CA1138700A

CA1138700A - Method and implement for loosening the soil

Info

Publication number: CA1138700A
Application number: CA000360256A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Ernst Weichel
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1979-09-13
Filing date: 1980-09-15
Publication date: 1983-01-04
Also published as: EP0025568A1; DE2946689A1

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
An implement for loosening soil includes a support structure with a first vertically extending supporting leg spaced forwardly of a second vertically extending supporting leg relative to the direction in which the implement is moved over a field. A first soil loosening share is located at the lower end of the first supporting leg and a pair of loosening shares are secured to the lower end of the second supporting leg. The pair of loosening shares consist of an upper loosening share and a lower loosening share spaced vertically below it so that a soil crushing space is formed between the upper and lower loosening shares. The upper loosening share has its front side located approximately in the vertical range of the first loosening share. As the implement is moved over a field the first loosening share is positioned to lift the top layer of the soil without crushing the soil while the following upper and lower loosening shares are arranged to crush the subjacent layer of soil into small clods as it moves through the soil crushing space between them.

Description

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The subject matter of the invention is a method for loosening arable soils, preferably those carrying plants in which at least two superjacent or subjacent soil layers are undercut, raised, broken up and are deposited again without any substantial mutual mixing on the subsoil or on the lower loosened soil layer and an implement for carrying out the method. The methods known heretofore and the implements for carrying out said methods have the disadvantage that the top layer in heavy soils must be - crumbled to such an extent that plants growing thereon are des-troyed or that the soil layer can be loosened only insufficiently if it is so carefully undercut, raised and deposited again that the soil clots, which remain in a certain bond with respect to each other despite the vertical cracks being formed, retain their approximately horizontal position so that the plants can then continue to grow.
This is where the present invention comes in. It is the aim of the present invention to provide a method and imple-ment by means of which the lower soil layers can be loosened more intensively, i.e. crushed and crumbled without having to crush the top soil layer to such an extent that the plants growing thereon are destroyed.
The invention starts from the recognition of the fact ; that not only is a loosening of the top soil layer, which has a good, so called "living blocked-up friable structure", unneces-~; sary but it is directly detrimental to the friable state of the soil and to the soil organisms and thus to the yield. Hereto-fore, not only did the conventicnal tilling of this well crumbled top layer of the soil require unnecessary expenditure of labour and power but time and again it has caused substantial losses of ~30 yield due to losses of water and nutrients or winter killing. If crop residues, or green manuring, weeds or the like are to be prevented from growing further by tilling the top soil layer, a ~ 1 - ~

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113~37(~0 flat tillage to ~ depth of a Eew centimetres u~ually is suffic-ient. This also has the advantage that any loss of water is avoided and that a favourable "settled" soil horizon remains for depositing the seed grains.
Since the soil erosion, which is increasing on a world-wide scale, urgently requires an improvement of the known methods, the new method is intended particularly for loosening deep soil layers without necessarily having to destroy completely the plants growing on the soil, for example, green manuring plants, or to crush more than absolutely necessary the top - layer of the soil, which is rich in numus, better crumbled and alive with organisms, to mix it with other layers or to destroy the fauna present in the top layer.
The aim outlined above is substantially achieved in that the top layer of the soil cracks extending substantially in the vertical direction are produced between the clods, which retain substantially their horizontal position, and to crush the lower layers of the soil into smaller clods or crumbs and to cover them with the larger clods of the top layer so that after ~20 the soil has been loosened plants living on the upper layer of the soil can continue to grow without hindrance.
The crushing of the lower layer is brought about by rubbing, pushing, jarring or similar action on the soil of this layer between the upper side of a share raising this layer and the bottom side of a share raising the upper soil layer.
The solution of this problem is a decisive advance in - soil cultivation insofar as it will be possible in future to /iv;r~f loosen the soil intensively also under ~ plants so that it provides more room for roots, contains more air, stores more water and is less exposed to erosion than for example, soils ploughed, tilled by rotary cultivator or grubbed in a known manner.

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~ The new method also permits deep loosening in summer, ; i.e. at a more favourable time and usually at a drier state of the soil without loss of time for growing first crops and succeedi~g crops, particularly on fields overgrown with stubble crops, underseeds, or forage plants. Irrespective thereof the top layer of the soil can also be crumbled more intensely in a ` separate operation carried out at later date. When required, the plants growing on this layer can be readily mixed with the soil in a manner known per se.
Further details variants and special practical examples of this basic idea according to th~ invention have been laid down in the claims and are explained in greater detail with reference to the drawings.
Figure 1 shows the lateral view of an implement.
Figure 2 shows the implement of Figure 1 in front view.
Figure 3 shows the implement of Figure 1 in top view.
Figure 4 shows a diagrammatic lateral view of the ' ~ implement tilling the soil.
Figure 5 shows a perspective diagram of the soil layers prior to and after tilling.
~' Figure 6 shows a diagrammatic, part-sectioned lateral view of the implements required for carrying out the method and .;: , operating in the soil.

Figure 7 shows a diagrammatic view of a slightly modified practical example.

~; Figure 8 shows a corresponding view of a further prac-. ,~ .
tical example.

Figure 9 shows a corresponding view of yet another ' practical example.

Figure 10 shows a diagrammatic top-view of the prac-`,~ tical example of Figure 9.

; ~ Figure 11 shows a diagrammatic top-view of a further ,' .i ~

1~31~J'00 practical example, ; Figure 12 shows a diagrammatic lateral view thereof and Figure 13 shows a corresponding diagrammatic view from behind.
As is evident from the Figures 1 to 3, the implement has a crossbar 1 on which there is disposed in the driving direc-tion the connecting frame 2 for the three-point rod (not shown) ~ of a tractor or the like. Moreover, bearing blocks 4 and the ; gear box 5 are so disposed on the crossbar 1 that shafts 6 sup-ported therein are in alignment with each other and with the gear shaft.
The outer ends of the drive shafts 6 contain eccentric disks 7 to which bearing seats 8 of the supporting arms 9 are ~ .
pivoted. The supporting arms 9 are fixed to the bearing boxes 4 via a control lever 11 hinged to swivel supports so that a quadrilateral-link is formed, said link imparting an elliptic path of motion 12 to the shares 108 and 109, which are disposed at the free end of the supporting handles or legs 112, which are in turn detachably and replaceably fastened to the supporting arms 9.
Two jack wheels 14, whose supports 15 are vertically adjustable in their bracing tubes 16, are disposed on the crossbar 1.
The vertical adjustment of the jack wheels 14 is carried out by means of a spindle which is known per se and whose details are not shown. The spindle is actuated via a crank handle.

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The gear 5 has drive shaft butts 19 on both sides in the longitudinal direction of the crossbar 1. The butts 19 are " connected to the shaft 6 either non-rotatably or detachably via couplings which are known per se.
When the implement 3 is attached to a tractor, which `~, ": ~, ' '.`
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` 1:1387C~0 ; drives the gear 5 by way of a drive shaft (not shown) and the jack wheels 14 of the implement in the operating position roll on the surface of the soil the shares 108, 109 and the lower or /eys ~-~, ends of the supporting handles~ll2 engage the compacted soil in that they are moved clockwise on a closed curved track 12 and thus exert some kind of a shaking motion on the soil layers 101 and 102 undercut by them.
Since the lower soil layer 102, which is raised by the upper side lO9a of the lower shares 109, is thrown up in rapid succession, it impinges continuously on the bottom side 108b of the upper share, which immediately throws it down again. By continuous jolting, rubbing, throwing and impinging, the lower soil layer thus is substantially more intensively crushed between the two sides 108b and lO9a (which are turned towards each other) of the two shares 108 and 109 than the upper soil layer wh~ch is raised from below.
In the upper soil layer with the loosening shares inclined as flat as possible primarily by the supporting handles ; 9 and 112 cracks extending vertically merely in the driving direction are produced.
The vertical motion of the loosening shares also pro-duce cracks 105b which extend primarily at right angles to the driving direction but do not change the fact that the larger clods 106 forming ~ the upper layer 101 retain at least sub-stantially their original position with respect to each other and to the soil surface.
Therefore although the lower soil layer is crushed more intensely and also mixed the plants growing on the soil surface retain, in the presence of sufficient water, a portion of undam-,30 aged roots in the large clods 106 which is so high that the roots can then continue to grow. These roots can even develop favourably in the loosened soil since the soil is better venti-:

' " 113E~()0 lated and forms less resistance and the subsequent precipita-tions are stored completely so that they do not run off to a great extent as in the case of compacted soils.
Therefore, the method according to the invention permits intensive soil loosening under living plants, the full utilization of the vegetation time and of all the natural growth factors, it prevents erosion and substantially increases the yield in a moderate climate as well as under tropical or arid conditions.
As is shown diagrammatically in Figure 4, the invention proposes to install knives 115 on the bottom side 108b of the upper share and on the upper side lO9a ~f the lower share at certain intervals side by side and in the driving direction staggered with respect to each other. Particularly at high driving speed the knives cause a more intensive crushing of the lower soil layer.
For the same purpose a rib 116 extending at right angles to the driving direction can be installed at the rear edge of the bottom side 108b of the upper share. The rib is in the so-called clearance angle of this share and thus does not obstruct the passage of the soil layer between the two shares. The two shares preferably are not exactly parallel but form an acute angle with respect to each other so that the inside distance between them is smaller at the tips of the shares than at their ends.
In order to reduce the soil resistance and parti-cularly to prevent long-stalked material, for example, grain !, ~

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. or corn straw, from clinging to the leading edge 112a of the supporting handle 112, the handle may be provided with sawlike teeth 117, which become effective primarily in the upward motion of the supporting handle 112.
particular advantage of the method according ~` to the invention described above lies in that so-called - concretions due ', .. , ~
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':' 113E~ 0 primarily to ploughing, tilling by rotary cultivator, soil load-ing and backlash of the wheels of tractors, processing machines and hauling equipment can be eliminated completely. With the implements known heretofore the concretions were merely undercut, ` raised but crushed only into large clods.
~.; However, in the novel method they are intensively - loosened in that the compacted soil layer is run over by the upper share and undercut by the lower share and that it is also ~- intensively crushed between the two shares by the shaking motion.
; 10 As a modification of the practical example and depend-ing on the soil type and the thickness of the compacted layers it is possible to arrange not only two shares but also several :
shares at equal or different intervals at the free end of the ~,, /~9 supporting handle~112 so that the soil is intensively loosened in any clearance between two shares arranged superjacently or : . -subjacently but the upper layer can be obtained in large clods.
The intensive crushing of the lower soil layers and the merely large-clod loosening of the top soil layer has not only advantages on soils covered with plants. It has also advan-tages on a tilled soil which is covered with crop residues orwith a la~er of mulch or had previously been tilled flat since the intensive loosening of lower soil layers, particularly in heavy soils, can be carried out only in relatively dry soils.
This is frequently the case at a moment when it is undesirable to crush the soil surface more intensely or ready it for seeding. This is due to the fact that the layer made ready for seeding absorbs too mucn water in subsequent precipi-tations and therefore no longer dries, for example, in fall.
Moreover, a field made ready for seeding would be more damaged in the subsequent tilling by erosion due to the effect of wind or intense precipitation or tractor tracks than a top layer consisting of large clods. If this large-clod structure is '' 1~3~37'(~0 ,`
i maintained to the moment of seeding, then the rain water gets ~, through the cracks between the large clods primarily into the ;~ subsoil so that it is stored completely and there is no ~, ;"
;' danger of soil erosion. In later tilling operations the large clods are more resistant to soil loading by tractors and vehicles.
The crushing of the large clods and the preparation ~-. of a ready seed bed can be carried out by using known implement .~-; combinations in the same operation with row seeding or planting ;,.~, of the subsequent kind of crop. Both the compacting of a deeper soil layer and the preparation of an optimal seed bed in the top layer as well as the cultivation are thus prevented so that detrimental tracks cannot impair the later growth of the plants.
Therefore, not only does this method assure maximum yields with a minimum expenditure of fertilizer but it also makes it possible to divide the power consumption, which is un-avoidable in the loosening of heavy soils into at least two separate operations.
As is evident from Figure 6 in a further development of the present invention the top soil layer 1' has been cultivated with plants and thus is well penetrated with roots and constructed with living blocked-up crumbs while the lowest soil layer 2' usually is more compacted. Therefore, the top soil layer is undercut and raised by the rigid loosening shares 3', which are secured to handles 10' which are known per se. Behind the handles or legs 10' there are installed ', ., g . .

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known supporting handles or legs 9' which are moved by means ` ,~ of driving means (not shown in detail) and have at their lower end wing-shaped loosening shares 4b'. The shares 4b' undercut . the lower compacted soil layer 2', raise it and throw or push :~ the forming soil clods by shaking motions against the bottom side of upper wing-shaped loosening shares 4a' runnlng behind the loosening shares 3' so that the lower soil layer is crushed - into small clods and deposited on the subsoil , ~,.`

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113~7~0 18'. The upper soil layer 1' is deposited on the top side of . the loosened and crushed lower layer 2'. Prongs 7', which serve as a guide screen for the top soil layer 1', are attached to the rear edge of the loosening shares 3'. Knives ~- 5' are located on the bottom side of the upper wing-shaped .
loosening shares 4a' and on the upper side of the lower wing-shaped loosening shares 4b' for crushing the lower soil layer 2'.
Moreover guide elements 12', 15' having lateral branches 13', 14' for fertilizers, which can be fed in from a tank 17' via the outlet 16' are provided at the rear edge of the supporting handles 9'.
The practical example according to Figure 7 corres-ponds substantially to that of Figure 6 with the difference that the supporting handles or legs 10' are inclined from the front top and extend downwards to the rear so that the loosen-ing shares 3' can be arranged at a shorter interval ahead of the loosening shares 4a'.
In its function the practical example according to Figure 8 corresponds substantially to the practical example of Figure 6. However, it can be seen that cracks extending at right angles to the driving direction are formed in the top soil layer and that the supporting handles of the rigid loosen-ing members 10' are secured to a bracing tube 19' having rear-wardly extending brackets 20', on which a driven shaft 21' is supported. Cams 22' on which the upper end of the supporting . . .
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~: handle 9' is supported are disposed on the shaft 21'. The `1 supporting handle 9' is also pivoted to a lever 23', which is :. in turn pivoted to a downwardly extending bracket and is a .~ component part of the known quadrilateral link, which enables an eliptical path of motion of the tips of the shares 4a' and ~ 4b'.
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` The Figures 9 and 10 show a further practical .` example, where two vertical supporting handles 10' are attached to a bracing tube 10'. The loosening shares 3' of said support-;- ing handles 19 are disposed at different levels and undercut one of the two soil layers at a time.

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The lower soil layer is crushed by prongs or knives 25' disposed on a driven shaft 26' which is supported in a small casing 27' and laterally extends on both sides beyond this casing. The shaft 26' is driven via a chain wheel 28', a chain 29' by a chain wheel 30' which is in driving connection with the drive shaft of the tractor via driving means which are not shown in detail and are known per se.
This makes it possible to crush deeper soil layers as intensively as desired under an upper soil layer 1', which has been raised only temporarily and is substantially untouched and covered with living plants.
The shaft 26' can be driven at a variable speed, preferably a low speed, and is provided with prongs which are known per se and may have any shape. The narrow casing 27' is disposed behind the vertical supporting handle 10', which divides the cut-up soil layers in a vertical plane so that no clogging occurs despite the gear partially guided in the ground.
The practical example shown in the Figures 11 to 13 shows a supporting handle 10' which is known per se. A
bearer plate 31' on which there are disposed removable loosen-ing shares 3' whose ends, which are turned towards each other, laterally join to a chisel 33'. Reinforcing arms 32' are disposed at the rear of the bearer plate 31'. Retaining pockets 34' having small supporting handles 35' with duckfoot shares 37' at their rear are attached to the reinforcing arms.

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3~ 0 The duckfoot shares 37' cut through the lower soil layer in both the vertical direction and the horizontal direction and loosen it.
The loosened clods of the lower layer are then covered by the upper soil layer which is substantially non-treated and has been raised and deposited again. Therefore, this design of loosening implement permits undercutting and carefully raising the upper soil layer by supporting handles 10, arranged at relatively wide intervals with respect to eech '..'' `
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1131 3 ~'00 other, and the intensive crushing o~ the lower 50il by narrowly spaced rigid tools without the danger of cloyging by straw and the like on the ground. Therefore it is not required to arrange these loosening tools staggered in several rows in tandem on bracing tubes as in the conventional heavy cultivators.
Since the supporting handles 35' are secured to retain-ing poc~ets 34' by means of bolts of varying thickness, each individual small supporting handle 35' can swing rearwards when impinging on pieces of rock present in the soil after shearing of the two bolts 38' without getting into the rotating prongs of an implement possibly arranged behind the supporting handles and intended for preparing seed beds. Therefore, an implement for loosening the soil which is provided with the loosening member having the novel design shown in the Figures 11 to 13 can be used on heavy soils by itself and also in conjunction with an implement for preparing seed beds arranged therebehind.
In the first case the deeper soil layer 2' is loosened more intensely then the upper soil layer 1'. In the second case the deeper soil layer is loosened as much as in the first case, but the upper soil layer 1' is crumbled by the additional implement so as tobe ready for seeding. This is advantageous ~c~c ~A in cases in ~ihich immedlately after the harvest,catch crops are grown or grain or the like is sown in fall or spring.

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Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. Implement for loosening soil arranged to be moved in a first direction over a field comprising a first vertically extending supporting leg, a second vertically extending support-ing leg spaced rearwardly from said first vertically extending supporting leg relative to the first direction of movement, means for supporting said first and second supporting legs, a first soil loosening share secured to the lower end of said first supporting leg and extending transversely of the first direction, a pair of soil loosening shares secured to the lower end of said second supporting leg and extending transversely of the first direction, said pair of soil loosening shares comprising an upper loosening share and a lower loosening share spaced vertically below and opposite said upper loosening share with said upper and lower loosening shares forming a soil crushing space there-between, the front side of said upper loosening share facing in the first direction is located rearwardly of at least the front side of said first loosening share and the front side of said upper loosening share is located at least below the upper range of said first loosening share, and said first loosening share is arranged to undercut and lift the top layer of soil through which the implement is moved without breaking up the top layer of soil while the following said upper and lower loosening shares are arranged to crush the subjacent layer of soil into small clods.

2. Implement, as set forth in claim 1, wherein prongs are secured to the rear side of said first loosening share and project upwardly and rearwardly therefrom for aiding in the lifting of the top layer of soil, and knives formed on the lower side of said upper loosening share and on the upper side of said lower loosening shares extending from said upper and lower loosening shares into said soil crushing space and said knives arranged to aid in the crushing of the subjacent layer of soil passing through the soil crushing space.

3. Implement, as set forth in claim 2, wherein said ribs are spaced apart on said first loosening share in the direction extending transversely of the first direction, said knives are spaced apart on said upper and lower loosening shares in the direction extending transversely of said first direction and said ribs being offset relative to said knives.

4. Implement, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said supporting means includes a drive shaft connected to said second supporting leg for moving said upper and lower loosening shares on said second supporting leg in an elliptic path of motion with the elliptic path extending in the first direction.

5. Implement, as set forth in claim 1, including means on said second supporting leg for distributing fertilizer into the soil through which the implement is moved.

6. Implement, as set forth in claim 5, wherein said means for distributing fertilizer comprises a tank for the fertilizer located upwardly from said upper loosening share on said second supporting leg, conduit means secured to the rear side of said second supporting leg for conveying the fertilizer downwardly from said tank into the soil.

7. Implement, as set forth in claim 6, wherein said conduit means comprises a funnel-shaped feed opening located below the outlet from said tank, and a guide conduit extending downwardly from said funnel-shaped feed opening to the lower end of said second supporting arm.

8. Implement, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first loosening share extends approximately horizontally, and said upper and lower loosening shares have the front sides thereof located lower than the rear sides with the front sides of said upper and lower loosening shares being located closer together than the rear sides of said upper and lower loosening shares.

9. Implement, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first loosening share being wing-shaped and extending laterally outwardly and rearwardly from said first supporting leg, a support plate secured to said first loosening share, a plurality of duck-foot shares secured to and extending downwardly from said support plate for cutting through the subjacent soil layer in the vertical and horizontal directions for loosening it.

10. Implement, as set forth in claim 9, wherein said duck-foot shares are spaced apart in the direction extending transversely of the first direction.

11. Implement, as set forth in claim 10, including support means for said duck-foot shares so that said shares can be pivoted rearwardly when said duck-foot shares impinge on pieces of rock in the soil.