AU702081B2

AU702081B2 - Support structure

Info

Publication number: AU702081B2
Application number: AU14727/95A
Authority: AU
Inventors: John Coyne Walker
Original assignee: Walkers Merredin Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Walkers Merredin Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1994-03-10
Filing date: 1995-03-09
Publication date: 1999-02-11
Anticipated expiration: 2015-03-09
Also published as: AU1472795A

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Art 1990 COMIPLE TE SPECIFICATION For A Standard Patent

ORIGINAL

.pt.

00 0 00 0 09 *000 coot *008 *0009 9 9 Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor: WALKERS MERREDIN PTY LTD *00 Address for Service: *.00 0 WRAY ASSOCIATES, Primary Industry House, 239 Adelaide Terrace, Perthi, Western Australia, 6000.

.0 Attorney code: WR Invention Title: "SUPPORT STRUCTURE" Details of Associated Provisional Application: No: PM43 51 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:such as tools on a mobile frame. The invention also relates to an agricultural machine fitted with the support structure.

On agricultural machinery, it is common to mount ground engaging devices such as ground working tools and press wheels in alignment one behind another. A typical situation is a seeding machine where there is an arrangement of three ground engaging devices, the first being a coulter for penetrating the ground, the second being a disc assembly for forming a furrow to receive seed and the third being a press wheel assembly for closing the firrow upon the seed. It is usual to mount the coulter on a pivotal support arm attached to a first beam of the frame of the machine, and to attach the disc assembly and press wheel assembly to a second pivotal support arm mounted on a second beam spaced rearwardly of the first beam. While this arrangement works satisfactorily, it does have the disadvantage that it is not a particularly compact arrangement.

'The present invention seeks to provide a novel and useful support structure which will allow a series of ground engaging devices to be mounted closer together in a row one behind the another.

o* 20 In a first form the invention resides in a support structure comprising a first support arm Sadapted to be pivotally mounted onto a mobile frame at a first mounting point, and a second a ssupport arm adapted to be pivotally mounted onto the mobile frame at a second mounting a a point, the first support arm being disposed below the second support arm and being adapted to support a first ground engaging device rearwardly of both the first and second mounting 25 points, the second support arm being adapted to support a second ground engaging device positioned rearwardly of the first ground engaging device, the second support arm being configured to accommodate rise and fall movement of the first ground engaging device on pivotal movement of the first support arm during normal use.

The second support arm may be configured to accommodate the first ground engaging device by providing an aperture therein to receive the first ground engaging device (luring rise and fall thereof. Conveniently, the aperture is defined between a pair of laterally spaced apart longitudinal elements which form part of the second support arm.

Preferably, the first and second support arms are pivotally connected to a mounting bracket which is adapted for attachment to the mobile frame. Conveniently, the pivotal connection between the second support arm and the mounting bracket is disposed rearwardly of, and ,RA 2 above, the pivotal connection between the first support arm and the mounting bracket.

a C-LI--9SISr _C_ L q 1~ 3 Conveniently, biasing means are provided for biasing the first and second support arms in a downward direction for urging the ground engaging devices mounted thereon into engagement with the ground. The biasing means may comprise a first spring means acting between the bracket and the first support arm, and a second spring means acting between the bracket and the second support arm.

Each support arm may support more than one ground engaging device.

The first ground engaging device may comprise a disc coulter. The second ground engaging device may comprise a ground working tool such as a double plough disc assembly. The second support arm may also support a press wheel disposed rearwardly of the double disc assembly.

In a second form the invention resides in an agricultural machine having ground engaging o devices supported by a support structure according to the first form of the invention.

The invention will be better understood by reference to the following description of one specific embodiment thereof as shown in the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a schematic side view of a support structure according to the embodiment of the invention; and Fig. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the support structure of Fig. 1.

The embodiment shown in the drawings is directed to a support structure 10 for supporting ground working devices on a mobile frame of an agricultural machine.

While not shown in the drawings, the mobile frame comprises a frame structure supported on ground wheels and adapted to be connected to a towing vehicle such as a tractor. The mobile frame incorporates a transverse beam onto which the support structure 10 according to the embodiment is adapted to be attached.

The support structure 10 according to the embodiment comprises a mounting bracket 11 adapted to be attached to the transverse beam of the mobile frame. The mounting bracket 11 can be attached to the transverse beam in any suitable fashion such as by bolting or welding.

The mounting bracket 11 is of L-shape in cross-section, comprising a base portion 13 and an upstanding portion L- 4 A first support arm 17 is pivotally connected at 18 to the mounting bracket 11 for pivotal movement about a substantially horizontal axis transverse to the direction of travel of the mobile frame. The pivotal connection at 18 is accomplished by way of a pair of spaced apart connecting brackets 21 between which the first support arm 17 is received and secured thereto by way of a pivot pin 23 supported between the connecting brackets 21.

A free end 19 of the first support arm 17 carries a ground engaging device in the form of a coulter A biasing means 27 is provided fo" biasing the first support arm 17 in a downward direction to urge the coulter 25 into engagement with the ground. The biasing means 27 comprises a .compression spring 31 carried on a shaft 33, one end of which is pivotally connected at 35 to the mounting bracket 11 and the other end of which is slidably supported on a bracket 37 mounted on the free end 19 of the first support arm 17. One end of the spring 31 bears on the bracket 37 and the other end of the spring 31 bears on a stop 39 positioned on the shaft 33.

With this arrangement the spring 31 is compressed during rising movement of the first support arm 17 with the result that it urges the first support arm 17 in the downward direction.

°Q

o0 #0 The support structure 10 includes a second support arm 41, one end of which is pivotally connected at 43 to the mounting bracket 11. The pivotal connection at 43 is accomplished by 0'0: way of a pair of spaced apart brackets 44 between which the second support arm 41 is received and secured thereto by way of a pivot pin 42 supported between the brackets 44.

The second support arm 41 supports two ground engaging devices, one being a disc assembly disposed rearwardly of, and in alignment with, the coulter 25. The other ground engaging device supported by the second support arm 41 comprises a press wheel assembly 47 which is positioned rearwardly of, and in alignment with, the disc assembly The disc assembly 45 and the press wheel 47 are mounted on a supplementary arm 46 which is adjustably connected to the second support arm by a pivot 48 and an adjustment mechanism A biasing means 49 is provided for biasing the second support arm 41 in a downward direction to urge the disc assembly 45 and the press wheel assembly 47 into engagement with the ground. The spring means 49 comprises a compression spring 51 slidably mounted on a 2' support shaft 53, one end of which is pivotally connected at 55 to the bracket 44 and the other end of which is supported on a bracket 57 mounted on the second support arm 41. One end "i of the spring 51 bears against the bracket 57 and the other end of the spring bears against a stop 59 attached to the support shaft 53.

The second support arm 41 is positioned above the first support arm 17 and is longer than the first support arm 17 such that the disc assembly 45 and press wheel assembly 47 are 'positioned rearwardly of the coulter So as not to interfere with rise and fall of the coulter 25 mounted on the first support arm 17, the second support arm 41 is configured to accommodate such movement. This is accomplished by constructing the second support arm 41 in two sections being a forward section 61 and a rearward section 63. The forward section 61 is positioned above the coulter and comprises a pair of longitudinal elements 67 positioned in laterally spaced apart relationship to define a gap 69. The gap 69 is located above the coulter 25 such that the coulter 25 can be received in the gap 69 without being impeded by the second support arm 41 during normal rise and fall motion.

In use the coulter 25 penetrates the ground and can rise and fall with irregularities in the ground surface. The disc assembly 45 forms a furrow in the ground to receive seed. The i press wheel assembly 47 closes the furrow on the seed. The disc assembly 45 and press o' wheel assembly 47 can rise and fall with irregularities in the ground surface independently of the coulter OR From the forgoing, it is evident that the present invention provides a support structure which allows the ground engaging devices supported on the second arm to be positioned closely behind the ground engaging device positioned on the first arm. This arrangement provides a structure which is considerably more compact than existing arrangements which would require the first and second support arms to be pivotally mounted onto separate beams of a mobile frame.

It should be appreciated that the scope of the invention is not limited to the scope of the embodiment described. In particular, it should be understood that the ground engaging devices mounted on the first and second arms may take any suitable form.

Claims

1. A support structure comprising a first support arm adapted to be pivotally mounted onto a mobile frame at a first mounting point, and a second support arm adapted to be pivotally mounted onto the mobile frame at a second mounting point, the first support arm being disposed below the second support arm and being adapted to support a first ground engaging device rearwardly of both the first and second mounting points, the second support arm being adapted to support a second ground engaging device positioned rearwardly of the first ground engaging device, the second support arm being configured to accommodate rise and fall movement of the first ground engaging device on pivotal movement of the first support arm during normal use.

2. A support structure according to claim 1, wherein an aperture is provided in the second support arm to receive the first ground engaging device during rise and fall thereof, V" 4 .o

3. A support structure according to claim 2, wherein the aperture is defined between a pair of laterally spaced apart longitudinal elements which form part of the second support arm. 20

4. A support structure according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the first, and second support arms are pivotally connected to a mounting bracket, the mounting bracket being adapted for attachment to the mobile frame.

A support, structure according to claim 4, wherein the pivotal connection between the second support arm and the mounting bracket is disposed rearwardly of, and above, the pivotal connection between the first support arm and the mounting bracket.

6. A support structure according to either one of claims 4 or 5, wherein the mounting bracket comprises an shaped member having an upright portion and a base portion, the base portion projecting forwardly of the upright portion, wherein the first support arm is pivotally connected to the base portion and the second support arm is pivotally connected to the upright portion.

7. A support structure according to any one of claims 4 to 6 wherein biasing means are provided for biasing the first and second support arms in a downward direction for urging the ground engaging devices mounted thereon into engagement with the ground. RAL 7

8. A support structure according to claim 7, wherein the biasing means comprises a first spring means acting between the mounting bracket and the first support arm and a second spring means acting between the mounting bracket and the second support arm.

9. A support structure according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first support arm supports a plurality of ground engaging devices.

A support structure according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the second support arm supports a plurality of ground engaging devices.

11. A support structure according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the ground engaging devices are aligned with one another. o

12. An agricultural machine having ground engaging devices supported from a support structure according to any one of the preceding claims,

13. A support structure substantially as described herein with reference to the 00 accompanying drawings.

14. An agricultural machine having ground engaging devices supported from a support structure substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this Ninth day of March 1995 WALKERS MERRE.DIN PTY LTD Applicant WRAY ASSOCIATES Perth, Western Australia Patent Attorneys for the Applicant I. 8 ABSTRACT A support structure comprising a first support arm adapted to be pivotally mounted onto a mobile frame and a second support arm adapted to be pivotally mounted onto the mobile frame, the first support arm being disposed below the second support arm and being adapted to support a first ground engaging device, the second support arm being adapted to support a second ground engaging device positioned rearwardly of the first ground engaging device, the second support arm being configured to accommodate rise and fall movement of the first ground engaging device on pivotal movement of the first support arm during normal use. o 04 0 ot 0 0 Ob C f 000 0 ft0 *s ft 0000 00 C. 0