US3743029A

US3743029A - Adjustable shank mounting

Info

Publication number: US3743029A
Application number: US00152356A
Authority: US
Inventors: F Mills
Original assignee: HAMBY Co
Current assignee: HAMBY Co
Priority date: 1971-06-11
Filing date: 1971-06-11
Publication date: 1973-07-03
Anticipated expiration: 1990-07-03

Abstract

A plow frame or the like includes a pair of horizontal transverse beams along which a plurality of ground-working implements or shanks are mounted. Each shank is clamped to the beams by an assembly which includes a pair of vertical mounting plates extending between and releasably secured at their ends to the beams, the upper end portion of the respective shank being clamped between the two plates in any of a variety of vertical positions. The assemblies are constructed to be reversible endto-end to permit staggering of the shanks in a row.

Description

United States Patent 91 Mills ADJUSTABLE SHANK MOUNTING [75] Inventor: Franky D. Mills, Plainview, Tex.

[73] Assignee: The Hamby Company, Plainview,

Tex.

[22] Filed: June 11, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 152,356

[52] US. Cl 172/34, 172/689, 172/702,

.172/763, 172/776, 306/].6 [51] Int. Cl A0lb 33/00 [58] Field of Search 172/439, 446, 451,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 397,193 2/1889 Lunn 172/34 198,512 12/1877 Hill 172/34 2,689,514 9/1954 Ferguson 172/655 3,001,590 9/1961 Tsuchiya 172/741 451,252 4/1891 Barton 172/763 1,373,858 4/1921 Bowen 172/476 1,668,067 5/1928 Geraldson 172/655 [451 July 3,1973

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 295,367 3/1929 Great Britain 172/34 345,779 10/1935 Germany 172/702 651,644 4/1951 Great Britain... 172/656 49,195 3/1965 Poland 172/743 666,707 2/1952 Great Britain... 172/416 426,097 10/1947 ltaly 172/476 Primary ExaminerRobert E. Pulfrey Assistant Examiner-Eugene H. Eickholt Attorney-Cushman, Darby 8r. Cushman [5 7] ABSTRACT A plow frame or the like includes a pair of horizontal transverse beams along which a plurality of groundworking implements or shanks are mounted. Each shank is clamped to the beams by an assembly which includes a pair of vertical mounting plates extending between and releasably secured at their ends to the beams, the upper end portion of the respective shank being clamped between the two plates in any of a variety of vertical positions. The assemblies are constructed to be reversible end-to-end to permit staggering of the shanks in a row.

6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENIIEDJULIB ms 3.743.029

saw. a or 2 INVEN'IOI M ATTORNEYS ADJUSTABLE SHANK MOUNTING This invention relates to mounting means for releasably attaching ground-working implements or shanks to a plow frame or the like, and in particular to an improved mounting means for this purpose which distributes stresses to the plow frame in a uniform manner and which permits adjustment of the shank positions on the frame.

Tractor-drawn, ground-working machines such as cultivators and plows typically include a rigid horizontal open frame having multiple transverse beams upon which a plurality of ground-working implements or shanks are mounted in positions such that they project downwardly into engagement with the ground. The ground-engaging ends of the shanks may have any of a variety of shapes depending on the degree of soil penetration and disruption desired. The upper end portions of the shanks are releasably secured to the frame by various types of mountings, and it is to this latter feature of such devices that the present invention is directed.

The improved mounting device of the present invention is constructed to allow for vertical adjustment of a shank and to be itself horizontally adjustable along the transverse dimension of the frame. In addition, the mounting device is constructed to extend between two beams of the frame so as to distribute shank forces to those beams. Another feature is that the device can be inverted and reversed so as to permit staggering of the shanks each of which is removably clamped to the device near one end thereof.

The invention will be further understood from the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment taken with the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a plow frame;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view on the line 44 of FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown schematically in plan view a frame such as a plow frame or cultivator frame which is adapted to be towed over the ground by a tractor (not shown), a hitch 12 being provided for connection to a draw bar (not shown) for this purpose. In use the frame 10 carries a plurality of shank mounting devices, illustrated schematically at 14, at various locations, each mounting device supporting the upper end of a ground-engaging implement or shank. The construction of the frame 10 may be any conventional construction which includes at least two parallel horizontal beams extending transversely to the direction of travel. The illustrated frame 10 has three such beams l6, l8 and 20 together with side beams 22 and inner beams 24 extending in the direction of travel, all the beams being welded together to form a rigid structure.

Each shank mounting device 14 extends between and is adjustably connected to two beams as seen in FIGS. 2 and 3. In the preferred construction each device 14 includes a body portion 26 formed of two identical vertical spaced apart plates 28 the ends of which are vertically offset from each other so that one end is disposed above the forward beam 18 and the other end is disposed below the aft beam 16. A horizontal reinforcing plate 30 is fixed, as by welding, to the left ends of the plates 28, as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 3, in a position to present an upwardly facing bearing surface which engages the lower surface of the beam 16. Gusset plates 31 provide additional rigidity. A pair of U-bolts 32 pass through the plate 30 and around the beam 16 for releasably clamping together the plate 30 and the beam 16.

The right-hand ends of the plates 28, as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 3, are fixed as by welding to a horizontal reinforcing plate 34 having a downwardly facing bearing surface engaging the upper surface of the forward beam 18. A U-bolt 36, disposed between the vertical plates 28, passes over the bearing plate 34 and is provided with a free bearing plate 38 which can be drawn up against the lower surface of the beam 18.

The space between the body plates 28 serves as a guide and clamping slot for the upper end portion 40 (FIG. 2) of a shank. To this end two guide plates 42 and 44 are welded or otherwise fixed to the inner surfaces of the body plates 28 in positions to be engaged by the forward and rear edges of the shank 40. In order to clamp the shank 40 in place one of the body plates 28 is provided with one or more set screw assemblies each consisting, for example, of a nut 46 welded to the outside of the plate 28, a bolt 48 and a lock nut 50.

The guide plates 42 and 44 are disposed near one end of the body plates 28 as part of the reversability feature, described below, which permits staggering of the shanks 40. Preferably the plates 42 and 44 are inclined slightly from the vertical, for example 8, so that the lower end of the shank 40 will engage the ground at an appropriate angle.

The mounting devices 14 are constructed so that they can be inverted and reversed and reconnected to the

beams

16 and 18. This has the effect of changing the position of the respective shank 40 in the longitudinal direction, so that the shanks can be staggered, one slightly in front of another. This is illustrated in FIG. 4 in which the mounting device 14 is identical in construction with that shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 but in which the device is disposed so that the shank 40 is carried just to the rear of the forward beam 18. It is, of course, also necessary that the shank be removed from the mounting device 14 and be reinserted in order that its lower end extend downwardly and forwardly.

In operation the frame 10 is towed to the right as viewed in FIG. 1 with the result that counter-clockwise torque is produced on each mounting device 14 as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 4. The torque is distributed by the mounting devices 14 to their respective beams through the

bearing plates

30 and 38 and the associated clamping elements. Specifically the force is upwardly on the aft beam 16 and downwardly on the forward beam 18. By arranging the mounting devices 14 so that the shanks 40 in each row are staggered, the forces applied to each beam can be equalized. The FIG. 2 arrangement applies greater force to the forward beam 18, while the FIG. 4 arrangement applies greater force to the aft beam 16.

The positions of the mounting devices 14 can be readily adjusted along the lengths of the

beams

16 and 18 by loosening the U-bolt connections at the ends of the devices, and the vertical positions of the shanks 40 can be readily adjusted by means of the

set screw assemblies

46, 48, 50. These features, together with the reversible feature which permits shank staggering, render the mounting devices 14 highly versatile.

What is claimed is:

1. ln ground-working apparatus of the type including a horizontal open frame having fore and aft parallel beams extending transversely to the direction of movement of the apparatus over the ground and including a ground-engaging shank releasably attached to said frame by a mounting means, the improved mounting means which comprises: a rigid body portion extending between the two beams, one end portion of the body portion having a bearing surface engaging the lower surface of the aft beam, said one end portion and its bearing surface being adapted to cooperate with the lower surface of one beam and with the upper surface of the other beam, and said other end portion and its bearing surface being adapted to cooperate with the upper surface of said other beam and with the lower surface of said one beam; releasable clamping means associated with each end of said body portion for clamping said end portions to the respective beams in any of a variety of positions along said beams; fixed inclined guide means adjacent one end of said body portion cooperating with the upper end portion of said shank to establish a desired angular relationship between said shank and said body portion whereby reversal of said body portion end-to-end and inversion thereof changes the location of said fixed inclined guide means for said shank between one position in which said shank will be disposed adjacent said fore beam and a second position in which said shank will be disposed adjacent said aft beam at the same angle to the ground as in said one position; and releasable clamping means for clamping said shank in any of a variety of vertical positions along said guide means.

2. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said shank guiding means is provided by a generally vertical slot extending through said body portion.

3. Apparatus as in claim 2 wherein said shank clamping means includes a set screw extending through a wall of said slot and into engagement with said shank.

4. A device for attaching a shank to two horizontal spaced-apart parallel beams of a plow frame or the like comprising: a rigid body portion of greater length than the distance between the beams, said body portion being constructed of two spaced-apart vertical plates defining a slot between them; fixed inclined guide means disposed in said slot adjacent end of said body portion for engaging the upper end portion of a shank to establish a desired angular relationship between a shank and said body portion; means adjacent said guide means for securing the upper end portion of the shank in said slot; a first horizontal reinforcing plate fixed to said one end portion of said body portion and exhibiting an upwardly facing bearing surface for engaging either the lower surface of one of the beams or the upper surface of the other beam; a second horizontal reinforcing plate tixed to the opposite end portion of said body portion and exhibiting a downwardly facing bearing surface for engaging either the upper surface of the other beam or the lower surface of said one beam whereby reversal of said body portion end-to-end and inversion thereof changes the location of said fixed inclined guide means between positions adjacent one or the other of the beams without changing the angle of inclination of said guide means relative to the beams; and adjustable clamping means associated with each plate for engaging the opposite surface of the respective beam to thereby clamp said plates to the beams.

5. A device as in claim 4 wherein the adjustable clamping means associated with each reinforcing plate includes strap means engaging the opposite surface of the respective beam and threaded studs for drawing the strap means toward the reinforcing plate.

6. A device as in claim 4 wherein said fixed inclined guide means includes two plates horizontally spaced apart along the length of said body portion so as to be engageable with the forward and rear edges of the upper end portion of the shank.

Claims

1. In ground-working apparatus of the type including a horizontal open frame having fore and aft parallel beams extending transversely to the direction of movement of the apparatus over the ground and including a ground-engaging shank releasably attached to said frame by a mounting means, the improved mounting means which comprises: a rigid body portion extending between the two beams, one end portion of the body portion having a bearing surface engaging the lower surface of the aft beam, said one end portion and its bearing surface being adapted to cooperate with the lower surface of one beam and with the upper surface of the other beam, and said other end portion and its bearing surface being adapted to cooperate with the upper surface of said other beam and with the lower surface of said one beam; releasable clamping means associated with each end of said body portion for clamping said end portions to the respective beams in any of a variety of positions along said beams; fixed inclined guide means adjacent one end of said body portion cooperating with the upper end portion of said shank to establish a desired angular relationship between said shank and said body portion whereby reversal of said body portion end-to-end and inversion thereof changes the location of said fixed inclined guide means for said shank between one position in which said shank will be disposed adjacent said fore beam and a second position in which said shank will be disposed adjacent said aft beam at the same angle to the ground as in said one position; and releasable clamping means for clamping said shank in any of a variety of vertical positions along said guide means.

4. A device for attaching a shank to two horizontal spaced-apart parallel beams of a plow frame or the like comprising: a rigid body portion of greater length than the distance between the beams, said body portion being constructed of two spaced-apart vertical plates defining a slot between them; fixed inclined guide means disposed in said slot adjacent end of said body portion for engaging the upper end portion of a shank to establish a desired angular relationship between a shank and said body portion; means adjacent said guide means for securing the upper end portion of the shank in said slot; a first horizontal reinforcing plate fixed to said one end portion of said body portion and exhibiting an upwardly facing bearing surface for engaging either the lower surface of one of the beams or the upper surface of the other beam; a second horizontal reinforcing plate fixed to the opposite end portion of said body portion and exhibiting a downwardly facing bearing surface for engaging either the upper surface of the other beam or the lower surface of said one beam whereby reversal of said body portion end-to-end and inversion thereof changes the location of said fixed inclined guide means between positions adjacent one or the other of the beams without changing the angle of inclination of said guide means relative to the beams; and adjustable clamping means associated with each plate for engaging the opposite surface of the respective beam to thereby clamp said plates to the beams.