GB2147784A - Soil cultivating implements - Google Patents

Abstract

A soil cultivating implement comprises a row of power-rotatable tined (4) soil working members 1 that extends substantially transverse to the intended direction of operative travel of the implement. Each soil working member 1 is rotatably carried by a corresponding supporting part in the form of a gear box 9 which is releaseably clamped to the or each of its neighbours by four clamping rods 12 having tensioning nuts 13 at their ends. The rods 12 are entered through upper and lower holes in front and rear supporting ears 11 carried by each gear box 9 and said rods 12 are at the four corners of a rectangle when viewed in their direction of length. A common driving shaft 20 co-operates with bevel pinions in the gear boxes 9 in transmitting drive to the soil working members 1 and said shaft 20 is driven from a gear box 22, provided with a change-speed gear 26, said gear box 22 being driven from a central gear box 32 by way of a transmission shaft 30. A coupling member or trestle 33 for connection to a tractor or other operating vehicle is also secured in position by sleeves 35 and 37 which surround some of the draw rods 12. The implement can readily be provided in any required working width by increasing or decreasing the number of gear boxes 9 and corresponding soil working members 1. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Soil cultivating implements This invention relates to soil cultivating implements or machines of the kind which comprise a plurality of power-drivable soil working members arranged in a row that extends substantially horizontally perpendicular, or at least transverse, to the intended direction of operative travel of the implement with each soil working member operatively connected to a supporting part of the implement.

The expression "implement(s) or machine(s)" will be shortened to "implement(s)" alone throughout the remainder of this document for the sake of brevity.

Known implements of the above kind usually have supporting parts connected to a common frame portion by bolts or like fastenings and this necessitates relatively complicated and expensive manufacture and assembly. Moreover, the manufacturer cannot change a standard working width of the implements without extensive and consequently costly alterations. It is an object of the invention very greatly to reduce, if not eliminate, these disadvantages and the invention accordingly provides a soil cultivating implement of the kind set forth, wherein common clamping means is provided to secure the supporting parts clampingly together in such a way that, when so clamped together, they afford a carrying frame for the soil working members.

For a better understanding of the invention, and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a soil cultivating implement in accordance with the invention, Figure 2 is a front elevation of the implement of Figure 1, Figure 3 is a side elevation, to an enlarged scale, as seen in the direction indicated by an arrow III in Figure 1 and shows the implement connected to the rear of an agricultrual tractor, Figure 4 is a section, to an enlarged scale, taken on the line IV-IV in Figure 1, Figure 5 is a section taken on the line V-V in Figure 4, Figure 6 is a front elevation, to an enlarged scale, as seen between the arrows VI-VI in Figure 1, Figure 7 is a plan view of a second embodiment of a soil cultivating implement in accordance with the invention, Figure 8 is a section, to an enlarged scale, taken on the line VIII-VIII in Figure 7, Figure 9 is a section taken on the line IX-IX in Figure 8, Figure 10 is a section, to an enlarged scale, taken on the line X-X in Figure 7, and Figure 1,1 is a section, to an enlarged scale, taken on the line Xl-XI in Figure 7.

Referring firstly to Figures 1 to 6 of the accompanying drawings, the soil cultivating implement that is illustrated therein is in the form of a rotary harrow that is intended primarily, but not exclusively, for the preparation of seed beds upon previously cultivated agricultural land. The implement comprises a single row of twelve, in this embodiment, rotary soil working members 1 (Figures 2 and 3), said row thereof extending substantially horizontally transverse and usually, as illustrated, substantially horizontally perpendicular, to the intended direction of operative travel of the implement which is indicated in Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings, and also in Figure 7 thereof, by an arrow A.

Each rotary soil working member 1 is firmly but releasably secured to a downwardly projecting portion of a corresponding substantially vertical, or at least upwardly extending, shaft 2, the longitudinal axes of the parallel shafts 2 being spaced apart from one another at regular intervals which advantageously, but not essentially, each have a magnitude of substantially 25 cms. Each rotary soil working member 1 comprises a substantially, although not exactly, horizontally disposed support or carrier 3 which has two arms that project substantially radially in opposite directions from a central hub thereof that is firmly but releasably secured to a lower end region of the corresponding shaft 2.The outer ends of the two arms of each support or carrier 3 are integrally or fixedly provided with corresponding sleeve-like holders in which upper fastening portions of corresponding soil working tools in the form of metallic tines 4 are firmly but releasably secured. Each tine 4 also has a lower soil working portion which projects downwardly into the soil (Figures 2 and 3), when the implement is in use, to an extent whose maximum magnitude is adjustable in a manner that will be described below. The soil working portion of each tine 4 traiis downwardly and rearwardly to a small extent (Figure 2) with respect to the intended direction of operative rotation of the soil working member 1 concerned.Each shaft 2 is rotatably supported, above the hub of the corresponding soil working member carrier 3, by a pair of substantially vertical ball or roller bearings 5 (Figure 4) which are spaced apart from one another lengthwise of the shaft 2 concerned and which are mounted in a corresponding bearing housing 6.

Each bearing housing 6 is provided, towards its upper end, with a corresponding rectangular flange 8 and each flange 8 is releasably secured by a number of vertically disposed bolts 7 to the bottom of a corresponding supporting part for the soil working member 1 concerned, that supporting part being in the form of a substantially rectangular gear box 9. It will be seen from Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings, that a number of ribs strengtheningly interconnect the lower surface of each flange 8 and the outer surface of the substantially cylindrical portion of the bearing housing 6 concerned that accommodates the associated upper and lower ball or roller bearings 5.

As can be seen in the drawings, the row of substantially rectangular gear boxes 9 has those gear boxes successively laterally joined to one another to form a carrying frame for the rotary soil working members 1, said carrying frame being generally in dicated by the reference 10 (Figures 1, 4 and 5).

The fronts and rears, with respect of the direction A, of the gear boxes 9 are both substantially rectangular (Figure 2) and the lateral sides thereof are brought firmly into contact with one another to form the carrying frame 10 as will be described below. Each gear box 9 does not, in fact, exhibit six strictly rectangular surfaces and the side surfaces thereof which successively contact one another are constricted in an upward direction (Figure 5) so that the upper edges thereof have a shorter length in the direction A than do the lower edges thereof, said constrictions being substantially mid-way between the tops and bottoms of the gear boxes 9 and significantly increasing the rigidity of the front and rear surfaces of those gear boxes, again with respect to the direction A. Thus, the bottom of each gear box 9 has a larger area than does the top thereof.The lateral or side surfaces of each gear box 9 have substantially symmetrically forwardly and rearwardly projecting supporting means in the form of ears 11, the ears 11 each being substantially quadrilateral in shape and each pair of ears 11 being formed with corresponding upper and lower holes. Since the ears 11 are identical to one another, when a row of the gear boxes 9 is assembled, the leading upper holes therein will all be in alignment with one another as will be the leading lower holes, the rear upper holes and the rear lower holes.Clamping means in the form of clamping robs 12 which are preferably of circular cross-section are entered through the aligned holes in the ears 11 and draw the successive gear boxes 9 firmly into side-by-side engagement with one another by the provision of nuts 13 at the free ends of the rods 12, said nuts 13 co-operating with screw-threaded end regions of the rods 12 so that, upon tightening, the required substantially rigid carrying frame 10 will be reliably formed and will be maintained until the nuts 13 are loosened. Each rod 12 and co-operating nut 13 affords a corresponding clamping unit.

The lateral sides of the gear boxes 9 that are clamped to one another by the rods 12 and nuts 13 are all in successive open communication with one another except that the outermost sides of the two gear boxes 9 which are at the opposite ends of the row of twelve such gear boxes are closed by corresponding side plates 15 that include portions corresponding to the gear box ears 11, these portions being formed with holes that are in alignment with those in the ears 11 so that said side plates 15 are also clamped in their closing positions by the rods 12 and nuts 13. The two side plates 15 extend substantially vertically parallel to one another and to the direction A.The open communication between immediately neighbouring gear boxes 9 is by way of substantially centrally disposed circular openings and, where two such openings register with one another, a corresponding centering ring 14 (Figures 4 and 5) is employed which extends across the junction between the two gear boxes 9 concerned and axially by a very short distance into each of them. The centering rings 14 are located centrally between the four fastening rods 12 and, when those rods 12 are placed in tension by tightening the nuts 13, the rigidity of the carrying frame 10 is excellent. Each of the openings which has just been mentioned accommodates a corresponding substantially horizontally disposed ball bearing 16 that is held in place alongside the neighbouring centering ring 14 by a circlip (Figures 4 and 5).The inner races of the two ball bearings 16 which are close to each lateral side of each gear box 9 rotatably receive opposite end regions of a corresponding sleeve 17 that is integrally formed towards one end with an external bevel pinion 18. Each bevel pinion 18 has its teeth in driving mesh with those of a larger bevel pinion or crown wheel 19 integrally or rigidly mounted at the upper end of a corresponding one of the shafts 2 and it will be seen from Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings that each pinion 19 is disposed inside a lower region of the corresponding gear box 9.The two sleeves 17 and bevel pinions 18 which correspond to two immediately neighbouring gear boxes 9 are axially reversed in position in those gear boxes (Figure 4) so that, during operation, the corresponding soil working members 1 will revolve in the opposite directions which are indicated for two of them at the foot of Figure 1 of the drawings and the lateral side of each gear box 9 at which the corresponding bevel pinion 18 is located may, for easy identification during assembly, be indicated by a punch mark on the corresponding side surface of that gear box or in any other desired simple manner.

Each sleeve 17 is internally keyed in the region of the corresponding bevel pinion 18 and a single substantially horizontal common driving shaft 20 whose external surface is formed with matching axial keys is entered lengthwise through each of the aligned sleeves 17 and the corresponding gear boxes 9 of which, it will be remembered, there are twelve in the embodiment that is being described.

The opposite ends of the common driving shaft 20 are domed, one end bearing against a resilient stop plate 21 (Figure 4) whilst the opposite end extends beyond the corresponding gear box 9 and into a lower portion of a gear box 22. The gear box 22 is mounted in position immediately beyond the corresponding end of the row of gear boxes 9 by a substantially vertical plate 22A and by the four clamping rods 12 and their nuts 13. The end of the keyed driving shaft 20 which projects into the gear box 22 carries, between ball bearings, a straight- or spur-toothed pinion 23 whose teeth are in driven mesh with those of an overlying pinion 24 of the same size that is mounted on a much shorter shaft 25 which is parallel to the shaft 20 and that projects through a wall of the gear box 22 into a change-speed gear 26 that is secured in position on that wall. A still further parallel shaft 29 extends through the gear box 22 and has a splined end which projects thyerefrom towards the centre of the implement at a level well above that of the gear box 9 and an opposite end which projects into the change-speed gear 26. The ends of the two shafts 25 and 29 that are located inside the change-speed gear 26 are both axially splined and carry corresponding straight- or spur-toothed pi nions 27 and 28 that are of different sizes but that have their teeth in mesh with one another. As can be seen somewhat diagrammatically in Figures 2, 3 and 6 of the drawings, the change-speed gear 26 has a readily releaseable cover which, when removed, gives acces to the pinions 27 and 28 and the shaft ends upon which they are mounted.The transmission ratio in the change-speed gear 26 can be altered by interchanging the pinions 27 and 28 on the two shafts ends or, alternatively, by substituting another pair of pinions that are of different sizes but that will co-operate meshingly with one another when mounted on the splined ends of the shafts 25 and 29. The two shafts 25 and 29 are rotatably journalled in opposite walls of the gear box 22 by corresponding ball bearings.

The splined end of the upper shaft 29 of the gear box 22 which projects towards the centre of the implement is connected by a telescopic transmission shaft 30, which is of a known construction having univgersal joints at its opposite ends, to the rotary output shaft 31 (Figure 2) of a substantially central gear box 32 of the implement that is mounted on a substantially horizontal carrying plate 38A located between two substantially vertically disposed plates 34 that are parallel to one another and substantially parallel to the direction A, the plates 34 also forming parts of a coupling member of trestle 33 of the implement which is constructed and arranged for connecting that implement to the three-point lifting device or hitch at the rear end of an agricultural tractor or other operating vehicle in the manner which is illustrated somewhat diagrammatically in Figure 3 of the drawings.

The rotary output shaft 31 of the substantially central gear box 32 extends substantially horizontally parallel to the row of gear boxes 9 and is rotatably supported inside said gear box 32 by horizontally spaced apart ball bearings. The shaft 31 carries, inside the gear box 32, a bevel pinion 38 whose teeth are in driven mesh with those of a smaller bevel pinion 39 carried by a rotary input shaft 40 of the gear box 32 whose leading splined or otherwise keyed end projects substantially horizontally forward from the front of that gear box in substantially the direction A. Said end of the shaft 40 is intended to be placed in driven connection with the rear power take-off shaft of an agricultural tractor or other operating vehicle by way of a further telescopic transmission shaft 41 of known construction having universal joints at its opposite ends (Figure 3).

The plates 34 of the coupling member or trestle 33 are close fits around the tops of corresponding gear boxes 9 and also extend downwardly around the same gear boxes 9 at both the fronts and the rears thereof with respect to the direction A. These portions of the plates 34 carry corresponding sleeves 35 that are parallel to the row of gear boxes 9 and through which sleeves 35 the upper and lower clamping rods 12 extend. The four clamping or draw rods 12 extend through the sleeves 35 (see Figures 1 and 2) and this arrangement very simply but effectively mounts the coupling member or trestle 33 on the carrying frame 10 without the use of bolts or welding.The coupling member or trestle 33 is of substantially isosceles triangular configuration as seen in front (Figure 2) or rear elevation and locations close to its apex are strengtheningly connected to the top and front of the carrying frame 10 by steeply downwardly divergent tie rods 36. The tie rods 36 are provided at their lowermost and outermost ends with bent-over portions which carry corresponding horizontal sleeves 37, these sleeves 37 being arranged around the upper leading rods 12 immediately alongside the inner leading ears 11 of the two gear boxes 9 which are at the opposite ends of the single row thereof.

The two plates 34 of the coupling member or trestle 33 are provided with corresponding stub shafts 42 which are substantially horizontally aligned in a direction that is parallel to the row of gear boxes 9, said stub shafts 42 being disposed at a level above that of the gear boxes 9 and a very short distance in advance, with respect to the direction A, of the leading ears 11 thereof (see Figure 3).The leading end of an arm 43 is turnably mounted on each stub shaft 42 and each arm 43 extends generally rearwardly from that stub shaft 42 alongside the corresponding plate 34 to a location beyond the rearmost edge of that plate 34 where it is inclined obliquely downwardly and rearwardly with respect to the direction A, the lowermost and rearmost ends of the arms 43 being rigidly interconnected by a tubular carrier 44 that extends substantially horizontally parallel to the row of gear boxes 9. As can be seen in Figure 1 of the drawings, the carrier 44 extends laterally well beyond the two arms 43 to locations which are substantially in register, in the direction A, with the opposite ends of the row of gear boxes 9.Each end of the carrier 44 has secured to it the upper end of a corresponding rearwardly and steeply downwardly inclined support plate 45, the two support plates 45 being substantially vertically parallel to one another and to the direction A. Lower regions of the two support plates 45 carry corresponding substantially horizontally aligned bearings between which a ground roller 46 is mounted in a freely rotatable manner.

The ground roller 46 is an open-work, cage-formation ground roller comprising a central axially extending tubular support to which a number, such as five, of circular plates are centrally secured so as to extend substantially vertically parallel to one another and to the direction A in regularly horizontally spaced apart relationship with one another.

The peripheries of these plates are interconnected by ground-engaging elongate elements, of tubular or rod formation, which extend lengthwise of the roller 46, being wound helically to a small extent around the longitudinal axis of the roller 46 as can be seen in Figure 1 of the drawings. The roller 46 has six of the elongate elements spaced apart from one another at regular 60 intervals around its longitudinal axis but other numbers of those elements could equally well be employed. The elongate elements perform a soil-consolidating action upon the ground that has just been worked by the members 1 during the use of the implement and it will be seen from Figure 1 of the drawings that its working width is substantially the same as, and substantially registers with, the combined working width of the twelve members 1.The tubular carrier 44 is provided, at a location between the arms 43, with a pair of upwardly directed lugs 47 whose upper ends are interconnected by a horizontal pivot pin around which a sleeve at one end of an adjusting mechanism 48 is arranged. The adjusting mechanism 48 may be of a kind which is known perse and also comprises a portion which is pivotally mounted between coupling plates at the apex of the coupling member or trestle 33. A manually rotatable crank handle projects upwardly and forwardly from between these coupling plates and rotation of that crank handle will turn the arms 43 and the roller 46 bodily either upwardly or downwardly about the axis which is defined by the aligned stub shafts 42.It will be seen from Figure 3 of the drawings that it is the bodily level of the ground roller 46 relative to that of the soil working members 1 and gear boxes 9 which principally determines the maximum depth of penetration of the tines 4 of those soil working members 1 into the soil which is possible when the implement is in operation. Although not illustrated in the drawings, it will be appreciated that it is conventional engineering practice to employ oil seals and gaskets between the laterally abutting gear boxes 9 but such seals and other means concerned with the lubrication of the moving parts in the gear boxes 9 are not fully illustrated, if at all, to avoid unnecessary complication of the drawings.

In the use of the soil cultivating implement that has been described with reference to Figures 1 to 6 of the drawings, its coupling member or trestle 33 is connected to the three-point lifting device or hitch at the rear of an agricultural tractor or other operating vehicle in the manner which is illustrated somewhat diagrammatically in Figure 3 of the drawings and the rotary input shaft 40 of the substantially central gear box 32 is placed in driven connection with the rear power take-off shaft of the same tractor or other vehicle by way of the known telescopic transmission shaft 41 which has universal joints at its opposite ends.Adjustments which may, if required, be made before work commences include raising or lowering the bodily level of the ground roller 46 relative to that of the gear boxes 9 and soil working members 1 to increase or decrease the maximum depth of penetration of the tines 4 of those members 1 into the ground which is possible as the implement moves operatively in the direction A. In addition, the transmission ratio in the change-speed gear 26 may be changed to increase or decrease the speed of rotation of the members 1 which will result from a substantially standard speed of rotation that is applied to the rotary input shaft 40 of the substantially central gear box 32. These adjustments will usually be made in the light of the nature and condition of the soil that is to be dealt with and the particular purpose for which that soil is required after its cultivation.

As the implement moves operatively in the direction A, the shaft 20 is rotated from the substantially central gear box 32 by way of the telescopic transmission shaft 30, the gear box 22 and the change-speed gear 26 and, as previously described, the shaft 20 rotates each shaft 2, pinion 19 and soil working member 1 in the opposite direction to the or each immediately neighbouring similar assembly by virtue of the driving engagement of the smaller bevel pinions 18 with the larger bevel pinions 19.Each soil working member 1 cultivates a corresponding strip of ground that extends in the direction A but, since the effective distance between the soil working portions of the tines 4 of each member 1 is the same as, or a little greater than, the distance between the axes of rotation of neighbouring shafts 2, the strips of land worked by the individual members 1 overlap, or at least adjoin, one another to produce a single broad strip of worked soil extending in the direction A. When the implement has twelve of the soil working members 1 and the preferred distance between the axes of rotation of the shafts 2 that is mentioned above is employed, the implement will have a working width of substantially, although not necessarily exactly, three metres.The following ground roller 46 gently consolidates the soil worked by the members 1 and will act to crush any unbroken lumps of soil exceptionally left on that ground surface after the passage of the members 1.

The construction that has been described enables the strong and reliable carrying frame 10 to be produced from a plurality of externally identical gear boxes 9 which gear boxes 9 directly support corresponding soil working members 1. The clamping or draw rods 12 simply but very reliably maintain the gear boxes 9 in successive engagement with one another and, as seen in cross-section (Figure 5) the four rods 12 are located at the four corners of a rectangle. The construction is so strong and reliable that the coupling member or trestle 33 can be mounted on the carrying frame 10, using the clamping rods 12, without expensive and time-consuming welding operations being necessary and with the number of bolts and like fastenings that are required to connect together parts of the coupling member or trestle itself being reduced to a very small number. It will readily be apparent that the working width of the implement could be increased or decreased merely by adding or removing gear boxes 9 and the corresponding soil working members 1 that are supported thereby. Longer or shorter clamping rods 12 and a longer or shorter driving shaftt 20 will also be required and it is desirable that a ground roller of matching axial length should be substituted for the ground roller 46 together with a matchingly dimen sioned carrier 44. It is noted that the clamping rods 12 could, in fact, be headed at one end so that screw threaded portions and co-operating nuts 13 would only be required at the opposite ends thereof. Under these circumstances, the rods 12 would effectively be in the form of bolts having very long shanks.

Figures 7 to 11 of the drawings illustrate an al ternative implement in accordance with the invention which implement comprises a carrying frame 50 that exhibits twelve (in the example which is being described) sucessively inter-engaging supporting parts in the form of gear boxes each of which has upper and lower supporting ears 51 at both its front and rear, with respect to the direction A, and at both its lateral sides, the ears 51 being formed with holes so that the clamping or draw rods 12 may again be used, in substantially the same manner as has been described with reference to the first embodiment, in clamping the gear boxes in side-to-side engagement with one another to produce the strong and rigid carrying frame 50.

In this embodiment, one of the centre pair of gear boxes has a different construction from all the other eleven and is indicated by the reference 49A (Figure 10). The top of this gear box 49A is different in shape, compared with the other eleven gear boxes 49, to enable it to co-operate with an overlying substantially central gear box 60 that will be further described below, the gear box 60 having a rotary input shaft 66 whose leading end, with respect to the direction A, projects substantially horizontally forwards from the front of said gear box 60 in substantially the direction A to enable it to be placed in driven connection with the rear power take-off shaft of an agricultural tractor or other operating vehicle by the use of a telescopic transmission shaft of known construction, having universal joints at its opposite ends, this shaft being similar or identical to the shaft 41 which can be seen in Figure 3 of the drawings. Once again, oil seals and or gaskets that are not shown in detail in the drawings, if at all, are provided to prevent leakage of lubricant from the interior of the carrying frame 50 that is afforded principally by the gear boxes 49 and 49A.

The two gear boxes 49 which are at the opposite ends of the single row of twelve gear boxes 49 and 49A have their otherwise open outer sides or ends closed by corresponding side plates 52 which side plates 52 and retained firmly and reliably in their appointed positions by the clamping rods 12 and their co-operating nuts 13. Each of the eleven substantially identical gear boxes 49 rotatably supports a corresponding substantially vertical, or at least upwardly extending, shaft 53 by way of vertically spaced apart upper and lower ball bearings 54 that are mounted in an upper bearing housing 55 and a lower bearing housing 56, respectively. A domed cap 57 is arranged in the upwardly directed mouth of each upper bearing housing 55 so as substantially to seal that bearing housing 55 from the exterior and prevent the ingress of dirt and/or the leakage of lubricant.The single gear box 49A (Figure 10) rotatably supports a substantially vertical, or at least upwardly extending, shaft 58 which is parallel to the shafts 53 but which projects upwardly through an opening in a top cover plate 59 of that gear box 49A into the previously mentioned substantially centrally mounted gear box 60. Each of the shafts 53 and 58 is provided, inside the corresponding gear box 49 or 49A, with a straight- or spur-toothed pinion 61, the twelve pinions 61 being so arranged that the teeth of each pinion 61 are in mesh with those of the or each immediately neighbouring pinion 61 in the single row of twelve such pinions.The diameter of the pinions 61 are so matched to the lateral widths of the gear boxes 49 and 49A that, during assembly, each pinion 61 will come into correctly meshing engagement with the or each immediately neighbouring pinion 61 at a location which is substantially co-planar with one of the clamped junctions between two immediately neighbouring gear boxes 49 or 49 and 49A. This arrangement can be seen clearly in Figure 8 of the drawings. The internally splined hub of each pinion 61 co-operates with matching external splines on a portion of the corresponding shaft 53 or 58 that is located immediately above the corresponding lower ball bearing 54.

The upper end of the shaft 58 which projects into the bottom of the substantially central gear box 60 from the underlying gear box 49A carries a bevel pinion or crown wheel 62 (Figure 10) and is rotatably supported, immediately beneath that pinion or crown wheel 62, by ball bearings. The bevel pinion or crown wheel 62 has its teeth in driven mesh with those of a smaller bevel pinion 63 mounted on a shaft 64 that extends substantially horizontally parallel to the direction A between front and rear walls of the gear box 60 where it ius rotatably supported by corresponding ball bearings. The shaft 64 projects rearwardly through an opening in the rear wall of the gear box 60 into a change-speed 65 that may be very similar, or identical, to the previously described change-speed gear 26 except as regards its actual position in the implement.The previously mentioned rotary input shaft 66 of the gear box 60 extends right through that gear box, at a level above that of the paralllel shaft 64, and is rotatably supported from the front and rear walls of the gear box 60 by corresponding ball bearings.

The shaft 66, like the shaft 64, projects through the rear wall of the gear box 60 into the change-speed gear 65 where the previously described interchangeable and/or exchangeable pinions 27 and 28 co-operate meshingly with one another to facilitate a change in the transmission ratio that is established internally of the change-speed gear 65, this transmission ratio being capeable of simple alteration merely by removing the cover of the changespeed gear 65 and manually interchanging the pinions 27 and 28 on the ends of the shafts 64 and 66 or replacing those pinions 27 and 28 by an alternative pair of co-operating pinions of different sizes.

The top and front of the carrying frame 50, with respect to the direction A, is provided substantially centrally with a coupling member or trestle 67 which, like the coupling member or trestle 33, is constructed and arranged for co-operation with the three-point lifting device or hitch at the rear of an agricultural tractor or other operating vehicle.

However, in this case, the coupling member or trestle 67 comprises two lower carrying plates or carriers 68 that both extend substantially vertically parallel to one another and to the direction A in horizontally spaced apart relationship. The lower edge of each carrying plate 68 is formed with two slot-like recesses 69 (Figure 11) which recesses 69 will register with, and engage around, the leading and rear upper clamping rods 12. Front and rear hook plates 71 extend downwardly from each plate 68 at locations immediately in front of, and immediately behind, the two recesses 69, with respect to the direction A. It will be seen from Figure 11 of the drawings that the lower hooking ends of the plates 71 engage around the corresponding lower leading and lower rear clamping rods 12. The upper ends of the clamping plates 71 are firmly but releaseably secured to the plates 68 by bolts 70.

This arrangement very strongly and reliably connects the coupling member or trestle 67 to the carrying frame 50, again using the clamping rods 12, but gives the facility, by temporarily removing the bolts 70, of connecting the coupling member or trestle 67 to the carrying frame 50, or removing it therefrom, without having to loosen the nuts 13 and disassemble the carrying frame 50 itself. The tie rods 36 can be disconnected from the coupling member or trestle 67 by unbolting their upper ends from the plates which form parts of the upper coupling point that is established at the apex of the coupling member or trestle 67.

In both of the embodiments which have been described, the carrying frame 10 or 50 is strong and reliable and is established by the clamping interconnection of a number of basic units all or most of which are identical or substantially identical, such units being in the form of gear boxes that rotatably support the corresponding underlying soil working members 1. Either embodiment of the implement is easily produced in any practicable working width merely by the addition or removal of some of the basic units and the supply of a few other parts of the implement in appropriate lengths.In addition, either the coupling member or trestle 33 or the coupling member or trestle 67 can be mounted on, or removed from, the corresponding carrying frame 10 or 50 in a particularly simple manner that requires only a small number of relatively inexpensive operations, there nevertheless being no diminution in the strength or reliability of either coupling member or trestle as regards its reliable fastening to the corresponding carrying frame.The use of the simple but very effective clamping or draw rods 12 at upper and lower horizontal levels and at the four corners of a rectangle as seen in either Figure 5 or Figure 9 of the drawings gives the carrying frame 10 or 50 such strength and rigidity that any potentially deforming forces that may be produced during operation, such forces principally tending to produce torsional or bending deformation, will cause damage only very rarely and under most exceptional circumstances. Due to the constructions and arrangements that have been described, any gear box 9, 49 or 49A that may become damaged can quickly and easily be replaced alone with or without the corresponding soil working member 1. Either implement is ideally suited to mass production due to the relatively small number of different parts that are required and the assembly of those parts into the finished implements is particularly inexpensive, in any desired working width, due to the very small number of lengthy time-consuming steps that have to be taken during such assembly.

Although certain features of the soil cultivating implement embodiments that have been described and/or that are illustrated in the accompanying drawings will be set forth in the following claims as inventive features, it is emphasized that the invention is not necessarily limited to those features and that it includes within its scope each of the parts of each soil cultivating implement embodiment that has been described, and/or that is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, both individually and in various combinations.

Claims (29)

1. A soil cultivating implement of the kind set forth, wherein common clamping means is provided to secure the supporting parts clampingly together in such a way that, when so clamped together, they afford a carrying frame for the soil working members.

2. An implement as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the common clamping means extends throughout the length of said carrying frame considered in a direction which is substantially horizontally perpendicular, or at least transverse, to the intended direction of operative travel of the implement.

3. An implement as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein said common clamping means comprises a plurality of clamping units.

4. An implement as claimed in Claim 3, wherein at least two clamping units are provided at different horizontal levels.

5. An implement as claimed in Claim 4, wherein at least one clamping unit is located adjacent the tops of the supporting parts and at least one clamping unit is located adjacent the bottoms thereof.

6. An implement as claimed in any one of Claims 3 to 5, wherein said clamping means comprises four clamping units which units are located at the corners of a quadrangle when they are viewed in a direction parallel to their lengths.

7. An implement as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said supporting parts for the soil working members are themselves provided with supporting means, said supporting means being constructed and arranged to be secured clampingly to one another by said clamping means.

8. An implement as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein each supporting part is in the form of a gear box.

9. An implement as claimed in Claim 8, wherein each gear box has two opposite walls that extend substantially parallel to the lengths of said carrying frame, each such opposite wall being formed with a constriction substantially mid-way between its upper and lower edges.

10. An implement as claimed in Claim 8 or 9, wherein each gear box contains bevel pinions arranged to transmit rotation, during the use of the implement, to a shaft embodying an axis of rota tion of the corresponding soil working member.

11. An implement as claimed in Claim 10, wherein the bevel pinions in immediately neighbouring gear boxes are so arranged that, during operation of the implement, the corresponding soil working members will revolve in opposite directions.

12. An implement as claimed in Claim 10 or 11, wherein each gear box contains a corresponding rotatably mounted sleeve through which a common driving shaft for all of the sleeves is releaseably entered.

13. An implement as claimed in Claim 12, wherein each sleeve carries a bevel pinion whose teeth are in driving mesh with those of a further bevel pinion secured to the shaft which embodies the axis of rotation of the corresponding soil working member.

14. An implement as claimed in Claim 13, wherein each sleeve is internally keyed in a region registering with the corresponding external bevel pinion, said keys being arranged to co-operate with external keys on said common driving shaft.

15. An implement as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the drive transmission to the soil working members comprises a gear box which is secured to said carrying frame by said clamping means.

16. An implement as claimed in Claim 15, wherein said gear box is located at one axial end of said carrying frame.

17. An implement as claimed in Claim 16, wherein said gear box is clamped by a plate against that supporting part which corresponds to a soil working member at one end of said row thereof.

18. An implement as claimed in any one of Claims 15 to 17, wherein the transmission members in said gear box are connected by a telescopic transmission shaft to a substantially central gear box of the implement which latter gear box has journalled therein a rotary input shaft whose rotation, in use, is transmitted to the row of soil working members.

19. An implement as claimed in Claim 8, wherein each gear box that affords a supporting part accommodates a corresponding straight- or spur-toothed pinion that is mounted on a shaft embodying an axis of rotation of the corresponding soil working member.

20. An implement as claimed in Claim 19, wherein the diameter of each straight- or spurtoothed pinion is such that, when two immediately neighbouring gear boxes that afford supporting parts are clampingly secured to one another by said clamping means, the teeth of the pinions concerned correctly mesh with one another at a location which substantially coincides with a plane containing the surfaces of those gear boxes that are drawn together by said clamping means.

21. An implement as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a coupling member or trestle is provided to connect the implement to the lifting device or hitch of a tractor or other vehicle, said coupling member or trestle being secured to the carrying frame by said clamping means.

22. An implement as claimed in Claim 21, wherein the coupling member or trestle is a threepoint coupling member or trestle which comprises parts constructed and arranged to be fastened in their appointed positions by said clamping means.

23. An implement as claimed in Claim 22 when read as directly or indirectly appendant to Claim 7, wherein said parts of the coupling member or trestle comprise sleeves that extend between the supporting means carried by corresponding supporting parts, the clamping means extending axially through said sleeves.

24. An implement as claimed in Claim 23, wherein said parts of the coupling member or trestle are in the form of plates which surround at least three surfaces of corresponding supporting parts with a minimum of clearance.

25. An implement as claimed in Claim 22, wherein said parts of the coupling member or trestle are in the form of carriers that are releaseably connected to said clamping means.

26. An implement as claimed in Claim 25, wherein said carriers comprise recesses and hooks arranged to engage around units of said clamping means.

27. An implement as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said clamping means comprises at least one clamping or draw rod which is provided at its opposite ends with screw-threaded regions arranged to receive corresponding nuts or is provided at one end with a head and at the opposite end with a screw-threaded region arranged to receive a corresponding nut.

28. An implement as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein each soil working member is power-rotatable about a corresponding substantially vertical, or at least upwardly extending, axis.

29. A soil cultivating implement of the kind set forth, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 6 or with reference to Figures 7 to 11 of the accompanying drawings.