Importance

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Abstract

A scraper is disposed aft of and in closely spaced relation to a gauge wheel such as attached to an agricultural implement as in a planter row unit to remove soil from the wheel as the implement traverses a field. Maintaining the gauge wheel free of soil ensures proper height of the implement relative to the soil surface. The scraper includes a flat plate adjustably attached to a mounting assembly which allows for spacing between the plate and periphery of the gauge wheel to be adjusted as the plate wears with use. A leading edge of the plate disposed immediately adjacent the gauge wheel is contoured to closely match the gauge wheel contour for efficient soil removal. The mounting assembly includes a gauge wheel arm and a scraper arm rigidly coupled together at respective ends thereof and pivotally mounted to the implement where the two arms are connected together. The scraper plate is attached to a second opposed end of the scraper arm, while the second opposed end of the gauge wheel arm is attached to the gauge wheel's axle, or spindle. The entire assembly is free to pivot on the implement as the gauge wheel encounters obstacles and irregularities in the field. Rigidly connecting the gauge wheel and the scraper together while allowing both to pivot about a common axis ensures that the scraper remains a fixed distance from the gauge wheel's periphery regardless of the position of the gauge wheel.

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First Claim