AU2009100123A4

AU2009100123A4 - Slimline tyne shank

Info

Publication number: AU2009100123A4
Application number: AU2009100123A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Miles Christopher Ellery; Brett Mccouat
Original assignee: AGGCAST Pty Ltd
Current assignee: AGGCAST Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2009-02-11
Filing date: 2009-02-11
Publication date: 2009-03-19
Anticipated expiration: 2017-02-11

Description

P/00/012 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT Invention Title: "SLIMLINE TYNE SHANK" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: SLIMLINE TYNE SHANK In the agricultural environment, when planting seeds for large scale applications such as commercial farms, a ground engagement apparatus may be towed behind a S tractor or fixed to the tractor's three-point linkage to create channels or furrows in the soil, which is followed by planting of a seed within the channel and the seed is 1 5 then covered and fertilised in preparation for germination.

ci Usually, a plurality of ground engagement units are attached to a toolbar that aligns the ground engagement units at selected distances apart from each other and that there are a number of toolbars mounted in parallel in a frame attachable to a tractor via a tow bar or three-point linkage.

0 Various types of ground engagement apparatus, such as a tyne shank with leading disk or tyne shank alone, are used to create the channels or furrows in the soil into which the seed is planted, but these type of arrangements are often not suited to the wide variety of agricultural conditions encountered. Tyne shanks are typically not designed to minimise soil shatter which occurs as the tyne shank and seed boot pass through the soil in the process of creating the furrow and planting the seed.

Tyne shanks typically cause soil shatter and clumping as their blunt leading edges are forced through soil above the sowing point which is cutting the planting furrow under the surface. Typically, tyne shanks are also not designed to reduce or limit the build up of mud on the leading edge of the tyne shank as it passes through wet or moist soil or the build up of stubble on the leading edge of the tyne shank as it passes through previously cropped fields.

It is, therefore, an object of the invention to be able to minimise soil shatter, and mud and stubble build up on the leading edge of the tyne shank as it passes through the wide variety of soil, moisture levels and planting conditions encountered.

The depth of the sowing point, and thus the furrow that it produces, is critical for the correct location of the planted seed and thus the germination of the seed.

Whilst many of the ground engagement apparatus have some form of adjustment, the adjustment is either too coarse to allow accurate depth management, or is not calibrated or easily reproducible across the great number of apparatus attached to large agricultural machinery systems.

It is, therefore, a preferred object of the invention to provide a suitably calibrated and easy to use depth selection and adjustment system to allow the depth of the sowing point below the soil to be easily, accurately and reproducibly selected across a plurality of apparatus.

When the sowing point is not required to be in an operational position, either when not required for use or during transportation, it is essential that the tyne and tyne S shank be properly stowed to avoid damage and fouling. Typically this is

O

Ni 0 accomplished by either tyne shank removal or locating the shank at the upper extremity of its range of operational movement. Typically this stowed position is a part of the standard adjustment system and is not easily located or achieved.

It is therefore, another preferred object of the invention to provide a stop mechanism on the tyne shank to precisely limit the travel such that the exact stowage position is easily and always located, making stowage or parking of the tyne shank easily achieved by a single operator.

Delivery of the seed into the soil and provision of fertiliser through a gas fertilizer delivery system can occur separately or simultaneously depending upon the agricultural requirements. Typically, a single ground engagement apparatus is 0 unable to provide for both delivery methods, or if it is able to, then the additional attachments required for the gas fertiliser delivery are poorly coupled with the apparatus and are normally manually attached to the outside of the tyne shank and sowing point. These additional protrusions cause increased drag and friction as the tyne shank and additional attached apparatus are dragged through the soil.

Additionally, the extra protrusions and their attachment systems become easily worn and damaged, and tend to become loose, break off or need to be regularly replaced. When the systems become worn, the components tend to move around, thus not providing the specified or optimal distance between the planted seed and the gas fertiliser delivered into the adjacent soil. Additionally, should gas fertiliser delivery items, or part thereof, break off or become worn, the gas fertiliser delivery system becomes inefficient or ineffective as well as the gas leaking to atmosphere causing loss of fertilizer from the soil and possibly causing Occupational Health and Safety issues.

It is, therefore, another preferred object of the invention to provide a ground engagement apparatus that is able to deliver the seed and gas fertiliser either separately or simultaneously, where the gas fertiliser system is integrated into the tyne shank and sowing point, is not subject to abnormal wear such that the seed and fertiliser delivery system becomes inefficient or ineffective and the distance between the planted seed and delivered fertiliser is always optimised.

0 It is also another preferred object of the invention to be able to easily select the Ni 0 delivery system required and thus the type of sowing point required, and to be able to remove and replace the sowing point without affecting operational efficiency of the entire seed or gas fertilizer delivery systems.

It is significant to note the environment within which these cultivating apparatus operate, are maintained and stored. Typically such machinery is required to work in dry, hard, compacted and occasionally rocky soils or alternatively in sandy, loamy or clay based soils that are difficult to till when wet. The machinery often remains outdoors for long periods of time, exposed to the elements, and is rarely garaged. Maintenance on these types of machinery is infrequent at times, leading to rusting and seizing of components, and yet the cultivator assemblies are 0 expected to continue to operate for extended periods in harsh environments despite the lack of care.

It is, therefore, a still further preferred object of the invention to provide a quality of manufacturing and a specific finish on critical components within the assembly such that the ruggedized and finished product is able to cope with the harshest operating and maintenance conditions and still function effectively over a longer period of time.

The invention may be better understood with reference to the accompanying drawings which show one example of the invention. The drawings depict the application from a holistic context. In order that the invention may be readily understood and put into practical effect, preferred embodiments are described by way of example with reference to accompanying drawings as stated.

S Figure 1 shows a 3D view of a typical assembly without a sowing point attached.

This figure depicts the invention for clarity, without specifying preferred S embodiments.

Figure 2 has both sideways and endwise elevation views showing the slimline upper tyne shank hard stop slimline lower tyne shank sowing point S boot seed boot gas fertiliser supply attachment pipes and the twin calibrated tyne shank depth adjustment holes This figure provides a holistic view that depicts the invention for clarity, without specifying preferred embodiments.

ci 0 Figure 3 shows an endways elevation view and a sectional sideways view through A-A. The endways elevation view depicts the low profile and slim lines of the upper tyne shank lower tyne shank sowing point boot and seed boot The low profiles, slim lines and shaped leading edges all contribute to the reduced soil shatter, mud build up and balling of soil and stubble during cultivation. The sectional view depicts the gas fertiliser supply attachment pipes and the internal channels that deliver the gas fertilizer into the soil via the gas fertilizer sowing point that is located into the sowing point boot The view also depicts the integrated seed boot that provides the delivery path through which the seed will be sown.

D Figure 4 is a sideways elevation view with the slimline tyne shank attached to a typical cultivator assembly via a tyne box The second view is a 3D view that depicts the slimline tyne shank positioned within a tyne box and raised up against its hard stop in a transportation position.

Figure 5 is a close up sectional view of the middle section of the slimline tyne shank showing the hard stop (10) that is used for accurately locating and stowing the slimline tyne shank for transportation or when not required for use. The figure also depicts the twin calibrated tyne shank depth adjustment holes These marked holes allow intermediate setting of depth beyond the standard single locator hole, s well as being accurately marked to allow reproducible and constant settings to be applied across a plurality of cultivation devices.

Figure 6 shows five 3D views of a typical gas fertilizer sowing point that is located into the sowing boot for gas fertilizer delivery.

c Figure 7 is a sideways elevation and 3D view of the typical slimline tyne shank with gas fertilizer sowing point. The slimline tyne shank can accommodate various types of sowing points. The various sowing points are attached to the tyne by insertion into the sowing boot A rubber grommet (12) is used to provide a gas seal between the tyne gas fertilizer outlets (13) and the gas fertilizer sowing S point The sowing point is then fixed by insertion of a locating pin (14).

Locating of the sowing point into the lower tyne shank correctly positions the sealing grommets and sowing point such that the fertilizer gas flow is completely internal and passes through a fully integrated and sealed system until it reaches the 0 outlets built into the sowing point. Because the slimline tyne shank contains the ci gas fertilizer delivery systems both integrated and physically within the lower tyne shank, sowing boot and sowing point, the slim profile of the lower tyne shank is unaffected by application of the gas delivery system and the optimal planting conditions and reduced drag and wear benefits of the slimline tyne shank are unaffected by the use of the gas delivery system.

Various changes and modifications may be made to the embodiments described and illustrated without departing from the present invention.

Claims

2. The slimline tyne shank of Claim 1, wherein: the upper tyne shank includes a hard stop that allows the entire tyne shank to be quickly and easily positioned S when not required for operations or in a parked position for transportation; and said S hard stop is in a consistent fixed position which allows the entire shank to be S properly located and secured by a single operator. 0 3. The slimline tyne shank of Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein: the upper tyne shank includes a pair of locator holes that are incrementally marked to allow an operator to accurately and consistently position the slimline tyne shank at exactly the correct height required for optimal planting depth in all types of planting conditions.
4. The slimline tyne shank of any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein: the lower tyne shank and sowing boot are integrated, slim lined and shaped to reduce the overall profile of said lower tyne shank and sowing boot, and thus minimising soil shatter and balling or build up of mud and stubble as the sowing point and tyne shank pass through the soil, where said lower tyne shank has a shaped leading edge which o further reduces soil shatter and mud and stubble build up on said leading edge; and the reduced profile and integrated components of said slimline tyne shank reduces drag and wear of components and systems as said slimline tyne shank passes through the soil during cultivation operations. The slimline tyne shank of any one of Claims 1 to 4, wherein: the gas fertilizer delivery system is integrated into and is physically within the lower tyne shank, sowing boot and sowing point, said gas fertilizer delivery system contains attachment tubes built into said sowing boot allowing ease of connection to the external gas fertilizer supply system; said attachment tubes pass the gas through internal channels within said sowing boot and into the integrated lower tyne shank, and then further into the sowing point via sealing grommets; locating of said sowing point into said lower tyne shank correctly positions the sealing grommets and sowing point such that the fertilizer gas flow is completely internal and passes 7 cq through a fully integrated and sealed system until it reaches the outlets built into Sthe sowing point; and said slimline tyne shank contains the gas fertilizer delivery systems both integrated and physically within the lower tyne shank, sowing boot Sand sowing point such that the slim profile of the lower tyne shank is unaffected by application of the gas delivery system and the optimal planting conditions and reduced drag and wear benefits of said slimline tyne shank are unaffected by the C gas delivery system.