Wheel rut closing device for irrigation system

Claim 1

In an irrigation system having an irrigation line support, said support having a horizontal bottom beam, and a wheel rotatably mounted alongside the rearward end of said beam, a wheel rut closing device comprising: an implement support frame fixedly mounted at said rearward end of said beam, said frame having a rearwardly extending bottom bar, said bottom bar having fixedly attached at its rearward end a mounting bracket extending transversely behind said wheel, said frame further including a rearwardly extending top bar fixedly positioned above said bottom bar; a rearwardly trailing implement holder, said holder being pivotally connected to said mounting bracket for pivotal movement about a generally horizontal longitudinal axis transverse to said bottom bar, said holder having a pair of generally rearwardly extending horizontally spaced arms; a pair of circular discs for closing a rut created by said wheel, each of said discs being rotatably mounted on the rearward end of one of said arms for rotation about a longitudinal axis such that said pair of discs are rearwardly converging so as to force the edges of said rut towards the center thereof; a connection bracket mounted on said arms and having a hole formed therein; an inverted generally J-shaped member mounted on the rearward end of said top bar and extending upwardly therefrom; a lever pivotally mounted on said J-shaped member near said rearward end of said top bar; an elongated rod having one end connected to said lever, the other end of said rod extending through said hole for sliding movement therein; means mounted on said end of said rod extending through said hole for preventing said rod from coming out of said hole; a spring surrounding said rod and extending substantially the length thereof; and means for releasably locking said lever at a plurality of angularly spaced positions along the curved portion of said J-shaped member so that said holder can be raised and lowered to a desired height.