Importance

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Abstract

An attachment associated with a tractor mounted implement to enable the implement to be accurately located with respect to the ridges in a ridge planting system or the growing crop plants to more accurately plant or cultivate the ridges in a ridge planting system and more accurately cultivate growing crop plants. The attachment or row finder of the present invention is adapted for use with a three point hitch mounted implement or a tool bar mounted implement and senses where the ridge or crop plants are and adjusts the planter, cultivator or other implement to automatically center on the ridge or row of crop plants within a predetermined tolerance. The row finder utilizes the tractor hydraulic system and electrical system for electrically sensing where the ridges or row crop plants are and to center the implement in relation thereto. The row sensor includes a pair of wheels engaging the surfaces of the ridge in a ridge planting system with the wheels actuating switches when moved to the left or the right with the switches in turn operating a solenoid controlled hydraulic valve to supply hydraulic pressure to the appropriate end of the piston and cylinder arrangement to move the implement transversely in relation to the tractor, hitch or tool bar and the ridge to center the implement with respect to the ridge. Alternatively, the ridge engaging wheels are removed and pivotal crop plant engaging arms are attached to center a cultivator in relation to the row crop plants. The sensitivity of the control switches may be varied to determine the tolerance from center.

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First Claim