GB2127662A

GB2127662A - A soil cultivating machine

Info

Publication number: GB2127662A
Application number: GB08326079A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Der Lely Ary Van; Johannes Cornelis Gerardus Bom
Original assignee: C Van der Lely NV
Current assignee: C Van der Lely NV
Priority date: 1982-09-29
Filing date: 1983-09-29
Publication date: 1984-04-18
Also published as: NL8204382A; GB8326079D0; DE3334785C2; GB2127662B; FR2533408B1; DE3334785A1; ATA342883A; FR2533408A1; AT391391B; CH662036A5

Abstract

A soil cultivating machine comprises a coupling piece with limbs (38) to which further equipment (42) can be connected. The coupling piece is connected to the rest of the machine by a linkage (28, 32) which is displaceable by actuating means (54) to move the coupling piece between a working position, in which it is behind a frame part (1) of the machine, and a travel position (indicated in dashed outline), in which it is above the frame part (1). The machine includes a roller (10), and the actuating means (54), acting through a lower arm (28) of the linkage, can apply pressure to the roller (10). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A soil cultivating machine This invention relates to a soil cultivating machine.

Soil cultivating machines are used to an ever increasing extent in conjunction with further equipment such as seed drills, planting machines or fertilizer dispensers. These combinations are frequently attached, as a unit, to the three-point lifting device of a tractor. The greater the working width of the assembly, the more serious becomes the problem of excessive loading on the lifting device during transport of the assembly, particularly when travelling over uneven ground, and this may give rise to considerable damage.

According to the present invention, there is provided a soil cultivating machine comprising a frame part which extends transversely of the intended direction of operative travel of the machine and is adapted to be coupled to a threepoint lifting device of a tractor, a plurality of rotatable cultivating members being mounted on the frame part and coupling means being provided for connection to further equipment, the coupling means comprising a coupling piece and adjusting means for positioning the coupling piece selectively either behind or above the frame part.

In use of a machine in accordance with the present invention, the further equipment can be displaced to the front over an appreciable distance when in the transport position so that the load on the lifting device of the tractor is significantly reduced. The stability of the assembly to be transported can be improved because a large part of the forces occurring during transport can be directly transferred to the machine frame coupled with the three-point lifting device of the tractor.

A further aspect of the present invention provides a soil cultivating machine comprising a plurality of cultivating members and a roller which is disposed behind the cultivating members, means actuable from a tractor to which the machine is hitched being provided for applying pressure on the roller.

Such a construction may be useful when a socalled compacting roller is employed, because constant rotation of the roller during operation is one of the requirements for effective operation.

For a better understanding of the 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 1 is a side view of a combination comprising a soil cultivating machine and an attached implement; Figure 2 is an enlarged partial side view of the combination; Figure 3 is an elevational view taken in the direction of the arrow III in Figure 2; Figure 4 is an enlarged view taken in the direction of the arrow IV in Figure 2; and Figure 5 is an enlarged view taken in the direction of the arrow V in Figure 2.

Figures 1 and 2 show a soil cultivating machine comprising a hollow frame part 1 extending transversely of the intended direction of operative travel of the machine, indicated by an arrow A.

Upwardly extending, preferably vertical shafts 2 of cultivating members 3 are journalled in the frame part 1 at equal distances of preferably 25 cms from each other. Each cultivating member 3 comprises a carrier 4 mounted on the lower end of a shaft 2 which projects from the frame part 1.

The carrier is provided near its ends with downwardly extending working elements 5 in the form of tines. The ends of the frame part 1 are provided with plates 6 which are parallel to a vertical plane extending in the direction A. These plates close the frame part. Near its front edge, each of the plates 6 has a stub shaft 7 about which is pivotable an arm 8 extending rearwardly along the inner surface of the respective plate.

Near the rear edge of each plate 6 there is a screw spindle 9 for the respective arm 8 which is operabie to move the arm into any one of a plurality of positions relative to the frame part, and to fix it in a selected position. Between the free ends of the arms 8 there is a compacting roller 1 0, which comprises a plurality of groups of ground engaging extensions 12 arranged side by side on a tubular carrier 11. Between the groups of extensions 12 there are scrapers 1 3 which are supported by a transverse carrier 1 3A located behind the roller. The scrapers 1 3 bear on the tubular carrier 11 in its lower quadrant, the point of contact between the free end of the scraper 13 and the tubular carrier being offset by at least 400 from a horizontal plane containing the rotary axis of the roller.

Near the middle, the box-shaped frame part 1 is provided with a trestle 14 for attaching the machine to the three-point lifting device of a tractor. The underside of the triangular trestle 14 is provided with support plates 1 5 which extend in the direction A and are fastened to the top of the frame part 1. The support plates 15, which extend up to the rear of the frame part as shown in Figure 5, are bent inwardly to extend obliquely from the middle of the frame part. The support plates have at the front a rod 1 6 for coupling to the lower arms of the lifting device of a tractor. The top of the trestle 14 is provided with support plates 1 7 extending in the direction A and receiving between them the top arm of the lifting device.

Just in front of the inwardly bent part, each support plate 1 5 is provided with a pin 1 8 extending transversely of the direction A, on which is mounted a strip 1 9 which extends up to, and is releasably secured to, the rear of the box-shaped frame part 1 (Figure 5). One end of an upwardly extending carrier 20 is releasably retained on each pin 1 8 by a pin 21. Just above the middle, each carrier 20 has four holes 22 disposed one above the other (Figure 2). Through one of the holes 22 (as illustrated, the second hole from the top) extends a bolt 23 which holds in place one end of a supporting strip 24. The other end of the supporting strip 24 is fastened by a bolt 25 to a support 26, which is secured to the front of the supporting plates 1 5 (Figure 2).Near the rear edge of each strip 19 there is a pin 27 which extends parallel to the pin 1 8 and supports a pivotable arm 28. Each arm 28 is retained on the pin 27 by a pin 28A in a manner enabling the arms 28 to be disconnected easily (Figure 5). Near the top, the carriers 20 are interconnected by a transverse beam 29. Above the beam 29, and extending between the carriers 20, there is a shaft 30 which is held in place by pins 30A. The beam 29 is fixed near the middle by tags 31 to the support plates 1 7 of the trestle 1 4. On the inboard sides of each carrier 20 there is an arm 32 which is freely pivotable about the shaft 30. The arms 32 can be removed by removing the shaft 30. Near the middle, the arms 32 are interconnected by a supporting beam 33 and supporting plates 33A (Figure 3).Each arm of the pairs of arms 28, 32 constitutes part of a pivotable linkage 34. The rear ends of the respective arms 28 and 32 are connected by pins 35 and 36 respectively in a freely pivotable and releasable manner with a coupling piece 37 and are held in place by pins 35A and 36A respectively.

As shown in Figure 3, the arms 28 are arranged on the inner side of the coupling piece 37 and are cranked accordingly. The linkages 34 constitute pivotable parallelograms for the coupling piece 37 and comprise horizontal pivotal axes extending transversely of the direction A and constituted by the longitudinal centre lines of the pins 27, 36 and 35 and the shaft 30. The front and rear axes are disposed in respective planes which slope forwardly from bottom to top (Figure 2). The coupling 37 is generally U-shaped, having limbs 38 which slope to the rear from top to bottom in the operational position, the space bounded by the coupling piece being open at the underside. A part 39 between the limbs 38 is connected with the limbs 38 by supporting plates 40A which taper downwardly (Figure 3). The pins 35 are provided at the ends of the part 39.The limbs 38 of the coupling piece 37 extend beyond the arms 28 and are each provided on the underside with a jaw 40.

The respective jaws 40 can receive the lower coupling pins 41 of a three-point coupling 41 A of a device 42 to be connected to the soil cultivating machine. The top of the three-point coupling of the device 42, which in the illustrated embodiment is a seed drill, but which may alternatively, be, for example, a fertilizer dispenser or a planting machine, can be connected to the part 39 by a rod 43 of adjustable length. For this purpose a pair of lugs 44 is provided near the middle of the part 39, between which the front end of the rod 43 can be fastened by a pin 45. The jaws 40 can each be closed by means of a plate 46 which can be fixed in any one of a plurality of positions by means of holes 47 and a pin 48. The pin 48 can be retained in place by a projecting pin 49 after it has been passed through an eccentric hole 50 in a tag 51 and subsequently turned through 1800 (Figure 4).

On the top of each strip, near the middle, there is a lug 52 to which one end of a hydraulically or pneumatically actuable, double-acting adjusting cylinder 54 is pivotally connected by a pin 53. The other end of the adjusting cylinder 54, i.e. the piston rod, is pivotally connected by a pin 55 to a lug 55A on the underside of each of the arms 32 so that when the arms 28 and 32 are substantially horizontal the cylinder 54 are substantially vertical and are disposed just behind the middle of the box-shaped frame part 1. The pin 55 is freely movable in a slot 56 so that, when the pin 55 is near the middle of the slot, the linkages 34 and hence the device 42 can move independently upwards and downwards relatively to the cultivating machine. At the top, the slot 56 has a lateral recess 56A of circular shape which extends forwardly and covers about one third of the thickness of the pin 55.When the device 42 is moved into a transport position and the assembly is lifted, the pin 55 is located inthe recess 56A. In this way, when the device 42 is turned back, the pin 55 is prevented from violently snapping towards the lower end of the slot 56. The pin 55 moves out of the recess 56A only when the linkages 34 move downwards. On the outer side of each of the arms 32 there is a latch 57 which is pivotable about the shaft 30. A recess 58 is provided at the lower edge of the latch 57, and the latch tapers in the direction away from the shaft 30. The rear of each recess 58 meets a downwardly directed lug 59. The recess 58 in each of the latches 57 can cooperate with a spigot 60 on the coupling piece 37, this spigot being situated just above the pin 36. Each of the latches 57 can be actuated by means of a flexibie pull member 61 from the tractor.Each latch 47 bears on the top side of a rearwardly and downwardly inclined lug 62. A chain 63 is fastened between each lug 62 and the middle of arm 28. The length of each chain 63 is adjustable.

Inside the frame part 1 each shaft 2 of a cultivating member 3 is provided with a spur gear wheel 64 in a manner such that the gear wheels on the shafts of adjacent cultivating members are drivably in mesh with one another. Near the middle of the machine, the shaft 2 of one of the cultivating members 3 extends into a gearbox 65 which is located between the support plates 1 5 as will be apparent from Figure 3. Inside the gearbox 65 the extended shaft 2 is provided with a bevel gear wheel which is drivably in mesh with a bevel gear wheel on a shaft which extends in the direction A and is drivably connected through a change-speed gear 66 with an overlying shaft 67, which projects both to the front and the rear from the gearbox and the change-speed gear respectively. The front end of the shaft 67 can be connected by an auxiliary shaft 68 to the power take-off shaft of a tractor.

During operation the machine is connected to the three-point lifting device of a tractor by means of the trestle 14, the rod 16 and the plates 17. The power take-off shaft acting through the auxiliary shaft 68 and the drive gear described above, rotates the cultivating members 3 so that adjacent cultivating members rotate in opposite senses so that the tines 5 work contiguous or overlapping strips of soil. The compacting roller 10, which is upwardly and downwardly adjustable, controls the working depth of the cultivating members 3. The pivotable carrying construction formed by the linkages 34 and the coupling piece 37 enable a device such as the seed drill 42, to be connected behind the machine. During operation, the pivotable carrying construction 37 occupies the position shown in Figures 1 and 2.In this position, the arms 28,32 of the pivotable linkages 34 are able to move up and down, within limits, from a central position because of the slot 56, so that during operation the seed drill can perform any necessary, independent movements with respect to the soil cultivating machine. For transport the adjusting cylinders 54 can be energized from the tractor through ducts 69 so as to move the linkages 34 into the position indicated by broken lines in Figure 1. In this position the stub shafts 60 are located in the recesses 58 of the latches 57.

Owing to the specific design of the bolts 57, the locking state is achieved automatically. In the position shown, the coupling piece 37 and the adjusting cylinders 54 are situated entirely above the frame part 1, which is reinforced at this place by the trestle 14 and its fastening parts. In the transport position shown, most of the device 42 is situated above the compacting roller 10. With the measures proposed the weight of the assembly can be displaced to a considerable extent to the front so that, when the assembly is lifted and during transport, the lifting device of the tractor is not subjected to excessive loads despite the weight of the compacting roller 10 and the attached device 42.Since the adjusting cylinders 54 are situated above and near the middle of the box-shaped frame part 1, where the trestle 14 is fastened, a very satisfactory distribution and transfer of forces to the tractor can be obtained.

The use of the specifically designed and disposed coupling piece 37 means that a free space is provided beneath it so that any driving connection with the device 42 need not be loosened.

The chains ensure a limitation of movement preventing the arms 28 from coming into contact with the compacting roller during operation. The length of the chains 63 is adjustable.

The stroke of the adjusting cylinders 54 is such that these cylinders can press the lower arms 28 of the pivotable linkages 34, during operation, against the tubular carrier 11 of the compacting roller 10 so that the roller can exert heavier pressure on the ground and the continuous rotation of the roller required for correct operation can be further ensured as well as providing the consolidation effect on the freshly worked soil.

In the construction described the pivotable carrying construction can be readily detached and re-fitted for working in conjunction with a further device, as the case may be.

Whilst various features of the machines that have been described, and that are illustrated in the drawings, will be set forth in the following 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 soil cultivating machine comprising a frame part which extends transversely of the intended direction of operative travel of the machine and is adapted to be coupled to a threepoint lifting device of a tractor, a plurality of rotatable cultivating members being mounted on the frame part and coupling means being provided for connection to further equipment, the coupling means comprising a coupling piece and adjusting means for positioning the coupling piece selectively either behind or above the frame part.

2. A soil cultivating machine as claimed in claim 1, in which the coupling piece defines a space which is open on the underside.

3. A soil cultivating machine as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which, in two positions, the coupling piece slopes to the front from bottom to top.

4. A soil cultivating machine as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the coupling piece is generally U-shaped, having two downwardly extending limbs.

5. A soil cultivating machine as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the coupling piece comprises part of a pivotable carrying construction which is connected to the frame part.

6. A soil cultivating machine as claimed in claim 5, in which the pivotable carrying construction comprises two relatively spaced, pivotable linkages, each connected to one side of the coupling piece.

7. A soil cultivating machine as claimed in claim 6, in which the linkages are each in the form of a parallelogram having pivotal axes extending transversely of the intended direction of operative travel of the machine.

8. A soil cultivating machine as claimed in claim 6 or 7, in which the linkages are interconnected at the top by means of a transverse connecting member.

9. A soil cultivating machine as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 8, in which the linkages each comprise two arms disposed one above the other and coupled respectively to the top and the bottom of the coupling piece.

10. A soil cultivating machine as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 9, in which the front side of each linkage is connected to a trestle mounted on the frame part, by which the frame part can be coupled with the three-point lifting device of a tractor.

11. A soil cultivating machine as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the adjusting means comprises at least one adjusting cylinder which is disposed above the frame part.

12. A soil cultivating machine as claimed in claim 11 when appendant to any one of claims 6 to 10, in which a said adjusting cylinder is connected with an upper arm of each of the linkages.

13. A soil cultivating machine as claimed in claim 12, in which limited displacement is permitted between each adjusting cylinder and the upper arm to which it is connected.

14. A soil cultivating machine as claimed in claim 13, in which each adjusting cylinder is movable in a slot in a manner permitting limited displacement in an upwards and downwards direction.

1 5. A soil cultivating machine as claimed in claim 14, in which the end of each adjusting cylinder comprises a pin which is located, in a position corresponding to a lifted position of the further equipment, in a recess provided near the top end of the slot.

16. A soil cultivating machine as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 10 and 12 to 15, or in claim 11 when appendant to claim 6, in which the linkages constitute pivotable parallelograms having substantially horizontal transverse pivotal axes, the front and rear axes lying in respective planes which slope forwardly from bottom to top.

17. A soil cultivating machine as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 10 or 12 to 16, or in claim 11 when appendant to claim 6, in which limiting means is provided between a lower arm of a said linkage and a point which is fixed with respect to the frame part in a manner such that downward movement of the said lower arm is limited.

1 8. A soil cultivating machine as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which, a locking member is provided for automatically locking the coupling piece in its position above the frame part.

1 9. A soil cultivating machine as claimed in claim 18 when appendant to claim 6, in which the locking member comprises a latch which is pivotable about the pivotal axis of a top arm of a linkage and which is adapted to cooperate with a spigot provided near the lower pivotal axis between a lower arm of the linkage and the coupling piece.

20. A soil cultivating machine as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the coupling piece comprises a three-point lifing device for connection to a three-point fastening member of further equipment.

21. A soil cultivating machine as claimed in claim 6 or in any one of claims 7 to 20 when appendant to claim 6, in which a supporting roller is disposed behind the cultivating members, and in which pressure can be exerted on the roller by means of the lower arm of at least one of the linkages.

22. A soil cultivating machine comprising a plurality of cultivating members and a roller which is disposed behind the cultivating members, means actuable from a tractor to which the machine is hitched being provided for applying pressure on the roller.

23. A soil cultivating machine as claimed in claim 21 or 22, in which the pressure can be exerted by means of an adjusting cylinder.

24. A soil cultivating machine as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the cultivating members are engine-drivable about upwardly extending axes, a roller for determining the working depth being disposed behind the cultivating members.

25. A soil cultivating machine as claimed in any one of claims 21 to 24, in which the roller is a compacting roller.

26. A soil cultivating machine substantially as described herein with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.