Patents by Inventor Hank A. Kummer

Hank A. Kummer 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).

  • Publication number: 20240008412
    Abstract: A crop stripper header includes a crop stripper rotor with a central core and a plurality of stripper teeth projecting radially outwardly from the central core. The central core is supported for rotation by first and second end hubs. A dynamic balancing system is provided in each of the end hubs. The dynamic balancing system includes a plurality of steel balls or other suitable weights contained in hollow cavities in the end hubs. The balls are freely moveable within the hollow cavities during rotation of the rotor so that the weights of the balls are distributed to positions within the hollow cavities that tend to neutralize any imbalance in the rotor during operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2023
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Inventors: Jake Riffel, Hank A. Kummer, Billy McQuillan, Jeremy Hlad
  • Publication number: 20240000009
    Abstract: A crop stripper rotor includes a plurality of stripper teeth sections and backer plates secured to a central core by threaded fasteners. The stripper teeth sections have stripper teeth that project radially outwardly from a mounting base, and the backer plates have teeth that fit behind the stripper teeth. The stripper teeth sections and backer plates are sandwiched between opposing flanges of adjacent bent sheet metal sections of the central core. An alignment and mounting system includes a pair of alignment slots in each stripper teeth section and backer plate that open radially inwardly. A first pair of threaded fasteners mate with the alignment slots to set the depth and alignment of the stripper teeth sections and backer plates relative to the central core. A second pair of threaded fasteners are inserted through the aligned mounting bores of the stripper teeth sections and the backer plates to complete the assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2023
    Publication date: January 4, 2024
    Inventors: Jake Riffel, Hank A. Kummer, Billy McQuillan, Jeremy Hlad
  • Patent number: 8746361
    Abstract: A tillage implement has gang assemblies of rotatable tillage tools that can be angle-adjusted from the seat of the towing tractor using hydraulic actuators. The tillage tools may comprise generally flat, wavy coulter blades or the like so that the machine may be set up for vertical tillage with the coulters aligned at a zero degree angle with the path of travel of the implement or for residue management operations with the coulters maintained at an oblique angle of up to ten degrees relative to the path of travel. A six degree angle is preferred for the residue management position. A master-slave hydraulic flow arrangement for the actuators assures simultaneous actuation, while mechanical synchronizing apparatus between the two front gang assemblies on the center frame section of the machine assures synchronized movement of those assemblies. Mechanical motion-transmitting mechanism transmits the hydraulically powered adjusting movement of the front gang assemblies to the rear gang assemblies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Great Plains Manufacturing, Inc.
    Inventors: Rodney D. Hake, Michael J. Ohnsat, Hank A. Kummer
  • Patent number: 8714276
    Abstract: A tillage implement equipped with a finishing attachment for chopping and leveling soil. The implement includes at least one soil engaging element (e.g., a shank) operable to form a trench with mounds on either side of the trench. The finishing attachment includes at least one soil chopping and leveling assembly that is operable to chop up clods of soil and crop remnants in the mounds and to level off the mounds by pushing the mounds at least partially into the trench.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Great Plains Manufacturing, Inc.
    Inventors: Rodney D. Hake, Michael J. Ohnsat, Hank A. Kummer
  • Publication number: 20130327550
    Abstract: A tillage implement has gang assemblies of rotatable tillage tools that can be angle-adjusted from the seat of the towing tractor using hydraulic actuators. The tillage tools may comprise generally flat, wavy coulter blades or the like so that the machine may be set up for vertical tillage with the coulters aligned at a zero degree angle with the path of travel of the implement or for residue management operations with the coulters maintained at an oblique angle of up to ten degrees relative to the path of travel. A six degree angle is preferred for the residue management position. A master-slave hydraulic flow arrangement for the actuators assures simultaneous actuation, while mechanical synchronizing apparatus between the two front gang assemblies on the center frame section of the machine assures synchronized movement of those assemblies. Mechanical motion-transmitting mechanism transmits the hydraulically powered adjusting movement of the front gang assemblies to the rear gang assemblies.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2013
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Applicant: Great Plains Manufactuing, Inc.
    Inventors: Rodney D. Hake, Michael J. Ohnsat, Hank A. Kummer
  • Patent number: 8534374
    Abstract: A tillage implement has gang assemblies of rotatable tillage tools that can be angle-adjusted from the seat of the towing tractor using hydraulic actuators. The tillage tools may comprise generally flat, wavy coulter blades or the like so that the machine may be set up for vertical tillage with the coulters aligned at a zero degree angle with the path of travel of the implement or for residue management operations with the coulters maintained at an oblique angle of up to ten degrees relative to the path of travel. A six degree angle is preferred for the residue management position. A master-slave hydraulic flow arrangement for the actuators assures simultaneous actuation, while mechanical synchronizing apparatus between the two front gang assemblies on the center frame section of the machine assures synchronized movement of those assemblies. Mechanical motion-transmitting mechanism transmits the hydraulically powered adjusting movement of the front gang assemblies to the rear gang assemblies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Great Plains Manufacturing, Inc.
    Inventors: Rodney D. Hake, Michael J. Ohnsat, Hank A. Kummer
  • Publication number: 20130048323
    Abstract: A tillage implement has gang assemblies of rotatable tillage tools that can be angle-adjusted from the seat of the towing tractor using hydraulic actuators. The tillage tools may comprise generally flat, wavy coulter blades or the like so that the machine may be set up for vertical tillage with the coulters aligned at a zero degree angle with the path of travel of the implement or for residue management operations with the coulters maintained at an oblique angle of up to ten degrees relative to the path of travel. A six degree angle is preferred for the residue management position. A master-slave hydraulic flow arrangement for the actuators assures simultaneous actuation, while mechanical synchronizing apparatus between the two front gang assemblies on the center frame section of the machine assures synchronized movement of those assemblies. Mechanical motion-transmitting mechanism transmits the hydraulically powered adjusting movement of the front gang assemblies to the rear gang assemblies.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2011
    Publication date: February 28, 2013
    Applicant: GREAT PLAINS MANUFACTURING, INC.
    Inventors: Rodney D. Hake, Michael J. Ohnsat, Hank A. Kummer
  • Publication number: 20120227991
    Abstract: A tillage implement equipped with a finishing attachment for chopping and leveling soil. The implement includes at least one soil engaging element (e.g., a shank) operable to form a trench with mounds on either side of the trench. The finishing attachment includes at least one soil chopping and leveling assembly that is operable to chop up clods of soil and crop remnants in the mounds and to level off the mounds by pushing the mounds at least partially into the trench.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2011
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Applicant: GREAT PLAINS MANUFACTURING, INC.
    Inventors: Rodney D. Hake, Michael J. Ohnsat, Hank A. Kummer