GB2147782A

GB2147782A - Trailer unit for ploughs or tractors

Info

Publication number: GB2147782A
Application number: GB08424504A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Theo Van Laak; Johannes Terboven
Original assignee: Lemken GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Lemken GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 1983-10-08
Filing date: 1984-09-28
Publication date: 1985-05-22
Also published as: NL191077B; NL191077C; FR2552967B1; DE3336695C2; NL8402569A; FR2552967A1; DE3336695A1; GB2147782B; GB8424504D0

Abstract

A trailer unit, for example, a disc roller (6) is connected to a follower device, for example, a crumbler roller (2) by an articulated connection (4) comprising a gear (10), the imaginary guide point (20) of which is situated below the articulated connection. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Trailer unit for ploughs or tractors This invention relates to a trailer unit for ploughs, especially a disc roller with follower device usable as auxiliary equipment for rotary ploughs, which is connected via a coupling or a reciprocally acting catcher device with the tractor or the plough, and to which a follower device is attached in articulated manner by an articulated connection.

Trailer units of this type are so guided on the ploughed field adjacent to the plough during ploughing that the subsoil is recompacted and a surface as finely crumbly as possible is produced.

The disc roller, which consists of a plurality of roll bodies or roll rings disposed alongside one another, is equipped for this purpose with catch hooks, so that the pulling vehicle with the plough can be rotated and turned round in the turning zone independently of the trailer unit, which is uncoupled before the turning zone is reached. For improving the working effect, it is already known to attach crumbling rollers to the disc roller, in order thereby to achieve a seed bed largely suitable for subsequent sowing. The crumbling roller is attached to the disc roller by a ball and socket joint (DE-GM 82 30 833), so that it must follow the movements of the disc roller. When the direction of travel is changed, the follower device, that is the crumbling roller, slews to the side and to the rear, in order then again to follow the disc roller.It is likewise known to attach onto the trailer unit a nonrolling follower device or a combination or rolling and non-rolling follower devices. In the known solutions the follower device is coupled on above the trailer unit, and therefore above the disc roller.

This high-level point is the guide point for the follower device. During working, the follower device is pulled towards the guide point. Consequently, the follower device is relieved of load and cannot completely fulfil its function. When, however, as the direction of travel is changed the follower device is pressed backwards and to the side, then on account of the high-level guide point, it is pressed deeply into the soil.

The force which then occur become so large that damage cannot be reliably prevented. The highlevel, imaginary guide point of the follower device furthermore has the disadvantage that, when an increased pulling force is required for the follower device, the latter is still more relieved of load. Conversely it means that, during the slewing movement of the follower device, the force pressing into the ground becomes still greater, the more difficult it is to push back and slew the follower device.

The task underlying the present invention is to create a trailer unit with follower device, wherein the follower device, when an increased pulling force is required, is not or only slightly relieved of load and can no longer dig in as before during the slewing movement and is no longer pressed downwards into the direction of the soil.

This task is achieved according to this invention in that the articulated connection is a gear, the imaginary guide point of which is located below the articulated connection.

With a trailer unit of this type with follower device, it is possible to load the follower device as required with weight, without thereby adversely affecting the slewing around movement. This is as surprising as the effect that the follower device no longer presses as before into the ground during the slewing around movement and also is positively loaded during working movement. If the imaginary guide point of the gear is situated below the surface of the ground, then during the working movement weight is even additionally applied from the trailer unit onto the follower device, since the line of pull extends forwardly and downwards.

Conversely, the follower device is pressed upwards during the slewing around operation, so that not only is digging-in of the follower device prevented, but indeed the slewing around movement is facilitated by a certain lifting out motion from the soil.

Even in the case of a device with tines, for example a harrow, digging-in is reliably prevented by the solution of this invention. The imaginary guide point of the gear favourably lies in the region of the line of resistance of the trailer unit, since the work and balance of the trailer unit is thereby only insignificantly affected.

According to one advantageous embodiment of the invention, the gear is mounted horizontally rotatable. The follower device can thus be accurately guided.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the imaginary guide point is adjustable according to the type of follower device. In this way the effectiveness of the follower device can be assured completely according to its type, without risk on the one hand of digging in of the follower device or on the other hand of excessive load relief.

The gear is favourably constructed as a rod linkage having four hinges, which are disposed in a converging arrangement and with which the imaginary guide point, as explained above, thus lies below the gear. The four-rod linkage consists of the pulling beam of the follower device, the beam mounted or journalled on the trailer unit, and two converging rods or pairs of rods, the imaginary extensions of which intersect below the gear and, as already mentioned, constitute the imaginary guide point. According to another form of embodiment of the gear, it is provided that the four-rod linkage is so constructed that two connecting points of the follower device are guided in a slit. The slit is then of circular arc form. The perpendiculars to the tangents in the region of the connecting points likewise intersect below the gear. The intersection point is the imaginary guide point.

It is advantageous to construct one of the two gear rods constituting the gear as a buckling rod.

This buckling rod is stretched during the forward travel, whereas it buckles in the slewing around phase, the imaginary guide point being situated during the working phase above the surface of the soil and being situated during the slewing around phase of the follower device below the surface, or still more deeply on account of the arrangement of the buckling rod. By this construction, the follower device is pressed upwards and thus highly relieved of load. The slewing movement is thereby facilitated, and in particular digging in of the follower device is reliably prevented.

Such a buckling rod is made in a simple manner according to this invention, in that the gear rod in the pulling direction consists of two part rods of different lengths, connected together by a hinge.

The length of the individual part rods is so chosen that a "lifting out", i.e. load relief of the follower device is assured without appreciable loading of the gear rods.

Another possible way of arranging the imaginary guide point is to construct the gear as a sliding gear comprising slide guides, one of the slide guides being pivotal to a limited extent. This construction has the advantage that the imaginary guide point automatically pivots into the desired position on each occasion. The pivotal slide guide consists of a slit which is provided in a pivotal rod, the pivotal capability of the rod being limited. In forward travel, this rod pivots upwards against a stop, causing the imaginary guide point to be displaced into the region above the surface of the ground. During the slewing around phase in the rearward movement, the rod then pivots downwards against a stop, so that the imaginary guide point is displaced downwards into the region of the surface of the ground or still deeper.

It is especially advantageous for the stops to be constructed adjustable, so that the guide point can always be displaced in optimum manner to suit the follower device.

In the embodiment in which the converging rods are connected with the pulling beam of the follower device and the beams mounted or journalled on the trailer units, an adjustment facility is obtained by the gear rods constituting the gear being attached in articulated manner to the beams, which possess a plurality of attachment points for gear rods disposed at intervals. It is advantageous dur ing the working phase, where a harrow is used as the follower device, to displace the guide point somewhat above the ground surface, whereas the guide point of a follower device which, for exam ple, is constructed as a crumbling roller, should advantageously lie below the ground surface in order that the follower device shall be loaded with adequate weight.Independently thereof, during the slewing around operation, the follower device is always pressed upwards and thereby effectively re lieved of load by the "buckling rod", even when it is additionally equipped with weights.

Since, where the guide point is situated at a low level, or in the case of a guide point situated below the ground surface, an increased requirement for pulling force for the follower device results in an increased pressure, it is provided according to this invention that a drag bar shall be associated with the follower device, constructed as a crumbling roller, in such a way that it also feeds soil to the crumbling roller. By this drag bar, the soil surface is firstly graded and levelled and secondly additional soil is fed to the crumbling roller, so that a satisfactory seed bed is obtained. The larger tensile resistance generated by the drag bar simultaneously results in a larger weight loading of the follower device.

A further possible way of forming a kind of buckling rod is that in which an elongated hole is provided in at least one of the gear rods, in which (elongated hold) the fixing points are slidably guided in adjustable manner. It is advantageous here to provide the spacing of the fixing points in the region of the pull rod of the follower device or in the beam of the trailer unit. In this manner, the imaginary guide point can be displaced into the desired region, either above or below the ground surface, but in any case below the gear. For this purpose it may also be advantageous to construct the gear rods adjustable in length. A quasi-automatic or automatic adjustment of the guide point is achieved, as already mentioned, by the gear being constructed as a sliding gear, one of the slide guides being pivotal to a limited extent.

The invention furthermore provides that the converging rods may be constructed as pairs of rods and also be arranged converging towards the ground surface as viewed in the direction of travel.

With such an arrangement, the result is achieved that the intersection point obtained by the imaginary extension of the converging rods is situated in the region of the ground surface. The follower device can then easily adapt, independently of the trailer unit, to the irregularities of the ground surface. The point of intersection of the extended lines of the converging rods constitutes a pivot point, which makes it possible for the follower device to pivot as if about a horizontal axis lying in the direction of travel, without thereby displacing sideways. The easy running of the equipment combination is thereby considerably improved.

The invention is in particular characterized in that, with full effectiveness of the trailer unit, the effectiveness of the follower device is improved. In particular the slewing around movement is facilitated and assurance is provided that damage due to digging in of the follower device is prevented.

During the working phase, the follower device is uniformly loaded, with the result that the effectiveness of this device is substantially improved.

Further details and advantages of the subject of this invention will become apparent from the following description of the associated drawings, in which preferred examples of embodiment are illustrated together with the necessary details and component parts. The drawings show: Figure 1 a trailer unit with follower device in lateral view with the gear connecting them together, Figure 2 a view according to Fig. 1, with a gear possessing a buckling rod and a drag bar associ ated with the follower device, Figure 3 a lateral view of the trailer unit with foi- lower device during the slewing operation, Figure 4 a gear in detailed elevation, Figure 5 a further schematic view of the gear in side view, Figure 6 a rear elevation of trailer unit and fol lower device with gear, Figure 7 a gear with slide guides and Figure 8 a gear with slide guides, wherein one slide guide is provided in a rod.

The trailer unit 1 illustrated in Fig. 1 is connected via a pull rod 3 with the follower device 2, the connection point being constructed as an articulated connection 4. A king-pin may be used here, to provide the follower device 2 with the necessary mobility with respect to the trailer unit 1 and to allow slewing of the follower device around the trailer unit.

In the example illustrated, the trailer unit 1 consists of two disc rollers 6, disposed behind one another and meshing with one another, which are designed to be coupled by the connecting linkage 7 and catcher arms 8 with the plough, not shown here. The rollers thus follow the plough or tractor during ploughing and are uncoupled before the turning zone is reached and are only coupled up again via the catcher arm 8 by an entraining arm, not shown, after the tractor and plough have turned round.

The articulated connection 4 is constructed as a gear, the pull rod 3 and the rotatably journalled beam 17 and also the gear rods 11, 12, which are pivotally connected with these components, constituting the four-rod linkage. The corresponding points of attachment are referenced 13, 14, and 16.

The rods are pivotally attached to the beam 17 by the fixing points 14, 16, the beam in turn being connected with the trailer unit by the articulated connection 4.

If the lines of action of the gear rods 11, 12 are extended, they intersect in the imaginary guide point 20, the line of pull 21 then passing through this imaginary guide point 20 and the point of action of the follower device 2.

A drag bar 44 is associated with the follower device 2, constructed as a crumbling roller, this bar ensuring that, firstly the ground surface 22 is graded and levelled and secondly soil is additionally fed to the crumbling roller. However, not only is a better thorough mixing of the soil achieved, but also due to the increased demand for pulling force and the low position of the imaginary guide point in the working phase, an increased weight loading advantageously acts upon the crumbling roller, especially when the imaginary guide point is situated below the ground surface. A drag bar 44 of this type can be attached without problems to the follower device 2 constructed as crumbling roller, because due to the low position of the imaginary guide point 20 the slewing motion of the follower device 2 in conjunction with the drag bar 44 is not adversely affected.

The illustration according to Fig. 2 corresponds substantially to that of Fig. 1. Here, however, the gear 10 has been modified in that one of the two gear rods 11, 12 is constructed as a buckling rod 23. This is advantageously the rear gear rod 12 in the pulling direction. For obtaining such a buckling rod 23, this rod consists of two part rods 24, 25, of different lengths, which in turn are connected together by a hinge 26.

The position of the gear rods 11, 12 shown in Fig. 2 represents the working position. The imaginary guide point 20 is here situated well below the gear 10, still below the centres of gravity of the disc rollers 6 and close to the ground surface 22.

The position shown in Fig. 3 is that adopted by the equipment combination during the slewing operation. Due to the "automatic buckling system", the imaginary guide point 20 is displaced daring the slewing phase into a different position, now below the ground surface 22. The imaginary guide point is here referenced 20". Since the guide point 20" is located during the slewing phase below the ground surface 22, the follower device 2 is pressed upwards and thus considerably relieved of load.

Even follower devices 2 equipped with tines or ballast weights can thus be slewed around without any problems.

Fig. 4 shows a gear 10, wherein by using different attachment points 30, 31 associated with the pulling rod and beam 28, 29, the pulling point can be adjusted as desired. It is quite possibe here also, by using a buckling rod 23, to incorporate also the automatic slewing device just described.

As the illustration of Fig. 4 clearly shows, by appropriate selection of the attachment points 14, 16, 30, 31, the imaginary guide point can be displaced from 20 to 20' or 20".

In the case of the gear 10 shown in Fig. 5, at least one hinge point or the fixing point 15 of one of the gear rods 12 is displaceable in an elongated hole 33 by means of an adjustment device 34. The imaginary guide point 20 is thereby simultaneously shifted on 20", according to what type of follower device 2 and trailer unit 1 are used. It is furthermore also possible to construct the gear rods 11, 12 adjustable in length, in order thus to shift the guide point. The adjustment device 34 may, for example, be a spindle, screw or the like, and the direction of the elongated hole 33 may also be variable.

An equipment combination consisting of a trailer unit 1 constituted as disc roller 35 and a follower unit 2 constructed as crumbling roller 39, is shown in Fig. 6. The disc roller, consisting of a plurality of roller rings 36, 37, 38, is connected by a high-level connecting point, constructed here as gear 10, with the crumbling roller 39 and is pulling rod 3. Fig. 6 also shows how the gear rods 11, 12 are so disposed, as viewed in the direction of travel, that they intersect each other in a guide point or pivot point 42. For this purpose, the gear rods 11, 12, journalled to move in any direction, are attached to transverse beams 40, 41, which are of different lengths so that the desired inclination of the gear rods 11, 12 towards each other is achieved. The pivot point 42 is displaced into the region of the ground surface 22, so that the follower device 22 can advantageously adapt to the soil independently of the trailer unit 1. The follower device 2 can pivot about the imaginary pivot point 42, without thereby shifting sideways, as would be the case with a pivot point situated above the ground surface.

Fig. 7 shows a form of embodiment of the gear 10 as sliding gear, wherein the pull rod 3 is guided with its attachment points 13, 15 in a slit 50, which is of circular arc form or constructed as a curved path. The guide point 20 here lies at the point of intersection of the perpendiculars to the tangents in the region of the points of attachment 13, 15.

The sliding gear explained with reference to Fig.

7 is, according to Fig. 8, so further constructed that here the slit 50 is interrupted and consists of two partial slits 50', 50". The partial split 50" is associated with a rod 48 possessing limited pivotal capability. During operating, the rod 48 bears against the upper stop, whereas in the slewing phase of the follower device 2, it bears against the lower stop 49. The perpendiculars to the tangents in the region of the points of attachment intersect in the guide point 20. The guide point 20 is situated, during working, above the ground surface and is intentionally displaced downwards during the slewing phase.

Claims

1. Trailer unit especially disc roller with follower device usable as auxiliary device for rotary ploughs, which is connected by a coupling or a reciprocally acting catcher device with the tractor or the plough and to which a follower device is pivot ally attached by an articulated connection, characterized in that the articulated connection (4) comprises a gear (10), the imaginary guide point (20) of which is situated below the articulated con nection.

2. Trailer unit according to Claim 1, character ized in that the gear (10) is rotatably mounted.

3. Trailer unit according to Claim 1, character ized in that the imaginary guide point (20) of the gear (10) is situated in the region of the resistance line of the trailer unit (1).

4. Trailer unit according to Claim 1, character ized in that the imaginary guide point (20) is ad justable according to the type of follower device (2).

5. Trailer unit according to Claim 1 and Claim 2, characterized in that the gear (10) is constructed as a rod linkage (11, 12) comprising four hinges.

6. Trailer unit according to Claim 1 and Claim 5, characterized in that at least one of the rods (11, 12) constituting the gear (10) is constructed as a buckling rod (23).

7. Trailer unit according to Claim 6, character ized in that the rearward gear rod (12) in the pull ing direction consists of two part rods (24, 25) of different lengths connected by a hinge (26).

8. Trailer unit according to Claim 5 and Claim 6, characterized in that the gear rods (11, 12) consti tuting the gear (10) are pivotally attached to beams (28, 29), which comprise a plurality of spaced apart points of attachment (13, 14, 15, 16, 30, 31) for the gear rods.

9. Trailer unit according to Claim 5 and Claim 6, characterized in that, in at least one of the gear rods (11, 12), an elongated hole (33) is provided, in which the attachment points (13, 14, 15, 16, 30, 31) are slidably guided adjustable by adjustment devices (34).

10. Trailer unit according to Claim 5 or Claim 6, characterized in that the gear rods (11,12) are constructed of variable length.

11. Trailer unit according to Claim 1 or one or more of the succeeding claims, characterized in that the gear rods (11, 12) are arranged converging towards the ground (22) as viewed in the direction of travel.

12. Trailer unit according to Claim 1, characterized in that a drag bar (44) is so associated with the follower device (2), constructed as a crumbling roller (39), that it feeds soil additionally to the crumbling roller.

13. Trailer unit according to Claim 1 and Claim 2 and Claim 3, characterized in that the gear (10) is constructed as a sliding gear (45).

14. Trailer unit according to Claim 13, characterized in that one of the slide guides (47) of the sliding gear (45) is pivotal to a limited extent.

15. A trailer unit as claimed in Claim 1 and substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.