Abstract: A bushing is provided for mounting a pivot arm that has both a threaded portion as well as one or two smooth cylindrical portions. The threaded portion enables the pivot arm to be a laterally adjusted by rotating the bushing while the smooth portion or portions provide a bearing surface or surfaces for the pivot arm loads. This removes the load from the threads, reducing wear of both the bushing and the pivot arm, thereby reducing maintenance cost.

Abstract: A bushing is provided for mounting a pivot arm that has both a threaded portion as well as one or two smooth cylindrical portions. The threaded portion enables the pivot arm to be a laterally adjusted by rotating the bushing while the smooth portion or portions provide a bearing surface or surfaces for the pivot arm loads. This removes the load from the threads, reducing wear of both the bushing and the pivot arm, thereby reducing maintenance cost.

Abstract: A disc opener system for attachment to an agricultural vehicle for opening a seed trench. The system includes a main arm, a disc opener mounted to the main arm, a gauge wheel mounted about a pivot axis to the main arm, a gauge wheel mounted for rotation on the gauge arm, and a depth adjustment assembly for adjusting and positively locking a position of the gauge wheel relative to disc opener. The depth adjustment assembly includes an adjustment link mounted to the main arm, an adjustment coupling attached to the gauge arm, a handle pivotably attached to the adjustment coupling and a clip attached to the adjustment coupling. The clip locks the handle in a position where it mates the adjustment link and adjustment coupling to fix the position of the gauge wheel relative to the disc opener.

Abstract: A novel and practical track-filling apparatus for smoothing rutted soil formed by the repeated passage of wheels. This apparatus includes a frame, a system for attaching the frame to a tractor, and a soil moving blade assembly mounted to the frame. This blade assembly has laterally disposed and spaced apart left and right blades. A system for adjusting the included blade angle between these blades is also provided. This system for adjusting includes a single blade adjusting hydraulic ram that is operatively connected to the blades via a novel yet simple and reliable linkage assembly. Additionally, systems for lifting and tilting the apparatus optimizes operation of this track-filling apparatus over irregular and differing terrain.

Abstract: An agricultural planting machine having a frame, a pair of opposite furrow forming disks rotatably mounted on the frame on intersecting axes and a pair of gauge wheel assemblies mounted on the frame respectively adjacent the opposite sides of the pair of furrow forming disks. An improved mechanism for adjustably mounting the other end of each gauge wheel arm which has an internally threaded bore to the frame includes an internally threaded cylindrical shaft mounted on the frame. An externally threaded bushing is rotatably mounted on the shaft for engagement with the internally threaded bore in the gauge wheel arm such that rotation of the bushing with respect to the gauge wheel arm moves the gauge wheel arm axially of the internally threaded cylindrical shaft to adjust the lateral spacing of the gauge wheel from the adjacent disk. A locking member locks the externally threaded bushing to the other end of the gauge wheel arm to cause rotation of the bushing and the arm as a unit.

Abstract: A rock and material loading system that is removably attachable to a loader bucket for loading material such as rocks into the loader bucket. The inventive device includes a pair of brackets attached to the upper rear portion of a loader bucket, a pair of lower jaws attached to the brackets, a pair of upper jaws pivotally attached to the lower jaws, an upper shaft securable within the jaws, a pair of side arms pivotally extending from the upper shaft, a lower shaft rotatably attached to the distal ends of the side arms, a plurality of teeth attached to the lower shaft, a pair of leverage arms attached to the lower shaft, and a pair of hydraulic cylinders attached to the upper shaft and to the leverage arms for manipulating the teeth. The user manipulates the hydraulics after engaging an object such as a rock for loading the rock into the conventional loader bucket.

Abstract: An adjustable ridger for a cultivator includes an elongated ridger frame adapted to mount to the sweep member of the cultivator. The frame has a top bracket with an elongated slot extending therethrough. The slot has a width and a longitudinal axis. A plurality of setting holes in the top bracket are spaced apart along the longitudinal axis of the slot, each setting hole having a diameter greater than the width of the slot. A bottom bracket is spaced apart from the top bracket on the frame and has a guide hole therein. An elongated pull pin, having a stepped outer diameter with first and second diameter portions, is insertable through the slot in the top bracket and into the guide hole in the bottom bracket to act as a hinge pin. The second diameter portion is larger than the first diameter portion and yet smaller than the diameter of the setting holes. At least one wing pivotally mounts on the pull pin between the top and bottom brackets.

Abstract: A series of notches are provided in the upright plates on one end of a parallel bar linkage connecting a cultivator rig or planter assembly to a tool bar. Coil springs are tensioned between the opposite end of the linkage and a rod and trunnion assembly that fits into the series of notches. The coil springs maintain the rod and trunnion in a selected set of notches. A handle on the rod allows the operator to walk the rod and trunnion assembly up and down the series of notches to select a different set of notches and thereby incrementally adjust the down pressure to a known value or setting. When the tool bar is raised to a transport position and the linkage pivots downwardly to a lowermost position, the spring is stretched only slightly so that down pressure adjustments can be made easily using only the handle on the rod.

Abstract: An agricultural planting machine has a pair of adjacent furrow opening disks that form a V-shaped furrow as the machine advances and a pair of ground engaging gauge wheels respectively mounted for rotation adjacent the opposite sides of the opening disks. The gauge wheels are journaled on the lower ends of a pair of arms having their upper ends attached to the planter frame by mechanisms that permit easy lateral adjustment of the arms to optimize the close spacing between the gauge wheels and the opening disks. Each adjusting mechanisms includes an externally threaded bushing mounted on a shaft and engaging an internally threaded bore in the gauge wheel arm so that rotation of the bushing laterally shifts the arm and the gauge wheel mounted thereon. A locking device is operative between the bushing and the shaft to selectively lock the adjusting mechanism in the desired position.

Abstract: Cultivating apparatus for leveling, cultivating, and resowing lawns or fields. The cultivating apparatus includes: a row of ripping tines arrayed across the front of the apparatus, which are arranged to freely pivot forward and upward in use, to release clogged soil or other material by reversing, when necessary. A levelling plate is provided immediately behind the tines. An adjustment system is provided for an elongated horizontal rack of cultivating discs, by which the rack may be raised and lowered accurately and evenly at both ends, so as to maintain a correct, horizontal orientation. A corresponding adjustment system on an array of outlets from an elongated seedbox allows all the outlets to be opened or closed equally.

Abstract: Agricultural tilling implements are described. In some embodiments the implements are adapted for deep tilling of soil between growing row crops, in which embodiments a horizontal shield member is detachable secured to a depending shank. The front edge of the shield is sloped upwardly. The shield prevents soil from being thrown upwardly and onto the top of growing row crops during tilling between the rows. The shield also guides loosened soil around the base of growing crops in the rows. In one embodiment the implement includes downwardly depending plate members beneath the shield to urge soil outwardly from the shank to the row crops to form a hill in each row without covering the crops. In another embodiment a V-shaped ditcher is disposed beneath the shield for forming a trench or ditch between adjacent rows of crops. Both embodiments include adjustable wing members or deflectors at the trailing edge of each plate member to control the amount of loosened soil which is urged outwardly to the row crops.

Abstract: A furrow forming apparatus for a seed planter is disclosed wherein the construction facilitates convenient adjustment of spring-biasing exerted on furrow forming disks of the assembly. The apparatus includes a parallel linkage which permits relative vertical movement of the disks. Springs operatively associated with the linkage are positionable for creating either downward or upward pressure on the disks. Adjustment of the springs is accommodated by the provision of an upper support rod which receives upper ends of the springs, with the support rod selectively positionable along upper links of the parallel linkage by the provision of an adjustable rack and pinion mounting arrangement.

Abstract: An inter-row crop cultivator for use particularly in severe residue conditions such as in minimum tillage conservation applications is disclosed. A leading gauge wheel providing support and soil surface tracking is immediately trailed by two laterally displaced discs which cut away from the row. Aft of the two cutaway discs and directly to the rear of the gauge wheel is a stabilizing and cutting coulter which prevents side to side sway while cutting and reducing residue ahead of a sweep shank which directly trails the cutting coulter. By severing and dividing the residue, the cutting coulter permits the residue to flow over the sweep and around the shank. The shank is adapted to receive an anhydrous ammonia applicator and knife assembly which may be easily and securely mounted to the shank. A plurality of such inter-row crop cultivators may be mounted on a tool bar.

Abstract: A cultivating implement include a soil working tool having an elongate substantially planar blade. The blade extends sidewardly and downwardly at an acute angle to the vertical so that its plane is substantially parallel to the direction of movement through the soil and so that soil is lifted without inversion over the blade during passage through the soil. A movable extension is mounted to the blade trailing edge and is adjustable between first and second rigid positions to adjust the lifting action on the soil and thus adapt it to a wide variety of soil types and moisture conditions. At the lower end of the blade is a shoe member with an upwardly and rearwardly inclined upper surface at a leading end thereof, and an upright and rearwardly extending side surface substantially parallel to the direction of travel to provide a bearing surface for resisting lateral forces on the tool due to lifting action of the blade. The shoe member imparts lateral stability and factilitates penetration.

Abstract: A variable speed plow bottom has a moldboard structure (37) pivotally connected to a fixed portion which includes a frog (14) and a share (17). The pivotable moldboard structure (37) includes an arm (53) whose forward end (52) is pivotally journaled on a vertical axis (49) in a socket (51) in the point (16) of the frog (14) forwardly of the moldboard (18). The moldboard structure (37) is selectively pivotable about the axis (49) by a hydraulic jack (28) between a low speed plowing position (FIG. 2) and a high speed plowing position (FIG. 3).

Abstract: A cultivating machine has one or more working members that are driven to rotate about upwardly extending axes. Each working member is connected to a drive transmission to turn and, spaced apart soil working members mounted for free rotation about respective axes, are moved through the soil. At least two of the soil working members are different from one another and capable of workingthe soil in different ways. One member can be a group of tines that are freely rotatable about an upwardly extending axis and an adjacent member can be a disc that rotates about a horizontal axis. Each member includes a stub shaft that is journalled in a universal mount so that the members can be released and exchanged to meet varying soil conditions. The mount has a pivot connection and a setting device to retain the soil working member at various working angles. Also, the stud shaft is adjustable within a sleeve of the mount.

Abstract: A soil cultivating machine has soil working members that are driven about upwardly extending axes. Each working member has radial arms and a tined cultivating rotor is pivotably connected to the outer end of each arm. Each cultivating rotor is freely rotatable about an upwardly extending axis and an adjustment device can be set to vary the position of the cultivating rotor about the pivot connection to its corresponding arm to change the working positions of the tines. The cultivating rotor can use different tines depending on the condition of the ground being worked.