GB2060336A

GB2060336A - Ploughs

Info

Publication number: GB2060336A
Application number: GB8029749A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: C Van der Lely NV
Current assignee: C Van der Lely NV
Priority date: 1979-09-21
Filing date: 1980-09-15
Publication date: 1981-05-07
Also published as: JPS5655101A; DE3035343A1; IT1150059B; NO802763L; NL7907030A; IT8024788A0; FR2465395A1; FR2465395B1

Abstract

A plough comprises a lifting member (8), a turning device (9) and a conveyor (19). The conveyor (19) rotates to drive the furrow slice through the turning device (9). As it passes through the turning device (9) the furrow slice is turned and deformed such that, when re-deposited in its own furrow, its central region is elevated relatively to its sides (Figure 4). The turning device may be rotated in operation, or it may be stationary. Its axis (a) may be inclined to the horizontal. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A plough This invention relates to a plough.

According to the present invention, there is provided a plough comprising a frame and at least one hollow turning device arranged in the frame for at least partly turning a furrow slice, a conveying device being disposed continually within the turning device for cooperation with the turning device.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a machine comprising a frame and at least one turning device arranged in the frame for at least partly turning a furrow slice, the turning device comprising a rotatable drum provided with at least one pairofoutward projections located side by side, between which supporting rollers are rotatably arranged.

According to a third aspect ofthe present invention, there is provided a method of performing a ploughing operation comprising cutting a furrow slice from the ground, turning the furrow slice at least partly and deforming it, and subsequently depositing the furrow slice on the ground, the deformation being such that the sides ofthe deposited furrow slice are nearerthe solid subsoil than the centre of the deposited furrow slice.

For a better understanding ofthe present invention and to show how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure lisa side view of a plough according the invention; Figure 2 is a view in the direction of the arrow II in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a view in the direction of the arrow Ill in Figure 2; Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line IV-IV in Figure 1; Figure 5 is a side view of another embodiment of a plough according the invention; Figure 6 is a view taken in the direction of the arrow in Figure 5; Figure 7 is a side view of a third embodiment of a plough according the invention; and Figure 8 is a view taken in the direction of the arrow VIII in Figure 7.

The ploughs shown in the Figures are in the form of rotary ploughs. Referring first to Figures 1 to 3, the plough comprises a frame having two spaced, substantially horizontal supporting beams 1 and 2 which extend in the intended direction of operative travel of the plough, as indicated by an arrow A. The lower surfaces of the beams 1 and 2 are provided with downwardly converging supports 3. At the lower ends of the supports 3 is fastened a horizontal carrier 4 extending transversely ofthe direction A. The carrier4 has a channelshaped cross-section (Figure 1 ) and is disposed with the walls of the channel directed downwards. On the top surfaces of the beams 1 and 2, at the same position as they join the supports 3, there are supports 5 which converge upwardly. The top ends of the supports 5 are interconnected by a transverse beam 6.The transverse beam 6 is generally horizontal and has a channelshaped cross-section. The beam 6 is arranged with the walls of the channel directed upwardly. Just lower than halfway down each of the leading supports 3 there is a beam 7 projecting forwardly from the respective support 3. The front ends of the two beams 7 are provided with a soil lifting member 8 constructed in the form of a share. The soil lifting member 8 has, as viewed from the front, a rectangular shape and has a rearwardly ascending bottom wall which meets, at the sides, inwardly inclined, upwardly extending side walls. The bottom wall and the side walls substantially constitute a funnel. At the rear, the soil lifting member 8 meets the front of a guide for a lifted furrow slice, this guide comprising a turning device in the form of a drum 9, the length of which is substantially equal to its diameter.

The drum 9 is rotatable about its longitudinal axis a and is supported between the supporting beams 1 and 2 and the supports 3 and 5 by rollers 10 disposed both above and below the drum axis a. The rollers 10 are arranged in pairs on the ends of the shafts 11, which arejournalled in bearings 12. The bearings 12 are supported by lugs 13, which are secured to the bottom surface of the beam 6 and the top surface of the carrier 4. The rollers 10 are located between two outwardly projecting annular ribs 14 provided on the outer surface of the drum 9. The inner surface of the drum 9 is provided with soil engaging elements 15 in the form of ribs which extend substantially parallel to the axis a of the drum. The axis a is substantially horizontal in operation. The ribs 15 are distributed about the axis a at intervals of about 90".

The front ends of the beams 1 and 2 are interconnected by a transverse supporting beam 16. Near its middle, the transverse beam 16 is provided on its lower surface with a bearing 17 for a stub shaft 18 located at the front of a central soil conveyor 19 disposed within the drum 9. The conveyor 19 extends almost to the rear of the drum 9 and tapers from front to rear. The periphery of the conveyor 19 is provided with a helical projection 20.

In front of each side wall of the lifting member 8 there is a coulter 20A having a straight cutting edge which is inclined upwardly from front to rear. The top ends of the coulters 20A can be fixed at different vertical levels by means of bolts 21 and holders 22 located at the front ofthe transverse beam 16 near its ends. A trestle 23 is secured to the front of the transverse beam 16 for attaching the plough to the three-point lifting device of a tractor.

Nearthe top, the trestle 23 is connected with the beam 6 by struts 24, which slightly diverge from front to rear.

Pivotable skids 26 are secured to the carrier4 by means of aligned pins 25 extending in the direction A. The skids 26 support the plough during operation.

The stub shaft 18 atthe front of the conveyor 19 extends into a gearbox 27, which is secured to the beam 16 and to a support 28 near the top ofthe trestle 23. Inside the gearbox 27 there is a pinion 29 provided on the stub shaft 18 and meshing with one of two identical meshing larger pinions 30 on stub shafts 31. The upper pinion 30 meshes with a smaller pinion 32. The pinion 32 is mounted on a shaft 33 supported in a wall of the gearbox 27. The shaft carries a roller 34 near its rear end. The roller 34 is provided at its periphery with friction material and co-operates with a band 35 also provided with friction material and disposed near the front end ofthe drum 9.

During operation, the plough is attached by means of the trestle 23 to the lifting device of a tractor and the stub shaft 18 projecting from the gearbox 27 is coupled by an auxiliary shaft 36 with the power take-off shaft ofthetractor. By driving the stub shaft 18, both the conveyor 19 and the drum 9 are rotated in the direction indicated by an arrow B in Figure 2.

As the plough advances, supported by the skids 26, a furrow slice is cut loose by the coulters 20A and the lifting member 8 in the form of a share, this furrow slice having a thickness of about 20 cms and a width of at least 50 cms, preferably 75 cms. The cut furrow slice is lifted by the member 8 to the drum 9. The furrow slice thus moves obliquely upwards and rearwards (Figure 1). The central region ofthe top of the furrow slice is engaged by the front end of the conveyor 19 and is displaced rearwardly by the conveyor after being initially pushed downwards. With the assistance of the conveyor the furrow slice is then displaced laterally, upwardly and rearwardly and curved around the conveyor 19 by the drum 9, this displacement being promoted by the ribs 15 inside the drum.As it passes through the drum 9, the furrow slice is turned so that it leaves the rear end of the drum in the state shown schematically in Figure 1 and is deposited in its own furrow. Owing to the co-operation described above between the conveyor 19 and the drum 9, by which the furrow slice is curved around the conveyor 19, the deposited furrow slice is shaped such that its bottom side (which was the top) is compressed and has a width smaller than that ofthe top side (which was the bottom).

Thus the furrow slice forms a tunnel, as shown in Figure 4. Since the conveyor 19 tapers from front to rear, the furrow slice is readily discharged. The operation described above carried out by the plough depicted enables a large furrow slice to be effectively turned so that the weeds and other growth on the original top surface are completely covered up, and the furrow slice is deposited on a solid subsoil in the form of a tunnel into which an adequate supply of air can penetrate to convert vegetable remnants into humic compost. Moreover, water can more readily flow down because the curved top side of the deposited furrow slice contributes to the effluence of rain.

The conveyor 19 located centrally of the drum and functioning in addition to compress the furrow slice during operation is readily capable of shaping the severed furrow slice, despite its large width, into the desired tunnel shape.

The plough shown in Figures 5 and 6 comprises a frame having two frame beams 36 extending generally in the direction A. The frame beams 36 are each provided on the bottom and top sides with pairs of converging supports 37 and 38 respectively, which are interconnected by channel-shaped transverse beams 39 and 40 respectively. The transverse beams 39 and 40 are arranged so that their walls extend downwards and upwards respectively, i.e. away from the beams 36. Inside the frame formed by the beams 36 to 40, there is a turning device in the form of a drum 41. The drum 41 is fixed securely to the frame and does not rotate in operation. Each of the frame beams 36 is provided on the top and bottom sides near the ends and near the centre with supports 42, to which the drum 41 is secured. A forwardly projecting beam 43 is fastened to the two leading lower supports 37.To the front ends of the beams 43 is fastened a plate 44, which meets the lower part ofthe drum 41 (Figure 6). To the upwardly extending edges of the plate 44 are secured forwardly and downwardly inclined plates 45. The connection of the plate 44 with the front ends of the beams 43 is reinforced by gusset plates 46. The leading ends of the plates 45 terminate in points at the front and are interconnected by a flat plate 46A, which has a cutting edge at the front and extends rearwardly up to the leading roller of two adjacent groups of rollers 47 arranged in the form of a Vto constitute a share-like soil lifting member. The rollers 47 of each group are rotatably supported at their outboard ends by means of stub shafts in the plates 45 and at their inboard ends by means of stub shafts in a plate 48 located midway between the plates 45.

The plate 48 is fastened to the bottom ofthe drum 41. Each roller 47 tapers from the outboard to the inboard end. The rollers 47 deform the lifted furrow slice so that it can be more readily introduced into the drum. The drum 41 is arranged in the frame with its longitudinal centre line a sloping downwardly from front to rear, at an angle of about 15O to the horizontal. Thus the furrow slice lifted by the rollers 47 can be effectively captured. During operation the rear end of the drum 41 is supported on the ground by a skid 50. At the front end of the drum, at a position above the axis a, there is a transverse beam 51 which extends parallel to the transverse beams 39 and 40. Near its mid-point, the beam 51 carries a downwardly extending support 52 provided with a bearing 53.The bearing 53 supports a stub shaft 54 located at the leading end of a conveyor 55 disposed within the drum 41. The longitudinal centre line of the conveyor 55 coincides with the axis a. The conveyor 55 of this embodiment is cylindrical and extends almost to the rear end of the drum 41. The periphery of the conveyor 55 has a helical vane 56.

The front end of the stub shaft 54 extends into a gearbox 57, in which there is a pinion 58 mounted on the shaft 54. The opinion 58 meshes with a pinion 59 on a stub shaft 60 in the upper region of the gearbox 57. The stub shaft 60 projects from the front of the gearbox 57 and can be connected by an auxiliary shaft 61 to the power take-off shaft of a tractor.

The beam 51 is provided with downwardly extending and forwardly inclined coupling members 62 for attachment to the lower arms of the three-point lifting device of a tractor. At the top, near the centre, the beam 51 is provided with a trestle 63, which slopes upwardly away from the beam 51 and with which the top arm of the three-point lift of the tractor can be coupled. The top of the trestle 63 is connected with the beam 40 by diverging supports 64.

During operation the plough occupies the position shown in Figure 5, in which as mentioned, the axis a slopes downwardly from front to rear. The plough is coupled with the three-point lift of a tractor by the coupling members 62 and the trestle 63, and as it is drawn over the ground, the cutting plate 46A and the upwardly extending plates 45 lift a furrow slice having a thickness of about 20 cms and a width of at least 50 cms, preferably 75 cms. The furrow slice is carried upwards by the lifting member 49 constituted by the roller 47 and fed to the front end of the drum 41. During this movement, the sides of the furrow slice are slightly pushed upwards to the middle so that the shape of the furrow slice is more or less adapted to the drum 41. The furrow slice is then in the position shown schematically in Figure 5.The lifted furrow slice engages the leading end of the conveyor 55 rotating in the direction of the arrow B in Figure 6, driven by the power take-off shaft of the tractor preferably with a speed of 40-100 rev./min.

The conveyor 55 compresses the upper region of the furrow slice. As the furrow slice advances, it is displaced laterally, upwardly and rearwardly also, guided by helical guide elements 65 which extend parallel to one another on the inner surface of the drum 41. The furrow slice is thus wrapped around the conveyor 55 and is delivered from the rear end of the drum in the conditions described above for the first embodiment. The guide elements 65 extend from the front side of the bottom of the drum-shaped turning device and cover a circumferential angle of at least 1800 and preferably 2700. As with the previous embodiment, the co-operation between the rotating conveyor 55 and the drum 41 achieves a turning of the furrow slice and shapes it such that it can be deposited in the manner shown in Figure 4 on the solid base of its own furrow.The length of the drum 41 in this embodiment is, as before, substantially equal to its diameter so that the machine is compact.

Another possible construction for the plough is shown in Figures 7 and 8, where parts corresponding with those ofthe previous embodiments are designated by the same reference numerals.

The frame of the plough comprises two frame beams 66 extending in the direction A. As in the second embodiment, the frame beams 66 are provided on the bottom and top sides with pairs of converging supports 37 and 38, interconnected at the top and bottom ends respectively by means of channelsection transverse beams 39 and 40 respectively.

Inside the frame formed by the members 66,37,38, 39 and 40, the drum 41 is fixed in the same manner as in the preceding embodiment. A lifting member 8 is carried by forwardly extending beams 67 fastened to the leading supports 37. As in the first embodiment, knife coulters 20A are arranged at the front of the frame beams 66. Just above the centre of the supports 38 are fixed beams 68 projecting forwardly in the direction A. The front ends of the beams 68 are interconnected by a transverse beam 69. The lefthand frame beam 66, as seen in Figure 8, is provided with a bearing 70 for a shaft 71 projecting forwardly in the direction A. The shaft 71 is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis a of the drum 41. An arm 72, which extends inwardly towards the axis a, is pivotable about the shaft 71. At its inner end, the arm 72 is provided with a stub shaft 73 journalled in a bearing 73A.The stub shaft 73 is provided on the front end of the conveyor 55 extending within the drum 41.

Approximately midway along its length, the arm 72 is provided with an upwardly extending support 74, which is pivotally connected to a forked end of a substantially horizontal rod 75. The rod 75 passes through an opening in a plate 76 fastened to the bottom side of the frame beam 69. Near the end of the rod 75 away from the support 74 there is a stop 77. Between the stop 77 and the plate 76 there is a compression spring 78 which surrounds the rod 75.

This construction means that the conveyor 55 can deflect as a whole in a vertical direction with respect to the drum 41 against the effect of the compression spring 78. This deflection takes place about the shaft 71 extending substantially in the direction A and disposed at the same vertical level as the rotary axis of the conveyor. The force of the spring 78 is adjustable. Like the beam 51 of the preceding embodiment, the beam 69 is provided with means for attaching the plough to the three-point lifting device of a tractor. The trestle 63 is connected by diverging supports 79 with the beam 40. The stub shaft 73 at the front of the conveyor 55 extends into a gearbox 80, in which a pinion 81 is mounted on the shaft 73.

The pinion 81 meshes with a smaller pinion 82 on a shaft 83 journalled in the gearbox 80 and projecting forwardly from the gearbox. The shaft 83 can be connected by an auxiliary shaft 61 with the power take-off shaft of the tractor. As in the preceding embodiment, the inner surface of the drum 41 has three substantially equidistant, helical guide strips 65 extending rearwardly from the bottom and front side about the longitudinal axis of the drum (Figure 7). Each of the guide strips 65 runs around a circumferential angle of at least 1809 preferably 270".

At the rear the drum 41 is provided near the centre with a skid 84 which supports the plough on the ground during operation. The longitudinal axis a of the drum and the normally coincident rotary axis of the rotating conveyor 55 slope upwardly from front to rear at an angle of about 5 to the horizontal.

The embodiment shown in Figures 7 and 8 operates in a manner largely corresponding with that of the preceding embodiments. The coulters 20A and the lifting member 8 in the form of a share cut away and lift a furrow slice from the surrounding soil, the furrow slice having a thickness of about 20 cms and a width of about 75 cms. This furrow slice is fed from the rear of the share 8 to the stationary drum 41, where the furrow slice, whose path of movement is schematically indicated in Figure 7, is captured by the front.end of the rotating conveyor 55, initially pressed downwards and turned in the direction, indicated by an arrow C in Figure 8. As the furrow slice passes through the drum 41, it is deformed and inverted in the same manner as in the preceding embodiment with the aid of the helically extending guide strips 65 on the inner surface of the drum 41.

The resilient mounting ofthe conveyor ensures a smooth engagement with the furrow slice, whilst clogging can be avoided. It will be appreciated that the resilient mounting of the conveyor may also be employed inthetwo preceding embodiments. Since the stationary, drum 41 slopes upwardly from front to rear, the co-operation ofthe lifting member 8 with the drum 41 is improved. The furrow slice, at least 50 cms and preferably 75 cms wide to be lifted by the plough described above has a width such that the intended inversion and deformation can be effectively carried out in the manner described above.

Whilst various features of the plough that have been described, and that are illustrated in the drawings,will be set forth inthefollowing claims as inventive features, it is to be noted that the invention is not necessarily limited to these features and that it encompasses all of the features that have been described both individually and in various combinations.

Claims

1. A plough comprising a frame and at least one hollow turning device arranged in the frame for at least partly turning a furrow slice, a rotatable conveyor being disposed continually within the turning device for co-operation with the turning device.

2. A plough as claimed in claim 1, in which the conveyor is constructed to assist the displacement of a furrow slice, and is located at least substantially centrally above the furrow slice.

3. A plough as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which the conveyor is elongate, its longitudinal axis extending in the intended direction of operative travel of the plough.

4. A plough as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, in which the conveyor tapers from front to rear with respect to the intended direction of operative travel of the plough.

5. A plough as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the conveyor is generally cylindrical.

6. A plough as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, in which the conveyor is provided at its periphery with a helical configuration.

7. A plough as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, in which the conveyor is rotatably supported adjacent one end only.

8. A plough as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, in which the turning device comprises a drum within which the conveyor is disposed.

9. A plough as claimed in claim 8, in which the axis of the drum extends substantially in the intended direction of operative travel ofthe plough.

10. A plough as claimed in claim 8 or 9, in which the rotary axis of the conveyor substantially coincides with the axis of the drum.

11. A plough as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 10, in which both the conveyor and the drum are mechanically driven in the same direction of rotation.

12. A plough as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 11, in which the axis ofthe drum slopes downwardly from front to rear with respect to the intended direction of operative travel of the plough.

13. A plough as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 12, in which the conveyor is bodily displaceble with respect to the drum.

14. A plough as claimed in claim 13, in which the conveyor is pivotable about an axis extending in the intended direction of operative travel of the plough, the axis being located substantially at the same vertical level as the rotary axis of the conveyor.

15. A plough as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which a cutting member is arranged in front of the turning device and a plurality of rollers are arranged between the cutting member and the turning device.

16. A plough as claimed in claim 15, in which two groups of the rollers are arranged side-by-side to provide a V-shaped track.

17. A plough as claimed in claim 15 or 16, in which the rollers of each group are located one behind the other, with respect to the intended direction of operative travel of the plough.

18. A plough as claimed in any one ofthe preceding claims, in which the turning device is supported buy a plurality of supporting rollers, at least two of which are located in the lower region and at least two of which are located in the upper region of the turning device.

19. A plough comprising a frame and at least one turning device arranged in the frame for at least partly inverting a furrow slice, the turning device comprising a rotatable drum provided with at least one pair of outward projections located side by side, between which supporting rollers are rotatably arranged.

20. A plough as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the internal surface of the turning device is provided with a plurality of soil engaging elements, which extend helically with respect to the axis of the turning device.

21. A method of performing a ploughing operation comprising cutting a furrow slice from the ground, turning the furrow slice at least partly and deforming it, and subsequently depositing the furrow slice on the ground, the deformation being such that the sides of the deposited furrow slice are nearer the solid subsoil than the centre of the deposited furrow slice.

22. A plough for performing an operation substantially as described herein with reference to, and as shown in, Figures 1 to 3, Figures 5 and 6, or Figures 7 and 8 of the accompanying drawings.

23. A method of performing a ploughing operation substantially as described herein.