AU2009100126A4 - Parallelogram assembly - Google Patents

Description

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P/00/012 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT Invention Title: "PARALLELOGRAM ASSEMBLY" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: SPARALLELOGRAM ASSEMBLY In the agricultural environment, when planting seeds for large scale applications ci such as commercial farms, a ground engagement apparatus may be towed behind a tractor or fixed to the tractor's three-point linkage to create channels or furrows in the soil, which is followed by planting of a seed within the channel and the seed is then covered and fertilised in preparation for germination.

ci Usually, a plurality of ground engagement units are attached to a toolbar that aligns the ground engagement units at selected distances apart from each other and that there are a number oftoolbars mounted in parallel in a frame attachable to a tractor via a tow bar or three-point linkage.

0 Various types of ground engagement apparatus, such as depth drum and coulter disc are used to cut through the trash, roots and stubble within the soil to allow ploughing, sowing and planting mechanisms clearer and easier passage through the soil thus optimising cultivation and planting conditions. The assembly unit housing the depth drum and coulter disc are typically uncalibrated and difficult to attach, manage, adjust, stow and operate.

Cutting and lateral displacement of trash, roots and stubble from the tilling or sowing path is critical to effective planting and germination of the sown seed in agriculture. Typical depth drum and coulter disc assemblies are inefficient and do not adequately prepare the soil for the tilling or sowing process and allow build up of stubble and trash on the cultivator mechanism.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a leading depth drum and coulter disc assembly that is effective in cutting and displacement of trash, roots and stubble from the sowing path as the assembly passes along the cultivation path.

The depth of the coulter disc, and thus the cut that it produces, is critical for the correct location of the planted seed and thus the germination of the seed. Whilst many of the ground engagement apparatus have some form of adjustment, the adjustment is either too coarse to allow accurate depth management, or is not calibrated or easily reproducible across the great number of apparatus attached to large agricultural machinery systems.

It is, therefore, a preferred object of the invention to provide a leading depth drum and coulter disc assembly that follows the contours of the ground to ensure even cutting depth, and to provide a suitably calibrated and easy to use depth selection and adjustment system to allow the depth of the coulter disc below the soil to be easily, accurately and reproducibly selected across a plurality of apparatus.

It is another preferred object of the invention to provide effective cutting and displacement of trash, roots and stubble at the necessary depth such that ground 0 disturbance is minimised and planting efficiency is maximised.

It is a further preferred object of the invention to provide a break out mechanism that allows the ground engagement device to remain engaged in a variety of difficult cultivation environments, but which will lift over or move free of struck obstacles in the ground as it passes through the ground thus minimising possible damage to the ground engagement device or assembly.

When the depth drum and coulter disc are not required to be in an operational position, either when not required for use in skip row operations or during transportation, it is essential that the entire assembly be easily stowed such that ground engagement no longer occurs. Typically this is accomplished by either !0 assembly removal or a locking mechanism. Typically this stowed position is a part of the standard adjustment system and is not easily located or achieved.

It is, therefore, a further preferred object of the invention to provide an assembly uplock mechanism that allows the depth drum and coulter disc to be lifted and stowed easily and quickly and which can be achieved by a single operator in the field.

Attachment of the parallelogram assembly to a toolbar, or connection of additional cultivation or ground engagement devices or assemblies to a parallelogram assembly is typically difficult to achieve and can prove to be impossible by a single operator in the field. Consequently, altering or adjusting toolbar assemblies, adding or removing assemblies and altering the entire toolbar and cultivator assembly layout is difficult to achieve.

It is, therefore, a still further preferred object of the invention to provide a system and method of attachment, detachment and adjustment of a parallelogram assembly on a toolbar that is easy, reproducible and achievable by a single operator in the field. It is also an object of the invention to allow ease of connection of additional cultivation units or ground engagement devices to the main parallelogram assembly without having to alter the layout or performance of the parallelogram assembly.

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These types of ground engagement and agricultural devices are exposed to 1 significant wear and tear in normal operations. In parallelogram type devices, the S0 depth drum and coulter disc are the components that suffer most wear. Typically it is very difficult to replace these items in the field.

It is, therefore, a still further preferred object of the invention to provide a method for easy removal and replacement of the depth drum and coulter disc in the field, by a single operator, without having to detach the assembly.

It is significant to note the environment within which these cultivating apparatus operate, are maintained and stored. Typically such machinery is required to work in dry, hard, compacted and occasionally rocky soils or alternatively in sandy, loamy or clay based soils that are difficult to till when wet. The machinery often remains outdoors for long periods of time, exposed to the elements, and is rarely 0 garaged. Maintenance on these types of machinery is infrequent at times, leading to rusting and seizing of components, and yet the cultivator assemblies are expected to continue to operate for extended periods in harsh environments despite the lack of care.

It is, therefore, a still further preferred object of the invention to provide a quality of manufacturing and a specific finish on critical components within the assembly such that the ruggedized and finished product is able to cope with the harshest operating and maintenance conditions and still function effectively over a longer period of time.

The invention may be better understood with reference to the accompanying drawings which show one example of the invention. The drawings depict the application from a holistic context. In order that the invention may be readily understood and put into practical effect, preferred embodiments are described by way of example with reference to accompanying drawings as stated.

Figure 1 is a sideways and rear ways elevation views of a typical assembly. This figure depicts the invention for clarity, without specifying preferred embodiments.

5 Figure 2 is a sideways elevation view of the entire assembly when in the operating position with the leading depth drum rolling along at ground level and the coulter disc operating below ground level. The sets of parallel arms and the spring tensioning mechanism enable the depth drum and coulter disc to follow the contours of the ground being cultivated while maintaining an adequate N, 0 downward cutting force on the coulter disc. When the relative distance between the depth drum and the coulter disc needs to be varied, adjusting the cutting depth of the coulter disc in the ground to suit the cultivating conditions, the pressure release plate is actuated, which releases the lock mechanism from the adjuster arm allowing adjustment of the cutting depth of the coulter disc against a graduated scale on the actuating arm.

Figure 3 is a sectional sideways elevation of the adjuster arm which clearly shows the engagement of the lock mechanism along the calibrated depth scale, the combination of which allows easy, calibrated and reproducible depth adjustment of the coulter disc.

0 Figure 4 has two sideways elevation views of the entire assembly, the first showing the assembly in the normal operating position and the second in the stowed or skip row position. By placing the unit in the skip row position the assembly may remain attached to the agricultural cultivator toolbar assembly while being able to be operationally disengaged from the soil. This allows operators to either transport the assembly without dismantling, or to selectively engage and disengage assemblies to meet their cultivation needs. In the figure the hinged attachment bracket which attaches the assembly to the toolbar, remains at the same height in either operating or skip row position. The raising of the assembly to the skip row position is achieved by releasing the top end of the spring tensioning mechanism and repositioning it to the skip row attachment position (10) on the main assembly bar. Placing the assembly back into the operating position is the reverse of this process.

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ci Figure 5 is a sideways elevation view of the entire parallelogram assembly when in the operating position with the standard break out assembly (11) and tyne box (12) attached. When the ground engaging unit encounters an obstacle such as a rock or stump, the device is pivoted upward and away from the obstacle by a break-away or breakout mechanism to thereby prevent damage to the ground opening tool. The break-away mechanism comprises a spring that applies a force independent of the parallelogram as a separate break-away unit. The break out assembly is attached to the parallelogram assembly by a pair of hinged clamps The break out assembly can be used separately from the parallelogram assembly according to the C 0 cultivation conditions.

Figure 6 has three views of the breakout assembly separate from the parallelogram assembly. The first view is a sideways elevation view of the breakout assembly in the operating position with sowing tyne attached. The second view is a sideways elevation view of the breakout assembly in the transport position. The third view is a oblique 3D view of the breakout assembly in the operating position. The hinged clamps (13) attach the breakout unit to the parallelogram assembly on a precisely designed bar that allows full functionality of the parallelogram and breakout assembly without compromising operational capability. The breakout spring breakout lever (15) and breakout linkages (16) allow the ground 0 engagement device to pivot upward and away to thereby prevent damage to the ground opening tool. The break-away mechanism applies a specified force independent of the parallelogram. The tyne box (17) allows attachment of a ground engagement device such as a sowing tyne or double disc opening device to provide tillage and sowing as required by the operating conditions. The tyne box has a calibrated ground engagement device height and depth adjustment system that allows precise and reproducible adjustment across a plurality of devices. The second view shows the tyne box with the ground engagement device in the fully up or stowed position which is then locked into a precise position within the depth adjustment system.

Various changes and modifications may be made to the embodiments described without departing from the present invention.

Claims (4)

1. A parallelogram assembly including: a pair of parallel arms, a spring tensioning assembly, a leading depth drum and coulter disc assembly, a hinged mounting clamp system, a breakout assembly, (an optional) tyne box and a download tensioning system. S

2. The assembly of Claim 1, wherein: the depth drum is positioned in front of and proximate to the coulter disc such that their interaction is maximised, said leading depth drum being positioned immediately prior to said coulter disc such that said leading depth drum pushes down and out on agricultural stubble such that ci 0 the combined effect of the depth drum and coulter disc is to cleanly cut the trash, roots and stubble and then displace such swarf as to maximise the tilling and sowing process while minimising soil displacement and shatter.

3. The assembly of Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein: the vertical location of said coulter disc can be easily adjusted by altering said download tensioning system, such that the relative position of said leading depth drum and said coulter disc is altered, thus providing accurate, calibrated and reproducible coulter disc cutting depths; and said spring tensioning system can be released and repositioned onto said parallel arm system such that said depth wheel and coulter disc system move in unison and are held and stowed upward and clear of ground engagement. .0

4. The assembly of Claim 2 or Claim 3, wherein: each of the depth drum and coulter disc are on separate, quick release axles such that their removal and replacement is easily accomplished. The hinged clamp assembly of the parallelogram assembly of any one of Claims 1 to 4, arranged to be easily attached to or detached from an agricultural toolbar by a single operator; wherein: said hinged clamp system also providing for additional devices which are able to be attached to it at multiple points, either as part of said parallelogram assembly attachment system or at additional hinged clamping points.