GB2083731A - Bolt on boot assembly for air seeding devices - Google Patents

Abstract

A boot assembly may be bolted onto a cultivator shank just behind the cultivating implement, and is connected via a plastic pipe to an air seeding device. The boot includes a seed discharge end 14 with a front shroud 19 and a V-shaped deflector 30 just below the discharge end of the boot which spreads the seed across the furrow. The shroud prevents undue scattering of the seed and restricts it to the furrow while the deflector spreads the seed evenly across the furrow. The assembly can be used on any tillage equipment which can be used for seeding or the disposition of granular chemicals, such as discers, harrows or the like. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Bolt on boot assembly for air seeding devices This invention relates to new and useful improvements in bolt on boot assemblies adapted for use with air seeding devices and with any tillage equip n.ent such as discers, harrows, cultivators and the like.

One of the difficulties with air seeding or distribution of granular chemicals by air seeding apparatus is the actual discharge of the material at the furrow.

The furrow opener whether it be a cultivator shovel, a disc or other furrow opening equipment, makes the furrow of a substantially predetermined width and the air seeding equipment tends to blow the seed or granular chemicals with such force as to preclude an even spread of material within the furrow, the spread of material beyond the confines of the furrow causing uneven growth.

The present invention overcomes these disadvantages by providing a bolt on boot assembly which enables an air seeding device to be used with practically any type of tillage equipment so that the amount of machinery required for seeding operations is reduced therefore reducing costs and maintenance. It enables the operator to use one implement, namely a piece of tillage equipment instead of two implements to undertake seeding and chemical distribution as well as tillage operation.

Although the drawings illustrate the device in use with a cultivator shank and shovel assembly, nevertheless it will be appreciated that it can readily be adapted for use with any number of available tillage machines such as discers, shanks, harrows and the like.

Also, although the device is referred to as being used with an air seeding system, it can be used to apply all types and kinds of cereal seeds, grass seeds, oil seeds and granular chemicals.

One aspect of the invention is to provide a bolt on boot assembly for use with air distribution systems for material such as seeds, granular chemicals and the like, and in conjunction with tillage equipment such as cultivators, discers, harrows, and the like; comprising in combination a receiver component operatively connected to the associated air distribution system, said receiver component including an intake and a discharge end, and means to secure said receiver component in operative relationship with the associated tillage equipment, said receiver component having deflector means below the discharge end thereof and shroud means partially surrounding said deflector means to restrict the lateral distribution of material passing through said receiver component, said shroud means including a substantially symmetrical plate secured to the front side of said deflector means and extending upwardly and downwardly therefrom and being secured to said receiver component, said plate including a centre section and a wing portion upon each side of said centre section, said wing portions each extending outwardly and rearwardly, from the plane of said centre section the lower edges of said wing portions extending inwardly to the lower ends of the sides of said centre section and being situated below said discharge end of said receiver component.

Another advantage of the device is that it can readily be used with air seeder equipment which in turn can be hitched up in front of the tillage implement and when seeding is completed, the seeder can be unhitched and the normal operation can resume with the implement.

A still further advantage of the invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described which is simple in construction, economical in manufacture and otherwise well suited to the purpose for which it is designed.

With the foregoing in view, and other advantages as will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates as this specification proceeds, the invention is herein described by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, which includes a description of the preferred typical embodiment of the principles of the present invention, in which: Figure 1 is a fragmentary, partially schematic side elevation of a cultivator shank and shovel assembly with the boot assembly secured to the rear thereof and discharging between the wings of the shovel.

Figure 2 is an enlarged front elevation of the invention peruse.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a schematic and section view of a furrow with the structure of Figure 1 in place.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.

Proceeding therefore to describe the invention in detail, reference to Figure 1 will show a cultivator shank 10 having a cultivator shovel 11 secured to the lower end thereof by means of nut and bolt assemblies 12 which pass through the central portion of the shovel and through the lower end of the shank in the usual manner. Although the device is shown in use with a cultivator shank and shovel assembly, nevertheless it will be appreciated that it can readily be adapted for use with other tillage equipment designed to open a furrow.

The invention collectively designated 13 comprises a bolt on boot assembly and this assembly includes a receiver component collectively designated 14 adapted to be operatively connected to an air seeder device (not illustrated). Such seeder devices include plastic hoses or pipes 15 which convey seed or other material in an air stream to the furrow. In this instance, the receiver 14 includes a relatively short cylindrical nipple 16 to which the distal end of the plastic pipe 15 may be secured in the normal way.

The receiver then widens out to the main portion 17 with shoulders 18 being formed between the lower end of the nipple 16 and the upper end of the widened out portion 17. The increase in dimensions of the portion 17 relative to the portion 16 is in one plane, in this embodiment, with the fore and aft dimensions of the two portions 16and 17 being similar as clearly shown in Figure 3. This portion of the device is preferably made of plastic, but it can be made of metal, if desired.

A symmetrical shroud component collectively designated 19 is provided behind the widened out portion 17 of the receiver and extends downwardly below the lower discharge end 20 thereof and this shroud together with the receiver 14 is secured to the rear of the cultivator shovel by means of the shovel attachment nut and bolt assemblies 12 previously mentioned and it will be observed that one of these assemblies, namely the upper assembly specifically designated 1 2A passes through the widened out portion 17 of the receiver centrally between the sides 21 thereof so that the shank 22 of the nut and bolt assembly passes fore and aft through the widened out portion 17 and acts as a predividerto material passing therethrough as indicated by arrows 23.

The aforementioned shroud 13 consists of a centre section 24 and a wing portion 25, one upon each side of said centre section and when viewed in front elevation as illustrated in Figure 2, the outer edges 26 of the wings 25 extend outwardly and downwardlyto points 27 and then inwardly and downwardly to the junction 28 with the centre section 24 with the widest portion being between points 27 just below the discharge end 20 of the receiver 14.

These wings also incline rearwardly or are angled rearwardly relative to the plane of the centre section as clearly shown in Figure 3, and partially surround a deflector collctively designated 29 secured to the rear of the centre section of the shroud as by welding or other means immediately below the discharge end 20 of the receiver and in this embodiment, the deflector is in the form of an inverted V-shaped plate with a pair of outwardly and downwardly diverging wings 30 extending from the apex 31 which lies on the vertical axis of the assembly.

When bolted into position upon the cultivator shank just above and behind the cultivator shovel 11, material passing from the air seeder through plastic pipe 15, is predivided by the bolt shank 22 and then further deflected sideways by the inverted V-shaped deflector 30. This, in connection with the rearwardly inclined wings 25, controls the width distribution of the material and deposits same across the width of the furrow evenly due to the engagement of the material with the sides of the furrow.

The deflector spreads the material sideways whereas the wings 25 restrict this sideways distribution and ensures that even distribution is maintained within the furrows and prevents the seeds, granular material and the like from leaving the furrow or spreading randomly over the full width thereof.

Since various modifications can be made in my invention as hereinabove described, and many apparently widely different embodiments of same made within the spirit and scope ofthe claims without departing from such spirit and scope, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

Claims (8)

1. A bolt on boot assembly for use with air distribution systems for material such as seeds, granular chemicals and the like, and in conjunction with tillage equipment such as cultivators, discers, harrows, and the like; comprising in combination a receiver component operatively connected to the associated air distribution system, said receiver component including an intake and a discharge end, and means to secure said receiver in operative relationship with the associated tillage equipment, said receiver component having deflector means below the discharge end thereof and shroud means partially surrounding said deflector means to restrict the lateral distribution of material passing through said receiver component, said shroud means including a substantially symmetrical plate secured to the front side of said deflector means and extending upwardly and downwardly therefrom and being secured to said receiver component, said plate including a centre section and a wing portion upon each side of said centre section, said wing portions each extending outwardly and rearwardly, from the plane of said centre section, the lower edges of said wing portions extending inwardly to the lower ends of the sides of said centre section and being situated below said discharge end of said receiver component.

2. The assembly according to Claim 1 in which said receiver component includes a boot portion, said boot portion being operatively connected to the associated air distribution system by one end thereof, said boot portion widening out at the other end thereof just above said deflector means.

3. The assembly according to Claim 1 in which said deflector means consists of an inverted Vshaped plate component.

4. The assembly according to Claim 2 in which said deflector means consists of an inverted Vshaped plate component.

5. The assembly according to Claim 2 in which said means to secure said boot assembly to the associated tillage equipment includes at least one bolt assembly passing through said receiver component, the shank of said bolt assembly passing through said widening out of the other end of said boot portion intermediate the side edges thereof and acting as a predivider means to the material passing therethrough.

6. The assembly according to Claim 4 in which said means to secure said boot assembly to the associated tillage equipment includes at least one bolt assembly passing through said receiver component, the shank of said bolt assembly passing through said widening out of the other end of said boot portion intermediate the side edges thereof and acting as a predivider means to the material passing therethrough.

7. A bolt on boot assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

8. A bolt on boot assembly for use with air distribution systems for material such as seeds, granular chemicals and like material and in conjunction with tillage equipment such as cultivators, discers, harrows and the like, the assembly comprising a receiver component for receiving the material from the distribution system and having a discharge end for the material, a material deflector arranged downstream of the discharge end of the receiver component, and a shroud fixed to the receiver component, the shroud extending beyond each side of the discharge end and above and below the material deflector so as to restrict the lateral distribution of the material.