Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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The invention relates to a machine for distributing
materials. More specifically, it relates to such a machine
having means for locking one of the wheels thereof.
The prior art teaches machines for distributing material
wherein the overall width of the machines, as seen in the operating
direction is greater than the overall length thereof, the overall
length not exceeding the maximal permissible width of agricultural
machines travelling on public streets and roads. Such machines
comprise tools for laying the material upon the ground, and the
tools are arranged in rows one behind the other and are adapted,
in the operative condition, to be lowered and, in the transporting
position, to be raised. The machine also comprises a frame
supported at three points carried on running wheels, a towing
device adapted to be attached frontally or laterally to the frame,
and one running wheel arrangement in the form of a castor wheel
arrangement, which castor wheel arrangement has a wheel pivoting
freely through 360 about a vertical axis.
Such a machine is taught in U.S. Patent 3,884,309, Mr.
Emanuel Schneider, May 20, 1975. This machine is equipped with
raisable and lowerable working tools in the form of shares and
pressure rollers arranged in two transverse rows one behind the
other. The ~rame of the machine is also supported at three
points upon three running wheels, one of them located at the
front and two at the rear of the machine, as seen in the operat-
ing direction. The front wheel arrangement is in the form of a
castor wheel arrangement having a wheel pivoting freely through
360, whereas the rear wheels may be changed over, by means of
threaded spindles, so that they can roll on the ground either in
the operating direction or in a transporting direction at right
angles to the operating direction. Furthermore, the rear running
wheels are secured detachably to beams adapted to be retracted into
the frame so that, with the beams thus retracted, the overall length
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of the machine does not exceed the permissible width of agricul-
tural machines travelling on public roads and streets. The
machine therefore requires no transporting vehicle to carry it
through traffic, such as is required in many cases to move a
machine from one worksite to another.
The great disadvantage of this machine is that converting
it from the operating to the transporting configuration, and vice-
versa, requires a considerable amount of effort and time. For
example, the rear wheels, with their holders, must be expelled from
their guides at right angles to the frame by actuating the
threaded spindles, must be pivoted through 90, and must then be
reinserted into the said guides. Changing over the running wheel
holders also requires that the machine be jacked up with additional
devices. Another disadvantage, in connection with the transporting
configuration, is that the two rear running wheels are arranged at
a considerable distance one behind the other, so that when the
machine is travelling around a curve, at least one of these wheels
must drag along the road at right angles to the transporting
direction. This not only accelerates tyre wear but, which is far
more serious, this movement of the wheels at right angles to the
transporting direction becomes impossible if the road has deep
ruts. This results unavoidably in the running-wheel holders and
related parts of the frame being bent or broken.
It is the purpose of the invention to improve the known
machine so that it can be quickly and conveniently set up for
travel in the operating or transporting directions, and to provide
trouble-free travel in both directions.
According to the invention, this purpose is achieve in
that all the wheels are carried in castor wheel arrangements and
in that the wheel of one of the castor wheel arrangements is
adapted to be locked either in a transporting direction or in an
~~ operating direction at right angles to the transporting direction.
1(~571~
In accordance with a specific embodiment, a machine
for distributing material, the overall width of the said machine,
as seen in the operating direction, being greater than the over-
all length thereof, the said overall length not exceeding the
maximal permissible width for agricultural machines travelling on
public streets and roads, the said machine comprising a frame,
supported at three points, carried on castor wheel arrangements,
and the said machine comprising tools, said tools being hingedly
connected to said frame, for laying the material into the ground,
the said tools being arranged in rows one behind the other and
being adapted, in the operative condition to be lowered, and in
the transporting position, to be raised, each said castor wheel
arrangements comprising a wheel pivotable within its respective
castor arrangement, through an angle of 360 about a vertical
axis, a towing device, means for attaching said towing device
either frontally or laterally as seen in the operating direction,
to the said frame, said machine comprising means for locking
the wheel of one of said castor wheel arrangements in a trans-
porting direction at right angles to the operating direction;
and wherein two of said castor wheel arrangements, which two
castor wheel arrangements constitute the rear castor wheel
arrangements when seen in the operation clirection, are arranged
upon the frame in such a manner that the two wheels thereof do
not project laterally beyond the rearmost working tools when said
two wheels are in the transporting position; is characterized in
that said wheel of said one of said castor wheel arrangements
comprises one of the two wheels, and further comprising means for
locking said one of said two wheels in the operation direction
as well.
Thus all that is required to convert the machine from
travel in the operating direction to travel in the transporting
direction is to attach a traction device to one longitudinal
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side of the machine and to lock the one castor wheel in the trans-
porting direction after swinging it into the transporting direc-
tion. It is a simple matter to pivot the castor wheels since, if
the machine is moved for only a short distance in the transporting
direction, all of the castor wheels will automatically swing into
the said transporting direction. Thus, while the machine is
travelling in the transporting direction, the locked wheel ensures
that it tracks properly, this tracking of the machine being
achieved, in the operating configuration, generally by the fact
that the tools have been lowered into the operative positions.
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The provision that the two rear castor wheels are
arranged laterally upon the frame in such a manner that, with
the machine in the transporting configuration, they do not
project laterally beyond the rearmost working tools, as seen in
the operation direction, has the advantage of making it possible
for the working tools to be arranged in several rows one behind
the other without increasing the overall length of the machine.
This also provides a larger free passage between the working
tools, thus facilitating trouble-free spreading of the material
onto the ground, even when the distance between the rows of tools
is small.
The provision for one of the rear castor wheels to be
lockage in both the operating and the transporting directions,
and to roll, in the operating direction, on the edge of the track
determined by the width of the machine has the advantage of making
it possible to start spreading the material right at the edge of
the field, without having to allow the lockable castor wheel to
run on adjacent property.
According to one preferred example of embodiment of
the invention, similar attachment elements for a towing device
are provided on the front and on one side of the frame, as seen
in the operating direction. This again facilitates the conver~ion
of the machine, in that only one towing device is required for
travel in both the operating and the transporting direction.
The invention is explained in greater detail in con-
junction with the drawing attached hereto, wherein:
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the machine according
to the invention, and
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same machine.
The machine has a frame 1 carrying a divided storage
tank 2 in the lower part of which is located a metering device
3. Working tools 4, consisting of shares and pressure rollers
-- 4 --
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and arranged in three rows one behind the other, and shown in the
lowered, operative position, are mounted pivotably upon frame 1,
material being fed to the said tools from storage tank 2, through
metering device 3, in accurately adjustable quantities, through
hoses 5. As shown quite clearly in Fig. 2, tools 4, as seen in
the operating direction, are staggered in relation to each other,
the lateral distances between the said tools being equal.
Frame 1 is carried upon two front running wheels 7 and
two rear running wheels 8, the said frame being supported on the
front running wheels at one point 9 and on the rear running wheels
at two points 10. These three support points provide a statically
determined firm support for frame 1. Forward support point 9 is
in the form of a bearing 11 which is fitted centrally to frame 1
and upon which a chassis 12 pivots in a vertical plane. The two
front running wheel arrangements 7, designed as castor wheel
arrangements, are arranged at the outer ends of chassis 12 in
holders 13. Each castor wheel arrangement comprises a wheel
pivotable through 360, in a horizontal plane, about a vertical
axis 14. The two rear support points 10 are located on the two
longitudinal sides of the machine and consist of holders 15, 15'
for rear running wheels 8 which are also carried in castor wheel
arrangements and pivot about vertical axes 14. Holders 15, 15'
are detachable from frame 1. Finally, towing device 17 is
arranged to pivot in a vertical plane, on the front of frame 1,
by means of attachment elements 16, eye 18 of the said towi~g
device being located ahead of the centre of the machine and being
used to couple the said machine to tractor 19.
The arrangement of the front running wheels is such that
they follow in the tracks of the rear wheels 20 of the tractor.
~i
-- 5 --
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These wheels therefore run smoothly even at high speeds, and
the number of wheel tracks left on the field is reduced. Further-
more, rear running wheels 8 are fi~ted to frame 1 in such a
manner that they run on both sides of the machine on the two
edges 21 of the track determined by the operating width 22 of
the machine. This arrangement has the advantage of still further
reducing the number of wheel tracks left on the field, since
one rear wheel 8 will always run in the track left by one left
wheel 8 during the previous pass down the field. It is also
possible to work the field right to the edge, without having one
wheel running on ad~acent property. However, if the rows are
very close together, i.e. if there is little lateral spacing
between working tools 4, right hand running wheel 8 must be
fitted at a greater lateral distance from frame 1, so that it
cannot come into contact with adjacent working tools 4 when the
machine is in the transporting configuration, or if the machine
is backed up, as is often unavoidable in making sharp turns.
In order to prevent working tools 4 from colliding
with the left-hand running wheel 8, this wheel may be locked in
operating direction 6 and in transporting direction 23 at right
angles thereto. To this end, wheel holder 15' is equipped with
a disc 24 having two recesses 25 arranged at right angles to
each other. A bolt 26, mounted pivotably upon frame 1, may be
held in either of these recesses by the force of a spring 27.
For the purpose of releasing the lock, the upper end of bolt
26 is connected to a hydraulic cylinder 28. When the hydraulic
system is activated, bolt 26 is withdrawn from the relevant recess
against the force of the said spring. After running wheel 8 has
been swung into transporting position 8' indicated in dotted
lines, the hydraulic system is deactivated and spring 27 snaps
the lower end of bolt 26 into the other recess 25.
As may be gathered from Fig. 2, attachment elements '
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16 are also provided on frame 1 upon the right-hand side of the
machine, the distance between these elements being equal to the
distance between attachment element 16 on the front of frame 1.
In order to convert the machine for travel in transporting direc-
tion 23, the machine is disconnected from tractor 19, towing
device 17 is removed from front attachment elements 16 and is
fitted to side attachment elements 16, thus assuming position
17' shown in dotted lines. me lock holding left rear wheel
8 is released. The tractor is now coupled to the traction device
in its new position 17' and the machine is moved forwards for
a short distance, causing running wheels 7,8 to assume positions
7',8' shown in dotted lines. By means of the hydraulic system,
left rear running wheel 8 is locked in transporting position 8'.
The machine can now travel in transporting direction 23 like a
normal dual-axle trailer, and the overall width 29 thereof does
not exceed the maximal permissible width for agricultural machines
travelling on roads.
Finally, rear running wheels 8 are fitted detachably in
their holders 15,15'. The advantage of this is that in thé case
of agricultural operations requiring no road travel, these wheels
may be fitted detachably to the rear of frame 1 by means of
simple, non-pivoting holders 30. In order to reduce the number of
wheel tracks left in the field, these wheels are arranged to run
in the tracks left by rear wheels 20 of the tractor.
