Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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The present invention relates to an improved
cultivator.
The invention more particularly relates to an
improved row crop cultivator having means thereon whereby the
operating conditions of the cultivator can be quicXly adjusted.
It is often desirable, in operatiny a cultivator,
to change the depth to which the cultivator works the soil,
or to change the spacing between the cultivator elements, or
to change or replace the cultivator elements employed. The
above changes are often most desirably made in the field.
However to make the above changes on known cultivators is
quite labourious and often such changes cannot be easily made
in the field
I~t is the object of the present invention -to provide
an improved cultivator on which changes in the operating
conditions of the cultivator, can be quickly and easily made.
More particularly, it is one specific object of
the present invention to provide a cultivator having means
whereby the depth to which the cultivator works the soil
can be quickly and easily adjusted by adjusting the height
of the support wheels on the cultivator, relative to the
cultivator implements.
It is another specific object of the present invention
to provide a cultivator having means whereby the distance
between the adjacent cultivating elements can be quickly and
easily adjusted.
It is a further specific object of the present
invention to provide a cultivator having means whereby the
cultivating elements ean be quickl~ and easily replaced.
The cultivator of the present invention has
a pluralitv of support wheels mounted beneath support mem-
bers carrying the cultivator elements. Each support wheel
is swingably mounted from the support member by a first
strut. A seeond strut extending from the wheel at angle
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with respect to the first stru-t is adjustably mounted on the
support member to adjust the height of the wheel. A spring-
loaded lockiny pin may be use~ on the support member to lock
the second strut in place. The locking pin is readily
accessibly and quickly releases the second strut for height
adjustment of the wheel.
The cultivator of the present invention also
has its cultivating elements mounted on support bars which
are slidably mounted in the support members. The support
bars are arranged in pairs with one bar of the pair extending
in one direction transversely from the support member, and
the other bar of the pair extending transversely in the
opposite direction from the support member. In the support
member, the bars of each pair are adjacent and parallel to
each other. Simple wedge means are provided for simultaneously
locking both bars of each paix in place in -the support member.
These wedge means comprise bolts which extend between the
bars, and a nut threaded onto each bolt with a cam surface
thereon to force the bars tight against the support member.
Loosening of the nut allows the bars to be slidably adjusted
in the support member thereby changing the spacing between
the cultivating elements carried by the support bars.
The cultivating elements mounted on each support
bar are connected by a support arm to the end of the support
bar. The suppoxt bar is hollow and has an open end. Wedge
means are provided for insertion into the open end of the
support bar. A bolt connects the support arm carrying the
disc to the wedge means. When the bolt is tightened, it
locks the wedge means ~ithin the support bar thereby securely
- connecting the disc to the support bar. The loosening of a
single bolt is all that is required to remove or replace the
cultivating disc.
The invention as hereinafter claimed is more par-
ticularly directed toward a cultivator comprising an impro-
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ved cultivator oE the type comprising:
- at least one support member having two side-
walls joined by a top wall
- at least one wheel supporting each support
member on the ground;
- means for vertically adjusting each wheel
with respect to the support member, said adjusting means
comprising a first strut swingably connecting the wheel
to the support member, and a second strut extending at angle
with respect to the first strut, for adjustably connecting
the wheel to the support member;
- at least one pair of support bars mounted
on the support member, one support bar of each pair exten-
ding in one direction transversely from the support member,
the other support bar of each pair extending in the opposite
direction transversely from the support member; and
~ a set of cultivating elements mounted on the
support bars, wherein:
- each pair of support bars are slidably mounted
into two pairs of horizontally aligned, adjacent holes pro-
vided in the one and other side walls of the support member
respectively, the support bars oE said pair lying closely
adjacent, and parallel to, each other in said pairs of holes
in said support member, and
- single means are provided on said support
member for locking both bars of each pair to the support
member said locking means comprising wedge means for wedging
the support bars tight against the support member, said
wedge means comprising at least one bolt mounted in the
top wall of the support member and passing down between
the support bars, and a nut with a camming surface thereon
threadable on the bolt, the camming surface on said nut
wedging the bars apart into said respective holes and tight
agains~ the support member.
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The invention will. be better understood with
reference to the following, non-restrictive description
of a preEered embodiment thereof, made in connection with
the accompanying drawings in which:
Fig. 1 is a detail, partly exploded, perspective
view of a cultivator incorporating the improvements of
the present invention,
Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing how
the cultivator support bars are mounted to a support member;
Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing how
a cultivator disc arm is mounted on a support bar; and
Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional, detail view showing
how
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the support member is suppor-ted by an adjustable wheel.
The sultivator 1 as shown in Fiy. 1, includes a
main frame 3 by means of which the cultivator can be pulled
by a tractor (not shown). The main frame 3 includes a rear
main frame member 5 extending transverse to the direction of
movement of the cultivator when it is pulled. A plurality
of support members 7, one of which is shown, extend rearwardly
from the rear main frame member 5. Each support member 7
extends transverse to the frame member 5 and is located
beneath the same.
A parallelogram linkage 9 connects the support
member 7, near its front end 10, to the frame member 5. The
linkage 9 comprises two parallel arms 11 and 13. One end
15, 17 of each arm 11, 13 respectively is pivotally mounted
by a bolt 19, 21 respectively to a mounting post 23 on the
top wall 25 of the support member 7 near its front end 10.
The other end 27, 29 of each arm 11, 13, respectively, is
pivotally mounted by a bolt 31, 33, respectively, to a pair
of brackets 35, 37. The ~rackets 35, 37 are each fixed to
the back wall 39 of the rear main frame member 5 by ~-bolts
41.
Each support member 7 carries a plurality of first
support bars 45 which extend transversely from one side wall
47 of the support member 7, and a plurality of second support
bars 49 which extend transversely from the other side wall
51 of the support member 7. Each bar 45 is located adjacent
a bar 49 to form spaced-apart pairs of oppositely extending
bars along each support member 7. Each support bar 45 or 49
carries known cultivating elements such as a cultivating tine
53 and a disk 55.
Each support member 7 is supported on the ground
by a number of wheels 57 one of which is shown.
In accordance with the present invention, each
wheel 57 is mounted beneath the support member 7 in such a
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manner that it can be quickly, ~ertically adjusted with
respect to the member 7. ~o do so, a irst strut
59 is mounted over the wheel 57 wi-th its arms 61 rota-tably
mounting the wheel 57 by its axle 63. The stem 65 of the
strut 59 extends forwardly and upwardly between the side
walls 47 and 51 of the frame member 7, and is pivotally
mounted between the walls 47 and 51 by a pivot pin 67. The
strut 59 normally trails the pin 67. A second strut 71 is
mounted on the wheel axle 63 adjacent one of the arms 61 of
the first strut 59 and extends upwardly and rearwardly to the
frame member 7 to which it is fixed to prevent the wheel 57
from hitting the frame member 7. The rear strut 71 is adjust-
ably mounted to the frame member 7 so that the height of the
member 7 above the wheel 57 and thus above the ground can
be adjusted. The rear strut 71 loosely passes through a
slot 73 formed between the side wall 51 of member 7 and a
lock pin mount 75. The lock pin mount 75 as shown in Fig.
4, has an outer end wall 77 and a parallel, inner end wall
79 defining the other side of slot 73. Side walls 81
connect the end walls 77 and 79 together and project past
the end wall 79 to abut on the side wall 51 of the member
7 to which they are fixed.
A lock pin 82 extends through aligned holes 83,
85 in the end walls 77/ 79. A stop washer 87 is fixed to
the pin 82 between the end walls 77, 79. A spring 89 is
mounted on pin 82 between the washer 87 and the outer end
wall 77 to bias the pin inwardly against the side wall 51
of the member 7. A handle 91 on the outer end of the lock
pin 82 allows the pin to draw away from the side wall 51.
The rear strut 71 has a plurality of spaced-apart
holws 93 along its upper portion. The strut 71 is positioned
to have one of the holes 93 aligned with the pin 82, the
pin 82 passing into the aligned hole to lock the strut in
place. The height of wheel 57 relative to member 7 is
easily adjusted by moving the pin 82 ou-twardly via its handle
91, and sliding the rear strut 71 up or do~n through the slot
73 to locate the wheel at the desired height. The strut
71 is then slightly moved to ali~n the nearest hole 93 with the
pin 82 and the handle 91 is released~ thus allowing the spring
89 to move the pin 82 into the hole 93.
The above mentioned, support bars 45 and 49 are
adjustably mounted in the support member 7. Each bar 45 is
slidably mounted in a pair of aligned holes 101 in the side
walls 47 and 51 of member 7. Each bar 49 is also slidably
mounted in a pair of aligned holes 103 in the side walls
47 and 51 of member 7. The holes 101 for each bar 45 are
close to the holes 103 for each bar 49, and the holes 101 and
103 are aligned horizontally. When each bar 45 is slidably
mounted in its holes 101, it lies parallel to, and closely
adjacent a bar 49 slidably mounted in holws 103.
Simple means are provided to lock the bars 45 and
49 in the member 7. A single locking means 105 is provided
for each pair o~ adjacent bars 45 and 49. The locking means
105 comprise at least one wedging member movable up between
the bars 45 and 47 to wedge them upwardly and outwardly tight
against the upper edges 107 and 109 of the ends of the holes
101 and 103.
The wedge member as shown in Fig. 2 comprises a nut
111 having a sloping surface 112. The nut 111 is threaded
onto a bolt 113 that extends down from the top wall 25 of
the member 7 between the baxs 45 and 49. The head 115 of
the bolt 113 rests on the ~op wall 25. The nut 111 threads
onto the bolt 113 and its sloping cam surface 112 moves between
the lower adjacent corners 117 and 119 of the bars 45 and 49.
Continued threading of the nut 111 onto the bolt 113 causes the
nut 111 to cam the bars 45 and 49 up and out and tight against
the edges 107 and 109 of the holes 101 and 103.
Preferably, each single locking means 105 comprises
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two bolt and nut sets between each set o bars 45 and 49 as
shown in Fig. 1. The support bars ~5 and 49 can be easily
adjusted relative to the support member 7 to vary the distance
of the cultivator tines 53 and disks 57 carried by the bars
45 and 49 from the member 7. The adjustment is made by
loosening the nuts 111, sliding the bars 45 and 49 the desired
distance in the holes 101 and 103 and then retightening the
nust 111.
Means are provided for easily mounting the disc 57
or any other cultivating element on ~he end of each support
bar 45 or 49. Each suppor-t bar 45, 49 is hollow and has an
open end 121. Preferably each tubular bar 45, 49 has a square
cross-section. The disc mounting means as shown in Fig. 3
comprises a first wedge member 123 which loosely fits within
the support bar through its open outer end 121. The first
wedge member 123 can be tubular with a bottom wall 125 which
bears on the bottom wall 127 of the support bar, a parallel
top wall 129 and side walls 131. The inner end 133 of the
member 123 is perpendicular to the bottom wall 125. The
outer end 135 slopes rearwardly and upwardly from the front
edge 137 of the bottom wall 125. A nut 139 is fi~ed within
-the member 123 to the top wall 129 adjacent the inner end
133.
The disc mounting means includes a second wedge
member 141 which also loosely fits within the tubular support
bar through its open end 121. The second wedge member 141
is also tubular with a top wall 143, which will bear against
the top wall 145 of the support bar, a parallel bottom wall
147, and side walls 149. The outer end 151 of the second
wedge member 141 is perpendicular to the top wall 143.
The inner end 153 slopes forwardly and downwardly from the
rear edge 155 of the top wall 143.
The arm 161 supporting the disc 57 has a hole 163
adjacent its free end 165. A bolt 167 is provided which
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passes through the hole 163 and threa~ onto the nut 139.
The disc mounting means is assembled by placing
the outer end 135 of the first wedge member 123 against the
inner end 153 of the second wedge member 141 and passing the
bolt 167 through the hole 163 in arm 161, -through the second
wedge member 1~1, and into the nu-t 139. The assembled wedge
members 123 and 141 are then placed into the support bar
through its open end 121 with the bottom walls 125 and 147
of both wedge members 123 and 141 on the bottom wall 127 of
the bar and with the arm 161 lying adjacent the open end
121 of the bar. The bolt 167 is now tightened drawing the
first wedge member 123 toward the arm 161. As the wedge
member 123 moves toward the arm 163, its inner end 1S3 cams
the other wedge member 141 upwardly. Continued tightening
of the bolt 167 cams the first wedge member 123 tight against
the bottom wall 127, and the second wedge member 141 tight
against the top wall 145. This securely locks the arm 161,
and thus the dlsc 57 or another cultivating element to the
end 121 of the support bar. The disc 57 is easily replaced
by loosening the bolt 167.
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