Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BA~KGROU~D OF THB INVE~TION
The present invention relates to motor driven rotary
cultivating devices having particular utility for front-end
earth working. More specifically, the invention relates to the
manner of supporting and interconne~cting support wheels and
drag bar to ensure that the wheels and drag bar move
simultaneosly between a working position and a transport
position and to the location and orientation of the drag bar in
its working position allowing it in the preferred embodiment,
to extend slightly rearward at an angle to the vertical
providing a self-cleaning feature.
Pivotally mounted drag bars for use in controlling the
cultivating or tilling functions of a walk-behind device are
well known. Moreover, drag bars whose position is controlled
by the adjustment of wheel position are also disclosed in prior
art. United States patent No. 4,164,983 issued to Hoch on
August 21, 1979 discloses a walk-behind tiller with singularly
mounted drag stake and wheels which patent is representative of
the type of device here under consideration. Specifically,
this patent discloses the use of a pivotable over center wheel
mounting arrangement, which arrangement controls the position
of the drag bar. The arrangement is adjustable for movement
between two positions, an extreme forward position for
establishing a transport condition and an extreme rearward
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position for establishing a working position. The patent also
discloses the use of a bracket which constitutes the sole means
for interconnecting and attaching the wheels and drag stake to
the frame.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly it is a principle object of the present
invention to provide an improved manner of interconnecting sep-
arately mounted support wheels and drag stake in a motor driven
rotary cultivating device.
The invention provides an earth working cultivator
comprising a chassis; a set of rotary earth working tines sup-
ported by said chassis; a pair of wheels; mounting means sup
porting the pair of wheels on the chassis for simultaneous
swinging movement about a first pivot axis between a forward
transport position and a rearward working position; a drag stake
pivotally mounted on the chassis at a second pivot axis posit-
ioned rearwardly of the first pivot axis; and connecting means
fixed to the mounting means and interconnecting the wheels and
the drag stake for simultaneously pivoting the drag stake about
its mounting and the wheels about their mounting when the wheels
are moved between a forward transport position, wherein the
stake is in a relatively raised position, and a rearward working
position, wherein the stake is in a lowered, earth engaging
position.
Preferably the pair of support wheels and drag stake
are interconnected by means of a sliding collar bar attached to
the wheel axle such that the drag stake enters the ground rear-
wardly of the wheel axle. The sliding collar bar for pivoting
interconnecting the support wheels and drag stake vastly simpli-
fies the mounting construction as found in prior art by making
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the structural arrangement of the drag stake and wheel assembly
more compact and efficient.
The drag stake is preferably constructed and mounted
in a manner permitting vertical adjustment thereof, and extends
slightly rearward at an angle to the vertical from connective
means to provide a self-cleaning feature.
A better understandiny of the advantages, features,
properties and relations of the invention will be obtained from
the following detailed description and accompanying drawings
which set forth certain illustrative embodiments and are in-
dicative of the various ways in which the principles of the in-
vention are employed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a left side elevational view, partly
broken away, of a motor driven rotary cultivator constructed in
accordance with the present invention and showing the respective
transport positions of the wheels and drag stake in solid lines
and showing the respective working positions of the wheels and
drag stake in dashed lines.
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FIG. 2 is a left side sectional cut away view of FIG. 1
with a wheel removed from the axle, illustrating the respective
working position of the wheels and drag stake.
DESCKIPTION OF THE PR~FERRFD EMBODI~NT
A general desciption of the invention will be made
first in connection with the overall perspective view of FIG.
l. The present cultivating device, indicated in its entirety
by reference numeral lO, includes a main chassis 12 defined by
right and left channel members 14 and 16, respectively, having
inner ~la~g ~ (not shown) on opposite sides of and bolted, as at
18, to a chain case 20 which inclines downwardly and forwardly
froln a location above the front and of, to a location beneath,
the chassis 12.
Mounted on chassis is an internal combustion engine 30
having an engine output shaft 32 projecting from its left
side. Arranged downward to the front of the engine shaft 32 is
a shaft 34 which is located iTI the upper end of chain case 20,
and provided for transferring the rotation of engine shaft 32
to shaft 34 is a drive belt 3G, which is disposed about a small
pulley 38 fixed to engine shaft 32 and a larger pulley 40 fixed
to shaft 34. Journalled in the lower end of chain case 20 is a
tine drive shaft 42 to which a plurality of tines or blades 44
are affixed. Rotation of shaft 34 is transferred to tine shaft
42 by means of a chain and drive mechanism (not shohn) of
conventional construction.
As appears in solid lines in FIG. 19 a support wheel
assembly 100 and a drag stake 120 are disposed in their
respective forward transport position. Drag stake 120 is fixed
to a rear end portion of chassis 12 by means of a mounting
bracket 70. Specifically, bracket 70 comprises right and left
opposed plates 71 and 72 having fir~t portions spaced apart and
respectively embracing rearward portion o~ chassis 12 and being
secured thereto by means of two bolts, as at 74, which extend
through aligned sets of holes provided in the rear portion of
the chassis 12 and plates 71 and 72. Bracket plates 71 and 72
are provided with a further set of holes 66 which align with a
set of holes 62 located in drag stake to position drag stake
120 to a desired depth in the earth. Drag bar 120 is
positioned at a desired length by inserting a locking device
67, such as a hitch pin, washer and hairpin, into the aligned
set of holes in the let bracket plate 71, drag bar opening 68
and right bracket plate 72. A third set of holes 6~ is located
in the lower forward section of bracket plates 71 and 72 wilich
hold a lock device 62. Lock device 62, shown here as a hitch
pin, washer and hairpin assembly, secures wheel axle 22 in
either the forward transport position or the rearward working
position and must be removed to allow wheel assembly 100 to
pivot from one position to the other.
h'heel assembly 100 includes a pair of legs 124 and 126
embracing outer surfaces of channel members 14 and 16, a pair
of wheels 128 being rotatably mounted free end portions of the
legs for rotation about wheel axis 22 and a sliding collar bar
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140 joined at the central portion of the wheel axle 22 by
weldments. Legs 124 and 126 embrace channel members 14 and 16
at a hitch pin assembly 130 which defines an axis about which
wheel assembly 100 may be swung from a forward position
disposing wheel assembly 100 and drag stake 120 in respective
transport positions, as shown in solid lines in FIG. 1, to a
rearward position disposing wheel assembly 100 and drag stake
120 in their respective working position, as illustrated in
dashed lines in FIG. 1.
A more detailed description of the structure and
operation of the present motor driven rotary device will now be
made with reference to FIG. 2 which incorporates the same
reference numerals as heretofore used increased by 100. As
appears in FXG. 2, support wheel assembly 200 and drag stake
220 are disposed in their respective working positions. I~heel
assembly 200 is a~tached to chassis 112 by means of a hitch pin
assembly 230. Specifically, hitch pin assembly 230 comprises a
rod 232 which extends through axially aligned sets of holes
provided in each of channel members 114 and 116, two flat
washers 117 and 1l8 located on the outer surfaces of the legs
124 and 126, and llair pin 238 which passes through a hole
located in the rod 232. Hitch pin assembly 230 is located at
the rear of chassis 112 and defines an axis about which wheel
assembly 200 may be swung from a forward position disposing
wheel assembly 200 and drag stake 220 in respective transport
positions, to a rearward position disposing wl~eel assembly 200
and drag stake 220 in respective working positions.
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Wheel assembly 20~ includes two Metal legs 224 and 226
extending from opposite channel members 114 and 116
respectively, attached to wheel axle 122 by weldments, and pair
of wheels 228 being rotatably mounted to axle 122. Metal legs
224 and 226 extend downward from channel members 114 and 116
from hitch pin assembly connection~ 230 and 231. A sliding
collar bar 240 projects centrally from weldments behind ~heel
axle 122 to enclose drag stake 220 within a narrow rectanglar
groove. Sliding collar bar 240 guides drag stake 220 into
either the transport posi~ion or working position when wheel
assembly 200 is shifted about pivot 230 such as by removing
locking device 162. The interconnecting of drag stake 220 and
wheel assembly 200 permits drag stake 220 and wheel assembly
200 to be moved into the desired position simultaneously
without the removal or adjustment of separate nuts and pins.
Drag stake 220 comprises an elongate flat bar 223
having a series of holes 168 provided within the upper portion
thereof and having a lower end 221 adapted to penetrate the
ground. ~rag stake 220 is attached to the rear portion of
chassis 112 by means of a bracket 170 which is affixed to the
rear end portion of chassis 112 by bolts, as at 174. Drag
stake 220 projects centrally between closely spaced portions of
bracket plates 171 and 172, portions having cooperating parts
fixed together through a firs~ opening 166, by which lock
member 167 in the illustrated form of a hitch pin, washer and
hairpin respectively, pass. Lock member 167 also forms the
means for confining drag sta~e 220 betw~en plates 171 and 172.
First opening 166 provided in plates 171 ~nd 172 registers with
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a selected one of stake holes 168 and lock member 167 through
opening 166 and is received in selected hole 168 and secured
into position to hold stake 220 in a selected position in an
angle slightly off of vertical for entering the ground to a
desired depth when stake 220 is in its working position. The
position of stake 220 off of verti~al allows stake 220 to be
self-cleaning. The angle of the stake is such that upon
engaging the earth in its working position, the soil is pushed
around the stake edges. No accumulation of soil occurs.
Another opening 160 is provided in plates 171 and 172 such that
lock device 162, shown here as a hitch pin, washer and hairpin
assembly, may be inserted to hold wheel axle 122 in either of
the transport or working positions. When in the transport
position, lock device 162 must be removed from plates 171 and
172 to allow the wheel assembly 200 to pivot about hitch pin
assembly 230 into the working position. The necessity of
reinserting lock device 162 to fix wneel assembly 200 in the
working position is dependent upon operator preference and the
working conditions. However, lock device 162 can be reinserted
to hold wheel axle 122 in the rearward working position and
prevent axle 122 from swinging into forward transport
position. Lock dcvice 162 can be used to hold wheel axle 122
in the forward transport position when wheel assembly 200 is so
disposed.
Referring once again to FIG. 1, a hole (not shown) is
provided for in the top of bracket 70 into which lock device 62
may be inserted. ~ith lock device 62 out of opening 60, wheel
assembly 120 can be swung between forward transport position
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and rearward working position to compensate for varying working
conditions by lifting the backend of device lO off of the
ground and in a flicking motion of the handle bars 50 alternate
wheel assembly 100 between the two positions.
As illustrated in FIG. l, the motor driven rotary
device 10 includes a rearwardly projecting handle 50 including
a pair of legs 52 attached by bolts 54 to chassis channel
members 14 and 16, respectively.
The operation of the motor driven rotary device is as
follows. With wheels lO0 and drag stake 120, through
interconnectiOn of sliding collar bar 140, being disposed in
its forward position, shown in solid line in FIG. l, and with
the power transmission between pulleys 36 and 34 being
interupted~ power dr;ven rotary device 10 is ready to be
transported since drag stake 120 and wheels 100 are then
respectively in their raised and forward transport position.
Transporting of power driven rotary device is accomplished by
pivoting device lO back on wheels 100, by pressing downward on
handles 50 and then by pushing or pulling device to a desired
work site.
The power driven rotary device is then readied for
operation by removing lock pin 62. Rotary driven power device
is then pushed forward by use of handles 50 which causes wheel
assembly lO0 to pivot backwards at hitch pin 130, wherein wheel
assembly lO0 and drag stake 120 are in their rearward working
position, as illustrated in dashed lines in FIG. 1. Drive belt
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36 is then tensioned by means not shown to establish a driving
relationship between engine 30 and tines 44. If drag stake 120
has not penetrated the ground to the extent that wheels 100
rest upon the ground, the operator may effect such result by
adjusting the vertical position of stake 120. Drag stake lock
pin 67 is then replaced in its propor location. ~ock pin 62
may be replaced in bracket opening 60 if necessary.
rO again ready power driven rotary device for
transport, the operator needs only remove lock pin 62 (if
necessary). IYheel assembly 100 is then free to pivot about
hitch pin 130 and the operator can easily place the device in
its transport position by pulling on handles 50 toward
himself. Once in its tranport position, wheel assembly 100 and
axle 122 are held in place by reinserting lock pin 62.
As will be apparent to persons skilled in the art,
various modifications, adaptations and variations of the
foregoing specific disclosure can be made without departing
from the teachings of this invention.
