Spiked Closing Wheel Assembly for Seed Trench Soil Closure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing agricultural planters face issues with poor seedling emergence due to inadequate soil coverage and root penetration, as conventional closing wheels lack sufficient width and material efficiency, leading to compacted sidewalls and inefficient seed trench closure.
Innovation Solution
A closing wheel assembly featuring a spiked wheel frame with outwardly projected radial teeth and a shoulder frame, designed to penetrate and displace soil effectively, forming a firm soil layer around the seed for optimal germination, using materials like cut steel, molded steel, or forged metal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If pressure is employed on the packing and/or closing wheels to compress and/or fracture the furrow sidewalls back, then the seed trench is closed, but the seedling emergence is poor due to inadequate soil coverage and difficulty pushing through dense soil layer
Solution Approach 1:
The closing wheel is divided into multiple segments or sections, each with specific functions: a packing wheel section for initial soil contact and a closing wheel section for final trench closure. This segmentation allows different parts to perform optimized functions - the packing wheel prepares the soil without excessive compaction, while the closing wheel completes the closure, thereby maintaining both closure effectiveness and seedling emergence reliability
Solution Approach 2:
Different sections of the closing wheel assembly have different structural properties and soil interaction characteristics. The packing wheel has a design optimized for gentle soil preparation, while the closing wheel has a design optimized for effective trench closure. This local differentiation of quality allows each component to perform its specific function optimally without compromising the other, resolving the contradiction between closure effectiveness and emergence reliability
2Reliability
If the closing wheel is made of steel with sufficient width to displace adequate soil, then soil displacement is effective, but the cost increases due to cutting and machining requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The closing wheel is segmented into multiple components including a rim, spokes, and detachable closing wheel sections. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured separately using cost-effective methods and then assembled, reducing the need for expensive cutting and machining of large steel blocks while maintaining the necessary width and soil displacement effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple functional elements into the closing wheel assembly, including the rim, spokes, and closing wheel sections, where each element contributes to the overall soil displacement effectiveness. This merging of components allows the wheel to achieve sufficient width and effectiveness without requiring a single large, expensive steel piece, as each component can be optimized and manufactured separately
3Reliability
If the closing wheel teeth are made with adequate width to cover the seed appropriately, then seed coverage is sufficient, but the wheel requires more material and higher machining efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The closing wheel teeth are segmented and arranged in a specific pattern around the wheel circumference, with each tooth designed to provide adequate seed coverage. This segmentation allows the teeth to be manufactured as separate components and attached to the wheel, reducing the overall structural complexity while maintaining sufficient coverage width through strategic placement and design of individual teeth
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The assembly achieves a firmness of over 1 kg/cm² around the seed, eliminating sidewall compaction and air pockets, ensuring consistent seed-to-soil contact and improved germination and root formation.
Implementation Method 1
The series of outwardly projected radial teeth is configured to penetrate a soil to close a seed trench
Implementation Method 2
The shoulder frame displaces the soil towards the seed trench to close the seed trench
Implementation Method 3
The closing wheel assembly rotates through the soil to cover a seed by forming a soil layer around the seed for germination
Implementation Method 4
The shoulder frame is radially welded adjacent to the spiked wheel frame to form the closing wheel assembly
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are a method, a system, and an apparatus of an agricultural planter to close a seed trench. In one embodiment, a closing wheel assembly for an agricultural planter includes a spiked wheel frame and a shoulder frame. The spiked wheel frame has a series of outwardly projected radial teeth configured to penetrate a soil to close a seed trench. The shoulder frame situated adjacent to the spiked wheel frame is formed using a one or more pieces of steel and is securely mounted onto a closing wheel hub. The shoulder frame displaces the soil towards the seed trench to close the seed trench formed by the spiked wheel frame as the closing wheel assembly rotates. The closing wheel assembly rotates through the soil to cover a seed by forming a soil layer around the seed for germination. The shoulder frame is radially welded adjacent to the spiked wheel frame.