IE46663B1 - A ploughing implement - Google Patents

Abstract

A ploughing implement for deep ploughing is provided comprising a support structure (17, 19, 22) attachable to the front of a tracklaying driving vehicle (11), and adapted to carry a plough (15), a coulter (14) and a pair of ground wheels (12, 13). The implement is controllable in a horizontal plane by pivoting it about a vertical pivot (20) by means of a hydraulic actuator (35), and the plough (15) can be additionally pivoted in a vertical plane about a horizontal pivot (21) by means of a second hydraulic actuator (30). A beam (22) which mounts the wheels (12, 13) and coulter (14) is pivotally mounted (at 23) on an arm (19) which mounts the plough (15) and is itself pivotally mounted (at 20) on a bracket (17) attachable by standard means (18) to the lifting organ (16) of the vehicle (11). The implement can be lifted above ground level by raising the lifting organ (16).

Description

This invention relates to ploughing, and in particular to a ploughing implement designed for use on rough, especially mountainous, terrain.

Ploughing rough terrain often necessitates the breaking up of a compacted subsurface soil layer or ploughing to greater than normal depths. Such ploughing procedures normally require the use of a complicated chisel plough or subsoiler. The present invention is aimed at providing an economical ploughing implement for rough terrain which is adapted for front mounting on a heavy tracklaying or crawler tractor, bulldozer or the like vehicle, hereinafter referred to as a tracklaying driving vehicle.

Accordingly, the invention provides a ploughing implement comprising a support structure adapted for attachment to the front of a tracklaying driving vehicle, a plough, a coulter and a pair of ground-engaging wheels mounted on the support structure, the ploughing implement being adapted for controlled movement in a horizontal plane, and at least the leading edge of the plough thereof being adapted for controlled movement in a substantially vertical plane, said controlled movements being capable of being carried out without halting ploughing operations.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a ploughing implement, and Fig. 2 is a plan view of the ploughing implement of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the ploughing implement is mounted by way of a U-shaped frame 10 to the ends of the frame side-arms 16 of a bulldozer 11, and comprises in conventional order ground-engaging 'wheels 12, 13 in front, a coulter 14 in the centre and a digger-type breast or mouldboard plough 15 at the rear. The ploughing implement may be raised or lowered as a whole by means of the dozer side-arms 16 which are actuated by means of a pair or hydraulic hoist rams (not shown) situated on the bulldozer.

The ploughing implement is attached to the frame 10 by a special bracket 17 bolted at 18 to the front of the frame 10. The bracket 17 supports the plough 15 via a forwardly and downwardly inclined arm 19. The arm 19 is mounted on the bracket 17 for pivoting about a substantially vertical axis defined by a pivot pin 20, and the plough 15 is mounted on the arm 19 for pivoting about a substantially horizontal axis defined by a pivot pin 21.

The wheels 12, 13 and coulter 14 are mounted on a beam 22 extending forwardly from and mounted on the rear end of the arm 19 for pivoting about a substantially horizontal axis defined by a pivot pin 23. This pivotal movement is limited in a downward direction by a stop surface provided in the shape of the arm 19, whereby the arm 19 and the beam 22, with all their attachments, can be lifted clear of the ground by actuation of the dozer side-arms 16. The wheels 12, 13 are of unequal diameter, the wheel 12 being approximately twice the diameter of the wheel 13. Wheel 12 may be for - 4 10 r, 25 example a tractor rear wheel and wheel 13 a tractor front wheel. The height of each wheel may be set manually, prior to ploughing operations, by sliding shanks 24 (to the lower ends of which the wheels, on stub axles, are attached) in sleeves 25 secured to the beam 22; and then securing each wheel at the desired elevation with respect to the beam 22 by means of a pin 26 passing through coincident apertures 27 in the sleeve and shank. A similar locking arrangement of pin and apertures is used to adjust the height of the coulter 14 relative to a further sleeve 28 secured to the beam 22.

During ploughing operations the inclination to the ground G, in the plane of Fig. 1, of the leading or any edge of the plough 15 may be adjusted by controlled pivoting of the plough 15 about the pivot pin 21. For this purpose the plough 15 is provided with an upwardly extending arm 29 which is pivotally coupled by a hydraulic ram 30 to a member 31 pivotally mounted atop the bracket 17. The ram 30 is coupled to the arm 29 and member 31 by horizontal pivot pins 32 and 33 respectively, and the member 31 is mounted on the bracket 17 for pivoting about a substantially vertical axis defined by a pivot pin 34.

The arrangement is such'that when the hydraulic ram 30 is extended the plough 15 tilts anti-clockwise (as seen in Figure 1) about the pivot pin 21, and when the hydraulic ram is retracted the plough 15 tilts in a clockwise direction. The effects of these operations are as follows.

During ploughing operations at a constant depth of furrow, the pivot 21 is held at a constant depth by immobilizing the hydraulic hoist rams (not shown) located on either side of the dozer, which rams support the dozer side-arms 16. During such operations the plough 15 is held by the ram 30 in a normal ploughing orientation which is approximately that shown in Fig. 1.

Use of the ram 30 to pivot the plough 15 clockwise, as shown in Fig. 1, causes the plough to climb towards ground level while ploughing. Anticlockwise pivoting causes the plough to bite deeper without limit.

Thus, to increase the furrow depth while ploughing, the dozer hoist rams are slackened (so that they offer no appreciable resistance to forces tending to raise or lower the arms 16); then the plough is pivoted slightly antl-clockwise out of its normal ploughing orientation by means of ram 30 and immediately begins Lo bite deeper into the soil. When the desired furrow depth is judged to have been attained, ram 30 is operated in the opposite direction to re-establish the normal ploughing orientation of the plough 15, and the dozer hoist rams are once more immobilized. The dozer side-arms 16 have, in the course of these operations, assumed a new angle to the horizontal, having been dragged thereinto by the plough 15 assuming its new, greater ploughing depth.

To decrease the furrow depth while ploughing, the converse operations are carried out, viz. the dozer hoist rams are slackened, the plough is pivoted clockwise and begins to climb towards the soil surface, and is pivoted back into its normal ploughing orientation on reaching the desired level, whereupon the dozer hoist rams are immobilized again.

The arm 29 extends upwardly through a slot 38 - 6 in the beam 22 in which slot said arm is a snug sliding fit. The pivotal mounting 19, 23 does not allow any significant lateral freedom to the beam 22. Thus the entire implement, apart from the bracket 17, acts as a unit in respect of pivotal movement about the pivot pin 20, i.e. pivotal movement with respect to the bulldozer'll in a horizontal plane. Steering is accomplished by means of said pivotal movement, as will appear below.

A hydraulic ram 35 is pivotally coupled at 36 to the plough 15 and at 37 to a suitable bracket on the U-shaped frame 10. Since the wheels 12, 13 are ground-engaging, and the coulter 14 and plough 15 are normally in penetrating engagement with the ground, while the caterpillar tracks of the bulldozer are capable of lateral sliding on the ground, it is clear that the bulldozer, at least with its tracks in motion, has.lower lateral ground adhesion than the implement. The hydraulic ram 35 operates therefore, by extension to slew the dozer to the left, and by retraction to slew the dozer to the right. Subsequent forward motion of the dozer causes the implement, while ploughing, to bear to the right or the left respectively, and this is the method by which steering of the implement is accomplished. The ground adhesion of the dozer tracks in forward movement is of course greater than that of the implement.

The hydraulic rams 30 and 35 are actuated by the hydraulic system of the bulldozer 11, and are controlled from the bulldozer cab by conventional control levers.

In use, the ploughing implement is driven to the intended site of ploughing operations by the bull46663 - 7 dozer 11 with the side-arms 16 raised so that the .implement as a whole is lifted clear of the ground.

At. the site the side-arms 16 are lowered to bring Lhe implement into its operative position, after any necessary adjustment to the height of the wheels 12, 13 and of the coulter 14. Ploughing operations then begin with the bulldozer 11 pushing the ploughing implement before it. During ploughing, the coulter 14 cuts a vertical side or wall of the furrow, while the plough 15 cuts the furrow slice loose and turns it in conventional manner. The large wheel 12 runs in the previous furrow and helps in guidance; it also maintains the tip of the coulter at the correct cutting depth.

During ploughing operations, the furrow depth may be altered by the method described above. Thus the furrow depth can be varied to suit prevailing conditions without requiring the bulldozer to be stopped and manual adjustments made. Ploughing may thus proceed without halting. Furthermore, during the ploughing operations, obstacles may be avoided, and the spacing of the furrows controlled, by suitably guiding the plough 15 to left or right by actuation of the ram 35, again without halting.

The present ploughing implement is useful in rough terrain due to the power and stability of the bulldozer. A tracklaying driving vehicle permits better adhesion and lower ground pressure than would be possible with an ordinary tractor, whose pneumatic tyres do not provide sufficient traction for ploughing rough terrain. The plough 15 is preferably made of tough (crucible) steel so as to provide it with suitable resistance to breakage when rocks and stones may be encountered. The combination of a tracklaying driving - 8 vehicle and a crucible steel plough 15 permits deep ploughing of up to 60 cm even in rough terrain, whereas the-normal tractor-drawn plough ploughs to a depth of only about 30 cm.

Further advantages of the present ploughing implement are that as it is front-mounted the operator can oversee the ploughing operation without leaving the driving seat, and can thus take -immediate· action.^ to avoid obstacles which might otherwise halt the’ · ploughing or damage the plough blade, and to avoid soft spots in which the vehicle might otherwise become bogged down. The front-mounted arrangement also enables the operator to plough practically to the boundary line, and not leave an extensive headland in the manner of trailer type ploughs. This feature is particularly advantageous in small or unusually shaped lands. Finally, one track of the bulldozer moves on top of the ploughed land tending to flatten it, leaving a flat surface and reducing the need and cost of further levelling.

Xt is to be understood that although the above embodiment shows a single furrow type plough, the invention is also applicable to ploughs of the multiple furrow type. Also, the blade-type coulter 14 shown may instead by replaced by the type comprising a circular cutting disc.

The hydraulic ram 35 may be located on the left of the dozer fore-and-aft midline, or on the right thereof as shown in Fig. 2, or both, i.e. a symmetrically disposed pair of hydraulic rams may be used for steering the implement.

The bracket 17 may be of greater width than appears in Fig. 2, so as to encompass a longer horizontal section of the dozer U-frame 10. It may take the form of a channel which embraces the front of the U-frame 10 and which may likewise be longer than the bracket 17 as shown in Fig. 2. In such a case the bracket would be bolted to the U-frame by vertically disposed bolts passing through pairs of co-incident bolt holes in the bracket and the U-frame.

It will also be understood that the wheels 12, 13, need not necessarily be of different sizes, since they can in any event be fixed at different heights.

Claims (12)

1. A ploughing implement comprising a support structure adapted for attachment to the front of a tracklaying driving vehicle, a plough, a coulter and a pair of ground-engaging wheels mounted on the support structure, the ploughing implement being adapted for controlled movement in a horizontal plane, and at least the leading edge of the plough thereof being adapted for controlled movement in a substantially vertical plane, said controlled movement being capable of being carried out without halting ploughing operations.

2. A ploughing implement as claimed in claim 1 wherein the'support structure comprises a bracket for attachment to a part of the vehicle, an arm pivotally attached to the bracket about a substantially vertical pivot, for supporting the plough, and a beam pivotally attached to the arm about a first substantially horizontal pivot, for supporting the coulter and the wheels.

3. A ploughing implement as claimed in claim 2 wherein the plough is pivotally attached to the arm, about a second substantially horizontal pivot oriented transversely to the direction of ploughing.

4. A ploughing implement as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein the arm, together with the beam, is adapted for pivoting about said substantially vertical pivot by first hydraulically powered means.

5. A ploughing implement as claimed in claim 4 4 6 6 6 3 - 11 wherein one end of said first hydraulically powered means to pivot the arm and the beam, is attached to the plough.

6. A ploughing implement as claimed in claim 3, wherein the plough is adapted for pivoting about said second substantially horizontal axis by second hydraulically powered means.

7. A ploughing implement as claimed in claim 6, wherein a plough extension, to which one end of said second hydraulically powered means is attached, is provided to enhance the leverage of said means for turning the plough around said second substantially horizontal pivot on the arm.

8. A ploughing implement as claimed in claim 7, wherein a portion of said plough extension is located within a slot-like opening provided in the beam, in which opening said plough extension is a close or sliding fit.

9. A ploughing implement as claimed in any of claims 2 to 8, wherein the bracket is attached to a lifting organ of the driving vehicle, whereby the entire implement can be raised and lowered, and the arm comprises a stop surface to limit the downward pivotal motion of the beam so as to permit said raising and lowering.

10. A ploughing implement as claimed in any of claims 2 to 9, wherein the wheels are height-adjustably attached to the beam. - 12

11. Λ ploughing implement as claimed in any of claims 2 to 10, wherein the coulter is heightad justably attached to the beam.

12. A ploughing implement substantially as herein5 before described with reference to or as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.