US2766671A

US2766671A - Roll plow for woodland

Info

Publication number: US2766671A
Application number: US274600A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lauenstein Harald
Original assignee: MATEPA NV
Current assignee: MATEPA NV; N V Tot Exploiteren Van Octrooien En Licenties Matepa 's-Hertogenbosc Mij
Priority date: 1951-03-06
Filing date: 1952-03-03
Publication date: 1956-10-16
Anticipated expiration: 1973-10-16
Also published as: BE509677A; GB702420A; NL83445C; FR1052065A; DE948368C

Description

0st. 16,, 1956 H. LAUENSTEIN 2,766,671

' ROLL PLOW FOR WOODLAND Filed March 3, 1952 INVENTOR. l "1% e n 3 ,3

United States Patent Oifice H 2,766,671 Patented Oct. 16, 1956 ROLL PLOW FOR WOODLAND Harald Lanenstein, Seelscheid, Siegkreis, Germany, as-

signor to N. V. Maatschappij tot Exploiteren van Octrooien en Licenties Matepa, s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands, a corporation of the Netherlands Application March 3, 1952, Serial No. 274,600 Claims priority, application Netherlands March 6, 1951 1 Claim. (Cl. 97-3) The invention relates to plows for use in clearing land which was at one time woodland. Plows for use in stubby woodland of a known type, hereinafter referred to as roller plows, were provided with two front rollers connected by a system of draft bars to a vertical threaded spindle on which the plow beam is mounted by means of a sleeve like bearing member so that the front rollers and the plow beam are relatively movable sideways. The threaded spindle serves for rendering the plow beam adjustable in a vertical direction so that in operation the plow connected to the rear end of the plow beam may enter the soil more or less deeply.

The roll plows used for woodland hitherto known, are provided with a plow beam of which the part connected with the threaded sleeve is horizontal so that this sleeve when in its lowest position, lies much higher than the axis of the front rollers. In such roller plows hitherto known the front portion of the plow beam connected to said sleeve is horizontal and said sleeve in its lowest position on the spindle is located at a much higher level than the axis of rotation of the front rollers, i. e. higher than the pulling point. The disadvantage of this is that not only the relatively thin threaded spindle but particularly also the sleeve and the part of the plow beam connected therewith are under a heavy bending load which often caused fractures in said heavily strained places even with normal work but especially when striking rootstocks, stones or the like. Moreover, because of the different levels of the working points of the pulling force on the draft bars on the one hand and the reacting force on the spindle on the other hand, there occurs in the entire construction a torsional stress due to which not only the depth of penetration becomes uncontrollable in different kinds of soil, but also the plow works on the point or the rear portion thereof.

Several types of construction have been used in an attempt to overcome these disadvantages among them a chain and rod system with a tensioning closure. However, in addition to being cumbersome and difiicult for the average worker to operate correctly, none of them have satisfactorily solved the difficulties involved.

An object of the present invention is to obviate or mitigate the above disadvantages.

The roll plow for use in clearing land which was once woodland, according to the invention, is characterized in that the threaded sleeve is arranged substantially at the same level as the operating position of the plow when it is in operation.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, which shows a roller plow in elevation.

Referring to the drawing, heavy rollers 1 are mounted in bearings at draft bar 2 provided at the front with hook 3 and at its back with an upright threaded spindle support 21. The spindle 4 is rotatably but not axially slidably arranged in support arms 5 and 6 extending vertically above and below the place of the draft bar, and

On the spindle 4 is arranged threaded sleeve 8 which may be adjusted in height by rotating the spindle 4. In this embodiment the threaded sleeve 8' is cast in one piece with a plow beam 9, the front edge 20 of which is tapered. The plow beam is a curved, hook-shaped member, the long leg of which extends forwardly and is integral with the threaded sleeve 8, and the short leg of which carries aplow 11. The'curvature of the plow beam 9 is such that the threaded sleeve 8, the draft bar 2 and the axes of the rollers 1 may be aligned in the operative position oftheplow.-

On the plow beam a disc shaped coulter 10 is mounted which is positioned in front of the plow 11, so that when the plow strikes a rootstock or a stone, the coulter raises the plow beam 9 with plow 11 so that the latter slides over the obstacles.

On the rear of the plow beam 9 is cast a projection 12 upon which winch 13 is arranged. A lifting device 14 is hingedly connected to projection 12. By means of the winch 13 the level of two pressure rolls 16, which are mounted on the ends of rods 15, which in turn are supported on the plow beam by ball points 17, may be adjusted by a cable attached to rod 15. Pressure rolls 16 are tapered towards the middle of the furrow dug by plow 11, so that if one of the rolls strikes an obstacle sideways both may swerve to the other side. Both pressure rolls are kept at a distance from each other by a spring (not shown) arranged between them.

The lifting device 14 and the rear of the plow beam 9 is supported on wheel 19 which is connected to the rear of the plow beam 9 by a connecting piece 18. Actuation of the lifting device 14 raises or lowers the rear of plow beam 9 and consequently permits adjustment of the level of the plow 11 for transportation.

As a result of the invention the above mentioned high bending loads on the plow beam, on the threaded spindle and on the threaded sleeve occurring in the hitherto known construction are considerably reduced.

The plow beam is no longer horizontal but slanting. In very favorable circumstances the threaded sleeve can be arranged so far down on the spindle that the direction of the pulling force working on the draft bar, the threaded sleeve and the direction of the resultant of the soil resistance are substantially on the same level when the plow is operated. Thus the bending loads in the vicinity of the threaded sleeve and in the spindle in normal operation are much smaller than in the hitherto known plows so that when the plow strikes a rootstock or an encumbrance no fracture occurs in the place in question.

Due to the low positioning of the threaded sleeve, chain-work and any tensioning closure may be omitted and the plow beam and the threaded spindle may be cast or forged in one piece or they may be welded rigidly together. Preferably high grade electro cast steel is used.

Preferably the front of the plow beam, which was hitherto square, is tapered. This has the advantage that the soil resistance is smaller and the plow beam is still reinforced. A further advantage is that in this way the plow is less easily clogged.

Because of the low positioning of the threaded sleeve and because the chain-work and the tensioning closure are omitted, not only the spindle itself can be kept very compact but also the entire draft bar system can be kept very compact.

The reduced bending loads in the construction according to the invention and the consequently diminished risk of fracture render the plow according to the invention very suitable for tractor propulsion, so that not only a greater work capacity is obtained but the plow may also be provided with additional'pressure rolls 16 which in the hitherto used plows for woodland'drawn by horses which had to be kept very light in weight, could not be used.

Such pressure rolls press on the sod directed sideways by the deflecting boards so that the soil does not fall back behind the plow as was'often the case withthe known plows when the grass was thick.

I claim:

In a roller plow for stubby woodland having a plow, a disc coulter in front of the plow, a threaded sleeve in front of the coulter, a draft bar with an upright spindle support on the rear end thereof, a threaded spindle vertically rotatab ly mounted on said support on which said threaded sleeve is threaded, said spindle extending vertically above and below the plane of the draft bar, and a pair of heavy rollers mounted in bearings on the draft bar so that the axis of the rollers and the axis of the draft bar are in the same plane, that improvement com- I 4 t prising a curved hook-shaped plow beam the long leg of which extends forwardly and is integral with said threaded sleeve and carries the disc coulter and the short leg of which carries the plow, the curvature of said plow beam being such .that the threaded sleeve, the draft bar and the axis of said rollers may be aligned in an operative position of the plow.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 377,800 Carpenter Feb. 14, 1888 433,373 Schuz July 29, 1890 870,451 Mills Nov. 5, 1907 1,130,524 Kunik Mar. 2, 1915 1,298,385 Plurner Mar. 25, 1919 1,857,700 Scakocs May 10, 1932 FOREIGN PATENTS 485,098 Germany Oct. 26, 1929