GB1587586A

GB1587586A - Soil cultivating implements

Info

Publication number: GB1587586A
Application number: GB15971/78A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: C Van der Lely NV
Current assignee: C Van der Lely NV
Priority date: 1977-04-28
Filing date: 1978-04-21
Publication date: 1981-04-08
Also published as: IT7822749A0; DE2817520A1; NL184347B; NL7704646A; DE2817520C2; FR2388474B1; NL184347C; FR2388474A1; IT1094540B

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO SOIL CULTIVATING IMPLEMENTS (71) We, C. VAN DER LELY N.V., of 10, Weverskade, Maasland, The Netherlands, a Dutch Limited Liability Company, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to soil cultivating implements or machines that are of the kind which comprise an elongate frame portion that extends substantially perpendicular, or at least transverse, to the intended direction of operative travel of the implement and that supports a row of soil working members so as to be rotatable about corresponding non-horizontal axes, a ground roller whose axis of rotation also extends substantially perpendicular, or at least transverse, to said direction of travel being arranged behind the row of soil work mg members with respect to the same direction. The expression ' implement(s) or machine(s)' is shortened to 'implement(s)' alone throughout the remainder of this specification for the sake of brevity.

According to the invention there is provided a soil cultivating implement of the kind set forth, wherein an upper region of said roller is partially surrounded by a hood which is disposed in adjacent relationship with said upper region and which extends throughout substantially the whole of the working width of the roller, said hood bearing against the ground surface, during the operation of the implement, at a location which is to the rear of the roller with respect to the intended direction of operative travel of the implement.

For a better understanding of the invention, and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which :~ Figure 1 is a plan view of a soil cultivating implement in accordance with the invention connected bo the rear of an agricultural tractor, and Figure 2 is a section taken on the line II-II in Figure 1.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the soil cultivating implement that is illustrated therein has a hollow box-section frame portion 1 which extends substantially horizontally transverse, and usually (as illustrated) substantially horizontally perpendicular, to the intended direction of operative travel of the implement which is indicated by an arrow A in Figure 1 of the drawings. A plurality (in this case, ten) of parallel and nonhorizontally disposed shafts 2 are rotatably mounted in bearings carried by the hollow frame portion 1 in such a way as to extend in a single row with their longitudinal axes (axes of rotation) spaced apart from one another at regular intervals which advantageously, but not essentially, have magnitudes of substantially 250 millimetres. Usually, as in the embodiment which is being described, the non-horizontally disposed shafts 2 will actually be arranged in vertical or substantially vertical positions. Each shaft 2 has a lower end that projects downwardly towards the ground from the bottom of the hollow frame portion 1 and each such lower end has a corresponding rotary soil working member 3 firmly but releasably secured to it. The longitudinal axes/axes axes of rotation of the shafts 2 are thus also the axes of rotation of the soil working members 3 and it will be seen from Figure 2 of the drawings that each such member 3 comprises a horizontally or subtsantially horizontally disposed support or carrier 4 which is releasably secured, midway along its length, to the downwardly projecting lower end of the shaft 2 concerned by, for example, a fastening nut and a split pin or other positive retaining member, these fastening means not being visible in the drawings. The opposite ends of each support or carrier 4 are integrally or rigidly provided with corresponding tine holders 5, each tine holder 5 being of substantially cylindrical sleeve-like construction and being disposed with its longitudinal axis in parallel or substantially parallel relationship with the longitudinal axis of the corresponding shaft 2. Each holder 5 firmly but releasably receives an upper fastening portion of a corresponding rigid tine 6.

Each tine 6 also comprises a soil working portion which projects downwardly from the lower end of the corresponding fastening portion, both portions of each tine 6 advantageously being straight but being inclined to one another, at the junction between them, by a small angle of, conveniently, substantially 8 . The two tines 6 of each soil working member 3 are so arranged that their soil working portions trail rearwardly from top to bottom with respect to the intended directions of operative rotation of the soil working members 3 concerned (see the arrows which denote these directions of rotation in Figure 1 of the drawings). The fastening portions of the tines 6 are conveniently retained in their holders 5 by nuts (not shown) which co-operate with short screwthreaded upper ends of said fastening portions. Means (not shown) is also provided to prevent the fastening portions of the tines 6 from turning to any significant extent about their own longitudinal axes in the holders 5 once the fastening nuts, or other fastenings that may be provided, have becn tightened or otherwise secured.

The opposite ends of the hollow frame portion 1 are closed by corresponding parallel and vertically or substantially vertically disposed side plates 7 which side plates both extend substantially parallel to the direction A and both of which are somewhat sector-shaped, the broad edges of the sectors being at the rear of said plates relative to the direction A. Strong substantially horizontally aligned pivots or stub shafts 8 are mounted at locations which are clese to the leading extremities of the two frame portion side plates 7. Each pivot or stub shaft 8 has one end of a corresponding arm 9 turnably mounted thereon, said arm 9 extending generally rearwardly, with respect to the direction A, from the pivot or stub shaft 8 concerned alongside the closely neighbouring plate 7. The arms 9 project rearwardly by some distance beyond the broad genarally upright rear edges of the frame portion side plates 7. Each side plate 7 is formed, close to its rear upright edge, with a curved row of holes which holes are spaced by equal distances from the substantially horizontal axis that is defined by the aligned pivots or stub shafts 8 and each arm 9 is formed with at least one hole at the same distance from said axis. Thus, by turning the arms 9 upwardly or downwardly about the pivots or stub shafts 8, the holes in those arms can be brought into register with chosen ones of the holes in the side plates 7. Retaining bolts which are illustrated only diagrammatically in Figure 1 of the drawings are provided for substantially horizontal entry through the holes in the arms 9 and chosen registering holes in the side plates 7 and it will be appreciated that, when said retaining bolts have been installed and tightened, the arms 9 are firmly but releasably retained in corresponding angular positions about the axis which is defined by the pivots or stub shafts 8.

An open-work ground roller 10 in mounted in a freely rotatable manner between substantially horizontally aligned bearings that are carried at the rearmost cnds of the two arms 9, said roller 10 SL.' ing as a rotatable supporting member of the implement during the use thereof and also, in its own right, as a soil working member which will crush any lumps of soil that exceptionally remain unbroken by the tines 6, the maximum depth to which the soil working portions of those tines 6 can penetrate into the ground during operation being determined principally by the level of the axis of rotation of the roller 10 which is chosen relative to the level of the hollow frame portion 1 and the soil working members 3. The roller 10 comprises a central, preferably tubular (as illustrated).

axially extending support 11 to which a plurality, such as five, of support plates 12 are secured at regular intervals along the length thereof, two of said support plates 12 being disposed close to the opposite ends of the central support 11. The support plates 12 are substantially vertically disposed in parallel relationship with each other and parallel or substantially parallel relationship with the direction A, each support plate 12 being of circular configuration and being formed, close to its circumference, with a circular row of regularly spaced apart holes which may conveniently be eight in number. A plurality of groundengaging elongate elements 13 are entered lengthwise through holes in successive support plates 12, said elements 13 preferably (as illustrated), but not essentially, being arranged so as to extend in a shallow helically wound configuration around the central support 11 of the roller.

The rear edge of the top of the hollow frame portion 1 is provided, close to the two side plates 7, with two upwardly and rearwardly, with respect to the direction A, projecting supports 14, each support 14 having a substantially horizontally disposed foot which is secured by bolts to the top of the hollow frame portion 1. The upper rear ends of the two supports 14 carry two pivot pins 15 that are substantially horizontally aligned in a direction which is parallel to the length of the frame portion 1 and thus perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the direction A. The two pivot pins 15 turnably connect a hood, screen or baffle 16 (hereinafter referred to only as a hood) to the supports 14 and thus to the frame portion 1. The hood 16 comprises a substantially cylindrically curved portion 17 whose centre of curvature substantially, although not necessarily exactly, coincides with the axis of rotation of the roller 10 when the implement is in use.

The portion 17 of the hood 16 partially surrounds an upper region of the roller 10 in adjacent relationship with that upper region and, at its rearmost edge, with respect to 'he direction A, merges integrally into an oppositely curved portion (see Figure 2) which latter, in turn, terminates in a substantially horizontally disposed portion 18 which may actually, as illustrated, be cylindrically curved to some extent in such a way that the concave surface thereof faces upwardly. The portion 18 bears upon the ground surface when the implement is in use at a short distance behind the roller 10 and is provided, in order to increase its soil-levelling effect, with a levelling strip 18A which extends throughout the width (transverse to the direction A) of the hood 16. he extreme rearmost edge of the hood portion 18 is formed as a narrow upwardly inclined rim.

Lugs are provided at the opposite lateral edges of the curved hood portion 17 and helical tension springs 19 are stretched between said lugs and co-operating lugs which are secured to the rear of the hollow frame portion 1 at locations substantially vertically beneath the two supports 14. It will be apparent that the springs 19 tend to turn the hood 16 in a clockwise direction about the axis which is defined by the pivot pins 15 as seen in Figure 2 of the drawings and thus to urge the levelling strip 1 8A into firm engagement with the ground surface when the implement is in operation.

Although not illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it is noted that the two helical tension springs 19 may be provided with known means, such as screw-threaded rods and axially displaceable stop nuts, by which their initial degrees of tension can be adjusted to increase or decrease the pressure by which the hood portion 18, and its levelling strip 1 8A in particular, will bear against the ground surface. Two shield plates 22 which, during operation, are both substantially vertically disposed and in parallel or substantially parallel relationship with the direction A, are provided at locations which are short distances beyond the opposite ends of the single row of soil working members 3. Each such member 3 has an effective working width which is greater than the distance between the axes of rotation of two neighbouring shafts 2 anti which may, for example, have a magnitude of substantially 300 millimetres.

Accordingly, during operation, the ten, in this embodiment, soil working members 3 co-operate to cultivate a single broad strip of soil which will, in the case of the embodiment that is being described, have a width of substantially 2+ metres. The two shield plates 22 co-operate with the soil working members 3 that are at the opposite ends of the single row thereof in working the soil as intensively at the margins of the broad strip as it is towards the centre of that strip and ensures that little, if any, ridging of the worked soil takes place at said margins. In addition, the shield plates 22 act to prevent the tines 6 of the rapidly rotating soil working members 3 from flinging loose stones and the like laterally of the path of travel of the implement so that the danger of injury or damage to bystanders, livestock and property from this cause is greatly reduced, if not entirely eliminated. Each shield plate 22 is connected by a corresponding pair of arms 21 and a pair of pivots to two brackets 20 which are secured to the top of the hollow frame portion 1 at locations alongside the front and rear edges of that frame portion and inwardly towards the centre thereof by short distances from the side plates 7 at the opposite ends thereof. The two pivots that correspond to each pair of arms 21 define a corresponding substantially horizontal axis that is parallel or substantially parallel to the direction A. It will be seen from the drawings that the two arms 21 converge towards one another from their pivotal connections to the corresponding brackets 20 and extend upwardly over the upper edges of the neighbouring frame portion side plates 7. The two arms 21 are then bent over downwardly and extend sutstantially vertically alongside each other t.) carry the shield plate 22 concerned at lower end regions thereof. With this arrangement, the lower edge of each shield plate 22 can slide over the ground surface in substantially the direction A and the shield plate can turn upwardly and downwardly about the axis which is defined by the pivotal connections of the respective arms 21 to the corresponding brackets 20 to match undulations in the surface of the ground that may be met with during operative progress in the direction A or during manoeuvring of the implement in the opposite direction. It will be noted from Figure 2 of the drawings that front and rear end regions of the lower edge of each shield plate 22 are upwardly inclined.

Each of the shafts 2 is provided, inside the hollow frame portion 1, with a corres ponding straight-toothed or spur-toothed pinion 23, the ten (in this embodiment) pinions 23 being so dimensioned and arranged inside the frame portion 1 that the teeth of each of them are in mesh with those of the or each immediately neighbouring pinion 23 in the single row of those pinions. Thus, when the implement is in operation, each pinion 23, together with the corresponding shaft 2 and soil working member 3, will rotate in a direction which is opposite to the direction of rotation of the or each immediately neighbouring similar assembly (see the arrows in Figure 1 of the drawings). One of the centre pair of shafts 2 in the row of ten such shafts has an upward extension through the top of the hollow frame portion 1 into a gear box 24 that is fastened on top of the hollow frame portion 1. Shafts and bevel pinions within the gear box 24 place the shaft extension which has just been mentioned in driven connection with a substantially horizontally disposed rotary input shaft 26 of said gear box, the shaft 26 having an end which projects forwardly from the front of the gear box in substantially the direction A. A change-speed gear 25 is mounted at the back of the gear box 24 and comprises at least one pair of interchangeable pinions of different size which pair is preferably also exchangeable for a second pair of interchangeable pinions that are of other different sizes. The pinions are straighttoothed or spur-toothed pinions and have splined hubs which co-operate with matchingly splined rear ends of the rotary input shaft 26 and a further substantially horizontally disposed shaft that is parallel to the shaft 26 but that is not visible in the drawings. The particular pair of pinions that is chosen for use in the change-speed gear 25, and the arrangements thereof that is selected on the co-operating shaft ends, dictates the speed at which all of the rotary soil working members 3 will be driven in response to a substantially constant speed of input rotation that is applied to the leading end of the shaft 26 when the implement is in use. Rotary drive is applied to the leading end of the input shaft 26, during the use of the implement, from the rear power take-off shaft of an agricultural tractor or other operating vehicle by way of an intermediate telescopic transmission shaft 27, which is of a construction that is known per se, having universal joints at its opposite ends. The front of the hollow frame portion 1 is provided, midway between the general planes of the side plates 7, with a coupling member or trestle 28 which is of substantially triangular configuration as seen in front or rear elevation. The coupling member or trestle 28 defines upper and lower coupling points which are intended for connection, in a manner that is generally known pr se, and that is illustrated in outline in Figure 1 of the drawings, to the three-point lifting device or hitch at the rear of an agricultural tractor or other operating vehicle. Locations close to the upper ends of upwardly convergent arms of the coupling member or trestle 28 are connected by downwardly and rearwardly divergent tie beams 29, for strengthening purposes, to two widely spaced apart locations at the top and rear of the hollow frame portion 1.

In the use of the soil cultivating implement that has been described, its coupling member or trestle 28 is connected to the three-point lifting device or hitch at the rear of an agricultural tractor or other operating vehicle and the rear power takeoff shaft of the same tractor or other vehicle is placed in driving connection with the rotary input shaft 26 of the gear box 24 by way of the known telescopic transmission shaft 27 which has universal joints at its opposite ends. Adjustments which may, if required, be made before work commences include setting the speed at which the rotary soil working members 3 will be revolved in response to a substantially constant speed of rotation applied to the shaft 26 by appropriate adjustments of the change-speed gear 25. The maximum depth to which the tines 6 of the soil working members 3 will be able to penetrate into the ground is determined by setting the axis of rotation of the roller 10 at an appropriate level relative to the level of the hollow frame portion 1 and soil working members 3 by displacing said roller 10 bodily upwards or downwards, as may be required, about the axis defined by the pivots or stub shafts 8, using the retaining bolts or other releasable re taining members to maintain any newly chosen depth setting as long as may be required. As the implement moves forwardly in the direction A in an operative condition, the strips of soil that are worked by the individual members 3 overlap one another to produce the aforementioned single broad strip of worked land and that strip is substantially immediately acted upon by the roller 10 whose elongate elements 13 will crush any exceptionally unbroken lumps of soil that may remain at substantially the surface thereof and will also act to distribute the soil cultivated by the members 3 substantially uniformly throughout the working width of the implement. Some soil which is displaced by the roller 10 itself strikes the substantially cylindrically curved portion 17 of the hood 16 and eventually arrives beneath the levelling strip 18A which is carried by the substantially horizontally disposed portion 18 of said hood 16. The portion 18, and particularly its levelling strip 18A, works the crumbled soil with a flattening action to produce a very flat and gently compressed upper soil surface. The production of a substantially fiat and gently compressed surface of the cultivated coil is of considerable importance for many horticultural purposes and often when grass seeds are to be sown. The hood portion 17 will cooperate to some extent with the helically disposed elongate elements 13 of the roller 10 when the implement is in operation and particularly when said roller 10 has been bodily adjusted, relative to the frame portion 1, in such a way that the tines 6 of the soil working members 3 penetrate deeply into the ground. The axis about which the hood 16 is pivotable relative to the supports 14 is defined by the substantially horizontally aligned pins 15 and is located in advance of substantially the whole of the roller 10 with respect to the direction A. This arrangement, together with the provision of the springs 19, enables the hood 16 to occupy a substantially stable position during operative progress in the direction A which position is such that the levelling strip 18A remains constantly in contact with the ground surface throughout substantially the whole of the working width of the implement.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:- 1. A soil cultivating implement of the kind set forth, wherein an upper region of said roller is partially surrounded by a hood which is disposed in adjacent relation- ship with said upper region and which extends throughout substantially the whole of the working width of the roller, said hood bearing against the ground surface, during the operation of the implement, at a location which is to the rear of the roller with respect to the intended direction of operative travel of the implement.

2. An implement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hood is pivotable relative to said frame portion about an axis which extends substantially horizontally perpendicular, or, at least, transverse, to the intended direction of operative travel of the implement.

3. An implement as claimed in claim 2, wherein the pivotal axis is located in advance of substantially the whole of said roller with respect to said direction of travel.

4. An implement as claimed in claim 2 o: 3, wherein the pivotal axis is disposed at a horizontal level which is not lower than that of the top of said upper region of the roller.

5. An implement as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the hood bears against the ground surface, during the operation of the implement, by way of a substantially horizontally disposed rear portion thereof.

6. An implement as claimed in claim 5, wherein the rear portion of the hood is adjoined by a substantially cylindrically curved portion whereof which portion is adjacent to said upper region of the roller.

7. An implement as claimed in claim 6, wherin the axis of curvature of the substantially cylindrically curved portion of the hood is substantially coincldent with the axis of rotation of the roller.

8. An implement as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein said rear portion of the hood is provided with a soil levelling strip.

9. An implement as claimed in claim 2 or in any one of claims 3 to 8 when read as appendant to claim 2, wherein the hood is pivotally connected to said frame portion at at least one location which is at or near to the rear of said frame portion with respect to the intended direction of operative travel of the implement.

10. An implement as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the ground roller comprises a plurality of circumferentially arranged, ground-engaging, elongate elements which elements are wound helically around the axis of rotation of the roller.

11. An implement as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein means is provided by which said roller can be bodily adjusted in level relative to the level of said frame portion.

12. An implement as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a spring mechanism is provided by which, during operation of the implement, said hood is urged resiliently into contact with the ground surface at said location which is to the rear of the roller with respect to the intended direction of operative travel of the implement.

13. A soil cultivating implement of the kind set forth, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompany mg drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. substantially fiat and gently compressed surface of the cultivated coil is of considerable importance for many horticultural purposes and often when grass seeds are to be sown. The hood portion 17 will cooperate to some extent with the helically disposed elongate elements 13 of the roller 10 when the implement is in operation and particularly when said roller 10 has been bodily adjusted, relative to the frame portion 1, in such a way that the tines 6 of the soil working members 3 penetrate deeply into the ground. The axis about which the hood 16 is pivotable relative to the supports 14 is defined by the substantially horizontally aligned pins 15 and is located in advance of substantially the whole of the roller 10 with respect to the direction A. This arrangement, together with the provision of the springs 19, enables the hood 16 to occupy a substantially stable position during operative progress in the direction A which position is such that the levelling strip 18A remains constantly in contact with the ground surface throughout substantially the whole of the working width of the implement. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:-

1. A soil cultivating implement of the kind set forth, wherein an upper region of said roller is partially surrounded by a hood which is disposed in adjacent relation- ship with said upper region and which extends throughout substantially the whole of the working width of the roller, said hood bearing against the ground surface, during the operation of the implement, at a location which is to the rear of the roller with respect to the intended direction of operative travel of the implement.