US2537538A - Expanded metal harrow - Google Patents

Description

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Jan. 9, 1951 Filed Jan. 21, 1947 Jan. 9, 1951 w. E.. MACK 2,537,538-

EXPANDED METAL HARROW Filed Jan. 21, 1947 2 Sheets-Shet 2 INVENTOR Way/79E Mack Patented Jan. 9, 1951 UNITED STATES PAT EN T OFFICE EXPANDED METAL minnow Application January 21, 1947, Serial No 723,216

18 Claims.

invention relates to harrows and particularly to narrows comprising sheets of expanded metal provided with means through which they may be moved over the surface of the ground to harrow the ground. The invention provides an. extremely simple, efficient and inexpensive harrow.

Many types of harrow for smoothing the soil have heretofore been proposed. Such harrows have been of more or less complex construction and hence undesirably costly or they have been lacking in efficiency. I have discovered that a highly useful and at. the same time simple, foolproof and rugged harrow may be made at very low cost by the use of one or more sheets of expanded metal which may be provided with means through which the sheet or sheets may be moved relatively to the ground with a face of each sheet in contact with the ground so that strands of the expanded metal engage portions of the ground to displace the same relatively to other portions.

Although expanded metal is an old and wellknown material, having been invented over sixty years ago, its peculiar suitability for use in smoothing the soil has never before, so far as I am aware, been recognized. Expanded metal is made by slitting and expanding a. metal blank. to form a foraminous metal sheet having diamond shaped openings therein, the openings being defined by strands of generally rectangular crosssection which are positioned with their faces inclined to the plane of the sheet and which also themselves extend at an angle to the plane of the sheet. Adjacent strands are connected together to form bonds at the apices of the diamonds.

.I have discovered that when a sheet of expanded metal is moved over and in contact with uneven ground the strands and bonds, arranged as aforesaid, are peculiarly suitable for shearing off high spots and in a continuous operation moving the sheared portions forwardly and laterally into low spots. Since the strands of the expandedv metal have their faces inclined to the plane of the sheet of expanded metal the forwardly facing edges or corners of the strands act as cutting tools to cut or shear off high spots. or clods in the soil. The clods are subjected successively to the action of successive rows of strands and hence are gradually sheared down to the desired level. The sheared off earth follows along the inclined. strands as the harrow moves forward and finds its way into low spotsin advance and laterally of the places where the high spots existed prior to harrowing.

.The arrangement of the strands in a sheet of expanded metal is such that each strand prowardly inclined face terminating in an edge. I find that if. an expanded metal harrow is moved. over the surface of the ground in. a direction. substantially at right angles to the long dimen-. sions of the diamonds and with the forwardly and downwardly inclined faces of the strands leading a different effect is produced than when. it is sents in one direction a forwardly and down wardly inclined face terminating in an edge and in the opposite direction a forwardly and upmoved over the surface. of the ground in a direc-- tion substantially at right angles to the long dimensions of the diamonds and with the forwardly and upwardly inclined faces of thestrands leading. In the first case they harrow acts in the nature of a series of shear blades, cutting into the clods and shearing off the tops thereof and tending hyreason of the forward and downward a inclination of the leading. faces of the strands to work itself downwardly or toward the ground. In the second case the harrow actsv not so much as a shearing device as it acts as a smoothing device, the forwardly and upwardly inclined leading faces of the stra'nds tending to ride up on. high spots and push loose dirt before them. Thus Imay first move the harrow over the ground in one direction. to reduce very rough ground to an intermediate condition of roughness 'and'I. may then move the harrow over the groundinthe opposite direction to complete the smoothing.

I find it desirable to upturn the leading edge of the harrow as that enables it better to en counter hard clods and stones. Opposed edges may be upturned whereby the harrow may be adapted to be moved in either direction.

The barrow is provided with means. through which it may be moved over the surface of the ground. Such means are normally disposed generally at an edge of the harrow andv may be designed to move it by pushing. or pulling- For example, a relatively small narrow may have a. handle. adapting. it for use in a flower garden or 7' small vegetable garden.' Normally, however, the

harrow will be made in larger size. and will be provided with means through which it may be.

connected with drawing means whereby it. may be drawn over the surface of the ground. The harrow maybe drawn by horses, by a tractor or by may be linked together in tandemor arranged side by side. When the sheets are arranged side by side provision should be made against leaving an unharrowed path between the sheets. For example, the sheets may be drawn at an acute angle to the opposed edges thereof or another sheet may be employed to move in a path coinciding with the path of the space between the opposed edges of the first mentioned sheets.

It may be desirable to add weight to an expanded metal harrow to cope with certain conditions of the soil. This may be done by placing ballast, such, for example, as field stone, upon the harrow. I find it desirable to upturn the edge of the harrow throughout its periphery, which has the double advantage of enabling the harrow to be drawn over the surface of the ground with any portion thereof leading and adapting the harrow to receive and retain ballast since with the edges upturned throughout the periphery of the harrow it in effect forms a ballast receiving basket with a flat foraminous bottom.

When a harrow comprises several sheets of expanded metal arranged in tandem it is preferable that the leading edge of the leading sheet be upturned and that the leading sheet be relatively short as compared with the trailing sheet or sheets. This is because the leading sheet encounters the roughestground and hence is moved to greater angularity to the horizontal than succeeding sheets. Likewise the dimensions of the diamonds of expanded metal may be greater in the leading sheet than in trailing sheets. the expanded metal with the relatively large diamonds in the leading sheet breaking up the large clods and the expanded metal with smaller diamonds in the trailing sheets further breaking up the soil and smoothing it.

Other details, objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description of certain present preferred embodiments thereof proceeds.

.In the accompanying drawings I have shown certain present preferred embodiments of the invention, in which 7 Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a harrow hitched to a tractor to be drawn thereby;

Figures 2, 3, l, 5 and 6 are, respectively, views similar to Figure 1 of other forms of harrow but omitting the showing of the tractor;

Figure 7 is a vertical longitudinal cross-sectional View to enlarged scale through one form ofharrow;

f Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure '7 through another form of harrow;

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figures 7- and 8 through still another form of harrow; and

Figure 10 is a fragmentary face view of a sheetof expanded metal such as is employed for the manufacturing of my harrow.

"Referring first to Figures 7-10, I use for the manufacture of a harrow expanded metal as shown in Figure'lo comprising strands 2 joined at'bon'ds 3. The expanded metal is made by slitting and expanding a metal blank. When it is expanded the strands and bonds define diamond' shaped openings 4, the strands being of generally rectangular cross-section and being disposed with their faces at an acute angle to the plane of the sheet of expanded metal. Also thestrands extend at an angle to the plane of thesheet of expanded metal. Since expanded metal per se is very old and well-known a minute description of it is not believed necessary. However, as known to those skilled in the art, the

sheets of expanded metal shown are unitary and rigid and retain their rigidity during use.

Figure 7 is a vertical longitudinal cross-sectional view through a harrow made out of a sheet 5 of expanded metal. The plane of the section of Figure 7 is at right angles to the long dimensions of the diamonds of the expanded metal. One edge of the sheet of expanded metal is upturned as shown at B. This will be the leading edge when the harrow is in use. One or more U-clamps I is or are attached to the upturned edge 6 of the harrow, each such U- clamp receiving an eye 8 of a tractor hitch. Perforated plates 9 are disposed at the respective faces of the portion 6 and nuts it] are threaded onto the legs of the U-clamp.

The harrow of Figure 7 is adapted to be drawn toward the left viewing that figure. The strands have their leading faces H inclined forwardly and downwardly terminating in cutting edges l2. Thus when the harrow is drawn to the left, viewing Figure 7, the cutting edges l2 tend to slice through high portions of the soil, the pressure of the soil against the inclined leading faces tending to press the harrow down into the soil. Thus the respective strands of the expanded metal act as a series of knives or cutters acting successively onthe high portions of the soil to cut them 01?. As the harrow moves forward the cut portions move laterally along the inclined strands as well as forwardly with the harrow and find their way into low places.

Figure 8 shows a harrow l3 which is the same as the harrow of Figure 7 except that the leading faces Id of the strands are inclined forwardly and upwardly and terminate in edges 15. The harrow of Figure 8 is more of a smoothing harrow than a cutting harrow. The forwardly and upwardly inclined leading faces of the strands cause the harrow to tend to ride up over high spots, the harrow having a spreading and smoothing action.

At the right hand edge of Figure '7 there is shown in dotted lines at [6 an upturned edge which may be provided to make out of the harrow of Figure '7 a double ended or double duty harrow combining the functions of the harrow of Figure '7 and that of Figure 8. If the harrow of Figure '7 be provided with the upturned end I6 and be drawn to the right it will function as does the harrow of Figure 8.

Figure 9 shows a harrow l'i which is like the harrow of Figure '7 with the added turned up edge Hi and additionally with turned up side edges 58 forming in effect a flat bottomed foraminous basket for receiving and retaining ballast, such, for example, as field stone, to increase its weight, which may be desirable under certain soil conditions.

Thesize of the mesh of which the harrow is constructed depends upon the conditions to be met. For ordinary farm harrowing I prefer to use expanded metal having diamonds about 8" long. In a multiple sheet harrow the first sheet may have diamonds about 8 long and the succeeding sheets may have smaller diamonds if desired. For a hand implement for use in flower gardens and the like I prefer to employ expanded metal having diamonds about 3" long.

Figures 1-6 show various forms of harrow which may be made according to my invention. The harrow (9 of Figure 1 consists of a single sheet of expanded metal with an upturned leading edge 20. The harrow 'is shown as being drawn by a tractor 2| through a hitch 22. The

harrow of Figure 1 is the same as that of Figure 7 without the additional upturned edge I6.

The harrow 23 of Figure 2 is the-same as the harrow of Figure '7 with the upturned edge l6.

Figure 3 shows a harrow 24 comprising three sheets of expanded metal 25, 26 and 21, respectively. The sheets are flexibly connected together by links 28 forming a tandem harrow. The leading edge 29 of the leading sheet 25 is upturned like the leading edge -26 of the harrow IS. The leading sheet 25 is shortest, the intermediate sheet 26 is longer and the trailin sheet 2! is longest. This is because the leadin sheet first attacks the relatively rough ground and can function more effectively if it is relatively short. successively longer sheets can function efiiciently as the ground becomes progressively smoother. The mesh of the sheet 25 may be relatively large, that of the intermediate-sheet may be smaller and that of the trailing sheet 2'! may be smallest if desired. The sheet 25 may be a cutter like the harrow of Figure 7 and the sheets 26 and 21, or the sheet 2? only, may be a smoother like the harrow of Figure 8. The links 28 permit the sheets 25, 26 and 21 to articulate relatively to one another to most effectively perform their functions.

Figure 4 shows a harrow 30. drawn from a bar 3| to which a tractor hitch 32 is connected. The harrow 30' comp-rises two sheets 33 and 34, each connected to the bar 3| by two flexible connections 35. The opposed edges of the sheets 33 and 34 extend at an acute angle to the bar 3| and to the direction in which the harrow is normally drawn so that no unharrowed strip is left along a path between the opposed edges.

- Figure 5 shows a harrow Se -which is like the harrow of Figure 4 except that the opposed edges of the sheets 3'5 and 38 are at right angles to the bar 39 and to the direction in which the harrow is normally drawn. A trailing sheet 40 is connected to the sheet 3'! by a link 41 and to the sheet 38 by a link 42 to move in a path coinciding with the path of the space between the opposed edges of the sheets 31 and 38 so that an uninterrupted strip whose width is equal to the distance between the outer edge of the sheet 31 and the outer edge of the sheet 38 is narrowed.

Figure 6 shows a harrow 43 which is the same as the harrow of Figure 9. g This harrow has an upturned edge 44 extending completely about its periphery to form a flat bottomed foraminous metal basket for receiving and retaining ballast.

While I have shown and described certain present preferred embodiments of the invention it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto but may be otherwise variously embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

l. A harrow comprising a unitary rigid sheet of expanded metal comprising strands joined at bonds and arranged to form generally diamond shaped openings, which sheet retains its rigidity during use, and means connected with the sheet through which the sheet may be moved relatively to the ground with a face of the sheet in contact with the ground so that strands of the expanded metal successively engage portions of the ground to progressively displace the same relatively to other portions.

2. A harrow comprising a unitary rigid sheet of expanded metal comprising strands joined at bonds and arranged to form generally diamond 6, shaped openings, which sheet retains its rigidity during use, and means connected with the sheet and disposed generally at an edge thereof parallel with the long dimensions of the diamonds of the expanded metal through which the sheet may be moved relatively to the ground in a direction generally parallel to the plane of the sheet and generally at right angles to the long dimensions of the diamonds with a face of the sheet in contact with the ground so that strands of the expanded metal successively engage portions of the ground to progressively displace the same relatively to other portions.

3. A harrow comprising a unitary rigid sheet of expanded metal comprising strands joined at bonds and arranged to form generally diamond shaped openings, which sheet retains its rigidity during use, the sheet having an upturned edge and means connected with the sheet through which the sheet may be moved, with the upturned edge as the leading edge, relatively to the ground with the face of the sheet away from which the upturned edge is turned in contact with the ground so that strands of the expanded metal successively engage portions of the ground to progressively displace .the same relatively to other portions.

. 4. A harrow comprising a unitary rigid sheet of expanded metal comprising strands joined at bonds and arranged to form generally diamond shaped openings, which sheet retains its rigidity during use, the sheet having opposed edges ex. tending generally parallel with the long dimensions of the diamonds of the expanded metal, said edges being turned in the same direction out of the plane of the sheet, and means connected with the sheet through which the sheet may be moved, selectively with either of said edges as the leading edge, relatively to the ground with the face or" the sheet away from which said edges are turned in contact with the ground so that strands of the expanded metal successively engage portions of the ground to progressively displace the same relatively to other portions.

5. A harrow comprising a plurality of unitary rigid sheets of expanded metal comprising strands joined at bonds and arranged to form generally diamond shaped openings, which sheets retain their rigidity during use, means flexibly connectin the sheets together and means connected with at least one of the sheet through which the flexibly connected sheets may be connected with drawing means whereby they may be drawn over the surface of the ground so that strands of the expanded metal successively engage portions of the ground to progressively displace the same relatively to other portions.

6. A harrow comprising a plurality of unitary rigid sheets of expanded metal comprising strands joined at bonds and arranged to form generally diamond shaped openings, which sheets retain their rigidity during use, the sheets being flexibly connected together in tandem, and means connected with an end sheet through which that sheet may be connected with drawing means whereby the sheets may be drawn in tandem over the surface of the ground so that strands of the expanded metal successively engage portions of the ground to progressively displace the same relatively to other portions.

7. A harrow comprising a plurality of unitary rigid sheets of expanded metal comprising strands joined at bonds and arranged to form generally diamond shaped openings, which sheets retain their rigidity during use, the sheets being flexibly connected together in tandem and means connected with an end sheet through which that sheet may be connected with drawin means whereby the sheets may be drawn in tandem over the surface of the ground so that strands of the expanded metal successively engage portions of the ground to progressively displace the same relatively to other portions, the leading edge of said sheet being upturned.

8. A harrow comprising a unitary rigid sheet of expanded metal comprising strands joined at bonds and arranged to form generally diamond shaped openings, which sheet retains its rigidity during use, with its edges upturned throughout the periphery of the sheet to adapt the sheet to be moved over the surface of the. ground with any portion of the sheet leading and to adapt the sheet to receive and retain ballast and means connected with the sheet through which the sheet may be moved over the surface of the ground so that strands of the expanded metal successively engage portions of the ground to progressively displace the same relatively to other portions.

9. A harrow comprising a plurality of unitary rigid sheets of expanded metal comprising strands joined at bonds and arranged to form generally diamond shaped openings, which sheets retain their rigidity during use, the sheets being flexibly connected together in side-by-side relation, means connected therewith through which the sheets may be connected with drawing.

means whereby the sheets may be drawn over the surface of the ground in a direction generally parallel with the opposed edges of the sheets and another sheet connected with two adjacent first mentioned sheets and adapted *0 when the first mentioned sheets are drawn over the surface of the ground as aforesaid to move in a path coinciding with the path of the space between the opposed edges of said two sheets, so that strands of the expanded metal successively engage portions of the ground to progressively displace the same relatively to other portions.

10. A harrow comprising a plurality of unitary rigid sheets of expanded metal comprising strands joined at bonds and arranged to form generally diamond shaped openings, which sheets retain their rigidity during use, the sheets being flexibly connected together in side-by-side relation and means connected therewith through which the sheets may be connected with draw- 1 ing means whereby the sheets may be drawn so that strands of the expanded metal sucessively engage portions of the ground to progressively displace the same relatively to other por tions.

WAYNE E. MACK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 281,221 Howe July 10, 1883 1,530,329 Roberts Mar. 17, 1925 1,670,602 Webber May 22, 1928 1,743,800 Pearce Jan. 14, 1930 2,131,670 Redding et a1 Sept. 27, 1938 2,133,258 Vass Oct. 11, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 104,942 Australia Sept. 8, 1932

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