Apparatus and method for depositing particulate matter beneath the surface of soil

Claim 2

Apparatus for depositing material beneath the surface of soil comprising: a source of material pulled by a tractor; a plurality of discharge conduits each connected at an input end to said source to receive said material and including an outlet end for delivering said material; a plurality of applicator knives pulled by said tractor and each knive including a channel coupled to the outlet end of an associated one of said discharge conduits for receiving material from said source, each knife further defining a discharge opening extending partially up the rear wall of the knife for depositing said material at the bottom of a trough cut by the knife; a source of preSsurized ammonia pulled by said tractor; a tube behind each applicator knife and including a discharge orifice for depositing liquid ammonia from said source in said band, said discharge orifice of each knife being located beneath the uppermost extension of an associated discharge opening of a knife whereby said gaseous ammonia released from a knife will tend to maintain the liquid ammonia in a band unitl it is covered; fluid conduit means including pressure-regulating means for introducing gas from said source under pressure into each discharge conduit at a location adjacent said input end of each discharge conduit to thereby assist the delivery of said material to said knives and to maintain gas flow through substantially the entire length of said discharge conduits and said channels of said knives; and means for controlling the delivery of said gas to said discharge conduits; whereby said conduits and said knives are continuously subject to the flow of pressurized gas and said gas and material is discharged through said discharge openings of said knives.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said material is particulate matter and said system further including a distribution chamber receiving said pressurized gas and including a plurality of outlet conduits, one connected to each of the discharge conduits; and pressure-regulator means interposed between each outlet conduit of said distribution chamber and an associated discharge conduit, whereby if one discharge conduit delivering material to an applicator knife is partially or temporarily blocked, the resulting pressure fluctuations are not reflected to the other conduits delivering said material.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising bulb means in each of said discharge conduits of said source and adjacent the input end thereof and defining an outlet orifice; and a tube leading from an associated pressure-regulator means coupling said pressurized gas and directing said gas into the outlet orifice in the direction of flow of said material toward an associated applicator knife.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said gas is ammonia and further comprising a hydraulically actuated regulator valve in said fluid conduit means from said source of pressurized ammonia, and wherein said source of pressurized gas comprises the gaseous ammonia at the top of said source of ammonia, said system further comprising hydraulic power means including a lever located on the traction vehicle for selectively actuating said regulator valve.

Claim 6

The system of claim 4 wherein said material is dry fertilizer and said source of material comprises a hopper feeding said discharge conduits; a slide bar slidably received in the base of said hopper and including a plurality of apertures, one associated with each of the discharge conduits of said hopper, said discharge conduits being in fluid communication with the bottom of said hopper, said slide being movable between a first position closing said discharge conduits and a second position opening said conduits a predetermined amount; and hydraulic cylinder means operable by the operator for moving said slide between said first and second positions.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said hydraulic cylinder means includes a rod end and a cylinder end; means pivotally connecting one of said rod end or cylinder end of said hydraulic cylinder means to said slide; said system further comprising plate means defining a plurality of apertures spaced at different distances between the frame of said apparatus and the pivotal connection of said hydraulic cylinder means to said slide, whereby the other end of said hydraulic cylinder unit may be connected to a location on said plate to determine the opening in said outlet conduits of said hopper.

Claim 8

The system of claim 2 further comprising agitator means in said source of material adjacent the outlet conduits thereof; and hydraulically actuated fluid motor means for driving said agitator means in response to actuation by the operatoR.

Claim 9

In a system for applying dry particulate material beneath the surface of soil including a traction vehicle, a plurality of ground-cutting applicator knives pulled by said vehicle, a source of said material pulled by said vehicle and including a discharge conduit for each applicator knife for delivering material thereto, said material flowing to the bottom of said knife and being deposited in the bottom of a slit cut by said knife; a source of pressurized ammonia; and an ammonia conduit coupling liquid ammonia to each of said knives and depositing it onto the band of dry material, the improvement comprising: a source of fluid pressure including lever means on said traction vehicle actuatable by an operator of said vehicle while driving the same; gas conduit means including pressure regulating means in fluid communication with the top of said source of pressurized ammonia for coupling ammonia gas at the top of said source under pressure to each of the discharge conduits of said source of material, the pressure of said gas assisting in delivering said material to said applicator knives; a first fluid-operated pressure regulator valve actuatable by said source of fluid pressure when said operator actuates a lever means and interposed in said gas conduit means for selectively communicating said gas to said discharge conduits of said source of fertilizer; a second fluid-operated pressure regulator valve means located in said liquid outlet conduit of said source of pressurized ammonia and actuatable by said source of fluid pressure for selectively coupling said liquid ammonia to said applicator knives; gauging means associated with said source of material and movable between a first position for covering the outlet conduits thereof and a second position for delivering a predetermined amount of material to said outlet conduits; and fluid-operated cylinder means for selectively moving said gauging means between said first and second positions and actuatable by said source of fluid power.

Claim 10

In a system for applying dry particulate material beneath the surface of soil including a traction vehicle, a plurality of ground-cutting applicator knives pulled by said vehicle, a source of said material pulled by said vehicle and including a discharge conduit for each applicator knife for delivering material thereto, said material flowing to the bottom of said knife and being deposited in the bottom of a slit cut by said knife; a source of pressurized ammonia; and an ammonia conduit coupling liquid ammonia to each of said knives and depositing it onto the band of dry material, the improvement comprising: a source of fluid pressure including lever means on said traction vehicle actuatable by an operator of said vehicle while driving the same; gas conduit means including pressure regulating means in fluid communication with the top of said source of pressurized ammonia for coupling ammonia gas at the top of said source under pressure to each of the discharge conduits of said source of material, the pressure of said gas assisting in delivering said material to said applicator knives; a first fluid-operated pressure regulator valve actuatable by said source of fluid pressure when said operator actuates a lever means and interposed in said gas conduit means for selectively communicating said gas to said discharge conduits of said source of fertilizer; a second fluid-operated pressure regulator valve means located in said liquid outlet conduit of said source of pressurized ammonia and actuatable by said source of fluid pressure for selectively coupling said liquid ammonia to said applicator knives; gauging means associated with said source of material and movable between a first position for covering the outlet conduits thereof and a second position for delivering a predetermined amount of material to said outlet conduits; and fluid-operated cylinder means for selectively moving said gauging means between said first and second positions and actuatable by said source of fluid power.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising agitator means in said source of fertilizer including a plurality of agitator bars adjacent each of said outlet conduits thereof; and fluid operated motor means energized by said source of fluid power for driving said agitator means when actuated.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising means for adjusting the position of said gauging means in said second position, thereby to set the amount of fertilizer delivered to each of said outlet conduits when said fluid-operated cylinder unit is actuated.