Patents by Inventor William J. Dietrich
William J. Dietrich 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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Publication number: 20020043383Abstract: A tillage tooth for use in an implement which performs shallow tillage with tillage discs followed by chisel plows with winged points performing primary tillage in strips of untilled soil left by the forward discs. The points include wings mounted to either side of a central tooth. The wings are constructed and arranged to provide a greater rise to lift soil adjacent their inner edges than is provided by the outer edges of the wings. This imparts a lifting and lateral rolling motion to tilled soil and enhances a smooth finish.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 30, 2001Publication date: April 18, 2002Applicant: Case CorporationInventor: William J. Dietrich
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Patent number: 6276462Abstract: A tillage apparatus performs shallow tillage with leading tillage discs followed by chisel plows with winged points performing primary tillage in strips of untilled soil left by the forward discs. The points lift the soil and roll it laterally. Levelers follow the plows to leave a smooth surface and reduce the soil preparation needed for planting the following season.Type: GrantFiled: July 11, 2000Date of Patent: August 21, 2001Assignee: Case CorporationInventor: William J. Dietrich, Sr.
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Patent number: 6178900Abstract: A fertilizer applicator assembly for use with a chisel plow includes a diverter shoe located in the root zone of the crop, above the tillage point of the plow. The diverter shoe closes the furrow formed by the plow shank and forms a lateral pocket in the soil for distributing a band of particulate fertilizer behind and to the side of the shank.Type: GrantFiled: December 14, 1998Date of Patent: January 30, 2001Assignee: Case CorporationInventor: William J. Dietrich, Sr.
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Patent number: 6095065Abstract: A unique coulter has a flat band adjacent the peripheral cutting edge to form a slot. Inwardly of this flat band, and on one side of the coulter blade is an inclined compacting surface. The outer, cutting edge of the coulter enters the soil first and as the machine moves forward the compacting surface of the coulter is brought into engagement with one wall of the partially formed slot to firm the soil adjacent the top of the wall. At the rear of the coulter, behind the compacting surface, there is a delivery chute or tube for depositing the fertilizer into the slot formed by the coulter.Type: GrantFiled: October 16, 1998Date of Patent: August 1, 2000Assignee: Case CorporationInventor: William J. Dietrich, Sr.
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Patent number: 6012534Abstract: An agricultural chisel plow row unit designed for minimum soil displacement has a pair of spring-biased firming wheels mounted to either side of and behind the plow shank to firm the surface of the berm formed by the breaking point without affecting the operating depth of the point.Type: GrantFiled: January 6, 1998Date of Patent: January 11, 2000Assignee: Case CorporationInventors: Michael G. Kovach, William J. Dietrich, Sr.
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Patent number: 5865131Abstract: A spring-cushioned coulter running ahead of the applicator for cutting an initial slot in any residue and for providing a break line for the soil to be parted by the trailing shank. The trailing shank, in turn, spreads the initial slot, and deepens it, for the entry of a slurry delivery tube welded behind the shank. At the bottom of the shank is a shoe having a pair of side wings. A downward and outward slope of the wings creates a flat, peaked soil profile ("sole") beneath the wings having sides which slope downwardly and outwardly, conforming to the shape of the wings. The lift surfaces of the wings slightly raise the soil laterally of the shank from the center toward the ends of the wings to provide slots or fissures above the sloped edges of the sole, permitting, and promoting the lateral distribution of the slurry.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 1997Date of Patent: February 2, 1999Assignee: DMI, Inc.Inventors: William J. Dietrich, Sr., Aaron L. Beyer
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Patent number: 5862763Abstract: A unique coulter has a flat band adjacent the peripheral cutting edge to form a slot. Inwardly of this flat band, and on one side of the coulter blade is an inclined compacting surface. The outer, cutting edge of the coulter enters the soil first and as the machine moves forward the compacting surface of the coulter is brought into engagement with one wall of the partially formed slot to firm the soil adjacent the top of the wall. At the rear of the coulter, behind the compacting surface, there is a delivery chute or tube for depositing the fertilizer into the slot formed by the coulter.Type: GrantFiled: March 4, 1997Date of Patent: January 26, 1999Assignee: DMI, Inc.Inventor: William J. Dietrich, Sr.
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Patent number: 5540288Abstract: A conservation tillage unit for use in primary tillage includes a rolling coulter followed by a chisel plow having a narrow shank and a soil working unit mounted to the bottom of the shank. The working unit includes a point and a delta wing mounted behind and above the point, and forward of the shank. The working unit fractures the soil beneath the surface without throwing the surface soil and residue to the side and while leaving only a narrow furrow behind the shank even at ground speeds up to five to seven miles per hour.Type: GrantFiled: May 30, 1995Date of Patent: July 30, 1996Assignee: DMI, Inc.Inventor: William J. Dietrich, Sr.
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Patent number: 5437337Abstract: A conservation tillage unit includes a coulter and a plow having a shank, a point and a pair of wings mounted slightly forwardly of the shank. The unit fractures the soil at ground speeds up to seven miles per hour without throwing the surface soil and residue to the side and while leaving a reduced furrow behind the shank.Type: GrantFiled: July 22, 1993Date of Patent: August 1, 1995Assignee: DMI, Inc.Inventor: William J. Dietrich, Sr.
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Patent number: 5413182Abstract: An agricultural implement designed for distributing anhydrous ammonia by laterally spaced applicator knives includes an elongated wagon hitch frame which has a forward end pivotally mounted to a forward section of the implement frame and a rear end which carries a drawbar and hitch clevis for a trailing wagon carrying a tank of anhydrous ammonia. As the implement is raised, the rear end of the wagon hitch frame drops away from the implement frame so that the height of the wagon hitch above the ground remains substantially constant and the implement hitch section and wagon tongue remain in line. The break-away coupler for the main hose from the anhydrous tank to the implement is provided with a swing arm to facilitate disconnection of the main hose even when the anhydrous wagon is sharply angled. In the case of a larger implement, having right and left pivoting wings, the frames of the wing sections are strengthened with efficient use of upper and lower laterally spaced channel stiffeners.Type: GrantFiled: April 28, 1994Date of Patent: May 9, 1995Assignee: DMI, Inc.Inventors: Gaylen Kromminga, William J. Dietrich, Sr., Dean Knobloch
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Patent number: 5343958Abstract: An agricultural implement designed for distributing anhydrous ammonia by laterally spaced applicator knives includes an elongated wagon hitch frame which has a forward end pivotally mounted to a forward section of the implement frame and a rear end which carries a drawbar and hitch clevis for a trailing wagon carrying a tank of anhydrous ammonia. As the implement is raised, the rear end of the wagon hitch frame drops away from the implement frame so that the height of the wagon hitch above the ground remains substantially constant and the implement hitch section and wagon tongue remain in line. The break-away coupler for the main hose from the anhydrous tank to the implement is provided with a swing arm to facilitate disconnection of the main hose even when the anhydrous wagon is sharply angled. In the case of a larger implement, having right and left pivoting wings, the frames of the wing sections are strengthened with efficient use of upper and lower laterally spaced channel stiffeners.Type: GrantFiled: July 2, 1992Date of Patent: September 6, 1994Assignee: DMI, Inc.Inventors: Gaylen Kromminga, William J. Dietrich, Sr., Dean Knobloch
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Patent number: 5080178Abstract: A primary tillage implement having a plurality of chisel plows mounted in lateral spacing on a forward bar, also has a plurality of disc levelers mounted on a rear bar. Each disc leveler assembly is laterally spaced from and centered between the paths of adjacent, leading chisel plow shanks and includes a pair of discs angled outwardly to move some of the soil from the ridge formed by adjacent chisel plows to the furrow formed by an associated chisel plow. The discs of a pair are staggered and spaced laterally apart to leave a narrow band of loose soil in the ridge between the discs which falls into the shallow grooves formed by the discs after they pass. Soil is thus laterally displaced from the ridge to adjacent grooves to level the soil.Type: GrantFiled: November 2, 1990Date of Patent: January 14, 1992Assignee: DMI, Inc.Inventor: William J. Dietrich, Sr.
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Patent number: 4924946Abstract: Apparatus for deep plowing highly compacted soil includes successively forming troughs of loosened soil immediately adjacent a previously formed trough. After each pass the plow leaves a trough of loosened soil having a transverse vertical profile (called a "fracture profile") in the general shape of a parallelogram with sides inclined upwardly and toward the unplowed ground. Each successive trough is formed by pulling a first set of point plows located on the unplowed side of said successive swath and at a depth of approximately one-half the desired depth to loosen soil in the upper portion of the fracture profile. A second point plow located to the rear of the first plows and at the desired depth is pulled approximately midway of the bottom of the fracture profile to loosen the remaining soil in the lower portion of the fracture profile.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 1989Date of Patent: May 15, 1990Assignee: Soycorp, Inc.Inventor: William J. Dietrich, Sr.
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Patent number: 4723495Abstract: A single disc sealer for closing the groove formed by a fertilizer knife is mounted behind the applicator with its cutting edge working immediately adjacent the groove. The work surface has formed in it a raised annular deflection surface spaced inwardly of the periphery of the disc a distance approximately equal to the working depth of the disc. The edge of the disc cuts a ribbon of soil adjacent the furrow, the periphery working surface of the disc displaces the soil laterally toward the groove to close it, and the deflection surface directs the soil down into the furrow rather than lifting the soil as in the case of conventional disc covers, while slightly compacting the soil.Type: GrantFiled: June 19, 1986Date of Patent: February 9, 1988Assignee: DMI, Inc.Inventors: William J. Dietrich, Sr., Dean A. Knoblock, Cary L. Sizelove
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Patent number: 4596199Abstract: A single disc sealer for closing the groove formed by a fertilizer knife is mounted behind the applicator with its cutting edge working immediately adjacent the groove. The work surface has formed in it a raised annular deflection surface spaced inwardly of the periphery of the disc a distance approximately equal to the working depth of the disc. The edge of the disc cuts a ribbon of soil adjacent the furrow, the periphery working surface of the disc displaces the soil laterally toward the groove to close it, and the deflection surface directs the soil down into the furrow rather than lifting the soil as in the case of conventional disc covers, while slightly compacting the soil. The disc mount includes a spring for cushioning the disc and slotted brackets for adjusting the working angle of the disc and its spacing from the fertilizer furrow.Type: GrantFiled: August 22, 1983Date of Patent: June 24, 1986Assignee: DMI, Inc.Inventors: William J. Dietrich, Sr., Dean A. Knobloch, Cary L. Sizelove
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Patent number: 4592294Abstract: An applicator for dry and liquid fertilizer includes a knife for forming a slot in the soil, a dry fertilizer-conduit mounted behind the knife and formed into a U-shaped channel with an elongated, upright slot at the rear, and a flexible hose for liquid fertilizer removably wedged in the slot and forming the rear wall of the channel. If the dry fertilizer conduit becomes plugged or restricted, the liquid fertilizer hose is removed, and a tool may be used to clear the conduit.Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 1985Date of Patent: June 3, 1986Assignee: DMI, Inc.Inventors: William J. Dietrich, Sr., Dean A. Knobloch, Cary L. Sizelove, Sr.
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Patent number: 4582023Abstract: A livestock self-feeder includes a main feed storage hopper supplying feed to a retaining area in which the height of feed is constant and independent of the amount of feed in the main hopper. The feed is then dispensed from the retaining hopper through an adjustable feed gate.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 1984Date of Patent: April 15, 1986Assignee: Zumbahlen Equipment CompanyInventors: Dennis J. Zumbahlen, Vincent J. Zumbahlen, Cary L. Sizelove, Sr., William J. Dietrich, Sr.
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Patent number: 4574715Abstract: An improved fertilizer applicator includes a rolling coulter and a knife both mounted to a single tool bar mount but with separate spring cushions for independent clearing action and designed for improved clearance suitable for use in heavy residue.Type: GrantFiled: November 15, 1984Date of Patent: March 11, 1986Assignee: DMI, Inc.Inventors: William J. Dietrich, Sr., Cary L. Sizelove, Sr., Dean A. Knobloch
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Patent number: 4548277Abstract: A spring reset mechanism for a ground engaging tool includes a four-bar linkage mounting for the tool. A fixed cam surface is mounted to one of the links and a roller cam carried by a guide link is spring-biased against the cam surface to urge the tool into its working position. As the tool nears the limit of its raised position, a recess in the cam surface receives the roller to reduce the rate of spring compression and enable the tool to clear an obstruction without substantially increasing the resistance force. Further, as the tool raises, the resistance moment arm decreases which further facilitates clearing a large obstruction. The reset force characteristics may be changed by simple and economical design changes.Type: GrantFiled: October 13, 1983Date of Patent: October 22, 1985Assignee: DMI, Inc.Inventors: William J. Dietrich, Sr., Cary L. Sizelove
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Patent number: 4546832Abstract: An agricultural implement has a main pull-type frame carrying a first set of ground-engaging tillage tools and a subframe carrying a second set of tillage tools. A lift mechanism including an hydraulic cylinder operated from the operator's position on the tractor pulling the implement adjusts the height of the subframe relative to the main frame to set the working depth of the tools on the subframe. A preload spring cushion mechanism is interposed between the main frame and the hydraulic cylinder to permit the subframe to lift for smaller obstacles and be reset by the spring without actuating the pressure relief valve. The force of the spring assists in resetting the subframe to its desired working depth after the obstacle is passed. In the illustrated embodiment, the spring cushion mechanism has an increasing moment arm as the spring compresses thereby to equalize the resetting force applied to the lift mechanism; and it is preloaded so that the operator can adjust the operating depth of the subframe.Type: GrantFiled: September 22, 1983Date of Patent: October 15, 1985Assignee: DMI, Inc.Inventors: William J. Dietrich, Sr., Cary L. Sizelove