AU8235887A

AU8235887A - Rotor for a rotary cultivator

Info

Publication number: AU8235887A
Application number: AU82358/87A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Stig Andersson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1986-10-31
Filing date: 1987-10-27
Publication date: 1988-05-25
Also published as: SE8604647D0; WO1988002981A1; SE8604647L; SE459837B

Description

ROTOR FOR A ROTARY CULTIVATOR

TECHNICAL AREA

The present invention concerns a rotor for a rotary cultivator including a mainly horizontal axis of rotation, which is arranged extending mainly in a right angle to the travelling direction of the rotary cultiva¬ tor, and on which shaft one or a plurality of rotor sec¬ tions are firmly attached, by help of which a cultivation of the soil can be made. BACKGROUND TECHNICS

A rotary cultivator differs from ploughs and harrows and the similar devices trailed behind a tractor, in showing rotating members, the rotation of which is achived by help of a separate power source by a power transmission. The power source can be located on the ag¬ ricultural implement in question or e.g. on the tractor, to which the implement is connected. At the movement of the tractor a repeated cultivation of the soil is done, which is more intensive then the cultivation achieved by passive trailed implements. Also hand-controlled rotary cultivators occurs, at which a power source in the shape of e.g. a combustion engine forces the rotating members to rotate and eventually to move the cultivator over the ground.

Up to now known rotary cultivators show rotor sections which are provided with rotatin members consti¬ tuted by spikes or wings, which at the rotation of the rotor shaft are forced to cultivate the soil. These spi- kes or wings are firmly connected to the rotor shaft and can easily be damaged when hitting stones or the similar. Another drawback whith the up to now known rotor sections is that the rotor members of these sections in some si¬ tuations will stick with parts of plants causing an de- creasing soil-cultivating effect. The rotory speed of these rotor sections must be limited regarding the risk for damages when hitting stones and other hard objects. At a manually controlled rotary cultivator such a situa¬ tion even can tilt the rotary cultivator. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The purpose with the present invention is to achieve a rotor for a rotary cultivator which is not showing the drawbacks of up to now known rotors. The pur¬ pose has been achieved with a rotor including a mainly horizontal axis of rotation, which is arranged extending in a right angle to the travelling direction of the rota- ry cultivator, and on which shaft one or a plurality of rotor sections are firmly arranged. The invention is cha¬ racterised in that each rotor section shows a helicoidal rotor member, extending symmetrically along the rotor shaft, and which shows distances between each turn in the cylindric helical line, and that the least one end of the rotor member is firmly arranged on the rotor shaft.

Preferably the rotor member is formed as a cy¬ lindric helical spring. In one embodiment of the inven¬ tion one end of the rotor member is firmly arranged on a first hub, which in its turn is firmly arranged on the rotor shaft, whereby its.other end is freely rotating at the rotation of the rotor shaft. The rotor member thereby can be right-threaded or left-threaded, whereby a right- -threaded rotor member has a anti-clockwise direction of rotation and a left-threaded rotor member has a clockwise direction of rotation regarded in the longitudinal direc¬ tion of itself and the rotor axis from the first hub. By this sticking of parts of plants on the rotor member can be avoided as, as to say, this will screw out the plant parts from the rotor member at its rotation.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention the rotor member is projecting from one end of the rotor shaft in the longitudinal direction of the same. In this embodiment the invention permits that the rotor member is allowed to spring considerably in a direction mainly in a right angle to the longitudinal direction of the rotor shaft, e.g. when hitting stones and the similar. In another alternative embodiment of the inven¬ tion one end of the rotor member is firmly arranged on a first hub, which in its turn is firmly arranged on the rotor shaft, at which its other part consitutes or is arranged on a second hub, which is moveable as well in the longitudinal direction of the rotor shaft as around the same. In this alternative embodiment of the invention the lenght of the rotor member in the longitudinal direc¬ tion of the rotor shaft can be around double the lenght of the rotor member, at which only one end of the member is arranged on the rotor shaft.

Further, one or several rotor members can be arranged on the same rotor shaft. Thereby the working width of the rotary cultivator is optional and only li- mited of the bending stress of the rotor shaft.

Two or more rotor members also can be arranged coaxially within each other in one single rotor member. Thereby the cultivation of the soil can be reached on different depths. The coaxially arranged rotor members also can be given opposite helical directions, at which a more improved cultivating of the soil will be reached.

The rotor sections also can show members projec¬ ting from the helical line, e.g. in the shape of wings or knives. Thereby an increased cultivation of the soil will be reached on the same time as a movement of the soil in the longitudinal direction of the rotor shaft can be achieved.

The rotor members of the rotor section, mainly constituted by a helical spring of steel, can be bend as a whole in a right angle to the rotor shaft and also com¬ pressed or stretched in the longitudinal direction of the rotor shaft. When the rotor shaft extends through the ro¬ tor member the shaft will limit the bending of the rotor member in a right angel to the longitudinal direction of the shaft. In order to limit this bending the diameter of the rotor shaft can be made wider or thinner, or be pro¬ vided with a corresponding limiting cylinder element. When the rotor member extends from the end of the rotor shaft a bending can be limited e.g. by help of supporting members as rolls, arranged over the rotor section and in contact with the rotor member. Up to now known rotory cultivators by there knives and the similar has been unsuitable for using as a hand tool. No risk for injuries is present whith the ro¬ tor section according to the invention, e.g. on hands and feet, why this is applicable also as an additional tool to a conventional hand drill, which thereby is connected to the rotor shaft by a gear and a driven shaft, exten¬ ding in a right angel to the rotor shaft. Such a hand- -carried rotory cultivator preferably is suitable for cultivating of the soil in flower beds and the similar. In summary a rotor section has been achieved by the invention, which permits a higher speed of rotation than up to now known rotor sections, and which practical¬ ly is proof to hitting of stones and the similar in the ground. DESCRIPTION TO FIGURES

The invention is"described below in the shape of an embodiment to the figures enclosed.

Figure 1 shows a rotor section for a rotary cul¬ tivator according to the invention regarded in a right angel to the axis of rotation of the same.

Figure 2 shows a rotor section according to fi¬ gure 1 regarded from the left on figure 1 in the longitu¬ dinal direction of the axis of rotation.

Figure 3 and 4 shows an alternative embodiment of the rotor section according to the invention in views corresponding to figure 1 and 2.

Figure 5 shows six rotor sections according to figure 1 or 2 arranged on a common rotor shaft on a ro¬ tory cultivator regarded in a vertical plane and proposed to be carried by a tractor.

Figure 6 shows two rotor sections according to the invention on a hand-carried rotary cultivator. A rotor section 1 , shown on figure 1 , is consti¬ tuted by a cylindrical, helical rotor wire 2 extending symmetrically along a rotor shaft 3. One end of the rotor wire 2 is radially bent in a right angel to the rotor shaft 3 and arranged in a first cylindrical hub 4.1, which is provided with a bore 5 extending radially, in which the end of the rotor wire 2 is fixed by help of a first locking screw 6, extending in a right angle to the end of the rotor wire 2 in a first threaded bore in the hub 4.1. The other end of the rotor wire 2 also is bent radially, in a right angle to the rotor shaft 3 and ar¬ ranged in a second cylindrical hub 4.2, provided with a radial bore 5, in which the second end of the rotor wire 2 is fixed by help of a first locking screw 6 as in the first hub 4.1. The first hub 4.1 further is fixed in a desired position on the rotor shaft 3 by help of a second locking screw 7, extending in a right angle to the rotor shaft 3 in a second threaded bore in the hub 4.1. The se¬ cond hub 4.2 is movable in the lenghts direction of the rotor shaft 3 as well as around the same. Thereby the ro¬ tor wire 2 can be turned ■ round the rotor shaft 3, as well as compressed in a direction to the first hub 4.1, or stretched in a direction from this hub. The direction of rotation of the rotor section 1 is shown by a first arrow A on figure 1 , and its travelling direction over the ground is shown by a second arrow B.

An alternative embodiment of the rotor section 1 is shown on figure 2. Here the rotor section 1 is consti¬ tuted by a cylindrical, helical rotor strip 8, extending symmectrically along the rotor shaft 3. The one end of the rotor strip 8 is turned 90° around its longitudinal direction and bent radially, in a right angel to the ro¬ tor shaft 3. As in the first embodiment the rotor shaft 3 carries a first cylindrical hub 4.1, on which the radial part of the rotor strip 8 is arranged by help of a moun¬ ting screw 9, extending through a part of the rotor strip 8 which is in contact with the perifery of the hub 4.1. The other end of the rotor strip 8 also is bent radially and arranged on a second hub 4.2, which is freely running around and along the rotor shaft 3 as on figure 1. The hub 4.1 is fixed to the rotor shaft 3 by help of a second locking screw 7 as in the first embodiment on figure 1.

More rotor sections according to figure 1 or 2 can be put together along the same rotor shaft 3 to form a rotary cultivator as shown on figure 5. In this embodi¬ ment of the invention the rotor shaft 3 is carried by a frame 10, which is proposed to be carried by a tractor, not shown on the figure, in a conventional way with a so called three-point bracket by two bars 11 , which are tur- neable mounted on the tractor on its two lower brackets, and by a pulling bar 12, mounted to a hydraulic device on the tractor. The frame 10 also carries a centrally ar¬ ranged gear 13, which partly is connected by a conven¬ tional power outlet on the tractor, not shown on the figure, and which partly is provided with two driving shafts 14, each extending to a power transmission 15 at the ends of the frame 10. The rotor shaft 3 with the ro¬ tor sections 1 is connected between the two power trans¬ missions 15. A supporting wheel 16 also is arranged at each end of the frame 10. The supporting wheels 16 are vertically adjustable depending on the desired working depth.

In another alternative embodiment of the inven¬ tion according to figure 6, two rotor sections 1.1, 1.2 are arranged at one end each of a rotor shaft 3. The two rotor sections 1.1, 1.2 constitute_,mirror pictures of each other, which means that the first rotor section 1.1, located on the left side on figure 6, shows a left- -threaded rotor wire 2, and that the second rotor section 1.2 shows a right-threaded rotor wire 2 regarded in the longitudinal direction of the rotor shaft 3 from the left on the figure. The two rotor sections 1.1, 1.2 show a first hub 4.1 on which the one end of the rotor wire 2 is arranged. The second end of the rotor wire 2 is freely rotating at the rotation of the rotor shaft 3. The rotor shaft 3 extends in bearings through a gear 17, which also is connected to a power source 18, in the shape of a hand-drilling tool, by a driving shaft 19 extending in a right angel to the rotor shaft 3. The driving shaft 19 is carried in the casing of the gear 17 at its one end and mounted in a chuck 20 on the hand-drilling machine 18 at its other end. The gear 17 as well as the hand-drilling machine are connected to each end of a cylindrical pipe handle 21, which shows an aperture 22, at a position at which the chuck 20 of the hand-drilling machine 18 is located, through which a tool can be inserted for locking or releasing the chuck 20. The rotor sections 1.1, 1.2 are covered to unintentional contact by a casing 23, which is removeable arranged on a pipe handle 21.

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS

1. Rotor for a rotary cultivator including a mainly horizontal axis of rotation, which is arranged extending mainly in a right angel to the travelling di- rection of the rotary cultivator, and on which one or a plurality of rotor sections (1) are firmly arranged, at which each rotor section (1) shows a helicoidal rotor member (2), extending symmetrically along the axis of rotation, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the rotor member (2) is threadlike, at which its one end is firmly arranged on a first hub (4.1), which in its turn is firm¬ ly arranged on a rotor shaft (3), and that its other end is freely rotating at the rotation of the rotor shaft (3).

2. Rotor according to claim 1, c h a r a c - t e r i s e d in that the rotor member (2) is projecting from the end of the rotor shaft (3) in the longitudinal direction of the same.

3. Rotor according to claim 1-2, c h a r a c - t e r i s e d in that a first rotor member (2) is exten¬ ding from a first hub (4..1), which is firmly arranged at the one end of the rotor shaft (3), and that a second rotor member (2) is extending from a second hub (4.2), which is firmly arranged at the other end of the rotor shaft (3) in a direction which is oposit to the direction of the first rotor member (2).

4. Rotor according to claim 1-3 c h a r a c ¬ t e r i s e d in that each rotor member (2) can be right-threaded or left-threaded, at which a right- -threaded rotor member (2) is anti-clockwise rotating and a left-threaded rotor member (2) is clockwise rotating when regarded in the longitudinal direction of the rotor shaft (3) from each hub (4.1, 4.2).