GB2161352A

GB2161352A - Soil cultivation machine with actively driven soil cultivation tools

Info

Publication number: GB2161352A
Application number: GB08512939A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Richard Warnking
Original assignee: Rabewerk Heinrich Clausing
Current assignee: Rabewerk Heinrich Clausing
Priority date: 1984-05-22
Filing date: 1985-05-22
Publication date: 1986-01-15
Also published as: FR2564687B1; DE3418976C2; GB8512939D0; GB2161352B; DE3418976A1; FR2564687A1

Abstract

On lateral limiting plates (10) guide plates (20) are arranged which guide the earth stirred up by the soil cultivation tools (2) inwards in to the area of a trailing roller (11). On the guide plates (20) blocking plates (27) which cover the roller (11) laterally are secured in an adjustable manner, so that the earth from an earth mound pushed by the roller (11) cannot migrate laterally, but remains in the area of the roller, the formation of earth banks being avoided. The invention also makes possible in particular the use of rollers with a closed roller body (12), with which skimmers (19) are associated and which tend, to a certain extent, to push an earth bank (38) in front of them. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Soil cultivation machine with actively drivensoil cultivation tools The invention relates to a soil cultivation machine with actively motor-driven soil cultivation tools, in particular a circular spike harrow with a plurality of contra-rotating gyroscopes, which are mounted in a row extending transversely to the direction of travel, a roller which extends across the full working width of the machine being arranged behind the tools and upright limiting plates which hold back the earth in the area of the working width of the machine being mounted on the lateral ends of the machine parallel to the direction of travel and having guide plates which are disposed obliquely to the direction of travel in such a way that they guide the earth in the direction towards the centre of the machine.

In machines of this type the roller is usually slightly shorter than the working width of the machine. This means that the roller is held by support arms which extend at the side of the end face of the roller and the projection of the support arms must not exceed a predetermined machine width.

This applies in particular to machines with a working width of 3m, where the maximum permissible width for conveying agricultural machines on public highways must not be greater than 3m. The roller cannot then level the complete strip of cultivated soil without further steps so that there is the risk of earth banks being formed at the side of the roller.

In order to prevent this, it is known to arrange oblique guide plates on the limiting plates or to design a portion of the plates as oblique guide plates, which push the earth inwards (DE-30 33 136, DE-32 05 518, DE-29 45 062, DE-27 28 432). A reduction in the forming of earth banks is certainly achieved in this way, but not in all cases. In particular when the roller pushes large quantities of earth in front of it, it cannot prevent completely the formation of lateral mounds. Spike rollers in particular tend to push earth mounds in front of them.

Spike rollers are rollers with a cylindrical roller body which is provided with teeth, rods or the like, skimmers usually having to be provided which prevent earth from sticking to the cylindrical casing.

The roller cannot as a result run smoothly and tends to push earth in front of it.

The aim of the invention is to design a soil cultivation machine of the type described above in such a way that even earth pushed by the roller does not lead to the formation of earth banks.

This aim is achieved according to the invention in that on the reverse side of each guide plate a blocking plate is mounted which moves close to the associated roller end and seals the triangular region, which is disposed on the end face of the roller between the roller circumference and the ground surface.

The blocking plate prevents earth pushed by the roller from escaping over the end faces of the roller to form earth mounds there. The earth is thus held in the area of the roller and is levelled thereby in such a way that earth mounds are not formed.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the blocking plates extend substantially parallel to the direction of travel. This is possible and advantageous, since these plates do not have the function of deflecting earth inwards, but have the function of preventing earth from escaping outwards. Each blocking plate is preferably secured so as to be easily interchangeable. This permits, the use of blocking plates to suit the particular roller being used and thus maximum sealing to be obtained.

Advantageously, the blocking plates are horizontally displaceable and lockable in each displacement position. This can allow the blocking plates to be adapted to different rollers, without the blocking plates having to be changed.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention each blocking plate overlaps the associated end face of the roller. In this way a complete sealing of the triangular region between the roller circumference and the ground surface is obtained, without the contour of the blocking plate being adapted to the roller diameter. Complete sealing can also be achieved by correspondingly designing the blocking plates-end edge, i.e. by means of their being adapted to the roller circumference. In this case, however, a particular roller circumference must be associated with particular blocking plate.

The blocking plates can be resiliently flexible.

The blocking plates can then avoid obstructions, e.g. stones, so that there is no danger of objects being trapped between blocking plate and roller or the trapped objects then causing damage.

A simple type and means of securing is obtained by curving the blocking plates at an obtuse angle, a plate section on one side of the curve acting as a securing portion which rests against the reverse side of the guide plate. The guide plates may be curve as a securing portion plates may be curved at an obtuse angle, one plate section being used on one side of the curve as a securing portion which rests against the inside of the associated limiting plate and the other plate section preferably projecting from the point outside to the back inside. Both types of securing means facilitate the interchanging of the plates.

As can already be seen from the problems described above, the invention is particularly advantageous in conjunction with soil cultivation machines which have spike rollers with skimmers.

The device is not, however, limited to this, as a lateral seal is also advantageous in other types of rollers, e.g. cage drum rollers.

Horizontal displaceability of the guide plates according to can also be used for adapting to different roller arrangements and roller diameters. If, for example, a roller with a small diameter is used, the guide plate and blocking plate as a unit can be displaced backwards. The same applies when a roller of the same diameter is arranged at a slightly greater distance from the soil cultivation tools. The guide plates can also be moved close to the roller, an additional blocking effect being obtained. The guide plates are preferably secured in an interchangable manner on the limiting plates. This also facilitates adapting to different rollers. The detachable securing means and the displaceable securing means can be combined with one another and can be obtained simply in respect of design by means of oblong holes and screw bolts.

The invention will be further described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure I is a plan view of a circular spike harrow.

Figure 2 is a side view of the gyroscope in the direction of the arrow II in Fig. 1, the side view, however, being rotated through 90"C counter clockwise from the position suitable for folding in Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged segment of Fig. 1 in the region of the dot-and-dash frame III in Fig. 1.

The circular spike harrow has a gear casing 1, which forms the main beam of the machine. In the gear casing six gyroscopes 2 are rotatably mounted and are interconnected by a drive means.

Each gyroscope 2 has a tool support 3, on which downward projecting soil cultivation tools 4, 5 are secured. The gyroscope is rotated by a tractor to which the apparatus is attached via a universal joint propellor shaft. For attaching the apparatus to the tractor, pins 7, 8 arranged on the gear casing 1 are used to secure the lower guides of a tractor three point rod system and a projection 9 for guiding the upper guides of the tractor three point rod system.

Limiting plates 10 which can be secured at different heights relative to the gear casing are attached to the lateral ends of the gear casing 1. A spike roller 11 is attached behind the transverse row of gyroscopes 2. The spike roller 11 has a cylindrical casing 12 which is provided with teeth 13. The teeth 13 are arranged along a plurality of circumferential lines on the cylindrical casing 12.

The spike roller 11 is mounted on two support arms 14 which are pivotably mounted on the gear casing 1 via their front ends, i.e. by means of universal joints 15. The support arms 14 can be locked at different height positions relative to the gear casing 1 using tracks of punched holes 16. Support rods 17 project backwards away from the support arms 14. Between the two support rods a crosspiece 18 extends, to which skimmers 19 are secured which rest against the cylindrical casing 12 in the region between two parallel rings of teeth 13 to prevent a layer of earth from sticking to the roller.

One guide plate 20 is arranged on the inside of each plate 10. Each guide plate 20 has a front securing portion 20a and a rear guide portion 20b.

Both portions merge into one another on a curved edge 20c. The securing portion 20a is secured by means of two screw bolts 21 and 22 to the associated limiting plate 10. To this end, there are round holes or square holes in the limiting plate, whilst oblong holes 23, 24 which extend horizontally are provided in the securing portion. After loosening the screw nuts 21a, 22a (see Fig. 3), the whole guide plate 20 can be displaced horizontally. Securing in any displacement position is possible by tightening the nuts 21a, 22a. Fig. 3 shows that the guide portion 20b can be designed differently at its end. It can have both an end edge 25 which seen in plane view extends parallel to the direction of travel, and an end edge 26, which seen in plan view projects from the rear on the outside and forwards on the inside.

One blocking plate in total which is designated by 27 is secured to the reverse side of the guide plate 20b. The blocking plate 27 has a front securing portion 27a and a rear blocking portion 27b which abut one another on a bevelled edge 27c.

There are oblong holes 28, 29 in the securing portion which extend horizontally in the securing portion 27a, as can be seen from the side view according to Fig. 2. The securing portion 27a rests flat against the outside of the guide portion 22a.

Screw bolts 30, 31 which penetrate the said oblong holes 28, 29 and round holes or square holes in the guide plate 20 once are used for securing. Nuts 30a, 31a are screws on to the screw bolts 30, 31 from outside.

After loosening the nuts the whole blocking plate 27 can be displaced, the plate being subject to both longitudinal displacement, i.e. a displacement in the direction of travel, and transverse displacement, i.e. displacement parallel to the roller axis 32. The blocking plate can be locked in any displacement position by tightening the nuts.

The blocking portion 27b extends rearward to the overlap associated end face 33 of the roller 11 and to be spaced therefrom by a short distance.

The triangular region 34 which is disposed between the ground surface 35 and the roller casing 12 is thus sealed extensively. By a corresponding adjustment, which is possible by means of the oblong holes 28, 29, the blocking portion 27b can be be moved as near to the end face 33 as possible.

As Fig. 2 shows, the blocking plate 27 can also have different end edges 36, 37. The end edge 36 extends perpendicular to the ground surface 35, whilst the end edge 37 is inclined upwards from the back to the front. An incline of this type can be of interest in the saving material (avoiding wastage when cutting the blocking plate 27 from sheet metal). Waste is avoided when the rear edge 37 of the blocking plate 27 has the same degree of inclination as the front edge of the blocking plate, which in the embodiment extends obliquely to the horizontal edges.

The guide plate 20 ensures that earth stirred up by the gyroscopes 2 is guided into the area of the roller 11. The blocking plates 27 ensure that earth pushed by the roller 11 does not leave the roller area. The blocking effect can be seen particularly clearly in Fig. 2. By covering the triangular region 34 the lateral escape of earth from the pushed earth mound 38 is prevented. The arrangement can be used for different roller diameters, the oblong holes permitting maximum adjustment. The type of securing means for the guide plates 20 and the blocking plates 27 permit easy interchange, if this is required in respect of particular roller shapes and roller arrangements.

Claims

1. A soil cultivation machine with actively motor-driven soil cultivation tools, roller means arranged behind the tools with respect to the direction of travel of the machine and extending across the full working width of the machine and substantially upright limiting plates mounted on the sides of the machine substantially parallel to the direction of travel for holding back earth in the area of the working width of the machine, the limiting plates having guide plates which are disposed obliquely to the direction of travel in such a way that they guide earth in towards the centre of the part of machine, characterised in that a blocking plate is provided close to the respective end of the roller means to seal the triangular region, between the roller circumference and the ground surface in the vicinity of the end of the roller.

2. A soil cultivation machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the blocking plate is mounted on the rear of a respective guide plate.

3. A soil cultivation machine according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the blocking plates extend substantially parallel to the direction of travel.

4. A soil cultivation machine according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterised in that each blocking plate is secured so as to be readily removable or replaceable.

5. A soil cultivation machine according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that each blocking plate is horizontally displaceable and is secured in a lockable manner in a plurality of displacement positions on the guide plate.

6. A soil cultivation machine as claimed in claim 3 wherein the blocking plates are secured by means of screws which penetrate the guide plate and the blocking plate.

7. A soil cultivation machine as claimed in claim 5 wherein the blocking plates are secured by means of screws which penetrate the guide plate and the blocking plate and horizontal oblong holes are provided in the guide plate andlor the blocking plate.

8. A soil cultivation machine according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that each blocking plate overlaps the associated end face of the roller.

9. A soil cultivation machine according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that each blocking plate has an arcuate end edge which matches the roller circumference.

10. A soil cultivation machine according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the blocking plates are resiliently flexible.

11. A soil cultivation machine according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the blocking plates are curved at an obtuse angle, one plate section on one side of the curve acting as a securing portion which rests against the reverse side of the guide plate.

12. A soil cultivation machine according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the guide plates are curved at an obtuse angle, one plate section being used on one side of the curve as a securing portion which rests against the inside of the associated limiting plate and the other plate section preferably projecting from the front outside to the back inside.

13. A soil cultivation machine according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the roller has a cylindrical body in manner known per se which is provided with teeth and which is preferably provided with skimmers.

14. A soil cultivation machine according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that each guide plate is horizontally displaceable and is secured in a lockable manner in each displacement position on its associated limiting plate.

15. A soil cultivation machine as claimed in claim 14, characterised in that the plate is secured by means of screws which penetrate the guide plate and the limiting plate (10), horizontal oblong holes being provided in the guide plate and/or limiting plate.

16. A soil cultivation machine according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that each guide plate is movable close to the roller, and preferably has an arcuate end edge which is adapted to the roller circumference.

17. A soil cultivation machine according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the guide plates are secured in an interchangeable manner on the limiting plates such as by means of screw bolts.

18. A soil cultivation machine as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 17 in the form of a circular spike harrow having a plurality of contra-rotating gyroscopes which are mounted in a row transverse to the direction of travel.

19. A soil cultivation machine, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.