GB1593837A

GB1593837A - Soil cultivating implements

Info

Publication number: GB1593837A
Application number: GB1124778A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: C Van der Lely NV
Current assignee: C Van der Lely NV
Priority date: 1977-06-02
Filing date: 1978-03-21
Publication date: 1981-07-22
Also published as: FR2392585A1; FR2392585B1; DE2823625A1; NL7706042A

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 of the kind which comprise a mobile frame, a carrier arranged in the frame so as to be rotatable about a horizontal or substantially horizontal axis that extends perpendicular, or at least transverse, to the intended direction of operative travel of the implent, a plurality of soil working members on the carrier, a hood/screen partially surrounding the carrier and its soil working members, and a plurality of pairs of spaced guide members that are arranged rearwardly of the soil working members with respect to said direction of travel so as to form soil displaced by those soil working members during the use of the implement into ridges.

According to the invention, there is provided a soil cultivating implement of the kind set forth, wherein at least one soil scraping member is provided whose disposition during operation is such that it will be moved between two soil ridges, and wherein the soil scraping member comprises flexible material which is arranged at the sides thereof which face said ridges in such a way as to make shaping contact with corresponding sides of those ridges and so as to cause the soil to be smoothed.

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, Figure 2 is a side elevation as seen in the direction indicated by an arrow II in Figure 1, Figure 3 is a rear elevation, to an enlarged scale, of parts of the implement of Figures 1 and 2 as seen in the direction indicated by an arrow III in Figure 1, Figure 4 is a side elevation as seen in the direction indicated by an arrow IV in Figure 3, Figures 5 and 6 are views from the same standpoint as Figure 3, and to the same scale as that Figure, but illustrates two alternative embodiments, Figure 7 is a plan view, to the same scale as Figures 1 and 2, illustrating the construction and arrangement of a member for shaping the top of a soil ridge that is produced by the implement in its use, Figure 8 is an elevation, to an enlarged scale, as seen in the direction indicated by an arrow VIII in Figure 7, Figure 9 is a plan view to the same scale, and from the same stand-point, as Figure 7 illustrating an alternative embodiment of a member for shaping the top of a soil ridge, and Figure 10 is an elevation, to an enlarged scale, as seen in the direction indicated by an arrow X in Figure 9.

Referring to Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings, the soil cultivating implement that is illustrated therein has a frame which comprises two parallel frame beams 1 and 2 that both extend substantially horizontally transverse, and usually (as illustrated) substantially perpendicular, to the intended direction of operative travel of the implement which is indicated in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings by an arrow A. It can be seen in Figure 2 that the frame beam 1 is located at a lower horizontal level that is the frame beam 2 and is in advance of the latter frame beam 2 with respect to the direction. A.

The ends of the frame beams 1 and 2 are rigidly secured to two side plates 3 and 4 of the implement frame which side plates 3 and 4 are vertically or substantially vertically disposed in parallel relationship with one another and parallel or substntially parallel relationship with the direction A, said plates 3 and 4 being located principally to the rear of the frame beams 1 and 2 relative to said direction A. The somewhat irregular shape of one of the two similar side plates 3 and A is clearly illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings.

A rotatable carrier 5 (Figure 1) of hollow formation extends parallel to the frame beams 1 and 2 and has its opposite ends provided with stub shafts 6 (Figure 2) which co-operate with corresponding substantially horizontally aligned bearings that are carried by the two sides plates 3 and 4. The rotatable carrier 5 is located substantially midway between the foremost and rearmost extremities of the side plates 3 and 4 with respect to the direction A but is closer to the lowermost extremities of those side plates 3 and 4 than it is to the uppermost extremities thereof. The stub shaft 6 that adjoins the side plate 3 extends through that side plate and into a gear box or casing 7 that contains transmission members for driving the rotatable carrier 5.

The gear box or casing 7 and its contents will be further described below.

The rotatable carrier 5 is provided at regularly spaced apart intervals along its length with three larger groups 8 of tines and two smaller groups 9 of tines, said groups 8 and 9 being illustrated only diagrammatically in Figure 1 of the drawings from which it will be seen that the two smaller groups 9 are located close to the opposite ends of the rotatable carrier 5 whereas the three larger groups 8 are arranged between them at regularly spaced apart intervals. Each of the tine groups 8 and 9 comprises a plurality of diametrically opposed pairs of soil working tines 10, a single one of which tines 10 is shown in Figure 2 of the drawings from which it will be seen that the inner end of each tine 10 is firmly but releasably connected to the rotatable carrier 5. The smaller groups 9 of tines 10 which are located close to the opposite ends of the carrier 5 each comprise half the number of those tines 10 that is comprised by each one of the three intervening larger tine groups 8.

A beam 11 ofrectangular cross-section interconnects the frame side plates 3 and 4 at a location which is close to the front of said frame, with respect to the direction A, and which is substantially vertically beneath the leading circular cross-section frame beam 1 (see Figure 2). A hood or baffle 12 that is principally of cylindrically curved formation has its leading edge, with respect to the direction A, secured to the rear surface of the beam 11, the axis of curvature of the hood or baffle 12 being substantially coincident with the axis of rotation of the carrier 5 and said hood or baffle 12 subtending an angle of not less than 90 degrees at that axis. In the embodiment which is illustrated, the hood or baffle 12 subtends an angle which is a little greater than 90 degrees at the axis of rotation of the carrier 5. The rear edge of the hood or baffle 12 is secured to one limb of a beam 13 that is of angular cross-section, said beam 13 extending between the frame side plates 3 and 4 at a location which is a little to the rear of the carrier 5 when the implement is viewed in plan (Figure 1). The connections between the opposite ends of the beam 13 and the corresponding frame side plates 3 and 4 are effected by fastening plates 14 which plates 14 project upwardly and rearwardly, with respect to the direction A, from oblique rear edges of the corresponding plates 3 and 4. The beam 13 extends parallel to the frame beams 1 and 2 and has a plurality of spring steel rods 15 secured to it by simple clamps and bolts which are not illustrated in detail in the drawings. The rods 15 are regularly spaced apart from one another along the legnth of the beam 13 at intervals which conveniently, but not essentially, have magnitudes of substantially 35 millimeters. Each rod 15 is contained in a corresponding substantially vertical plane that is parallel to the similar planes for the other rods 15. Each rod 15 initially projects downwardly and rearwardly with respect to the direction A from its clamped upper end and is straight or substantially straight throughout approximately half of its total length. However, at the end of the straight or substantally straight portion of each rod 15, that rod is curved downwardly and rearwardly with respect to the direction A to its lowermost free end or tip and it will be evident from Figure 2 of the drawings that the centres of curvature of the curved portions are coincident or substantially coincident with the axis of rotation of the carrier 5.

The rods 15 together form a grating and it will be seen from Figure 2 of the drawings that their lowermost free ends or tips are disposed at substantially the same horizontal level as is the carrier 5.

A substantially cylindrically curved screen or hood 18 has substantially vertically disposed opposite side walls which carry lugs 17 that are turnably connected by substantially horizontally aligned pivot pins 16 to the portions of the two fastening plates 14 that project upwardly and rearwardly beyond the oblique rear edges of the frame side plates 3 and 4. The screen 18 is thus upwardly and downwardly turnable relative to the implement frame about the axis which is defined by the aligned pivot pins 16. It will be seen from Figure 2 of the drawings that the upper leading edge of the substantially cylindrically curved wall of the screen 18 is close to the axis which is defined by the pivot pins 16 and that said curved wall extends rearwardly and downwardly towards the ground surface from that edge, the rearmost and lowermost edge of said wall again being located at substantially the same horizontal level as is the carrier 5. The grating that is comprised by the spring steel rods 15 lies between the groups 8 and 9 of tines 10 and the screen 18. The lower concave side of the screen 18 is provided with guide members for the soil that is displaced by the groups 8 and 9 of tines 10, said guide members taking the form of eight substantially flat plates 19 that are arranged in three pairs which lie in register, in the direction A, with the three larger tine groups 8 together with two single plates 19 which are disposed in register, in the direction A, with the two smaller tine groups 9. The two plates 19 of each of the three pairs thereof are arranged in substantially inverted V-shaped relationship, the edges thereof which coincide with the point of each "V" being secured to a corresponding vertical or substantially vertical plate 20 that is fastened to the inner concave side of the screen 18. The leading edges of the plates 19, with respect to the direction A, are inclined downwardly and rearwardly from top to bottom with respect to that direction and are located very close to the row of spring steel rods 15. The lower edges of the plates 19 are substantially horizontally disposed and are at the same or substantially the same, horizontal level as is the rear edge of the curved wall of the screen 18. The implement that is being described by way of example is intended to form four regularly spaced apart soil ridges that extend parallel to the direction A and, to this end, the guide member plates 19 co-operates as four pairs which pairs lie at opposite sides of the four gaps that can be seen between them in Figure 1 of the drawings. These gaps register with the actual ridges of soil that are produced when the implement is in use. It will thus be evident that each pair of plates 19 that has edges which are secured to one of the plates 20 is one of a different pair of those plates that co-operates with a further plate 19 which is spaced therefrom in forming the soil ridge that registers with the gap between them. It will be noted from Figure 1 of the drawings that the three plates 20 substantially register, in the direction A, with the centres of the three larger groups 8 of tines 10.

A soil scraping member 21 or 21A is located behind each of the guide member plates 19 at a point which is to the rear of the screen 18. As can be seen in Figure 1 of the drawings, there are three of the scraping members 21 which are, in effect, "double" scraping members that register with the three larger groups 8 of tines 10 and with the corresponding two plates 19, whereas there are two of the scraping members 21A which are, in effect, "single" scraping members that register with the two smaller groups 9 of tines 10 and with the corresponding single guide member plates 9. The soil scraping members 21 and 21A are arranged to smooth the sides of the ridges of soil that are formed by the plates 19 and act to consolidate and stabilise those ridges to some extent. Each of the scraping members 21 (see particularly Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings) comprises a bi-partite plate element 22 that is of downwardly tapering formation from its upper to its lower edge (Figure 3), said element 22 being steeply inclined to the horizontal and less steeply inclined to the vertical (Figure 4) in such a way that its upper edge is in advance of its lower edge with respect to the direction A. The opposite lateral edges of each element 22 are contained in planes that are parallel or substantially parallel to further planes which contain the sloping sides of the corresponding two soil ridges that will be formed by the implement when it is in use. Two supports 23 project upwardly and forwardly with respect to the direction A from each plate element 22, the upper ends of the two supports being rigidly secured to corresponding substantially horizontally disposed sleeves 24 of rectangular cross-section that are both slideable lengthwise along a carrier 26 of matching cross-sectional shape. Each sleeve 24 is formed with a screwthreaded bore which receives the shank of a corresponding set bolt 25 and it will be apparent that said set bolts 25 can be tightened to maintain the sleeves 24, and thus the corresponding supports 23, in corresponding positions lengthwise along the carrier 26 concerned. The opposite ends of each carrier 26 carries substantially horizontally aligned stub shafts 27 which stub shafts 27 are turnably received in holes in corresponding lugs 28 and 29 that are fastened to the convex surface of the curved wall of the screen 18 at a location adjoining the lowermost and rearmost edge thereof. That stub shaft 27 which is entered through the hole in the corresponding lug 29 rigidly carries a tag 30 which is formed, at a location spaced from the stub shaft 27 concerned, with a hole which, when the soil scraping member 21 under consideration 15 in an operative position, will register with a hole in the neighbouring lug 29. Horizontal locking pins 31 are provided for entry through the registering holes to maintain the operative positions of the soil scraping members 21. Each lug 29 is also formed with a second hole 32 at a position which is 1800 removed from the firstmentioned hole around the axis which is defined by the corresponding pair of stub shafts 27 and it can be seen in both Figures 2 and 4 of the drawings that the locking pins 31 can equally well cooperate with the holes in the tags 30 and with the holes 32 in maintaining the soil scraping embers 21, or any chosen one(s) thereof, in upwardly tilted inoperative positions in which they are located behind the convex surface of the curved wall of the screen 18 with respect to the direction A. Such inoperative positions are shown in broken lines Figures 2 and 4 of the drawings.

The lower ends of the two supports 23 that correspond to each plate element 22 are connected to that plate element by bolts or screw-threaded stubs and it will be seen from Figure 3 of the drawings that each support 23 is formed with a row of three holes 33 any chosen one of which can co-operate with the bolt or stud concerned. It will be apparent that the distance between the upper edge (in the operative position) of each plate element 22 and the rear lower edge of the curved wall of the screen 18 will be dependent upon the particular holes 33 that are chosen for cooperation with the bolts or studs. It has already been mentioned that each plate element 22 is of bi-partite formation, there actually being two symmetrically similar, although not identical, over-lapping portions 34 and 35.

The portions 35 comprise spaced upper and lower clamping bolts 36 (or alternative screwthreaded studs) whilst the portion 34 comprises parallel substantially horizontally extending upper and lower slots 37 which register with the clamping bolts 36. It will be evident from Figure 3 of the drawings that the width of each plate element 32 can be increased or decreased by temporarily loosening the two clamping bolts 36, making an adjustment and re-tightening those bolts 36. The inclination of the opposite side edges of each plate element 22 to one another, and thus the angle of slope of the sides of the soil ridges that will be formed during the use of the implement, can be changed to some extent by loosening the nuts of the bolts 36 or equivalent studs and turning the two portions 34 and 35 concerned angularly relative to one another about the axis of the lower bolt 36 or equivalent stud.

Subsequent tightening of the loosened nuts will maintain the new relative disposition of the portions 34 and 35 as long as may be required. It will, in fact, be apparent that, to perform the adjustment that has just been described, it is also necessary temporarily to loosen, and subsequently retighten, the set bolts 25 and the bolts or studs by which the lower ends of the supports 23 co-operate with the two portions 34 and 35 of each plate element 22. The outer downwardly convergent side edges of the two portions 34 and 35 of each plate element 22 have corresponding strips 38 of a flexible material such, for example, as rubber, artificial rubber or a synthetic plastics material, firmly but releasably secured to them by rows of machine screws. As can be seen in the drawings, the flexible strips 38 bear with some pressure against the oblique sides of the soil ridges which are formed by the implement when the latter is in use and thus act to smooth those sides and to bring said ridges to a substantially uniform shape. The soil scraping elements 21A that register in the direction A with the single guide member plates 19 are afforded by single ones of the plate element portions 34 and 35, respectively, each such portion being provided, at the appropriate side edge, with one of the strips 38. The single portions 34 and 35 of the soil scraping emembers 21A are adjustably connected by single supports 23 to single sleeves 24 that are displacably mounted on carriers 26 which are similar to the previously described carriers 26 except that they are of shorter axial length.

Figure 5 of the drawings illustrates an alternative embodiment of each plate element 22 in which said element 22 comprises a single plate 22A rather than the two previously described separate portions 34 and 35. In the embodiment of Figure 5 of the drawings, the two strips 38 that correspond to each single plate 22A are provided, close to their free ridge-engaging edges, with corresponding rigid or substantially rigid strips 39 that may be bonded to the flexible strips 38 or be secured to the latter by an adhesive. Each rigid or substantially rigid strip 39 is pivotally connected to upper and lower pressuredistributing brackets 40 and the two brackets 40 of each pair are, in turn, pivotally coupled to a corresponding connecting bracket 41.

Substantially the centres of the two connecting brackets 41 that correspond to each single plate 22A are pivotally connected to the opposite ends of a substantially horizontally disposed rod 42, said rod 42 being entered through a hole in a lug 43 that is rigidly secured to the rear surface of the plate 22A concerned, with respect to the direction A.

Two helical compression springs 44 are wound around each rod 42 at the opposite sides of the corresponding lug 43 and bear between that lug and corresponding stop nuts 45 which co-operate with screw threaded portions of the rod 42 so as to be displaceable in position axially along that rod. It will be appreciated that the two opposed springs 44 are adjustable in effect and that the two rigid or substantially rigid strips 39 maintain the free edge regions of the two flexible strips 38 of the corresponding soil scraping member in light pressing contact with the adjoining sloping sides of the two neighbouring soil ridges that are formed during the use of the implement. This uniformly distributed light pressure causes said strips 38 to smooth the sloping sides of the soil ridges and to consolidate those ridges to some extent Figure 6 illustrates a further alternative soil scraping member construction which is similar in many respects to the embodiment of Figure 5 but which differs therefrom in that the rear surface of each single plate 22A, with respect to the direction A, is provided with a rearwardly projecting stub shaft 46 around which is turnably wound a coil spring 47. The opposite ends of the coil spring 47 merge integrally into corresponding substantially straight limbs whose opposite free ends are pivotally connected to substantially the centres of the two corresponding connecting brackets 41. The coil spring 47 is arranged so as to tend to unwind itself to some extent and thus maintains a substantially uniform pressure upon the free edge regions of the two flexible strips 38 by way ef the corresponding rigid or substantially rigid strips 39, the pressure-distributing brackets 40 and the connecting brackets 41.

The two frame beams 1 and 2 are interconnected, at two locations which are both spaced inwardly by short distances from the two frame sides plates 3 and 4, by corresponding supports 48 (Figure 1) which supports 48 both project a short distance forwardly in the direction A in front of the leading frame beam 1. The top of each support 48 rigidly carries a corresponding arm 49 that is substantially horizontally parallel to the direction A. The leading ends of the two forwardly projecting arms 49 have corresponding substantially vertically disposed sleeves 50 welded or otherwise rigidly secured to them, said sleeves 50 both being of square cross-section. A carrier bar 51 of square cross-section is slidable upwardly and downwardly in each sleeve 50 and, because of the square crosssection of the sleeve 50 and carrier bars 51, is not turnable about its own substantially vertical longitudinal axis to any significant extent in the sleeve 50 concerned. The lower end of each carrier bar 51 is provided with an axle rod that projects substantially horizontally therefrom in a direction towards the general plane of the respective neighbouring frame side plate 3 or 4 and each axle rod has a pneumatically tyred ground wheel 52 mounted thereon in a freely rotatable manner. An upper region of each carrier bar 51 is formed with a row of regularly spaced apart transverse holes 53 (Figure 2) and the walls of each sleeve 50 are formed with at least one pair of horizontally registering holes that can be brought into alignment with any chosen one of the holes 53. Preferably, as illustrated, the wall of each sleeve 50 comprise two pairs of horizontally registering holes that are spaced apart form one another by a different distance to the regular spacing between the holes 53. Horizontal locking pins 54 are provided for entry through the holes in the walls of the sleeves 50 and chosen ones of the holes 53 in the carrier bars 51 and it will be appreciated that the particular holes 53 which are employed dictated the bodily level of the ground wheels 52 relative to the frame of the implement and thus the maximum depth to which the tines 10 will penetrate into the soil when the implement is in use. The frame beams 1 and 2 rigidly carry, at a location midway between the side plates 3 and 4, a coupling member or trestle 55 that is of substantially triangular configuration as seen in front or rear elevation. The coupling member or trestle 55 defines two horizontally spaced apart lower coupling points and a single upper coupling point which may be used in a manner that is generally known per se in connecting the frame of the implement to the threepoint lifting device or hitch at the rear of an agricultural tractor or other operating verhicle.

Two helical tension springs 56 interconnect anchorages on the frame side plates 3 and 4 and further anchorages on the neighbouring side plates of the screen 18 so that, during operation, said screen 18 and the soil scraping members 21 and 21A will tend to be maintained in the position that is illustrated in the drawings about the axis which is defined by the pivot pins 16 and will only be able to yield in an anti-clockwise direction about that axis, as seen in Figure 2 of the drawings, against the resilient opposition of the two springs 56. It is noted that the annular position to which the screen 18 can turn in a clockwise direction, as seen in Figure 2 of the drawings, about the axis which is defined by the pivot pins 16 is limited by a stop chain (Figures 1 and 2) that interconnects a pivotally mounted yoke on the convex surface of the curved wall of the screen 18 and an anchorage on the coupling member or trestle 55. It is possible, upon temporarily disconnecting the springs 56, to tilt the screen 18 and the parts which it carries upwardly and forwardly about the axis which is defined by the pivot pins 16, such upwardly tilted position being maintained by an appropriate engagement of the stop chain with the anchorage on the coupling member or trestle 55. Such a position of the screen 18 is useful for cleaning, maintenance and inoperative transport purposes. The stub shaft 6 that extends through the frame side plate 3 into the gearbox or casing 7 is provided, inside that gearbox or casing 7, with a toothed pinion 57 whose teeth are in driven mesh with those of a larger toothed pinion 58, the latter pinion being rotatably mounted on a short substantially horizontal shaft 59 which projects from the frame side plate 3. The teeth of the pinion 58 are, in turn, drivingly engaged by the teeth of a further pinion 60 which is of the same size as the pinion 57, the pinion 60 being secured, inside the gearbox or casing 7, to one end of a substantially horizontal shaft 61 that extends parallel to the frame beams 1 and 2 inside a tubular casing 62 (Figure 1) from said gearbox or casing 7 to a central gearbox 63 of the implement which is rigidly secured to supports 64 on the frame beam 2 at a location immediately to the rear of the coupling member or trestle 55. Bevel pinions and shafts (not illustrated) inside the gearbox 63 place ths shaft 61 in driven connection with a rotary input shaft 66 of said gearbox 63 which shaft 66 has a leading splined or otherwise keyed end that projects forwardly from the front of the gearbox in substantially the direction A. The transmission members between the rotary input shaft 66 and the shaft 61 include a change-speed gear 65 that is mounted at the rear of the gearbox 63.

It is not necessary to describe or illustrate the change-speed gear 65 in detail for the purposes of the present invention and it sufficies to say that the change-speed gear 65 is usuable to vary the transmission ratio between the shaft 66 and the shaft 61 so that the tine groups 8 and 9 will be rotatable at any chosen one of a number of different speeds without having to alter the speed of driving rotation that is applied to the forwardly projecting end of the input shaft 66.

When the implement is in use, rotary drive is obtained from the rear power take-off shaft of the agriculatural tractor or other vehicle to which the coupling member or trestle 55 is connected by way of an intermediate telescopic transmission shaft 67, which is of a construction that is known per se, having universal joints at its opposite ends.

The implement that has been described has a working width of substantially 3 0 metres and is particularly useful for cultivating soil and simultaneously earthing up the worked soil into a number of spaced ridges in which certain crops, such as potatoes, can be grown with considerable advantage. The drive transmission between the rotary input shaft 66 of the gearbox 63 and the rotatable carrier 5 is such that, when the inplement is in use, said carrier 5, and thus the tine groups 8 and 9, will revolve in the direction that is indicated by an arrow B in Figure 2 of the drawings which direction, it will be noted, involves the tines 10 moving forwardly through the soil relative to the direction of travel A. The tine groups 8 and 9 are spaced apart from one another in such a way that they will register with the strips of ground that lie between the alreadly existing rows of, for example, potato plants and said groups will displace from those strips quantities of soil that will be determined, to a large extent, by the pre-adjusted working depth of the implement that had been selected by bodily adjusting the ground wheels 52 upwardly or downwardly in position relative to the frame of the implement as descirbed above, using the holes 53 and locking pins 54. The displaced soil is moved upwardly and forwardly in the direction B beneath the unperforated hood or baffle 12 and is thrown against the grating which is afforded by the spring steel rods 15. Any stones, hard lumps of soil, root remnants and the like that are too large to pass through the spaces between the rods 15 slide downwardly along those rods and fall to the bottoms of the cavities or furrows in the groundlwhich are excavated by the corresponding tine groups 8 and 9. Finely divid neatly round off the tops of the soil ridges, producing a significant increase in the stability of each soil ridge which is so treated. The use of the described and illustrated chain loops 69 is particularly effective and advantageous when heavy soil is being cultivated and earthed up.

Figures 9 and 10 of the drawings illustrate an alternative form of a member for shaping the top of a soil ridge. As can be seen in the Figures in question, one edge of a strip 70 of flexible material is secured to the lowermost and rearmost edge of the curved wall of the screen 18 by a number of spaced members, such as bolts, rivets or the like. Each strip 70, like each chain loop 69, is located in register, in the direction A, with one of the gaps between two neighbouring tine groups 8 or one of the gaps between two neighbouring tine groups 8 and 9. Each flexible strip 70 extends rearwardly, with respect to the direction A, from the edge region thereof that is secured to the screen 18 and, close to its rearmost end, its top is fastened to the concave side of a rigid or substantially rigid strip 71, said concave side being directed downwardly towards the ground surface. The rigid or substantially rigid strip 71 is secured to the underlying flexible strip 70 by bonding or by a strong adhesive or the like. Two pressure distributing brackets 72 have their opposite ends pivotally connected to spaced apart locations on the upper convex surface of the frigid or substantially rigid strip 71 and substantially the centres of the two pressuredistributing brackets 40 are, in turn, pivotally coupled to the opposite ends of a connecting bracket 73. The substantially horizontally disposed and larger limb of a bracket 74 of L-shaped configuration overlies each strip 70 and has its rearmost free end disposed above the corresponding rigid or substantially rigid strip 71. The upright and smaller limb of the same bracket 74 is welded or otherwise rigidly secured to the convex surface of the curved wall of the screen 18. The mid-point of each connecting bracket 73 is pivotally coupled to the lowermost end of a corresponding substantially vertically disposed rod 76A which extends upwardly from said bracket 73 through a hole in the horizontal limb of the corresponding L-shaped bracket 74 and through a substantially vertically disposed sleeve which overlies that hole. A helical compression spring 75 surrounds each rod 76A between the lower surface of the substantially horizontal limb of the corresponding bracket 74 and a stop ring on the rod 76A concerned, said stop-ring being disposed close to the pivotal connection of that rod 76A to the respective bracket 73.

The upper end of each rod 76A is screw 'threaded and is provided with a nut 76 so that, by tightening or loosening said nut 76, the degree of initial compression of the corresponding spring 75 can be increased or decreased, the rod 76A concerned being moved either axially upwards or downwards.

When members for shaping the top of soil ridges in accordance with Figures 9 and 10 of the drawings are employed, it will be appreciated that the shapes of the tops of said ridges are determined principally by the curvature of the rigid or substantially rigid strips 71 that are fastened to the underlying flexible strips 70 which latter directly engage the soil. The pressure-distributing brackets 72 and connecting brackets 73 ensure that the downward pressure which is derived from the adjustable springs 75 is substantially uniformly distributed throughout the curved rear edge regions of the flexible strips 70.

The nuts 76 can be employed to increase or decrease the pressure having regard principally to the nature and condition of the soil that is being dealt with.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A soil cultivating implement of the kind set forth, wherein at least one soil scraping member is provided whose disposition during operation is such that it will be moved between two soil ridges, and wherein the soil scraping member comprises flexible material which is arranged at the sides thereof which face said ridges in such a way as to make shaping contact with corresponding sides of those ridges and so as to cause the soil to be smoothed.

2. An implement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the extent of the flexible material is such that it contacts substantially the whole height of each corresponding ridge side during the operation of the implement.

3. An implement as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the or each soil scraping member is pivotable about an axis that extends substantially horizontally perpendicular, or at 'least transverse, to the intended direction of operative travel of the implement between an operative position thereof and an inoperative position thereof.

4. An implement as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the or each soil scraping member comprises a plate element that is non-horizontally disposed when in use.

5. An implement as claimed in claim 4, wherein the or each plate element is inclined to the vertical in such a way that the top thereof is further advanced, with respect to the intended direction of operative travel of the implement, than is the bottom thereof.

6. An implement as claimed in claim 4 or 5, wherein the or each plate element has a shape which substantially matches that of the gap which is left between two soil ridges that are formed by the implement in the use of the latter.

7. An implement as claimed in any claim 4 to 6, wherein the flexible material is pro

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

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. neatly round off the tops of the soil ridges, producing a significant increase in the stability of each soil ridge which is so treated. The use of the described and illustrated chain loops 69 is particularly effective and advantageous when heavy soil is being cultivated and earthed up. Figures 9 and 10 of the drawings illustrate an alternative form of a member for shaping the top of a soil ridge. As can be seen in the Figures in question, one edge of a strip 70 of flexible material is secured to the lowermost and rearmost edge of the curved wall of the screen 18 by a number of spaced members, such as bolts, rivets or the like. Each strip 70, like each chain loop 69, is located in register, in the direction A, with one of the gaps between two neighbouring tine groups 8 or one of the gaps between two neighbouring tine groups 8 and 9. Each flexible strip 70 extends rearwardly, with respect to the direction A, from the edge region thereof that is secured to the screen 18 and, close to its rearmost end, its top is fastened to the concave side of a rigid or substantially rigid strip 71, said concave side being directed downwardly towards the ground surface. The rigid or substantially rigid strip 71 is secured to the underlying flexible strip 70 by bonding or by a strong adhesive or the like. Two pressure distributing brackets 72 have their opposite ends pivotally connected to spaced apart locations on the upper convex surface of the frigid or substantially rigid strip 71 and substantially the centres of the two pressuredistributing brackets 40 are, in turn, pivotally coupled to the opposite ends of a connecting bracket 73. The substantially horizontally disposed and larger limb of a bracket 74 of L-shaped configuration overlies each strip 70 and has its rearmost free end disposed above the corresponding rigid or substantially rigid strip 71. The upright and smaller limb of the same bracket 74 is welded or otherwise rigidly secured to the convex surface of the curved wall of the screen 18. The mid-point of each connecting bracket 73 is pivotally coupled to the lowermost end of a corresponding substantially vertically disposed rod 76A which extends upwardly from said bracket 73 through a hole in the horizontal limb of the corresponding L-shaped bracket 74 and through a substantially vertically disposed sleeve which overlies that hole. A helical compression spring 75 surrounds each rod 76A between the lower surface of the substantially horizontal limb of the corresponding bracket 74 and a stop ring on the rod 76A concerned, said stop-ring being disposed close to the pivotal connection of that rod 76A to the respective bracket 73. The upper end of each rod 76A is screw 'threaded and is provided with a nut 76 so that, by tightening or loosening said nut 76, the degree of initial compression of the corresponding spring 75 can be increased or decreased, the rod 76A concerned being moved either axially upwards or downwards. When members for shaping the top of soil ridges in accordance with Figures 9 and 10 of the drawings are employed, it will be appreciated that the shapes of the tops of said ridges are determined principally by the curvature of the rigid or substantially rigid strips 71 that are fastened to the underlying flexible strips 70 which latter directly engage the soil. The pressure-distributing brackets 72 and connecting brackets 73 ensure that the downward pressure which is derived from the adjustable springs 75 is substantially uniformly distributed throughout the curved rear edge regions of the flexible strips 70. The nuts 76 can be employed to increase or decrease the pressure having regard principally to the nature and condition of the soil that is being dealt with. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A soil cultivating implement of the kind set forth, wherein at least one soil scraping member is provided whose disposition during operation is such that it will be moved between two soil ridges, and wherein the soil scraping member comprises flexible material which is arranged at the sides thereof which face said ridges in such a way as to make shaping contact with corresponding sides of those ridges and so as to cause the soil to be smoothed.

vided in the form of strips which are arranged along the non-horizontally disposed side edges of the or each plate element.

8. An implement as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the flexible material is provided in the form of at least one strip, said strip being so arranged that, during operation of the implement, it bears throughout at least half of its width against one side of a soil ridge formed by the implement.

9. An implement as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 7 or in claim 8 when read as appedant to any one of claims 4 to 7, wherein the or each plate element comprises two relatively displaceable portions and means is provided to fix them in chosen positions relative to one another, and wherein the chosen relative positions of said portions of the or each plate element determine the effective width of the or each such element and thus the spacing between the soil ridges which are formed by the use of the implement.

10. An implement as claimed in claim 9, wherein said plate element portions are symmetrically similar or identical, at least one portion of each plate element being formed with at least one slot which co-operates with at least one clamping bolt or stud that is associated with the companion portion.

11. An implement as claimed in claim 10, wherein each slotted portion has said slots provided towards its upper and lower edges.

12. An implement as claimed in claim 7 or in any one of claims 8 to 11 when read as appendant to claim 7, wherein the surfaces of the flexible strips that are opposite to the surfaces thereof which are intended to make contact with the soil ridges during the operation with at least two pressure-distributing brackets which brackets are coupled to one another bya spring-loaded connecting bracket.

13. An implement as claimed in claim 12, wherein each connecting bracket is pivotally coupled to the corresponding pressuredistributing brackets.

14. An implement as claimed in claim 12 or 13, wherein each connecting bracket is pivotally coupled to a rod, said rod being surrounded by compression springs which cooperate with a lug or like stop on the plate element concerned.

15. An implement as claimed in claim 14, wherein means is provided by which the degree of initial compression of at least one of said springs can be adjusted.

16. An implement as claimed in claim 12 or 13, wherein two connecting brackets which correspond to two flexible strips carried by the same plate element are resiliently engaged by the opposite ends of a coil spring that is located between said resilient strips.

17. An implement as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein means is provided by which the or each soil scraping member can be adjusted to any chosen one of a plurality of different horizontal levels relative to said hood/screen.

18. An implement as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein means is provided by which the or each soil scraping member can be displaced substantially horizontally relative to a carrier and be fixed in any chosen one of a plurality of different positions with respect to that carrier, and wherein the or each carrier is pivotable, together with the corresponding soil scraping member, relative to said hood/ screen.

19. An implement as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein members for shaping stabilising the tops of soil ridges that are formed by the implement during its use are provided in register, in the intended direction of the implement, with the gaps between said spaced guide members.

20. An implement as claimed in claim 19, wherein each member for shaping the top of a soil ridge comprises a loop-shaped member arranged to be dragged along the top of the corresponding ridge when the implement is in use.

21. An implement as claimed in claim 20, wherein each loop-shaped member is attached to said hood/screen at two spaced points thereon.

22. An implement as claimed in claim 20 or 21, wherein each loop-shaped member is in the form of a length of chain.

23. An implement as claimed in claim 19, wherein each member for shaping the top of a soil ridge comprises a flexible strip which is secured to the rear of said hood/screen with respect to the intended direction of operative travel of the implement and which, when viewed in that direction, is of substantially arcuately curved configuration.

24. An implement as claimed in claim 23, wherein a rear edge region of the flexible strip of each member for shaping the top of a soil ridge is secured to the lower surface of a corresponding substantially arcuately curved rigid or substantially rigid strip.

25. An implement as claimed in claim 24, wherein each rigid or substantially rigid curved strip is connected to a bracket carried by the hood/scren by means which includes a compression spring.

26. An implemented as claimed in claim 25, wherein said means also comprises at least two pressure-distributing brackets which are connected to the convex side of said rigid or substantially rigid strips and a connecting bracket coupled to the pressure-distributing brackets, said compression spring being disposed between the connecting bracket and the bracket that is fastened to the hood/ screen.

27. An implement as claimed in claim 26, wherein means is provided by which the degree of initial compression of each spring is adjustable.

28. An implement as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said guide members are arranged wholly or principally beneath said hood/screen.

29. An implement as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein at least part of the hood/screen is pivotable about a horizontal or substantially horizontal axis that extends perpendicular, or at least transverse, to the intended direction of operative travel of the implement, at least one spring being provided to urge at least said part of the hood/screen in a downward direction.

30. An implement as claimed in claim 29, wherein the or each spring is a tension spring arranged to interconnect a side wall of at least said part of the hood/baffle and said frame.

31. A soil cultivating implement of the kind set forth, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings or with reference to Figures 1 to 4 of those drawings as modified by Figure 5 or Figure 6 thereof and/ or by Figures 7 and 8 or Figures 9 and 10 thereof.