GB2192771A - Adjustable width ploughs - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a plough in which it is possible to adjust the orientation of the chassis 9 and of the plough bodies 21 with respect to the forecarriage 1, and to adjust the cutting distance. The plough bodies 21 are carried by brackets 18 mounted on the chassis 9 and held parallel by a rod 24. A rigid tensioner 16 may, as desired, connect a bracket 18 to a point 26 carried by the forecarriage 1 or to a point 92 carried by the chassis 9. In the first case, the tensioner forms, together with the forecarriage, the chassis and the bracket, an irregular quadrilateral and, by changing the orientation of the chassis the orientation of the plough bodies are also changed with respect to the chassis, whereas, in the second case, the plough bodies are fixed with respect to the chassis, which reduces consumption and wear at the moment of turning round. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Plough with a cutting width and plough frame adjustment device The invention relates to a plough with a front plough structure and a plough frame which is connected to the latter in an articulated manner and which supports a plurality of plough bottoms, each plough bottom being secured to the plough frame and being provided with a bracket, said brackets being connected to one another by way of a rod which provides a parallel guide, and the assembly of parallel guide, brackets, front plough structure and plough frame forming an arrangement such that as the plough frame is pivoted all the plough bottoms turn simultaneously relative to the plough frame.

Ploughs of the type described above are known for example from German Offenlegungsschrift (Laid-Open Specification) 31 51 302 and make it possible firstly to adjust the tractive power requirement of the plough to the existing tractor capacity and secondly to select the adjustment in such a way that the tractor can always be driven in an optimum performance range or that the slippage of the rear wheels will not exceed an acceptable level. By such means improved fuel consumption. can be achieved.

The adjustability of the cutting width of the plough bottoms for affecting the tractive power is usefui, for example, when ploughing must take place at different depths for specific agricultural products or at different seasons. In addition, it is also advantageous to be able to change the cutting width when travelling up or down a slope. Furthermore, it happens that different soil qualities have to be worked with the same plough, and weather conditions can vary. In German Offenlegungsschrift 31 51 302 an apparatus for setting the cutting width adjustment is proposed, in which when the cutting width of all the plough bottoms is set the cutting width of the first plough bottom and where appropriate of the forward tools is altered to the required extent and in which when the cutting width is set the traction point is corrected at the same time.This is achieved by means of the features described at the beginning.

Turning of a plough of this type is more easily effected if the following procedure can be carried out. Firstly, the centre of gravity is moved towards or into the ideal rotational axis, secondly the plough bottoms are turned, and thirdly the frame is then moved back again into its initial draft position. In the case of an operation of this type, however, it is disadvantageous if the brackets with the plough bottoms always simultaneously execute a pivoting movement as the frame pivots to facilitate turning. This results firstly in an unnecessarily increased energy requirement and secondly in increased wear.

An object of the present invention is to provide a plough of the type described above, in such a way that it can be changed over with simple means and in a very short time so that there is no pivoting of the brackets when the frame is pivoted, while in the basic position the plough retains all the characteristics of the plough described above.

According to the invention, therefore, the guide. rod, which is joined to the brackets directly or indirectly by way of the rod producing the parallel guide, is connected either at a connexion point of the front plough structure or at a second connexion point which is connected to the plough frame. If the guide rod is connected to the front plough structure, a correction of the traction point is effected at the same time as an adjustment of the cutting width, so that this correction, if the plough frame is connected to the front plough structure by way of an hydraulic cylinder, can also be carried out during ploughing. If ploughing is carried out for example on the level or on a soil which has a uniform character, the cutting width and traction point adjustment once set need no longer be changed, but can be retained during the course of further ploughing.

In this case, however, it should be noted that the rotational energy can be kept to a minimum as the plough bottoms are turned. In order to achieve this, the guide rod, which is directly or indirectly attached to the brackets, is detached from the front plough structure and is attached to a suitably prepared attachment point on the plough frame, while the inclination of the plough frame with respect to the front plough structure and the inclination of the brackets and thus of the plough bottoms with respect to the plough frame are not changed. In the simplest case this can be carried out by the length of the guide rod being adjusted to correspond to the new attachment point. It is also possible, however, for a corresponding row of holes to be formed on the plough frame, so that the guide rod can be attached to the plough frame practically without altering the length.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the guide rod which joins the bracket to the front plough structure or the plough frame respectively is attached to a second guide rod which is rotatably connected to the centre of gravity of the plough frame.

This guide rod comprises fastening means by which it can be secured to the plough frame or the front plough structure respectively, the said fastening means being constructed in such a way that, when the position of this second guide rod is unchanged, fastening both to the plough frame and to the front plough structure is possible. This can be effected for example by inserting pins in prepared bores in the guide rod and the front plough structure or the plough frame respectively.

Further advantageous embodiments of the invention are set out in the Sub-Claims in conjunction with the drawing and the description.

Two embodiments of the invention are described in greater detail below with reference to the drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of a plough according to the invention, and Fig. 2 is a plan view of further embodiment ofa plough according to the invention.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a first embodiment of a reversible plough in accordance with the invention, the turning apparatus having been omitted for the sake of clarity. In addition, the adjustable end stops for turning, with the aid of which-the tilting of the plough bottoms is achieved, have been omitted, and furthermore, the upper plough bottoms are not shown. The plough comprises a front plough structure 1, to which a plough frame 9 is connected by way of a joint 10 which is orientated substantially vertically in the operating position. The front plough structure 1 comprises a connecting rod 11, which is provided with pins 2 and 3 for connecting to lower guide rods (not shown). The upper guide rod (likewise not shown) is connected to the turret of the connecting rod 11.The connecting rod 11 also receives a pivot axis 4, to which a widthadjustment device 5 of conventional type is secured. This width-adjustment device comprises a slotted guide 6, in which a plate 7 standing on edge is displaceable. A sliding member 13, on the left-hand end of which a spindle 8 for the displacement of the plate 7 is provided on an arm 14, is rigidly secured to the plate 7. In the first place the vertical shaft 10, about which the plough frame 9 is pivotable, is disposed on the displacement member 13. Furthermore, a double-acting hydraulic cylinder 15 and a tension lock 16 are articulated on the displacement member 13. The hydraulic cylinder 15 engages with its other end on an arm 17 rigidly connected to the plough frame 9.The other end of the tension lock 16 is articulated on a bracket 18, which in turn is secured in an articulated manner at 19 on the plough frame 9. Arl arm 20, which projects forward and which is used for assembling the forward implements, is secured in the bracket 18. In addition, the plough beam 22, which supports the plough bottoms 21 and which is shown in section, is secured to the bracket 18. At its other end (not shown) the plough beam 22 supports a further plough bottom 21. Each plough bottom 21 is secured to a similar bracket 18, all of which are pivotable about vertically orientated joints 19.The ends 23 of the brackets are connected to one another in an articulated manner by way of a rod 24, which extends parallel to the plough frame 9 and to the articulation points 19 of the brackets, and thus together with the plough frame forms a parallelgram, so that as the brackets 18 pivot about the respective articulation points 19 the plough bottoms 21 retain their position relative to one another.

The foremost bracket 18 is connected by way of tension lock 16 to the front plough structure 1, the tension lock 16 being articulated at points 25 and 26 on the bracket and the sliding member 13 respectively. The tension lock 16, the bracket 18, the sliding member 13 and the plough frame 9 thus form an irregular quadrilateral, so that as the plough frame 9 is pivoted about the front joint 10 with the aid of the hydraulic cylinder 15 the plough bottom pivots at the same time relative to the front plough structure. This would not be the case if the rod 24 with the joints 10 and 19 were extended beyond the first bracket 18 so as to form a parallelogram and were articulated in turn on the sliding member 13.

If the cutting width of the individual plough bottoms 21 is to be reduced, the front plough structure should be pivoted or displaced somewhat laterally towards the soil being ploughed. This means that the plough bottoms 21, relative to the front plough structure 1, must pivot slightly to the right as viewed from above. In order to permit this, the guide rod between the articulation points 19 and 25 must therefore be somewhat shorter than the guide rod between the joints 10 and 26. This means, on the other hand, that the extensions of the lines connecting the articulation points 10 and 19 and the articulation points 26 and 25 must intersect far to the rear as viewed in the direction of travel. The relative pole must therefore be behind the plough.In order to be able to set the relative pivoting of the plough bottoms with respect to the connecting rod, a plurality of forward articulation points 26 are provided in this embodiment. In order to achieve the same object, however, a plurality of articulation points may be provided on the bracket or, alternatively, both the bracket and the sliding member are provided with a plurality of articulation points for the tension lock 16. By altering articulation points of the tension lock 16 and by altering the length thereof the inclination of the plough bottoms 21 can be adapted to the respective tractor.

The forward cutting width adjustment device 5 is used solely for adapting the plough to the respective type of tractor. This cutting width setting and the tension lock 16 need be set only for adaptation to the corresponding tractor or during the transition from the flat to a slope or vice versa. The subsequent cutting width adjustment is effected by way of the hydraulic cylinder 15, which pivots the plough frame 9 relative to the front plough structure 1, the plough bottoms 21 pivoting at the same time with respect to the front plough structure.

The cylinder 15 could also be used to pivot the centre of gravity of the plough frame towards or into the ideal pivot axis of the plough frame as the plough bottoms are turned. The plough bottoms 21 would thus execute a pivoting action simultaneously, which would involve an unnecessary energy outlay and additional wear. According to the invention the plough is provided for a second type of operation, in which it is no longer necessary for a cutting width adjustment to be carried out, but rather rotational energy when turning the plough bottoms should be saved and wear prevented. To this end a lug 91, which comprises a fastening bore 92 for the tension lock 16, is formed rotationally ri gidly on the plough frame 9.For changing from one to another type of operation the tension lock 16 is released from point 26 on the front plough structure and is secured to -the fastening bore 92 in the lug 91 of the plough frame 9. In order that there should be no displacement of the plough bottoms 21 relative to the front plough structure the length of the tension lock 16 must be reduced accordingly. In this operating position the plough frame 9 can be pivoted by means of the hydraulic cylinder 15, without the plough bottoms 21 being displaced relative to the plough frame 9. In this way a considerable energy saving and a reduction in wear are achieved in the second operating position.

In the embodiment according to Fig. 2 the same parts are provided with the same refer ence numerals. The difference as compared with the embodiment according to Fig. 1 is that the connexion points 26 and 92 on the front plough structure and on the plough frame are no longer used for the direct con nexion of the tension lock 16, but the tension lock 16 is articulated in the connexion bore 93 on a lever 94. which is secured so as to be pivotable in the point of articulation 10 of the plough frame 9. This lever 94 comprises a plate 95 which extends on both sides of the lever 94 and comprises a plurality of seriesdrilled bores 96. The bores 26 and 92 are in turn, as in Fig. 1, provided on the front plough structure or on a lug 91 on the plough frame. The lever with its bores 96 engages over both the fastening bore 26 and the fastening bore 92 in each position of the plough bottoms 21, so that with the aid of a pin 97 it can selectively be connected to the plough frame or to the front plough structure. If the lever 94 is secured to the front plough structure by means of the pin 97, the type of operation is retained in which an adjustment of the cutting width of the plough bottoms 21 and also of the traction point takes place whenever the frame pivots. If on the other hand the lever 94 is secured to the plough frame 9, the plough frame can be pivoted without the plough bottoms 21 being turned relative to the plough frame.

According to a further embodiment of the invention the tension lock 16 can also be replaced by a further hydraulic cylinder, so that all the setting operations can be carried out from the tractor seat.

Claims (10)

1. A plough comprising a front plough structure and a plough frame connected to said front plough structure in an articulated manner and which supports a plurality of plough bottoms, each plough bottom being secured to the plough frame and being provided with a bracket. The brackets being connected to one another by way of a rod which provides a parallel guide, and the assembly of parallel guide, brackets, front plough structure and plough frame forming an arrangement such that as the plough frame is pivoted all the plough bottoms turn simultaneously relative to the plough frame, and which plough further comprises means, in the form of an extensible connection member for effecting adjustment of the plough and a further member for maintaining a selected adjustment, means being provided for altering the iocation of said further member relative to said connection member.

2. A plough according to Claim 1, wherein a first connexion bore is provided on a plough connecting rod and in which a second connexion bore is provided to permit selective attachment thereto of a said further member in the form of a guide rod or tension lock.

3. A plough according to Claim 2, characterized in that a lug, which comprises one or more fastening bores for the guide rod, is integrally formed on the plough frame.

4. A plough according to Claim 2, characterized in that a lever, on the end of which the guide rod is articulated, is rotatably connected at the centre of gravity of the plough frame, and the lever is provided with fastening means for selective attachment to the plough frame or to the front plough structure respectively.

5. A plough according to Claim 4, characterized in that the fastening means of the lever in the unaltered position of the guide rod and of the lever both for the front plough structure and for the plough frame-permit fastening both on the front plough structure and on the plough frame.

6. A plough according to any one of the preceding Ciaims characterized in that said further member comprises by a double-acting hydraulic cylinder.

7. A plough according to any one of the preceding Claims characterized in that said extensible member comprises an hydraulic cylinder between the front plough structure and the plough frame for pivoting the plough frame.

8. A plough according to Claim 7, when dependent upon Claim 6 characterized in that the hydraulic cylinder and the hydraulic cylinder are adjustable independently of one another.

9. A plough, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 1 or Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings.

10. The features hereinbefore described, or their equivalents, in any novel slection.