GB2169782A - Agricultural implements and methods of treatment - Google Patents

Abstract

A mobile agricultural or horticultural tool carrier or sprayer 10 comprises a frame 16 to be trailed from a tractor at its forward end. Hitch links 14 and associated power lift means are provided at its rear end whereby implements such as a boom type fertiliser spreader 12 or a tillage implement 42 (Fig. 2) can be fully or semi-mounted thereon. Liquid supply means 20 is mounted on the frame and is adapted to supply liquid to be sprayed, to spray nozzles mounted on the implement carried by hitch 14. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Agricultural implements and methods of treatment This invention relates to agricultural and horticultural implements and methods of agricultural and horticultural treatment. More particularly, but not exclusively, the invention relates to a method and apparatus for agricultural and horticultural spraying operations.

As a result of the increasing use of fertilisers and sprays in agriculture and horticulture, most farmers nowadays feel the need to possess equipment specifically dedicated to these two functions. In the case of fertiliser spreading, the trend towards more accurate and therefore more economic spreading techniques has led to the widespread adoption of boom type spreading equipment. In the case of spraying apparatus, it is common to use spraying apparatus having an operating width of, say, 24 metres, such equipment incorporating folding booms and allied features.

Such equipment is obviously quite expensive and, particularly in the current economic current, there is a need to provide a more costeffective means for carrying out spraying and related operations.

An object of the present invention is to provide agricultural and horticultural apparatus, and a method of using same, providing improvements in relation to one or more of the matters discussed above, or generally.

According to the invention there is provided agricultural and horticultural apparatus, and a method of using same, as claimed in the accompanying claims.

It has been previously proposed to couple together two agricultural implements in tandem or series, and indeed in side-by-side relation for wide sweep operations. Such interconnection has been effected by means of, for example, bridge type hitches extending over one implement to the other for hitching purposes. Such prior proposals are not particularly economic in terms of the cost of the original equipment and in any case are not well suited for use with spraying equipment.

Likewise, various proposals have been made for hitching mounted equipment to tractors equipped only with draw bar apparatus, such as crawler tractors, but these proposals are likewise of little relevance in that they are designed primarily for use with fully mounted ploughs and other draft apparatus and do not lend themselves to, nor in any way suggest, a means of increasing the versatility of spraying equipment.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 shows a side elevation view of a first embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 shows the Fig. 1 embodiment connected to a draft implement instead of to fertiliser spreading apparatus; and Fig. 3 shows, with part of the apparatus removed, the embodiment of Fig. 2 illustrating the draft forces applied thereto.

As shown in Fig. 1, an agricultural or horticultural implement 10 is coupled to fertiliser spreading apparatus 12 by means of a hitch 14.

Implement 10 comprises a frame and draw bar 16 having an eye 17 at its forward end for connection to the hitch hook or draw bar of a tractor. The direction of forward travel is indicated by arrow F.

Implement 10 is mounted on a pair of wheels 18 and carries a spray tank 20 supported by stays 22. A p.t.o. drive input 24 is mounted on frame 16 to be coupled on its forward side to the tractor's p.t.o. by a shaft in the usual way, and on its rearward side by a shaft (not shown) to a p.t.o. drive output connection device (not shown) at the rear end of implement 10 whereby the latter can be drivably connected to fertiliser spreader 12 or any other implement for the usual p.t.o. drive purposes.

Spray tank 20 is of conventional construction and is connected by fluid conduits (not shown) to a pump (also not shown) and a spray bar (not shown) to be described below.

The pump is likewise driven from the tractor p.t.o..

Mounted at the rear of implement 10 is the hitch 14 and the p.t.o. output device. Hitch 14 comprises an A-frame 26 to which are connected a pair of spaced draft links 28 and a top link 30. A pair of hydraulic lift rams 31 are connected between frame 26 and draft links 28 for power lift purposes. The links 28, 30 are pivotally mounted on brackets 34 carried by the frame. Lift rams 31 are connected to corresponding brackets 32.

Hitch 14 is constructed and operates very much in the manner of the three-point hitch of an agricultural tractor. The links are provided with the usual ball-end couplings for connection to hitch points 36 (two such points) and 38 on the body/frame 40 of fertiliser spreader 12.

In other words, fertiliser spreader 12 can be coupled up to hitch 14 just as if the latter were provided on an agricultural tractor. The lift rams 31 are connected to the tractor's external oii services for operation thereby. The hitch can also be coupled to a sensing system for sensing the attitude of the links or the draft force applied thereto so that the hitch is controlled accordingly so as, for example, to provide constant draft forces. This latter aspect is more important for the embodiment of Fig. 2.

Although not shown in Fig. 1, fertiliser spreader 12 has a conventional fertiliser spreader boom and has a p.t.o.-dnven fertiliser distribution device of the pneumatic kind to deliver fertiliser in an airstream from tank 40 to individual discharge nozzles at spaced positions on the boom.

Mounted on the boom (not shown) of fertiliser spreader 12 in addition to its nozzles for discharge of solid (granular or powder) fertiliser are one or more spray bar sections extending lengthwise along the full length of the boom and having the usual spray nozzles at regular intervals. The spray bars are connected to spray tank 20 and its associated pump.

Quick-attach/detach hose connections are provided between the spray bar sections and spray tank 20 so that connection/disconnection is a simple and rapid job.

In use, it will be understood that the fertiliser spreader 12 can be operated in the usual way. It is supported at the required height by hitch 14 and it is driven by the p.t.o. drive through item 24 from the tractor. In addition, the spray nozzles mounted on the fertiliser boom are supplied with liquid to be sprayed from tank 20 so that a spraying operation can proceed simultaneously if desired. Obviously, the spraying and spreading operations could, if so wished, be carried out sequentially, one before the other, or only one such operation need be carried out of course.

In order to detach the fertiliser spreader 12, it is only necessary to lower it by means of draft links 28 onto a support, to disconnect the quick-detach hose couplings and to disconnect hitch 14 in the usual way for a mounted implement.

After such disconnection, implement 10 can be re-connected to another mounted implement. For example, it could be connected to a sprayer of the fully-mounted kind. Such a sprayer could be driven by the p.t.o. and used generally in its usual way. It could be arranged to draw its liquid supply from spray tank 20, or, its own tank could be replenished therefrom when necessary. Equally however, the mounted sprayer could be fully mounted on the tractor (with implement 10 detached) if so desired and could be replenished from tank 20 from time to time as spraying proceeds. Such an arrangement is useful where implement wheelings are to be minimised and/or the place of use is a long way from the farm.It will be appreciated that the fully mounted sprayer and implement 10 could be transported to the place of work with the former fully mounted on the tractor hitch links and the latter trailed from the tractor's draw bar hook.

It will be understood that the method of connecting the spray bars to the boom of fertiliser spreader 12 is a simple operation and can be effected in any convenient way. The spray bars or bar can be left attached to the boom permanently since they occupy little space and do not interfere with its fertiliser spreading operations.

It will be appreciated from the above that the arrangement described has a considerable advantage over conventional independent spraying and spreading implements since, for the acquisition of the latter, it is necessary to buy two booms, one for each implement.

Such booms are very costly, and in the above-described apparatus only one such boom is needed. Moreover, the versatility of the apparatus is considerable, as will be appreciated from the description below.

Referring now to Fig. 2, it will be seen that implement 10 has been connected to a cultivator or chisel plough 42 having a frame 44 with a headstock 46 braced by stays 48 and provided with tines or plough points 50, 52.

Such an implement can have mounted on its frame, across the full working width, spray nozzles and spray bars, as in the preceding embodiment so that tillage or cultivation can proceed simultaneously with spraying. Soil injection of fertiliser would equally be possible with apparatus of this kind providing suitable injector nozzles were fitted. Fig. 3 illustrates the embodiment of Fig. 2 so far as draft forces are concerned. The lower link arms 28 are coupled to A-frame 26 in a manner such that the geometry of the assembly causes weight-transfer from the plough or cultivator 42 to implement 10 and thus through draw bar 16 to the hitch of the tractor, thereby increasing the latter's tractive ability. The low position of the brackets 34 contributes to the favourable effect.

It will be appreciated from the above that we have disclosed an implement having considerable versatility and greatly simplifying and reducing the cost of many farming operations.

Implement 10 can be coupled to any desired mounted implement, or indeed to semimounted implements in the case where it is not necessary to employ the top link.

Many modifications could be made in the abovedescribed embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. Obviously, the construction of implement 10 can vary enormously as regards details of its frame, draw bar and ground wheel arrangement, the mounting of the spray tank 20 thereon and the details of the hitch 14.

Claims (17)

1. An agricultural or horticultural implement constructed to carry out a primary agricultural or horticultural operation, the implement having mounted thereon spray nozzles to discharge spray across the working width of the implement as an additional operation.

2. An implement according to claim 1 wherein said primary operation is carried out by a boom-type fertiliser spreader.

3. An implement according to claim 1 wherein said primary operation is carried out by a cultivator or other tillage implement.

4. An implement according to any one of the preceding claims wherein supply means for liquid under pressure is mounted on the implement.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said liquid pressure supply means comprises a pump and a tank.

6. An implement according to any one of the preceding claims adapted to be fully or semi-mounted on the hitch links of a tractor, in combination with implement support means having hitch links for connection to the implement and a power lift device.

7. An implement according to claim 6 wherein said implementsupport means comprises an implement frame adapted to be trailed from a tractor.

8. An implement according to claim 7 wherein a liquid supply tank is mounted on said frame.

9. An implement according to any one of claims 6, 7, or 8 wherein p.t.o.-type drive means is mounted at the rear of said implement and is connectable at the forward end of the implement to the p.t.o. of a tractor.

10. A mobile agricultural or horticultural implement comprising a frame adapted to be trailed from a tractor at its forward end with respect to the normal direction of travel and having hitch links and power lift means at its rear end whereby implements may- be fully or semi-mounted thereon, wherein liquid supply means is mounted on said frame and is adapted to supply liquid to be sprayed.

11. An implement according to claim 10 wherein said liquid supply means comprises a liquid tank.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11 comprising a pump to pump said liquid from the tank.

13. An implement according to any one of claims 9 to 12 comprising a p.t.o.-type drive means at the rear end of said implement.

14. A method of agricultural or horticultural treatment comprising making a pass with a primary implement having a frame or support member to support means for carrying out a primary agricultural or horticultural operation and simultaneously or sequentially carrying out said primary operation and a spraying operation by means of spray nozzles mounted on said frame.

15. An agricultural or horticultural implement or apparatus substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

16. A method of agricultural or horticultural treatment substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

17. An agricultural or horticultural method or apparatus comprising any novel feature or novel combination of features disclosed in this application.