Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
1~
The subject matter of the invention is a method for
loosening arable soils, preferably those carrying plants in which
at least two superjacent or subjacent soil layers are undercut,
raised, broken up and are deposited again without any substantial
mutual mixing on the subsoil or on the lower loosened soil layer
and an implement for carrying out the method. The methods known
heretofore and the implements for carrying out said methods have
the disadvantage that the top layer in heavy soils must be
- crumbled to such an extent that plants growing thereon are des-
troyed or that the soil layer can be loosened only insufficiently
if it is so carefully undercut, raised and deposited again that
the soil clots, which remain in a certain bond with respect to
each other despite the vertical cracks being formed, retain
their approximately horizontal position so that the plants can
then continue to grow.
This is where the present invention comes in. It is
the aim of the present invention to provide a method and imple-
ment by means of which the lower soil layers can be loosened
more intensively, i.e. crushed and crumbled without having to
crush the top soil layer to such an extent that the plants growing
thereon are destroyed.
The invention starts from the recognition of the fact
; that not only is a loosening of the top soil layer, which has a
good, so called "living blocked-up friable structure", unneces-
~; sary but it is directly detrimental to the friable state of the
soil and to the soil organisms and thus to the yield. Hereto-
fore, not only did the conventicnal tilling of this well crumbled
top layer of the soil require unnecessary expenditure of labour
and power but time and again it has caused substantial losses of
~30 yield due to losses of water and nutrients or winter killing. If
crop residues, or green manuring, weeds or the like are to be
prevented from growing further by tilling the top soil layer, a
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flat tillage to ~ depth of a Eew centimetres u~ually is suffic-
ient. This also has the advantage that any loss of water is
avoided and that a favourable "settled" soil horizon remains
for depositing the seed grains.
Since the soil erosion, which is increasing on a
world-wide scale, urgently requires an improvement of the known
methods, the new method is intended particularly for loosening
deep soil layers without necessarily having to destroy completely
the plants growing on the soil, for example, green manuring
plants, or to crush more than absolutely necessary the top
- layer of the soil, which is rich in numus, better crumbled and
alive with organisms, to mix it with other layers or to destroy
the fauna present in the top layer.
The aim outlined above is substantially achieved in
that the top layer of the soil cracks extending substantially
in the vertical direction are produced between the clods, which
retain substantially their horizontal position, and to crush the
lower layers of the soil into smaller clods or crumbs and to
cover them with the larger clods of the top layer so that after
~20 the soil has been loosened plants living on the upper layer of
the soil can continue to grow without hindrance.
The crushing of the lower layer is brought about by
rubbing, pushing, jarring or similar action on the soil of this
layer between the upper side of a share raising this layer and
the bottom side of a share raising the upper soil layer.
The solution of this problem is a decisive advance in
- soil cultivation insofar as it will be possible in future to
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loosen the soil intensively also under ~ plants so that it
provides more room for roots, contains more air, stores more
water and is less exposed to erosion than for example, soils
ploughed, tilled by rotary cultivator or grubbed in a known
manner.
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~ The new method also permits deep loosening in summer,
; i.e. at a more favourable time and usually at a drier state of
the soil without loss of time for growing first crops and
succeedi~g crops, particularly on fields overgrown with stubble
crops, underseeds, or forage plants. Irrespective thereof the
top layer of the soil can also be crumbled more intensely in a
` separate operation carried out at later date. When required,
the plants growing on this layer can be readily mixed with the
soil in a manner known per se.
Further details variants and special practical examples
of this basic idea according to th~ invention have been laid
down in the claims and are explained in greater detail with
reference to the drawings.
Figure 1 shows the lateral view of an implement.
Figure 2 shows the implement of Figure 1 in front view.
Figure 3 shows the implement of Figure 1 in top view.
Figure 4 shows a diagrammatic lateral view of the
' ~ implement tilling the soil.
Figure 5 shows a perspective diagram of the soil layers
prior to and after tilling.
~' Figure 6 shows a diagrammatic, part-sectioned lateral
view of the implements required for carrying out the method and
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operating in the soil.
Figure 7 shows a diagrammatic view of a slightly
modified practical example.
~; Figure 8 shows a corresponding view of a further prac-
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tical example.
Figure 9 shows a corresponding view of yet another
' practical example.
Figure 10 shows a diagrammatic top-view of the prac-
`,~ tical example of Figure 9.
; ~ Figure 11 shows a diagrammatic top-view of a further
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practical example,
; Figure 12 shows a diagrammatic lateral view thereof
and
Figure 13 shows a corresponding diagrammatic view
from behind.
As is evident from the Figures 1 to 3, the implement
has a crossbar 1 on which there is disposed in the driving direc-
tion the connecting frame 2 for the three-point rod (not shown)
~ of a tractor or the like. Moreover, bearing blocks 4 and the
; gear box 5 are so disposed on the crossbar 1 that shafts 6 sup-
ported therein are in alignment with each other and with the
gear shaft.
The outer ends of the drive shafts 6 contain eccentric
disks 7 to which bearing seats 8 of the supporting arms 9 are
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pivoted. The supporting arms 9 are fixed to the bearing boxes
4 via a control lever 11 hinged to swivel supports so that a
quadrilateral-link is formed, said link imparting an elliptic
path of motion 12 to the shares 108 and 109, which are disposed
at the free end of the supporting handles or legs 112, which are
in turn detachably and replaceably fastened to the supporting
arms 9.
Two jack wheels 14, whose supports 15 are vertically
adjustable in their bracing tubes 16, are disposed on the
crossbar 1.
The vertical adjustment of the jack wheels 14 is
carried out by means of a spindle which is known per se and
whose details are not shown. The spindle is actuated via a
crank handle.
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The gear 5 has drive shaft butts 19 on both sides in
the longitudinal direction of the crossbar 1. The butts 19 are
" connected to the shaft 6 either non-rotatably or detachably
via couplings which are known per se.
When the implement 3 is attached to a tractor, which
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; drives the gear 5 by way of a drive shaft (not shown) and the
jack wheels 14 of the implement in the operating position roll
on the surface of the soil the shares 108, 109 and the lower
or /eys
~-~, ends of the supporting handles~ll2 engage the compacted soil in
that they are moved clockwise on a closed curved track 12 and
thus exert some kind of a shaking motion on the soil layers 101
and 102 undercut by them.
Since the lower soil layer 102, which is raised by the
upper side lO9a of the lower shares 109, is thrown up in rapid
succession, it impinges continuously on the bottom side 108b
of the upper share, which immediately throws it down again. By
continuous jolting, rubbing, throwing and impinging, the lower
soil layer thus is substantially more intensively crushed between
the two sides 108b and lO9a (which are turned towards each other)
of the two shares 108 and 109 than the upper soil layer wh~ch is
raised from below.
In the upper soil layer with the loosening shares
inclined as flat as possible primarily by the supporting handles
; 9 and 112 cracks extending vertically merely in the driving
direction are produced.
The vertical motion of the loosening shares also pro-
duce cracks 105b which extend primarily at right angles to the
driving direction but do not change the fact that the larger
clods 106 forming ~ the upper layer 101 retain at least sub-
stantially their original position with respect to each other
and to the soil surface.
Therefore although the lower soil layer is crushed more
intensely and also mixed the plants growing on the soil surface
retain, in the presence of sufficient water, a portion of undam-
,30 aged roots in the large clods 106 which is so high that the
roots can then continue to grow. These roots can even develop
favourably in the loosened soil since the soil is better venti-
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lated and forms less resistance and the subsequent precipita-
tions are stored completely so that they do not run off to a
great extent as in the case of compacted soils.
Therefore, the method according to the invention
permits intensive soil loosening under living plants, the full
utilization of the vegetation time and of all the natural
growth factors, it prevents erosion and substantially increases
the yield in a moderate climate as well as under tropical or
arid conditions.
As is shown diagrammatically in Figure 4, the
invention proposes to install knives 115 on the bottom side
108b of the upper share and on the upper side lO9a ~f the lower
share at certain intervals side by side and in the driving
direction staggered with respect to each other. Particularly
at high driving speed the knives cause a more intensive
crushing of the lower soil layer.
For the same purpose a rib 116 extending at right
angles to the driving direction can be installed at the rear
edge of the bottom side 108b of the upper share. The rib is
in the so-called clearance angle of this share and thus does
not obstruct the passage of the soil layer between the two
shares. The two shares preferably are not exactly parallel
but form an acute angle with respect to each other so that the
inside distance between them is smaller at the tips of the
shares than at their ends.
In order to reduce the soil resistance and parti-
cularly to prevent long-stalked material, for example, grain
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. or corn straw, from clinging to the leading edge 112a of the
supporting handle 112, the handle may be provided with sawlike
teeth 117, which become effective primarily in the upward
motion of the supporting handle 112.
particular advantage of the method according
~` to the invention described above lies in that so-called
- concretions due
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primarily to ploughing, tilling by rotary cultivator, soil load-
ing and backlash of the wheels of tractors, processing machines
and hauling equipment can be eliminated completely. With the
implements known heretofore the concretions were merely undercut,
` raised but crushed only into large clods.
~.; However, in the novel method they are intensively
- loosened in that the compacted soil layer is run over by the
upper share and undercut by the lower share and that it is also
~- intensively crushed between the two shares by the shaking motion.
; 10 As a modification of the practical example and depend-
ing on the soil type and the thickness of the compacted layers
it is possible to arrange not only two shares but also several
:
shares at equal or different intervals at the free end of the
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supporting handle~112 so that the soil is intensively loosened
in any clearance between two shares arranged superjacently or
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subjacently but the upper layer can be obtained in large clods.
The intensive crushing of the lower soil layers and
the merely large-clod loosening of the top soil layer has not
only advantages on soils covered with plants. It has also advan-
tages on a tilled soil which is covered with crop residues orwith a la~er of mulch or had previously been tilled flat since
the intensive loosening of lower soil layers, particularly in
heavy soils, can be carried out only in relatively dry soils.
This is frequently the case at a moment when it is
undesirable to crush the soil surface more intensely or ready
it for seeding. This is due to the fact that the layer made
ready for seeding absorbs too mucn water in subsequent precipi-
tations and therefore no longer dries, for example, in fall.
Moreover, a field made ready for seeding would be more damaged
in the subsequent tilling by erosion due to the effect of wind
or intense precipitation or tractor tracks than a top layer
consisting of large clods. If this large-clod structure is
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i maintained to the moment of seeding, then the rain water gets
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through the cracks between the large clods primarily into the
;~ subsoil so that it is stored completely and there is no
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;' danger of soil erosion. In later tilling operations the large
clods are more resistant to soil loading by tractors and
vehicles.
The crushing of the large clods and the preparation
~-. of a ready seed bed can be carried out by using known implement
.~-; combinations in the same operation with row seeding or planting
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of the subsequent kind of crop. Both the compacting of a
deeper soil layer and the preparation of an optimal seed bed
in the top layer as well as the cultivation are thus prevented
so that detrimental tracks cannot impair the later growth of
the plants.
Therefore, not only does this method assure maximum
yields with a minimum expenditure of fertilizer but it also
makes it possible to divide the power consumption, which is un-
avoidable in the loosening of heavy soils into at least two
separate operations.
As is evident from Figure 6 in a further development
of the present invention the top soil layer 1' has been
cultivated with plants and thus is well penetrated with roots
and constructed with living blocked-up crumbs while the lowest
soil layer 2' usually is more compacted. Therefore, the top
soil layer is undercut and raised by the rigid loosening
shares 3', which are secured to handles 10' which are known
per se. Behind the handles or legs 10' there are installed
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known supporting handles or legs 9' which are moved by means
` ,~ of driving means (not shown in detail) and have at their lower
end wing-shaped loosening shares 4b'. The shares 4b' undercut
. the lower compacted soil layer 2', raise it and throw or push
:~ the forming soil clods by shaking motions against the bottom
side of upper wing-shaped loosening shares 4a' runnlng behind
the loosening shares 3' so that the lower soil layer is crushed
- into small clods and deposited on the subsoil
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18'. The upper soil layer 1' is deposited on the top side of
. the loosened and crushed lower layer 2'. Prongs 7', which
serve as a guide screen for the top soil layer 1', are
attached to the rear edge of the loosening shares 3'. Knives
~- 5' are located on the bottom side of the upper wing-shaped
.
loosening shares 4a' and on the upper side of the lower wing-
shaped loosening shares 4b' for crushing the lower soil
layer 2'.
Moreover guide elements 12', 15' having lateral
branches 13', 14' for fertilizers, which can be fed in from a
tank 17' via the outlet 16' are provided at the rear edge of
the supporting handles 9'.
The practical example according to Figure 7 corres-
ponds substantially to that of Figure 6 with the difference
that the supporting handles or legs 10' are inclined from the
front top and extend downwards to the rear so that the loosen-
ing shares 3' can be arranged at a shorter interval ahead of
the loosening shares 4a'.
In its function the practical example according to
Figure 8 corresponds substantially to the practical example of
Figure 6. However, it can be seen that cracks extending at
right angles to the driving direction are formed in the top
soil layer and that the supporting handles of the rigid loosen-
ing members 10' are secured to a bracing tube 19' having rear-
wardly extending brackets 20', on which a driven shaft 21' is
supported. Cams 22' on which the upper end of the supporting
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~: handle 9' is supported are disposed on the shaft 21'. The
`1 supporting handle 9' is also pivoted to a lever 23', which is
:. in turn pivoted to a downwardly extending bracket and is a
.~ component part of the known quadrilateral link, which enables
an eliptical path of motion of the tips of the shares 4a' and
~ 4b'.
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` The Figures 9 and 10 show a further practical
.` example, where two vertical supporting handles 10' are attached
to a bracing tube 10'. The loosening shares 3' of said support-
;- ing handles 19 are disposed at different levels and undercut
one of the two soil layers at a time.
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The lower soil layer is crushed by prongs or knives
25' disposed on a driven shaft 26' which is supported in a
small casing 27' and laterally extends on both sides beyond
this casing. The shaft 26' is driven via a chain wheel 28',
a chain 29' by a chain wheel 30' which is in driving
connection with the drive shaft of the tractor via driving
means which are not shown in detail and are known per se.
This makes it possible to crush deeper soil layers as
intensively as desired under an upper soil layer 1', which has
been raised only temporarily and is substantially untouched
and covered with living plants.
The shaft 26' can be driven at a variable speed,
preferably a low speed, and is provided with prongs which are
known per se and may have any shape. The narrow casing 27'
is disposed behind the vertical supporting handle 10', which
divides the cut-up soil layers in a vertical plane so that no
clogging occurs despite the gear partially guided in the
ground.
The practical example shown in the Figures 11 to 13
shows a supporting handle 10' which is known per se. A
bearer plate 31' on which there are disposed removable loosen-
ing shares 3' whose ends, which are turned towards each other,
laterally join to a chisel 33'. Reinforcing arms 32' are
disposed at the rear of the bearer plate 31'. Retaining
pockets 34' having small supporting handles 35' with duckfoot
shares 37' at their rear are attached to the reinforcing arms.
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The duckfoot shares 37' cut through the lower soil layer in
both the vertical direction and the horizontal direction and
loosen it.
The loosened clods of the lower layer are then
covered by the upper soil layer which is substantially non-
treated and has been raised and deposited again. Therefore,
this design of loosening implement permits undercutting and
carefully raising the upper soil layer by supporting handles
10, arranged at relatively wide intervals with respect to eech
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other, and the intensive crushing o~ the lower 50il by narrowly
spaced rigid tools without the danger of cloyging by straw and
the like on the ground. Therefore it is not required to arrange
these loosening tools staggered in several rows in tandem on
bracing tubes as in the conventional heavy cultivators.
Since the supporting handles 35' are secured to retain-
ing poc~ets 34' by means of bolts of varying thickness, each
individual small supporting handle 35' can swing rearwards when
impinging on pieces of rock present in the soil after shearing
of the two bolts 38' without getting into the rotating prongs of
an implement possibly arranged behind the supporting handles
and intended for preparing seed beds. Therefore, an implement
for loosening the soil which is provided with the loosening
member having the novel design shown in the Figures 11 to 13 can
be used on heavy soils by itself and also in conjunction with
an implement for preparing seed beds arranged therebehind.
In the first case the deeper soil layer 2' is loosened
more intensely then the upper soil layer 1'. In the second
case the deeper soil layer is loosened as much as in the first
case, but the upper soil layer 1' is crumbled by the additional
implement so as tobe ready for seeding. This is advantageous
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~A in cases in ~ihich immedlately after the harvest,catch crops are
grown or grain or the like is sown in fall or spring.
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