GB2132864A - Soil cultivating implements - Google Patents

Abstract

In a soil cultivating implement, such as a rotary harrow, of the kind which has a packer roller 12 located behind the soil working members thereof relative to the intended direction of operative travel of the implement, said roller 12 comprises a cylindrical carrier 13 rotatable about a central axis a and a plurality of groups or crowns of projections 14 that are spaced apart from one another at regular intervals along the length of the carrier 13. Scrapers 15 are arranged between neighbouring groups or crowns of projections 14 and, in order to be able to bring all of the scrapers 15 quickly and easily into their most effective positions relative to the carrier 13, they are supported by a carrying frame 25 which is adjustable in position relative to the roller 12 by setting and guide means comprising bolts 9, vertically spaced slots 24A and guide arms 27. Groups of the scrapers 15 are also individually adjustable in position by moving slotted arms 16 of the groups upwardly or downwardly relative to a beam 23 of the frame 25 using U-bolts 21 to maintain any required position of any scraper group relative to the beam 23. <IMAGE>

Description

1 GB 2 132 864 A 1

SPECIFICATION

Soil cultivating implements This invention relates to soil cultivating implements or machines, such as rotary harrows, of the kind comprising a plurality of soil working members and a packer roller disposed to the rear of those mem bers with respect to the intended direction of operative travel of the implement or machine, said roller having a cylindrical soil-contacting carrier on which a number of projections arranged in groups or crowns are mounted in side-by-side relationship, soil scrapers being arranged between said groups or crowns of projections. The term "implement(s) or machine(s)- is shortened to "implement(s)" throughout the remainder of this document for the sake of brevity.

The rollers of known implements of this kind usually comprise a large number of scrapers, parti cularly when the implements are of large working width. The large number of these scrapers often makes it difficult to bring all of them into effective positions with respect to the cylindrical soil contact ing carrier of the roller.

An object of the invention is to provide an arrangement for the scrapers by means of which the scrapers may be brought into their most effective positions with respect to the cylindrical soil contacting carrier of the roller in a simple way. 95 In accordance with the invention, there is provided a soil cultivating implement of the kind set forth, wherein the scrapers are supported by a carrying frame and setting means is provided to enable that frame to be adjustably displaced relative to the cylindrical carrier of the roller with the aid of guide means.

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 somewhat diagrammatic plan view of a soil cultivating implement in accordance with the invention shown connected to the rear of an agricul tural tractor, Figure 2 is a side elevation corresponding to Figure 1, Figure 3 is a section, to an enlarged scale, taken on the line 111-111 in Figure 1, and Figure 4 is a rear elevation as seen in the direction 115 of an arrow IV in Figure 3.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the soil cultivating implement that is illustrated is in the form of a rotary harrow and comprises a hollow box section frame portion 1 that extends substantially horizontally transverse and usually, as illustrated, substantially horizontally perpendicular, to the in tended direction of operative travel of the implement that is indicated in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings by an arrow A. A plurality, of which there are twelve in the illustrated embodiment, of upwardly extending and usually, as illustrated, substantially vertically disposed, shafts 2 are rotatably journalled in bear ings carried by the upper and lowerwalls of the hollow frame portion 1 and are arranged in a row that extends parallel to the transverse length of the frame portion 1 with the axis of rotation of each shaft 2 spaced from that of the or each of its immediate neighbours in the row by a uniform distance which advantageously, but not essentially, has a magnitude of substantially 25cm. The lower end of each shaft 2 projects downwardly from beneath the bottom of the hollow frame portion 1 and is there provided with a corresponding soil working member 3 (Figure 2) comprising a support or carrier 4 having a central hub that is firmly but releasably secured to the lowermost end of the shaft 2 concerned, two arms which extend in opposite directions from said hub, sleeve-like holders mounted at the outer ends of the arms and two rigid tines 5 whose fastening portions are firmly but reieasably secured in the holders and whose soil working portions project downwardly into the ground, as diagrammatically illustrated in Figure 2, to an extent whose magnitude can be controlled.

The opposite ends of the hollowframe portion 1 are closed by substantially vertical side plates 6 that extend substantially parallel to one another and to the direction A. It will be seen from Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings that the side plates 6 extend vertically above the remainder of the frame portion 1 and project some distance rearwardly thereof with respect to the direction A. Each side plate 6 carries, adjacent to its leading uppermost corner, a corresponding strong pivot 7 that is substantially horizontally disposed and in alignment with the pivot 7 that corresponds to the other one of the two side plates 6, An arm 8 is turnably mounted on each pivot 7 so as to be movable upwardly and downwardly about that pivot 7 immediately alongside the corresponding plate 6. It can be seen from the drawings that each arm 8 extends generally rearwardly from the corresponding pivot 7 alongside the inner surface of the corresponding side plate 6, that is to say, alongside that surface thereof which faces the centre of the implement. It can also be seen clearly in Figure 2 of the drawings that each arm 8 comprises a leading upwardly and rearwardly inclined portion, a downwardly and rearwardly inclined portion that is integ- rally connected to the first-mentioned portion by an obtuse angular bend and a final rearmost portion that is integrally connected to the second portion by a further obtuse angular bend in such a way that the first and last portions are parallel or substantially parallel to one another. The final rearmost portion of each arm 8 has a corresponding downwardly and rearwardly inclined support 10 firmly but releasably secured to it by a group of three bolts 9 whose relative positions can be seen best in Figure 3 of the drawings. The lower ends of the two supports 10 are slotted and carry the housings 11 of corresponding substantially horizontal bearings in which a soil compacting ground roller or packer roller 12 is mounted in a freely rotatable manner.

The packer roller 12 has stub shafts at its opposite ends which stub shafts are received in the corresponding substantially horizontal bearings to define the intended substantially horizontal axis of rotation a of the roller. The roller 12 also comprises a cylindrical carrier 13 having an external diameter 2 GB 2 132 864 A 2 which is conveniently, but not essentially, substantially 30cm. The external surface of the carrier 13 has welded to it a plurality of outwardly directed tine-like projections 14 which projections 14 are arranged around the carrier 13 in groups or crowns with each group or crown spaced by an equal distance along the axial length of the roller 12 from the or each immediately neighbouring group or crown. It can be seen in Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings that the projections 14 are formed in integral pairs from pieces of flat sheet metal that are welded to the convexly curved surface of the carrier 13 in such a way that the general plane of each pair of projections 14 is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the axis a. The shape of each integral pair of projections 14 is clearly illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawings and it is noted that, if desired, the tine-like projections 14 may be formed in integral numbers of more than two. Purely for example, since there are ten projections 14 in each group or crown thereof, five projections 14 may be formed integrally so that two such integral assemblies, rather than five, may be juxtaposed to form a single group or crown of the projections 14. It will be appreciated that the amount of welding which has to be undertaken to mount the projections 14 in their appointed positions on the carrier 13 is significantly reduced by forming the projections 14 in integral assemblies of as many of them as possible. A reduction in the amount of the sheet metal used to form the projections 14 can also be accomplished in this way.

When one of the projections 14 is located at the bottom of the roller 12, the front edge thereof, with respect to the direction A, is substantially radially disposed whilst the shallow S-shaped rear edge extends upwardly and rearwardly away from the outermost end of the straight edge and generally towards the outer curved surface of the carrier 13. Scrapers 15 are arranged between the successive groups or crowns of projections 14 considered lengthwise along the roller 12, the scrapers 15 being supported (see Figures 1 and 4) in groups of four. Each scraper 15 takes the form of an oblong plate that is advantageously, but not absolutely essential- ly, made of spring steel. It is releasably secured by a 110 bolt 18 to a foot 16A that is welded to the lower end of a corresponding arm 16 of channel-shaped crosssection, the arm being so disposed that the limbs or flanges thereof project rearwardly with respect to 50 the direction Afrom the web or base thereof. Each arm 16 is approximately vertically disposed but, as can be seen in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings, actually projects downwardly and forwardly with respect to the direction A at a few degrees to the 55 strictly vertical. The upper ends of the four arms 16 that correspond to each group of four scrapers 15 are welded or otherwise rigidly secured to a corresponding support plate 17 and it will be apparentthat it is necessary forthe number of groups or crowns of 60 projections 14 to be four times the number of groups 125 of scrapers 15 plus a single---extra"group or crown of projections 14 at one axial end of the roller 12. Each oblong scraper 15 is formed with two holes, the lower one of which co-operates with the correspond65 ing bolt 18 whereas the upper one co-operates with a 130 pin 19 bent over from the material of the corresponding foot 16A in such a way that, when the leading lower edge of the scraper 15 becomes worn to an unacceptable extent, the bolt 18 can be temporarily removed and the scrper 15 be inverted through 180' so that what was its unworn upper edge becomes its lower edge and vice versa, the bolt 18 then being replaced. Although not shown, it is well within the scope of the invention to employ, for example, square, hexagonal or octagonal scrapers having edges that can be used in turn. It is preferred that the inclination of each foot 16A to the rear of the corresponding arm 16 should have a magnitude of not less than 30'and not more than 450. The shorter upper and lower edges of each oblong scraper 15 extend throughout the greater part of the distance between each neighbouring pair of groups or crowns of projections 14 and are, of course, the effective portions of the scraper 15, an unworn edge being substituted for a worn edge in the manner described above before, eventually, inevitable wear makes the provision of a new scraper 15 necessary.

The outermost two arms 16 of the four arms that correspond to each group of scrapers 15 are formed with upper and lower slots 20 and the opposite screw-threaded ends 22 of corresponding brackets 21 (Figure 3), in the form of U-bolts, are entered through the upper and lower slots,20, the brackets themselves being engaged around a hollow beam 23 of square cross-section. The screw-threaded ends 22 of the brackets 21 co- operate with matchingly screwthreaded nuts which can be tightened to clamp the support plates 17, and thus the groups of scrapers 15, firmly in position relative to the hollow beam 23 which latter rigidly interconnects the rear ends of two supports 24 that project rearwardly from the final portions of the two arms 8 to which they are firmly and displaceably connected by the same bolts 9 as connect the arms 8 to the supports 10, the supports 24 being formed with horizontal slots 24A to enable them to be adjustable in position relative to the arms 8 and support 10 to a limited extent. It is noted that the hollow beam 23 affords a carrier of the scrapers 15 which extends substantially parallel to the axis a and that said hollow beam 23 and the two supports 24 together constitute a carrying frame 25 for all of the groups of four scrapers 15. Each support 24 has the upper end of a corresponding guide arm 27 connected to it, adjacent the beam 23, by a bolt 26, said guide arm extending downwardly and forwardly, with respect to the direction A, from the bolt 26 to have its lower leading end connected to the neighbouring support 10 by one of the bolts which secures the corresponding bearing housing 11 to the lower end of that support 10.

When mounting the packer roller 12 in its appointed position, the scrapers 15 are set in the following manner. The bolts 9 are not initially tightened nor are the bolts 26 and the bolts at the lower ends of the guide arms 27 which couple those guide arms 27 to the supports 10 and bearing housings 11. All of the groups of scrapers 15 are initially arranged in the lowermost possible positions in which the screw-threaded ends 22 of the brackets 21 bear against the uppermost ends of the 0 A il 3 - GB 2 132 864 A 3 corresponding slots 20. The nuts which co-operate with those screw-threaded ends 22 for the brackets 21 of the end groups of scrapers 15 that are closest to the two supports 10 are then tightened and the, whole carrying frame 25 is displaced forwardly using 70 the setting means that is constituted by the bolts 9, the slots 24A and the guide arms 27 that are turnable about the bolts located at their opposite upper and lower ends. This displacement is effected until the lower leading edges of the scrapers 15 are spaced by substantially 1 mm from the cylindrically curved surface of the carrier 13, the roller 12 then being rotated about the axis a to check that the correct clearance fo said edges of the scrapers 15 of the two outermost groups of those scrapers from the curved surface fo the carrier 13 is constant. A minimum clearance of Omm is permissable in which said edges just barely touch the surface of the carrier 13.

When this adjustment and subsequent clearance check have been made, the bolts 9, the bolts 26 and the bolts by which the lowermost ends of the guide arms 27 are secured to the supports 10 and bearing housings 11 are all tightened. It is subsequently desirable to checkthe clearance of the lower edges of the other groups of scrapers 15 from the surface of the carrier 13, using the slots 20 and the nuts which co-operate with the screw-threaded ends 22 of the brackets 21 to increase or decrease the clearance if so required. When the scrapers 15 have become worn, the outermost arms 16 of the corresponding groups can be moved vertically, as may be required, to compensate forthat wear and it will be remem bered that each oblong scraper 15 can itself be inverted, after temporarily removing the corres ponding bolt 18, to substitute afresh unworn edge for an edge which has reached the end of its useful life. The arms 8 and thus the roller 12 and the scrapers 15 which they carry can be turned upwardly or downwardly about the substantially horizontal axis defined by the aligned pivots 7 employing two manually operable screw assemblies 28, having crank handles at their upper ends, which assemblies 28 will not be described in detail, and are not illustrated in detail in the drawings, since they are of a construction which is well known perse. It is this adjustment which principally determines the max imum depth of penetration of the tines 5 of the soil working members 3 into the gound which is possible since it changes the level of the packer roller 12 relative to that of the hollow frame portion 1 and the 115 soil working members 3.

Two shield plates 30 that both extend substantially vertically parallel to the direction A are provided immediately beyond the opposite ends of the single row of twelve (in this embodiment) rotary soil 120 working members 3. The shield plates 30 are upwardly and downwardly turnable about axes that extend substantially horizontally parallel to the direction A, these axes being formed by portions of carrying arms that are turnably mounted in bracket located on top of the hollow frame portion 1 at short distances from its opposite ends. The principal function of the shield plates 30 is to co-operate with the immediately neighbouring soil working mem bers 3 in cultivating the soil to substantially the same thorough extent as is effected by the co-operation of neighbouring pairs of members 3 at locatons closer to the centre of the implement. The shield plates 30 can move upwardly and downwardly to match undulations in the surface of the soil over which the implement moves and also prevent stones and other potentially injurious objects from being flung laterally of the implement by the rapidly moving tines 5 of its soil working members 3. Each shaft 2 is provided, inside the hollow frame portion 1, with a corresponding straight- or spur- toothed pinion 29, these pinions 29 being of such a size that each of them has its teeth in mesh with those of the or each neighbouring pinion 29 in the single row thereof. It will readily be apparent that, with this arrangement, each pinion 29, shaft 2 and soil working member 3 will revolve in the opposite direction to that of the or each imediately neighbouring similar assembly. The shaft 2 that corresponds to one of the centre pair of rotary soil working members 3 is upwardly extended through the top of the hollow frame portion 1 into a gear box 31 mounted on top of said frame portion 1. Bevel pinions and shafts (not shown) within the gear box 31 place the upward extension of said shaft 2 in driven connection with a rotary input shaft 33 of the gear box 31 whose leading end projects substantially horizontally forwards from the front of the gear box in substantially the direction A. The transmission between he rotary input shaft 33 and the upward extension of said shaft 2 includes a changespeed gear 32 that is mounted at the rear of the gear box 31. The change-speed gear32 does not form the subject of the present invention and will not be described in detail. It suffices to saythat it can be employed to change the transmission ratio between the input shaft 33 and the upward extension of said one of the shafts 2 so that the twelve (in this embodiment) rotary soil working members 3 can be caused to revolve at a faster or slower rate without having to change the driving speed that is applied to the leading end of the rotary input shaft 33. The speed of rotation of the members 3 and the wrking depth thereof will, of course, be chosen in accordance with the nature and condition of the soil that is to be cultivated and the particular purpose for which that soil is required after cultivation.

A telescopic transmission shaft which is of a construction that is known perse, having universal joints at its opposite ends, is employed to place the leading splined or otherwise keyed end of the rotary input shaft 33 in driven connection with the rear power take-off shaft of an agricultural tractor or other moving and operating vehicle. A coupling member or trestle 35 that is of substantially triangular configuration as seen in front or rear elevation is mounted at the front of the hollow frame portion 1, with respect to the direction A, at a location midway across the working width of the implement, the apex of this coupling member or trestle 35 being streng- theningly connected to widely spaced apart iocations at the rear of the hollow frame portion 1 by a pair of tie beams.

In the use of the soil cultivating implement that has been described, the coupling member or trestle 35 thereof is employed, in a manner that is basically 4 GB 2 132 864 A 4 known per se, to connect the implement to the three-point lifting device or hitch at the rear of an agricultural tractor or other operating vehicle and the rotary input shaft 33 of the vehicle's gear box 31 is placed in driven connection with the power take-off shaft of the same tractor or other vehicle using the known telescopic transmission shaft 34 that has universal joints at its opposite ends. Each of the twelve rotary soil working members 3 works an individual strip of land extending in the direction A but, since the effective spacing between the two tines 5 of each member 3 is a little greater than is the distance between the longitudinal axeslaxes of rota tion of the neighbouring shafts 2, those strips of land overlap one another to produce a single broad strip of worked soil that will, in the case of the example that is being described, have a width of substantially 3m. The maximum depth to which the tines 5 of the members 3 can penetrate into the soil is, if required, adjusted before work commences by using the screw assemblies 28 to move the roller 12 either bodily upwards or downwards relative to the frame portion 1 and members 3.

As the implement moves operatively overthe ground in the direction A, the projections 14 pene trate into the soil and cause the packer roller 12 to rotate about the axis a, the surface of the carrier 13 having a consolidating effect upon the immediately previously worked soil which effect is generally such that a lightly consolidated seed bed is formed in which optimum conditions for the germination and onward growth of seeds prevail. Adhesion of sticky soil to the surface of the carrier 13 for any length of time is prevented by the scrapers 15, these scrapers positively shedding any such sticky soil that may temporarily adhere to the carrier 13. The lower edge of each scraper 15 bears on the outer surface of the carrier 13 at a location which is such that an imaginary straight line joining the axis a and said location is inclined to a horizontal plane containing 105 the axis a at an angle of not less than substantially 10'. This arrangement ensures that the scrapers 15 shed from the carrier 13 of the roller 12 relatively small lumps or pieces of adhering earth which pieces usually remain within the sphere of influence 110 of the projections 14 of the revolving roller 12 so that such lumps or pieces of earth can be crumbled up by the projections 14. When some or all of the spring steel scrapers 15 in one of the groups thereof becomes worn to some extent, the corresponding 115 brackets 21 can be temporarily loosened and said group be moved upwardly, using the slots 20, before re-tightening the nuts which co-operate with the screw-threaded ends 22 of the brackets 21. This, as will be evident from Figure 3 of the drawings, will 120 bring the lower effective edges of the scrapers 15 of the group concerned into closer proximity to the surface of the carrier 13. Once the wear of the lower edge of one of the scrapers 15 has become so advanced that the adjustment which has just been mentioned will not compensate for that wear, the bolt 18 which secures that scraper 15 to the corres ponding foot 16A is released and the scraper 15 is inverted before finally replacing the bolt 18. This substitutes the fresh unworn upper edge of the scraper 15 forthe worn out lower edge thereof thus effectively doubling the life of each scraper 15 before final replacement becomes necessary Installation of the packer roller 12 and the setting of the groups of scrapers 15 is a simple operation which can be carried out quickly and effectively.

The soil cultivating implement that has been described also forms the subject of our co-pending Patent Application No. 8318967 (2124062) to which reference is directed.

Claims (9)

1. A soil cultivating implement of the kind set forth, wherein the scrapers are supported by a carrying frame and setting means is provided to enable thatframe to be adjustably displaced relative to the cylindrical carrier of the roller with the aid of guide means.

2. An implement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the setting means comprises slots formed in a front region of the carrying frame with respect to the intended direction of operative travel of the implement, and wherein the guide means comprises at least one guide arm interconnecting the carrying frame and a support of the roller.

3. An implement as claimed in claim 2, wherein the carrying frame and the or each guide arm can be retained in relatively fixed positions by bolts or like fastening means.

4. An implement as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the carrying frame comprises a transverse beam carrying the scrapers and forwardly extending arms, the arms being provided near their leading ends with slots, or with said slots, in which slots fastening means are inserted for securing said arms to a support, or to said support, of the roller in any chosen one of a plurality of different relative positions.

5. An implement as claimed in claim 4, wherein said arms of the carrying frame are connected to uppermost parts of the corresponding supports for the roller.

6. An implement as claimed in claim 4 or 5, wherein at least two of said slots are provided at different horizontal levels.

7. An implement as claimed in claim 6, wherein there are two upper slots at the same horizontal level and a slot at a lower horizontal level.

8. An implement as claimed in claim 2 and any one of claims 4to 7, wherein said at least one guide arm is connected to the corresponding forwardly extending arm of the carrying frame at a location adjacent to said transverse beam.

9. An implement as claimed in claim 2 and any one of claims 4 to 8, wherein the lowermost end of said at least one guide arm is connected to the lowermost part of said support forthe roller.

Printed for Her Majesty's Stationery Office, by Croydon Printing Company Limited, Croydon, Surrey, 1984. Published by The Patent Office, 25 Southampton Buildings, London, WC2A lAY, from which copies may be obtained.

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