AU680887B2 - A listing tool - Google Patents

Description

-/Uo/UI 1 Regulation 3.2(2)

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Application Number: Lodged: o r r o o o Invention Title: A LISTING TOOL o The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us A LISTING TOOL The present invention relates to ground preparation tools and more particularly listing tools.

Listing is a land farming operation using a tool which splits the soil and turns two furrows laterally in opposite directions thereby providing a ridge and furrow soil configuration, the ridge being for plant rows and furrow for irrigation and drainage.

Over time the furrows become compacted and this compaction needs to be broken up for suitable field soil tilth structure to produce a viable crop and efficient furrow irrigation.

Prior field preparation was achieved by several costly field operational passes including ripping, chiselling and discing land planers before relisting.

Progressive changes have endeavoured to reduce cost and improve field tilth by relisting existing beds and furrows to maintain the number of field passes and cost. However when crops are grown on ridges and irrigated by furrow, the passing tractor wheels during cuitivation, planting of the crop and harvesting, the furrow base and lower side walls become compacted. This compaction needs to be broken up before the field can be prepared for the next crop.

With a conventional listing tool, the listing furrow tool lifts the compacted 0 soils from the base of the furrow and lower furrow walls and deposits this soil onto the upper bed soils and thus degrading the quality of the ,oils, reducing bed soil structure required to create conditions favouring germihation of seed emergence of seedlings and plant growth.

Generally the design of these tools requires high power input to drag them through the soil. This is one reason also for only 1 (one) tool being able to be in use in 1 (one) pass by the prior art furrow and bed forming methodv.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a listing tool which substantially overcomes at least one of the disadvantages of the prior art tools.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is disclosed a listing tool including a shear blade co-operating with a lister board arrangement and mould boards to break up furrow wall compaction without raising 9 compacted soil onto upper bed soil. Thus maintaining good soil structure in the upper bed area.

Preferably the listing tool further includes a support plate and socket, the socket being used for attachment to a tyne. The socket having a tapered recess for engagement of the tyne.

It is further preferable that the plane of the shear blade is angled at between 100 and 200 from the direction of travel and most preferably 150.

It is also preferable that the taper of the shear blade is angled at 100 to 200 to the horizontal, and most preferably 150, to reduce smear damage to the soil structure.

It is also preferable that a forward blade is releasably secured adjacent to and forward of said support plate. Said blade being mounted via a sleeve for stability and ease of replacement.

The features of the present invention result in many advantages which include the reduction of the dilution of bed soil by not elevating furrow soil to the upper surface bed.

The present invention results in a reduced pressure in bed soils to form a high volume bed, rather than peaked beds which are formed by prior art land tools.

The present invention also results in lower fuel costs for users as less draught results due to a generally more streamlined listing tool.

The present invention when used in conjunction with tools for the Splacement of NH 3 and so,id fertilisers means that the user can properly list the beds and furrows with a 'single pass thus reducing field preparation costs by 5 to 40% and improving soil structure.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig 1 illustrates Inr side elevation a listing tool embodying the inventidn; and Fig 2 illustrates in front elevation the apparatus of fig 1.

Illustrated in fig 1 is a listing tool 10 which comprises a shank or tyne 11 which extends downwardly from a draw frame (not illustrated). Attached to the I n~ 3 shank 11 at the most forward extremity thereof is a wear point or forward blade 12 which is replaceable. The forward blade 12 is in a high wear environment, and thus ready replacement is desirable and aided in the present instance by a mounting bolt through hole 13.

A socket 1 is provided, to which other components are attached is positioned directly behind the blade 12. The socket 1 provides a tapered recess for engagement of a similarly shaped portion of the shank 11. The socket 1 is made up of two members which are L-shape in cross section, to form a recess which is tapered (in side view) and rectangular in cross section. When other components are welded to the socket 1, the socket 1 appears triangular as depicted in side elevation if fig 1, where as, it appears rectangular in front elevation as depicted in fig 2. The top and bottom surfaces 1A and 1B, when the socket 1 is in position over the shank 11 engages a similarly angled poftion on shank 11, and the bottom of shank 11 respectively, to thereby wedge the socket 15 1 onto shank 11. Generally this wedging is sufficient to keep it in place. In the preferred embodiment, the socket 1 is prevented from detaching from the shank 11 by means of the blade 12 being secured to the shank 11 by a pin 13.

Welded to edge 14 of socket 1 is a support plate 2 of triangular construction, the base line 15 of which lies substantially in the horizontal plane *'20 in side elevation as illustrated in fig. 1, whilst art adge 16 is located to the rear of the tool. The base line 15 is at an angle of between 10 and 35 degrees to the centre line of the tool, which would run horizontally, from left to right in fig 1.

Underlapping edge 16 is a right hand mould board 5 which serves to move soil sideways after the soil has travelled over forward blade 12, socket 1 5 and support plate 2, and shear blade 3. By underlapping the mould board relative to the support plate 2, the forward edges of the mould board 5 are accorded some protection against wear resistance, when the tool is in use.

Underlying edge 15 and mould board 5 is the shear blade 3. The forward end of the shear blade 3 is welded to the socket 1, whilst the rear end of blade 3 is unsupported.. The" laper" that is the angle, in side elevation as depicted in fig 1, between the bottom 15A and edge 17) of the shear blade 3 is positioned at 150 to the horizontal as illustrated in fig 1, whilst simultaneously, the plane of shear blade 3 is positioned at 150 to the horizontal as illustrated in fig 2. The shear blade 3 being in a high wear environment, is readily replaced, when worn by welding on of a new blade. Alternatively, as the shear blade wear approaches the weld line 16A a new shear blade 3 can be welded in to place next adjacent the original blade 3. The shear blade 3 is preferably constructed of high tensile wear resistant material, but generally speaking this does not eliminate wear, it only slows it down.

A mould board wear plate 6 is also provided to cover shank 11 and the forward edges of right hand mould board 5 and the left hand mould board (not illustrated). Obviously, the construction of the lefthand side of the listing tool is the mirror image of the that depicted in fig 1.

The construction of this listing tool, when usead, will maintain a desirable soil tilth quality in the plant line; reduce the power requirement or draught load; reduce smearing of the soils; and protect the lister mould board.

015 When the listing tool of figure 1 and figure 2 is used, the mould board shear blade 3, support plate 2, socket 1 and forward blade 12 all co-operate to break the compacted furrow and move the compacted soil to the side thus depositing it on the sides of the bed, and not on top, as do prior art systems. As a compacted furrow has usually been compacted by vehicular traffic, such as tractors and farm implements, the very middle of the furrow is usually the most compacted. The passing of tyres tends to form shoulders in the furrow either side of the centre line. In operation the forward blade 10 breaks up the most co. compacted centre portion of the furrow. As the tool proceeds, the shear blade 3 forces the broken up soil in a vertical direction and simultaneously in an outward direction. Whilst lifting does occur, the 15 degree angle between the plane of the shear blade 3 and the horizontal, means that the soil will be prevented from rising up too high. In practice, it will move between 3 to 6 inches above the level of the support plate 2. Thus when the lifted soil engages the mould board 5, as the tool continues on in its motion, because the upward influence on the soil is not present past the rear end of the shear blade 3, the soil is deposited with a sideways motion to a height which does not allow the soil on to the top of the bed, just the sides thereof.

3- 11 The foregoing describes one embodiment of the present invention and modifications by those skilled in the art can be made thereto without departing from the scope of the present invention.

0 0 *0 00* o *0 e

I

Claims (9)

1. A listing tool for the conditioning of compacted furrowed soil, said furrows consisting of upper bedsoil, furrow wall, and lower compacted soil portions, said listing tool including; a) a forward blade for the breaking of said lower compacted soil portion, said forward blale being located at the front of said listing tool with reference to the direction of travel; b) a shear blade located behind said forward blade with reference to the direction of travel, said shear blade being so angled both laterally and longitudinally with respect to the direction of travel as to force compacted soil broken by said forward blade upwards from the shear blade to a height less than that of the upper bedsoil; c) a mould board which forces said broken compacted soil substantially lateral to said direction of travel subsequent to said forcing action of said shear o 0 blade thereby directing said soil towards said furrow wall; I I" the action of said tool when dragged or pushed through soil in a direction of travel substantially parat!el to the furrow to be conditioned being characterised o by the breaking of the lower compacted soil portion and the raising of the broken compacted soil to a height less than that of the upper bedsoil.

2. A listing tool as claimed in claim 1, said tool further including a support plate and socket, which socket having attached to it said support plate, said mould boards and said shear blade.

3. A listing tool as claimed in claim 2, wherein said socket includes a tapered recess to engage a tyne to be mounted thereon. L

4. A listing tool as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the shear blade is angled at between 10 and 35 degrees from the direction of travel.

A listing tool as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the shear blade is angled at 15 degrees from the direction of travel.

6. A listing tool as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the shear blade has its upper edge at between 10 to 20 degrees to the horizontal, when its lower edge is in the horizontal plane, simultaneously with the plane of the shear blade being at 15 degrees to the horizontal.

A listing tool as claimed in claim 7, wherein the upper edge is at degrees to the horizontal.

8. A listing tool as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 8 wherein the forward blade is releasably secured to a tyne or shank, thereby preventing said listing tool from detaching from said tyne.

9. A listing tool as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 8, wherein said mould board is underlapping said support plate. *0 *a DATED this 28th day of May, 1997. JIM L. SMITH WATERMARK PATENT AND TRADEMARK ATTORNEYS LEVEL 4, AMORY GARDENS 2 CAVILL AVENUE ASHFIELD NSW 2131 AUSTRALIA LJD:MB:RM DOC033 AU000PL9174.WPC -II I 0 ABSTRACT A listing tool including a shear blade co-operating with a mould board to break up furrow wall compaction, when said tool is passed through soil, said listing tool being characterised by depositing compacted soil to the side o: bed. 9. 9 9* p .9 .9 p p 6P 99 o p 6 9 p. p 9 pop. pp p 9. p p p 9 9