Abstract: A seedling planter utilizes support wheels located on a main frame near the rear of the planter. The support wheels are pivotable relative to the frame, thereby allowing the force exerted by a set of intermediate packing wheels to be varied. The seedling planter was a novel planting assembly which incorporates two primary structural members; a first planting assembly piece or link which is connected to the frame, and a planting arm which is pivotally connected to the first piece. The first piece is movable to vary the height of the pivot axis about which the planting arm rotates. The planting assembly also includes a soil height level detection subsystem to automatically control downward extension of the first planting assembly piece. The planting arm is thus positioned at a desired predetermined height above the soil as it is rotated into the ground to provide consistent planting depth. A cam-operated seedling holder clamps the seedlings along the rear edge of the planting arm.

Abstract: A metal tine assembly interchangeable with plastic tines on a transverse tubular bat having a teardrop cross-sectional configuration. Each tine includes a wound coil and upper shank clamped to the rear wall of a bat by an overlying bracket. The bracket has a lower opening that bears against the sides of the coil and an elongated recess with a side wall that bears against the tine shank to stabilize the tine on the bat. The assembly is held in place by a single mounting screw and expandable grommet.

Abstract: Disclosed is a subsoil rotary cultivator. The cultivator can advantageously include a tool bar which is mounted to the tractor in the usual fashion. Group frames are advantageously mounted upon the tool bar and have spring-loaded pivoting arms upon which are mounted main tubular members. The main tubular members support a disc assembly using bearings which are positioned within the main tubular member, preferably at the extreme ends thereof. A central shaft extends through the bearings and main tubular member and has a disc attached transversely at the lower end. A shield tube is attached to the rotating disc assembly and extends upwardly from near the disc thereby providing an exterior surface which rotates with the disc in order to deflect weeds, straw, viney plants, and other debris, thereby preventing the cultivator from becoming plugged when it is drawn through a field.

Abstract: A plurality of radial bat support arms are secured between two axially spaced apart hub plate members. The plate members form a hub assembly which is secured to radial mounting lobes on a thin walled center tube of a harvester reel. Each bat support arm has a base portion of channel form in cross section. A single bolt is used for connecting the web of such base portion directly to a first hub plate member. Two additional bolts extend through both hub plate members, through gusset portions of the support arm which lie against the second hub plate member, and through tubular spacer means positioned axially between the gussets and the first plate member. The two additional bolts are both circumferentially spaced apart and radially spaced inwardly from the single bolt. The hub plate members include spacer blocks welded to their inner surfaces at the regions thereof which outwardly bound the mounting lobes on the center tube.

Abstract: A soil conditioner for use in combination with a cultivating implement drawn behind a tractor to break up the soil and leave a prepared seedbed in a single operation. The conditioner is mounted to a framework extending rearwardly behind the cultivator. It comprises a set of reels each mounted to the framework for free rotation about a transverse axis. Two sets of axial blade members are provided about each reel. The blades are equiangularly spaced about the axis and are arranged so that each blade of one set is angularly spaced midway between adjacent blades of the other set. The first set of blades include ground-engaging edges spaced a first radius from the axis. The corresponding edges of the remaining set of blades are spaced a second radius from the axis that is less than the first radius.