CA1112110A - Shank assembly for attaching an applicator knife to a tool bar - Google Patents
Shank assembly for attaching an applicator knife to a tool barInfo
- Publication number
- CA1112110A CA1112110A CA324,849A CA324849A CA1112110A CA 1112110 A CA1112110 A CA 1112110A CA 324849 A CA324849 A CA 324849A CA 1112110 A CA1112110 A CA 1112110A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- shank
- support member
- knife
- spring
- shank assembly
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
- A01C—PLANTING; SOWING; FERTILISING
- A01C23/00—Distributing devices specially adapted for liquid manure or other fertilising liquid, including ammonia, e.g. transport tanks or sprinkling wagons
- A01C23/02—Special arrangements for delivering the liquid directly into the soil
- A01C23/023—Special arrangements for delivering the liquid directly into the soil for liquid or gas fertilisers
- A01C23/025—Continuous injection tools
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
- A01B—SOIL WORKING IN AGRICULTURE OR FORESTRY; PARTS, DETAILS, OR ACCESSORIES OF AGRICULTURAL MACHINES OR IMPLEMENTS, IN GENERAL
- A01B61/00—Devices for, or parts of, agricultural machines or implements for preventing overstrain
- A01B61/04—Devices for, or parts of, agricultural machines or implements for preventing overstrain of the connection between tools and carrier beam or frame
- A01B61/044—Devices for, or parts of, agricultural machines or implements for preventing overstrain of the connection between tools and carrier beam or frame the connection enabling a yielding pivoting movement around a substantially horizontal and transverse axis
- A01B61/046—Devices for, or parts of, agricultural machines or implements for preventing overstrain of the connection between tools and carrier beam or frame the connection enabling a yielding pivoting movement around a substantially horizontal and transverse axis the device including an energy accumulator for restoring the tool to its working position
Landscapes
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Soil Sciences (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Environmental Sciences (AREA)
- Water Supply & Treatment (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Fertilizing (AREA)
Abstract
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
An applicator knife can be rigidly attached to the lower end of a rigid shank which is pivotably mounted at its upper end to a support member which is securely fixed to a tool bar to be drawn by a tractor. A narrow face of the shank faces in a forward direction. A spring arrangement between the shank and the support member permits the shank to pivot about its mounting when a predetermined force acts on the knife in a backward direction, permitting the knife to clear obstacles whilst being normally maintained at a desired depth in the ground. The applicator knife serves for supplying a gaseous, , liquid, or granular substance such as a fertilizer, insecticide, herbicide, or seed into the ground. The arrangement particularly facilitates effective fluid fertilization with anhydrous ammonia of possibly stoney ground without pre-tillage.
An applicator knife can be rigidly attached to the lower end of a rigid shank which is pivotably mounted at its upper end to a support member which is securely fixed to a tool bar to be drawn by a tractor. A narrow face of the shank faces in a forward direction. A spring arrangement between the shank and the support member permits the shank to pivot about its mounting when a predetermined force acts on the knife in a backward direction, permitting the knife to clear obstacles whilst being normally maintained at a desired depth in the ground. The applicator knife serves for supplying a gaseous, , liquid, or granular substance such as a fertilizer, insecticide, herbicide, or seed into the ground. The arrangement particularly facilitates effective fluid fertilization with anhydrous ammonia of possibly stoney ground without pre-tillage.
Description
SHANK ASSEMBLY FOR ATTACHING AN APPLICATOR
KNIFE TO A TOOL BAR
This invention relates to a shank assembly via which an applicator knife can be attached to a tool bar to be drawn by a tractor to supply a gaseous, liquid, or granular substance to ground through which the knife is drawn. The invention is particularly, but not exclusively, concerned with fluid fertilization of the ground.
It is known to apply fluid fertilizers, for example anhydrous ammonia (NH3) used as a nitrogen fertilizer, by direct injection into the ground. In the case of NH3, this is stored as a liquid under pressure and, because it vaporizes as soon as it is released into the atmosphere and is lighter than air, must be injected directly into the ground, where it combines chemically with the ground moisture. It has been established that the NH3 must be injected to a ground depth of at least 4 inches (10 cm) in order to obtain consistent and optimum results.
It is known to inject fluid fertilizers into the ground through a tube which is attached to the back of a tine of round or sguare cross-section which tine is attached to a tool bar pulled by a tractor. Alternatively the tube can be attached to a knife which is attached to the tine.
With such an arrangement using tines, in order to obtain uniform penetration into the ground and hence uniform fert-ilization it is necessary that the ground first be tilled.
In the dry land areas of North America nitrogen fertilizers such as NH3 are used primarily for growing stubble crops, because there is normally adequate nitrogen available in fields which have been summer fallowed the previous year.
However, tilling stubble crop areas involves the disadvantage of breaking up the surface stubble so that it loses its coherency and allows undesired loss of snow and moisture.
It is also known to attach a knife, having a tube
KNIFE TO A TOOL BAR
This invention relates to a shank assembly via which an applicator knife can be attached to a tool bar to be drawn by a tractor to supply a gaseous, liquid, or granular substance to ground through which the knife is drawn. The invention is particularly, but not exclusively, concerned with fluid fertilization of the ground.
It is known to apply fluid fertilizers, for example anhydrous ammonia (NH3) used as a nitrogen fertilizer, by direct injection into the ground. In the case of NH3, this is stored as a liquid under pressure and, because it vaporizes as soon as it is released into the atmosphere and is lighter than air, must be injected directly into the ground, where it combines chemically with the ground moisture. It has been established that the NH3 must be injected to a ground depth of at least 4 inches (10 cm) in order to obtain consistent and optimum results.
It is known to inject fluid fertilizers into the ground through a tube which is attached to the back of a tine of round or sguare cross-section which tine is attached to a tool bar pulled by a tractor. Alternatively the tube can be attached to a knife which is attached to the tine.
With such an arrangement using tines, in order to obtain uniform penetration into the ground and hence uniform fert-ilization it is necessary that the ground first be tilled.
In the dry land areas of North America nitrogen fertilizers such as NH3 are used primarily for growing stubble crops, because there is normally adequate nitrogen available in fields which have been summer fallowed the previous year.
However, tilling stubble crop areas involves the disadvantage of breaking up the surface stubble so that it loses its coherency and allows undesired loss of snow and moisture.
It is also known to attach a knife, having a tube
-2- ~ .a~
through which fluid fertilizers are supplied attached thereto, to a rigid shank which is rigidly mounted on the tool bardrawn by the tractor. This arrangement is not suitable for use in any situation in which the knives may encounter obstacles in the 5 ground, and in particular is not suitable for use for fertilizing stoney ground, because in such situations the obstacles such as stones give rise to forces exerted on the frame including the tool bar which can quickly result in damage to or destruction of this frame.
In addition, it is known to provide a field cultivator in which shanks are pivotally mounted on support members attached to a tool bar drawn by a tractor, each shank having a forward-facing broad face and a lower end terminating in ; a tilling implement, and with a spring release mechanism 15 between each shank and its respective support member. Essex et al United States Patent No. 3,700,039 issued October 24, 1972, discloses such an arrangement. Such arrangements are intended for tilling or cultivation and not fertilization of the ground, as is evident from the facts that a tilling 20 implement is drawn through the ground and that this tilling implement is mounted on a shank having a broad forward-facing face at least the lower part of which is also drawn through the ground. Consequently, the use of such arrangements necessarily also involves the disadvantage of breaking up 25 surface stubble 80 that the ground suffers 1088 of coherency and loss of moisture. Whilst such arrangements can conceivably be converted for fluid fertilizer application by attaching a fertilizer-supplying tube to the back face of each shank, the above disadvantage still exists and the fertilization is not 30 efficient because the fertilizer is then injected into a relatively wide trench of disturbed soil and is consequently easily and quickly lost to the atmosphere.
In order to avoid these disadvantages, Johnston United States Patent No. 2,988,025 issued June 13, 1961, and 35 Reissue Patent No. Re. 25307 of December 25, 1962, disclose a method of and apparatus for applying liquids such as fluid fertilizers into the soil in which, instead of injecting fluid into the ground, the liquid is directed from closely , .. . .. ..
through which fluid fertilizers are supplied attached thereto, to a rigid shank which is rigidly mounted on the tool bardrawn by the tractor. This arrangement is not suitable for use in any situation in which the knives may encounter obstacles in the 5 ground, and in particular is not suitable for use for fertilizing stoney ground, because in such situations the obstacles such as stones give rise to forces exerted on the frame including the tool bar which can quickly result in damage to or destruction of this frame.
In addition, it is known to provide a field cultivator in which shanks are pivotally mounted on support members attached to a tool bar drawn by a tractor, each shank having a forward-facing broad face and a lower end terminating in ; a tilling implement, and with a spring release mechanism 15 between each shank and its respective support member. Essex et al United States Patent No. 3,700,039 issued October 24, 1972, discloses such an arrangement. Such arrangements are intended for tilling or cultivation and not fertilization of the ground, as is evident from the facts that a tilling 20 implement is drawn through the ground and that this tilling implement is mounted on a shank having a broad forward-facing face at least the lower part of which is also drawn through the ground. Consequently, the use of such arrangements necessarily also involves the disadvantage of breaking up 25 surface stubble 80 that the ground suffers 1088 of coherency and loss of moisture. Whilst such arrangements can conceivably be converted for fluid fertilizer application by attaching a fertilizer-supplying tube to the back face of each shank, the above disadvantage still exists and the fertilization is not 30 efficient because the fertilizer is then injected into a relatively wide trench of disturbed soil and is consequently easily and quickly lost to the atmosphere.
In order to avoid these disadvantages, Johnston United States Patent No. 2,988,025 issued June 13, 1961, and 35 Reissue Patent No. Re. 25307 of December 25, 1962, disclose a method of and apparatus for applying liquids such as fluid fertilizers into the soil in which, instead of injecting fluid into the ground, the liquid is directed from closely , .. . .. ..
-3-above the surface of the soil against the soil surface as a jet having sufficient velocity to penetrate the soil of its own accord without having a trench or furrow cut for its reception. This method necessitates the use of high liquid pressures of at least 2000 pounds per square inch (14 x 106 Newtons per square meter) in conjunction with fine nozzles which have to be maintained in close proximity to the ground surface but must not become clogged.
Consequently the apparatus becomes relatively complicated and, in addition, the depth of penetration of the liquid fertilizer is highly dependent on the nature of the soil, i.e. whether it is hard-packed and dense or relatively soft and porous.
An object of this invention is to provide an arrange-ment which enables the above disadvantages of the priorart to be reduced or eliminated.
According to one aspect of this invention there is provided a shank assembly via which an applicator knife can be attached to a tool bar, the shank assembly comprising a support member, means for rigidly securing the support member to a tool bar, a single rigid shank pivotably mounted at one end to the support member and depending therefrom to a lower end of the shank having means for attaching an applicator knife rigidly thereto, the shank having a relatively narrow face which faces in a forward direction in which the tool bar, shank assembly, and applicator knife are drawn in use and being pivotable with respect to the support member about an axis which is transverse to said forward direction and the shank having a bend between its ends and depending downwardly and rearwardly from its pivotable mounting to the support member towards the bend and extending downwardly from the bend towards its lower end;
and resilient spring means between the shank and the support member arranged to bias the shank so that its lower end is urged downwardly and in the forward direction about said axis.
In an embodiment of the invention, the spring means comprises a first member secured to the shank between its ends, a pin extending through a hole in the first member in a direct;on parallel to said axis, a plate having an aperture into which the first member extends and having lips which prevent movement of the pin out of the hole in the first member, and a compression spring extending between the plate and a part of the support member.
This embodiment preferably also includes a second member having a hole through which the pin extends, the second member extending from the pin through the aperture in the plate and longitudinally within the compression spring, and bolt means extending through said part of the support member and longitudinally within the compression spring and engaging the second member to limit expansion of the spring, the bolt means being movable with respect to the support member to permit compression of the spring. The bolt means is preferably adjustable to adjustably limit expansion of the spring.
The invention also extends to the combination of a shank assembly as recited above and an applicator knife removably and rigidly attached to the lower end of the shank of the shank assembly, the applicator knife including means for delivering a gaseous,liquid, or granular substance to the lower end of the knife.
Another aspect of this invention provides a method of applying a gaseous, liquid, or granular substance to ground without necessitating pre-tillage of the ground, comprising the steps of providing an applicator knife depending from a lower end of a rigid shank having a relatively narrow face which faces in a forward direction, said rigid shank being pivotably mounted at an upper end thereof to a support member which is rigidly secured to a tool bar, bias-sing the knife downwardly and in the forward direction by resilient spring means provided between the support member and the shank, drawing the tool bar in the forward direction to pull the knife through the ground with a lower end of the knife at a desired depth in the ground, the spring means permitting the shank to pivot about its pivotable mounting to move the knife rearwardly and upwardly with respect to the support member to clear obstacles encountered by the knife; and delivering a gaseous, liquid, or granular substance S via the applicator knife to the ground.
In an embodiment of the invention described below, the applicator knife is a fluid fertilizer applicator knife and the gaseous, liquid, or granular substance is a fluid fertilizer such as NH3.
The invention will be further understood from the following description by way of example of an embodiment thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Fig. l illustrates an elevational view of a shank assembly attached to a tool bar which is shown in cross-section and having a fertilizer applicator knife attached thereto;
Fig. 2 illustrates parts of the shank assembly of Fig. l to an enlarged scale and in partly cut-away elevational view; and Fig. 3 illustrates parts of the shank assembly of Figs. l and 2 in a sectional view, the section being taken on line III-III in Fig. 2.
Referring to the drawings, the shank assembly illustrated therein comprises a rigid shank l, a support member 2, a securing bracket 3, and a spring mechanism generally refer-enced 4. In use, as shown in Fig. 1, the support member 2 is rigidly secured to a tool bar 5 to be pulled by a tractor (not shown) in the direction of an arrow A, referred to herein as a forward direction. A fertilizer applicator knife 6 including an applicator tube 7 is rigidly attached to a lower end of the shank l, with a blade of the knife facing in the forward direction A. In practice, a plurality of such shank assemblies, each having a respective knife 6 attached thereto, is secured to the tool bar ~, and one or more such tool bars with the shank assemblies secured thereto -5A~ 0 are pulled by the tractor which also pulls a tank (not shown) or other source of fertilizer. The tubes 7 of all the knives 6 are supplied with liquid fertilizer, such as anhydrous ammonia (NH3), from the tank via one or more metering devices in known manner.
The rigid shank 1 has a generally rectangular cross-section providing relatively broad and narrow faces 8 and 9 respectively, and as shown in Fig. 1 has a bend intermediate its ends. The shank 1 extends downwardly and rearwardly 6 ~
from its upperend mounted to the support member 2 towards the bend, and downwardly from the bend towards its lower end.
The shank 1 is mounted on the support member 2 so that the narrow face 9 which is at the inside of the bend in the shank 1 faces in the forward direction A. At its lower end, the shank 1 has two spaced holes (not shown) through which bolts 10 are passed to rigidly secure the knife 6 to the shank 1 in use. At its opposite, upper end the shank 1 has a hole 11 by means of which the shank 1 is mounted to the support member 2, and between the hole 11 and the bend the shank 1 has a further hole 12 by means of which the shank 1 is attached to the spring mechanism 4, as described below.
The support member 2 is generally U-shaped in cross-section, having side members 13 between which an upper web lS 14 and reinforcing webs 15 extend. The support member 2 includes a right-angled recess 16 against which two sides of the tool bar 5 abut in use as shown in Fig. 1, with the securing bracket 3 extending around the other two sides of the tool bar 5 and through holes in the upper web 14 of the 20 support member 2. The bracket 3 is circular in cross-section and has threaded ends 17 on which nuts 18 are received to secure the support member rigidly and in a fixed position to the tool bar 5.
Adjacent the recess 16, the side members 13 each have 25 a hole through which holes a bushing 19 extends, this bushing also passing through the hole 11 in the shank 1 which is positioned with its upper end between the side members 13. The bushing 19 has a central hole through which a bolt 20 extends to retain the bushing 19 in place. In this 30 manner, the shank 1 is pivotally mounted to the support member 2, so that it is pivotable about the axis of the bushing 19 which axis is transverse to the forward direction A. In order not to obstruct this pivotal movement, the upper web 35 14 is apertured in the region of the recess 16, as shown in Fig. 2.
At an end of the support member 2 opposite the recess 16, the side members 13 and upper web 14 are shaped to provide a cup-shape having a peripheral flange 21 within which one end of a compression spring 22 is received. The spring 22 forms part of the spring mechanism 4, and for clarity the location of the spring 22 is only indicated by broken lines in Figs.2 and 3. The other end of the spring 22 bears against a generally annular plate 23 which in turn bears against a pin 24 which extends in a direction parallel to the axis of the bushing 19, through a hole 25 in an upper part of a member 26 which has two depending parts 27 which extend one on each side of the shank 1. The member 26 is secured to the shank 1 by means of a bolt 28 and a nut 29, the bolt 28 passing through a hole in each of the parts 27 and through the hole 12 in the shank 1. The pin 24 is retained in position by depending lips 30 on opposite sides of the lower face of the plate 23. The upper part of the member 26 proiects through the centre of the plate 23, as shown in Fig. 2.
A U-shaped member 31 is located within the spring 22 with its two legs 32 passing through the plate 23 one on each side of the upper part of the member 26, the pin 24 also passing through a hole near the end of each of these legs 32. The middle portion 33 of the member 31, which middle portion joins together the legs 32 at their upper ends, has a central hole 34 through which a bolt 35 extends.
A nut 36 i9 disposed on the bolt 35 below the portion 33 and is prevented from rotation by the legs 32, and a locking nut 37 is also disposed on the bolt 35 above the portion 33.
The bolt 35 extends through a hole 38 in the upper web 14 of the support member 2 positioned centrally with respect to the flange 21 and the spring 22, and the head 39 of the bolt 35 is retained above the upper web 14 by a washer 40.
In use, the shank assembly is secured to the tool bar 5 and the knife 6 is attached thereto as already described and shown in Fig. 1. The tool bar 5 is pulled by a tractor so that the knife 6 is drawn through the soil to be fertilized, and liquid fertilizer is supplied through the tube 7 from which it emerges through one or more holes 41 provided at the lower end of the t~e 7, which lower end is otherwise closed. Because the shank 1 is rigid, and not flexible as is a tine, the knife 6 can be easily drawn through ground which has not been previously tilled. The avoidance of tilling of the ground is especially advantageous in that, apart from saving labour and time, it enables the coherency of surface stubble of the ground to be maintained and allows greater retention of snow and moisture.
The knife 6 is drawn through the ground at a desired depth of 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15cm.) or more, at which depth the fertilizer is injected into the ground. Because the knife itself is narrow, and because the shank 1 has a narrow face 9 facing in the forward direction A, the injection of the fertilizer is effected at the bottom of a very narrow trench which tends to close itself as the knife 6 is drawn forwards. Consequently the fertilizer is able to combine chemically with the ground moisture rather than being lost to the atmosphere.
In the event that the knife 6, whilst being drawn for example through stoney ground, encounters an obstacle, a force in a direction opposite to the forward direction A is exerted on the shank 1 via the knife 6. In the absence of the spring mechanism 4, such forces can be of sufficient magnitude to damage or destroy the frame including the tool bar S on which the shank assembly is mounted. In the present arrangement, however, such sufficiently large forces merely cause the shank 1 to pivot in a clockwise direction as shown in Fig. 1 about the axis of the bushing 19, the force acting via the member 26, pin 24, and plate 23 to compress the spring 22, the knife 6 thus moving backwardly (relative to the tool bar 5) and upwardly so that it clears the obstacle.
During compression of the spring 22 the member 31 and the bolt 35 are moved upwardly, this movement being possible because the bolt head 39 is able to be raised relative to the upper web 14 of the support member 2. When the obstacle has been cleared, the bias of the spring 22 acting on the shank 1 urges the lower end of the shank 1 downwardly and in the forward direction A to return the arrangement to the position illustrated in the drawings, so that injection of the fertilizer into the ground is continued at the desired depth.
The force which must be exerted on the knife 6 to s commence compression of the spring 22 in the above-described manner is determined by the position of the nut 36 on the bolt 35, this nut acting as an adjustable stop which limits expansion of the spring 22. To adjust this force, the locking nut 37 is slackened and the bolt head 39 is rotated in a desired direction until the nut 36, which is prevented from rotating by the legs 32, reaches the desired position on the bolt 35, whereupon the locking nut 37 is again tightened against the portion 33 to prevent relative movement between the bolt 35 and the member 31. In this manner the adjustment Of this force is effected quickly and simply for each shank assembly on the tool bar 5.
The shank assembly can be made from any suitable materials, and in particular the components 1, 2, 23, 26 and 31 can each be formed as a casting requiring little or no machining.
Whilst a particular embodiment of the invention is described above, numerous modifications and variations may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In particular, it is noted here that the shapes, sizes and configurations of the various components may be varied, and the support member 2 may be secured to the tool bar S in any suitable manner different from that illustrated and described. In addition, the described arrangement using the compression spring 22 could be replaced by an equivalent arrangement using a tension spring, likewise acting between the shank and the support member to provide a force on the shank to urge the knife in the forward direction A about the pivot point between the shank and the support member, with appropriate modification of the various other components of the shank assembly.
Whilst the above-described embodiment of the invention relates to fluid fertilization of the ground using a fertilizer -10~ 0 applicator knife, the invention is not limited in this respect. The shank assembly may be used in conjunction with any appropriate applicator knife for applying any gaseous, liquid, or granular substance to the ground. Thus in addition to fertilization, the invention is applicable to the appli-cation to the ground of, for example, insecticides, herbicides, fungicides and so on for the purposes of controlling insects, plant diseases, weeds and so on. Furthermore, with appropriate forms of distribution system and applicator knives the invention can be applied to the seeding of various crops.
Consequently the apparatus becomes relatively complicated and, in addition, the depth of penetration of the liquid fertilizer is highly dependent on the nature of the soil, i.e. whether it is hard-packed and dense or relatively soft and porous.
An object of this invention is to provide an arrange-ment which enables the above disadvantages of the priorart to be reduced or eliminated.
According to one aspect of this invention there is provided a shank assembly via which an applicator knife can be attached to a tool bar, the shank assembly comprising a support member, means for rigidly securing the support member to a tool bar, a single rigid shank pivotably mounted at one end to the support member and depending therefrom to a lower end of the shank having means for attaching an applicator knife rigidly thereto, the shank having a relatively narrow face which faces in a forward direction in which the tool bar, shank assembly, and applicator knife are drawn in use and being pivotable with respect to the support member about an axis which is transverse to said forward direction and the shank having a bend between its ends and depending downwardly and rearwardly from its pivotable mounting to the support member towards the bend and extending downwardly from the bend towards its lower end;
and resilient spring means between the shank and the support member arranged to bias the shank so that its lower end is urged downwardly and in the forward direction about said axis.
In an embodiment of the invention, the spring means comprises a first member secured to the shank between its ends, a pin extending through a hole in the first member in a direct;on parallel to said axis, a plate having an aperture into which the first member extends and having lips which prevent movement of the pin out of the hole in the first member, and a compression spring extending between the plate and a part of the support member.
This embodiment preferably also includes a second member having a hole through which the pin extends, the second member extending from the pin through the aperture in the plate and longitudinally within the compression spring, and bolt means extending through said part of the support member and longitudinally within the compression spring and engaging the second member to limit expansion of the spring, the bolt means being movable with respect to the support member to permit compression of the spring. The bolt means is preferably adjustable to adjustably limit expansion of the spring.
The invention also extends to the combination of a shank assembly as recited above and an applicator knife removably and rigidly attached to the lower end of the shank of the shank assembly, the applicator knife including means for delivering a gaseous,liquid, or granular substance to the lower end of the knife.
Another aspect of this invention provides a method of applying a gaseous, liquid, or granular substance to ground without necessitating pre-tillage of the ground, comprising the steps of providing an applicator knife depending from a lower end of a rigid shank having a relatively narrow face which faces in a forward direction, said rigid shank being pivotably mounted at an upper end thereof to a support member which is rigidly secured to a tool bar, bias-sing the knife downwardly and in the forward direction by resilient spring means provided between the support member and the shank, drawing the tool bar in the forward direction to pull the knife through the ground with a lower end of the knife at a desired depth in the ground, the spring means permitting the shank to pivot about its pivotable mounting to move the knife rearwardly and upwardly with respect to the support member to clear obstacles encountered by the knife; and delivering a gaseous, liquid, or granular substance S via the applicator knife to the ground.
In an embodiment of the invention described below, the applicator knife is a fluid fertilizer applicator knife and the gaseous, liquid, or granular substance is a fluid fertilizer such as NH3.
The invention will be further understood from the following description by way of example of an embodiment thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Fig. l illustrates an elevational view of a shank assembly attached to a tool bar which is shown in cross-section and having a fertilizer applicator knife attached thereto;
Fig. 2 illustrates parts of the shank assembly of Fig. l to an enlarged scale and in partly cut-away elevational view; and Fig. 3 illustrates parts of the shank assembly of Figs. l and 2 in a sectional view, the section being taken on line III-III in Fig. 2.
Referring to the drawings, the shank assembly illustrated therein comprises a rigid shank l, a support member 2, a securing bracket 3, and a spring mechanism generally refer-enced 4. In use, as shown in Fig. 1, the support member 2 is rigidly secured to a tool bar 5 to be pulled by a tractor (not shown) in the direction of an arrow A, referred to herein as a forward direction. A fertilizer applicator knife 6 including an applicator tube 7 is rigidly attached to a lower end of the shank l, with a blade of the knife facing in the forward direction A. In practice, a plurality of such shank assemblies, each having a respective knife 6 attached thereto, is secured to the tool bar ~, and one or more such tool bars with the shank assemblies secured thereto -5A~ 0 are pulled by the tractor which also pulls a tank (not shown) or other source of fertilizer. The tubes 7 of all the knives 6 are supplied with liquid fertilizer, such as anhydrous ammonia (NH3), from the tank via one or more metering devices in known manner.
The rigid shank 1 has a generally rectangular cross-section providing relatively broad and narrow faces 8 and 9 respectively, and as shown in Fig. 1 has a bend intermediate its ends. The shank 1 extends downwardly and rearwardly 6 ~
from its upperend mounted to the support member 2 towards the bend, and downwardly from the bend towards its lower end.
The shank 1 is mounted on the support member 2 so that the narrow face 9 which is at the inside of the bend in the shank 1 faces in the forward direction A. At its lower end, the shank 1 has two spaced holes (not shown) through which bolts 10 are passed to rigidly secure the knife 6 to the shank 1 in use. At its opposite, upper end the shank 1 has a hole 11 by means of which the shank 1 is mounted to the support member 2, and between the hole 11 and the bend the shank 1 has a further hole 12 by means of which the shank 1 is attached to the spring mechanism 4, as described below.
The support member 2 is generally U-shaped in cross-section, having side members 13 between which an upper web lS 14 and reinforcing webs 15 extend. The support member 2 includes a right-angled recess 16 against which two sides of the tool bar 5 abut in use as shown in Fig. 1, with the securing bracket 3 extending around the other two sides of the tool bar 5 and through holes in the upper web 14 of the 20 support member 2. The bracket 3 is circular in cross-section and has threaded ends 17 on which nuts 18 are received to secure the support member rigidly and in a fixed position to the tool bar 5.
Adjacent the recess 16, the side members 13 each have 25 a hole through which holes a bushing 19 extends, this bushing also passing through the hole 11 in the shank 1 which is positioned with its upper end between the side members 13. The bushing 19 has a central hole through which a bolt 20 extends to retain the bushing 19 in place. In this 30 manner, the shank 1 is pivotally mounted to the support member 2, so that it is pivotable about the axis of the bushing 19 which axis is transverse to the forward direction A. In order not to obstruct this pivotal movement, the upper web 35 14 is apertured in the region of the recess 16, as shown in Fig. 2.
At an end of the support member 2 opposite the recess 16, the side members 13 and upper web 14 are shaped to provide a cup-shape having a peripheral flange 21 within which one end of a compression spring 22 is received. The spring 22 forms part of the spring mechanism 4, and for clarity the location of the spring 22 is only indicated by broken lines in Figs.2 and 3. The other end of the spring 22 bears against a generally annular plate 23 which in turn bears against a pin 24 which extends in a direction parallel to the axis of the bushing 19, through a hole 25 in an upper part of a member 26 which has two depending parts 27 which extend one on each side of the shank 1. The member 26 is secured to the shank 1 by means of a bolt 28 and a nut 29, the bolt 28 passing through a hole in each of the parts 27 and through the hole 12 in the shank 1. The pin 24 is retained in position by depending lips 30 on opposite sides of the lower face of the plate 23. The upper part of the member 26 proiects through the centre of the plate 23, as shown in Fig. 2.
A U-shaped member 31 is located within the spring 22 with its two legs 32 passing through the plate 23 one on each side of the upper part of the member 26, the pin 24 also passing through a hole near the end of each of these legs 32. The middle portion 33 of the member 31, which middle portion joins together the legs 32 at their upper ends, has a central hole 34 through which a bolt 35 extends.
A nut 36 i9 disposed on the bolt 35 below the portion 33 and is prevented from rotation by the legs 32, and a locking nut 37 is also disposed on the bolt 35 above the portion 33.
The bolt 35 extends through a hole 38 in the upper web 14 of the support member 2 positioned centrally with respect to the flange 21 and the spring 22, and the head 39 of the bolt 35 is retained above the upper web 14 by a washer 40.
In use, the shank assembly is secured to the tool bar 5 and the knife 6 is attached thereto as already described and shown in Fig. 1. The tool bar 5 is pulled by a tractor so that the knife 6 is drawn through the soil to be fertilized, and liquid fertilizer is supplied through the tube 7 from which it emerges through one or more holes 41 provided at the lower end of the t~e 7, which lower end is otherwise closed. Because the shank 1 is rigid, and not flexible as is a tine, the knife 6 can be easily drawn through ground which has not been previously tilled. The avoidance of tilling of the ground is especially advantageous in that, apart from saving labour and time, it enables the coherency of surface stubble of the ground to be maintained and allows greater retention of snow and moisture.
The knife 6 is drawn through the ground at a desired depth of 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15cm.) or more, at which depth the fertilizer is injected into the ground. Because the knife itself is narrow, and because the shank 1 has a narrow face 9 facing in the forward direction A, the injection of the fertilizer is effected at the bottom of a very narrow trench which tends to close itself as the knife 6 is drawn forwards. Consequently the fertilizer is able to combine chemically with the ground moisture rather than being lost to the atmosphere.
In the event that the knife 6, whilst being drawn for example through stoney ground, encounters an obstacle, a force in a direction opposite to the forward direction A is exerted on the shank 1 via the knife 6. In the absence of the spring mechanism 4, such forces can be of sufficient magnitude to damage or destroy the frame including the tool bar S on which the shank assembly is mounted. In the present arrangement, however, such sufficiently large forces merely cause the shank 1 to pivot in a clockwise direction as shown in Fig. 1 about the axis of the bushing 19, the force acting via the member 26, pin 24, and plate 23 to compress the spring 22, the knife 6 thus moving backwardly (relative to the tool bar 5) and upwardly so that it clears the obstacle.
During compression of the spring 22 the member 31 and the bolt 35 are moved upwardly, this movement being possible because the bolt head 39 is able to be raised relative to the upper web 14 of the support member 2. When the obstacle has been cleared, the bias of the spring 22 acting on the shank 1 urges the lower end of the shank 1 downwardly and in the forward direction A to return the arrangement to the position illustrated in the drawings, so that injection of the fertilizer into the ground is continued at the desired depth.
The force which must be exerted on the knife 6 to s commence compression of the spring 22 in the above-described manner is determined by the position of the nut 36 on the bolt 35, this nut acting as an adjustable stop which limits expansion of the spring 22. To adjust this force, the locking nut 37 is slackened and the bolt head 39 is rotated in a desired direction until the nut 36, which is prevented from rotating by the legs 32, reaches the desired position on the bolt 35, whereupon the locking nut 37 is again tightened against the portion 33 to prevent relative movement between the bolt 35 and the member 31. In this manner the adjustment Of this force is effected quickly and simply for each shank assembly on the tool bar 5.
The shank assembly can be made from any suitable materials, and in particular the components 1, 2, 23, 26 and 31 can each be formed as a casting requiring little or no machining.
Whilst a particular embodiment of the invention is described above, numerous modifications and variations may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In particular, it is noted here that the shapes, sizes and configurations of the various components may be varied, and the support member 2 may be secured to the tool bar S in any suitable manner different from that illustrated and described. In addition, the described arrangement using the compression spring 22 could be replaced by an equivalent arrangement using a tension spring, likewise acting between the shank and the support member to provide a force on the shank to urge the knife in the forward direction A about the pivot point between the shank and the support member, with appropriate modification of the various other components of the shank assembly.
Whilst the above-described embodiment of the invention relates to fluid fertilization of the ground using a fertilizer -10~ 0 applicator knife, the invention is not limited in this respect. The shank assembly may be used in conjunction with any appropriate applicator knife for applying any gaseous, liquid, or granular substance to the ground. Thus in addition to fertilization, the invention is applicable to the appli-cation to the ground of, for example, insecticides, herbicides, fungicides and so on for the purposes of controlling insects, plant diseases, weeds and so on. Furthermore, with appropriate forms of distribution system and applicator knives the invention can be applied to the seeding of various crops.
Claims (10)
1. A shank assembly via which an applicator knife can be attached to a tool bar, the shank assembly comprising:
a support member means for rigidly securing the support member to a tool bar;
a single rigid shank pivotably mounted at one end to the support member and depending therefrom to a lower end of the shank having means for attaching an applicator knife rigidly thereto, the shank having a relatively narrow face which faces in a forward direction in which the tool bar, shank assembly, and applicator knife are drawn in use and being pivotable with respect to the support member about an axis which is transverse to said forward direction, and the shank having a bend between its ends and depending downwardly and rearwardly from its pivotable mounting to the support member towards the bend and extending downwardly from the bend towards its lower end; and resilient spring means between the shank and the support member arranged to bias the shank so that its lower end is urged downwardly and in the forward direction about said axis.
a support member means for rigidly securing the support member to a tool bar;
a single rigid shank pivotably mounted at one end to the support member and depending therefrom to a lower end of the shank having means for attaching an applicator knife rigidly thereto, the shank having a relatively narrow face which faces in a forward direction in which the tool bar, shank assembly, and applicator knife are drawn in use and being pivotable with respect to the support member about an axis which is transverse to said forward direction, and the shank having a bend between its ends and depending downwardly and rearwardly from its pivotable mounting to the support member towards the bend and extending downwardly from the bend towards its lower end; and resilient spring means between the shank and the support member arranged to bias the shank so that its lower end is urged downwardly and in the forward direction about said axis.
2. A shank assembly as claimed in Claim 1 and including stop means for limiting pivotal movement of the shank about said axis under the bias of the spring means whereby the spring means exerts a predetermined bias on the shank.
3. A shank assembly as claimed in Claim 2 in which the stop means is adjustable whereby said predetermined bias is adjustable.
4. A shank assembly as claimed in Claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the spring means comprises a compression spring.
5. A shank assembly as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the spring means comprises a first member secured to the shank between its ends, a pin extending through a hole in the first member in a direction parallel to said axis, a plate having an aperture into which the first member extends and having lips which prevent movement of the pin out of-the hole in the first member, and a compression spring extending between the plate and a part of the support member.
6. A shank assembly as claimed in Claim 5 and including a second member having a hole through which the pin extends, the second member extending from the pin through the aperture in the plate and longitudinally within the compression spring, and bolt means extending through said part of the support member and longitudinally within the compression spring and engaging the second member to limit expansion of the spring, the bolt means being movable with respect to the support member to permit compression of the spring.
7. A shank assembly as claimed in Claim 6 wherein the bolt means is adjustable to adjustably limit expansion of the spring.
8. A shank assembly as claimed in Claim 1, 5 or 6 wherein the shank has a substantially rectangular cross-section.
9. A shank assembly as claimed in Claim 1, 5 or 6 wherein the support member comprises two spaced apart side members having a bushing extending therebetween, the shank having said one end disposed between the side members with the bushing extending therethrough to form the pivotable mounting.
10. In combination, a shank assembly as claimed in Claim 1, 5 or 6 and an applicator knife removably and rigidly attached to the lower end of the shank of the shank assembly, the applicator knife including means for delivering a gaseous, liquid, or granular substance to the lower end of the knife.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA324,849A CA1112110A (en) | 1979-04-03 | 1979-04-03 | Shank assembly for attaching an applicator knife to a tool bar |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA324,849A CA1112110A (en) | 1979-04-03 | 1979-04-03 | Shank assembly for attaching an applicator knife to a tool bar |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1112110A true CA1112110A (en) | 1981-11-10 |
Family
ID=4113915
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA324,849A Expired CA1112110A (en) | 1979-04-03 | 1979-04-03 | Shank assembly for attaching an applicator knife to a tool bar |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA1112110A (en) |
Cited By (9)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP0089053A1 (en) * | 1982-03-15 | 1983-09-21 | Deere & Company | Soil tilling implement |
| US4520878A (en) * | 1983-06-23 | 1985-06-04 | Hesston Corporation | Spring cushion chisel plow shank assembly |
| US4608933A (en) * | 1984-10-24 | 1986-09-02 | Wyrill Leasing, Inc. | Apparatus for converting a chisel plow to a planter |
| EP0438187A1 (en) * | 1990-01-19 | 1991-07-24 | Bernardus Johannes Josephus Bomers | Device for injecting manure into the ground |
| NL9000144A (en) * | 1990-01-19 | 1991-08-16 | Bernardus Johannes Josephus Bo | Device for injecting manure into ground - has coulter(s) bounding manure-receiving space and connected to manure cutter |
| GB2537130A (en) * | 2015-04-07 | 2016-10-12 | Target Set Tech Ltd | Agricultural spraying apparatus |
| EP3158843A1 (en) * | 2015-09-30 | 2017-04-26 | Deere & Company | Furrow following device |
| US9839178B2 (en) | 2015-09-30 | 2017-12-12 | Deere & Company | Seed firmer |
| RU184893U1 (en) * | 2018-07-24 | 2018-11-13 | Общество с ограниченной ответственностью "СибзаводАгро" | Opener |
-
1979
- 1979-04-03 CA CA324,849A patent/CA1112110A/en not_active Expired
Cited By (13)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP0089053A1 (en) * | 1982-03-15 | 1983-09-21 | Deere & Company | Soil tilling implement |
| US4520878A (en) * | 1983-06-23 | 1985-06-04 | Hesston Corporation | Spring cushion chisel plow shank assembly |
| US4608933A (en) * | 1984-10-24 | 1986-09-02 | Wyrill Leasing, Inc. | Apparatus for converting a chisel plow to a planter |
| EP0438187A1 (en) * | 1990-01-19 | 1991-07-24 | Bernardus Johannes Josephus Bomers | Device for injecting manure into the ground |
| NL9000144A (en) * | 1990-01-19 | 1991-08-16 | Bernardus Johannes Josephus Bo | Device for injecting manure into ground - has coulter(s) bounding manure-receiving space and connected to manure cutter |
| GB2537130B (en) * | 2015-04-07 | 2017-11-29 | Target Set Tech Limited | Agricultural spraying apparatus |
| GB2537130A (en) * | 2015-04-07 | 2016-10-12 | Target Set Tech Ltd | Agricultural spraying apparatus |
| EP3158843A1 (en) * | 2015-09-30 | 2017-04-26 | Deere & Company | Furrow following device |
| US9839178B2 (en) | 2015-09-30 | 2017-12-12 | Deere & Company | Seed firmer |
| US9848527B2 (en) | 2015-09-30 | 2017-12-26 | Deere & Company | Furrow following device |
| US10091927B2 (en) | 2015-09-30 | 2018-10-09 | Deere & Company | Seed firmer |
| US10531605B2 (en) | 2015-09-30 | 2020-01-14 | Deere & Company | Seed firmer and planting machine |
| RU184893U1 (en) * | 2018-07-24 | 2018-11-13 | Общество с ограниченной ответственностью "СибзаводАгро" | Opener |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKEX | Expiry |