Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
12~ 5
1 ROTARY INCORPORATOR AND SPIDER WHEEL THEREFOR
Back~ nd of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to agricultural
implements, and more specifically, to implements for
s incorporating chemicals or small grains into the soil.
This application being a div~sion of application serial number
508 848 ~iled May 12 1986 while disclosing the complete
invention claims only certain aspects of that invention.
Chemicals have become widely used in the farming industry.
Typically, a chemical is applied to the surface of previously
worked soil and a maximum of two additional tillage passes are
made either with a disk or field cultivator to incorporate the
chemical into the upper few inches of the soil. Although some
farmers eliminate the recommended second incorporation pass,
they must rely on favorable weather conditions to prevent
failure, and horizontal and vertical distribution patterns of
the chemical often are much less than optimum. Although surface
applied chemicals are available at a higher cost, they are
usually incorporated by rainfall and there is a considerable
amount of risk involved with such a chemical since rainfall is
highly unpredictable. Often the cost of chemicals which
eliminate incorporation passes exceeds the combined cost of the
tillage and chemicals they replace.
Where two incorporation passes with a conventional tool are
not necessary, special harrows or S-tine cuLtivators have been
devised for use in one or more passes. These tools are limited
to shallow incorporation of herbicides in low residue
environments. Another popular approach has been to combine the
tillage of two passes into one pass by combining the components
of two conventional machines into one frame. However, the price
and the draft are approximately doubled. The advantage of
making passes in different directions has been lost, and
therefore streaking and marginal performance are common with
many of the available incorporating devices. Combining tillage
work also reduces the versatility of an implement. For example,
if a late mechanical weed kill is desired, all tillage must be
done just prior to planting. This can require a very large
tractor in order to stay ahead of a large modern planter.
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~Z8~95
l Although disks and field cultivators can provide adequate
incorporation in some circumstances, they generally require a
hiqh energy consumption and a massive frame. Streaking or
banding of the chemicals is common, particularly when a disk
with large and widely spaced disk blades is used. The operating
s
1 speeds, and thus the pr~ductivity, of these types of machines
are often limited to beyond the level which is satisfactory to
the farmer.
Although some rotary incorporating machines have been
available on the market, these have not been entirely
satisfactory for one or more reasons. Some rotary hoe type of
weeders having a single transversely extending row of spider
wheels have been utilized to incorporate pre-plant chemicals.
However, these can only be used in certain conditions and where
incorporation is not critical, or alternatively, where two
passes of the rotary hoe are utilized. A single row of rotary
hoe spider wheels tends to cause the chemical to streak, leaving
hot bands of chemical where crops can be damaged or destroyed
while leaving other areas substantially void of chemicals.
Often the spider wheels designed for rotary hoeing to remove
small weeds and break up surface crusts are not suitable for
mixing soil. The tines of such hoes are typically triangularly
shaped with a principle design criteria being easy entry into
the soil. Unless there is adequate depth control of the spider
wheels, the wheels can act more like solid disks, pushing the
soil to one side rather than letting the soil flow through the
tines and mix and incorporate the chemical. Other types of
rotary incorporators use two or more angled gangs of spider
wheels spaced fore-and-aft with respect to each other.
Typically the forward gang is angled with respect to the
transverse in an opposite direction as compared to the rearward
gang. Numerous pairs of the fore-and-aft spaced gangs are
located transversely along a large frame with adjacent gangs
being angled in opposite directions with respect to the
transverse to generaLly equalize side forces along the width of
the machine. In an implement where such gangs are used, the
area between adjacent gangs produces a discontinuity in the soil
throwing and mixing action as compared with the action within
the confines of the gang itself. Also, the outermost wheels of
the machine tend to throw dirt and chemical beyond the width of
the machine so that there is ridging and chemical mixing
variations adjacent the edge of the machine. Although such
machines may have improved incorporation as compared with a
conventional disk arrangement, a massive and expensive frame is
necessary to support the gangs of spider wheels. Therefore,
-- 2 --
~;~88995
1 such an implement is comparable in size and in price to a disk
or other conventional tillage implement.
Previously available rotary type incorporators often include
tandem sets of spider wheels closely spaced fore-and-aft so that
in trashy conditions the wheels may plug. Some arrangements
utilize a wheel support arm closely spaced to the spider wheel,
which also presents a potential clogging problem in trashy
conditions. The spider wheels themselves often are of the type
wherein the opening between the teeth decreases substantially in
l~ the direction toward the hub to thereby cause wedging of trash.
The tooth profile is often designed to provide easy entry into
the soil rather than providing good cleaning characteristics
which are necessary in heavy trash.
Objects of the Invention
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to
provide an improved rotary incorporator for incorporating
chemicals or small grains into previously tilled soil. It is
another object of the invention to provide an improved spider
wheel for such an implement with better mixing and trash-
shedding characteristics than at least most previously available
spider wheels.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a rotary
incorporating implement which effectively incorporates chemicals
into the soil in one pass as well as most conventional
implements incorporate in two passes. It is a further object to
provide such an implement which uniformly incorporates chemicals
across its entire width without streaking and without leaving
center or end ridges. It is yet another object to provide such
an incorporator having reduced draft and ca~able of high speed
operation so that chemical can be applied just prior to planting
without incurring planter delay or large traction requirements
for increased productivity and late mechanical weed kill.
It is still another object of the invention to provide an
improved rotary incorporator having a relatively compact and
inexpensive frame. It is another object to provide such an
incorporator having a balanced desi~n with oppositely angled
spider wheels which do not leave ridges and wherein the side
forces acting on the angled spider wheels are absorbed and
balanced by the spider wheel mounting arrangement.
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1~8~ 5
1 It is yet another object of the invention to provide an
improved rotary incorporator with angled spider wheels having a
spider wheel configuration which eliminates center ridges while
providing uniform center incorporation and which feathers the
effect of angled wheels at the end of the machine. It is yet
another object to provide such an incorporator which is able to
operate in high levels of residue while leaving a high
percentage of existing residue on the surface of the ground.
It is another object of the invention to provide a rotary
t~ chemical incorporator having a draft requirement which is
substantially less than that of conventional implements and yet
is able to incorporate chemicals effectively in one pass.
It is still another object of the invention to provide an
improved rotary incorporator spider wheel having improved mixing
action, trash-shedding capability, and better depth control than
at least most of the previously available spider wheel
configurations.
Brief SummarY of the Invention
The rotary incorporating implement constructed according to
the teachings of the present invention includes a transverse
beam supporting a plurality of spider wheel assemblies, each
assembly including a fore-and-aft extending drawbar pivotally
connected at its forward end to the frame for rocking
vertically. An inverted U-shaped wheel support having an upper
transversely extending bight portion connected to the aft end of
the drawbar includes downwardly directed side legs which each
carry a spider wheel at the end. A first set of assemblies with
short drawbars supports a row of spider whéels rearwardly
adjacent the main frame. A second set of assemblies with longer
drawbars supports a second row of spider wheels substantially
rearwardly of the first row. The wheels are run at an angle of
approximately thirty degrees with respect to the direction of
travel, with the wheels on one half of the machine angled the
opposite direction as on the other half. The wheels of the
trailing row are generally centered between and angled
oppositely to that of the immediately preceding wheels of the
forward row. The center ridge left untilled due to the tandem
wheel configuration is tilled using a special center
arrangement. In the preferred embodiment, this center
4 arrangement includes an arm at the machine center line with two
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12~89~S
1 oppositely angled wheels. These two wheels, as well as the two
wheels located ad]acent the machine center line in both the
leading and trailing rows are smaller than at least a majority
of the remaining wheels o the machine to allow the machine to
level the soil while providing good incorporation. To feather
the effect of the angled wheels at the ends of the machine, a
small diameter wheel is located on the outside of the outermost
large diameter wheel so that the larger wheel effectively holds
the smaller wheel at a more shallow working depth. The frame is
l~ smaller than at least most tandem wheel configuration
implements, and ridging and banding of chemicals are
substantially eliminated. Most chemicals, and some small seed
grains, can be effectively incorporated at high speeds in a
single pass with reduced draft requirements. The unique
configuration of spider wheels provides uniform incorporation
capability across the entire width of the machine without
banding of chemicals or ridging effects.
Each of the spider wheels includes a plurality of tines
curving rearwardly with respect to the forward direction of
rotation and having a concave front face for improved rotation
and soil mixing action. The opening between the teeth is kept
at a maximum and is varied linearly to increase only slightly
from tooth root to the tip of the tooth to minimize wedging and
permit the machine to work in severe residue conditions without
collecting trash. The curvature of the tooth is established to
utilize centrifugal force of the rotating wheel to expel trapped
trash.
The utilization of two spider wheels on a single drawbar
helps to cancel severe side forces. In addition, the U-shaped
wheel support is somewhat resilient so that some of the side
forces are absorbed without being transmitted to the drawbar and
to the main frame. The overall arrangement of wheels provides a
substantially balanced wheel configuration to eliminate any
noticeable side forces on the frame.
39~35
1 Thus, in accordance with one aspect o~ the present invention,
there is provided a spider wheel for a rotary incorporator adapted
for towing in a given direction, said spider wheel adapted to be
supported for forward rotation about an axis offset at a
preselected acute angle with respect to the direction transverse to
said given direction, said spidec wheel comprising a hub, a
plurality of tines extending radially outwardly from the hub and
curving rearwardly with Lespect to the forward direction of
rotation, said tines each comprising a rearwardly directed back
face, a front face opposite the back face defining a soil working
surface, said front face and back face converging at an acute angle
to a side edge extending along a substantial portion of the length
of the tine and adapted to move transversely through the soil, a
side face located opposite the side edge and extending between the
front and back faces, and wherein the intersection of said back
face with a line parallel to the axis of rotation of the wheel
defines an angle of less than thirty-five degrees whereby upon
rotation of the wheel in the soil said back face is first to engage
the soil and engages the soil at a relatively flat angle.
Preferably, the tines compri~e radially inward and outward
portions, the intersection of the back face of the radially inward
portion with a line parallel to the axis of rotation, defining an
angle substantially less than 20.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is
provided a spider wheel for a rotary incorporator adapted for
towing in a given direction, said spider wheel adapted to be
supported for forward rotation about an axi6 offset at a
preselected acute angle with respect to the transverse direction to
said given direction, said spider wheel comprising a hub, a
plurality of tines extending radially outwardly from the hub and
curving rearwardly with respect to the forward direction of
rotation, said tines each comprising radially outer and inner
portions with a back face and a front face opposite the back face
defining a soil working surface, said front face and back face
converging at an acute angle to a side edge extending along a
substantial portion of the length of the tine and adapted to move
transversely through the soil, and a side face located opposite the
side edge and extending between the front and back faces, the back
face on sald outer portion being angled at a larger angle with
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1288995
1 respect to the hocizontal than the back face on said inner portion
and wherein the tines are curved rearwardly with a cadius of
curvature substantially less than the wheel radius, and the
separation between a given tine and the next adjacent tine remains
aeproximately ~he same, or decreases only slightly from the end of
a given tine toward the hub to reduce wedging of trash and to
facilitate expulsion of trash by centrifugal force.
Preferably, the back face on the inner portion is angled with
respect to the horizontal in a range of from 0 to 10.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the
present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the
art from the description which follows and from the drawings.
Brief Descciption of the Drawings
FIGo 1 is a top view of an implement constructed according
to the teachings of the present invention and showing the
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1281~399~;
1 general configuration of the spider wheels supported from the
implement frame.
FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of a portion of the left
side of the implement of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a plan view of a spider wheel utilized with the
implement of FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is a sectional ~iew of the spider wheel taken
substantially along the lines 4--4 of FIG. 3.
FIGS. 5a-5e are sectional views taken along lines 5a--5a
through 5e--5e, respectively, of FIG. 3 and showing the shape of
the tine along its length by a plurality of cross sections
rotated outwardly fro~ tbe tine.
FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the hub portion of the spider
wheel taken substantially along the lines 6--6 of FIG. 3.
FIG. 7 is a plan view of the left side of the implement of
FIG~ 1.
Description of the Preferred Embodiment
Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a rotary
incorporating implement indicated generally at 10 attached to a
tractor 12 for forward movement F over a field wherein materials
such as chemicals or seed grains are to be incorporated into the
soil. The implement 10 includes a main frame 14 extending
transversely to the forward direction F and having generally
centrally located hitch structure 16 adapted for connection to
hitch structure 18 on the towing vehicle 12 or alternately on a
cart arrangement for pull-type operation behind another
implement. The main frame 14 includes a tubular beam 20
extending generally an equal distance on either side of a center
line 22 which bisects the implement 10.
Bracket structure, indicated generally at 24, is connected
to the aft face of the tubular beam 20 and supports a tandem
arrangement of rotary incorporating tools 28 and 29. The tools
28 and 29 are preferably spider wheels arranged generally in two
rows, a leading row 32 and a trailing row 34. As best seen in
FIG. 1, the leading row 32 includes a first set of spider wheels
28 located to the left of the center line 22 and also a second
set of spider wheels 29 located generally to the right of the
center line 22. The spider wheels 28 and 29 are generally
unifor~ly spaced across the wid~h of the machine with the spider
~heels of the first set 28 supported for rotation about axes
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128~399S
1 ~ffset at an acute angle with respect to the forward direction.
The spider wheels 29 of the second set are similarly spaced but
are mounted for rotation about axes offset at an acute angle
which is generally equal in magnitude but opposite in direction
to that of the angle of the first set of wheels. The trailing
row 34 of spider wheels 28 and 29 includes a third set of spider
wheels 29 which are located to the left of the center line 22
and a fourth set of wheels 28 which are loca~ed to the right of
the center line 22. The third and fourth sets of spider wheels
29, 28 are supported from the main frame 14 behind the first and
second sets, respectively, in trailing relation thereto and are
mounted for rotation about axes offset at an acute angle
generally equal in magnitude to, but opposite in direction to,
the acute angle of the leading first and second sets
respectively. The spider wheels 29, 28 on the trailing row 34
are arranged such that a fore-and-aft extending upright plane
passing through the center of a given rear wheel will bisect the
area between the centers of the wheels 29, 28 immediately
forward of the given wheel in row 32. The first and second sets
of spider wheels 28, 29 are arranged to mo~e dirt outwardly from
the center line 22 while the third and fourth sets of spider
wheels 29, 28 tend to move dirt inwardly toward the center
line. The spider wheels 2a, 29 of the first row are spaced
transversely such that a small strip of soil is left relatively
unworked between adjacent forward wheels as the implement 10 is
towed in the forward direction, but the rear spider wheels 29,
28 are generally centered on the unworked strips to provide a
complete overlap for good soil working and chemical mixing
characteristics.
To prevent soil working and chemical mixing discontinuities
in the area around the center line 22 of the implement caused by
the oppositely angled wheel arrangement, a special central
arrangement indicated at 36 is provided. In the preferred
embodiment, the central arrangement includes a first centrally
located single spider wheel 39 supported at a location offset
slightly to the right of the center line 22 for rotation about
an axis substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the
spider wheels 29 in the first row. The single spider wheel 39
is offset slightly rearwardly of the first row. A second
centrally located single spider wheel 38 is positioned
-- 7 --
.
~28~39~5
rearwardly of the first single spider wheel 39 and offset toward
the opposite side of the center line 22 slightly forwardly of
the rear row 34 of wheels. The axis of rotation of the wheel 38
is offset at an acute angle generally equal to, but opposite in
direction to, the angle of the first single spider wheel 39.
The first spider wheel 39 will tend to move the soil from the
center line toward the right as viewed in the forward direction
in FIG. 1. The second spider wheel 38 will move the soil
adjacent the center line in the opposite direction. The
innermost spider wheels, designated as 28a, 29a of the front row
32 are located on either side of the center line 22 and are
offset transversely a sufficient distance to leave a small strip
of unincorporated material. The innermost spider wheels 29d,
28d of the trailing row 34 are offset outwardly of the innermost
spider wheels 28a, 29a, respectively, to move some of the soil
and material thrown outwardly by the wheels 28a, 29a back
towards the center line 22.
Most of the spider wheels 28, 29 are of equal diameter.
~owever, the innermost wheels 28a, 29a, and and 29d, 28d on
opposite sides of the cen~er line 22 of the two rows of wheels
are substantially smaller than the next outwardly adjacent
wheels 28, 29 and 29, 28, respectively. Also, the outermost
wheels 28b and 29b are also substantially smaller than the
adjacent wheels 28 and 29 to reduce the amount of soil and
material thrown outwardly by the first row 32. The outermost
wheels 28c and 29c of the trailing row 34 are made smaller than
the next adjacent spider wheels 28 and 29 to feather the effect
of the angled wheels at the ends of the machine. The wheels 39,
38 are also smaller in diameter. The arrangement 36 of smaller
centrally located wheels 28a, 29a, 29d, 28d, 38 and 39
eliminates center ridges while providing uniform incorporation
of chemicals in the soil worked by the center of the machine.
As best seen in FIG. 1, the spider wheels 28 and 29 in the
respective sections of the forward row 32 are uniformly spaced
and supported in pairs from the main frame 14 by vertically
rockable wheel support assemblies 42 and 43. The wheels 29 and
28 in the respective sections of the trailing row 34 are
supported by wheel support assemblies 44 and 45 which are also
rockably connected to the main frame 14. A centrally located
wheel support assembly 46 carries the spider wheels 38 and 39
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128~3~95
1 between the innermost wheel assemblies 42a and 43a of the first
row 32 and between the innermost wheel assemblies 44d and 45d of
the second row 34. The wheel support assemblies 42-46 are
connected for rocking about a transversely extending pivot tube
48 (FIG. 2 ) which is attached to the aft face of the tubular
beam 20 of the main frame 14 by the brackets 24. Vertically
adjustable gauge wheel assemblies 54 and 56 located on the left
and right outer ends, respectively, of the tubular beam 20
generally locate the beam in the proper position when the hitch
18 lowers the main frame 14 to the field working position.
The wheel support assemblies 43 and 45 on the right-hand
side of the implement 10 are substantially the mirror images of
the wheel support assemblies 42 and 44, respectively, on the
left-hand side of the implement. Therefore, only those
assemblies on the left-hand side of the machine will be
described in detail here. Referring to FIG. 2, each of the
brackets 24 includes an upright and rearwardly opening channel-
shaped bracket assembly 62 supported against the back face of
the beam 20 by a U-bolt 64. The lower end of the channel-shaped
assembly 62 extends below the bottom of the tubular beam 20 and
is apertured at 66 to receive the pivot tube 48. The wheel
support assembly 44 includes a fore-and-aft extending arm 68
which is generally rectangular in cross section. A transversely
extending hollow, cylindrical member 72 is welded to the bottom
f the arm 68 rearwardly of the forwardmost end of the arm. A
gusset 74 is connected between the side of the arm 68 and the
top of the cylindrical member 72. Adjacent brackets 24 are
transversely spaced to receive the cyl$ndrical member 72
therebetween, and the pivot shaft 48 is extended through the
cylindrical member 72 to pivotally connect the arm 68 to the
main frame 14. The forward end of the arm 68 extends under the
bottom of the beam 20 to provide a transport stop for the arm
when the frame 14 is lifted from the field working to the
transport position.
An inverted U-shaped member 78 includes a transversely
extending upper bight portion 82 which is connected adjacent its
left-hand side to the aft end of the arm 68. Side legs 84 and
86 extend downwardly from the bight portion 82 to lower ends
which support axle shafts 90 and 92. Each shaft in turn
supports a hub 94 for rotation on a pair of bearings (not
_ g _
i28~
I shown) spaced on the axle shaft. The hubs 94 are connected to
the spider wheels 29 by four bolts 96. The hubs 94 space the
wheels from their respective side legs a sufficient distance for
good trash clearance.
The wheel support assemblies 42 are constructed in a fashion
similar to that of the assemblies 44, and includé an arm 98
connected to a cylindrical member 102 and having a gusset 104.
The pivot tube 48 is inserted through the cylindrical member 102
to connect the arm 98 for rocking vertically with respect to the
l~ main frame 14. The forward end of the arm 98 projects slightly
forwardly of the pivotal axis of the pivot tube 48 but yet
clears the bottom of the beam 20. A transport stop shaft 106 is
connected between adjacent brackets 24 above the forward end of
the arm 98 to limit the downward rocking of the arm as the main
frame 14 is lifted to the transport position. An inverted U-
shaped member 108 includes a transversely extending upper bight
portion 112 with downwardly directed left and right side legs
114 and 116, respectively. Axle shafts 120 and 122 are
connected to the lower ends of the side legs 114 and 116,
respectively, and rotatably support hubs 124 of the spider
wheels 28 for rotation about generally parallel axes which are
angled so that soil is directed outwardly from the center line
22 of the machine. The axle shafts 90 and 92 of the assembly 44
are angled so that soil is directed inwardly toward the center
line 22 of the machine.
As best seen in E'IG. 2, the rear U-shaped members 78 are
offset inwardly (that is, to the right as viewed in FIG. 2) with
respect to the supporting arm 680 The forwardmost members 108
are also offset inwardly in the same direction. The spider
wheels 29 on the rear members 78 are located on the inside of
(to the right of) the upright side legs 84 and 86 while the
spider wheels 28 on the members 108 are located on the opposite
or outward sides of the side legs 114 and 116. The outermost
wheel 2~ on the assembly 42 therefore is positioned centrally
with respect to the spider wheels 29 located on the next
outwardly adjacent assembly 44, while the innermost wheel 28 of
the assembly 42 is located between the adjacent wheels 29 of the
adjacent assemblies 44.
Down pressure spring assemblies 132 and 134 are connected
between the frame 14 and the wheel support assemblies 42 and 44
-- 10 --
~;~8~ S
to bias the corresponding wheels 28 and 29 into engagement with
the soil. The assembly 132 includes a spring 136 having one end
connected by a bracket 138 to the underside of the arm 98 and an
opposite end connected to a spring retaining rod 140 which
extends through the lower portions of the brackets 24 below the
pivot tube 48. The assembly 134 includes a spring 146 having
one end connected to a bracket 148 via a turnbuckle 150 and an
opposite end connected to the spring retaining rod 140. The
spring 136 is selected to provide approximately three times the
down pressure on the forward row 32 of wheels 28 as compared
with the down pressure on the rear row 34 of wheels 29. An
additional spring 136 may be mounted between the bracket 138 and
the spring retaining rod 140 to provide the necessary down
pressure, while in many situations it is possible to eliminate
the spring 146 for the rear support assemblies 44 since the
weight of the assemblies may be adequate without further bias to
provide the necessary down pressure on the wheels 29.
The innermost wheels 28a, 29a (FIG. 1) on the wheel support
assemblies 42a and 34a, respectively, and the innermost wheels
29d, 28d on assemblies 44d, 45d, respectively, on either side of
the center line 22 are substantially smaller than the outermost
wheels on the same assemblies, and therefore the outermost
wheels tend to limit the depth of penetration of the innermost
wheels to reduce the amount of dirt thrown by the innermost
wheels. The smaller depth limited wheels also provide more of a
combing action as the tines more transversely through the soil.
The centrally located single spider wheels 38 and 39 are
supported on an intermediate length arm 158 connected to the
pivot tube 48 in substantially the same manner as the arms 68.
A down pressure spring arrangement similar to that shown at 134
for the arm 68 may also be utilized. The forward spider wheel
39 is connected to the lower end of a side leg (not shown) which
is connected near the central portion of the arm 158 and
supports the wheel 39 for rotation about an axis generally
parallel to the axis of rotation of the spider wheels 29 on the
assemblies 43. The rear single spider wheel 38 is connected to
the lower end of a second side leg which is located to the left
of and rearwardly of the first side leg. The lower end of the
rear side leg supports the wheel 38 for rotation about an axis
~' 11
39~5
1 generally parallel to the axis of rotation of the spider wheels
28 on the assemblies 42. The net outward flow of dirt from the
area around the center line 22 caused by the outwardly angled
and generally smaller diameter spider wheels 28a, 29a, 38 and 39
substantially matches the net inward flow produced by the spider
wheels 28, 28d and 29, 29d of the assemblies 44d, 45d located
adjacent the center line 22. The smaller outermost spider
wheels 28b and 29b of the first row 32, which are also limited
in depth of penetration by the adjacent larger diameter spider
l~ wheels 28 and 29 supported on the assemblies 42b and 43b,
respectively, tend to reduce the amount of dirt thrown outwardly
at the ends of the first row 32. The two outermost wheels 29
and 29c of assembly 44c, and 28 and 28c of assembly 45c on the
trailing row 34 of wheels are both located transversely
outwardly of the corresponding forward wheels 28b and 29b to
provide a net inward flow from row 34 which is generally equal
to the net outward flow from row 32. The large diameter wheels
28 and 29 of the assemblies 45c and 44c, respectively,
effectively hold the smaller corresponding wheels 28c and 29c at
the outermost ends of the implement at a more shallow working
depth to provide a combing action which feathers the effect of
the angled wheels at the ends of the machine.
The wheels 28a, 29a are spaced transversely to permit some
of the material that is to be incorporated into the soil to go
through the center of the machine undisturbed. By reducing the
size of the wheels 28a, 29a, the material that is disturbed is
not thrown outwardly from the center as far as it would be if
the larger wheels 28 and 29 were used. The wheels 39, 38 mix
the strip left undisturbed by the forward wheels 28a, 29a
causing the strip of material to be split outwardly, but because
the wheels 39, 38 are also relatively small in diameter, most of
the soil and material does not move outwardly beyond the
trailing wheels 29d, 28d. However, the wheels 29d, 28d are also
smaller in diameter to both permit some of the soil and material
moved by the forward wheels 28a, 29a to go outwardly of the
wheels 29d, 28d. The widely spaced, smaller diameter wheels
open the area between the sets of wheels in the rear row 34 to
substantially eliminate hilling. The arrangement of the six
smaller diameter wheels 28a, 29a, 39, 38, 29d and 28d thus
eliminates hilling while assuring that enough material to be
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1288995
1 incorporated remains adjacent the central area of the machine
for a uniform incorporation pattern. It was only after
considerable experimentation and testing with numerous wheel
patterns that the pattern of FIG. 1 was devised which provides
not only a level seed bed without ridges or loss or gain of dirt
in a given area, but also uniform incorporation characteristics
across the entire width of the machine without noticeable side
forces acting on the frame 14.
The general construction of the wheel assembly 44c (and
l~ therefore the assembly 45c which is generally the mirror image
of 44c) is substantially identical to that of the assembly 44
with the exception of the outer axle 90c (FIG. 7) which extends
through the lower end of the side leg 84 and supports the
smaller diameter spider wheel 29c outwardly of the side leg 84.
The construction of the forward wheel assembly 42b (and
therefore 43b) is substantially identical to that of the
construction of the assemblies 42 (43) with the exception that
the outermost spider wheel 28b (29b) is substantially smaller
than the corresponding inner spider wheel 28 (29). Likewise,
the assemblies 42a and 44d are similar to the assemblies 42 and
44, only the inner wheels 28a and 29d are smaller.
The spider wheels are substantially larger and designed
differently than conventional rotary hoe spider wheels to
provide better rolling action, soil and chemical (or other
material) mixing action, and better cleaning action in trashy
conditions than at least most previously available spider wheels
for rotary hoes. The spider wheels 28, which are designated
left-hand spider wheels because they typically move soil from
the right to the left, are substantially the mirror image of the
spider wheels 29, designated as right-hand wheels since soil is
moved toward the right. The smaller spider wheels 28a-d and 38
are constructed substantially identically to each other and in a
similar fashion to the wheels 28 but having a diameter
substantially smaller than the wheels 28. The wheels 29a-b and
39 are substantially identical to each other and are similar to
the wheels 29 but are substantially smaller in diameter than the
wheels 29. Therefore, since the wheels are constructed with
similar principles, only the larger left-hand spider wheel 28
will be described in detail here, it being understood that the
right-hand wheels 29 are mirror images of the wheels 28, and the
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i28~ 35
1 smaller wheels on the ends and central portion of the implement
are generally smaller versions of the larger wheels, except for
the cross section of the tines which remain substantially
identical in size to that of the larger wheels to retain tine
strength.
Referring to FIGS. 3-6, the wheel 28 includes a hub portion
172 with a plurality of tines 174 extending radially outwardly
from the hub portion and curving rearwardly with respect to the
forward direction of rotation (arrow) with a general radius of
curvature which is substantially smaller than the radius of the
wheel 28. The tine 174 includes a rearwardly directed blunt
face 176 and a concave soil working front face 178 opposite the
back face 1760 The back face 176 and front face 178 converge at
an acute angle (FIG. 5) to define a curved side edge 180. A
relatively flat side 182 is located opposite the edge 180 and
lies generally on the wheel plane designated at 184. The front
face 178 includes a forwardly directed lip portion 186 located
adjacent the side 182 for improved soil throwing and mixing
action. The side edge 180 lies substantially on a radius of
curvature Rl centered at a location near the root of the
rearwardly adjacent tine 174. The radius of curvature ~2 f
the rear portion of the tooth corresponding to the lip 186 is
approximately equal to Rl, but the center of the radius R2
is located radially outwardly of the hub portion 172 behind the
rearwardly adjacent tine 174. At a central location designated
at 187 in FIG. 3, the curvature of the rear portion of the tooth
decreases to a radius R3 substantially greater than the radius
Rl and R2. The center of the radius of curvature R3 is
located on the second rearward tine slightly radially outwardly
of the hub portion 172. The particular construction of the
tines 174 provides a very open gullet portion indicated
generally at 189 which is substantially U-shaped, and wherein
the distance between a given tine and the rearwardly adjacent
tine decreases only slightly from the end of the tine toward the
hub to reduce wedging of trash and facilitate expulsion of trash
by centrifugal force. As is evident from FIG. 3, as a tine 174
is leaving the ground the gullet area between that tine and the
next rearward tine opens substantially downwardly. The outer
edge of the hub 172 defines a relatively straight inner gullet
area 190 connected to the rear portion of the tine 174 by a
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g5
1 relatively large radius at 192, and to the edge 180 by a
slightly smaller radius 194 to further reduce possibility of
wedging. The area 190 is sharpened to help cut through trash.
The area 190 extends from the edge 180 at the base of a given
tine 174 diagonally (FIG. 6) to the lip portion 186 at the base
of the next forwardly adjacent tine 174~ The curved edge 180
continues inwardly to a center axle-hub receiving portion 198
which is apertured at 200 to receive the bolts 96 for mounting.
The soil working surface 178 is generally continuous into the
~0 hub portion 172 and terminates at the portion 198. Cavities are
formed at areas 204 to reduce the amount of material necessary
to fabricate the wheel 28.
The tine cross section, which is best illustrated in FIG. S
wherein various sections along the length of the tine are
1 rotated ninety degrees outwardly from the radius Rl at that
location, increases in thickness toward the base of the tine.
The back face 176, which first engages the soil, forms a
relatively flat angle with the horizontal; the angle of
intersection of a line 210, parallel to the axis of rotation of
the wheel 28, and the back face 176 is preferably thirteen
degrees or less. By way of example, the angle between the line
210 and the face 176 is ten degrees at section 5a, nine degrees
at section 5b, ten degrees at section 5c, thirteen degrees at
section 5d and eleven degrees at section 5e. The angle of the
soil working surface 178, adjacent the edge 180, with respect to
a line parallel to the wheel plane 184 increases from about
thirty-seven degrees at the base of the tine to approximately
fifty-five degrees near the tip of the tine. By way of example,
the angle between the line 184 in FIG. 5 and the surface 178
adjacent the edge 180 is about thirty-seven degrees for section
5a, forty-three degrees for section Sb, forty-five degrees for
section 5c, fifty degrees for section Sd and fifty-five degrees
for section 5e. The tine 172 includes an outermost tip portion
212, with the rear face 176 at the tip 212 forming an angle of
approximately twenty-one degrees with a plane extending
perpendicularly to the wheel plane 184 and passing through the
outermost portion of the edge 180. The above-described tine
construction not only provides aggressive mixing and soil
throwing action but it also provides a large effective profile
on the tine lowermost in the soil to power the wheel for good
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~889g5
rotation and entry of the relatively blunt back side 176 into
the soil. ~s the tines 174 rotate in the soil about an axis
offset with respect to the forward direction, the tines move
laterally in the soil in the direction of the edge 180, moving
some dirt and chemicals in the same general direction while
permitting some of the remaining dirt and chemicals to slide
between the tines. The large hub portion 172 provides dep~h
control to prevent the wheels from acting like solid disks and
reducing mixing action.
In the preferred embodiment, the wheel 28 is substantially
larger in diameter than a conventional rotary hoe wheel, and no
more than ten tines 174 are uniformly spaced about the hub to
provide good clearance and trash flow characteristics between
the adjacent tines. In the preferred embodiment, the wheels 28
(and 29) are approximately 500 mm in diameter. The smaller
wheels at the ends and central locations on the implement are at
least approximately ten percent smaller, or approximately 450 mm
in diameter. The diameter of the hub portion 172 is slightly
larger than half the diameter of the wheel. For example, the
wheel 28 has a hub diameter of approximately 280 mm. Also, by
way of example, the radii Rl and R2 are preferably slightly
less than half the radius of the wheel while the radius R3 is
substantially greater than half the radius of the wheel. In the
preferred embodiment, Rl and R2 are 120 mm and R3 is 170
mm. Also, in the preferred embodiment~ the wheel axes are
angled thirty degrees with respect to the transverse direction,
and the spacing between adjacent wheels on each section of the
machine 10 is approximately one half the wheel diameter, or
approximately 250 mm. The spacing between the innermost wheels
28a and 29a of the first row 32 is approximately three-fourths
the diameter of the larger wheels or approximately 380 mm. The
center of rotation of the single spider wheel 39 is offset to
the right of the center line 22 by a distance approximately
equal to one-eighth of the diameter of the large wheel. The
single spider wheel 38 is offset in the opposite direction an
equal distance. Therefore, in the example given, the transverse
spacing between the wheel centers of the wheels 38 and 39 is
approximately 120 mm to provide sufficient overlap of the wheels
to assure that the 80il adjacent the center line is adequately
worked.
~88~9~5
In the preferred embodiment, approximately 220 pounds of
down pressure are provided on each wheel of the leading row 32
while the wheels of the trailing row 34, working primarily in
soil that has been previously loosened by the first row 32, have
a down pressure of approximately one third that of the wheels of
the first row. The down pressure on each of the rear wheels is
approximately sixty-five pounds.
The rear row 34 is spaced a substantial distance behind the
forward row 32, preferably such that the forwardmost extremities
of the wheels in the trailing row 34 are at least spaced by a
distance equal to the diameter of the large wheels, or
approximately 500 mm, from the rearmost extremities of wheels on
the forward row 32. This configuration provides good trash
clearance between the rows and also permits the positioninq of
the single spider wheels 38 and 39 adjacent the center line 22
between the rows 32 and 34 without trash flow problems.
During mounting of the shorter assemblies 42 to the frame
14, the stop shaft 106 may be removed from the brackets 24 for
assembly with the springs 136 in a completely relaxed state.
~fter the springs 136 are attached between the brackets 138 and
the spring retaining rod 140, the implement may be lowered to
tension the spring and bring the forward end of the drawbar 98
to a position below that wherein the stop shaft 106 may be
inserted. If the springs 146 are utilized on the longer arms
68, the turnbuckle 150 may be adjusted to also permit assembly
of the wheel support assemblies 44 and 45 to the frame 14 with
the springs 146 in the uncompressed state.
The side legs 114, 116 and 84, 86 provide resiliency to
absorb some of side loading resulting from the angled spider
wheels. Mounting the wheels in pairs from the arms 68 and 98
not only reduces the cost and complexity of the machine and
pro~ides good ground contour following not available in large
gang arrangements, but also helps to reduce the amount of side
loads from the wheels that are transferred to the main frame 14.
The generally symmetrical pattern of the wheel configuration
about the center line 22 reduces the moments acting to move the
tractor 12 away from the forward direction to a negligible
amount.
~ aving described the preferred embodiment, it will be
apparent that modifications can be made without departing from
9s
1 the scope of the invention as defined in the accompanying
claims.
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