WO1982000076A1

WO1982000076A1 - Convertible vibrating ripper

Info

Publication number: WO1982000076A1
Application number: PCT/US1980/000901
Authority: WO
Inventors: Int Co Harvester
Original assignee: Winker B
Priority date: 1980-07-01
Filing date: 1980-07-01
Publication date: 1982-01-21

Abstract

A single or multi-cylinder rear mounting for tractors (10) to support therefrom, through selective modes attainable in a convertible quadrilateral/radial (27a/27b) ripper linkage provided in such mounting, a ripper (20), more particularly a toothed vibrating ripper. Basic aspects thereof have equal application to non-vibrating (227a/227b) ripping as practiced with a convertible ripper linkage used according to the principles of my invention.

Description

CONVERTIBLE VIBRATING RIPPER

SPECIFICATION This application is a continuation-in-part to my U.S. case Serial No. 129,448, filed on or about March 10, 1980 and owned by the same assignee.

My invention relates to a single or multi-cylinder rear mounting for tractors to support therefrom, through selective modes attainable in a convertible quadrilateral/ radial ripper linkage provided in such mounting, a ripper, betimes but certainly not necessarily, a toothed vibrating ripper. Basic aspects hereof have equal application to non- vibrating ripping as practiced with convertible ripper linkages used according to the principles of my invention. In a ripper-shank-carrying quadrilateral linkage for attachment to tractors, the imparting of a vibrating motion to the ripper shank while it is suspended by the linkage from the tractor offers numerous advantages. Such motion affords a most desirable way of fracturing rock encountered during ripping, especially when the linkage is accommodative of horizontal vibratory ripper tooth motion along the line of rip. More important is the potential lessening of high impact shock forces into the tractor structure, again when the freedom to vibrate is horizontal for "give" in the rip direction.

To equal extent in a ripper-shank-carrying radial ripper linkage for attachment to tractors, the imparting of a vibrating motion to the ripper shank while it is suspended by the linkage from the tractor offers the same advantages, again when freedom of the tooth or teeth to vibrate is horizontally along the line of rip described. In other words, a proper resilient mounting linkage will keep the shank of a ripper tool rocking in a fore and aft direction as the load on the shank varies due to the varying hardness of the soil or weathered rock material through which the ripper tcol is moved, thus greatly increasing the capacity of the tcol. It is an object, through the use of the present invention as an attachment for a tractor, to provide a convertible quadrilateral/radial ripper linkage with a vibrating capability along the above lines. More specifically, my linkager equipped with a remote hydraulic control therefor for making running adjustments as afforded by a depth actuator cylinder during ripping and possibly, but not necessarily, as afforded by a pitch actuator cylinder section which also can be provided, has a raised-carry position and a lowered-rip position in which it has a vibratory rocking action, and defines a pitch axis fixed in the linkage and shifting up and down therewith relative to a fixed lift axis, strategic upper level placement of an elastic strut connection which is provided, and strategic diagonal placement of the lift or depth cylinder connection to the draft frame or to the ripper beam and shank assembly, locate the pitch axis at the node of the rocking assembly as it vibrates.

Perforce, the vibratory tooth motion is horizontal and preferably, but not essentially, neither vibration nor adjustment of pitch can cause changes in depth adjustment of the ripper tooth, and no adjustment in depth can change either the pitch adjustment or the angular attitude of the flat arc of horizontal tooth vibration. To equal advantage with or without the elasticity provided in the upper strut or link connection thereof, the linkage when unconverted to a radial ripper linkage affords the same or approximately the same tooth angle to the ground at all ripping depths. And when converted in accordance with thu practice of my invention, the resulting radial ripper linkage presents the optimum penetrating angle of the tooth an it first encounters the ground, particularly significantly so when encountering hard surfaced ground or hard objects in the surface such as rock. Also in being raised, the radral ripper tends — because it is rearwardly and retractively rotating the teeth rearwardly — to be self-extricating from intervening boulders and slabs tending to wedge themselves between the rear of the tractor and the ripper. And conversely when ripping close to a vertical wall or bank, it is only the radial ripper which allows the tractor so swing the tip of the ripper into the bank or wall as it is lowered. Finally, continued rotation of the radial ripper tooth forwardly and upwardly, after it has reached its normal lowered-rip depth, can flatten the angle of attack on earth to a desired point of actually tending to throw the earth upwardly. Background patents include, but are not limited to, U.S. Patents nos. 3,238,647, 3,279,105, 3,265,380, 3,942,745, 3,503,456, 3,539,018,4,031,964, and particularly U.S. no. 3,336,082 and no. 3,461,971 and a specifically noted German patent to Cordes no. 960105/1957, even though direct relevance is found lacking.

The latter, now expired foreign patent to Cordes lacks the basis essential for concluding that it would have ever received consideration by one skilled in the art working on tie particular problem to which my invention per tains. Cordes discloses a ripper linkage locked at the pitch axis and vibrating, if at all, up and down after the manner of a radial ripper linkage about its lift axis. The only reasonable expectation for a skilled man ' s conclusion to be drawn from Cordes is that an elastic upper strut when horizontally disposed is what is conducive to vibratory tooth motion in the vertical direction rather than the rock fracturing horizontal vibratory tooth motion provided by my invention. There is nowhere in Cordes, or elsewhere, any appreciation shown for Cordes's problem when it comes to dealing with horizontal rock fracturing or horizontal give in the rip direction to lessen shock from impact.

Without the drawbacks and cost disadvantages of power operated ripper tooth vibrators for forced vibrations, my invention with the utilization of a particular geometry and critical component selection and placement can readily switch between the two basic linkage forms and, if desired, can rely only on, and act somewhat as the stimulus to, self- excited vibrations in the desired horizontal direction of the ripper's motion, as will now be explained in detail. Features, objects, and advantages will either be specifically pointed out or become apparent when, for a better understanding of my invention, reference is made to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which show certain preferred embodiments thereof and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a left side perspective view of a crawler tractor carrying the convertible, elastically vibratable attachment according to my invention;

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an elastic detail taken along the section line 2 — 2 in Figure 1; FIGURE 3 shows a modification more versatile than the somewhat simplified embodiment of the invention appearing in Figures 1 and 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a rear perspective view in the direction of the right side of a crawler tractor with the most simplified embodiment shown having inelastic uppex struts. In the detailed discussion of certain figures of drawing to follow, one salient feature of novelty which emerges will be found to reside in how very long the elastic section of the noted elastic strut connection can be made, because of its placement in the ripper's long upper link whose lcngitudinal extent is an inherency of the ripper linkage in question. So the rocking of the beam and its associated parts in the ripper shank assembly can be tuned for an optimum within a wide range of vibrational amplitudes and frequencies, by proper parts' selection and interrelationships. Likewise because of the long excursion in amplitude attainable, the elastic reaction possible in the upper strut will afford large tooth displacements under impact, allowing the assembly a flexibility to ride up and over formidable obstacles against which the ripper teeth occasionally impact in service. And, irrespective of elasticity or not provided in the upper links, novelty is felt to reside in the basic concept of the utility to be attached to two inherently differcit linkage modes attainable with one basic ripper linkage, and how to realize that utility in practical terms. More particularly in Figure 1 of the drawings, a tractor 10 having conventional left and right crawler tracks 12 carries a transversely disposed horizontal tool beam 14 at the rear. The beam is of generally square cross section and includes a box-shaped, hollow central shank holder 16 and similar left and right shank holders 18. The shanks of individual rippers 20 are secured by cross pins 22 in the individual holders, and are sharp tipped at the front for penetrating movement into and through the ground by reason of carrying replaceable ripper teeth 24b at the bottom of the ripper.

The foregoing tool beam 14 and shank holders 16 and 18 are integrated together to constitute a ripper shank assembly 26a, and means is provided to support the shank assembly in position at the rear of the tractor 10 including a raised-carry position for the rippers 20 as shown in solid lines in Figure 1, and an unshown infinity of intermediate positions and an extreme lowered-rip position for the rippers. Illustrative of one such positioning-support means is a quadrilateral-bar type of parallelogram ripper linkage which as shown by the broken lines 27a is convertible into the radial ripper linkage as shown by the solid lines 27b. The quadrilateral-bar linkage having this convertibility includes a central mounting clevis 28 and two identical symmetrical vertical mounting towers serving as attachment members 30 attached by bolts to a vertical support plate 31 carried by, and across the rear of, the tractor 10. The arrangement is such that the clevis 28 between the two attachment members 30 which are outboard thereof generally occupies a common vertical reference plane therewith, transverse to the tractor 10 and its line of ripping movement. The attachment members 30 carry upper link pivots for the parallelogram convertibility as shown by the broken lines 32a and positioned outwardly and upwardly offset in the reference plane from the mounting clevis 28. The attachment members 30 also have lower pivots 34 spaced apart in the reference plane from the mounting clevis 28 and rendering the latter medially offset and also offset upwardly therafrom at a height at least a major part, and preferably about three-fourths, of the vertical distance from the height of the attachment member lower pivots 34 to the height of the attachment member upper link pivots 32a. The lower pivots 34 in their coaxial relationship to one another define the lift axis 35 serving as a reference axis below and above the level of which the beam 14 is lowered and raised.

The ripper shank assembly 26a at its front further includes, at the center, an inner front clevis 36 integral with the central shank holder 16 of the tool beam 14, and two vertically disposed brackets 38 of a carrier affixed rigidly to the beam 14 at points intermediate the inner clevis 36 and the shank holder 18 forming each end of the beam 14. Each beam bracket 38 has an upper pivot 40 outwardly and upwardly offset from the beam shank holder clevis 36 so as to define a pitching axis 41, and a lower pivot 42 outwardly offset from, and together with, the beam shank holder clevis 36 establishing a mutual pitch line defining the rippar pitch axis 44. The former noted upper pivots 40 defining the pitching axis 41 constitute the pitching connection on the beam brackets 38 to control the ripper shanks. The radial ripper linkage 27b now to be described interconnecting the tractor 10 and shank assembly 26a consists, briefly, of respective elastically compressible upper strut links and draft frame links forming varying length and fixed length members pinned together for two freedoms of adjustability plus quadrilateral linkage convertibility.

More specifically, between and interconnecting the central mounting clevis 28 and beam inner clevis 36, which are spaced in fore-and-aft alignment with one another ahead of the beam 14, single hydraulic depth actuator means is provided, similarly in alignment therewith and extending generally upwardly and rearwardly so as to pivot on the clevis 36. While the size and cost of a single actuator could be offset by utilization of horizontally paired clevises 28 in closely spaced adjacency, horizontally paired clevises 36 in closely spaced adjacency, and horizontally paired depth actuator cylinders 46 in closely spaced adja cency, the depth actuator means actually illustrated is a diagonally disposed, single lift cylinder 46 having a front pin 48 connecting the cylinder at its head end to the mounting clevis 23 and a rear pin 50 connecting the cylinder at its rod end to the central inner clevis 36 which is front mounted en and integral with the tool beam 14 as described. The mounting clevis and cylinder pin 48 and the central inner clevis and cylinder pin 50 are shown and described in greater detail in my copending, co-assigned parent case referred to serial no. 129,448 the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in entirety by reference. More particularly in connection with the front cylinder pin 48 as disclosed in detail therein, the pin is in the transverse vertical reference plane previously mentioned, and the attachment member 30 at each outer side of the mounting clevis 28 is formed with an access hole 52 horizontally aligned in the reference plane with the pin 48. The pin 48 has the smaller diameter, for installation and removal of same through the access hole without interference.

The single, depth actuator cylinder 46 is in the vertical plane containing the longitudinal central axis of the tractor 10.

Between and interconnecting the attacliment member lower pivot 34 at each side of the tractor and beam bracket lower pivot 42, which are spaced in fore-and-aft alignment with one another, a draft link 56 of fixed length is provided having a cross-connecting draft plate 58 integral therewith and with the companion draft link 56 on the other side of the tractor. In the specific arrangement described, novelty is felt to reside in the following, which are provided between and interconnect a lower set 32b of upper strut pivots at each side of the tractor and. an upper set of beam bracket pivots 40, which are in spaced fore-and-aft alignment with one another at each side of the tractor. More particularly, individual upper strut links 54 provided each include an elastically compressible section 60 and a lost motion connection section 61, and have their rod eye at the outer end 65 supported by the upper rear pivot 40 thereat. The lower pivot 32b at each side constitutes an interconnection between the pair of links 54 and 56 at their inner end; the latter lower link constituting the draft link has a lateral upstanding arm 59 fixing the point of connection of the lower pivot 32b to the front eye on the strut head end 63. A resulting pair of trilateral linkages at the sides of tho tractor includes therein the two upper struts 54 v/ith connections 60 and 61 as the respective upper links, the fixed-predetermined-length pair of draft links 56 as lower links, and the pair of beam brackets 38 as the rear, vertical, third link carrier for the ripper teeth shanks.

The Figure 1 solid line showing of the assembly as converted to the radial ripper linkage appearing at 27b makes it manifest that the rear, third link carrier 26a and its rippers 20 are held at all elevations essentially normal to the lower links 56 because fixed in the triangular arrangement with the upper links 54.

On the other hand, the Figure 1 broken line showing of the unconverted assembly having its original parallelogram linkage appearing at 27a makes it manifest that the quadrilateral-bar linkworks at the sides are essentially true pai allelograms in fore-and-aft extending, parallel vertical planes. Thereupon, in this unconverted mode when desired, the rear, third link carrier 26a and its rippers 20 at all elevations will be held essentially normal to the earth's surface and will in any event maintain the same ripping angle to the earth at all depths therein to which the rippers are set by the depth actuator cylinder 46. Ripping as a term is used herein in the sense that underground obstacles are ripped out and surface paving is ripped up, and a furrow is ripped in the ground and along the earth's surface. To do so the present ripper is pulled by the tractor 10 to penetrate and to upset and move obstacles and earth formation and man-made formation. That is to say, the ripper teeth 24b go beneath the surface upon which the tractor is operating and break through and fracture the rock in formations to a certain depth as the tractor moves forward. Considerable traction is employed and considerable power applied because of the high and seemingly constantly varying resistance encountered as the submerged teeth 24b are pulled along.

The variably but heavily loaded teeth 24b tend to vibrate horizontally in their own vertical plane which is the plane of rip, and the connection 60 forming a section of each upper link 54 actively participates in exciting horizontal tooth vibration.

More particularly in its converted configuration as shown by the radial ripper linkage broken lines 27b, a long through-bolt 62 which is present in lost motion connection section 61 and which is passed through the elastically compressible section 60 takes a broken line position 62a so as always to accommodate compressive loads and consequent foreshortening of each upper link 54 from the latter's extended length as illustrated. A hollow cylindrical inner portion 66, which carries the head end 63 of the link and front mounting eye thereon, unobstructively and slidably receiver, the inwardly projecting, nut-and-washer carrying, through-bolt 62 in accommodating the lost motion as the bolt protrudo.s farther inwardly. However, at point of and as soon as the link's fully extended length is restored by spring-back of the released elastic section 60, each link 54 becomes inextensible because the bolt 62 as a tension member has its nut bottom in the cylindrical portion 66 so that the. link has in effect fixed length to tension loads. Heavy duty yieldable means of known construction is provided in the elastic section 60 of each upper link, as will nov be explained.

RUBBER-LIKE CONICAL SPRINGS — FIGURE 2

Illustrative of one such means in this figure is an aligred internested stack of rubber-like conical springs 68 each including a pair of rings 70, 72 which are bonded to a metallic base 74. The number of these conical springs 68 to be stacked in a link 54 of such substantial length can be increased essentially without practical limits to obtain the desired elasticity, travel, and spring back frequency. The advantages have been noted hereinabove.

The bolt 62 has a head 76 anchored in a cap portion 78 carrying the strut rod end 65 at the rear and its mounting eye 64a. A bottoming nut 80 is initially adjusted on a threaded end of the bolt 62 so that the assembled parts of the elastic section and lost motion connection 61 are firmly held in place. The rod end 65 is provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart link rear mounting eyes as exemplified by the additional eye 64b so that the rear third link carrier 38 and its pivot 40, not shown, will have adjustability in connections for pre-setting the desired angularity of the ripper shanks 20, not shown.

OPERATION — FIGURE 1 Although in this figure the solid line showing 27b for the converted radial ripper linkage does not illustrate the ripper shanks 20 actually lowered beneath the soil level to take their lowered-rip position, the vibrating mode of operating underground can readily be gathered by considering the illustrated broken line tooth position 24c and the tooth frontward solid line position 24b to define the vibrational displacement points taken at full amplitude from an intervening home or undisplaced position of vibration, not shown. This horizontal, lowered-rip, vibratory tooth action, due to the correspondingly desired reaction of the elastic and lost motion connection sections 60 and 61, sets up in the rear, third link carrier 38 and remaining portion of the radial ripper shank assembly 26a a rocking motion. It is critical to the geometry involved in this embodiment to have the pitching pivot 40 positioned, so as to react forces into the rubber-like conical springs 68 (Figure 2) , in a substantially spaced location from the pitch axis 44 for proper leverage, and to have the pin 50 which is the fixed pivot for the rear of the actuator cylinder 46 to be coaxial with the pitch axis 44, thereby precisely locating the pitch axis at the node of the rocking assembly as it vibrates. With such maximized spacing, the axis 81 of each upper link 54 either intersects or at least passes closely adjacent the lift axis 35, consistently with the triangulation concept for stability in the. radial ripper linkage configuration.

Thus, in the lowered-rip position, the ripper teeth 241) are spaced apart vertically below the horizontal fixed pitch axis 44 and the amplitude of their vibration is perforce limited to flat arc, fore-and-aft horizontal movement.

Essentially the same relationship obtains when a snag or vhen the rock or obstruction ordinarily fractured by vibration introduces an extraordinarily high impact, forcing the rippers 20 to "give" in an elastically cushioned way (the take-up is in the rubber-like conical springs 68, Figure 2) and to take an extreme rearward deflection as shown by the broken line position of the teeth 24d. This capability to deflect substantially reduces the high impact shock force to which the ripper assembly would otherwise be subjected. The rear of the tractor will rise slightly as the rippor with a self-lifting extricating motion rides elastically up and over whatever is snagging. By analogy, the operation can be readily imagined for the unconverted assembly having its original parallelogram linkage appearing at 27a, wherein the ripper teeth as shown by the broken lines 24 , maintain essentially their same attitude to the ground at all levels therein. The broken line position 24a of the teeth if they were at working depth would be the front position and, therebehind, and intermediate rearward position can be readily visualized to correspond to the tooth excursion at vibrational amplitudes, whereas a full rear position which can be equally well visualized would correspond to the extreme displacement of a tooth in encountering and riding over a high impact obstruction.

The latter operation is specifically illustrated, described, and claimed in my noted copending parent U.S. serial no. 129,448, the disclosure of which is incorporated in entirety herein by reference. My vibrating ripper assembly readily adapts to consolidating in the upper struts thereof a pair of pitch cylinders for a compound action as will now be explained. Also, two more vantage points will be explained for swingably connecting the upper struts at the inner end for radial ripping.

HYDRAULIC DEPTH ADJUSTMENT AND PITCH ADJUSTMENT — FIGURE 3 In the embodiment of the invention as shown in this figure, the modified multi-sectional upper strut link 154 provided one at each side of the radial ripper assembly is connected thereinto by its lower front pivot pin 32b in the rod end 63 to a point on the attachment member 30 in coincidence with the lift axis 35 of lower link 56 or at least closely thereadjacent. Therefore the longitudinal axis 81 of the strut will pass through the axis 35 or somewhere closely adjacent as actually illustrated. The strut 154 is connected by the eye 64a of the head end 65 to the top of the rear, third link carrier 38 so as to be in a position above and generally vertically aligned with the ripper pitch axis 44 .

The lost motion connection section 61 associated in parallel with the compressible section 60 of the strut limits extension in that latter section because of the relatively inextensible nut-and-bolt 62 after all lost motion is taken up, but accommodates compressive loads which are reacted to elastically because of the action of rubber like conical springs 68 in each upper strut. That latter section is preferably the one located outboard.

An inboard section of each strut 154 consists of a pitch actuator cylinder 82 axially in tandem with the outboard section. Specifically, the cylinder 82 is welded to the plug of a metal cap 84 forming the hollow cylindrical portion 66 of the outboard section in a way not to interfere v/ith inward sliding movement of the bolt 62 into the latter. Accordingly, the overall strut length can be foreshortened and extended and held fixed by operation of, and hydraulic locking of, the cylinder 82 so as to shift the pitching axis 41 and t.he bracket upper pivot defining same into various positions of displacement such as the positions shown by the broken lines for the eye at 64c and 64d. The ripper teeth, not shown, will therefore take permanently adjusted pitch angle positions about their pitch axis 44 as the center. As viewed in terms of the internal mechanical connections of its interacting elements, each upper strut link 154 is seen to have the bolt 62 thereof serving as an inextensible section connected mechanically in parallel with the second section having non-metallic conical springs 68 therein and, together therewith, being connected mechanically in series with the third or actuator section occupied by the pitch cylinder 82.

Visualizing the embodiment 154 within its complete environment which is not repeated but which appears fully in Figure 1, one can see that the remotely-operated single depth actuator or a pair of same if desired affords convenience to the driver in making running adjustments by changing the depth of rip while the tractor continues oper- ating. And when the depth actuator sets the ripper in the raised-carry position illustrated or slightly therebelow, the pitch actuator cylinders 82 are a decided convenience because the driver can hydraulically foreshorten the actuators 82 as viewed in Figure 3, rotate the rear, third link carrier 38 counterclockwise about the beam pitch axis 44, and thereby provide an increase in angular penetration of the tooth of the ripper.

Or, when the depth actuator sets the ripper in an operatirg position above or actually in the previously referred to lowered-rip position and the ripper point fully snags or hangs up on a boulder, the driver again finds it convenient, as a matter of easy extrication, to foreshorten the pitch actuator cylinders 82 again, rotate the rear third link carrier 38 in the same counterclockwise direction about the beam pitch axis 44 (Figure 3) , and thereby move the snagged ripper tooth, not shown, rearwardly to facilitate removal of all ripper teeth from the ground.

The fundamental endo-ecto difference in purpose between sections in the guiding strut member 154 can be broken down to be that the pitch-change action of the cylinder 82 internally adjusts the pitch, whereas the seriesconnected elastically compressible section 60 is what adjusts tc external pitch changes from vibration and heavy impact from snags.

By analogy, the kindred operation can readily be visualized for the unconverted assembly having its original substantially parallelogram linkage which appears by broken lines 127a, wherein the ripper teeth, not shown, maintain essentially their same attitude to the ground at all levels therein.

Quadrilateral linkage rippers of commercially equipped tractors can, with barely perceptible modification, be adapted to practice the convertibility in accordance with the priciples of my invention, and the vibrating aspect can be disregarded or separately provided as a matter of choice.

CONVERTIBILITY WITH SOLID UPPER LINK-— FIGURE 4 Illustrative of one such tractor commercially equipped for ripping, a crawler tractor 210 with opposite endless tracks 12 is shown in unconverted configuration having tne modified ripper shank assembly 26b, dual rippers 20, dual lift cylinders 46, and one piece unshortenable struts 254 forming the solid upper links of the parallelo gram ripper linkage 227a.

In each quadrilateral linkwork at the side, the length therein of the lower or draft link 56 rearwardly from its lift axis pivot 34 is approximately equal to the length of the corresponding upper link 254 rearwardly from its upper pivot 232a to the pitching axis pivot 40 at the rear; so, the rear, third link carriers 38 on the beam 14 and the . ripper shanks 20 take and maintain a position essentially normal to the surface of the ground 86 on which the teeth 224a rest in the intermediate, ground contacting position shown in solid lines. That is is say, this same normal attitude is maintained in the raised-carry position above the position shown and in the lowered-rip position below the position shown.

Each lower link 56 carries a longitudinally aligned row of short upright arms 59 which are closely spaced apart fore and aft from one another and from the lift axis pivot 34 for the link 56. Conversion to the radial ripper linkage is simply done with removal of the pivots 232a at αach side, lowering of the upper links at their front end into the configuration indicated at 227b, and reconnecting the latter at their front end by repivoting at 232b to a selected one of the link arms 59.

The ripper teeth 224b following the conversion take a different attitude toward the ground at point of contact illustrated by the broken lines so as to penetrate much more readily in the radial ripper linkage configuration 227b. The reason is that the ripper assembly 26b takes the broken line position indicated, with the rear, third link carriers and ripper shanks approximately normal to the draft or lower links 56 at all attitudes of angularity of the latter when raised and lowered by the dual depth cylinders 46. At normal working depth, not shown, the ripper teeth bearr about the same angle of attack to the oncoming ground being ripped irrespective of whether used in the configuration of the parallelogram ripper linkage 227a or of the radial ripper linkage 227b to which converted.

An opposite procedure to the foregoing conversion procedure is adopted to restore the quadrilateral linkages described to their unconverted parallelogram linkage configurations. In other words, what results as a novel quadrilateral radial linkage transforms both ways, into and out of utility in a parallelogram ripper.

Respective Figures 1, 3, and 4 foregoing illustrate thr-ae different ways and means of adjustment given to the ripper shanks in their angular relationship within the radial ripper linkages disclosed, by varying effective link lengths.

All three embodiments exist, but not all are illustrated, in Figure 1 (likewise, Figures 3 and 4) for the three different connection points for the inner end 63 of the upper struts so as to be on member 30, on member 56, or on both members in actual coincidence with the lift axis 35.

Although the rippers, here shown variously in raised-carry and intermediate ground contact positions, appear as three shank and two shank rippers throughout, it is evident my invention applies equally to N-shank rippers, including five-shank and obviously single shank rippers. Choices among the variations above will depend upon indi/idual preference.

The actuators described are remotely actuated by the driver, from the seat of the tractor, by means of hand valves, not shown, and a conventional hydraulic system with separate connections for pitch and depth control. The pitch actuators in ordinary way have coordinated operation characterized by foreshortenable movement to the same shortness in unison, extensible movement to the same length in unison, and immobility hydraulically locked at the same length; the depth actuators have a similar coordinated operation with one another. The latter actuators are fully availed of by my rippe.r for the same purpose in either ripper mode, with no sacrifice irrespective of the fact that the geometry is basically and entirely different. The same thing obtains for the pitch actuator cylinders even though the unconverted and converted geometries are basically and entirely different, for two separate approaches to how ripping should be done.

All three types of upper link are herein shown to have the dual purpose whereby the rear end remains pivoted, and shifting is done at the front end which is simply pivotally re-connected high or low to change ripper modes. It is evident each type of upper link is freely replaceable by an interchangeable or substitute link of the same basic type, or else by a different type to change from or to some illustrated link, for example, the one made rigidly to fixed length.

Claims

Variations within the spirit and scope of the invention described are equally comprehended by the foregoing description.

What is claimed is: 1. A vibrating ripper assembly to swingably suspend ripper teeth shanks from vertical support plate means (31) carried by, and across the rear of, a tractor (10) , and provided with spaced apart attachment members for attachment to the vertical support plate means on the tractor (12) , and with a multi-bar radial ripper linkage hydraulically effective for depth adjustment .and including lower link members pivoted to the respective attachment members to mutually define a fixed lift axis (35) for the radial ripper linkage, said linkage having at least one long upper link effectively fixed to swing, at a relative free end thereof, about another end of the link fixed on a swing connection (32b) on at least one of said members and at least close to coincidence with said lift axis, and effective with said members to constrainedly guide a correspondingly swinging carrying end of the radial ripper linkage for carrying the ripper teeth shanks (20) , characterized by the improvement wherein said radial ripper linkage long upper link (54) includes, as a link section therein: an elastically compressible section (60) of substantial length in said long upper link (54) to afford vibrating ripping while guiding, relatively adjusting in the radial ripper linkage long link to substantial external pitch changes from horizontal vibratory ripper tooth action and from impact reaction of the teeth.

2. A vibrating ripper assembly to swingably suspend ripper teeth shanks from vertical, support plate means (31) carried by, and across the rear of, a tractor (10), and provided with spaced apart attachment members (30) for attachment to the vertical support plate means on the tractor, and with a multi-bar radial ripper linkage hydrauliccilly effective for pitch adjustment, and for depth adjustment about a lift axis (35) defined by a pivot between the attachment members and the relatively fixed ends of respective lower link members (56) of the multi-bar radial ripper linkage, said assembly having at least one upper link (154) effectively fixed to swing, at a relatively free end thereof, about another end of the link fixed on a swing connscticn (32b) on at least one of said mutually-pivoted attachment and lower link members and at least close to coincidence with said lift axis defined by the pivot of the latter, and effective with said members to constrainedly guide a correspondingly swinging, carrying end of the multi- bar radial ripper linkage for carrying the ripper teeth shanks, characterized by the improvement wherein the upper link (154) includes, as link sections therein: a pitch actuator cylinder section (82) for pitch- change action while guiding so as to internally adjust the pitch of the radial ripper linkage, and a series-connected elastically compressible section (60) to afford vibrating ripping while guiding, readily adjusting to external pitch changes in the radial ripper linkage from vibratory ripper tooth action.

3. A ripper assembly to swingably suspend ripper teeth shanks from vertical support plate means (31) carried by, and across the rear of, a tractor (10) , and provided with attachment means for attachment to the vertical support plate means of the tractor, and with, as primarily intended, quadrilateral linkage means (27a) effective for depth adjustment, and having at least one pair of upper and lower links (54,56) fixed at an inner end, to swing thereabout, with the relatively free end of each, so as to establish vertically spaced swing connections (40, 42) to, and to constrainedly guide, an outer, correspondingly swinging, vertical third link carrier (26a) in the quadrilateral linkage means for carrying the ripper teeth shanks, said lov/er link (56) fixed at the inner end to the attachment means on a third swing connection (34), characterized by an improvement to render ripper linkage systems convertible as desired comprising: a pivot connection for the upper link providing a first connection (32a) of the inner end thereof to the attachment means at a point vertically spaced apart from the third swing connection to establish a substantially parallelogram ripper linkage (27a) primarily intended; and an interconnection for the upper link of the pair providing a second connection (32b) therefor between the pair of links at their inner end to convert to a radial ripper linkage (27b) as desired.

4. The invention according to Claim 3 , further characterized in that the adjustable depth assembly has: depth setting means (46) secured to the attachment means and connected to the linkage means to raise and lower same equally effectively before (27a) conversion to radial ripper linkage and therefollowing (27b) .

5. The invention according to Claim 3 characterized wherein the upper link includes, as link sections therein: a pitch actuator cylinder section (82) for pitch change action while guiding so as to internally adjust the pitch of the linkage means, and an elastically compressible section (60) to afford vibrating ripping while guiding, readily foreshortenably and extensibly adjusting to external pitch changes from vibratory ripper tooth action.

6. The invention of Claim 5 wherein the upper link (154) is characterized by including, as a further link section thereof: a lost motion section (61) connected in the upper link in parallel with the elastically compressible section (60) and, together therewith, connected in series with the pitch actuator cylinder section (82) and arranged so that, followirg any foreshortening motion (62a) of the lost motion section in the upper link as afforded by the elastically compressible section (60) therein, the lost motion section will discontinue subsequent re-extension as soon on the retake as it (62) takes up the lost motion.

7. A vibrating ripper assembly to swingably suspend ripper teeth shanks from vertical support plate means (31) carried by, and across the rear of, a tractor (10) , and provided with an attachment member (30) for attachment to the vertical support plate means on the tractor, and with a multi-bar radial ripper linkage effective for depth adjustment having a pair of bars comprising a lower link member (56) and an upper link (54) fixed at the inner end, to swing thereabout, with the relatively free end of each, so as to establish vertically spaced swing connections (40,42) to, and to constrainedly guide, an outer, corres- pondingly swinging, vertical third link carrier (26a) in the radial ripper linkage for carrying the ripper teeth shanks, said lower link member (56) fixed at its inner end aforesaid to the attachment member (30) on a third swing connection defining a lift axis (35) for the radial ripper linkage (27b) , said upper link (54) effectively fixed on a swing connection (32b) on at least one of said members (30,56) and at least close to coincidence with said lift axis (35) , said upper link including, as a link section therein, an elastically compressible section (60) to afford vibrating ripping while guiding, readily adjusting to external pitch changes from hori zontal vibratory ripper tooth action.

8. A vibrating ripper assembly to swingably suspend ripper teeth shanks from vertical support plate means (31) carried by, and across the rear of, a tractor (10) , and. provided with attachment means for attachment to the vertical support plate means of the tractor and with, as primarily intended, quadrilateral linkage means (27a) effective for depth adjustment, and having at least one pair of upper and lower links (54,56) fixed at the inner end, to swing thereabout, with the relatively free end of each, so as to establish spaced upper and lower swing connections (40,42) to, and to constrainedly guide, an outer, correspondingly swinging, vertical third link carrier beam (26a) in the quadrilateral linkage means for carrying the ripper teeth shanks, said lower link (56) fixed at its inner end aforesaid to the attachment means on a third swing connection (34) , characterized by an improvement to render vibrating ripper linkage systems convertible as desired, wherein the upper link has: an elastically compressible section (60) in the upper link; a pivot connection for the upper link providing a first connection (32a) of the inner end thereof to the attachment means at a point vertically spaced apart from the third swing connection (34) for substantially parallelogram linkage ripping whereby ripping oscillations, about the lower sv/ing connection (42) acting as node point (44) to vibrations caused by horizontal tooth action, are reacted to by the ccnpressible elastic section (60) as it affords in the parallelogram ripper linkage a resulting foreshortening and re-extension of the upper link thereof; and an interconnection for the upper link of the pair providing a second connection (32b) therefor between the pair of links at their inner end whereby to convert from parallelogram to a radial ripper linkage as desired and yet whereby ripping oscillations, about the lower swing connection (42) acting as node point (44) to vibrations caused by horizontal tooth action, are similarly reacted to by the compressible elastic section (60) as it affords in the radial ripper linkage a resulting foreshortening and reextension of the upper link thereof.

9. The invention of Claim 8, further characterized in that the assembly has: a generally diagonally disposed depth adjustment cylinder (46) secured to the attachment means and having a pivot clevis connection (50) to the vertical third link carrier beam so as to fix the pitch line of the latter as a joint coaxis therewith and with the lower swing connection (42).

10. The invention of Claim 9, characterized in that the upper link further includes therein: a pitch cylinder section (82) enabling the upper link to render the upper swing connection the pitching axis (41) connection whereat the pitch cylinder section (82) is effective to internally adjust pitch about the pitch line, the location of the node point, pitch line, and pivot clevis connection (50) so as to be on a coincident axis (44) insuring that adjustment in depth will not change the pitch adjustment or angularity of the tooth vibrations, and that adjustment of pitch or vibrational movement will not change the depth adjustment.

11. A vibrating ripper assembly to swingably suspend ripper teeth shanks from vertical support plate means (31) carried by, and across the rear of, a tractor (10) , and provided with attachment means for attachment to the vertical support plate means of the tractor and with, as primarily intended, quadrilateral linkage means (27a) effective for depth adjustment, and having at least one pair of upper and lower links (54,56) fixed at the inner end, to swing thereabout, with the relatively free end of each, so as to establish respective upper and lower swing connections (40, 42) to, and to constrainedly guide, an outer, correspondingly swinging, vertical third link carrier (26a) in the quadrilateral linkage means for carrying the ripper teeth shanks, said lower link fixed at its inner end aforesaid to the attachment means on a third sv/ing connection (34) , characterized by an improvement to render vibrating ripper. linkage systems convertible as desired, wherein the upper link has: a pitch actuator cylinder section (82) and a series-connected elastically compressible section (60) in the upper link; a pivot connection for the upper link providing a first connection (32a) of said inner end thereof to the attachment means at a point vertically spaced apart from the third swing connection (34) , the upper link pivoted to said upper swing connection (40) rendering the same the pitching axis (41) connection whereat the pitch actuator cylinder section (82) is effective to internally adjust pitch of the resulting substantially parallelogram ripper linkage and angle of tooth action about the pitch axis (44) lower swing connection (42) , and in like manner rendering said upper swing connection the pitching axis (41) connection whereat the series-connected elastically compressible section (60) is effective to yieldably adjust to external pitch changes from horizontal vibratory tooth action about the pitch axis (44) lower swing connection (42); and an interconnection for said upper link of the pair providing a second connection (32b) therefor between the pair of links (54,56) at their inner end, the upper link pivoted to said upper swing connection (40) rendering the same the pitching axis (41) connection whereat the pitch actuator cylinder section (82) is effective to internally adjust pitch of the resulting radial ripper linkage and angle of tooth action about the resulting pitch axis (44) lower -swing connection (42) , and in like manner rendering said upper swing connection the pitching axis (41) connection whereat the series-connected elastically compressible section (60) is effective to yieldably adjust to external pitch changes from horizontal vibratory tooth action about the pitch axis (44) lower swing connection (42) .

12. In a ripper linkage system having a pair of link members for the conversion thereof between parallelogram (27a) and radial (27b) modes, and otherwise having all members (30, 56, 38) the same and with the same placement and connections common to both modes, the latter members defining at the front upper tower connections (32a) and rear pitching axis (41) connections (40) disposed one each at each of the sides of the linkage system and longitudinally aligned in spaced apart relation from one another at each side, anl further defining a draft link connection (32b) adjacent a draft link lift axis (35) fixed in the base of each of the towers (30) , the improved method of the selective: step of providing a pair of converting links serving as upper links of resulting quadrilateral linkwσrks at the sides of the linkage system, so that one link is disposed between and connected to the upper tower and rear pitching axis connections at each of the sides to form in total a substantially parallelogram ripper linkage system; and optionally the step of providing a pair of converting links serving as upper links in the resulting linkworks at the sides of the linkage system, so that one link is disposed between and connected to the draft link and rear pitching axis connections at each, side to form a radial ripper linkage system.

13. The invention of Claim 12 wherein the converting links are the same pair of upper links for both steps, simply reconnected to change modes.

14. The invention of Claim 12 , wherein the links of at least one pair of converting links are substitutable as upper links for the other pair and are made rigidly to fixed length.