Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
10825;~7
This invention relates to a machine for working the soil.
The object of the invention is to provide a combination of
penetrating tool means, spraying means and cultivating rollers with means
for controlling the working depth and also with means for the adjustment
of two cultivating rollers in connection with spraying means disposed in
a special disposition with respect to the said tool means and the said
cultivating rollers, which combination is not known in the prior art.
According to the present invention, there is provided a soil
cultivating machine comprising a frame and a transverse row of soil
penetrating tool means supported on said frame, spraying means mounted on
said frame and positioned to the rear of said tool means, two cultivating
rollers being arranged in tandem to the rear of said spraying means and
each of said rollers having a periphery that comprises blade members that
extend substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of that roller, a
further roller positioned to the rear of said first-mentioned rollers, said
further roller being a machine-supporting roller connected to said frame
and means setting the relative level of said roller with respect to the
frame to control the working depth of said tool means, said cultivating
rollers being rotatable about substantially horizontal transverse axes
and adjusting means interconnecting said rollers to the frame, means fixing
the working levels of said cultivating rollers, further spraying means being
mounted between said cultivating rollers and above the ground as seen from
aside.
For a better understanding of the present invention and to show
how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of
example only, to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a plan view of a soil cultivating machine;
Figure 2 is an elevational view in the direction of the arrow II
in Figure l;
Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the machine shown in
Figures 1 and 2;
- 2 -
B`
- ~
10825Z~7
Figure 4 is an enlarged side elevation of a working member of
the machine of Figures 1 to 3;
Figure 5 illustrates schematically how the working members of
Figure 4 may be produced;
Figure 6 shows on an enlarged scale a component of the working
member of Figure 4;
Figure 7 is an elevational view in the direction of the arrow
VII in Figure 6; -
Figure 8 illustrates on an enlarged scale a detail
~'
- 2a -
i(li8Z527
o~ the machine of Figures 1 to 3; and
Figure 9 shows an alternative embodiment of the
detail shown in Figure 8.
The agricultural implement or ma~h~ne ~honn in
the Figures compri~es a frame havi~g two ~rame beams 1 a~d 2
extending tra~sversely of the intended direction of
operative travel of the machine, which is indicated by an
~rro~w A. ~he frame beams 1 a~d.2 are.horizQnt~L and
substantially parallel to one another. ~he front frame beam
1 has a re¢tangular cross-section,the longer sides of the
rectangle being inclined upwardly and forwardly, whereas
the rear frame beam 2 has a square cross-section and is
disposed 80 that one of its diagonals extends sub~tantially
vertically. The ends of.:the frame beams 1 and 2 are inter-
connected by tie be.ams 3'extending in the direction A.
Bracing members 4 are.arranged.between the tie beams 3 and
the beam 2. ~he fro~t.frame.beam 1 is provided, on its upper
surface, near its ends.a~d.~at equal intervals alQng..its
length with supports 5. These support~ 5 are channel- .
~haped i.e. they are U-shaped in cro~section, the web
of each support 5 being secured to the frame beam 1 80 th~
its limbs extend upwardly (~igure 4). ~he longitudinal centre
line of eaoh support 5, which is parallel to''bhé longer
eid~s of the rectangular cross-~ectional ~hape''~ the frame
beam 1, is inclined by about 25 to the horizontal. Ab-the
front, between the limbs of each support 5 there is arranged
.: , ,: . ,
~082527
by means of a pivot bolt 6 a sub~tantially parallel-sided
upper portion 6A of a member in the form of a hook-like tine
7 which i~ adapted to penetrate the soil. ~hese tines 7
comprise plates punched from ~heet material with a thickness
of about 20 mms. In use ef the machine the tines act as --
subaoil agitator~ loo~ening the ~ubsoil. ~he portion 6A
con~titutes a fastening portion a~d.extends over substa~ti~lly.
bh~ whole length of its support 5..The front side of the
portion 6A, like the front side of the U-shaped support 5,
is bevelled (Figure 4). The portion 6A merges into a central
portion 8 having a regular curve and.being the broadest
near the centre, the width progre~sively decreasing away
from the centre on either side. ~hus the tine has..generally
the shape of a ~ickle. The portion 8 merges into a.forwardly
exbending portion 9 which.ends in a tip. ~he end of the
portion 9 i8 located eub~tantially vertically beneath the
pivot bolt 6. As stated above, the tines 7 are made from
sheet material and their special design enables them.to be
punched from a ~ingle sheet without appreciable 1089 of ~ .
material, since the front edge of one tine can bear over the
whole of its length on the rear edge of an adjacent tine
ee Figure 5). Cn the end of the por.tion 9 there i~ provided
a removable tip 10 of wear-reeistant material, which is
fa~tened to the tine 7 by a transver~e pin 11 near its
broader end. ~he tip 10 has a flat part 12 on its upper side
having a subetantiallytrapezoidal shape, viewed on plan.
-- 4 --
.
, ,, 1082~7
The part 12 projects to each side of the tine and extend~
substantially perpendicular to the side face of the tine
(Eigures 6 and 7).
Near its rear end, each ~upport 5 has tag~ 13
which hold between them the rear edge of the portion 6A
of the tine 7, this portion 6A being held in place by a
bolt 14 arranged between the tags. The bolt 14 is formed
to act as a shear pin 80 that, as the tine 7 moves through
the ~oil, the bolt can break if excessive forces are
exerted on the tine,the tine then turning upwardly about
the bolt 6 at the front of the support 5. Some distance
behind the tine~, betweenthe tie beam~ 3, is mounted a
spraying boom 15 which extends transversely of the direction
A and i~ provided with spraying nozzles 16 positioned
directly behind the tine~ 7 and, moreover, midway between
each two adjacent tines, viewed in the direction of movement
A.
~ he spraying nozzles 16 are directed 30 that the
sprayed fluid i~ sprayed do~nwardly and ~lightly to the rear.
Behind thespray~ng boom 15 the tie beams 3 each carry a
support plate 17 on its outer side. Each ~upport plate 17
project~ above its tie bea~. At the ~ame vertical as level
the tle bea~ 3, an arm 19 is pivot~lly conneotea to each
support plate 17 by a stub ~haft 18. Each of the arms 19
tapers upwardly and ha~ an opening at it~ upper end for
receiving a bolt 20, which can al~o be received in any one
- 5 -
108Z527
of a plur~lity of holes 21 provided in the upper region of
each support plate 17 and arranged on an arc centred on the
longitudinal centre line of the stub shaft 18. ~he stub
shafts 18 on each side of the~ chine are in line with one
another. The lower end of each arm 17 is provided with
bearings in which a stub sh~t ~2 i8 ~reely rotatable. The
stub shafts 22 are con~ected with a roller 23 extending
transversely of the direction A.
Some dista~ce behind the support pla~e~ 17 the
tie boams 3 are provided with upwardly..~xt~nding.support
plate~ 24, the shape of.which cQrre~ponds.with that.oft~e
plates 17, these plat~s 24 being arranged in the sa~e manner.
An arm 26 i~ pivotally obnn.ected to each of the plates 24
by a stub shaft 25. he ~rm~ ~g are piv~table in the same
ma~ner as the ar,ms 19 about the aligned stub ~hafts 25 and
can also be ~ixed in a plurality of positions. ~he lower '.
ends of the arms 26 are provided with be.arings for the stuh
shafts 22 of a second roller 2.3. ~he stub.shafts 22.are
lo¢ated at a lower level tha~.those of the first roller.
The tWQ rollers 2~ Qperate,..as a pair, as cultivating mR~ber,~
and are adjustable. by meana of the arms.19 and 26 s~ a~ .
: the distance between them.. cas be varied.. In the.. position
shown in the Figure~, the rollers are at their mlnimum
distance apart. This minimum.di~tance is about 5 cm6. The
diameter of each of the rollers is about 40 cms. Each roller
23 is provided at its ends and at equal intervals betwees
- 6 -
- . : . : . ~ . .
` 1082527
its ends with ~upport plates 27. Each ~upport plate 27 has
a serrated psriphery constituted by alternate straight
short ~ides 28 and straight long sides 29. ~he ~hort sidee
28 and the long sides 29 are in the same po~ition relative
to the centre of a support holding the rotary axis of the
roller. Each short side 28 is at an angle of 25 to 30 to
the radial line going through it~ ~unction wi~h the next
following long side 2g and slopes forwardly of that radius
with respect to the operative direction o~ rotation of the
roller. The long sides are substantially tangential~to the
rotary axis of the roller. Each long side 29 iB about 3-times
as long as each short ~ide 28. To each o~ the short sides
28 is fastened to cross-piece of a ~-section iron 30 so
that part of that crQss-piece projects beyond the shQrt
~ide and hence beDoDd the periphery of the support 27. ~he
path aescribed by th~proiecting ena af the cross-piece haa
a greater diameter than the path ~scribed by bhe radially
outer end of the upright of the T-secti~n.In ~otal eight
~-section irons 30 are provided on each rolle~ he
irons ~0 o~ the t~o rollers ex~end helicaIly in opposite
__ - ' ' ~7 ! ~
sen~es about ths rotary axes of the ro11ers~ and serve as
the 801-e interconnection between the ~uppQrts 27 of each
roller. Cn the upper ~urfaceof the tie bea~ 3 a~d, as
viewed on plan, between the roller~ 23, there is arranged a
second ~praying boom 31 extending, like the boom 15, across
the whole working width of the machine. ~e boom 31 has
~08Z5Z7
spraying nozzles 32 which spray the sprayed fluid in the
direction towards the rear roller 23. Directly behind the
rear roller 23 are situated downwardly and rearwardly -
inclined arm~ 34 which are pivobed to the tie beams 3 by
stub shafts 33. ~ear its rear end, each arm 34 is provided
with an ear 35, through.which a pin 36 can be passed, which
can fit into any one of a plurality of holes 37 in. a plate
38 fastened to the lower surface of each tie beam 3. Between
the ends of~ the arm6 34 is provided a third roller 39 ~vhich
is mountsd in a freely rotatable ma~er. ~he roller 39
comprise~ a plurality of support plates 40 located, as are
the supports 27 of the rollers 23, in line behind.the tines
7, as is shown in ~igure 1. ~he suppQrt plates 40 are inter-
connected by oircular bars 41 which exte~d.sub~tantially
parallel to the rotary axis of the roller. Within the
~rorking range of the roller: 39 and in front of it there is
arr~ged between the tie beam~ 3 a third sprayi~ boom. 42
having spraying nozzles:-43 lacated at the level of the
support plates 40 of the roller 39 and directed ~o that
during. operation the sprayed fluid is ejected rearwardl~r
and downwardly towards the roller 39.
: I On the rear fr~me beam 2, on ibs rear ~urface and
in line with the support plates of the respective rollers 23
and 29 arLa of the tinea 7 in front of th~ pai~s of tags
55 are pro~ided for pivotally supporting brackets 45 one
above the other. ~he rear ends of the brackets 45 are
-- 8 --
. : . ' , ' ', ' .- . . ; ' " ' . ~,: ,'
, . . .
.
~ 08ZS~7
pivotally con~ected between supports 46 provided at the
front of precision seed drill~ 47, which may be of known
construction. ~he brackets 45 aisposed one above the other
constitute a parallelo?~ram structure. A compres~ion spring
48 is arranged between the rear end of the upper bracket
45 ~nd the front end of the lower bracket to absorb part
of the weight of the seed drill.
Some distance from its ends, near the fastening
location of each QutermQs~ tine 7, the front frame beam 1
is provided with a forwardly extending support 49, the
connection of which to the frame beam 1 is reinforced
by a bracing member 50, which i5 arra~ged inbQard of the
eupport andextends toward~ the front frame beam 1 in an
inclined position. Each of the supports 49 is fitted, by
meana of clamping strap0?51 and 52, with a hopper or tank
53, which extands over the whole length of itB support 49
and which has a height e~ceeding its width. The bottom of
most of the front portiQn of the tank 53 béars on the
support 49 which is inclin~d upwardly from the frcnt frame
beam 1. From the centre of the tank 53, the bottom of the
tank i8 inolined~.upwaraly to the rear (Figure 2). On the
bottom of each bank 53, near the centre, i8 provided a
delivery conduit 54 a~d 55 re~pectively ~hich ia guided
along the frame beam 1 and has? near the centre of the frame
beam, a forwardly direoted section connected with à pump 56,
which can be ooupled with the power take-off ~aft of a
_ g _
101!32S~7
tractor propelling the machine. A second conduit 57 and 58
re~pectively extends ~rom the pump 56 to the front spraying
boom 15 and to the rear spraying baom 42 respectively. The
middle spraying boom 32 communicates through a cond~i~
with a conduit 57. lh~ conduit 57 and the conduit 59
include stop cocks 60 by mean~ o~ which one or both of tha
~ront two ~praying booms can be ~witc~ o~ ~r off at will.
~ ear it~ centre the ~ront fra~e ~e~m 1 i8 proyi~ed
with Q trestle 61 for hitching the machi~e to the three-
point lifting device of a tractor. ~he top r~gion of the
trestle 61 is secured to the rear frame beam 2 by rearwardly
diverging supports 62.
The machine described above operates as follows:
For operation the machine i~ attached by the
trestle 61 to the three-point lift of the tractor and, as
stated above, the pump~ 56 are drivably connected with the
power take-off shaft of the tractor. ~he working depth of
the hook-like tines 7 operating as sub-soil agitators can
be adjusted by altering the level of the rear roller 39
serving, in addition, as a support. This alteration is
performed by ad~usting the upwardly displaceable arms 34.
The distance between the two front rolle~ 23 can be adjusted
by means of the setting arrangement comprising the arms 19
~d 26 and, by the same meane, their working depth oan be
ad~usted, for example ~o that the depth o~ the front roller
is the ~maller. By varying the relative po~itions of the
- 10 -
, . . , . .: ~:
108ZSZ7
rollers the inten~ity of their co~operation can be a~fected.
During a run of the ~achine, ~oil is torn up over the working
width of the machine in adiacent strips by the tines 7,
after which, directly in front of the front rollçr 23,
chemicals such as herbicides and/or pesticides are spread
on the worked strip through the spraying nozzl~s 16 of the
spraying boom 15. Subse~u~tly the sprayed chemi~als.are
intensively mixed into. the.earbh by the two.~n~ecutive
rollers ~3, whilst ang plan remnan~a and roots can be cut
up by the aid of the T-section irons 30 and ~ixed with the
ear~h. It is advantagqous that the rollers 23 do not ha~e
a centrally extending carrier or support shaft, 80 that earth
can readily pass into and out of the rollers. If de~ired,
a herbicide or a pesticide may again be added through the
spraying boom 31. In certain circumstance~, it has been
found that good results are obtained with the front roller
23 working at a depth of 6 to 7 cms and the rear roller 23
working at a depth of about 10 cms. Into the strip of 80il
thu~ worked a fertili~er, such as liquid manure, is
subsequently introduced through the spraying boom 42 and
by the rear roller 39 and the worked earth i~ consolidated
by the bars 41. ~hen each of.the seed drills 47 introduces
seed~ through their ~owing pipes into the worked and.prepared
~oil. After bhe operations described the strips of soil
torn up by the bines 7 are ~lightly pac.ked by the support
plates 27 a~d 40 of the respective rollers 23 and 39
, ,.
- 11 -
` 108Z5~7
located directly behind the t'ne~ 7. lhi~ prevents the seed~
introduced by the respective ~eed drills 47 into the furrow~
from being deposited at a~ e~e~siv~ depth in the ~oil.
Instead of the T-3ection irons 30, each of the ~oil worki~g
roller~ 23 may be provided with knife-like bars 63, which
are fastened by bolta 64 (see Figure 9) to bent-Qver tags
65'located at the shQrt sides 2~ of the serrated periphery
of the support plates 27. ~ike the cross-pisQe of the
~-sections 30, one side of each k~ife-like b~r 6~ is at an
an4le of about 30 to a radial line from the rotary P~iS
of the roller. In thi~ way the cutting effect of the bars
of the roller can be materially enhanced. If a tine 7 turns
about its bolt 6 after rupture of the bolt 14, this occurs
without the tine being first pressed more deeply in~o th~
soil since as stated above the bolt 6 is located substantially
vertically above the tip of the tine.
~ he specific dispoaition o~ the ho~pers or ta~k~ 53
on the eides of the machine a~d in front of the coupling
points for the attachmeht to the tractor ensurest~at the
machine ca~ be readily lifted by the lifting device, when
the machine has to be moved into a tran~port position.
~loping fields, an exces~ive unilateral load i8 avoided
by usin~ two hoppers or tanks. Since the hoppers or tanks
are located by their outer sides in line with the outer
eide of the frame (Figure 1), the assembly ha~ a compact
~tructure. If 1esired the sprayin~ bo~ t-~ may be omitted
- 12 -
108ZS2 7
~ so that the machine will still be more compact.
.
'
,it " ~'
,~ ~ . .
, ~ .
, ~
~3!:
';
;~.
~'.
"4B
