Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
SPECIFICATION
The present invention relates generally to ground~
working implements to be attached to motive power means
such as tractors and -the like, but more particularly to
such implements for loosening and smoothing ground or earth.
In preparing the ground or soil for any one of a
myriad of purposes, it is desirable to be able to loosen
the ground and thereafter to level the same by means of
scraping the ground to the proper elevation and slope.
This is particularly necessary in preparing building sites
and in sloping hillsides to the proper degree and elevation.
Although such operations have been performed by
hand, within recent years accessories or attachments have
been provided for tractors whereby the ground is ripped
or leveled, depending upon the implement being used. That
is, heretofore, separate implements or accessories have
been used, one implement on one tractor for ripping, and
another implement on another tractor for smoothing or
scraping the ground, although it has~also hitherto been
proposed to provide a ground-working implement which can
be attached to a tractor and which can be used to rip or
cut the ground or to scrape the same as required. It is
a primary object of the present invention to provide a
ground-working implement of this latter type in which a
unique locking means is provided for firmly securing
the scraper in its locked position with the ripper teeth
~ when the former is in its operating position.
- A preferred object of the present invention
is to provide a ground-working implement as characteri~ed
above having remote control means whereby the operator of
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the tractor can select which of the functions is to be
provided.
A further preferred object of the present
invention is to ~provide a ground-working implement as
characterized above wherein the ripper is provided with
mounting means for connection to the tractor whereby the
ripper teeth are maintained in predetermined depending
relation throughout raising and lowering oE the ripper.
A still further object of the present invention
is to provide a ground-working implement as characterized
above wherein the scraper is pivotally attached to the
ripper so as to be movable into and out of operating
position relative to the ripper.
An even still further object of the present
invention is to provide a ground-working implement
as characteri2ed above which is simple and inexpensive
to manufacture and which is rugged and dependable in
operationO
In accordance with the invention, there is
provided a ground-working implement for attachment to
motive power means comprising in combination/ a ripper
comprising an elongated frame and at least one ripper
tooth depending therefrom, mounting and positioning
means for the ripper connected to the frame and attachable
to motive power means to be operable to position the tooth
in raised position out of the ground or at any depth in
the ground, and a scraper hingedly mounted on the frame.
Operating means are included for alternatively placing
the scraper in an inoperative position above the tooth
regardless of the depth of said tooth in the ground and
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in an operative scraping position relative to the tooth.
Locking means is provided between the scraper and the
ripper tooth to anchor the scraper to -the tooth when the
scraper is in its lowered operating position.
The novel features which I consider character-
istic of my invention are set forth with particularity
in the appended claims. The invention itself, however,
both as to its organization and mode of operation, together
with additional objects and advantages thereof, will best ;~
be understood from the following description of specific
embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying
drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a
- tractor adapted with the present ground-working
implement;
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Figure 2 is a sectional view through
the ground-working implement taken
substantially along line 2-2 of
Figure 1;
Figure 3 is an elevational view of
the implement, taken substantially
along line 3-3 of Figure 2~
Figure 4 is a sectional view similar
; to Figure 2, but showing the scraper
in raised position7 and
- Figure 5 is a phantom elevational
view showing the motion of the
scraper locking means.
Like reference characters indicate cor-
responding parts throughout the several views of the
drawing.
Referring to Figure 1 of the drawings,
there is shown therein a tractor 10 on which is
mounted a ground-work.ing implement 12 according to
the present invention.
Tractor 10 may be of substantially any
design or construction, it merely being necessary
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that it be capable of pulling an implement over and
through the ground or earth to be worked. The
portion of tractor 10 shown in Figure 1 comprises
endless tracks lOa but it could be provided with
tractor wheels of substantially any design or
construction.
The ground-working implement 12 comprises
a ripper 14 and a scraper 16 which cooperate
together in a unique fashion.
, ,,
Ripper 14 comprises a frame 18 having an
elongated substantially horizontal box section
~ frame member 18a and a flat horizontal frame member;~ 18b attached thereto. The box section frame member
18a is provided with three (3) mbunting members
20, 22 and 24 which are welded to the box section
` in vertical position as shown in Figures 1 and 3 ofthe drawings. The mounting members 20 and 24 are
welded to the opposite ends of frame member 18a
and the mounting member 22 is positioned in the
~ 20 middle thereof as shown. Referring to mounting member
; 20, as shown most particularly in Figure 1 of the
drawings, it is formed as a rectangular open box
section having a rectangular vertically disposed
opening or slot 20a for receiving a ripping member
- 25 to be hereinafter described, An opening is provided
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in a sidewall o-f member 20 to receive fastening means
for firmly anchoring the ripping member as will be
apparent to those persons skilled in the art.
The moun-ting members 22 and 24 are substan-
tially identical with member 20 to individually receive
and retain a ripping member.
As shown most particularly in Figure 3 of
the drawings, there is provided, in the embodiment
shown for illustration of the present invention, three
(3) ripping members 26, 28 and 30 individually and
respectively anchored in the mounting members 20, 22
and 24. Each such ripping member is formed with a
generally L-shaped body as shown respectively at 26a,
28a and 30a, which slidably fit upwardly within the
vertical slot of the respective mounting member. At
the bottom of each such ripping member is a cutting
or ripping tooth as shown respectively at 26b, 28b and
30b, which is formed of hard, wear-resistant steel for
long life and effective operation in digging into the
ground as will hereinafter become more apparent. As
shown in the drawings, each tooth is formed with a
cutting edge to more efEectively and easily enter the
ground. In alternative embodiments there may, of course,
be a greater or lesser number of ripping teeth.
As shown most effectively with respect to
ripping member 26, each of the ripping members is
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vertically adjustable within its mounting member,
as described above. In this regard a fastening
device in the form of a fastening bolt is employed
for mounting each of the ripping members relative
to its mounting member.
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To properly mount the ripper 14 relative
to tractor 10, a pair of mounting brackets 32 and
34 are provided, one on each side of the rear of the
tractor 10. Each bracket has a pair of spaced
mounting plates, as shown. A pair of substantially
parallel mounting arms 36 and 38 are provided for
bracket 32 and a similar, if not identical, pair
of arms are provided for bracket 34. One end of
the lower arm 38 is pivotally mounted between
the plates of bracket 32 by means of a pivot pin 40.
One end of the upper arm 36 is similarly pivotally
mounted on bracket 32 by means of a pivot pin 42.
The other end of arm 38 is pivotally connected to
frame member 18a, and the other end of arm 36 is
pivotally connected to and between a pair of
upstanding support members 44 and 46 by a pivot pin
48. Members 44 and 46 are firmly welded to frame
member 18a~
The arms 36 and 38 thus cooperate with the
bracket 32 and the frame member 18a to form a
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parallelogram mounting arrangement which enables
,the ripper 14 to be raised and lowered relative
to the ground while maintaining the ripping members
26, 28 and 30 in the same vertica1 or depending
relation relative to the ground.
: The bracket 34 at the opposite side of
tractor 10 is provided with a similar parallelogram
~: arrangement so that the opposite sides or ends of
the ripper 14 are raised and lowered in this
particular manner.
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-~ To raise and lower ripper 14, there is
provided an either ride of frame 18 a hydraulic
. actuator 50 and 52. As sh~wn most clearly with
respect to actuator 52, one end ~2a thereof is
pivotally secured to mounting member 34 and the
opposite end 52b is pivotally mounted to fr~me
member 18b through a clevis 54 and pivot pin 56.
Suitable hydraulic conduit 58 extend From
~ control means (not shown) at the operators location
- 20 on tractor 10 to the hydraulic actuators 50 and
52 to enable the operator to raise and lower the
ripper 14.
Mounted on ripper 14 is the scraper 16.
It comprises a rectangularly shaped steel plate 60
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having reinforcing and stiffening members 60a on
the face of the plate, a reinforcing member 60b
along the upper edge thereof, and end reinforcing
members 60c along the opposite side edges. The
lower edge 6nd of plate 60 is serrated as shown
most particularly in Figures 1 and 3, to scrape
across the ground as will hereinafter become
more apparent.
As shown in Figures 2 and 3 of the
drawings, a pair of mounting tabs 62 and 64
are welded to the opposite end portions of one
side of plate 60. Each such tab is generally
triangular in shape, as shown in Figure 2, and
is formed with a through opening.
Firmly welded to frame member 18a, sub-
stantially in align~ent with the aforementioned
tabs 62 and 64 are extensions 66 and 68. A generally
L-shaped lever arm 70 is pivotally mounted to
and between tab 62 and extension 66. In like fashion
another L-shaped lever arm 7~ is pivotally
connected to and between tab 64 and extension 68.
Each of the lever arms 70 an~ 72 is
formed with a generally U-shaped crosssection and
thus has opposite sides which are positioned on
opposite sides of the respective tab and extension.
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Thus the L-shaped lever arm 70 is a
link between tab 62 and extension 66, by means of
pivot pin 74 and 76 respectively. Also, the
L-shaped lever arm 72 is a link between tab 64
and extension 68 by means o~ pivot pins 78 and
80. This arrangement affords pivotal movement of
scraper plate 60 relative to ripper 14 as will
hereinafter be described in ~reater detail.
~s shown most particularly in Figure 1
of the drawings, a mounting plate 82 is fir~ly
welded to member 46 as to be immovable relative
thereto. An L-shaped bracket 82a i5 secured to
one end of plate 82 to receive a pivot pin 84.
Each of the L-shaped lever arms 70
and 72 is formed with a pair of offset portions,
as shown at 72a with respect to lever arm 72~ A
pivot pin 86 is positioned in openings in the
offset portions 72a.
A hydraulic actuator 88 pivotally
mounted between the pins 84 and 86 and a similar
actuator for the lever arm 70 enable the scraper
plate 60 to be raised and lowered. Suitable
hydraulic conduit 90 interconnect each of these
actuators and suitable control means (not shown)
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in the operators position on the tractor 10.
: ~s shown most particularly in Figure 4
of the draw.ings, the tabs 62 and 64 are welded to
the scraper blade 60 at or near the ver~.ical
midpoint of such plate. As such, when the scraper
: 16 is raised to the position show~ in Figure 4,
~; the plate 60 is caused to assume a canted position
:;: with the serrated lower edge of plate 60 against
the ripper 14.
Aligned with each of the ripper members
26, 28 and 30, and firmly secured to scraper plate
60 but in spaced relation thereto, is a locking
bar 100, 102 and 104. As shown most particularly
in Figure 3, the bar 100 is welded between the
adjacent end plate 60c and a mounting tab 106.
In similar fashion, the bar 102 is welded betwean
a pair of mounting tabs 108 and 110 which are firmly
:~ welded between adjacent end plate 60c and a mounting
~ tab 112 welded to plate 60.
.' .
~ 20 For cooperation with such locking bars,
: each of the ripper members is formed with an offset
as shown at 28C with respect to member 28 to afford
an upwardly exposed notch or recess 114. ~he
locking bar 102 is caused to fit within such recess
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114 when the scraper 16 is in its lowermost
operating position. At the same time, of course,
the other locking bars 100 and 104 are caused to
fit within a corresponding notch or recess in
the members 26 and 30, respectivelyO
Figure 5 shows the movement of lever arm
72 in placing the scraper in operating position,
the locking bar 102 swinging outwardly and there-
after inwardly toward the ripper member 28 as
le~er 72 is caused to pivot clockwise about pivot
pin 68. Due to the afore described balancing
of the scraper 16, locking bar 102 is ultimately
caused to rest within the recess 114, as the
locking bars 100 and 104 are caused to engage the
similar recesses in ripper members 26 and 30.
As a result of this arrangement, the
strength of ripper members 26, 28 and 30 is trans-
mitted to the scraper 14 when the latter is in its
operating position. By proper positioning of the
locking bars on plate 60, the operating position
of the serrated edge 60d of plate 60 can be controlled
with respect to the ripper teeth 26b, 28b and 30b.
It is thus seen that the present invention
provides a unique ripper and scraper ground-working
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implement for attachment to motive power means
such as a tractor and the like, whereby the
ground can be ripped or scraped, as desired, the
operator of the tractor having the choice of which
function to provide by suitable munipulation
of control devices at the operator station of
the tractor.
Although I have shown and described
certain specific embodiments of my invention, I
am well aware that many modifications thereof
are possible. The invention is not to be restricted
except insofar as is necessitated by the prior
art and by the spirit of the appended Claims.
