GB2616404A - Tine for tilling implement - Google Patents

Abstract

A tine 10 for a tilling implement comprises a front facing edge 11, 19, relative to the direction of travel D having a stepped configuration. The front facing edge may be incorporated into a plate which may be datable from a main body of the tine. The tine may comprise a notch formed in a trailing of the front facing plate and/or leading edge of the main body of the tine. The tine assembly may also include a wing 12 and a mounting bracket 13 that provides a mating structure between the main body of the tine 14 and the front facing plate 11 so that the parts are removable from each other. In one form there may be two mating structures, e.g. a securable mating structure (16/17, figure 10) distant from a self-releasable mating structure (23/25), wherein a single fastening element at the securing mating structure is sufficient to maintain the front facing plate 11 in place against the main body of the tine 14 for use. Also disclosed is a modular tine assembly.

Description

TINE FOR TILLING IMPLEMENT

The present invention relates to a tine for a tilling implement i.e. for use in the preparation and cultivation of land for crops to be grown.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

It is common for tilling implements to have many tines, extending from a mainframe and arranged in rows, provided for contacting and penetrating the uppermost soil of a ground surface, e.g. in a field in which seeds are to be sown and crops subsequently grown. The configuration of many tilling implements is such that a broken or worn tine can be disconnected from a mounting stem and removed for repair/replacement. Accordingly, after replacement, the implement can go back into service quickly with minimal disruption to its tasks.

A problem with existing tine replacement configurations is that the entire tine may be removed and is often discarded, even if only a small part of the tine is damaged and needs replacement/reconditioning.

In recognition of the front face of a tine experiencing the greatest wear, often this portion has extra metal added to improve longevity. Addition of extra metal is commonly achieved with a sloped section. However, the sloping shape results in exertion of an upward force on the soil, causing extra lift and encouraging the soil to burst through the surface. This results in increased disturbance, leaving an uneven finish and encouraging weed seed germination and carbon release.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention seeks to overcome or ameliorate the issues outlined above, namely to provide a tine structure for a tilling implement that is suited for more efficient use 5 and/or economic replacement/repair.

In one broad aspect of the invention there is provided a tine assembly according to claim 1. In particular, the tine assembly of the invention includes a distinctively 'stepped' front face, which is the portion of the tine that is, in practice, subjected to the most extreme wear. This inventive concept allows extra material to be used where it is needed, with associated increased wear resistance, while allowing the front face in contact with the soil to remain vertical. Thus, upwards forces are reduced leaving a more desirable level finish with minimal disturbance The tine assembly may include a wing piece, e.g. formed of one slotted piece to form both wings laterally across the tine. The wing, front face and a connection mount (collectively known as a "shin") may be provided in a single removable piece that is connectable to a stem of the tilling implement. In practice a pair of mounting plates may be welded underneath the wings that provide a rearwardly located bolt hole for aligning with a rearwardly located bolt hole in the stem.

The invention results in an improvement over known constructions because it provides wear resistance where needed while avoiding the downside identified by the inventor of a sloped surface causing upward force on the soil. In one form, the tine is a simplified assembly based around a first notch located in the rear of the front face plate that receives a bridge portion of the wing, and a second notch in the front edge of a stem that receives the other side of the bridge portion; i.e. the invention proposes a modular system for efficient replacement of a tine on a tilling implement.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 illustrates a first side view of a tine assembly according to the present invention; Figure 2 illustrates a second side view of the tine assembly, further including a stem extension sleeve; Figure 3 illustrates a plan elevation view of the tine assembly from Figure 1; Figures 4 to 7 illustrate outlines/layouts of components to be cut from sheet metal for assembly; and Figures 8 to 10 show pictorial views of the tine components and assembly thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The following description presents exemplary embodiments and, together with the drawings, serves to explain principles of the invention. However, the scope of the invention is not intended to be limited to the precise details of the embodiments or exact adherence with all steps, since variations will be apparent to a skilled person and are deemed also to be covered by the description. Terms for components used herein should be given a broad interpretation that also encompasses equivalent functions and features. In some cases, several alternative terms (synonyms) for structural features have been provided but such terms are not intended to be exhaustive.

Descriptive terms should also be given the broadest possible interpretation; e.g. the term "comprising" as used in this specification means "consisting at least in part of" such that interpreting each statement in this specification that includes the term "comprising", features other than that or those prefaced by the term may also be present. Related terms such as "comprise" and "comprises' are to be interpreted in the same manner. Directional terms such as "vertical", "horizontal", "up", "down", "upper" and "lower" may be used for convenience of explanation usually with reference to the illustrations and are not intended to be ultimately limiting if an equivalent function can be achieved with an alternative dimension and/or direction.

The description herein refers to embodiments with particular combinations of steps or features, however, it is envisaged that further combinations and cross-combinations of compatible steps or features between embodiments will be possible. Indeed, isolated features may function independently as an invention from other features and not necessarily require implementation as a complete combination.

Figure 1 illustrates an overview of the tine assembly 10 of the invention; primarily comprised of a front facing plate 11, relative to a direction of travel D, a laterally extending, downwardly angled, wing 12 and a pair of mounting plates 13 (see Figure 3). These components are, in practice, welded together to form a "shin" portion that is removably affixable to a main tine body/stem 14 by a bolt 15 that passes through aligned bolt hole openings (16/17) in the trailing edge mounting plate 13 and stem respectively.

The front facing plate 11 includes a pointed leading edge 18 for penetrating a ground surface and, of particular note, has a distinctively 'stepped' appearance, defined by a plurality of vertical faces 19 and ledges 20. In use, the vertical faces 19 will be subjected to the most extreme wear because these are the edges that cut through the soil and are impacted by stones or other hard material. The stepped face allows extra material to be present for increased wear resistance, while allowing the front face in contact with the soil to remain substantially vertical. Thus, upwards forces on the soil are reduced leaving a more desirable level finish with minimal disturbance. The illustrated examples shows three steps or vertical faces 19 of front plate 11, where the lowermost step (closest to a ground surface) has the greatest width in the direction of travel. The transition to the tine stem 14 also creates a further step. However, the device may operate with other numbers of steps, the minimum being two, i.e. a first vertical step and the main tine body, where the first step provides additional material to protect the tine.

As seen in Figures 3 and 6, the wing 12 may be formed of one slotted piece to form both wings laterally across the tine. In practice, the wing 12 is angled downwardly (see Figures 1 and 2 where the wing is approximately 13 degree from horizontal, but could be adjusted; steeper angle typically causes more disturbance) to "pull" the tine into the soil as a tilling implement drives forward in the direction of travel D. As mentioned, the wing 12, front face 11 and mounting plates 13 may be provided as a single removable piece (collectively known as a "shin") that is connectable to a stem 14 of the tilling implement. In practice it is a pair of mounting plates that are welded underneath the wings that provide a rearwardly located bolt hole for aligning with a rearwardly located bolt hole in the stem. The assembled construction of the shin is best shown by Figure 8.

Figure 2 illustrates a mounting sleeve 21 that would extend vertically downward from a tilling implement and provide a connection point for the main tine body/stem 14 (inserted in the direction of arrow A). In the illustrated form, tine assembly 10 slots into mounting sleeve 21 and is bolted in place via an opening 22. Accordingly, components of the tine 10 become removable for repair/replacement by either removal of bolt 15 (removal of shin only) or 22 (removal of entire tine assembly shown by Figure 1).

Figures 4 to 7 show the various components, outlined to be cut in multiple pieces from sheet steel. For example, the front facing plate 11 can be arranged for space efficiency (head to tail) to be cut from a 12mm plate steel as will be stem 14, also from the same thickness sheet so that the join between the two in use is smooth, presenting no surface area in the direction of travel that may impede movement.

In the illustrated example of Figure 6, the wing piece 12 may be cut from an 8mm sheet that resembles an H-shape, wherein during assembly the cross piece 23 of the H is able to be captured between aligning notches 24 and 25 of the front plate 11 and stem 14 respectively. The single wing piece 12 (that effectively forms wings from each side of the plate 11) may be bent at the cross piece (bridge) 23 such that the wings have an obtuse angle therebetween, when viewed frontally. Furthermore, it will be apparent from Figures 4 and 5 that notches 24 and 25 are slightly angled so as to mount the wing 12 in a downwardly angled configuration (see Figures 1 and 2). Having the wings made from a single piece reduces component count as, in prior art designs, there would be two individual wing pieces. The invention provides advantages in efficiency when manufacturing, due to the unique arrangement of notches.

Figure 7 shows multiple mounting/bracket plates 13 (e.g. to be arranged on 10mm steel sheets) that, in practice, are located in pairs and welded to a lower and rearmost face, each side of the front plate 11 and also welded against an underside of the wing 13 as best seen in Figure 8. It will be apparent that the bridge 23 of wing 12 is slotted into notch 24 at the trailing edge of the front plate 11 and held in place by welding elsewhere on the structure. The trailing portion of bridge 23 is then left exposed to mate with the leading edge notch 25 of main body 14.

Figures 9 and 10 illustrate assembly of the shin structure to a tine stem 14, where a slot 26 formed in the H shape of wing 12 receives the leading edge of stem 14. Assembly is nearing completion when the trailing edge of front face plate 11 abuts against (in the direction of arrow B) the leading edge of stem 14 and bridge 23 is accommodated by notch 25. Once components 11 and 14 are abutted, bolt openings 16 and 17 will be aligned to receive a fastening member, e.g. bolt 15. A single bolt secures the assembly together in a vertically stable arrangement by virtue of notch 25 mating with bridge 23 on an opposite side from bolt 15.

For simplicity of construction, a second or further fastening and/or mating means is not needed along the abutting edges of plate 11 and stem 14.

Disassembly follows the reverse process, i.e. removal of single bolt 15 from aligned 30 openings 16/17 such that the shin portion can be disengaged for repair/replacement. The component parts of the shin, i.e. wing 12, brackets 13 and front face 11 can be re-used or reconditioned as necessary.

As established above, the invention results in an improvement over known constructions 5 because it provides wear resistance where needed while avoiding the downside identified by the inventor of a sloped surface causing upward force on the soil. Particularly, the tine has a simplified fitting procedure by virtue of a first disengageable mating structure between an edge of the stem and an edge of the shin and a second disengageable mating structure at an opposite edge of the stem that can receive a fastening element. In other 10 words, one aspect of the invention proposes a modular system for efficient replacement of a tine on a tilling implement. Although, it is noteworthy that, in a broadest sense, the invention is as simple as a stepped leading face on a ground contacting tine for tilling equipment.

There are a variety of ways to manufacture tine components according to the invention. As such, construction of the present invention is possible using conventional manufacturing techniques and materials, as well as according to any future techniques that become available. For example the entire assembly shown in Figure 8 could be cast.

The invention can be summarised as a tine for a tilling implement or, in one form, a modular tine assembly that features a stepped front facing edge, relative to a direction of travel. The tine assembly may also include a wing and a mounting bracket that provides a mating structure between a main body of the tine and the front facing plate so that the parts are removable from each other. In one form there may be two mating structures, e.g. a securable mating structure distant from a self-releasable mating structure, wherein a single fastening element at the securing mating structure is sufficient to maintain the front facing plate in place against the main body of the tine for use.

Claims (13)

1. A tine for a tilling implement, comprised of: a front facing edge, relative to a direction of travel in use, having a stepped configuration.

2. The tine of claim 1, wherein the stepped configuration of the front facing edge has a plurality of substantially vertical faces.

3. The tine of claim 1 or 2, wherein the front facing edge is incorporated into a plate, detachable from a main body of the tine.

4. The tine of claim 3, further comprising a mounting bracket for releasably attaching the front facing edge plate to the main body of the tine.

5. The tine of claim 3 or 4, comprising a notch formed in a trailing edge of the front facing edge plate and/or a leading edge of the main body of the tine.

6. The tine of claim 5, further comprising a wing element, wherein a mid-portion of the wing element is located into the notch.

7. The tine of any preceding claim 4 to 6, wherein the mounting bracket is integral with the front facing plate and extends rearwardly therefrom to receive the main body of the tine.

8. The tine of claim 7, wherein the mounting bracket includes a coupling means at a distal end thereof, for alignment with a corresponding coupling means of the main body.

9. The tine of claim 4, comprising a first disengageable mating structure between an edge of the main body of the tine and an edge of the front facing plate, and a second securable mating structure distant from the first mating structure, configured to receive a fastening element with the mounting bracket.

10. A modular tine assembly, comprising a shin piece for releasable engagement to a tine stem; wherein the shin is comprised of: a plate element with a front edge thereof configured for facing into a direction of travel of the tine assembly in use; a tapered ground penetrating portion extending forwardly from a substantially vertical face of the front edge of the plate element that, in use, moves below ground in the direction of travel; a wing extending laterally from the plate element for providing stability, in use, to the substantially vertical face of the plate element that moves below ground in the direction of travel; a mounting element, extending rearwardly from the plate element for connection to the tine stem.

11. The modular tine assembly of claim 10, further comprising mating locating elements between contacting surfaces of the shin and the tine stem.

12. The modular tine assembly of claim 11, wherein the mating locating elements comprise a notch formed in one of a front edge of the tine stem and a rear edge of the shin, and a corresponding protrusion formed in a rear edge of the shin or a front edge of the tine stem, respectively.

13. The modular tine assembly of claim 10, 11 or 12, wherein the plate element includes a notch in its rear edge for receiving a portion of the wing.