Granted Patent B2

US 12,622,342 · App. 17/576,506 · Granted May 12, 2026

Inventors: Paul E. Schaffert (Indianola, NE); Kris Schaffert (Indianola, NE)

Assignee: SCHAFFERT MANUFACTURING COMPANY, INC.

A01C5/068

Abstract

Claims (53)

1 . A modular press wheel comprising

a hub configured to rotate about an axis and defining a rim feature engagement surface on an exterior side of the hub;

a first rim feature comprising

a first mounting portion removably attachable to the hub, and

a first set of tread portions connected to the first mounting portion and configured to define a first circumferential portion of the modular press wheel; and

a second rim feature separate from the first rim feature, the second rim feature comprising

a second mounting portion removably attachable to the hub independently from the first mounting portion, and

a second set of tread portions connected to the second mounting portion and configured to define a second circumferential portion of the modular press wheel;

wherein

each of the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion are removably attachable along the rim feature engagement surface at the exterior side of the hub and each of the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion defining a lap joint with the rim feature engagement surface.

2 . The modular press wheel of claim 1 , wherein, for at least the first set of tread portions, each tread portion of the first set of tread portions comprises a tine extending away from a center plane of the first mounting portion, wherein the center plane is substantially perpendicular to the axis upon removable attachment of the first rim feature with the hub.

3 . The modular press wheel of claim 1 , wherein

at least the first mounting portion comprises a first mounting plate having an inner curved edge, and an outer curved edge opposite the inner curved edge, and

the first set of tread portions is connected to the first mounting plate along the outer curved edge.

4 . The modular press wheel of claim 3 , wherein

the first mounting plate comprises a hub engagement surface extending from the inner curved edge to the outer curved edge, and

the hub and the first mounting portion are removably attachable to define the lap joint along a portion of the rim feature engagement surface and a portion of the hub engagement surface.

5 . The modular press wheel of claim 4 , wherein

the hub comprises a series of hub holes circumferentially spaced about the axis, and

the first mounting plate comprises a series of first mounting plate holes circumferentially spaced about the axis and alignable with the series of hub holes, upon removable attachment of the first mounting plate with the hub.

6 . The modular press wheel of claim 5 , further comprising a fastener configured to removably attach the hub and the first mounting plate and advanceable through an aligned pair of a hub hole of the series of hub holes and a first mounting plate hole of the series of first mounting plate holes.

7 . The modular press wheel of claim 3 , wherein, upon removable attachment of the hub and the first mounting portion, the outer curved edge extends beyond an outermost circumferential edge of the hub.

8 . The modular press wheel of claim 1 , wherein the first and second circumferential portions are adjacent circumferential portions of the modular press wheel.

9 . A modular press wheel comprising

a hub configured to rotate about an axis and having an exterior side extending to an outer circumferential edge;

a mounting portion removably attachable to the hub and having a center plane substantially perpendicular to the axis upon removable attachment with the hub; and

a plurality of tread portions connected to the mounting portion and configured to define a circumferential portion of the modular press wheel, the plurality of tread portions having voids between adjacent tread portions, wherein each tread portion of the plurality of tread portions comprises a tine extending away from the center plane,

wherein:

the mounting portion is a first mounting portion of a set of mounting portions,

the set of mounting portions comprises a second mounting portion removably attachable to the hub independently of the first mounting portion, and

the set of mounting portions are removably attachable along the exterior side of the hub and extend beyond the outer circumferential edge.

10 . The modular press wheel of claim 9 , wherein each mounting portion of the set of mounting portions is removably attachable with the hub and connected with a corresponding plurality of tread portions, and wherein each mounting portions of the set of mounting portions cooperate to define a complete circumferential portion of the modular press wheel.

11 . The modular press wheel of claim 10 , wherein the set of mounting portions comprises four mounting portions including the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion, each mounting portion of the four mounting portions having a common arcuate shape that is configured to establish the four mounting portions in a substantially circular shape when the four mounting portions are arranged end to end with one another.

12 . The modular press wheel of claim 10 , wherein each mounting portion of the set of mounting portions contacts one or more adjacent mounting portions upon removable attachment of the mounting portion with the hub.

13 . The modular press wheel of claim 9 , wherein a shape or a size of the tine of respective tread portion of the plurality of tread portions varies along the circumferential portion.

14 . The modular press wheel of claim 9 , wherein

the mounting portion comprises a mounting plate defining a series of slots along an outermost circumferential edge of the mounting portion, and

the plurality of tread portions is connected to the mounting portion via welds formed between a slot of the series of slots and the tine of a respective tread portion of the plurality of tread portions.

15 . The modular press wheel of claim 9 , wherein

the a first mounting portion has a first size,

the plurality of tread portions is a first plurality of tread portions,

the modular press wheel further comprises

the second mounting portion having a second size and removably attachable to the hub and connected with a second plurality of tread portions,

in a first configuration, the first mounting portion is removably attached to the hub at a predetermined mounting location defined at the exterior side with the first plurality of tread portions spaced apart from the axis based on the first size of the first mounting portion, and

in a second configuration, the second mounting portion is removably attached to the hub at the predetermined mounting location with the second plurality of tread portions spaced apart from the axis based on the second size of the second mounting portion, the second size larger than the first size.

16 . A method for modifying a modular press wheel, the method comprising

uncoupling a first set of mounting portions from an exterior side of the hub, the first set of mounting portions including a first mounting portion and a second mounting portion, wherein uncoupling the first set of mounting portions includes uncoupling the first mounting portion from a predetermined mounting location defined along the exterior side of the hub independently from the second mounting portion, the first mounting portion having a first size and connected to a first plurality of tread portions, the first plurality of tread portions defining a circumferential portion of the modular press wheel; and

coupling a second set of mounting portions to the exterior side of the hub, the second set of mounting portions including a third mounting portion and a fourth mounting portion, wherein coupling the second set of mounting portions includes coupling the third mounting portion to the predetermined mounting location defined along the exterior side of the hub independently from the fourth mounting portion, the third mounting portion having a second size and connected to a second plurality of tread portions, the second plurality of tread portions defining the circumferential portion upon the coupling of the second mounting portion of the predetermined mounting location.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the second size is larger than the first size such that the coupling of the third mounting portion to the predetermined mounting location increases a radius of the modular press wheel.

18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the second plurality of tread portions has a different size, shape or arrangement than the first plurality of tread portions such that the coupling of the third mounting portion to the predetermined mounting location changes the size, shape, or arrangement of tread portions along the circumferential portion of the modular press wheel.

19 . The method of claim 16 , wherein

uncoupling the first mounting portion further comprises loosening a fastener and removing the fastener from an aligned pair of a hub hole of the hub and a first mounting portion hole of the first mounting portion, and

coupling the third mounting portion further comprises extending the fastener through an aligned pair of the hub hole and a second mounting portion hole of the third mounting portion.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (240)