GB2302493A

GB2302493A - Soil working implement

Info

Publication number: GB2302493A
Application number: GB9611731A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Magne Skjaeveland
Original assignee: KVERNELAND KLEEP AS
Current assignee: KVERNELAND KLEEP AS
Priority date: 1995-06-22
Filing date: 1996-06-05
Publication date: 1997-01-22
Anticipated expiration: 2016-06-05
Also published as: GB9611731D0; GB9512742D0; GB2302493A8; GB2302493B

Abstract

There is disclosed a soil-working implement 10, preferably a reversible plough, which is adapted to be mounted on a propelling vehicle 11 and to carry out a soil-working operation during forward travel x of the vehicle, in which the implement comprises: a transverse mounting beam 12; a parallelogram linkage 13 pivotally mounted on the mounting beam 12; a soil-working tool 14 mounted on the linkage 13; an adjuster device 15 connected to the linkage 13 and operable to displace the tool 14 laterally relative to the direction of travel x: in which the parallelogram linkage 13 is a four-arm linkage comprising a carrying beam 16 pivotally mounted at one end 17 on the mounting beam 12 at a location off-set relative to the longitudinal axis y of the vehicle 11, a control beam 18 pivotally mounted at one end 19 on the mounting beam 12 at a mounting location spaced from one end 17 of the carrying beam 16, and a beam portion 20 interconnecting the ends 17 and 19, and a mounting bracket 21 pivotally interconnecting the opposite ends 22, 23 of the carrying beam 16 and the control beam 18; ```and in which the linkage 13 is pivotally adjustable under the action of the adjuster device 15 to move between a generally rearwardly projecting position and an at least partly inwardly folded position, in order to provide a range of lateral adjustment positions of the tool 14; and ```the combined effects of the four arms 16, 18, 20, 21 of the linkage 13, in carrying out lateral adjustment of the tool 14, is to maintain the same attitude of the tool relative to the forward direction x in all positions of adjustment.

Description

SOIL-WORKING IMPLEMENT 1 2302493 This invention relates to a soil-working

implement which is adapted to be mounted on a propelling vehicle and to carry out a soil-working operation during forward travel of the vehicle, in which the implement comprises a transverse mounting beam, a linkage pivotally mounted on the mounting beam, a soilworking tool mounted on the linkage, and an adjuster device connected to the linkage and operable to displace the tool laterally relative to the direction of travel.

The invention therefore is concerned with providing a soilworking implement which can be mounted on a propelling vehicle e.g. a tractor, preferably at the rear thereof, and can provide working of a strip of ground at any required lateral position relative to the longitudinal axis of the tractor.

According to the invention there is provided a soilworking implement adapted to be mounted on a propelling vehicle and to carry out a soilworking operation during forward travel of the vehicle, said implement comprising:

transverse mounting beam; parallelogram linkage pivotally mounted on said mounting beam; a soilworking tool mounted on said linkage; an adjuster device connected to the linkage and operable to displace the tool laterally relative to the direction of travel:

in which the parallelogram linkage is a four-arm linkage which comprises:

a carrying beam pivotally mounted at one end on said mounting beam, and at a mounting location which is off-set relative to the longitudinal axis of the propelling vehicle; a control beam pivotally mounted at one end on said mounting beam at a mounting location spaced from said one end of the carrying beam, and a beam portion interconnecting said ends; a mounting bracket pivotally interconnecting the opposite ends of said carrying beam and said control beam, and on which said tool is mounted:

and in which:

a. the linkage is Pivotally adjustable under the action of the adjuster device to move between a generally rearwardly projecting position and an at least partly inwardly folded position, in order to provide a range of lateral adjustment positions of the tool; and b. the combined effect of the four arms of the linkage, in carrying out lateral adjustment of the tool, is to maintain the same attitude of the tool relative to the forward direction of travel in all positions of adjustment.

Preferably, the tool is a plough body.

A pair of reversible plough bodies may be provided, mounted on the mounting bracket, and in which the mounting beam is rotatably mounted on a headstock to rotate through approximately 1800 in order to reverse the plough bodies.

A coulter may be provided, associated with the or each plough body, and carried by a mounting arm, in which the arm is secured to the mounting bracket and is pivotable with the plough body during adjustment of the parallelogram linkage so as to maintain the same attitude of the coulter relative to the plough body in each adjusted position.

Preferably, the plough body is laterally adjustable through a range of movement between one extreme adjusted position in which the carrying beam and the control beam extend rearwardly and laterally outwardly of their respective mounting locations on the mounting beam so that the plough body is located generally behind one end of the mounting beam, and another extreme adjusted position which is a laterally inwardly displaced position in which the plough body is located generally behind the other end of the mounting beam.

Accordingly, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, when applied to a plough, it is possible to plough in any position behind the tractor, and including right up to the edge of a field, both during starting of ploughing, and also at the finish of ploughing a field.

Further, by using a tractor of a suitable width, it is possible to obtain a finished ploughed field with no trace of tractor wheels being present.

A preferred embodiment of soil-working implement according to the invention will be described in detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying schematic illustrations, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of an embodiment of the invention in the form of a plough mounted on the usual rear linkage of a tractor; Figure 2 is a detail view, to an enlarged scale, of part of a parallelogram linkage of the frame of the plough shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a view of the plough and showing more detail, the view being taken from the left hand side of the plough and propelling tractor (left side being when viewed from the rear); Figure 4 is a view from the opposite side of the plough, and showing the plough bodies reversed relative to the illustration in Figure 3; Figure 5 is a plan view of the plough in the position shown in Figure 4; and, Figure 6 is a side view illustration in more detail, corresponding generally with the illustration of Figure 3.

Referring now to the drawings, a preferred embodiment of the invention will be described, of a soil working implement, and which comprises a single furrow reversible plough, which is particularly suitable for use in ploughing small areas, and for cultivation between plants and small bushes.

It should be understood, however, that the invention may be applied to a plough of the non-reversible type, and indeed also to many other types of soil-working implement.

Referring to the drawings, the soilworking implement, namely the single furrow reversible plough, is designated generally by reference 10, and is adapted to be mounted on a usual three point linkage at the rear of an agricultural tractor 11, of which only the rear wheels are shown. The implement 10 therefore can carry out a soil-working operation during forward travel of the tractor 11 in the direction of the arrow X.

The frame of the implement 10 comprises a transverse mounting beam 12 which may comprise a sideways adjustable support to adapt the plough frame to tractors of different types and widths. Mounting beam 12 is secured to a headstock 30, by means of which the plough frame can be mounted on the usual linkage at the rear of the tractor. A parallelogram type linkage 13 i.e. a four arm linkage, is pivotally mounted on the mounting beam 12, and one or more sets of plough bodies 14 can be mounted on the linkage 13. In fact, the illustrated embodiment is a reversible plough, and means is provided (not shown in detail) whereby the mounting beam 12 can rotate through 180' in order to reverse the plough bodies. As can be seen e.g. in Figure 3, a pair of plough bodies 14 is mounted at the trailing end of the parallelogram linkage 13.

An adjuster device 15 is connected to the linkage 13 and is operable to displace the plough body 14 laterally relative to the direction of travel. Therefore the plough bodies can be laterally adjusted between a central position substantially on the centre line Y of the tractor, as shown in Figure 1, and an outwardly adjusted position shown by reference 14a. Also, upon reversal of the plough bodies they can be laterally outwardly adjusted to the outwardly adjusted position shown by reference 14b. The range of lateral adjustment are shown by references A and B, measured from the centre line Y, and which are substantially equal. The adjuster device 15 reacts between the mounting beam 12 and a suitable part of the parallelogram linkage 13, and preferably comprises a hydraulic cylinder.

The parallelogram linkage 13 is a four arm linkage, and comprises a carrying beam 16 which is pivotally mounted at one end 17 on the mounting beam 12, and at a mounting location which is off-set relative to the longitudinal axis Y of the tractor 11. The linkage also includes a control beam 18 which is pivotally mounted at one end 19 on the mounting beam 12 at a mounting location which is spaced from the end 17 of the carrying beam 16, and a beam portion 20 interconnects the ends 17 and 19. The four arm linkage is completed by a mounting bracket 21 (see Figure 2) which pivotally interconnects the opposite ends 22 and 23 of the carrying beam 16 and the control beam 18, and on which the plough body 14 is mounted.

The parallelogram linkage 13 is pivotally adjustable under the action of the adjuster device 15 to move between a generally rearwardly projecting position (see for example Figure 5 in which the mounting beam 12 has been rotated through 1800 to reverse the plough bodies) and an at least partly inwardly folded position as shown in Figure 1, so as to provide a range of lateral adjustment positions of the plough body 14.

Furthermore, the combined effect of the four arms of the linkage (16, 18, 20, 21), in carrying out lateral adjustment of the plough body 14, is to maintain the same attitude of the plough body relative to the forward direction X in all positions of adjustment.

Each plough body 14 has a corresponding coulter associated therewith, and which is carried by a mounting arm 26 which is indirectly connected to the mounting bracket 21 and is therefore pivotable with the plough body 14 during adjustment of the linkage 13 so as to maintain the same attitude of the coulter 25 relative to the plough body 14 in each adjusted position. As shown in Figure 3, mounting arm 26 is pivotally connected via a swivel joint 27 to a forward end of an arm 100 which is secured at its rear end to the mounting bracket 21. Further, by virtue of the parallelogram linkage, and as can be seen in Figure 1, the plough bodies 14 will always face in the same general direction, and therefore carry out a similar ploughing operation, in all positions of lateral adjustment to which it is displaced.

As can be seen in Figure 1, the parallelogram linkage 13 is mounted near to one end 27 of the mounting beam 12, and in the position of adjustment shown in Figure 1 the plough body 14 is located at a laterally inwardly displaced position with respect to the end 27. The linkage 13 can also take up a position directly in line with the opposite end 28 of the beam 12 (not shown), in which the plough body takes up the position shown in dashed outline for the right hand illustration of plough body 14a. However, as can be seen in Figure 5, the plough body 14 can also be displaced to a position in which it is located substantially directly behind the beam end 27, in which case the carrying beam 16 and control beam 18 extend rearwardly and laterally outwardly of their respective mounting locations on the mounting beam 14.

The coulter 25 follows the adjustment of the corresponding plough body, but in use is capable of pivoting about the swivel joint 27 if it hits an obstacle in the ground. When in the ground, the coulter 25 is trailed behind the swivel joint, and is located just above the "point" of the plough body.

Claims

1. A soil-working implement (10) adapted to be mounted on a propelling vehicle (11) and to carry out a soil-working operation during forward travel (X) of the vehicle, said implement comprising:

transverse mounting beam (12); parallelogram linkage (13) pivotally mounted on said mounting beam (12); a soil-working tool (14) mounted on said linkage (13); an adjuster device (15) connected to the linkage (13) and operable to displace the tool (14) laterally relative to the direction of travel X:

in which the parallelogram linkage (13) is a fourarm linkage which comprises:

a carrying beam (16) pivotally mounted at one end (17) on said mounting beam (12), and at a mounting location which is off-set relative to the longitudinal axis Y of the propelling vehicle (11); a control beam (18) pivotally mounted at one end (19) on said mounting beam (12) at a mounting location spaced from said one end (17) of the carrying beam (16), and a beam portion (20) interconnecting said ends (17, 19); a mounting bracket (21) pivotally interconnecting the opposite ends (22, 23) of said carrying beam (16) and said control beam (18), and on which said tool (14) is mounted:

and in which:

a. the linkage (13) is pivotally adjustable under the action of the adjuster device (15) to move between a generally rearwardly projecting position and an at least partly inwardly folded position, in order to provide a range of lateral adjustment positions of the tool (14); and b. the combined effect of the four arms (16, 18, 20, 21) of the linkage, in carrying out lateral adjustment of the tool (14), is to maintain the same attitude of the tool relative to the forward direction X in all positions of adjustment.

8_

2. An implement according to Claim 1, in which the tool is a plough body (14).

3. A plough according to Claim 2 or 3, in which a coulter (25) is carried by a mounting arm (26) and co-operates with the plough body, or respective plough body (14), said arm (26) being connected to said mounting bracket (21) and being pivotable with the plough body (14) during adjustment of the linkage (13) so as to maintain the same attitude of the coulter (25) relative to the plough body (14) in each adjusted position.

3. An implement according to Claim 1 or 2, in which a pair of reversible plough bodies (14) is mounted on said mounting bracket (21), and said mounting beam (12) is rotatably mounted on a headstock (24) to rotate through approximately 180' in order to reverse the plough bodies (14).

4. An implement according to Claim 2 or 3, in which a coulter (25) is carried by a mounting arm (26) and co-operates with the plough body, or respective plough body (14), said arm (26) being connected to said mounting bracket (21) and being pivotable with the plough body (14) during adjustment of the linkage (13) so as to maintain the same attitude of the coulter (25) relative to the plough body (14) in each adjusted position.

5. An implement according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the tool (14) is laterally adjustable through a range of movement between one extreme adjusted position (14a, 14b) in which the carrying beam (16) and the control beam (18) extend rearwardly and laterally outwardly of their respective mounting locations (17, 19) on the mounting beam (14) so that the tool (14) is located generally behind one end (27) of the mounting beam, and another extreme position which is a laterally inwardly displaced position in which the tool (14) is located generally behind the other end (28) of the mounting beam (12).

1 Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 1. A single furrow plough (10) which is adapted to be mounted on a propelling vehicle (11) and which comprises:

a transverse mounting beam (12); a parallelogram linkage (13) pivotally mounted on said mounting beam (12); a plough body (14) mounted on said linkage (13); an adjuster device (15) connected to the linkage (13) and operable to displace the plough body (14) laterally relative to the ploughing direction X:

in which the parallelogram linkage (13) is a four-arm linkage which comprises:

a carrying beam (16) pivotally mounted at one end (17) on said mounting beam (12), and at a mounting location which is off-set relative to the longitudinal axis Y of the propelling vehicle (11); a control beam (18) pivotally mounted at one end (19) on said mounting beam (12) at a mounting location spaced from said one end (17) of the carrying beam (16), and a beam portion (20) interconnecting said ends (17, 19); a mounting bracket (21) pivotally interconnecting the opposite ends (22, 23) of said carrying beam (16) and said control beam (18), and on which said plough body (14) is mounted:

and in which:

a. the linkage (13) is pivotally adjustable under the action of the adjuster device (15) to move between a generally rearwardly projecting position and an at least partly inwardly folded position, in order to provide a range of lateral adjustment positions of the plough body (14); b. the combined effect of the four arms (16, 18, 20, 21) of the linkage, in carrying out lateral adjustment of the plough body (14), is to maintain the same attitude of the plough body relative to the ploughing direction X in all positions of adjustment; and, C. the plough body (14) is capable of occupying a mid- position substantially in line with the longitudinal axis Y of the propelling vehicle (11), and is laterally outwardly adjustable therefrom, under the action of the linkage (13), to take-up an extreme outwardly adjusted position (14a, 14b) in which the carrying beam (16) and the control beam (18) extend rearwardly and laterally outwardly of their respective mounting locations (17, 19) on the mounting beam (12) so that the plough body is located generally behind one end (27) of the mounting beam.

2. A plough according to Claim 1, in which a pair of reversible plough bodies (14) is mounted on said mounting bracket (21), and said mounting beam (12) is rotatably mounted on a headstock (24) to rotate through approximately 1800 in order to reverse the plough bodies (14), whereby one plough body (14a) can takeup said outwardly adjusted position, at one side of the longitudinal axis Y of the propelling vehicle, and upon plough body reversal, the other plough body (14b) can take-up the extreme outwardly adjusted position at the other side of the longitudinal axis Y.