Patents by Inventor Douglas Urbaniak
Douglas Urbaniak has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 11895943Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus for closing a planting trench include a disc assembly for loosening soil adjacent to the planting trench. In some embodiments a closing wheel assembly has a subframe, a vertical pivot mounting the closing wheel subframe to a row unit subframe, and a air of pivot arms. The closing wheel subframe pivots relative to the subframe of the row unit.Type: GrantFiled: July 10, 2020Date of Patent: February 13, 2024Assignee: Precision Planting LLCInventors: Jeremy Hodel, Douglas Urbaniak, Timothy Kater
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Patent number: 11839172Abstract: A trench closing sensor adapted to mount to an agricultural implement to detect whether a seed trench is sufficiently closed with soil to ensure good seed to soil contact. The trench closing sensor may also detect the amount of compaction of the soil over the seed within the seed trench. The trench closing sensor may be in the form of a seed firmer from which a drag wire extends. As the open seed trench and drag wire are covered with soil, instrumentation measures or detects whether the seed trench is being adequately closed with soil by measuring the amount of force required to pull the wire through the soil or by measuring the amount of strain, pulling force or tension in the wire or by measuring the amount of soil pressure acting on the wire. The trench closing sensor may include other sensors for detecting soil characteristics.Type: GrantFiled: November 12, 2020Date of Patent: December 12, 2023Assignee: Precision Planting LLCInventors: Dale Koch, Jeremy Hodel, Timothy Kater, Douglas Urbaniak
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Publication number: 20230148468Abstract: A reversible seed trench appurtenance including: a mounting frame operably connectable to an optional mounting bracket; a frame connected to the mounting frame, the frame having a first side and a second side; a neck body comprising a neck, wherein the neck body is fixedly connected to the frame or the neck body is connected to the mounting frame; a tail connected to the neck body; a post; and a hook; wherein the hook is engageable with the post; and wherein one of: (i) the post is disposed between the first side and the second side, and the neck body further comprises the hook; or (ii) the hook comprises a first hook and a second hook, the first side comprises the first hook, the second side comprises the second hook, and the neck body further comprises the post.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 10, 2021Publication date: May 18, 2023Inventors: William Douglas Urbaniak, Dale M. Koch
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Patent number: 11540435Abstract: A scraper assembly for a split gauge wheel of a planter row unit. The scraper assembly includes a scraper blade having a finger projection configured to extend downwardly into a gap between the inner and outer wheel members of the split gauge wheel. An inner scraper flange extends laterally inward from the finger projection and is disposed in proximity to a circumferential periphery of the inner wheel member. An outer scraper flange extends laterally outward from the finger projection and is disposed in proximity to a circumferential periphery of the outer wheel member. As the gauge wheel rotates, the inner and outer scraper flanges remove soil buildup on the circumferential periphery of the respective inner and outer wheel members and the finger projection removes soil buildup in the gap between the inner and outer wheel members.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2020Date of Patent: January 3, 2023Assignee: Precision Planting, LLCInventors: Timothy Schaefer, Douglas Urbaniak
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Publication number: 20220330469Abstract: A system (1000) and method of marking soil or crops within afield with a visual strip (1001) to identify an occurrence of a detected event as an agricultural implement (10) traverses a field. The system includes an assembly (100, 200, 300, 500, 700, 800, 900) supported by the agricultural implement. The assembly includes a supply of a colored composition and an actuator (130, 330, 1030) configured to receive the actuation signals sent by the controller (80, 81). The actuator is responsive to the actuation signals to release the colored composition at the location on the field while the agricultural implement advances through the field in the forward direction of travel.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 17, 2020Publication date: October 20, 2022Inventors: Jeremy Hodel, Timothy Kater, Jason Stoller, Isaac Carr, Douglas Urbaniak, John Weigand
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Publication number: 20220295686Abstract: A planting system having a plurality of row units, each row unit having: (a) at least one opening disc configured to open a seed trench; (b) a soil engaging member configured to engage a sidewall of the trench during planting; and (c) at least one strain gauge in operative communication with the soil engaging member, wherein the at least one strain gauge measures force on the soil engaging member during planting operations.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 24, 2022Publication date: September 22, 2022Inventors: Dale Koch, Jeremy Hodel, Timothy Kater, Douglas Urbaniak
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Publication number: 20210068333Abstract: A trench closing sensor adapted to mount to an agricultural implement to detect whether a seed trench is sufficiently closed with soil to ensure good seed to soil contact. The trench closing sensor may also detect the amount of compaction of the soil over the seed within the seed trench. The trench closing sensor may be in the form of a seed firmer from which a drag wire extends. As the open seed trench and drag wire are covered with soil, instrumentation measures or detects whether the seed trench is being adequately closed with soil by measuring the amount of force required to pull the wire through the soil or by measuring the amount of strain, pulling force or tension in the wire or by measuring the amount of soil pressure acting on the wire. The trench closing sensor may include other sensors for detecting soil characteristics.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 12, 2020Publication date: March 11, 2021Inventors: Dale Koch, Jeremy Hodel, Timothy Kater, Douglas Urbaniak
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Patent number: 10932405Abstract: A trench closing sensor adapted to mount to an agricultural implement to detect whether a seed trench is sufficiently closed with soil to ensure good seed to soil contact. The trench closing sensor may also detect the amount of compaction of the soil over the seed within the seed trench. The trench closing sensor may be in the form of a seed firmer from which a drag wire extends. As the open seed trench and drag wire are covered with soil, instrumentation measures or detects whether the seed trench is being adequately closed with soil by measuring the amount of force required to pull the wire through the soil or by measuring the amount of strain, pulling force or tension in the wire or by measuring the amount of soil pressure acting on the wire. The trench closing sensor may include other sensors for detecting soil characteristics.Type: GrantFiled: November 13, 2018Date of Patent: March 2, 2021Assignee: Precision Planting LLCInventors: Dale Koch, Jeremy Hodel, Timothy Kater, Douglas Urbaniak
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Publication number: 20200337217Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus are provided for closing a planting trench. Embodiments include a disc assembly for loosening soil adjacent to the planting trench. In some embodiments a closing wheel assembly pivots relative to a subframe of the row unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 10, 2020Publication date: October 29, 2020Inventors: Jeremy Hodel, Douglas Urbaniak, Timothy Kater
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Publication number: 20200281109Abstract: A scraper assembly for a split gauge wheel of a planter row unit. The scraper assembly includes a scraper blade having a finger projection configured to extend downwardly into a gap between the inner and outer wheel members of the split gauge wheel. An inner scraper flange extends laterally inward from the finger projection and is disposed in proximity to a circumferential periphery of the inner wheel member. An outer scraper flange extends laterally outward from the finger projection and is disposed in proximity to a circumferential periphery of the outer wheel member. As the gauge wheel rotates, the inner and outer scraper flanges remove soil buildup on the circumferential periphery of the respective inner and outer wheel members and the finger projection removes soil buildup in the gap between the inner and outer wheel members.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 28, 2020Publication date: September 10, 2020Inventors: Timothy Schaefer, Douglas Urbaniak
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Patent number: 10743458Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus for closing a planting trench. Embodiments include a disc assembly for loosening soil adjacent to the planting trench. In some embodiments a closing wheel assembly pivots relative to a subframe of a row unit of a planter.Type: GrantFiled: May 17, 2018Date of Patent: August 18, 2020Assignee: Precision Planting LLCInventors: Jeremy Hodel, Douglas Urbaniak, Timothy Kater
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Publication number: 20190075714Abstract: A trench closing sensor adapted to mount to an agricultural implement to detect whether a seed trench is sufficiently closed with soil to ensure good seed to soil contact. The trench closing sensor may also detect the amount of compaction of the soil over the seed within the seed trench. The trench closing sensor may be in the form of a seed firmer from which a drag wire extends. As the open seed trench and drag wire are covered with soil, instrumentation measures or detects whether the seed trench is being adequately closed with soil by measuring the amount of force required to pull the wire through the soil or by measuring the amount of strain, pulling force or tension in the wire or by measuring the amount of soil pressure acting on the wire. The trench closing sensor may include other sensors for detecting soil characteristics.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 13, 2018Publication date: March 14, 2019Inventors: Dale Koch, Jeremy Hodel, Timothy Kater, Douglas Urbaniak
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Publication number: 20180263174Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus for closing a planting trench. Embodiments include a disc assembly for loosening soil adjacent to the planting trench. In some embodiments a closing wheel assembly pivots relative to a subframe of a row unit of a planter.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 17, 2018Publication date: September 20, 2018Inventors: Jeremy Hodel, Douglas Urbaniak, Timothy Kater