GB2465818A

GB2465818A - An agricultural cultivator having a plurality of soil working tools

Info

Publication number: GB2465818A
Application number: GB0821975A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Cousins
Original assignee: COUSINS OF EMNETH Ltd
Current assignee: COUSINS OF EMNETH Ltd
Priority date: 2008-12-02
Filing date: 2008-12-02
Publication date: 2010-06-09
Also published as: GB0821975D0

Abstract

An agricultural cultivator1comprises a frame4, a plurality of ground working tools20, a plurality of spacer members50and a linking member9for connecting the frame to a drive means. The frame4comprises at least one transverse frame member6, and at least one longitudinal frame member8interconnecting the transverse frame member6and fixing them such that they are spaced along the length of the frame4. The ground working tools20are connected to the transverse frame members6. The spacer members50connect the longitudinal frame members8to the transverse frame members6and fix them in a vertically spaced relationship therewith. The ground working tools20may be connected to the at least one transverse member6by clamp means35which are adjustable to selectively lock the ground working tools20in any of a plurality of spaced apart positions. The ground working tools20may be sprung tines comprising a spring section23and a blade section22, the blade section22being laterally offset from the spring section23.

Description

AN AGRICULTURAL CULTIVATOR

The present invention relates to an agricultural cultivator. In particular, this invention relates to a sprung tine cultivator.

A cultivator is an agricultural implement utilized to complete tillage operations for preparing soil in arable crop fields, either before planting or to remove weeds and to aerate and loosen the soil after the crop has begun to grow. The common functions of a field cultivator are the preparation of a seedbed suitable for a crop to be planted into, mixing crop residue in the soil, which helps to break down the crop residue, weed control, and the mixing of soil to ensure the growing crop has enough water and nutrients to grow well during the growing season.

Agricultural field cultivators typically comprise a frame which is hitched or otherwise secured to the back of a tractor, or other implement, with the tractor being used to pull the cultivator across a field. Ground working tools are connected to the frame, and extend downwardly to penetrate and work the soil in use. The arrangement of the tines on the frame determines the work performed by the cultivator in a single pass of a field. Different tine spacings are required for example to suit the amount of crop residue, varying soil types, change of husbandry, or weather and soil conditions, or preferences of the farmer.

Cultivators are conventionally constructed having tines which are rigidly mounted to the frame, with the tine spacing set to suit specific field requirements. The frame of a cultivator typically comprises transverse beams which carry the tines, and longitudinal beams which are placed on, and welded directly to the transverse beams to provide the frame with maximum strength and rigidity. As different frame structures are required to accommodate different tine spacings, cultivator construction is undertaken on a bespoke basis. However, the necessity to design a bespoke frame structure for each cultivator increases the time taken to design and manufacture cultivators, and therefore increases cost. In addition, once the frame structure has been constructed in accordance with a specific tine spacing, the spacing of the tines cannot be easily altered due to interference of the tines with the frame members.

It is therefore desirable to provide an improved agricultural cultivator which addresses the above described problems and/or which offers improvements generally.

According to the present invention there is provided an agricultural cultivator as described in the accompanying claims.

In an embodiment of the invention there is provided an agricultural cultivator comprising a frame, a plurality of ground working tools, a plurality of spacer members and a linking member for connecting the frame to a drive means. The frame includes at least one transverse frame member, and at least one longitudinal frame member connected to the at least one transverse frame. The ground working tools are connected to the transverse frame member. The spacer members connect the at least one longitudinal frame member to the at least one transverse frame member and fixes it in a vertically spaced relationship therewith.

By vertically spacing the longitudinal frame members from the transverse frame members, the spacers enable the ground working bols to be positioned at any required point along the length of the transverse members. As such, any desired spacing of the ground working tools may be achieved, regardless of the position of the longitudinal frame members along the length of the transverse members. This enables a universal frame structure to be produced which can accommodate any desired tool spacing, rather than the frame structure being manufactured for a specific spacing configuration. In addition, the claimed invention provides the flexibility of the user to adjust the tine spacings themselves as and when required.

Preferably the frame includes a plurality of transverse frame members, and a plurality of longitudinal frame members interconnecting the transverse frame members and fixing them such that they are spaced along the length of the frame.

The ground working tools maybe sprung tines, which include a spring section and a blade section. Preferably the tines include removable tips.

The cultivator may further comprise at least one wheel connected to the frame and positioned between two of the transverse frame members. The two transverse frame members are spaced such that the wheel is longitudinally spaced from the tines mounted on each of the transverse frame members.

Spacing th wheels froni the tines along the length of the frame allows the tines to be moved along the transverse members to adjust their spacing, without interference with the wheels.

In use the frame is preferably oriented substantially horizontally, with the longitudinal frame members being spaced above the transverse frame members and the ground working tools extending downwardly from the transverse members towards the ground. The spacer members are configured to space the longitudinal and transverse frame members apart such that the longitudinal frame members are vertically spaced above the uppermost part of the ground working tools.

This ensures that the ground working tools may be at least partially positioned beneath the longitudinal frame members, to locate them at a required point along the length of the transverse frame member.

The tines comprise a spring section and a blade section, and are preferably configured such that the blade section is laterally offset from the bracket connecting the tine to the transverse beam.

The spacer members are configured such that they are narrower than the cross-sectional width of the longitudinal frame members. As such, the tines are able to be positioned at the required point along the transverse beam, even if the desired position coincides with the position of the spacer member.

The spacer member may comprise a plate connected to the longitudinal frame member by its upper edge and to the transverse frame member by its lower edge.

The lower edge is preferably configured to fit over the transverse frame member.

The ground working tools are preferably slidably connected to the transverse frame members by clamp members. The clamp members are adjustable to selectively lock the ground working members in any of a plurality of positions along the length of the transverse members.

As such, the spacing of the ground working tools along the transverse frame members may be selectively adjusted to achieve any desired spacing.

The present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the following illustrative figures in which: Figure 1 is an elevated view of a cultivator according to an embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 shows a side view taken along a longitudinal frame member of the cultivator of figure 1; Figure 3 shows the intersection of longitudinal and transverse

frame members of an arrangement of the prior art;

Figures 4 shows the intersection of longitudinal and transverse frame members according to an embodiment of the invention in which a first tine is positioned below the longitudinal member; Figures 5 shows the intersection of longitudinal and transverse frame members according to an embodiment of the invention in which a second adjacent tine is positioned below the longitudinal member with the tine bracket abutting the spacer; Figure 6 shows a perspective view of a cultivator according to an embodiment of the invention; Figure 7 shows a spacer member connected to the longitudinal and transverse frame members according to an embodiment of the invention.

Referring to Figure 1, an agricultural ground working apparatus or cultivator 1 includes a frame 4 comprising a plurality of transverse frame members or beams 6 and a plurality of longitudinal beams 8. The beams 6 are preferably formed from 100mm square section steel. The longitudinal beams 8 interconnect the transverse beams 6. The transverse beams 6 are held together and fixed in position by the longitudinal beams 8 and are spaced along the longitudinal axis A of the frame 4 The transverse beams 6 are also held together at their ends by additional longitudinal beams 12.

A hitch 9 is connected to the front end of the frame 4 and is configured to connect to a tow hitch of a tractor or another implement aftached to a tractor. Wheel mounts 7 may be connected to the frame 4, and support wheels 5, which enable the cultivator 1 to be towed by the tractor. Additional wheels 11, as shown in figures 6 and 7 are positioned towards the centre of the frame 4. The central wheels 11 are connected to a common axis 19 which is raised and lowered by a hydraulic ram 15 to raise and lower the height of the frame 4. The height of the outer wheels 5 is manually adjustable using turn buckles 17, with the wheel mounts 7 being pivotally mounted to the frame 4 to enable the height adjustment.

The frame 4 comprises an inner section 4a, and outer sections 4b and 4c. The outer sections 4b and 4c are pivotable relative to the central section 4a about pivot axes 19. The outer sections 4b and 4c may be lifted by hydraulic rams 27 to decrease the width of the frame 4 for road transport.

The transverse beams 6 support a plurality of ground working tools or tines 20. Each tine 20, as shown in figure 2, comprises a spring section 24, a blade section 22, a replaceable tip 26, and a mounting section 25. The blade section 22 and tip 26 are configured for ground penetration to work soil, for example by breaking up clods, as they are dragged therethrough. The spring section 24 preferably comprises a double coil which provides the tine 20 with increased resilience, which mitigates against damage to the tines 20 as they engage with the soil.

Each tine 20 is connected by its mounting section 25 to a bracket 28 by welding or any other suitable means. Each bracket 28 is configured as a clamp to connect to one of the transverse beams 6. Specifically, each bracket 28 comprises upper 33 and lower 44 clamping plates, connected by bolts 35. The bolts 35 are tightened to pull the clamping plates 33 and 44 together and clamp them to the transverse beam 6.

The bolts 35 may be loosened to allow the brackets 28 to slide along the transverse beam 6 to enable lateral adjustment of the tines 20. As such, the brackets 28 enable the tines 20 to be easily connected to and positioned on the frame 4, and also enable repositioning of the tines 20 as required, which provides flexibility. In contrast tines or the prior art are typically permanently fixed in position.

The tines are preferably formed from 25mm thick sprung steel. As can be seen from figures 4 and 5, the double coil of spring section 24 results in the blade section 22 being laterally offset from the bracket 28. As a result, the point of action of blade 22 and the tip 26 is laterally offset from the bracket 28, which can result in an offset torque being generated as the blade engages the soil. To counter this, the tines 20 are provided in left and right hand offset configurations, each of which are shown in figures 1 and 4 to 6. The left and right hand offset tines 20 are alternated along the transverse beams 6 to balance the offset torques and ensure the cultivator 1 operates in a straight line.

The depth and spacing of the tines 20 determines the amount of work the tines perform on the soil, and the extent of the soil mixing, and is important factor in the tilling operation. The penetration of the tines 22 into the soil determines the depth to which the soil is worked. The tine penetration is adjusted by controlling the height of the wheels 5 and 11. The required tine spacing is determined by factors such as the type of soil, amount of crop residue (which effects the amount of mixing required), and condition of the soil. For example, heavy wet soil is more prone to clogging, and as such wider tine 2 spacing is required to prevent soil from clogging between the tines 22.

In cultivators of the prior art, an example of which is shown in figure 3, the frame 4 is constructed by connecting the longitudinal beams directly to the transverse beams, for example by welding. The longitudinal beam is placed directly onto the transverse beam, and fixed thereto by welding. For a given frame width and tine spacing, the position of the longitudinal beams must be selected to avoid interference with the tines. As such, the frame is designed according to the required tine spacing. Once the tine spacing has been set and the frame constructed it is not possible to adjust the position of the tines to alter the tine 22 spacing, while maintaining an even tine spacing across the entire transverse beam, due to the positioning of the longitudinal members.

In the prior art arrangement shown in figure 3, and the line C-C represents a desired alternative tine position, to which a tine 120 is required to be moved from its original position. The line C-C is positioned at the desired alternative line of action of the tine 120. However, the desired position C-C coincides with the longitudinal beam 108. Due to the position and thickness of the longitudinal beam 108, neither the left handed or right handed tines 120 can be positioned such that the blade 122 of the tine 120 is positioned on the required line of action C-C, despite the offset nature of the tines 120, even if the brackets 128 are positioned such that they abut the longitudinal beam 108. To compensate, a tine 120 may therefore need to be positioned away from the desired line of action, and for example closer to its neighbour, thereby closing the clearance between tines and creating a zone that would be prone to blockage. Alternatively, atine 120 may have to be left out altogether, leaving a gap in the tines which would result some soil being untilled. As such, the positioning of the tines 120 is compromised, and a less than optimum configuration is achieved, thereby reducing the efficiency and efficacy of the cultivator.

Tn the present invention the longitudinal beams 8 are connected to the transverse beams 6 by spacer members 50, as shown in figures 4 to 6. Each spacer member 50 is comprised of a flat plate, having a thickness significantly less than the width of the longitudinal and transverse beams 8 and 6. Preferably, each spacer member 50 is formed from 25mm thick steel plate, which is significantly thinner than the 100mm thickness of the longitudinal and transverse beams 8 and 6. The spacer members 50 comprise a flat upper edge 52, which is welded or otherwise fixed to the underside of the longitudinal beam 8. The lower edge 54 of the spacer 50 is configured to include a recess 54 corresponding to the cross sectional periphery of the transverse beam 6, such that the spacer 50 fits over the transverse beam as shown in figure 7.

The distance h between the base 58 of the recess 54 and the upper edge 52 of the spacer 50 defines the spacing distance separating the longitudinal and transverse beams 8 and 6. The distance h is selected such that the longitudinal beam 8 is vertically spaced from the uppermost part 23 of the tine 20 when it is connected to the transverse beam 6. In addition, the rear edge of the spacer member 50 is configured such that it is longitudinally spaced from the spring section 24 of the tines 20, as shown in figure 2, to enable the spring section 24, and the blade section 22 to be positioned in line with the spacer member 50 if required, as shown in figure 5.

Tn figures 4 and 5, the longitudinal beam 8 again coincides with the desired alternative tine 20 position C-C. However, by spacing the longitudinal beam 8 above the transverse beam 6 using the spacer 50, the tine 20 may be positioned underneath the longitudinal beam 8 such that the blade 22 is aligned with the line C-C. In figure 5, the desired position of the tine 20 is represented by line D-D, and coincides with the spacer 50. However, as can be seen, the reduced thickness of the spacer 50 relative to the thickness of the longitudinal beam 8, allows the tine to be aligned with the line D-D by positioning the bracket 28 close to the spacer, due to the offset nature of the tine blade 22 relative to the bracket 28. As such, the tines 20 may be positioned at any point along the transverse beam 6, regardless of the position of the longitudinal beams 8.

Therefore, the present invention provides a universal frame structure 4, onto which tines 20 may be connected at any desired spacing. The universal nature of the frame 4 obviates the requirement for bespoke frame design, thereby dramatically reducing design time, and simplifying manufacture. In addition, the use of adjustable clamp brackets 28 to connect the tines 20 to the frame 4 enables the tine 20 spacing to be adjusted from the manufactured setting to any desired spacing, as enabled by the spaced beam configuration.

The adjustability of the tines 20 is further assisted by the configuration of the wheel mounts 7. Cultivators are typically designed such that the wheels are hterleaved with the tines, to reduce the overall length of the cultivator. As the spacing of tines is fixed at the design stage, with the frame structure being designed to accommodate a specific spacing, it is possible to design the wheel mounts in this way. However, this configuration prohibits adjustment of the tines due to interference with the wheels.

The frame 4, and in particular the wheel mounts 7, of the present invention are configured such that the wheels 5 are spaced from the tines along the length of the frame 4. Therefore, the tines 20 do not contact the wheels 5 as they are slid along the transverse beams 6, and as such the adjustability of the tines 20 is not affected by the wheels 5.

It will be appreciated that in further embodiments various modifications to the specific arrangements described above and shown in the drawings may be made. For example, while the frame 4 is described as being formed from square section steel, other suitable materials may be used.

Claims

CLMMS1. An agricultural cultivator comprising: a frame including at least one transverse frame member, and at least one longitudinal frame member connected to the at least one transverse frame member; a plurality of ground working tools connected to the at least one transverse frame member; a plurality of spacer members; and wherein the spacer members connect the at least one longitudinal frame member to the at least one transverse frame member and fix it in a vertically spaced relationship therewith.
2. The agricultural cultivator of claim 1 wherein the frame includes a plurality of transverse frame members, and a plurality of longitudinal frame members interconnecting the transverse frame members and fixing them such that they are spaced along the length of the frame;
3. The agricultural cultivator of claim 1 or 2 wherein in use the frame is oriented substantially horizontally, and the longitudinal frame members are spaced above the transverse frame members and the ground working toots extend downwardly in use towards the ground.
4. The agricultural cultivator of any preceding claim wherein the spacer members are configured such that they are narrower than the cross-sectional width of the longitudinal frame members.
5. The agricultural cultivator of any preceding claim wherein each spacer member comprises a plate connected to one of the longitudinal frame members at its upper end and to one of the transverse frame membei at its lower end.
6. The agricultural cultivator of any preceding claim wherein the spacer members are configured to space the longitudinal and transverse frame members apart such that the longitudinal frame membei are vertically spaced above the uppermost part of the ground working tools.
7. The agricultural cultivator of any preceding claim wherein the ground working tools are slidably connected to the transverse frame members by clamp members which are adjustable to selectively lock the ground working members in any of a plurality of spaced apart positions along the length of the transverse members.
8. The agricultural cultivator of any preceding claim further comprising a plurality of wheels connected to the frame and positioned between two of the transverse frame members, wherein the two transverse frame members are spaced such that wheels are longitudinally spaced from the ground working tools mounted on each of the transverse frame members.
9. The agricultural cultivator of claim 7, wherein the ground working tools are sprung tines.
10. The agricultural cultivator of claim 9 wherein the tines comprise a spring section and a blade section, the blade section is laterally offset from the clamp member.
11. The agricultural cultivator of claim 10 wherein the spacer members are configured such that they are longitudinally spaced from the spring sections of the tines.
12. The agricultural cultivator of any one of claims 9 to 11 wherein the tines are handed and the left and right hand tines are alternated along the at least one transverse member to mitigate torque generated by the contact of the tines with the ground in use.
13. The agricultural cultivator of any preceding claim further comprising a linking member for connecting to a towing linkage.
14. The agricultural cultivator of any preceding claim wherein the frame section comprises a central frame section and two outer frame sections, the frame sections are foldable relative to the central section to reduce the width of the frame from transport.
15. An agricultural cultivator substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and/or as shown in figures 1, 2, and 4 to 7.