US2323177A - Plow bottom - Google Patents

Description

June 29,1943; I .4. N. BAKER 2,323,177

PLOW BOTTOM Filed March 10, 1941 l3 INVENTO 7 A T'TORNE'YS.

Patented June 29, 1943 UNITED STATE S PATENT OFFICE PLOW BOTTOM Application March 10, 1941, Serial No. 382,477

7 Claims.

The present invention relates generally to agricultural implements and more particularly to plows and other implements in which at least some of the parts are formed of cast iron or the like. Specifically, the present invention is particularly concerned with plows having chilled cast iron.moldboards or shins, such as are used in sandy, gravelly soils or other soils where greater resistance to abrasion is afforded than is ordinarily present in the conventional steel plow.

In the production of chilled cast iron shin pieces, moldboards and similar parts for plows of this type, not infrequently there are small variations in the curvature of the castings, due to variations in the hardness of the iron, temperature of the iron and temperature of the chill at time ofpouring and other factors. Also, other factors tend to cause warpageand/or shrinkage .of the parts. Further, variations in the frogs, usually of malleable iron or steel, may also occur. Due to these variations the bearing of the moldboard or shin piece against the frog sometimes occurs irregularly, causing misalignment of the parts and uneven bearing, and as a result when the parts are clamped together strains are introduced into the parts which sometimes result in their breakage, particularly the cast iron parts.

The object and general nature of the present invention is the provision of means eliminating the abovementioned objectionable disadvantages. More specifically, it is a feature of this invention to provide one or more spherical seating members to be disposed between the chilled moldboard or shin piece and the frog or other part to which they are to be connected, in connection with a spherical socket receiving the aforesaid seating member so that by virtue of the ability of the seating members to take different positions in the associated sockets, when the clamping means is tightened. the spherical seating members can align themselves with respect to the surface of the back of the moldboard or shin piece and thereby secure a firm bearing support for the moldboard or shin piece but entirely eliminating strains and the like which otherwise would be incorporated in the implement.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent, to those skilled in the art after a consideration of the following detailed description, taken in conjunction withthe accompanying drawing illustrating the preferred embodiment.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side view of the rear end of a moldboard plow in which the principles of the present invention have been incorporated; and

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken generally along the line 22 of Figure 1 Referring now more particularly to Figure 1,

the plow in which the principles of the present invention have been incorporated is indicated in its entirety by the reference numeral l and includes a plow beam 2 of more or less conventional construction to the rear end of which a frog 3 is secured in any suitable manner. The frog 3 is generally of conventional configuration but is provided with a plurality of sockets 5 to receive fastening means by which other parts of the plow are to be attached to the frog. Such other parts may be. for example, a share section I, a moldboard section 8, and a shin piece section 9, these sections being conventionally formed to provide the desired shape and curvature of the earth engaging surfaces by which the furrow slice is severed and inverted and/or pulverized as desired. Taken together, the mold-'- board section 8 and the shin piece section 9 form a moldboard surface for the plow while the share section 1 forms the cutting edge. Generally, the moldboard section 8 is fastened at two places to the frog and to a rear brace 4 which is connected to the landside 6 of the plow bottom.

Plows particularly constructed for use in abrasive soils conventionally have the above-mentioned sections formed as chilled castings so that the surface of said sections can be made extremely hard and resistant to abrasion. Being made as castings, however, they are subjected to shrinkage and other factors which, as men-' tioned above, result in unavoidable variations in the shape of the parts. Hence, a frog which, for example, accurately fits against themoldboard, shin piece or share in one case might not fit as accurately against other parts although made during the same run.

In order to take care of such variations and to permit the several parts of the plow to be bolted tightly together yet without introducing strains due to the above mentioned variations,the present invention employs one or more spherical seating members which provide a firm bearing for the parts irrespective of such variations.

Referring now more particularly to Figure .2, it will be seen that the sockets 5 are of generally semi-spherical configuration and are formed as depressions or concavities, in the center of each of which is a bolt receiving opening 10. The associated seating member is indicated in its entirety by the reference numeral II and includes a member in the nature of a washer having a convex semi-spherical face I2 and a substantially flat face 13 at the opposite side. In each member H is an opening l5which is tapered or conical. A clamping bolt I6 is disposed in each socket 5 and passes through the associated seating member ll. Breferably, the bolt It has a countersunk head I! adapted to seat' in an opening l8 formed in the associated part, such as the shin piece ,9. The fit of the bolt IS in the opening l8,

like the opening I0, is fairly close but with sufficient looseness to permit slight relative movement of the bolt I6 relative thereto, generally about the point of contact between the bolt and the outer or'forward edge of the opening I8. On the other hand the fit of the bolt It in the opening I5 is one of appreciable looseness, due to the fact that the general diameter of the opening I5 is substantially larger than the diameter of the associated bolt I6. can rock with respect to the bolt.

The bolt I6 thus forms clamping means that firmly secure-s the part 9 to the part 3 notwithstanding variations in the shape of the part 9. For example, I have shown in dotted lines an ex-' aggerated variation of the shape of the member 9, and the position of the member I I in dotted lines shows how the latter accommodates such irregularity, yet when the bolt I6 is tightened, the two parts are firmly fixed together with substantially uniform bearing on all sides of the clamping axis, as defined by the bolt It, with the result that there are no strains in the cast metal parts which might result or tend to result in breakage. Generally, the shin piece 9 has a bearing pad 29 formed on the back surface thereof to seat against the member I I It will be understood that the moldboard section 8 is secured in place against the frog sleeve by substantially the same means described above. Hence, in Figure 2, which shows one of the connections between the moldboard section 8 and the frog 3, I have indicated similar parts by similar reference numerals. Likewise, the means securing the share 'I to the frog 3 is of the same construction.

While I have shown and described above the preferred structure in which the principles of the present invention have been incorporated, it is to be understood that my invention is not to be l mited to the particular details shown and described above, but that, in fact-widely different means may be employed in the practice of the broader aspects .of my invention.

What I claim, therefore, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A plow comprising a moldboard, a frog having a spherical socket, a washer having one face formed to receive said moldboard and the other formed to adjustably seat in said socket so as to dispose said one face at different angles relative to said frog, and means for clamping said moldboard against said washer and the latter against said socket.

2. A plow comprising a moldboard including a shin piece section and a moldboard section, both formed of cast iron or the like, a frog to receive said sections and formed with generally semispherical sockets, a seat member adapted to be disposed in each socket and the associated section, and means for securing said sections to said frog with said seat members therebetween, each seat member having a face adapted to receive the associated section and a generally semi-spherical face. adapted to seat .in the associated socket whereby the seat member may seat therein in different angular positions so as to accommodate variations in the shape of the associated sections dueto shrinkage and the like.

3. A plow comprising a frog having a spherical socket, a part adapted to be fitted to said frog and made of cast iron or the like subject to variations due to shrinkage andother factors, a seating member having one .face formed to receive said part and theother formed toadjustablyseat Thus, the seating member H in said socket so as to dispose said one face at different angles relative to said frog whereby to receive said part and accommodate any variations in the latter, and means for clamping said part against said seating member and the latter against said socket.

4. A plow comprising a frog having a spherical socket, a shin piece adapted to be fitted to said frog and made of cast iron or the like subject to variations due to shrinkage and other factors, a seating member having one face formed to receive said shin piece and the other formed to adjustably seat in said socket so as to dispose said one face at different angles relative to said frog whereby to receive said shin piece and accommodate any variations in the latter, and means for clamping said shin piece against said seating member and the latter against said socket.

5. A plow comprising a moldboard section formed of chilled cast iron or the like, whose shape, dimension or the like are subject to variations due to shrinkage, warpage and the like, a frog to which said moldboard section is adapted to be connected at a plurality of points, said frog having a generally concave socket at two of said points, a pair of seating members, each having a face adapted to receive the rear surface of said moldboard section and a generally convex face adapted to seat in the associated frog socket and be disposed at different positions therein so as to accommodate said moldboard variations, said frog, moldboard section and seating members having openings adapted to be brought into registry when the moldboard section is mounted on the frog with said seating members therebetween, and bolt means extending through said openings for clamping the moldboard section onto said frog, the opening in each seating member being larger than the diameter of said bolt means and approximately conical so as to permit said seating member to be clamped in different positions in the associated socket, whereby when the bolt means is tightened the moldboard section is fixed to the frog without introducing strains into the cast moldboard section.

6. A plow comprising a moldboard member, a frog member, one of said members having a generally spherical socket, a washer having one face formed to receive the other member and the other face formed to adjustably seat in said socket so as to dispose said one face at different angles relative to said one member, and means for clamping said moldboard member against said washer and the latter against said socket.

'7. A plow comprising a moldboard section formed of chilled cast iron or the like, Whose shape, dimension or the like are subject to variations due to shrinkage, warpage and the like, a frog to which said moldboard section is adapted to be connected at a plurality of points, said frog having a generally concave socket at two of said points, a pair of seating members, each having a face adapted to receive the rear surface of said moldboard section and a generally convex face adapted to seat in the associated frog socket and be disposed at different positions therein so as to accommodate said moldboard variations, said frog, moldboard section and seating members having openings adapted to be brought into registry when the moldboard section is mounted on the frog with said seating members therebetween, and bolt means extending through said openings for clamping the moldboard section onto said frog.

HERBERT N. BAKER.

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