Abstract: Tillage blade assemblies comprising a coil spring with a horizontal spring axis to permit upward deflection of a concave tillage blade in response to impact with obstacles with a mounting assembly that provides for mounting the tillage blades in a particular orientation relative to the ground and the direction of travel of the implement. Forces acting on the tillage assembly due to movement of the blade through the soil are balanced such that there is little or no distortion of the coil spring relative to its spring axis. This prevents an off-axis load from acting on the spring when the assembly is in use and allows the blade to track through the soil at a desired angle. Impact with obstacles, such as rocks, is absorbed by deflection of the coil spring, thereby mitigating damage to the assembly. Tillage implements comprising the blade assemblies are able to operate at higher speeds than can usually be obtained for tillage implements, due to the absorption of impact energy by the spring.

Abstract: A conservation tillage implement having three or more rows of individual coulter wheel assemblies laterally spaced apart and removably mounted on a cultivator frame, a coulter wheel assembly in a given row being staggered with respect to the coulter wheel assemblies in a longitudinally adjacent row. The coulter wheel assemblies may be laterally adjustable and may be mounted to the cultivator frame using a mounting means that permits rotation about a vertical axis. The coulter wheel assemblies may have a coil spring with a horizontal spring axis to permit upward deflection in response to impact with an obstacle. Leveling attachments may optionally be mounted to the cultivator frame, along with additional field working tools. The implement is used in the management of crop residue as part of a minimum tillage strategy, is particularly resistant to plugging, and can be operated at high speeds and/or in standing water.

Abstract: A conservation tillage implement having three or more rows of individual coulter wheel assemblies laterally spaced apart and removably mounted on a cultivator frame, a coulter wheel assembly in a given row being staggered with respect to the coulter wheel assemblies in a longitudinally adjacent row. The coulter wheel assemblies may be laterally adjustable and may be mounted to the cultivator frame using a mounting means that permits rotation about a vertical axis. The coulter wheel assemblies may comprise a coil spring having a horizontal spring axis to permit upward deflection in response to impact with an obstacle. Leveling attachments may optionally be mounted to the cultivator frame, along with additional field working tools. The implement is particularly resistant to plugging and can be operated at high speeds without undue damage upon impact with obstacles.

Abstract: A conservation tillage implement having three or more rows of individual coulter wheel assemblies laterally spaced apart and removably mounted on a cultivator frame, a coulter wheel assembly in a given row being staggered with respect to the coulter wheel assemblies in a longitudinally adjacent row. The coulter wheel assemblies may be laterally adjustable and may be mounted to the cultivator frame using a mounting means that permits rotation about a vertical axis. The coulter wheel assemblies may have a coil spring with a horizontal spring axis to permit upward deflection in response to impact with an obstacle. Leveling attachments may optionally be mounted to the cultivator frame, along with additional field working tools. The implement is used in the management of crop residue as part of a minimum tillage strategy, is particularly resistant to plugging, and can be operated at high speeds and/or in standing water.

Abstract: A conservation tillage implement having three or more rows of individual coulter wheel assemblies laterally spaced apart and removably mounted on a cultivator frame, a coulter wheel assembly in a given row being staggered with respect to the coulter wheel assemblies in a longitudinally adjacent row. The coulter wheel assemblies may be laterally adjustable and may be mounted to the cultivator frame using a mounting means that permits rotation about a vertical axis. The coulter wheel assemblies may have a coil spring with a horizontal spring axis to permit upward deflection in response to impact with an obstacle. Leveling attachments may optionally be mounted to the cultivator frame, along with additional field working tools. The implement is used in the management of crop residue as part of a minimum tillage strategy. The implement is particularly resistant to plugging and can be operated at high speeds without undue damage upon impact with obstacles.

Abstract: A conservation tillage implement having three or more rows of individual coulter wheel assemblies laterally spaced apart and removably mounted on a cultivator frame, a coulter wheel assembly in a given row being staggered with respect to the coulter wheel assemblies in a longitudinally adjacent row. The coulter wheel assemblies may be laterally adjustable and may be mounted to the cultivator frame using a mounting means that permits rotation about a vertical axis. The coulter wheel assemblies may comprise a coil spring having a horizontal spring axis to permit upward deflection in response to impact with an obstacle. Leveling attachments may optionally be mounted to the cultivator frame, along with additional field working tools. The implement is used in the management of crop residue as part of a minimum tillage strategy. The implement is particularly resistant to plugging and can be operated at high speeds without undue damage upon impact with obstacles.

Abstract: Disclosed are tillage blade assemblies comprising a coil spring with a horizontal spring axis to permit upward deflection of a concave tillage blade in response to impact with obstacles. The mounting assembly provides for mounting the tillage blades in a particular orientation relative to the ground and the direction of travel of the implement in order that forces acting on the assembly due to movement of the blade through the soil are balanced such that there is little or no distortion of the coil spring relative to its spring axis. This prevents an off-axis load from acting on the spring when the assembly is in use and allows the blade to track through the soil at a desired angle. Impact with obstacles, such as rocks, is absorbed by deflection of the coil spring, thereby mitigating damage to the assembly. Tillage implements comprising the blade assemblies are able to operate at higher speeds than can usually be obtained for tillage implements, due to the absorption of impact energy by the spring.

Abstract: A conservation tillage implement having three or more rows of individual coulter wheel assemblies laterally spaced apart and removably mounted on a cultivator frame, a coulter wheel assembly in a given row being staggered with respect to the coulter wheel assemblies in a longitudinally adjacent row. The coulter wheel assemblies may be laterally adjustable and may be mounted to the cultivator frame using a mounting means that permits rotation about a vertical axis. The coulter wheel assemblies may have a coil spring with a horizontal spring axis to permit upward deflection in response to impact with an obstacle. Leveling attachments may optionally be mounted to the cultivator frame, along with additional field working tools. The implement is used in the management of crop residue as part of a minimum tillage strategy. The implement is particularly resistant to plugging and can be operated at high speeds without undue damage upon impact with obstacles.

Abstract: A conservation tillage implement having three or more rows of individual coulter wheel assemblies laterally spaced apart and removably mounted on a cultivator frame, a coulter wheel assembly in a given row being staggered with respect to the coulter wheel assemblies in a longitudinally adjacent row. The coulter wheel assemblies may be laterally adjustable and may be mounted to the cultivator frame using a mounting means that permits rotation about a vertical axis. The coulter wheel assemblies may comprise a coil spring having a horizontal spring axis to permit upward deflection in response to impact with an obstacle. Leveling attachments may optionally be mounted to the cultivator frame, along with additional field working tools. The implement is used in the management of crop residue as part of a minimum tillage strategy. The implement is particularly resistant to plugging and can be operated at high speeds without undue damage upon impact with obstacles.

Abstract: A disc harrow composed of one or more disc gangs has a subframe coupled to the disc gangs to move the disc gangs in response to variations in farmland terrain to limit the impact of obstructions when encountered during the harrowing process. When the obstruction is cleared, the subframe automatically returns the disc gangs to their pre-obstruction position. In addition to reducing the potentially-damaging impact of obstructions, the subframe also maintains a more consistent reel depth during undulations or changes in the farmland terrain, such as during harrowing of slopes or unleveled fields such as valleys, near waterways, and along fence rows.

Abstract: A disc mounting system includes the attachment of each disc to a disc gang bar via a dedicated leaf spring. Each of the leaf springs, which can be generally U shaped, are attached at a top end to the gang bar and at a lower leg to a disc spindle such that the disc is positioned at least partially alongside the spring lower leg. The mounting system allows the disc to deflect vertically, laterally or torsionally when the disc encounters an obstacle. An optional shield can be attached to the leaf spring to prevent soil and debris thrown out by adjacent discs from entering the spring. A disc scraper blade can also be attached to the shield.

Abstract: A no-till rotary hoe includes trash cutters for cutting field trash carried by the earthworking implements. The rotary hoe also has a walking beam mounted on a support arm with rotary hoe wheels mounted on forward and rear ends of the walking beam. The walking beam is connected to the arm about a pivot positioned to reduce the tendency of the walking beam to pivot excessively in use. A spring is used to aid in maintaining the walking beam properly oriented.

Abstract: A bedding plow providing a plurality of disks as plowing members each independently supported by a rearwardly located bearing supported by a trailing arm, which is supported, in turn, by a pivotal connection perpendicular to a fore to aft alignment of the plow. There is further disclosed for each independently supported disk, a gas-filled shock absorber and the top of the plow has a planar horizontal surface intended to allow the plow to slide without damage if it is caused to be overturned while in use.

Abstract: A debris and soil shaver for no till farming is disclosed which has a disk-like member which floats up and down as it is pulled across the ground surface. The disk is angled with respect to a predetermined direction of travel of an agricultural apparatus which is adapted to pull the shaver. The disk is rotatably mounted to a first support member about a central transverse disk axis. The first support member is pivotally mounted to a vertical second support member about a pivot axis. The pivot axis and central transverse axis are angled with respect to one another. The second support member is clamped to the agricultural apparatus which pulls the shaver. With such a construction, pivotal movement of the first support member about the pivot axis causes the angle of the disk relative to the ground surface to change. The angle adjusting prevents the disk from engaging too much soil and allows the disk to seek a path of least resistance as it rolls across a planting field.

Abstract: A mounting arrangement for a coulter and knife which are mounted on separate collars on a vertical shank with the knife movable in the same vertical plane as the coulter including a locking mechanism which connects the mounting collars of the knife and coulter to ensure conjoint rotation of the knife and coulter about the vertical shank.

Abstract: A sod cutting apparatus which includes a generally flat slide member having an upturned frontal portion and multiple slots extending in parallel, spaced relationship from front to rear, hinge arms pivoted to upward standing fulcrums secured to the slide member, the hinge arms and fulcrums provided in alignment with the slots, respectively, and round blades rotatably secured to the free ends of the hinge arms and projecting through the slots, respectively, with an adjusting mechanism secured to each hinge arm and provided with a core spring for adjusting downwardly-applied tension on the blades. In a preferred embodiment, a spring-biased plow attachment is mounted to the slide member rearwardly of the blades to aid in cutting and breaking up of the sod.

Abstract: An implement for levelling the surface of an agricultural field, a so-called furrow-smoother, comprises a plurality of rings of rotary knives to throw the surface earth laterally away from the higher areas. The rings of knives are journalled in bearings which are suspended from a carrier frame by means of arms that extend below the bearings and substantially tangentially therefrom so as not to catch plant remains (straw, stem, and root material) carried along by the two knife rings sweeping on either side of the bearing arm.

Abstract: Planter apparatus (10) including a plurality of pivotally mounted arms (22, 24) each having a disc unit (26) arranged on an outboard end thereof has each of the arms constructed with horizontal and angular portions (28, 30 and 32, 34) disposed at such an angle with respect to one another that the horizontal portion experiences greatly reduced side forces. The lighter construction of the arms thus afforded permits inclusion of a fine adjustment in the resilient control arrangement (58) associated with each of the arms, with this fine adjustment preferably being obtained by use of torsion springs (62) associated with each of the arms. A stop assembly (48) is provided inboard of the pivot point of each of the arms for potential abutment with an associated subframe (16) of the apparatus in order to limit downward swinging movement of an associated disc unit in the event of disengagement or other failure of the primary motion control system of the arms.

Abstract: A sod cutting apparatus which includes a generally flat slide member having an upturned frontal portion and multiple slots extending in parallel, spaced relationship from front to rear, hinge arms pivoted to upward standing fulcrums secured to the slide member, the hinge arms and fulcrums in alignment with the slots, respectively, and round blades rotatably secured to the free ends of the hinge arms and projecting through the slots, respectively, with an adjusting mechanism secured to each hinge arm and provided with springs extending to the slide member for adjusting the tension on the blades. In a preferred embodiment, a plow attachment is mounted to the slide member rearwardly of the blades to aid in cutting and breaking up of the sod.

Abstract: A trash farming implement is provided with a plurality of tillage assemblies on an implement, each tillage assembly having a tillage disc arranged to rotate about an axis which is inclined slightly from the vertical both in end elevation and in side elevation so that it slopes upwardly and forwardly in the direction of travel, and also a soil replacing disc which has an axis of rotation which is nearly horizontal but slopes upwardly towards the tillage disc to which it is adjacent, the disc being so located that a furrow cut by the tillage disc will be filled by replacement of the lifted soil to its original position.

Abstract: The invention relates to agricultural implements for planting. Increased efficiency of planting in general and incorporating fertilizer in particular in no-till situations is achieved by frame, disk and knife assemblies (14, 15, 16) mounting a disk (44) immediately ahead of a knife (68) and depth-controlled by a spring (63).

Abstract: A rotary hoe has a tool bar mounted on a tractor and a plurality of individually pivoted arms carrying hoe wheels. Springs bias the arms in a downward direction to force the hoe wheels into the soil. A rotatable torsion tube supports the springs. An adjustable lock apparatus secured to the torsion tube is used to rotate the tube to adjust the biasing force of the springs.

Abstract: A disk harrow has a frame adapted to be pulled along the ground in a normal travel direction and having at least one frame member, a mount on this frame adapted to secure same to a three-point tractor hitch, and a plurality of disk assemblies. Each of these disk assemblies in turn includes an inner pivot part fixed on the frame and forming lower, middle, and upper horizontal axes transverse to said direction, an outer pivot part spaced in the normal travel direction from the inner part and having respective lower, middle, and upper horizontal axes transverse to the travel direction. Respective rigid lower and middle links are pivoted on the parts between the respective lower and middle axes with the middle link shorter than the lower link. An upper leaf spring is pivoted on the parts between the upper axes, and a harrow disk is rotatable about a harrow axis transverse to the travel direction on the outer pivot part below the respective axes.

Abstract: A pre-stressed columnar rubber spring interposed between the pressure beam and pivoted draw bar tube of a no-till seed drill deflects under load in one direction only and the force causing increased spring deflection in the principle operational range increases to a desired maximum and then remains substantially constant or decreases slightly thereby relieving the machine of excess stresses caused by contact of coulters and openers with rocks and other field obstructions.

Abstract: A mounting/positioning apparatus for attaching an agricultural implement such as a reel unit or a rotary packer assembly to the frame of a tillage machine is disclosed. The apparatus includes two opposing end portions rigidly coupled together by means of a cross member with the agricultural implement rotationally mounted between the two opposing end portions. The two end portions are pivotally coupled to a first frame cross member to which is rigidly coupled one end of a second frame member extending rearwardly therefrom. The other end of the second frame member is flexibly coupled to the cross member by means of a longitudinally compressible spring providing for the vertical displacement of the rotating implement upon impact with an obstruction. Spring tension is adjustable for varying the downward force applied to the working implement with the second frame member incorporating shear pin protection for the implement against high impact forces applied thereto from contact with rocks and other obstructions.

Abstract: A minimum tillage rotary hoe includes a tool bar mounted transverse to the direction of field travel. Projecting rearwardly from the tool bar are a plurality of rotary hoe support arms each having a single, uniform diameter, multi-tined rotary hoe affixed to the end thereof. The rotary hoe members are staggered to define a forward row and a rear row of hoe members, each row defining generally a separate, single axis of rotation. The axes of the rows are separated by a distance less than the diameter of the rotary hoes but greater than about 0.8 the diameter of the rotary hoes. Separation is considered critical in order to render the hoes self-cleaning. Self-cleaning of field trash is effected by movement of adjacent hoes and more particularly the tines of adjacent hoes past one another to clean out the trash.

Abstract: A hoe that includes a transversely extending tool bar, a pivot shaft mounted on the rear and lower portion of the tool bar and extending parallel thereto, a plurality of support arms spaced along the tool bar and pivotally mounted on the shaft, each arm having a forward portion for engaging the tool bar and a rearward portion for rotatably supporting a hoe wheel, a spring extending between each arm and the tool bar to bias the hoe wheel downwardly with each arm forward portion providing a stop with the tool bar to dispose the hoe wheels in the same operative position, and each arm having a hub pivotally mounted on the pivot shaft and including preferably a plurality of elongated grooves extending parallel and adjacent the shaft the full length of the hub and a lower drain in communication with the grooves to remove soil moving between hub and shaft to free the arm and thus hoe wheel for movement by the spring.

Abstract: A set of four rotary hoes are evenly spaced apart laterally so that the distance between the tracks is two inches and the distance between the outside hoes is six inches. The assembly is pivoted about the center to ride over uneven ground. The front and back hoe are removable so that the other two hoes, which are widest apart, may be operated as a rotating shield. The mounting is attached to the tool bar of a tractor and spring biased downward.

Abstract: Closely spaced cultivating tools are mounted along a tool bar and each tool may be locked in a raised position relative to the ground or may be lowered into floating engagement with the ground during use of the implement. A small tool bar is mounted parallel to a larger tool bar and the cultivating tools are slidably clamped on the small tool bar. Improved mounting structure allows each cultivating tool to be mounted on the small tool bar without having to slide each cultivating tool onto or off of the tool bar from the ends of the tool bar and without having to disassemble the mounting structure. The tool bar assembly includes row indicia for indicating where the tools are to be located along the tool bar and which tools should engage the ground and which tools should be raised away from the ground for various cultivating operations on row crops. A tool angling mechanism allows selective adjustment of the angle to the line of draft of each tool without the use of wrenches or other hand tools.

Abstract: A multiple rotary hoe including individual hoe wheels mounted in front and rear rows with an individual support arm for each wheel and all of the support arms having a common axis mounted on a single pivot shaft for independent pivoting action in response to upward and downward movements of the hoe wheels with such movements counteracted by spring means exerting downward pressure on each support arm independently of all of the remaining arms.

Abstract: Seed drill has a row of coulters which are raised and lowered by a beam positioned above the coulters and connected to the coulters by spring assemblies. The beam is journalled for pivotal movement about its longitudinal axis and the spring assemblies are connected to the beam so that some exert reaction forces on the beam having clockwise moments about the beam's pivot axis, and others anticlockwise moments, whereby changes in loading of the coulters can be distributed between the coulters by angular movement of the beam about its pivot axis.

Abstract: An agricultural seed-drill comprises a frame and pivotally mounted drag bar carrying a coulter disc. An ovoid rubber spring is located between the drag bar and a member, such as a moving beam or bell crank lever, associated with the frame to apply pressure to the coulter, or to enable the coulter to be raised so that the disc does not contact the soil. In order to relieve strain on the spring member when the coulter is raised, the said spring member and associated threaded studs, used to attach the spring member to the drag arm and the member associated with the frame, contain a continuous longitudinal axial passageway in which is located a cable the end portions of which extend through the studs and are terminated by nipples spaced apart from the end of the studs. By this means the weight of the drag arm is taken by the cable when the drag arm is in the raised position.

Abstract: A rotary hoe implement, having hoe support arms independent of adjacent hoe support arms, and a selectively adjustable means for varying the downward pressure exerted by the leaf spring biasing means acting on each support arm.

Abstract: A disc mounting system includes the attachment of each disc to a disc gang bar via a dedicated leaf spring. Each of the leaf springs, which can be generally U shaped, are attached at a top end to the gang bar and at a lower leg to a disc spindle such that the disc is positioned at least partially alongside the spring lower leg. The mounting system allows the disc to deflect vertically, laterally or torsionally when the disc encounters an obstacle. An optional shield can be attached to the leaf spring to prevent soil and debris thrown out by adjacent discs from entering the spring. A disc scraper blade can also be attached to the shield.