of the wheels are arranged on each lateral side of the vehicle's chassis for support thereof. An inextensible, endless belt is highly tensioned throughout its length, is entrained about each pair of wheels, and is frictionally, drivingly coupled to at least one wheel of each pair. The structure of the belt, structure of the wheels and cooperating components thereof ensure engagement therebetween, provides long service with minimum maintenance thereof, and supplies the necessary frictional couple to effectively transmit driving torque from the wheels to the belt.

Abstract: An elastomeric belt laying vehicle is disclosed for transmitting greater tractive effort to the earth as compared to comparably powered wheel vehicles and being operable at high speed on improved road surfaces without inflicting damage thereto. A pair of the wheels are arranged on each lateral side of the vehicle's chassis for support thereof. An inextensible, endless belt is highly tensioned throughout its length, is entrained about each pair of wheels, and is frictionally, drivingly coupled to at least one wheel of each pair. The structure of the belt, structure of the wheels and cooperating components thereof ensure engagement therebetween, provides long service with minimum maintenance thereof, and supplies the necessary frictional couple to effectively transmit driving torque from the wheels to the belt.