US 11,925,137 B2
Planter row unit with load sensing depth stop assembly
Jacob D. Salowitz, Bettendorf, IA (US); Michael E. Frasier, Iowa City, IA (US); Pranay Bajjuri, Bettendorf, IA (US); and Matt Bartelson, Bettendorf, IA (US)
Assigned to Deere & Company, Moline, IL (US)
Filed by Deere & Company, Moline, IL (US)
Filed on Oct. 4, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/493,423.
Application 17/493,423 is a division of application No. 16/296,951, filed on Mar. 8, 2019, granted, now 11,134,606.
Prior Publication US 2022/0022366 A1, Jan. 27, 2022
Int. Cl. A01C 7/20 (2006.01); A01C 7/08 (2006.01)
CPC A01C 7/205 (2013.01) [A01C 7/082 (2013.01); A01C 7/203 (2013.01); A01C 7/208 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A row unit for a seeding machine operable to plant seeds into soil, the row unit comprising:
a frame;
a gauge wheel operable to engage the soil and support the frame via a gauge wheel arm connected between the gauge wheel and the frame;
a seed dispenser supported by the frame and operable to dispense seeds into the soil;
a depth stop assembly including a stop setting an upward travel limit of the gauge wheel with respect to the frame, and a handle that is lockable and releasable to move the stop to select among a plurality of seeding depths;
a downforce actuator operable to generate a variable amount of downforce to be applied through the gauge wheel arm and the gauge wheel to the soil; and
a downforce sensor incorporated into the depth stop assembly and movable therewith,
wherein the depth stop assembly includes a multi-piece body having a first piece receiving the handle, and a second piece defining a pivot joining the depth stop assembly to the frame, and
wherein the first piece of the multi-piece body includes a handle-receiving receptacle portion, a fastening portion for fastening to the second piece of the multi-piece body adjacent the pivot, and a portion between the handle-receiving receptacle portion and the fastening portion forming a housing of the downforce sensor.