This invention is directed toward an actuating device and more particularly an actuating device for a drive arrangement of an implement.
Equipment for planting crops such as corn, soybeans, cotton, peanuts, wheat and the like is well known in the art. Typically, a planter will consist of a central beam known as a toolbar. Attached to the tool bar are individual planting units commonly referred to as row units. Each row unit will plant one row and planters come in different sizes having any number of rows. The toolbar will have a row unit for each row that is planted. For example, a twelve row planter will have one toolbar with 12 individual row units attached thereto.
To deposit seed on the ground a row unit requires rotational force. The rotational force typically is provided by a central drive shaft that is approximately the same length as the toolbar. The central drive shaft is attached to a drive mechanism that rotates the central drive shaft. There are several different drive arrangements known in the art for rotating the row unit including a chain drive comprising of roller chain sprockets on both the row unit and the central drive shaft and a roller chain connecting the two. Another way includes a flexible drive shaft connected to a drive gear and a drive transmission that rotates a metering structure. An example of the second drive arrangement is outlined in U.S. Pat. No. 4,779,471 by Rettig incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
While these known arrangements provide rotational force to the row unit, they do not permit a farmer to plant some rows and not others as selected. Because all row units are driven by a central drive shaft as mentioned above, it is not possible to selectively deactivate some rows while allowing others to operate. Therefore, there exists a need in the art for an actuating device that addresses these deficiencies.
An object of the present invention is to provide an actuating device that selectively deactivates a row unit.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an actuating device that selectively deactivates a row unit based upon the geographic location of a planter as determined by a GPS system.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide an actuating device that requires a small amount of current.
These and other objectives, features and advantages will be apparent to one skilled in the art based upon the following disclosure.