IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,091,927
Granted Patent B2
US 10,091,927 · App. 15/836,499 · Granted Oct 9, 2018

Seed firmer

Inventors: Elijah B. Garner (Bettendorf, IA); Jacob D. Salowitz (Davenport, IA); Kamalakannan Natarajan (Vellore, IN); Mark Underwood (Milan, IL); Drew Whitcomb (Coal Valley, IL); Charles T. Graham (Colorado Springs, CO); Dnyanesh Dhobale (Pune, IN)
Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
A01C7/205A01C5/068A01B61/046
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,091,927
App. No.
15/836,499
Granted
Oct 9, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

A seed firmer for pressing seeds into soil during planting. The seed firmer includes a mount for attachment to a row unit of a planting machine. An arm defines a ground-facing surface having at least one point of contact with the ground, including a rearmost ground contact point with respect to a direction of forward travel during planting operation. The ground-facing surface has a transition section directly trailing a rearmost ground contact point, the transition section can extending upwardly from the rearmost ground contact point with a radius no less than 25 mm.

Claims (12)

1. A seed firmer for pressing seeds into soil during planting, the seed firmer comprising:

a mount for attachment to a row unit of a planting machine; and

an arm defining a ground-facing surface having at least one point of contact with the ground, including a rearmost ground contact point with respect to a direction of forward travel during planting operation,

wherein the ground-facing surface has a transition section directly trailing a rearmost ground contact point, the transition section extending upwardly from the rearmost ground contact point with a radius no less than 25 mm.

2. The seed firmer of claim 1 , wherein the rearmost ground contact point is the single lowest point of the ground-facing surface.

3. The seed firmer of claim 1 , wherein the ground-facing surface includes a flat section forward of the rearmost ground contact point.

4. The seed firmer of claim 1 , wherein the transition section extends upwardly from the rearmost ground contact point with a radius no less than 40 mm.

5. The seed firmer of claim 1 , wherein the transition section extends upwardly from the rearmost ground contact point with a radius no less than 60 mm.

6. The seed firmer of claim 1 , wherein the mount includes a linkage having two parallel intermediate links rotatably coupled to the arm to provide vertical travel of the arm without changing the orientation of the arm.

7. The seed firmer of claim 6 , wherein the mount further includes a first spring engaged with the linkage to bias the arm in a downward direction toward the ground.

8. The seed firmer of claim 1 , wherein the arm includes an overhang spaced rearward and above the rearmost ground contact point.

9. The seed firmer of claim 1 , wherein the transition section extends at least 3 mm above the rearmost ground contact point.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 26, 2018
From: GARNER, ELIJAH B.; SALOWITZ, JACOB D.; NATARAJAN, KAMALAKANNAN; UNDERWOOD, MARK; WHITCOMB, DREW; GRAHAM, CHARLES T.; DHOBALE, DNYANESH
To: DEERE & COMPANY
Reel/Frame 045647/0600 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 14871222 · Sep 30, 2015
Continuation 15232498 · Aug 9, 2016
Related Publication 20180098489A1 · Apr 12, 2018
Cited By (2)
US 12,426,533 US 12,543,630