Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~ liS inven-tion rel.-ltes to soil cultivatlng implements of the kind
which comprise a .Erame that is at least partly supported by ground whoels
during operation of the implelnen~ and which also comprises at Least one group
of soil working or cultivating members that are rotatable about upwardly ex-
tend.ing axes, said group being carried by the frame in a row *hat extends in
a direction which ls transverse to the intended direction of operative travel
of the implement.
According to one aspect of the invention, there i5 provided a soil
cultivating implement comprising a rame and a group of rotatable soil working
10 members journalled in an elongated central portion of said frame, an elongated ~-
outer portion pivoted at each lateral side of said central portion and
respective further groups of rotatable soil working members being journalled .
in the outer portions, said soil working members and urther soil working :
members being rotatable about corresponding upwardly extending axes defined
by respective shafts and said shats being positioned in a row that extends
transverse to the direction of travel, driving means engaging said soil
working members and further members, two beams of said frame extending in the
general direction of travel and said beams having rear portions that extend `.~
substantially parallel to one another and forward convergent portions that .
comprise coupling means, said rear portions being connected to the central
frame portion and positioned above same, each outer portion being pivoted to - . :
the rear beam portions with spaced apart pivots~ the axes of said pivots
extendlng in the direction of travel and said outer portion being pivotable
to an upward tilted transport position about said axes, respective supports
connected to the outer frame portions intermediate the lengths thereof, each
support extending forwardly to a pivot connection with the remainder of said
frame and said connection having a pivot axis in lir,e with said first mentioned
pivot axes, said supports being displaceable with the outer rame portions in
' the latter's transport position, said rear beam portions being supported on
30 ground wheels, said ground wheels being adj~stably connected to the rear
portions and vertically displaceable relative to those portions~ whereby the ;~
central and outer portions can be raised to an inoperative transport position.
`J~3~
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided
a soil cultivating implement comprising a frame and a group of rotatable
soil working members journalled in an elongated central portion of said
frame, an elongated outer portion pivoted at each lateral slde of sald
central portion and respective further groups of rotatable soil working
members being journalled in the outer portions, said soil working members
and further soil working members being rotatable about corresponding
upwardly extending axes defined by respective shafts and said shafts being
positioned in a row that extends transverse to the direction of travel,
driving means engaging said soil working members and further members,
two beams of said frame extending in ~he general direction of travel and :
said beams having rear portions that extend substantially parallel to
one another and orward convergent portions that comprise coupling means,
said rear portions being connected to the central frame portion and positioned
above same, each outer portion being pivoted to the rear beam portions with ~ .
spaced apart pivots, the axes of said pivots extending in the direction of
travel and said outer portion being pivotable to an upward tilted transport
position about said axes, respeotive supports connected to the outer frame
portions intermediate the lengths thereof, ea¢h support extending forwardly
to a pivot connection with the remainder of said frame and said connection
having a pivot axis in line with said first mentioned pivot axis, said ~:.
driving means comprising a gear box on said central portion and a ~ :
corresponding transmission shaft that extends from said box, laterally
to respective gear means of each further group of soil working members,
said transmission shaft being displaceable upwardly with the corresponding
outer portion in the lat~er's transport position.
For a better understanding of the invention, and to show how the
: same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of
example, to the accompanying drawingsJ in which:-
Figure 1 is a plan view of a soil cultivating implement in
accordance with the invention connected to the rear of an agricultural
tractor, a seed drill being provided at the rear of the implement,
_ 2a -
Figure 2 is a side elevation as seen in the dlrection indicated
by an arrow II in Figure 1, an operative position of the implement being
.illustrated in full lines and an inoperative transport posit.ion thereof in
broken lines,
Figure 3 is a partial front elevation of the i.mplement
. ~
'~ ,,' ~`' :'
: ',`. '' "~
` ,'' '~; : ,
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:
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,:
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... . . . . .. ..
to an enlarged scale as compared with ~i~ures 1 and 2,
~ igure 4 is a plan view as seen i:n -the direction in
dicated by an arrow IV in :~igure 3,
Figure 5 .is a section taken on the 1.lne V~V in Fl~ure
4,
Figure 6 is A diagrammatic plan view of an alternative
form of soil cultivating implement ln accorda~ce with the
invention connected to the rear of ar~ agricultural tractor,
a seed drill again being provided at the rear of` the imple-
me~t,
Figure 7 is a section, to an enlarged scale, taken on ~
the line VII-~II in Figure 6, ~ .
Figure 8 is a plan view as seen in the directlon indi-
cated by an arrow VIII in Fiæure 7,
~ i~ure 9 is a section taken on the line IX-IX ln Fig-
ure 6,
Figure 10 is a diagrammatic plan view of a further
alternative embodiment of a soll cultiv~ti~g implement in
accordance with the invention, connected to the rear of an
agricultural tractor, no seed drill being provided,
~ igure 11 is a section, to an enlarged scale, taken
on the line XI-XI in ~igure 10,
Figure 12 is a plan view as seen in the direction
indicated b~ an arrow XII in ~igu.re 11, and
Figure 13 is a section, to an enlarged scale, taken
on the line XIII-XIII in ~igure 10
Referring to ~igures 1 to 5 of the accompan~ing draw-
ings, the soil cultivating implement -tha~ is illustrated
therein is in the form of a rotar~ harrow which comprises
:
~.
,..
a frame having two beams 1 and 2 ma~or portions 4 of which
are :Eorwardl~ convergent with respect to the intended direc-
tion of operativ0 travel of the implement which is indicated
throughout the drawings b~ the reference AI ~he ~rame beams
1 and 2 are substantially horizontal.ly disposed and include
rear portions 3 that are in substant:iall~ parallel relatlon-
shlp with one another and with the d:irection A. ~he leading
ends of the ma~or portions ~ of the beam~ 1 and 2, which por~
tions are both straight, are interco~nected at their ~unction
point by a fork 5 whose two limbs are substantiall~ horizontal- :
ly disposed~ in vertically spaced apart relationship, so as to
project forwardl~ from the beams 1 and 2 with respect to the
direction A. A substantially horizontal beam 6 perpendicular~
ly interconnects the rear portions 3 of the beams 1 and 2 close
to the rearmo.~it ends of said portions 3. A hollow box-shaped
frame portion 7 is connected to the lower surfaces of the two
frame beams 3 so as to ex~end substantially parallel to the
frame beam 6 at a location which is a short dista~ce in advanoe
of that beam 6 with respect to the direction A~ The connec- .:
tion between the hollow frame portion 7 and the portions 3
of the two beams 1 and 2 is effected by upri~ht substantial-
` ~:
l~ tria~gular plates 8 that are fastened to the top o~ the ;~
hollow frame portion 7 at Pour locations whi.ch are close to
the front and rear of the frame portion 7 with respect to ~:
the direction A a~d close to the opposite ends of that frame
portio~. ~he rear substantially parallel portions 3 of the
,~
two frame beams 1 and 2 are provided, at locatious that are
respectivel~ i~ front of~ and behi~d, the corresponding plates
8~ with four obliquely upwardl~ and outwardl~ inclined arms
1: . ,:
.~ _ 4 _
" ' ,~'
9, ~he upper and outer ends of the four arms 9 being pivotal-
ly con~ected to ~our corresponding vertical plate~ y four
pivot pins 10 whlch areal.lgned, ln two pairs, so as to define
two p~rallel axes that are both subst~ntlal~ parallel to the
direction A and that pass above the hollow frame portion 7
quite clo3e to the opposite ends of the latter.
~ he four plates 11 are arranged i~ two pairs and each
pair is secured to a corre~ponding one of two hollow box-
shaped frame portions 12 that are both of similar co~struction
to the hollow frame portion 7 and that, whe~ the implement i3
in use, have their longitudinal axes in more or less coincident
relatio~ship with the longitudinal axis of the central hollow
frame portion 7 and in porpendicular, or substantially per~
pendicular, relationship with the direction A. ~he two hol- :
low frame portions 12 are, of course, tur~able upwardly and
downwardly about the axes defined by the corresponding pairs ..
of pivot pins 10 relative to the central frame.portion 7. Each ~.
pair of plates 11 lS provided, very close the tha tops of those
plates, with transverse piece~ 13 that pro~ect towards one ano~
ther from the plates 11 concerned in perpeDdicular relation-
ship with the planes of those plates. Upright plates 14 are
mounted at the six ends of the three hollow ~r~me portions 7
and 12 and supports 15, which serve as tie ~eams, extend bet-- :
ween each pair of transverse pieces 13 an~ the uprigh-t plate
14 which is at the outermost e~d of the same hollow ~rame
portion 12 a~ that which is pro~ided with the plates 11 that
ca.rry said tra~erse piece~ 13~ ~here is a total of four of
-:
the supports 15 and it will be seen ~rom the arawi.n~s that they
are arranged in correspo~ding pairs that are gentl~ co~vergent
'
~ - 5 ~
.
from the -transverse pieces 13 to the respective uprigh-t plates
1~. Moreover, when th~ impleme.nt is disposed in its operative
position, each pair of supports 15 i9 i~lclined do1~nwardl~ at a
small an~le to the h~rizontal ~rom the co:rrespondi.ng transver~e
pieces 13 to the corresponding upright plate 14~ Each hollow
frame portion 12 is providad, at a locatlon which is approxi~
mately one-quarter of the way along that portion 12 -towards
the central frame portion 7 from t:he outermost end thereof,
with a vertical plate 16 (Figure 1), each plate 16 extending ~
rigidly betwe~n the top o~ the frame portion 12 concerned and
the lower surfaces of the two overlylng supports 15. ~he fro~ts
of the two vertical plates 16 with respect to the direction
are both secured to the rear ends of corresponding ~orwardly
convergent tubular supports 17 whose leading ends carry cor-
responding substantially horizontal sleeve bearings 18. ~he :~.
sleeve bearings 18 at the leading ends of the tubular supports ; ~.
17 with respect to the direction A are considerably closer to
an imaginar~ vertical plane of substantial, but not exact,
s~mmetry of the implement which extends parallel to the direc-
tion A than are the vertical plates 16 at the rearmost ends o~
said tubular supports 17. A horizontal beam 21 is detachabl~ ~;
secured to the tops of the convergent portions 4 of the two
frame beams 1 and 2 so as to extend perpendicular to the ;~
direction A and so as to project for equal distances from ~he
opposite side of the imaginary vertical plane of substantial
symmetry of the implement that has just been referred to. Ihe
opposite e~ds of ~he beam 21 oarry corresponding forks 20
whose vertically disposed limbs are spaced apart ~rom one
,, :
a~other in the direction A and each fork 20has a corresponding ~:
,:
- 6 -
~' .
,`
one o~ th~ two sleeve `bearings 18 tu:rnab:ly moun-ted between
its limbs by n correspo:rldln~ ho.cizontal pivot p:ln 19 wh.ose
axis is co:incid.ent with that defi.ned b-~ one pa~r of the four
pivot pins ~lO tha-t is located behind it :relative -to the direc-
tion A. 'rhus, the pins ~lO at -the i~mer ends of the outer
pivotably bounted hollow fra-me portions 12 and -the corres~
ponding pivot pins 19 are located one behind the other with
respect to the direction A. It will be noted that the
horizontal beam 21 is located substantiall~ midway between
the opposite ends of the convergent portlons 4 of the frame
beams 1 and 2.
Stub shaf-ts 22 that are horizontally aligned in a
direction that is perpendicular to the d~recti.on .A are
turnably mounted in bearin~s bolted -to the lower surfaces
of the rear subs-tantially parallel portions 3 o.f the two
beams 1 and 2 at locations which are immediatel~ behind the
frame beam 6 with respect to the direction A (see particularly . :
~igures 4 and 5 of the drawings). The alig~ed stub shafts 22
project towa~ds one another from their bearings and their
inner ends are secured to corresponding arms 23 which proaect
upwardl~ and rearwardly therefrom with respect to the direction
A. Ihe rear ends of the two arms 23 are secured -to a strip~
shaped beam 24 which serves as an axle beam ~or the rotar~
mountings of two ground wheels 25 whose axes o~ rotation are
substantiall~ horizorltally coincident in a direction that is
substantially perpendicular to the direction A. As can be
seen in outline in Figure 1 o:~ the drawings, -the rotary
mountings of the two ground wheels 25 are adjustable towards
and away from one another along opposite end regions of the
beam 24 so that the distance between said ~round wheels 25
and/or the positions thereof relative to the path of travel
of the whole implement ca~ be ad~usted to facili-tate U50 of`
the implement in various row cultures. ~ach stub shaft 22 is
provided, between its bearing and the correspondin~ arm 2~
with an upwardl~ and forwardly inclined arm 26 whose upper
end is pivotally connected to the free end of the piston rod
of a corresponding hydraulic piston and cylinder assembl~ 27.
~ach of the two assemblies 27 extends substantially parallel
to the directior. A and has the leading base end of its
cylinder pivotally connected to a correspondin~ arm 28 that
projects upwardl~ from the portion 3 of the frame beam 1 or
2 concerned, the lower ends of the arms 28 being turnable
relative to said beam portions 3 about an axis that is sub-
stantiall~ horizontally parallel to the frame beam 6. ~he
upper end of each pivotably mounted arm 28 is connec-ted, at
a level above that of the corresponding assembly 27, to the
top of a corresponding upright arm 29 by a helical tension
spri~g 28A that is substantially~ although not exactly,
parallel to the direction A. ~he two upright arms 29 are
rigidly secured to the frame beam 6 at locations close to
the opposite ends of that frame beam. ~wo pairs of lugs ~O
project rearwardl~ from the back of the frame beam 6 at - `
positions which are spaced only short distances inwardly
from the opposite ends of said frame beam and these serve
for the connection to the implement of a seed drill 59 or
other tool or implement i~ a manner ~hat will be further des-
cribed below. ~he two pairs of lug9 3O are spaced at e~ual
distances from -the midpoint of the beam 6
-- 8 --
. ~ . . . ~ .. . .
Each of the three hol~ow frame portions 7 and 12 has
a plurality of corresponding substRntially vert:ical or at
least upwardly e~tending shafts 31 rotata~ly mounted -therein
i~ a single row, the longitudlnal a~es of the sha~ts 31
being spaced apar-t from one another at regular distances
which preferably~ but not essentially, have magnitudes of
substantially 25 centimetres. In the embodiment which is
being descrî~ed~ theIe are twelve of the shafts 31 in respect
of each of the three hollow frame portions 7 and 12. 'llhe ` ;
shafts 31 are rotatably ~ournalled in bearin~s carried by
upper and lower walls of the hollow frame portlon~ 7 and 12
and each shaft 31 pro~ec-ts from beneath the bottom of the
corresponding frame portion. ~he lowermost end of the
downwardly projecting portion of each shaft 31 is secured
to the midpoint of a corresponding horizon-tal or substan-
tially horizontal tine support 32, said tine support 32 havin~
sleeve-like holders at its opposite ends in which fastening
portions of two corresponding rigid and downwardly extending
tines 33 are firmly but releasabl~ secured in a manner which
it is not necessary to desc~ibe for the purpases of the
presen~ invention. ~ach pair of tines 33 constitutes, to-
gether with the corresponding support ~2 and its tine holders,
a rotary soil working or cultivating member 35. Each of the
shafts 31 is provided, inside the corresponding hollow frame
portion 7 or 12, with a straight-toothed or spur-too-thed
pinio~ 34, the pinions ~4 being so arranged that each one of
them has its teeth in mesh with those of its neighbour, or
both of its neighbours, in the single row thereof that
corresponds to the hollow fr~me portion 7 or 12 concerned.
... . . . . . . .. . ... .
e~
In each of the two outer hollow frame porti.ons 12, one
o~ the centre pair of shafts 31 has cm upward axtensi.on
through the top of said frame portion into a gear box 36 that
is bolted onto the top of that frame portion. Bevel pinions
(not visible in the drawings) located inside each gear
box 36 place the upward extension of the corresponding shaft
31 in driven connection with a substantially horiæontal
shaft (not visible) that extends parallel to the length o~
the frame portion 12 concerned and thus substantially per- :
pendicular to the direction A. One end of the subs-tantially
horizonbal shaft that has just been referred to projects
into a change-speed gear 37 together with one end of a cor-
responding overl~ing and parallel rotary input shaf-t 38 of
the gear box 36. It is not necessary to describe the change-
speed gears 37 in detail for the purpo~es of the present
inven-tion but it should be noted that, in each change-speed
gear 37, the ends of the corresponding two substantiall~
hori30ntal shafts are splined or otherwise ke~ed to receive
the hubs o~ pairs of interchangeable and/or exchangeable
straight-toothed or spur-toothed pinionsO ~he transmission .
ratio between the input shaft 38 of the gear box 36 and the
u~derlyinæ row of shafts 31 will depend upon the pinion
arrangeme~t selected in the corresponding change-speed gear
37 and this arrangement thus governs the speed of rotation
of the soil working or cultivati~g members 35 that are driven
from each gear box 36 during the operation o~ the implement.
The two gear boxes 36 and their rotary input shafts 38 are
arranged substantiall~ symmetricall~ at the opposite side
of the imaginary vertical plane of substantial s~mmetry
- 10 -
of the implement that ~-tend.s parallel to -the (I.irection A
an~ each input shaft 38 is coupled by a co.rre~3pond1ng uni-
versal ~oin-t 39 to o~e e:nd of a corresponding tel.escopic
transmission sha:ft 40. ~rhe -telescapic transmission sh~fts
40 extend from the unlversal ,loi.n-ts 39 towards -tne opposite
sides of a gear box 42 that is mounteld on top of -the central
frame portion 7 and in-to which projects an upward exter.sion
of one of the central pair of shaf-ts 31 that corresponds to
said frame porti.on 7. 'l~e gea~ 'box 42 is thus mou~ted ~ust
to one side of the vertlcal plane of substantial sy~netry
of the implement that extends parallel to the diL~ection A.
r~he central gear box 42 has a rotary input shaf't 43 that
projects from the front thereof in substantiall~ the dir-
ection A, the p-rojecting end of said s'haft 43 'being splined
or otherwise keyed to enable it to be driven in -the manner
that will be described below. ~wo rotary output shafts 41
project from opposite sides of the central gear box 42 and
are hori~ontally aligned in a direction parallel to the
len~th of the hollow frame portion 7 and t'hus in a diraction
that is substantiall~ perpendicular to the direction A.
~he in~ut shaft 43 of the gear box 42 directl~ drives the
two output shafts 41 by wag of co-operating bevel pinions :-
(not visible) that are contained in-,ide the gear box 42 - :.
~d said shafts 41 are drivingly connected, in turn, to the
inner ends of the two tel.escopic transmissi.on shafts 40 b-g
wa~ of correspondlng universal joints 40A~ rrhe rear of the
central gear box 42 with respect to the direction .A carries :~
a change-speed gear 44 and the rearmost end of the rotary
input shaft 43 proaec~s in-to said change-speed gear 44,
- '11 - '
together with the rearmost end of an unclerlying ~nd parallel
shaft that is not vi.sible i~ the drawi.ngs, the l.at-te-r non-
illustra-ted shaft being driviIlgly connected by bevel. pi.nions
to the aforementioned upward extensiorl o:E one of -the centre
pair of shafts 31 that corresponds to the hollow ~'rame
portion 7. The ends of the two shafts that project rearwardLy
into the change-speed gear 44 are both splined and are ar-
ranged to receive chosen ~airs of interschangeable and/or
exchangeable pinions in -the same manner as has a:Lread-~ been
briefly explained in relation to the two change-speed gears 37.
The forwardl~ projecting splined or otherw:ise ~eyed
end o~ the rotar~ input shaft 43 of the gear box 42 is driven
from the rear end of a telescopic transmission shaft 46
through the intermediary of a universal joint 45, the lead-
ing end of said shaft 46 being, in turn, driven from the
rear end of a short rotar~ shaft 47 by a further universal
joint 47A. As can be seen in the drawings, the short rotar~
shaft 47 exte~ds substan-tially horizontall~ parallel to the
di.rection A and is rotatably journalled in a horizontal bear-
ing 48 that is mounted on top of the beam 21 midway between
the convergent portions 4 of the -two frame beams 1 and 2.
When the implement is in use, the leading splined or other-
wise keyed end of the shaft 47 iS placed in driven connection
with the power take-off shaft at the rear of an agri.cultural
tractor or other operating vehicle through the intermediary
of a further telescopic transmission shaft 4~A having u~i-
versal joints at its opposite ends. ~he leading plate 11 of
the pair of those plates that corresponds -to one of the
hollow fr~e portions ~l~ has the free end of the pi.ston of
~ 12 -
.
a double-acting pis-ton a:nd cyli.nder assembl~ 49 pivot~lly
connected. to subst~mtially i.ts uppermost point. ~rhe b~.lse of'
th~ cylindeL~ of the same us,sembl.y 4'3 is pi.votally c.onnected
to one end of a strip 50 that extends subst~nti.ially .hor.izon-
tally pel.pendicul.ar to the di.rection A on top of a horizon~al
base portion of a bracket 51, the limbs of said bracket 5'1
dlve.rging~ steeply downwardl~ away fro~ its base and having
their free ends rigidl.y secured to the rear substantially
parallel portions 3 of the two frame be~ns 1 and 2. A seco~d
substantiall~ symmetri.call~ arranged double-acting pls-ton
and cylinder assembly 49 pivotall~ interconnects the opposite
end of the ~rip ~0 and subs-tanti.ally the top oE the leading
plate 11 that corresponds to the other of the two hollow
frame portions 12.
~ ach of the six upri~ht plates 14 at the opposite
ends oE the three hollow frama portions 7 and 12 has a cor-
responding arm 52 arranged alongside i.t, the two arms 52
that correspond to each o:E the three hollow frame portions
7 and 12 bei~g turnable upwardly and downwardly relative to
the plates 14 carried by that f'rame portion ~bout substan~
tially horizontally aligned strong pivots that are disposed :~
at the fronts of said plates 14 with respect to the direction
A (see particularly Figure 5). ~ach plate 14 is formed~ near
its rearmost edge, with a cur~ed row of holes that are
equidistant from the axis defined b~ the corresponding pair
of strong pivots and each arm 52 i5 formed with a single
hole that is at the same distance from said axis and which
can thus be brought into register with any chosen one o.~ the
holes i~ the immediatel~ adjacent plate 1'~ by turning that
- ~3 ~
arm 5~ to an a~propri.ate angula* posl-t:i.on about the corres--
ponding strong ,pivot. Ho~izontal bolts 54, or ec,~uiva~ent
horiæontal locking pins, are provided for ent:ly through ~e
holes in the arms 52 and the sel.ected holes in the plates 14.
A rotatable supporting mem'ber in the form o~ an open ground
roller 53 is rotatabl.y mounted between rea.rmost downwardl-y
directed portions of each pair of arms 52 and it will be seer
that the particular angu].ar positions of the arms 52 relati~e
to the corresponding frame portions 7 and 12 that are fixed
by the bolts 54 or equivalent locking pins dicta-te the levels
of the substantially horizontal axes of rotation of the
three rollers 53 relati~e to those of the corresponding hollow
frame portions 7 and 12 and t'hus the maximum depths of pene-
tration of the tines ~3 into the soil that are possible
during the operation of the implement. Two substantially
vertical shield plates 55 that both extend substantiall~
parallel to the direction A are located immediately beyor~d
those two ends of the outer hollow frame portions 12 that
are furthest remo-te from one another~ said shield plates 55
being shaped so that lower edge regions thereof wil:L slide
over the ground surface in the d.irection A (~ee Fi.gure 2) ~:
and being arranged ~o that the plates will b~ able to turn
upwardl~ a~d downwardly to match undula-tions in the surface ~'
of the soil that they ma~ meet with during t'he operation of
the implement. To this latter end, each shield plate 55
is pivotall~ connected by a corresponding pair of` arms 5
(~igure 1) to ~ pair o~ molmtings on the top of the cor-
responding hollow frame portion 12, the pivotal connections ,~
being such as to define substantially horizontal axes that
- ~4 -
:
~g~
are ~ub~tan-t;ally parallel to the direction A~
In the use of the soil cultiv~-t:Ln~ imple~ent t;hat ha~,
been described~ the ~ork 5 is connect;ed to a tow bar at the
rear of an agricultural tractor or o-t;her operating vehicle
and the hydraulic piston and c~linder assemblies 27 arld 49
are placed in operative co~nection wlth the h~draulic
s~stem of the same tractor or other vehlcle by way of ducts
that are not illustrated in the accompan~ing drawing~. ~he
leading end of the telescopic tra~smission shaft 1~8A ls
placed in driven connec-tion with the rear power take-o~f
shaft of the same tractor or other operating vehicle ~y wa~
of a universal joint which is not visible in the drawings
so that the rotary soil working or cultivating members 35
that correspond to the three hollow frame portions 7 and 12
ma~ be driven from said tractor or other operating vehicle
by wa~ of the previously described transmission. Be~ore
work commences, the maximum depths to which the tines 33 of
the members 35 can penetrate into the soil are set by bring-
ing the axes of rotation of the three rollers 53 to appro-
priate levels relative to the three hollow fr~me portions 7
and 12 by entering the bolts 54 or equivalen-t locking pins
through appropriate holes in the uprigh-t end platss ~4 of
said frame portlons 7 and 12. Moreover~ ths pistons of the
hydraulic assemblies 27 are set in positions of extension
relative to their cylinders which will maintain the common
a~is o~ rctation of the two ground wheels 25 at a desired
level relati~e to th~t o~ the central hollow frame portion 7.
It will be noted that, in this connection, the two pivotably
mountsd arms 28 can bear against stops 57 which are carried
- 15 -
.
6~ ~
b~ -the rear substanti.al1y parallel portions 3 of th~ kwo
frame beams 1 and 2 at l.ocations which are ~ust .in .front of
said arms ~8. Before a ~,-ul.-tivating operatio.n ac-tual.ly
commences, the adju~t;ements that will. be made W.Lll inclu.de
atterltion to the three chan~e-speed gear3 37 c~ld ~ -to
ensure tha-t the three groups of rotar~ soil working or
cultivating mem~ers 35 will revolve at a desired speed ~n
respo~se to a more or less stand.ard :input speed of rotation
that is applied to the shaft 43 of the central gear box 42.
~he speed of rotation that will be chosen for the members 35
will depend upon -the nature and condition of the soil that
is to be cultivated and the consistency which it is desired
that it should have at the end of the operation. ~he three
change~speed gears 37 and 44 will, almost invariably, be
adjusted to give the same speeds of ro-tation for all o~ the
members 35 of the thlee groups but it is noted that, under
exceptiona~ operating co~ditions 9 one of the three cnaIge-
speed gears could bé set for a speed of rctation of the cor- -
responding group of members 35 that is differen-t to the
speeds of rotation of the other two groups or all three
change-speed gea~ ~7 and 4~ could be set for di~fere~t speeds
of rotation of the corresponding, groups of members 35. Only
very rarely indeed will -the operati.ng circ~mstances make
different speeds of rotation amongst the three groups o~
members 35 d0sir~ble and, in the vast majority of operations,
all o~ the members 35 of the three groups will rotate at the
same spead.
IhLe to the intermeshing arrangement o.~ the pinions 34
i~side the three hollow frame portions 7 and 12, each pi~ion
- 16 -
I
34, and the cor~espon~ing soil working or clllti.vati.n~ members35, will, during a cultiva-ti.ng ope:ration, ro-t~te i.n the
opposite d:irecti.on -to tha-t of its immedin-te ne:i.ghbour, or -to
those of bo-th its immedia-te neigh~ou:rs, in the same group of
members 35. In the embodiment of ~igures 1 to 5 of the draw
ings which is being described~ there are three groups o~
the soil working or cultivating members 35, each group
comprising twelve of the members 35 ~o that there is a total
of thirty-six of those members that are arran~ed, at 1east
as seen in the plan view of Figure 1 of the drawlngs~ in a
single row that extends substantially perpendicular to the
direction A. Actually, the row of thirty-six members 35
will not be truly straight during the operation of the
impl0ment, except at random momentary occasions, because of
the upward and downward pivotal movements of the outer frame
portions 12 and the corresponding groups of members 35 that
will take place about the two axes that are defined ~y the
two sets of pivot pins 10 and 19 relative to the central
hollow frame portion 7. Slnce the free ends or tips of the
two tines 33 o~ each soil working or cultivatin~ member 35
are spaced apart from one ano-ther b~ a distance which is a
little in excess of the regular spacing (preferably substan-
tially 25 centimetres) between the a~es of ro-tation of` the
shafts ~1 in each group of members 35, said members work
overlapping strips of soil. during operative progress of the
implement in the direction A and a single broad strip of
worked soil results. ~he three groups oP members 35 su~stan-
tiall~ adjoin or overlap one another so that no major dis-
co~tinuities in the broad strip of worked soil are caused in
- 17
l.i.ne, in the direction A~ with the ~uIlctions between the
holl.ow frame portion 7 and the two holl.c~w frflrne portion~
12. Generally speaking, the implement; culti.vates -the soil
in such a way that the surface of the st-rip which has been
cultivated thereby is--~in;errupted th:ro~ hout :i.ts width~
The two shield plates 55 at the opposite ends of the row of
thirty-six members 35 serve to minimise ridging of the soil
at the margins of the S trip that is ~,~orked by the lmplement
a~d also co-operate wi-th the neighbouri.ng members 35 in
preventing loose stones and other potentially dangerous
items from being flung laterally of the path of travel of
the implement by the rapidl~ moving tines ~3.
With the preferred spacing between -the axes of
rotation of neighbouring shafts 31 that has been mentioned ~.
above, the implement of Figures 1 to 5 of the drawings has
an overall working width of substantially 9 metres since
each of the three groups of members 35 has a working width
of substantially three metres. These particula~ dimensions -
are not~ of couL~se, essential. Hollow frame portions and
corresponding gIoups of the members 35 ma~ be emplo~ed which
have effec-tive widths of 2.0 metres or 2.5 me-tres or widths
greater than ~.O metres, the number of members ~5 per group
being reduced or increased as requiredO If required, the
detachabl~ mounted horizontal beam 21 may be replaced by
alternative beams which are similar except for their dimensions,
such ~lternative beams, if required, being cormected to the
portions 4 of the frame beams 1 and 2 at locations that are
further to the rear, or further to the front, ~ith respect
to the direction A, than is the beam 21. Figure 4 of the
~ 18 -
~3~
drawi.n~s shows two al-ternative fasten.ing holes 51A fo:r use
with such alternative beams. 'I`wo armC, 58 have thei.r lHadi.ng
ends pivotally connected to the hori.zontal beaTrl 6 by ali~rled
pivot pins that co-operate with -t'he pairs of rearwardl~ dir-
ected lugs 30. The arms 58 form parts of, or a:re provided
for u.se with, a further agricultural implement -that i5
arranged behind the soil cul-tivating implemenk with respect
to the direction A. Figures 1 to 5 of the drawings illustrate
the provision of the seed drill 59 as the further agricultural.
implement but alternative implements can equally well co-
operate with the soil cultivati~g implement. I`he seed dri.ll ~ ~
59 which is illustrated is pivotally connected to the beam -'
6 of the soil cultivating implement by wa~ of the arms 58
and comprises a horiæontal beam 60 which, when the implement
is in use, extends su'bstantiall~ perpendicular to the direc-
tion A and which has a pluralit~, such as twelve, of' sowing
units 61 connected to it at regul~rl~ spaced intervals along ~.
its length~ The seed drill 59 is a precision seed drill whose ~'
construction and operation it is not necessar~ to describe
for the purposes of the present invention, t`he SOWillg units
61 'being units that are known ~ se.
As previously mentioned, each o~ the two groups of
twelve soil working or cultivating members 35 that corres~
ponds to the two outer hollow ~rame portions 12 can pivot
relative to the hollow c~ntral f'rame portion 7, to match ''
undulation.s in the sur~ace of the ground, by tu.r~ g upwardl~
and downwardl~ about the axis that is af~olded b~ the cor-
respondi.ng pair of' pivot pins 10 and the corresponding pivot
pin 19~ those three pivot pins being sp~ced apart ~rom one
- 19 -
,'
anotner in the dir~ction A with the pivot pin 19 foremost.~he ~lound wheels 25 are bodil~ pivotabl.e to a li.mi-ted extent
relative -to the :Fra~e of the i.mplemerlt a'bout the a~is defined
by -the substa.n-ti.ally horizon-tal stu'b s.hafts 22. The arran~emen-t
ls, in ~act, such that the tension springs 28A -tend to turn
the ~round wheels 25 bodily downwards -towards the ground
surface and oppose bodily upward displacements of sai..d wheels.
When the implement is -to be transportied from one place to
another without performlng any working operation, the pistons
o~ the double acting hydraulic piston and cyli.nder assem~lies
49 are retracted into their cylinders and this causes the two
outer hollow frame portions 12, and. the parts which they
carry, to turn upwardly about -the axes that ars defi~ed by
the pivot pins 10 and 19 until they reach the positions that
are shown in broken lines in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings.
It will readil~ b~ appreciated that this reduses the overall
width of the implement to little more than the width of the
path of t~avel of the agricultural tractor or other vehicle
which operates and tows the i.mplement~ ~n the case of the
paricular embodiment which is illustrated in Figures 1 to 5
o~ the drawings, the inoperative transport width o.f the soil
cultivating implement alone is substantially 4.0 metres. When
the outer hollow frame portio~s 12 have been tilted upwardly,
the pistons of the two assemblies 27 are extended from their
cylinders and this causes the two ground wheels 25 to be
dlsplaced bodily downwards with the result that t'he frame is
raised ralative to the ground sur~ace. ~his pOSitiOIl of tha
ground wheels 25 is shown in bro~en lines in Figure 2 of the
drawings and it will be evident from a comparison batween
:
- 20 -
.. .: : :. , : . ~. . -
that pO~3itiOIl and. the operati.ve pos:it;i.on that is ~I.so shown
in the same F~ re, but. in :full li.nec3 7 that ~he soil. working
or cultivating rnembers 35 of the cent;ral group thereof have
their ti.nes rai.sed well clear of cont;act wi-th the grou:nd
surface. ~he implement can -then be -transported by towing it
f`orward.ly in the direction A~
~ he horizontal beam 60 of the preci.sion seed drill 59
is, in fact, formed in t~.ree separate portions and it will
be seen ~rom Figure 1 of the drawin~s that the outer two of
those three portions can be turned forwardl~ through sub-
stantially 90 about the axes that are defined b~ substan-
tiall~ ver-tical hinges 62~ mis greatl~ rsduces the width
o~ the implement for i.noperative transport purposes and
brlngs it to substantially the position thereof that is shown
in broken lines in Figure 1 of the drawings, i.t being re-
membered that the outer hollow frame portions 12 o~ the soil
cultivating implement will alread~ have been tilted upwardl~ ~.
about the axes defined by tha pivot pins 10 and 19. Naturall~,
if the hollow frame portions, o.r at least the central hollow
frame portion 7, of the soil cultivatlng implement were of .
smaller width than in the embodiment tha-t has ~een described
with reference to ~igures 1 to 5 of the drawings, the overall
transport width of' that implement alone would be smaller as
would the overall transport width of a com~ination of the
soil cultivating implement with a further implement such as
a matchin~l~ dimensioned seed drill. Under such circu~stances,
the overall transport width could be 3.0 metres or less.
~ igures 6 to 9 of the drawings illustrate an alternative
soil cultivating implement in accordance with th~ invention
.
- 21 -
':
which impleme:nt comprl.ses a frame that includes two su.bstan-
tially ho.Lizontally disposed beam.s 71 and 72, said beams 71
and 72 comp~ising rsar substantiall~ parallel portions 73
and leading portions 74 that converge fo:rwardly 1.n substan-
tially the direc~ion A. All. four of t;he portions 73 and 74
are substantially straight and the two por-tions 73 are both
substantially parallel to the direc-ti.on A. ~he leading ends
of the convergent portions 74 of the beams 71 and 72 are
provided with a coupling ~ork 75 tha1; ls e~uivalent to the
previously described fork 5. ~he substantially parallel
portions 73 o~ the two beams 71 and 72 are rlgidly inter-
connected, near their rearmost ends, by a hollow beam 76
(Figure 9) of substantially square cross--section that extends
perpendicular t or at least trans~erse, to the direction A. A
tie beam 76A of inverted shallow channel-shaped configuration
rigidl~ interconnects the two beams 71 and 72 at points close
to the integral junctions between the two portions 73 and 7
of each of the latter bea~s. m e arrangement o~ the tie
beam 76A is such that its substa~tially horizontally dis-
posed base is located centrall~ uppermost with its two limbs ::
extending downwardl~, at small angles to the horizontal, from
the opposite ends thereo~ towards the respective beams 71 and
72. Further slanting beams 76B rigidly intercoI~nect the front
o~ the hollow beam 76 and the rear of the tie be~m 76A,
the centre lines of the slanting beams 76B being contained in
~ ~ertical planes that are substantially parallel to the dir~
ection A. A central hollow frame portion 77 is provided that
extends substantially hQrizontally perpendicul~r to the dir-
ection A, the ~ro~t of said hollow ~rame portion 77 with
- 22 -
., ~, ^ .
~.3~
respect to the direction A being subs-tan-tiall~ in vertical
register with the overlying ~e beam '76A. r~he hollow frame
portioIl 77 extends substantially para.llel to the hollow fr~me
beam 76 and is connected to that frame beam throu~h -the inter-
mediary of two relatively spaced pa:rallelogralrl linka~es 77A,
the plvot pins -that form parts of the linkages 77A being
arranged -to define axes that extend subs-tantially horizontal-
ly perpendicular to the dlrectio~ A. Each linkage 77A is
provided with a correspond.ing stop 77B which ls arranged in
such a position as to prevent -toa great a downward dis-
placement of the hollow frame portion 77 relative to the frame
of the implement.
The rear substantially parallel portions 73 of the
two frame beams 71 and 72 are each provided with two up-
wardly and outwardly inclined lugs 79 at locations jus-t in
front, and ~us-t behind, -the central hollow frame portion 77
with respect to the direction A (see Figure 8). ~ach lug
79 is formed with a vertically extending slot 79A (~igure 7) -
and four pins 80 are entered through the slots 79A so as to
be ~ovable alon~ those slots. Each pin 80 is carried by a
correspondlng verticall~ disposed plate 81 at a location on
that plate which is nearest to an imaginary vertical plane .,
of substantial symmetry h of the implement that extends
paral~el to the direction A. ~here are, of courseS four of
the plates 81 that are arran~ed in two pairs, each pair being
secured to the top of a corresponding outer hollow frame
portion 82 at the end of that frame portion which is closely :.
adjacent to one end of the central hollow frame portion 77
When the implement is oper~tin~ on horizontal ground, the ;:.
Z3 _ ~
... . . . . . . . .
three frame portio~s 77 and 82 are i.Tl su.bstan-t.iall~ strictly
horizontal alignment and all three of them are o:E substan-
tially identical construction. Each of the two pairs of the
~our pins 80 are arranged one be~lind the oth~r in the direc-
tion A but with their longitudinal axes coincide.rlt, sald pins
affording axes about which -the outer hollow frame portions 82
can pivot upwardl~ and downwardl~ relative to the central
hollow frame portion 77. The two plates 81 of' each pair are
interconnected, near -their tops, by corresponding transverse
pieces 83 tha-t both extend substantially parall.el to the
direction A. ~ach of the two outer hollow frame portions 82
is provided on its to~ with a corresponding substantlally
: vertical plate 84 (~igure 6) at a location which is towards
the end of that frame portion that is remote from the central
frame portion 77. ~ach transverse piece 83 and the corres-
ponding plate 84 are rigidly interconnected b~ two supports
85 that are in gentl~ convergent relationshlp from the trans- :
verse piece 83 to the plate 84, said supports 85 also being
inclined downwardly at a few degrees to the hori~ontal when
the implement is arranged in its working position on horizontal
land. ~Iwo tubular supports 87 that are forwardly converge~t
with respect to the direction A extend from leadlng regions
of the two plates 84 to positions where the~ are provided
wi-th corresponding forks 88. Horizontal pivot pins 89 turnabl~
connect the forks 88 to lu~s 90 that are carried at the
opposite ends of a horizontal beam 91 which is substantiall~
perpendicular to the direction A and which is supported from
beneath b~ the convergent portions 74 of the two frame beams
71 and 72. ~he beam 91 is connected to the beams 71 and 72
- 24 -
,
~ .
;~ . - .
.
at points whlch are substantiaLl.y the mi.dpoints of the for--
wardly convergen-t pOI't-~OnS 74 of tho.se two bearns. '~he longi
tud~nal axls o~ each pi~ot pin 89 is coincident wi-th those
of a correspondi.ng pair of -the pins 80 and it will be seen
from Figure 6, i.n particular, o~ the d.rawin~s that each of
-the two sets of three pivo-ts 80 and 89 are spaced apart from
one another in the direccion A. Strengthening struts 87A
extend substantially parallel to the direction A between the
leading one of each pair o~ p].a-tes 81 a~d the front end of ~ -
the corresponding tubular support 87 at a point immed~tely
adjacent to the corresponding fork 88~
A horizontal beam 92 of circular cross-sec-tion
(P'i~ure 9) extends parallel to the hollow beam 76 at a
location immediately behind the beam 76 and at a level ~ust
beneath that of the frame beams 71 and 72. ~he beam 92 is
turnable about its own longitudinal axis and extends sub-
stantially horizontally perpendicular to the direction A~
said beam being provided near its opposite ends with two ;:`
rearwardly extendin~ arms 93 whose rearmost ends, in turn,
are secured to a strip-shaped axle beam 94 at the opposite `~
ends of which two ground wheels 95 are rotatably mounted~
~he two ground wheels 95 have a common axis o~ rotation which
extends substantially horizon-tally perpendicular to the ~ .
direction A. Brackets 96 project upwardly from the tops of
the two arms 93 at locatlons immediatel~ abo~e the tubular
beam 92. Eorizontal pivot pins 96A at the upper ends o~ the ~.
brackets 96 turnably connect those brackets to the ~ree ends
of the piston rods of corresponding hyd.raulic piston ~nd
cylinder assemblies 97. ~ach assembly 97 extends substan-
- 25
tially parallel to the direction A ancl has the base end of
its cyllndeL, which ls disposed foxemost, pivotally connectecl
to a corr~sponding support 98 (FiguLes 8 and 9) -tha-t pro~ects
upwardly from the portion 73 of the unde:L~lying beam 71 or 7~.
One sid0 of the cylinder of each assembly ~7 carries a cor-
responding substantially horizontal pivo-t 97A at a location
substantiall.y midway along the length of that cylinder and
a corresponding latch 98A is turnably mounted on each pivot
97A. Each latch 98A has a laterally proaec-ting stop 99A which,
ln the relative positions illustrated in the drawin~s, bears
downwardly on the top of the cylinder of the corresponding
assembl~ 97. When in this illustrated position, a slot 101A
in each latch 98A makes engagement with the corresponding
substantiall~ horizontal pivot pln 96A and it will be noted
that the ~nd of the latch 98A that is furthest from its
pivot 97A is formed as a curved guide edge 100A that is ar-
ranged to direct the corresponding pivot pin 96A and slot
101A into engagement with one another under circumstances
that will be discussed below. h pull member in the form of
a rope or cable 102A extends forwardl~ from an upwardly dir-
ected limb of each ]atch 98A throu~h approprlately positio~ed
guide eyes towards the ~ront of the frame and to a location
on the agricultural tractor or other vehicle which tows and
operates the implement that is accessible to the driver of
that tractor or o-ther vehicle.
Two pairs ot` vertically disposed and horizontally
spaced apart lugs 100 (Figure 8) proaect rearwardly from
:~ .
the hollow beam 76 at locations which are spaced b~ equal
dlstances from the midpoi~t of that beam and that are quite
26 -
close to the opposi.te ends thereof. Arms 100B
are turnable upwardly and downwardly between the two lugs
100 of each pair about corresponding substantlally hori~on-
tiall~ aligned pivot pins tha^t def.ine an axls which i9 sub-
stantially perpendicular to the direction A. Each of the
-three hollow frame portions 77 and ~2 is provided with a
plurality (of which there are twelve i.n the embodiment il-
lustrated in Figures 6 to 9 oP the drawings) of vertical or
substantially vertical shafts 101 whose longitudina1. axes
are arranged in regularly spaced apart relationship, the
pref`erred spacing between each neighbouring pair of axes of
rota-tion being substan-tially 25 centimetres. ~he lowermost :~
end of each shaf-t 101 projects from beneath the bottom of
the corresponding hollow frame portion and is there secured
to the midpoint of a substantially horizontally disposed
tine support 102 which has substantially vertical sleeve-
like tine holders at its opposite ends. ~astening portions of .
rigid tines 10~ are firml.y but releasably secured in the
holders in a manner which it is not necessary to des^ribe for
the purposes of the present invention and it is noted that
each tine support 102, together with its tine holders and
the corresponding tines 103, constitutes a rotar~ soil work-
ing or cultivating member 10~ ach shaft 101 is provided,
inside the corresponding hollow frame portion 77 or 82, wi-th
a correspondin~ straight-toothed or spur-toothed pinion 105
which pinions are so dimensioned that, as can be seen in out-
line in ~`igure 8 of the drawings, the teeth of each pinion
105 are in mesh with those of its neighbour, or of both of
its neighbours, in the same hollow frame portionO
~ 27 -
'
... .. . .. .. .. . . .
'~3~
~ he two ou-ter hollow :frame por-ti O~lS 82 are of sub-
stantially symmetri.cally :identical construction ar.~d arran~e-
ment and, in each of them, one of the cen-tre pai.r of shafts
101 has an upward extension into a gear box 106 that is
mounted on top of the hollow frame portion concerned. ~he
arrangement of each gear box 106 is t;he same as -tha-t of the
previously described gear boxes 36, i.t bei.n~ parti.cularly
noted that each gear box 106 is provi.ded with a change-speed
gear that is not illustrated in the cLrawings but which serves
the same function as one of the change--speed ~ears 37 that
has been briefly described above. ~hus, each gear box 106
has a rotary lnput shaft 107 which projects therefrom to~
wards the a~o~e~entloned imaginary vertical plane of sub-
stantial symmetry of the implement h that extends parallel
to the direction A. Universal joints 108 connect the input
shafts 107 of the gear boxes 106 to the ends of corresponding
telescopic transmission shafts 109 and the opposite ends of
those shafts are connected by fur-ther u~iversal joints 110to
the e.nds of corresponding shafts 111, said shafts 111 being
rotatably journalled in horl~ontal sleeve bearlngs 112 carried . -
by the supports 98 which are fas-tened to the portions 73 of
the two frame beams 71 and 72. It will be noted from ~igures
6 and 7 of the drawings that the centres of the universal .:
joints 110 are located very close to the pivotal axes that
are defined b~ the pins ~0 and pivot pins 89.-
~ hat end of each rotary shaft 111 which is closest
to the imaginary plane of substantial s~mmetry h is co~nected
by a further universal ~oint 112A to one end of a corres-
ponding telescopic shaft 112B, the opposite end of the shaft
28 -
112B being connected, in turn~ to an OlltpUt shaft 11~ o~ a
cen-tral gear bo:x 113A by a further correspondi.n~ universal
joint 112C. '~he centra]. gear box 113A is mounted on top of
the central hollow ~r~me portion 77 above one of khe centre
pair of shafts 101 that corresponds to that frame portion.
It will be evide.nt from the drawings that the two ou-tput
shafts 113 of the central gear box 11~A projec-t substantially
horizontally from the opposite sides of the gear box in dir-
ectio~s that are subs-tantially perpendicular to the Airection
A. 'nhe central gear box 113A is arranged ln a generally
similar manner to the previously described central gear bo~
42 and it is emphasised that 7 although not illustrated in
the drawings, it is provided with ~ change-speed gear that
ssrves the same function as the previously described change-
speed gear 44 ln controlling the speed of rotation of the
soil working or cultivating mcmbers 104 which correspond to
the central hollow frame portion 77 in response -to drive
imparted to said c~ntral gear box 113~ at a more or less con-
stant speed. '~hus, a splined or otherwise keyed rotary input
shaft 114 projects forwardl~ in substantially the direction
A from the front of the central gear box 113A and is connected
by a universal joint 115 (~igure 8) to the rear end of a
-transmission shaft 1167 the leading end of said shaft 116
being in drive~ communication~ by way of a further universal
joint (Figure 6) with the rearwardly directed driving shaft
of an internal combustion or other engine 11? that i5 SUp-
ported by the convergent portions 74 of the frame beams 71
and 72 at a location immediately to the rear of the coupling
fork 75~ ~he driving shaft of the engine 117 ex-tends sub-
:
- 29 -
stantially horizontally parallel to the direction A.
Subs-tantially horlzontal. pivot pins 118 that ex-tend
subs-tantially parallel to the directi.on .A a.re ente:red through
slots 119A formed at the -tops of those two vert.ical plates
81 that are foremost with respect to the direction A, said
pivot pins 118 con~ecting forks at the free ends of the
piston rods of corresponding hyrdraulic piston and cylinder
assemblies 119 to the leading plates 81. An upright strip
121 is carried on top of the base of the tie beam 76.A and
horizontal pivot pins 120 turnably connect the bases of
cylinders 122 of said assemblies 119 to the opposite ends of .-.
the strip 121~ ~ach c~linder 122 is provided, ver-y close
to the end thereof that is remote ~rom -the strip 121, with
substantially horizontall~ disposed trunnion pins 124 about ~:
which a corresponding bracket 123 is turnable~ the brackets
123 being arranged to project upwardly above the cylinders ~
122 of the assemblies 119~ ~he substantially horizontal a~es :~:
tha-t are defined by the trunnion pins 124 extend parallel or
substantially parallel to those that are defined by the cor- ~
responding pi~ot pins 118 and 120, ~he downwardly directed ~. :
limbs of each bracke-t 123 also form parts of latchss 125 which
latches project from ths tru~nion pins 124 in dir~ctions -that
are perpendicular to the brackets 123 that pro~ec-t upwardly
from said pins 124. ~he latches 125 e~tend at both sides of
the pisto~ rods of the corresponding assemblles 1~9 and thus
towards the leading plate 81 of the nearest hollow frame
portion 82. Each latch 125 comprises a slot 127 that ope~s
on-to -the lower edge of ths latch con~erned and an ad~oining
inclined guide surface 126 that is so disposed that it will
':' .
.
, :
~ ~ .
co-operat;e with a corresporlding pin 1-3~3 in a manner that wil.1
be further discussed below. '~he top of eac:tl bracke-t '123 has
one end o.~ a correspondin~ pull mernber in the form of a rope
or cable 128 connec-ted to i-t, the ropes or cables 12~
ex-tending from the brackets ~123 through appropriately posi-tion-
ed guide e,yes on the strip 121 and the casing of the engine
117 to positions whele -they are accessible to the driver o~
the agriculture.i tractor OI' other vehicle which tows and
operates the latter when it is in use. ~he functions of the
ropes or cables 128 and the latches 125 -to which they are
connected wiïl be described below. :~
~ he opposite ends of the hollow frame portion 77 and
the opposite ends of the two hollow frame portions 82 are
all closed by corresponding upright plates 1~17 each of the
six upright plates 129 having a corresponding arm 130 turn-
able upwardly and downwardly alongside it about an axis that
is defined by a corresponding strong horizontal pivot that
is located at substantially the ~ront of the plate 129 CO~
cerned with respect to the direction A. 13ach plate 129 is
formed close to its rearmos-t edge with a row of holes 133
that are equidistant from the axis that is defined by the
pivotal mountings of the arms 130 -that correspond to the same
hollow frame portio:n and the arms '130 themselves are formed
with single holes that can be brought into register with any
chosen ones of the holes 133 in the corresponding rows~ Hori-
zontal bolts 132, or e~uivalent locking pins, are provided
for entr;y through the holes in the arms 130 and the chosen
holes 133 and, when said bolts 132 are -tightened, they
positively retain the arms 130 in chosen angular positions
-- 3'1 --
RboUt; t~3f3 p,i.votal. connec-tiorls of' those a:rms to the co-r-
respo~d.lng ho.`llow :t'rame portions. The rearmo.st ends of the
a.rms 130 wi.th respect to the di.rectioll A are inclined down-
waId'L~ and three rotatable supporting mem'bers in -the ~orm of
open gro-und rollers 131 a:re rotatabl~y supported by substan~
tial].y horizontal bearings be-tween t:he rearmost extremities
of the three pairs of arms 130 that correspond -to -the
respective three hollow frame portions 77 and 82. It will be
evident tha-t the level of the axis of rotation of each roller
131 that is set by choosing approprlate holes 133 in the
plates 129 for co-operation with the ~olts 1~2 is a principal
factor in deternining the maximum depth of penetra-tion into .''
the soilwhi~h is possible for the tines 103 of the rotary
soil working or cultivating members 104 (see Figure 9~. ~wo
shield plates 134 that are normally substantially vertically
disposed and that both extend substantially parallel to the
direction A are provided immediately beyond the opposite ends
of the single row of thirt-y-six members 104 that exists when
the implement is disposed in its working pos~tion as lllustra-
ted in Figures 6 to 9 of the accompanying drawings. Each shield
plate 134 i.s constructed and arranged so that its lowermost
edge can slide ovsr -the ground surface in substantially the
direction A andg in order to enable it to match undulations
in the sur~ace of the soil which it may meet, -lt can turn
upwardl.y and downwardly, as may be required, about a substan- `~
tiall~ horizontal axis t'hat e~tends substant~ally parallel to
the direction A. As can be seen in outline i~ ~igure 6 of the
drawings, each such a~is is afforded by an arm that co~operates
with 'bearing lugs or the like mounted on top of the hollow
: ,
.. . . ~ . . .
frame por-tion 82 collcerne~l, said arm bein~ secured to the
top of the correspondirlg plate 134 and being freely p1.votable
in the corresponding bearing lugs or -the like. '~he shield
plates 134 co--ope.rate with the neighbouring '30il working or . .
cultivating members 104 in minimi.si.ng ridg~n~ o~ the soil
at the margi:ns of the path of travel o~ the implement and
also tend to prevent stones or other potentially dangerous
objects from being flung laterally from the imp~ement by the
rapidly moving tines 103. A screening member 134A of sub-
stantially ~-shaped cross-section (see Flgure 9) is provided
immediatel~ in front of each group of soil working or cultiva-
ting members 104, with respect to the direction A, at a level
which is the same as that of th0 tine supports 102 and the
fastening regions of the tines 103. Springs whose arrangements
it is not necessary to describe for the purposes of the present
invention are arranged to maintain the three screening members
134A in the positions thereof that are illustrated in the
drawings but, in the event of a stone or other obstacle be-
coming momentaril~ aammed between, for example, one of the
tine holders and the rear of one of the members 134A, that
member can ~ield forwardly, agains-t the action of -the cor-
responding springs, to allow the stone or other obstacle to be
released. Although not referenced~ one of the springs is
illustrated in Figures 7 and 8 of the drawings. The screeninæ
members 134A very greatly reduce the damage that would other~
wise be caused to the tine supports 102, the tine holders at
the ends of those supports and the fastening portions o~ the
tines 103 as the result of impacts against sharp stones and
the like.
- 33 -
~. ~ , . . . . .
In the use of the 90il cul-tivating implemerlt tha-t has
been described with reference -to Figures 6 to 9 of the draw~
ings, the coupling fork 75 is conneeted to a tow bar a-t the
rear of an agriculturRl tractor or other opera-ting vehicle
and hydraulic ducts (not illustrated) are connected to the
hydraulic system of that tractor or other vehicle to enable
the piston and cylinder assemblies 97 and 119 -to be operated
by the driver of the tractor or other vehicle. Before operat~
ion commences, the levels of the axes of rotation of the three
rollers 131 are set relative to the levels of the correspond-
ing hollow frame portions 77 and 82 to govern the maximum
depth of penetration of the tines 103 into the soil which
will be possible when the implement is operating. Moreover,
the change-speed gears (not illustrated) that are associated
with the three gear boxes 106 and 113A are set to give
appropriate speeds of rotation of the shafts 101 and cor-
responding members 104 having regard to the nature and con-
dition of the soil that is to be worked and the degree of soil
fineness that is required when the soil has been worked by
the implement. The ground wheels 95 are bodily displaceable,
upwardly and downwardl~, relative to the hollow frame portion
77 by extending or retracting the piston rods of the assem-
blies 97 and, when operation is about to commence, the ground
wheels 95 are raised to enable -the rollers 131 to make frame-
supporting contact with the ground surface. As the implement .:
moves over the ground in the direction A, the drive trans- ;
mission that has been described causes all of the soil work-
ing or cultivating members 104 to revolve and, due to the
intermeshing arrangement of the pinions 105, each member 104
- 34 -
will revolve in the opposite direction to i-ts immediate
neighbour, or -to both of i-ts immedla-te nei~hbouxs, in the
same group that corresponds to one of -the three hollow frame
portions '77 or 82. The distances between the tips of the two
tines 103 of each member 10L~ are a little greater than are
the dis-tances (preferably substantially 25 centime-tres) bet-
ween the axes of rotation of immediately neighbouring shafts
101 in each group and, accordingl~, -the strips of land that
are worked by the individual members 104 overlap one another
to form a single broad strip of worked soil. ~his strip of
soil is smooth and substantially uninterrup-ted throughout the
working width of the i~plement because the members 104 that
adjoin the two junctions between the central hollow frame
portions 77 and the two outer hollow frame portions 82 either
work slightly overlapping strips of soil or strips that at
least adioin one another. Generally speaking~ the soil work-
ing or cultivating members 104 are rotated b~ power derived ~;
from the internal combustion or other engine 117 as is
illustrated in Figure 6 of the drawings but it is noted that,
as will be further discussed below, this arra~gement is not
essential. Each of the three groups of soil working or culti-
vating members 104 has an effective width of substantiall~
three metres with the preferred spacing between the axes of
rotation of the shafts 101 of substantially 25 centimetres.
mus, the whole implement has a total working width of sub-
stantially 9 metres.
A f1rther agricultural implement may be arranged be-
hind the soil cultivating implement to enable two agricultur-
al operations to be performed simultaneously. ~igure 6 of ~-
.
the drawings illllstrate~ the arms 100B arranged with their
leading ends pivotally mounted between the pairs o~ lugs
100 for the connection of a further agricultural implement
which, in the example illustrated in Figure 6, is a precision
seed drill 135. ~he drill 135 compri~es a main frame beam 136
that extends substan-tially horizontally perpendicular to the
direction A throughout substan-tially the whole of the working
width of the foregoing soil cultiva-ting implement. A plurality,
such as twelve, of precision sowing units 137 are connected
to the beam 136 at regular intervals along the length of that
beam but it is not necessary to de~cribe the construction nor
function of the precision sowing units 137 in detail for the
purposes of the present invention, such units 137 being known
se. ~he main frame beam 136 of the prec1sion seed drill
135 i9 provided in a central region thereof with a coupling
member or trestle 136A o~ generally triangular configuration
and that coupling member or trestle 136A is connected by three
forwardly directed links ~the upper one o~ which is adjustable
in length) to a second generally triangular coupling member
or trestle 136B. ~he coupling -member or trestle 136B is ar-
ranged for pivotal connection to substantially horizontally
aligned pins carried by the arms 100B near to the rearmost
ends o~ those arms. ~he rarmost extremities of the arms 100B
carry laterally projecting stops 100C that engage beneath
the lower links interconnecting the two coupling members or
trestles 136A and 136B and prevent the coupling member or
trestle 136A and the precision seed drill 135 to which i-t
is secured from turning too far downwardly relative to the
couplîng member or trestle 136B.
- 36 -
During the use of the soil cult;i.va-tin~ implement of
Figures 6 to 9 of the drawi.ngs with or without th0 prec:ision
seed drill 135 or some o-ther simultaneou.sly employed implement,
the central hollow frAme portion 77 and the members 10L~ which
it supports can move upwardly and downwardly relative to the
frame because of its connection -to that frame by -the para~elo-
gram linkages 77A. ~he central group of rotary soil working
or cultivating members 104 can thus match any undulations in
the surface of the soil that are met with and can deflect
upwardly to avoid damage by embedded rocks or other obstacles.
~he two outer hollow frame portions 82 and the members 104
which they support can also move upwardly and downwardly for
the same purposes because the vertical plates at -their inner ~-
ends are connected to the lug8 79 -through the intermediary
of the pins 80 which pins are freely movable upwardly and
downwardly along the vertical or substantially vertical slots
79A that are formed in said lugs 79. Pivotal movements about
the axes defined by the pins 80 and pivot pins 89 are also
possible because the leading plates 81 are connected to the ~
piston rods of the hydraulic piston and cylinder assemblies .~.
119 through the i~termediary of the pivot pins 118 and the
slots 119A7 said pivot pins 11~ being freely movable along
those slots 119A. ~he parallelogram linkages 77A by which the
central hollow frame portion 77 is floatingly mounted and
the slots 79A and 119A through the intermediary of which the
outer ho~ow frame portions 82 are floatingly mounted enable
the soil working or cultivating members 104 to match undulat-
ions in the surface of the soil that ma~ be met with partic-
ularly satisfactorily across the whole working. width of the
; ' ` .
37 ~
. : :
:, ~. . ~ . .
, :. , , - : . - . - .
; -. ~: . : : . . . . .
implement, the members 104 being capable of deflecting to
avoid embedded rocks or o-t:her obstacles that mig:ht other-
wise break the tines 103 without the f`loating arrangemant
detracting from the very effective cu:ltivation which the
implement can produce. If an agricultural tractor or other
operating vehicle is emplo~ed -that has a high power output
of which a large part can be used to :rotate its power take-
off shaft, then that power -take-off shaft can be indirectly
connec-ted to the rotary input shaf-t 114 of the central gear
box 113A whilst the engine 117 remains inoperative.
When the implement is to undergo inoperative trans-
port along public roads or the like, the pistcn rods of
the two double-actlng assemblies 119 are retracted into the
cylinders 122 of those assemblies an~ this causes -the two
outer hollow frame portions 82 and the members 104 which they
support to tilt upwardly and inwardl~ about the axes that .
are defined by the pins 80 and pivot pins 89. When the piston
rods of said assemblies 119 are fully retracted in-to the
cylinders 122, the pins 138 that are carried by the leading
plates 81 meet the inclined guide surfaces 126 of the latches
125 and turn those latches upwardly through a few degrees
about the axes that are defined by the corresponding trunnion
pins 124. As soon as the pins 138 move pas-t the lowermost ends
of tha surfaces 126, the latches 125 turn back through a few
de~rees about the axes that are defined by the corresponding
trunnion pins 124, under the action of gravity, so that the
slots 127 in said latches 125 come into retaining engagement
with the pins 138~ When this condition is reached, the -two
outer hollow frame por-tions 82 will have been tilted upwardly
. .
and inwardly substantially as fas as the~J will go and, when
hydraulic pressure is wi.thdxawn fIom the assemblics 1~9, the
outer hollow frame porticx6 82 remain reliably in their up-
wardly and inwardly -ti.lted positions because of the engage-
ment of the slotted latches 125 wlth the pins 138. After the
outer hollow frame portions 82 have been folded upwardly and
inwardly, the hydraulic piston and cylinder assemblies 97
are operated to displace the ground wheels 95 bodily down-
wards towards the ground sur~ace with the result that theframe of the implement is raised and brings -both the central
roller 131 and the tines 103 of the central group of members
104 clear of contact with the ground surface. ~his state of
affairs can be seen in Figure 7 of the drawin~s althoug'~ it
is noted -tha-t~ in Figure 7, the ~uter hollow frame portion
82 which is visible therein remains in its operative position
and is not tilted upwardly and inwardly for transport purposes.
It will be remembeled that the stops 77B prevent the central
hollow frame portion 77 and the members 104 and roller 131
which are connected. thereto from turning too fal downwardl~
relative to the frame as a result of~ the arrangemeIlt Or the
parallelogram linkages 77A. After the ground wheels ~5 have :~
been bodily displaced downwardl~ to raise the frame of the
implement relative to the ground surface, -the hydraullc piston
and cylinder assemblies 97 may be operated to reverse that
displacement to a small degree with consequent minimal lowering
of the frame and upward bodily displacement of the ground
wheels 95. The action which has just been described involves
the withdrawal of the pistons of the assemblies 97 into their
cyli.nders through short distances and, as that takes place,
- 39 -
the pivot pins 96A come into contact with the curved ~uide
edges 100A of the la-tches 98A and turn those ].a-tches up--
wardly about -the axes de~lned by the pivots 97A. The pins
96A soon come into register with the ope:n lower ends of the
slots 101A and gravity causes the latches to turn downwardly
about the pivots 97A until the stops 99A bear agains-t the
tops of the c~linders of -the assemblies 97 and the pivot
pins 96A are rellabl~ a-t the upper ends of the sl.ots 101A.
Hydraulic pressure can then be withdrawn from the assemblies
97 whilst the latches 98A maintain the g~round wheels 95 in
their bodily downwardly displaced positions. ~en the ~. :
precision seed drill 135 is also to undergo in-operative
transport, a pair of ground wheels 139 and an adaustable
arched mounting therefor is connected to the main frame :~
beam 136 towards one end thereof and the coupling member
or trestle 136A is disconnected from the coupling member or
trestle 136B. A vertical coupling pin 139A at the end of the
main frame beam 136 which is remote from the end thereof
near which the pair of' ground wheels 139 is disposed is
entered through a coupling eye 139~ that is located midwa~
along the strip~shaped axle beam 94 for the ~round wheels
95 of the soil cultivating implement. ~he precision seed
drill 135 can then be towed behind the soil cultivating
implement with its main frame beam 136 in substantially
parallel relationship with the direction A. In ibs inopera-tive
transport position, the soil cultivating implement alone, or '.
the combination of the soil cultivating implement and the
precision seed drill ~l35 has an overall width of substantially
4.0 metres.
~.
-- ~0 --
.. ~ . . ., - - .
When the so.il cul-t:ivatinæ -imp],ement is to 'be b.rought
from i-ts inopera-tive transport posl.ti.on to its wor~:ing posi-
-tion, the driver o.~ -the tractor or ot:he:r operating ve'hicle
pulls the ends of the ropes or cables 102A that are accessible
to him and -th1s action turns the latc.hes 98A upwardly (in
clockwise directions as seen in Figure 9) about -the corres-- :
ponding pivots 97A and releases the pivot pins 96A from the
slots 1Q1A. The ground wheels 95 can then be dlsplaced 'bodily
upwards to allow the frame of the implement -to move down-
wardly until the central roller 131 and the members 104 of
the central group thereof come into contact with the ground
surface. Subsequently, the outer hollow frame portions 82
and -the parts which they carry are tilted outwardly and
downwardly into the operative position illustrated in Fig-
ures 6 to 9 of the drawings and this entails the driver of
the agricultural tractor or other operating vehicle pulling
upon the ends of the ropes or cables 128 that are accessible
to him whereupon the latches 125 are turned upwardly about the
axes defined by the trunnion pins 124 -to free the pins 138
from the slots 127 whereafter suitable manlpula-tion of hy-
draulic controls in the tractor or other operating ve'hicle .'
will extend the piston rods of the assemblies 119 and allow .
the outer hollow frame portions 82 to turn gen-tly downwardly
until the tines 103 of their soil wor~ing or cultivating
members make contact with the ground surface. ~he hydraulic
piston and cylinder assemblies 97 and 119 cus~ion the dis-
placements which they bring about, or all.ow, so that there
is no danger of damage bei.ng caused by hard colllsions with
the ground surface by the parts that are belng displaced.
_ 4~1 _
.. ..
It is noted that forward and d()wnw~rd tilting of the Erame
o~ the soil cultiva-tln~ irnplement is prevented when that
implement ~ disconnected from an agriclll-tural tractor OI`
other operating vehicle by the provision of a ~rround wheel
139C (Figure 6) that supports the Erame ~rom beneath at a
location immedia-tely to -the rear of the coupling fork 75.
Figures 10 to 13 inclusive of -the drawings illustrate
a further form of soil cultivating implemen-t in accordance
with the invention, many of the parts of this further embodi-
ment being similar, or identical, to parts that have already
b0en described with reference to Figures 6 to 9 of the
drawings. Accordingl~l such parts are indicated in Figures
10 to 13 inclusive by the same references as have been used
in Figures 6 to 9 of the drawings and will not be described
again in detail. In the embodiment of Figures 10 to 13, the
central hollow frame portion 77 has a suppor-ting structure
which comprises two frame beams 140 and 14'1 that both extend
substantially horizontally perpendicular to the direction A
in spaced apart relationship in that direction, the beam 140
being in advance of the baam 141. ~ocations that are close
to the opposite ends of the two beams 140 and 141 are rigidly
secured to -the overlying rear portions 73 o~ the two beams
71 and 72 by upwardly directed brackets. As can be seen best
in Figure 13 of the drawings t each of the two beams 140 and
141 is of hollow ~ormation and square cross~section, both
beams bein~ so disposed that, as seen in cross-section,
diagonals between their opposite corners are respectively
substantiall~ horizontall~ and substantiall~ verticall~ dis-
posed. ~lthou~rh a square cross section is preferred for the
';
- ~2 -
;
beams 140 and 141, it is no-t ess~ntial and -the beams may
have other polygonal crosCl-section. r~:he l.eadi.ng frame beam
140 is provided, between the portions 73 of the two frame
beams 71 and 72, wit:h upIlght supports 142 that are spaced
by short distances from the corresponding beams 71 and 72
~see particularl.y Figur~s 11 and 12). Each upright support
142 is connected by a pair of rearwardly extending strips
143 to the uppe:r end of a corresponding upwardly and for-
wardly inclined support 144 whose lower end is rigidl~
secured to the frame beam 141~ ~he upper end of e~ch support
144 is sandwiched between the rearmost ends of the corres-
ponding pair of strips 143. ~ach upright support 142 is
also connected by upper and lower pivot pins to the leading
ends of upper and lower pairs of rearwardly extending li~ks
145 and the rearmost ends of each pair of links 145 are
pivotally connected by upper and lower pins to upright por- .
tions of corresponding brackets 146 that are fastened to the
top of th~ central hollow frame portion 77. As can be seen
in the drawings~ the upright supports 142 are sandwiched bet-
ween the two links 145 of each of the corresponding two pairs
of those links and the same is true of the brackets 146 at
the other rear ends oP the links 145. ~he links 145 are
members of spaced parallelo~ram linkages 147 which are so
arranged that the central hollow frame portion 77 and its
members 104 can move upwardly and downwardly relative to the
frame of the implement without tilting. lt will also
be noted from the drawings that each substantially planar
bracket 146 is located slidably between the corresponding
pair of fixed strips 143 so that said strips 143 will servo
~ 4~ -
.
as retain:ing guides for the parallelo~lam linkag~s 147 and
will prevent si~nificant la-teral di.splacement~ that might
lead to deterioration or failllre of the parallelogram link
ages.
The opposi-te ends of the leadin~ subs-tantially hori--
zontal frame beam 140 are provided with upwardly and out
wardly inclined lugs 148 and the opposite ends of the rear
substantially horizontal frame beam 141 are provided with
similarly disposed lugs 148A. ~he upper and outer çnds of
the lugs 148 and 148~ are provided with horizontally aligned
stub shafts 149 to which further lugs 150A are turnably con-
nected. ~he further lugs 150A are secured to the ends of
leading and rear beams 151 and 152 that are of similar con-
struction and arrangement to the beams 140 and 141 and which,
when the implement is disposed in its working position on
flat land~ are in substantially horizontal register with said
beams 140 and 141 at opposite ends of those beams. ~he beams
151 and 152 thus have the outer hollow frame portions 82
connected to them in an upwardly and downwardly displaceable
manner by parallelogram linkages that are similar to the
parallelogram linkages 147 -that have already been described
and it will be noted from ~igure 10 of the drawin~s that sup-
ports 151A which extend substantially parallel to the direction
A rigidly interconnect the be~ams 151 and 152 at locations
which are near to the ends of those beams that are remote
from the central frame beams 140 and 141. ~ach outer hollow
frame portio.n 82 and the parts which it carries is turnable
upwardly and inwardly with respect to the central hollow
frame por-tion 77 about a corresponding axis which is defined
- ~4 -
by two of the stub sha.fts 1~9 a:nd the correspondi.ng pi.vot
pin 89, said pin 89 and stub shafts 14'3 be.ing spaced apart
from one ancther in the dl:cection ~. In thi.s embodiment,
-the tubular supports 87 are fas-te~ed -to the leadi.ng ~rame
beams 151 tha-t cor~espond to the -two outer hollow frame
portlons 82 at posi-tions which are in regis-ter with the
supports 151A and the strengthening struts 87A interconnec-t
the forks 88 and the corresponding l~ading lugs 150~. More-
over, ~orwardly divergent supports 91A (Figure 'lO~ inte:r-
connect the forwardly convergen-t portions 74 of the two
frame beams 71 and 72 and locations on the subs-tantially
horizontal beam 91.
Each of the leading lugs 150A with respect to the
direction A carries a corresponding forwardly directed
bracket 150 whose leading end has an upright limb to which
a fork a-t the end of a pis-ton rod of a corresponding h~-
draulic piston and cylinder assembly 53 is turnably connected
by a horizontal pivo-t pin 160. ~he base end o~ the cylinder
155 of each assembly 153 is turnably connected by a parallel
pivot pin to the upright limb of a corresponding bracket 164
which is fastened to the leading frame beam 140 at a location
spacod some distance ~rom the midpoint of the beam 1400
Each cylinder 155 has a horizontal pivot 156 projectingfrom
one side thereof and a corresponding latch 157 is -turnably
mounted on that pivot. ~ach la-tch 157 is formed with a slot
159 that opens onto -the lower edge of the la-tch close to the
end thereof that is remote from the corresponding pivot 156,
said end itself being formed as a curved guide edge 158 whose
l.owermost extremity -terminates alongside the corresponding
.
; - 45 -
'
slo-t 159. Each latch 157 i5 arrarlgecl to co-op~rate, by way
of its guide edge 158 and slot 159, with one ~nd of the cor-
responding pivot pin 160. When the outer hollow Erame por-
tions ~2 and the parts which they carry are pivo-ted upwardly
and inwardly relative to the cen-tral hollow frame portion 77
to bring them ~o positions similar to that which ls shown for
one of them in broken lines ln ~igure 11 of the drawings, the
latches 157 make retaining engagement with the pivot pins 163
and prevent the outer hollow frame portions 82 from being turn~
ad outwardly and downwardly agaln until said latches 157 are
released. Eydraulic pressure can thus be discontinued in the
hydraulic piston and cylinder assemblies 153 with no danger
of an involuntar~ return of the implement to its working
position. Pull members in the form of ropes or cables 161
have their ends connected to upright limbs of the latches
157 and extend fle~ibly by way of suitabl~ positioned gulde
eyes to a location on -the co-operating tractor or other `~
operating vehicle which lS accessible to the driver theleo~
When the driver of the tractor or other vehicle pulls the
ropes or cables 1619 he will turn the latches 157 upwardly
and disengage the slots 159 that are formed therein from
the pivot pins 1~0 thus releasing the hydraulic piston and
cylinder assemblies 153 so that their ~istons can extend
from the cylinders 155 and allow the cuter hollow frame
portions 82 and the parts which the~ carry to turn outwardly
and downwardl~ into the working posltion o~ thc implement
in a gentl~ cushioned manner. In the embodiment of Figures
10 to 13 of the drawings, helical tension springs 97D are
stretched between the upper ends o~ supports 97C which are
- 46 -
; ~ , , , , . -
. .. . .
rigidly secured to tha top of -the hollow beam 76 and the
upper ends of arms 97B whose 10WeI ends are connected to the
portions 73 of the two beams 71 and 72 by subs-tantlally
horizontall~ alignecl pivot pins. With -thls arrangement, the
ground whe~ls 95 of the implement are urged resiliently
downwardly into contact with the ground surface.
In the embodiment of ~igures 10 to 13 oP the drawings,
ths rotatable supporting members that are afforded b~ the
ground rollers 131 ar~ carried by corresponding pairs of arms
130A that are directed rearwardly with respect to the direc-
tion A from supports 130B that are upwardly and downwardly
displaceable relative to the beams 141 and 152. ~he means
by which each support 130B is upwardly and downwardly dis- ;
placeable may be of a kind which is known ~ se and which~
accordingly, will not be described in detail7 Each such
means comprises a crank handle 130C at its upper ~nd, -the
arrang~ment being such that manual rotation of each crank
handle 130C in one direction will raise the corresponding
support 130B whilst manual rotation thereof in the opposite
direction will lower that support. alearly, such raising and
lowering of the supports lowers or raises the levels of the
axes of rotation of the rollers 131 relative to the corres-
ponding frame beams 140/141 or 151/152 and thus is a principal
factor in det~rmining the maximum depth of penetration of the
tines 103 into the soil that is possible. In the embodiment
of Figures 10 to 13 of the drawings~ the three groups of
rotary 50il working or cultivating members 104 are movable
upwardly and downwardly in an independent manner during the
operation of the implement because the hollow frame portion
47 _
.. , . - . . . ..
77 or 82 that cor:responds to each such ~,.roup is mounted in a
floating menner by tLle corresponding pair of parallelogram
linkages 147, such linkages being guided by -the pairs of
strips 1~3 in such a way as to absorb any forces tending to
produce lateral deformations. ~le s-trips 143 are also arranged
so as to prevent the hollow frame portions 77 and 82 from
moving too far downwardly, particularly when the implement
is disposed for lnoperative transporti. Th~ floating arrange-
ment of the three groups of soil working or cultivating
members 104 b~ way of the parallelogram linkages 1~7 pro~id~s
a very satisfactory matching of the members 104 to the soil
surface throughout the working width of -the implement even ~'
on undulating land and the ready deflectabili-ty of each group
that is possible~ independently of the other groups, enables
any embedded rock or other fixed obstacle to be avoided with ,~
a minimum of damage, if any. ~o bring the implemen-t from its
working position to its inoperative transport position, the
outer hollow frame portions 82 and the parts which they carry
are tilted upwardly and lnwardl~ by the hydraulic piston and
cylinder assemblies 153 that are under the control of the
driver, of the a~ricultural tractor or other vehicle which
tows the implement. As previously mentioned, the final up-
wardl~ tilted position of one of the two outer hollow frame
portions 82 is illustrated in broken lines in ~igure 11 of
the drawings. ~he further adjustments of the implement that
are requir~d to bring it into a condition sui-table for trans-
port, particularly along public roads, invol~e the bodily
downward displacement of the ground wheels 95 and are carried
out in a manner similar to that which has already been des~
_ 48 -
. ... . . .. . .. . . . . . .
cribed in connection with the proc~ding embo~limcnts.
- '19 -
'~B
