Combination coulter and fertilizer knife apparatus

Claim 1

Apparatus for applying liquid fertilizer to the soil comprising: a tool bar; plate means for being laterally adjustably attached to said tool bar with respect to the forward movement of said tool bar; an elongated rigid frame, said elongated rigid frame being straight from one end to the other end except for a downwardly depending portion on said other end; means for pivotally attaching said frame to said plate means along a substantially vertical axis; horizontal pivot means for pivotally attaching said frame to said vertical pivot means along a first substantially horizontal axis; biasing means operatively connected to one end of said frame and to said vertical pivot means for biasing the other end of said frame member to a first lowered pivotal position thereof and permitting said frame to be pivoted to a second raised pivotal position thereof; coulter means rotatably attached to an intermediate portion of said frame along a second substantially horizontal axis for cutting a slot in the soil, said coulter means including a substantially flat disc which rotates as it is forced through the soil; fertilizer knife means attached to the other end of said frame for extending into said slot formed in the soil, the front edge of said fertilizer knife means being substantially of the same arcuate shape as an adjacent rear portion of said disc and being adjacent to and slightly spaced from said adjacent rear portion of said disc; substantially vertically extending arcuately shaped slots disposed in the downwardly depending portion on said other end of said frame for adjustably receiving fasteners extending through openings in said fertilizer knife means for vertically adjusting the vertical position of said fertilizer knife means with respect to said other end of said frame; scraper means attached to said frame between said other end and said intermediate portion thereof for scraping dirt from said disc as said disc rotates; and conduit means leading from a source of liquid fertilizer, extending along the rear edge of said fertilizer knife means, and terminating in an outlet opening adjacent the lower rear edge of said fertilizer knife means for releasing the liquid fertilizer into said slot in the soil.