US2671973A - Land leveler attachment - Google Patents

Description

March 15, 1954 E. TEN BENSEL ,671,973

LAND LEVEL-ER ATTACHMENT Filed Jan. 50, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Erwin fen Bense/ INVENTOR.

Fig. 2 5y Ammq:

March 16, 1954 E. TEN BENSEL LAND LEVELER ATTACHMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 50, l950 Erwin. fen Bense/ INVENTOR.

Patented Mar. 16, 1954 UNITED S TATES AT ENT F F] CE L'AN'D 'LEVELER ATTACHMENT Erwin ten Bensel, Cambridge, N ebr. Application January 30, 1950, Serial No. 141,263

Claims.-

fhis invention consists of "a land leveller attachment and more specifically pertains to an attachment or appliance which may be easily applied to or removed from a conventional implement carriage for'converting'o'r adapting the same for-operation'a's a scraper or land levelling apparatus. I

The-primary objects of this invention are to provide an appliance or attachment adapted for application to-aconventional form 'of implement carriage such as those carrying plows or 'chisels, whereby the functions'of the implement carriage maybe-converted toor supplemented'by'the functions of a scraper -'or land levelling device.

-A further important object of the "invention is to provide an attachment in conformity with'the foregoing objects which "shall be capable of very easy attachment to or removal from the frame of a 'conventional implement carriage; which may be applied to the carriage without the necessit-y for welding, or-other alterations of the car'- riage structure, such as by drilling holes or the like; which shall -'provide an improved mechanism for supporting and selectively raising or lowering a transversely disposed scraper blade forming the principal part of the attachment.

These, together with various ancillary features and objects 'of the invention, which will later become apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by 'the present device, a preferred embodiment 'of which has been illustrated-byway ofexample only in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

i ig'u'r'e 1 is a side elevational view showing a preferred embodiment 'of theattachment applied to a conventional "form of wheeled implement carriage upon which are mounted a plurality of chisel type plows;

Figure "2' "is a top plan view of the same;

Figure 3 is a rear'end View of the same;

Figure 4 is a perspective detail View showing a rocker arm assembly connected to the scraper blade for supporting and elevating the same, together with means for connecting the rocker arm assembly to the actuating mechanism, one or the rocker arms being shown with a portion cut away to disclose the mounting of the rocker shaft on the frame;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective detail view showing the construction and mounting of one of 'therocker arm elevating units of the invention;

Figure "6 'is a fragmentary 'de'ta'il perspective yiw snowing the manner in which the scraper ,2 blade is pivotally supported and mounted upon the frame of an implement carriage; and

Figure 7 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the manner in which the supportmg means "is pivotally but-detachably secured to the frame of the implement carriage.

The fundamental purpose of this invention is to provide a scraper or land levelling blade which may 'be detachably mounted upon the framework a wheeled implement carriage and which may be used separately or in conjunction with chisel or other type plows customarilyearr'ied by the implement carriage. For such a use, it is preferable that the attachment shall be capable of operation by asingle person who operates thestractor and controls the operation of the implement parr iage and the to'olsc'arri'ed thereby; and it is desirable that the attachment shall be capable of ready attachment to or removal from the conventional framewei'k of an implement carriage without the necessity for altering or modifying the framework, as by the provision of fastening bolts, welding, or the like -for securing the attachment to the frame. However, it appears that there coul'cl' be little, if any, objection to the attachment being permarieil-tly attached to the implement, if the owner so desired.- v

In conformity with the objects of this invention, there is illustrated in the drawings -a suitable embodiment of the appliance shown mounted upon a conventional for-hi of imple-y ment carriage.

The implement carriage which initsel'f may be of any of a number of known andycenventional designs, consists of a supporti g' framework indicated generally by the numeral ll); and provided with supporting wheels 12 by which thesame is rendered portable and adjustable. for elevation, the carriage being further provided with a drawbar or tongue l'4 whereby the same may be coupled to any suitable form of prime mover, such as a tractor, o r the like, not shown, in a conventional and well understood manner. The framework'of the implement carriage is provided with suitable transverse beams 16, to

which are connected a plurality of longitudinal forming the subject of this invention may be removably secured to the framework of the implement carriage. Other shapes would require slight alterations in the attaching clamps or clips.

The main element of this attachment comprises a transversely disposed rigid blade 22 which is adjustably mounted beneath the frame of the implement carriage. This blade may be of any desired shape and construction in accordance with the purposes and uses to which the same is to be put; and has been illustrated as consisting of a flat steel plate which is reinforced at its lower edge on the back side thereof, as by an angle iron member 24 extending across the entire length of the blade and being secured thereto as by welding or the like. By this means, the lower edge of the scraper blade is reinforced and rendered more rigid for the scraping operation for which the blade is intended.

A supporting means is provided for pivotally mounting the blade upon the frame [0. For this purpose, as shown in Figure 6, the rear surface of the blade 22 has provided at suitable spaced intervals a plurality of angle iron members having flanges 26 which are welded or otherwise secured to the rear surface of the blade 22, and having further perpendicular, rearwardly and vertically extending flanges 28 to which are removably attached, as by fastening bolts 30, end plates 32 which are welded or otherwise rigidly attached to the extremities of connecting rods 34 in the form of bars of square or other suitable cross-sectional shape.

At their other extremities, these bars 34 are pivotally secured, as by bolts 38, to brackets which are of U-shaped construction and consist of a pair of parallel, vertically depending plates 38, integrally formed upon a horizontal plate 40, which is removably clamped to the flange of the I-beam l6.

While various types and constructions of clamps could be provided for detachably securing the anchoring bracket 38 to the frame member I6, a very simple and suitable form of clamp, as illustrated in Figure '7, consists of a pair of plates 42 and 44 which are secured to the horizontal plate of the bracket and which clamp therebetween the flange 20 of the I-beam i6.

Obviously, any suitable and preferred number of clamps, connecting rods 34, and webs or flanges 28 will be employed in order to pivotally support the scraper blade 22 for uniform vertical pivoting movement upon the frame H].

In order to selectively raise and lower the scraper blade upon its pivotal supports 34, a detachable elevating mechanism is provided. This mechanism includes a rocker shaft 48 which may conveniently be of non-circular cross-section, and which extends transversely of and is rotatably journaled upon the supporting frame H3 in a manner to be set forth hereinafter. The rocker shaft is provided with rocker arms and connecting links by means of which the arms are pivotally attached to the scraper blade, and an operating lever is further provided whereby a source of power may be employed to impart controlled rocking movement to the rocker shaft to thereby selectively raise or lower the scraper blade.

As will be apparent from Figures 2 and 4, the tongue 14 is illustrated as an I-beam and extends across the transverse I-beams IS. A journal bearing 50 is provided with a base plate 52 which rests upon the flange 20 of the I-beam forming the tongue l4, and is removably clamped thereon, as by fastening bolts 54, which extend through the base flange 52 and through clamping plates 56 which engage the under surface of the I-beam flange 20. This journal should be provided with a suitable lubricating fitting 58, the same being of any known design.

At other suitable locations along its length, the rocker shaft 48 is provided with other journal bearings, which, as shown in Figure 5, may conveniently comprise suitable brackets Ed which are of I-beam construction and which have welded or otherwise attached to their upper surface a journal bearing 62, likewise being provided with a lubricant fitting 64, the bracket being provided with a horizontal base plate 66 rest ing upon the upper surface of the flange 2c of the I-beam l5, and being detachably clamped thereon as by fastening bolts 63 and clamp it which underlie the upper flange 20 of the I-beam [6.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the rocker shaft is thus detachably clamped upon and journaled on the frame Ill, for oscillating or rocking movement as set forth hereinafter.

At suitable spaced points along the length of the rocker shaft 48, there are provided rocker arms indicated generally by the numeral 72. As shown in Figure 5, it is preferred to form these rocker arms as a pair of parallel metal bars 14 and It, which, at their rear ends, are apertured for non-rotatable engagement upon the noncircular rocker shaft 48, and which are connected, as by a horizontally disposed welded plate 18, a U-bolt or the like Bil being provided to encircle the rocker shaft 48 between the bars '14 and 76, and being clamped upon the rocker shaft, as by nuts 82, resting upon the plate '78. It will thus be seen that each of the rocker arms is removably and longitudinally adjustable upon but rigidly clamped to the rocker shaft 48 for rocking movement therewith. At their outer extremities, each of the rocker arms is pivotally connected to one end of a connecting link in the form of a metal bar or strap 84, whose upper end is disposed between the parallel bars 74 and I6 and pivotally secured thereto, as by a bolt 86. At its lower end, each of the connecting links 84 has welded or otherwise secured thereto one end 38 of a clip whose other end 913 terminates in parallel but spaced relation to the end of the connecting link 84 to form a bifurcated end for the same which embraces and is pivotally secured at 92 to a rearwardly and vertically extending flange or plate 94 forming one angulated portion of an angle iron member whose other perpendicular flange or plate 96 is welded or otherwise attached to the rear surface of the blade 92. It will thus be seen that the scraper blade is pivotally connected to the rocker arms 12 whereby a pivotal movement about the supporting rods 34 and their pivotal connection 33 with the frame is effected.

A combined actuating arm and rocker arm is provided for operatively connecting the source of power for raising and lowering the scraper blade to the rocker shaft and for connecting the rocker shaft to the scraper blade, such a construction being indicated more particularly in Figure 4. In this instance, a pair of rocker arms '52 are disposed in spaced relation and each rigidly attached to the rocker shaft 418 for rocking movement therewith, each of these rocker arms being connected by the above mentioned connecting links 34 to the scraper blade 22.

However, adjacent their rear ends, there are provided a pair of upstanding plates '90 and 100 whose lower ends are received between the parallel bars 1-4 and '16 of :each of the rocker arms 1-2, and are welded thereto to form lever arms.

Across the backs of their upper portions rests a short section of angle iron or the like I02, to which are welded plates 1'04, [05, 106. I01, all for the purpose of furnishing stiffening support to a pin I08 extending through suitable apertures in members 98, 100, 104, 1 05, I 06, 101 and having journaled thereon, between members I04 and I06, the tubular hub portion 110 secured to the outer end :of a piston rod H2 or other means of applying force to the rocker arm assembly. 'This pin I08 may be placed through any one of a number of sets of holes :in members 98 and I to obtain the desired lever arm to suit the type of power applied to it, such as a hydraulic cylinder or typical hand lever.

-As will now be more apparent from Figures 1 and 2, it will 'be understood that the piston rod H2 is slidingly received within a hydraulic cylinder -I I iand is provided'with a piston therein, not shown, the cylinder being pivotally secured, as at 11-6, to any convenient part of the frame of the implement carriage, such as the tongue I4 thereof. Suitable flexible conduits H8 and I20 serve to connect the opposite ends of the hydraulic cylinder with any suitable source of hydraulic fluid under pressure, such as the hydraulic power take-01f of .a tractor or the like, not shown. Since the construction of the 'hydraulically operated cylinder and piston assembly and the manner 'in which the same is energized from the power take-off of a tractor or the like is Well understood, 'it is not deemed necessary to illustrate the construction or further describe the operation of the same.

However, it will now be apparent that upon suitable control by the operator, fluid pressure may be selectively applied to either side of the piston at either end of the cylinder H4, and since the cylinder is pivotally anchoredto the framework I0, the piston rod II2 will be selectively moved into or out of the cylinder, the latter pivoting about its pivot pin IIB, as required by this movement. This movement of the piston rod H2 is applied to the lever arm assembly of Figure 4, and thereby causes a rocking move-' ment of the rocker arms I2 which, in turn, causes an oscillation or rocking movement of the rocker shaft 48, to thereby selectively raise or lower the scraper blade as above set forth.

It will now be seen that there has been provided an appliance in which each element of the same is detachably secured and mounted upon the framework of an implement carriage; and

which may be operatively connected to the power take-01f of a tractor or the like, whereby the scraper blade may be selectively raised or lowered to effect a levelling or scraping operation of the ground either in conjunction with or without the chisel-type plows I3, or other agricultural or ground-working implements mounted upon the frame I0 of the implement carriage.

The two principal uses of this invention are, first, its occasional or intermittent use to fill small ditches or correct minor irregularities while plowing or weeding a field; second, for land levelling operations in preparing fields for irrigation or better farming operations, where the quantities of earth to be moved do not require the use of heavier equipment.

Fromthe foregoing, the construction and operation of the device, together with its many advantages, will be readily understood, and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art after a consideration of the foregoing specification and accompanying drawings, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, but all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling Within the scope of the appended claims.

Having "disclosed and described the invention, what is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A land levelling attach-ment comprising a frame, a scraper blade, support means mounting said scraper blade on said frame for vertical movement, a rocker shaft journaled on said frame, a pair bilaterally spaced rocker arms secured to said shaft, connecting said blade to said arms, upstanding plates secured to each of said arms and disposed in parallel spaced "relation to each other, said plates -each "having'an upwardly extending edge and apertures therein each equally spaced from said edge, an angle member extending transversely of said plates and having one leg thereof abutting said edge of each plate adjacent an end of the leg, a plurality of ribs secured transversely of the other leg of said angle member, a pivot pin extending through aligned apertures in said plates and through said ribs, and means attached to said pivot .pin for oscillating said plates about said rocker shaft to raise and lower said blade.

2. A land levelling attachment comprising a frame, a scraper blade, support means mounting said scraper blade on said frame :for vertical movement, a rocker shaft journaled on said frame, a pair of laterally spaced rocker arms secured to said shaft, links connecting said blade to said arms, upstanding plates secured to each of said arms and disposed in parallel spaced relation to each other, said plates each having an upwardly extending edge and apertures therein each equally spaced from said edge, an angle member extending transversely of said plates and having one leg thereof abutting said edge of each plate adjacent an end of the leg, a plurality of ribs secured transversely of the other leg of said angle member, a pivot pin extending through aligned apertures in said plates and through said ribs, and means attached to said pivot pin for oscillating said plates about said rocker shaft to raise and lower said blade, the outermost ribs on said angle member abutting the registering faces of said plates to retain said plates in spaced relation to each other.

3. A land levelling attachment comprising a frame, a scraper blade, support means mounting said scraper blade on said frame for vertical movement, a rocker shaft journaled on said frame, a pair of laterally spaced rocker arms secured to said shaft, links connecting said blade to said arms, upstanding plates secured to each of said arms and disposed in parallel spaced relation to each other, said plates each having an upwardly extending edge and apertures therein each' equally spaced from said edge, an angle member extending transversely of said plates and having one leg thereof abutting said edge of each plate adjacent an end of the leg, a plurality of ribs secured transversely of the other leg of said angle member, a pivot pin extending through aligned apertures in said plates and through said ribs, and means attached to said pivot pin for oscillating said plates about said rocker shaft to raise and lower said blade, the outermost ribs on said angle memer abutting the registering faces of said plates to retain said plates in spaced relation to each other, said rocker arms each including a pair of spaced bars, said plates being rigidly secured between said bars and retaining the latter in spaced relation to each other, said links being dsiposed between said pair of bars and pivotally attached thereto.

4. A land levelling attachment comprising a frame, a scraper blade, support means mounting said scraper blade on said frame for vertical movement, a rocker shaft journaled on said frame, a pair of laterally spaced rocker arms secured to said shaft, links connecting said blade to said arms, upstanding plates secured to each of said arms and disposed in parallel spaced relation to each other, said plates each having an upwardly extending edge and apertures therein each equally spaced from said edge, an angle member extending transversely of said plates and having one leg thereof abutting said edge of each plate adjacent an end of the leg, a plurality of ribs secured transversely of the other leg of said angle member, a pivot pin extending through aligned apertures in said plates and through said ribs, and means attached to said pivot pin for oscillating said plates about said rocker shaft to raise and lower said blade, the outermost ribs on said angle member abutting the registering faces of said plates to retain said plates in spaced relation to each other, said rocker arms each including a pair of spaced bars, said plates being rigidly secured between said bars and retaining the latter in spaced relation to each other, said links being disposed between said pair of bars and pivotally attached thereto, said bars each having a notch in one edge thereof, said shaft having a non-circular portion disposed in said notches, a U-bolt disposed between said pairs of bars with the web portion thereof underlying said shaft, and means securing the legs of said bolts to said bars.

5. A land levelling attachment comprising a frame, a scraper blade, support means mounting said scraper blade on said frame for vertical movement, a rocker shaft journaled on said frame, a pair of laterally spaced rocker arms secured to said shaft, links connecting said blade to said arms, upstanding plates secured to each of said arms and disposed in parallel spaced relation to each other, said plates each having an upwardly extending edge and apertures therein each equally spaced from said edge, an angle member extending transversely of said plates and having one leg thereof abutting said edge of each plate adjacent an end of the leg, a plurality of ribs secured transversely of the other leg of said angle member, a pivot pin extending through aligned apertures in said plates and through said ribs, and means attached to said pivot pin for oscillating said plates about said rocker shaft to raise and lower said blade, the outermost ribs on said angle member abutting the registering faces of said plates to retain said plates in spaced relation to each other, a drawbar secured to said frame, a journal on said drawbar rotatably supporting said shaft, said rocker arms being disposed on opposite sides of said journal, said plate oscillating means being secured to said drawbar.

ERWIN TEN BENSEL.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,775,314 Mahoney et al Sept. 9, 1930 2,051,283 Austin Aug. 13, 1936 2,147,207 Nikkel Feb. 14, 1939 2,426,410 Owen Aug. 26, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 107,914 Australia July 6, 1939

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