Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02344275 2001-03-16 PCT/AU99/00790
Received 18 April 2000
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SOIL WORKING APPARATUS
The present invention relates to a soil working apparatus. The present
invention is particularly suitable for use as a planting apparatus or a
seeding apparatus
to produce a definite seedbed filth. This ensures positive seed soil contact,
fast and
even germination and excellent primary root growth for rapid plant
establishment.
Planting or seeding of crops is traditionally carried out by ploughing a field
and subsequently planting or seeding the field. Planting or seeding apparatus
include
soil working tools, such as points, discs or coulters, that disturb the soil.
Seed or
vegetative matter is dropped into the disturbed soil a short distance behind
the soil
working tool. In cases where rotatable soil working tools, such as discs or
coulters,
are used, a number of discs or coulters are mounted on a common axle. The
discs or
coulters are also mounted in an essentially vertical plane but at an angle to
the
direction of travel of the planting or seeding apparatus. The discs or
coulters all have
essentially the same orientation.
It is an obj ect of the present invention to provide an improved soil working
apparatus.
In one aspect, the present invention provides a soil working apparatus having
a sub-unit including at least one rotatable soil working means for disturbing
soil in
the direction of travel of said apparatus, said rotatable soil working means
being
oriented for obliquely passing through and beneath the surface of the soil, a
sub
assembly including a mounting beam mounted for rotation within said sub-unit
having at least one oblique axle mounting for receiving an axle of said soil
working
means, said axle extending into said mounting at an angle offset from the
direction
of rotation of the longitudinal axis of the mounting beam, and at least one
press
wheel positioned beside and at least partially behind each of said at least
one
rotatable soil working means for pressing down the soil disturbed by said
rotatable
soil working means, each press wheel corresponding to at least one rotatable
soil
working means whereby rotation of said oblique axle mounting beam within said
sub-unit changes the orientation of said soil working means relative to its
respective press wheel.
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In a preferred form, the soil working apparatus traverses a path across the
surface of the soil in the direction of travel of the apparatus. Since the
press wheel
travels across the surface of the soil, the depth and angle of the rotatable
soil working
means relative to the surface of the soil may be set by adjustment of the
position of
the soil working means relative to the press wheel.
By positioning the press wheel beside and partially behind the soil working
means, the press wheel is able to carry out three separate functions in its
synchronous
operation with the soil working means. These functions include,
( 1 ) the ability to catch and control the disturbed soil as it rises with the
trailing edge of the soil working means exiting the soil,
(2) the ability to establish the operating depth of the soil working means,
and
(3) gently pressing the soil back over any planted seeds without
overpressing or overcompaction of the soil.
The press wheel is preferably positioned beside and behind the soil working
means and rotates in the direction of travel of the wheel. Accordingly, the
press
wheel preferably rotates in a plane which is substantially perpendicular to
the surface
of the soil.
It is preferable that a portion of the soil working means disturbs soil
beneath at
least a portion of the path of the press wheel during its rotation. It is
desirable that
the soil working means not pass beneath the full width of the path of the
press wheel.
Through the combination of the soil working means and the press wheel, the
soil working apparatus is able to disturb the soil to allow seeds to be
planted with very
little or no appreciable mixing of dry surface soil and moist subsurface soil.
This
maintains the moisture in the soil and provides the most optimal conditions
for plant
germination from seeds.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a soil working apparatus
having a sub unit including a plurality of rotatable soil working means, each
of the
rotatable soil working means being oriented in an oblique plane and wherein
one of
the rotatable soil working means is in an opposed orientation to another of
the
rotatable soil working means, a mounting beam mounted for rotation within said
sub
unit having a plurality of oblique axle mountings for receiving an axle of
each said
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soil working means, each axle extending into said mounting at an angle off set
from
the direction of rotation of the longitudinal axis of the mounting beam
whereby
rotation of said soil working means relative to its respective press wheel and
at least
one press wheel positioned at least partially behind the rotatable soil
working means
S for pressing down soil disturbed by the rotatable soil working means.
Preferably, the rotatable soil working means are arranged in opposed pairs
although single rotatable soil working means in combination with paired soil
working
means are within the scope of the invention. In either case, the oblique plane
of the
soil working means is angled towards the press wheel. In this way, the
disturbed soil
will be on the press wheel side of the soil working means.
As in the case of a single soil working means and press wheel, when at least
one press wheel is used in combination with multiple soil working means, the
press
wheel:-
(i) catches and controls the disturbed soil as it rises with the trailing edge
1 S of the soil working means,
(ii) establishes the working depth of the soil working means, and
(iii) gently presses the disturbed soil back over any planted seeds without
overpressing or overcompaction of the soil.
The apparatus may further comprise connection means for connecting said
apparatus to a superstructure or a tool carrying assembly. The connection
means is
preferably a support or a plurality of supports and a single support is
usually sufficient
for each sub unit. The support may be inserted into or received by a standard
support-
receiving box that is part of an assembly that is ultimately connected to a
tractor or
other towing vehicle. Other connection means may be used. It will be
appreciated
that the connection means will normally be held in a fixed orientation and
preferably
substantially vertical, when it is connected to the assembly that is connected
to the
tractor or other towing machine.
The apparatus preferably further comprises a sub-frame for connecting a
number of sub-units together. The sub-frame may be connected to a
superstructure or
a tool carrying assembly by connection means.
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Preferably, each sub-unit has two rotatable soil working means. The rotatable
soil working means are preferably in an opposed orientation such that one of
the
rotatable soil working means is essentially a mirror image of the other.
It can be seen that the present invention may provide a soil working apparatus
or a sub-unit for a soil working apparatus. For ease of fitting, modularity
and to open
up the possibility of retrofitting, the present invention is preferably in the
form of a
sub-unit for a soil working apparatus. For convenience, the invention will
hereinafter
be described with reference to the embodiment of the invention as being a sub-
unit.
However, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to that
particular
embodiment. Indeed, the present invention extends to encompass soil working
apparatus manufactured as an integral unit and having the features described
herein.
In one preferred embodiment the rotatable soil working means are preferably
mounted on a mounting beam that is preferably connected to a longitudinal
member.
By "longitudinal member", it is meant a member that extends substantially
parallel to
the direction of travel of the apparatus in use. The longitudinal member is
preferably
a shaft extending generally along a line of travel of the apparatus of the
present
invention. Preferably, the sub-unit of the present invention is provided with
two
rotatable soil working means and both of the rotatable soil working means are
connected to the mounting beam. Even more preferably, each of the rotatable
soil
working means are fixed to a stub axle, with each stub axle fixed to and
projecting
from the mounting beam. The stub axles may extend at an angle offset from the
vertical plane and at an angle to the direction of travel in order to provide
the desired
orientation of the rotatable soil working means. The angle of the stub axles
and thus
the soil working means to the direction of travel is adjustable depending on
the
orientation desired.
The mounting beam that carries the rotatable soil working means is preferably
pivotally connected to the longitudinal member about an axis perpendicular to
the
longitudinal member. The sub-unit may further include a first adjustment means
for
adjusting the position of the mounting around the pivotal connection point of
the
mounting beam to the longitudinal member. By adjusting the first adjustment
means,
the gap or opening between the two rotatable soil working means at soil entry
level
may be increased or decreased and the angle of the rotatable soil working
means to
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the direction of travel may be increased or decreased. This enables control
and
adjustment of soil filth and width of the tilled zone.
It is preferred that each of the rotatable soil working means is provided with
its
own press-wheel. Thus, a sub-unit having two rotatable soil working means may
S have a press-wheel for each soil working means or a single press wheel with
a
rotatable soil working means arranged on either side of the press wheel
cutting
towards that press wheel.. The press wheels are usually located at least
partially
behind and beside their corresponding rotatable soil working means. The press
wheels may be carried by a press wheel beam connected to the longitudinal
member.
The sub-units of the present invention preferably will fit into existing
parallelogram controlled assemblies which enables retrofitting of the sub-
units to
existing machinery. Alternatively, the present invention may be manufactured
as a
complete apparatus or as a stand alone unit.
The longitudinal member is preferably arranged such that, in use, it can
rotate
about its longitudinal axis. This would allow the press wheels and rotatable
soil
working means to rotate about the longitudinal axis of the longitudinal
member.
Thus, if one of the rotatable soil working means encounters an obstacle or
runs across
uneven ground, it can lift upwardly by rotating around the longitudinal axis
of the
longitudinal member. This feature assists in obtaining constant depth working
of the
soil and minimizes the chance of breakage due to hitting rocks, stumps and the
like.
The apparatus of the present invention is preferably used as a seeding
apparatus or planting apparatus. Accordingly, the apparatus may further
comprise
supply means for supplying seed, vegetative matter and/or other beneficial
agents to
soil that has been disturbed by the rotatable soil working means. Preferably,
the
supply means comprises one or more tubes having an outlet located a short
distance
above the level of soil that has been disturbed by the rotatable soil working
means or
even extending into the momentary void in the soil created by passage of the
soil
working rotatable means therethrough. Seed and fertilizer tubes may extend
below
the original surface, but seed and fertilizer tubes may only operate on the
undisturbed
side of the coulters.
It will be appreciated that orientation of the rotatable soil working means in
an
oblique plane and at an angle to the direction of travel of the apparatus will
cause the
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soil that has been disturbed by the rotatable soil working means to be moved
upwardly and laterally by the rotatable soil working means by always towards
the
press wheel. This will create a momentary void in the soil in the vicinity of
a rear part
of the rotatable soil working means and the supply means is preferably located
such
that it supplies seed, vegetative matter or other beneficial agents to that
momentary
void.
The provision of a press wheel associated with preferably each of the
rotatable
soil working means ensures that the rotatable soil working means do not throw
the
worked soil any appreciable distance. Moreover, the press wheels not only act
to
control the depth of working of the rotatable soil working means, but they
also act to
catch and press down the disturbed soil onto the seed or other vegetative
matter that
has been supplied to the worked soil. This assists in germination because of
better
seed/soil contact.
In some circumstances, the press wheel may be moved further rearward
relative to the soil working means. In this way some of the soil is moved to
the side,
creating a furrow along which the trailing press wheel travels. As seeds can
then be
planted at the bottom of the furrow in front of the trailing preferably
narrower press
wheel, this arrangement has the advantage of planting seeds closer to the soil
moisture
level without increasing the depth of soil covering the seedlings after
germination.
It should be noted that even though the press wheel is moved further rearward,
the path of the press wheel is still beside the rotatable soil working means
and so the
press wheel is still considered to be behind and beside the rotatable soil
working
means.
In another embodiment, the apparatus may include a chassis means, with said
sub unit including said rotatable soil working means and said press wheels
being
attached, either directly or indirectly, to the chassis means. The chassis
means may be
adjustable in a transverse direction in order to allow the width of the
apparatus to be
adjusted. The rotatable soil working means are mounted to a sub-unit and the
sub-
unit may be mounted to the chassis means. Preferably, each rotatable soil
working
means is mounted to its own sub-unit. The sub-unit or sub-units are preferably
pivotally mounted to the chassis means in a manner similar to that described
above.
This allows for adjustment of the angle of the rotatable soil working means
relative to
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the corresponding press wheel or wheels by rotational adjustment of the
mounting
beam with the sub-units.
It is also preferred that the sub-unit including the rotatable soil working
means
and the press wheels can rotate in a plane that is transverse to the direction
of travel of
the apparatus in order to allow the rotatable soil working means and the press
wheels
to move generally upwardly or downwardly in the event that an obstruction or
uneven
ground is encountered. In this regard, the movement of the rotatable soil
working
means and press wheels is similar to the oscillations of the rotatable soil
working
means and the press wheels in a previously described embodiment.
If an adjustable chassis means is provided, the adjustable chassis may include
a plurality of generally longitudinally extending members interconnected by at
least
one transverse connecting member, said at least one transverse connecting
member
being of adjustable length. Preferably, the at least one transverse connecting
member
is a telescopic member.
The invention will now be described with reference to preferred embodiments
of a soil working apparatus having one or two rotatable soil working means in
association with a corresponding press wheel.
Further features, objects and advantages of the present will become more
apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment and
accompanying drawings, in which:-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a sub-unit in accordance with the invention
with
the press wheels and coulters removed for clarity;
Figure 2 is a rear-view of the apparatus of Figure 1 showing detail of the
press
wheel beam and stop-member;
Figure 3 is a schematic front elevation of the apparatus of Figure 1 showing
the arrangement of the sub-assembly, stub axles and coulters. In Figure 3, the
coulters
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will splay outwardly from front to rear but this is not drawn (for improved
clarity);
Figure 4 shows a plan view of Figure 3. In Figure 4, the coulters will splay
outwardly from top to bottom, but this is not drawn (for improved clarity);
Figure 5 shows a schematic front elevation of the apparatus of Figure 1
showing the spatial relationship of the coulters and press wheels: All details
of the
apparatus, except the coulters and press wheels, have been omitted for
clarity;
Figure 6 shows a similar view to Figure 1 but with the coulters and press
wheels included in order to show the side view of the spatial relationship
between the
coulters and press wheels.
Figure 7 shows a plan view of a second embodiment of the present invention in
which the soil working means and press wheels are now shown,
Figure 8 is a front view of the apparatus shown in Figure 7,
Figure 9 is a sectional view of part of rear depth adjustment through line 9-9
of
Figure 7,
Figure 10 is a side view of a parallelogram superstructure attachment of the
present invention illustrated with the embodiment of Figure 7,
Figure 11 is a plan view of a third embodiment of the invention
Figure 12 is a schematic side view of the embodiment of Figure 11 with the
soil working means and press wheels removed but superimposed to illustrate
their
normal position,
Figure 13 is a front view of the embodiment shown in Figure I 1,
Figure 14 is a schematic plan view showing the elements of the sub-unit of
Figure 11 without the soil working means and press wheels,
Figure 15 is a schematic side view of the elements of the sub-unit of Figure 1
I,
Figure 16 is a schematic plan view of a third embodiment of the present
invention illustrating a single press wheel and single coulter arrangement,
and
Figures 17(a) to Figure 17(e) are alternative arrangements between the soil
working means and press wheels which fall within the scope of the invention.
Figure 1 shows a side view of an embodiment of the present invention with the
press wheels and coulters removed for clarity. The embodiment shows an
apparatus
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comprises a longitudinal shaft 12. A tine 14 is pivotally connected to an
intermediate member 16 by bolt/pin 18. Intermediate member 16 has an opening
20
formed in a lower part thereof and shaft 12 passes through opening 20 to
thereby
connect intermediate member 16 to shaft 12. Shaft 12 and opening 20 are
configured
such that the shaft 12 can rotate inside opening 20. For example, the inner
part of
opening 20 may be provided with a nylon bushing, roller bearings or other low
friction surface. Affixed to a rear part of shaft 12 is press wheel beam 22.
Press
wheel beam 22 has openings 24, 26 for receiving press wheels Press wheel beam
22
includes an extended housing 28 having an opening 30 for receiving
longitudinal shaft
12. (As shown in Figure 2). A key way 13 is formed in a rear portion of
longitudinal
shaft 12 and this key way is engaged by a keying member (not shown) formed in
the
opening 30 of the lower part of extended housing 28 of the press wheel beam.
This
ensures that the press wheel beam 22 is securely fixed to longitudinal shaft
12.
As best seen in Figure 2, intermediate member 16 includes two upwardly
extending members 16(a), 16(b). A pin or bolt 32 extends through a hole formed
in
the upper part of upwardly extending part 16(a), 16(b) of intermediate member
16.
Bolt 32 provides a pivotal connection for an adjustable screw thread 34. As
shown in
Figure 1, the other end of screw thread 34 is received through bolt or pin 36
and is
held in place by locating nuts 38, 40. Pin 36 is affixed through a hole in
bracket 42
that is welded or otherwise fixedly connected to support 14. As will be
appreciated
from Figure l, adjusting screw 34 will cause intermediate member 16 to rotate
about
pivot point 18 and this will alter the angle between tine 14 and longitudinal
shaft 12.
This will have the effect of altering the depth of working of the coulters.
At the forward end of longitudinal shaft 12, a sub-assembly 44 is pivotally
mounted about bolt or pin 46 to longitudinal shaft 12. A front elevational
view of this
sub-assembly is shown in Figure 3. Sub-assembly 44 may also be described as a
sub-
frame. Sub-assembly 44 carries stub axles 48, 49. As can be seen from Figures
1 and
3, sub-axles 48, 49 are mounted such that they have an angle to both vertical
and
horizontal. Stub axle 48 carries coulter 52 whilst stub axle 49 carries
coulter 54.
Coulters 52, 54 are preferably plain coulters. As can best be seen from Figure
5,
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coulters S2, S4 are oriented such that they also have an angle to both
horizontal and
vertical planes. As a result, when the coulters are working the soil, the
rearmost part
of the coulter that contacts the soil is located outwardly of the front most
part of the
coulter that is working the soil. As a result, passage of the coulter through
the soil
causes the soil to be pushed outwardly and upwardly, which creates a momentary
void
behind the coulter. Seed and any other beneficial agents are dropped into this
momentary void. The press wheel positioned partially behind and on the
disturbed
soil side of the coulter catches and controls the disturbed soil as it rises
with the
trailing edge of the soil working means. Once the coulter has passed through a
particular part of the soil, the press wheel operating synchronously with the
coulter
pushes the disturbed soil back into the void to cover the seed and other
beneficial
agents and to press the soil down without overpressing or overcompacting the
soil.
The upper part 44(a) of sub-assembly 44 is pivotally connected by a pin or
bolt
S6 to a screw adjustor 58. The other end of screw adjustor S8 is connected by
pin or
bolt 60 and nuts 62, 64 to a bracket 66 mounted on longitudinal shaft 12. As
can be
appreciated, bracket 66 is fixedly mounted to longitudinal shaft 12. This
arrangement
allows adjustment of the position of sub-assembly 44 relative to longitudinal
shaft 12.
In particular, rotation of screw adjustor S8 will cause sub-assembly 44 to
rotate about
pin or bolt 46 to change the orientation of sub-assembly 44 relative to
longitudinal
shaft 12. As the sub-assembly 44 rotates about pin or bolt 46, the angle to
the
direction of travel of coulters S2, S4 and the distance between the coulters
S2, S4 at
the soil surface level will also change. This allows for adjustment of the
coulters to
account for, for example, the planting of different crops or the working of
different
soil types.
Figure 4 is a top view of the front portion of the apparatus in accordance
with
the present invention, with further detail added to show the positioning and
mounting
of the seed tubes. In particular, the apparatus further includes rearwardly
extending
arms 68, 70, which arms include angled portions 68a, 70a respectively.
Pivotally
mounted to the rearmost part of arm portion 68(a), 70(a) are seed tubes 72,
74. While
only two tubes for seeds and other beneficial are shown, any number of tubes
may be
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used. The supply tubes 72, 74 are oriented such that they always lie parallel
to the
plane of the coulters. Moreover, by pivotally mounting the seed tubes 72, 74
(at pivot
points 76, 78), adjustment of the position of the outlet of the supply tubes
can be
effected.
Figure S shows a front schematic view of the apparatus of the present
invention
(with much detail omitted therefrom) to show the relative arrangement between
the
coulters and the press wheels. As can be seen from Figure 5, coulters 52, 54
and press
wheels 80, 82 are arranged such that the innermost portion of press wheels 80,
82
overlaps with the outermost portion of coulters 52, 54. It has been found that
in order
for the press wheel to fulfil its above-mentioned functions, only a small
overlap
between the innermost portion of the press wheels 80, 82 and outer most
portions of
the coulters 52, 54 is generally required. Furthermore, as can be seen from
Figure 6,
press wheel 82 and coulter 54 overlap to a certain degree in the longitudinal
direction
as well. However, it will be appreciated that coulters 52, 54 do not contact
their
respective press wheels 80, 82 due to the angling of the coulters 52, 54. It
will also be
appreciated that the longitudinal positioning of the press wheels 80, 82 may
be
adjusted as described hereinabove and that in some instances it may be
desirable to
have no overlap between the coulters and their respective press wheels in the
longitudinal direction. The press wheels may also be adjusted inwardly or
outwardly
to avoid contact with the coulters.
As a general rule, press wheels 80, 82 are preferably much more heavily built
than normal press wheels to enable them to absorb the entire downforce applied
to
each unit if little or no pressure is required on the coulters at any
particular time. The
press wheels are preferably wider than normal (for example from 100 to 200mm
wide), so that the force per unit area on the press wheels is not excessive.
This is of
benefit in soils prone to excessive crusting or compaction and flotation of
the press
wheels on the soil is guaranteed if sowing into conventional cultivation or
soft soils.
The press wheels capture the disturbed soil almost immediately after the seed
has been planted with little or no soil moving from underneath the press
wheels. This
leaves an exceptionally level soil surface following seeding. This also
provides very
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little or substantially no mixing of the dry surface soil and the moist
subsurface soil.
However, the design of the press wheel can be varied depending on the soil and
design requirements of the soil working apparatus.
In some circumstances, where deep soil moisture is available to allow
germination and establishment of a plant, the relative position of press wheel
may be
further behind the soil working means. This allows some of the drier top soil
to be
moved aside creating a furrow along which the trailing press wheel passes.
Under
these circumstances, a narrow press wheel may be used and the surface of the
soil
along which the press wheel travels is at the bottom of the furrow. By moving
some
of the drier top soil to the side in front of the press wheel, the seed can be
placed
below the new soil surface level which is closer to the soil moisture level
without
increasing the amount of soil covering the seed. Thus, while the seed is
planted
deeper and closer to the moisture level, the seedlings are able to emerge
through a
reduced covering of soil than would normally be the case for seeds planted at
that
depth.
A narrow press wheel set close to the side and behind the rotatable soil
working means may also be advantageous in capturing and closing the disturbed
soil
in some pasture and crop establishment situations.
Due to the agronomic requirements in differing areas {ie. soil types, rain
fall,
surface residues and seed-bed requirements) variations in the setting and
placement of
the rotatable soil working relative to the press wheel will be required.
However, in all
situations the press wheel will trail behind the soil working means and be
beside (ie.
travel a path beside the soil working means). Other elements such as coulter
and press
wheel cleaners, surface residue shields, residue deflectors and cleaners* and
soil
deflecting, capturing and closing devices, will also need to be repositioned
in
accordance with the agronomic requirements of the field in which it is to be
used.
A further advantageous feature of the present invention is provided by
mounting intermediate member 16 onto longitudinal shaft 12 in a fashion that
allows
longitudinal shaft 12 to rotate through the opening or the sleeve 20 formed in
the
Iower part of intermediate member 16. During use of the machine, it will be
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appreciated that tine 14 is held in a fixed orientation by the tool carrying
assembly that
is connected to the tractor or other towing vehicle or implement frame (not
shown). If
one of the coulters or press wheels encounters an obstacle or uneven ground,
that
coulter or press wheel can ride up or down over the obstacle or uneven ground,
which
causes longitudinal shaft 12 to rotate inside opening or sleeve 20 of
intermediate
member 16. This causes the coulter and press wheel on the opposite side of the
sub-
unit to rotate in an opposite direction. In effect, the coulters and press
wheels can
oscillate up and down in a limited arc around the longitudinal axis of the
longitudinal
shaft. This ensures that each press wheel is always maintained in the desired
horizontal relationship with its associated coulter and that the chances of
breakage
caused by striking an obstacle are reduced.
In order to control the degree of oscillation between said limits, a stop
member
84 is mounted to the press wheel beam 22. As the press wheel beam 22 rotates
away
from a horizontal orientation, the stop member 84 can come into contact with
the
upwardly extending members 16a, 16b of intermediate member 16. Once the stop
member 84 has contacted upwardly extending arm 16a or 16b, further oscillation
of
the press wheel beam is prevented.
It is especially preferred that the apparatus shown in the accompanying
drawings is mounted to a tool carrying mechanism having a parallelogram
mechanism
to allow the apparatus to move up or down in the vertical plane if large
obstacles are
encountered, thus avoiding breakage. Any such known tool carrying apparatus
(of
which there are many) will be suitable for this purpose.
The apparatus shown in the accompanying figures may comprise one of a
plurality of similar sub-units that are mounted to a tool carrying assembly or
a super
structure to constitute a planting or soil working apparatus. The sub-units
shown in
the accompanying drawing are designed to reduce capital costs by allowing
larger
areas to be planted in the available time. They are also designed to fit into
existing
parallelogram type tine boxes or as a stand alone unit.
The apparatus of the present invention has been designed to be used at much
higher speeds than normal planting speeds. For example, the unit has been
trialled at
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speeds in excess of 20 kilometers per hour, and speeds of up to 40 kilometers
per hour
may be possible, compared with normal planting speeds of approximately 10
kilometers per hour. This will allow for much higher productivity than
existing
planters. Alternatively, it may be possible to use narrower planters and
attain the
same productivity as current wide planters. This will result in a large saving
of capital
costs on the current wide planters without any loss of productivity. The
apparatus of
the present invention allows control of soil tilth and width of the tilled
(worked) zone
by varying the pitch angle of the coulters by use of screw adjustor 58. Each
coulter is
controlled depth wise by the press wheel beside and behind it and through the
controlled oscillation described hereinabove. Effectively, the coulter and its
corresponding press wheel are linked so that the horizontal relationship
between the
coulter and its corresponding press wheel is maintained. Moreover, press wheel
height, relative to the bottom of the coulter may be controlled through a
large range by
use of screw adjustor 34. Please note that both screw adjustor 34 and 58 may
be
provided with a graduated scale for reference.
It is also noted that the press wheel beam 22 can be moved backwards and
forwards along the keyed longitudinal shaft to accommodate varying soil
conditions.
The press wheel beam 22 is held in position by set screws 84, 86.
The press wheels themselves may be mounted on simple stub axles that are
inserted into openings 24, 26 in the press wheel beam 22. Holding screw 88 may
be
used to hold the press wheel in the desired position. In this arrangement, the
press
wheels can be moved into and out of the press wheel beam to accommodate the
varying widths of the trailing edges of the coulters as they are adjusted.
The use of twin coulters in opposed orientation balances side loads and
reduces
component wear.
The apparatus of the present invention allows widths to vary, according to
coulter pitch adjustment, from a very tiny, extremely shallow worked zone with
limited tilth (ideal, for example, for sub-clover seed) to a deep, wide worked
zone
with considerable tilth (ideal, for example, faba beans). Germination of
planted seeds
can be enhanced by placing the seeds and/or fertilizer or other beneficial
agents on
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undisturbed soil at the bottom of the furrow for good moisture absorption
whilst the
emerging roots can easily grow into the nearby disturbed soil that has been
tilled or
worked by passage of the coulters. Additionally, seed can be placed against
the
undisturbed soil but adjacent to the disturbed soil either just on the surface
or
completely buried.
Each of the sub-units may be attached to its tool bar frame or superstructure
by
a clamp and wedge for very quick adjustment. Such arrangements may do away
with
the necessity of bolting the sub-units to the tool bar frame or
superstructure.
However, it will be appreciated that any other means for connecting the sub-
unit to the
tool bar frame or superstructure may also be used.
In the second embodiment of the present invention shown in Figure 7, a tyne or
upright 121 is fixed to an outer bush 120 which receives an elongate
longitudinal shaft
104. Longitudinal shaft 104 is provided with an enlargement 128 at its end
thereof
and a thrust washer and seal 122 is provided on the longitudinal shaft 104 to
seal the
outer bush 120 from dust and other contaminants which may effect the
rotational
movement of the elongate shaft 104 within bush 120.
The sub-unit 100 includes an oblique axle mounting beam 101 having welded
thereto oblique axle mounts 105 for receiving coulter axles IOG. The coulter
axles
106 are received and extend into the mounts at an angle offset from the
direction of
the longitudinal axis of the mounts I05 and the mounting beam 101. Outer press
wheel beam 113 has secured thereto press wheel beam connecting arms 107
provided
with apertures 126 in the ends distal to the outer press wheel beam 113 for
receiving
oblique axle mounts 105 in rotational engagement.
The axles 115 of the press wheels are received within press wheel axle mounts
1 I4 which in turn are received within outer press wheel beam 113 the position
of the
press wheels relative to the outer press wheel beam 113 may be adjusted by the
adjustable engagement of the press wheel axle mounts 114 within outer press
wheel
beam 113.
Thus the oblique axle mounting beam I01, and oblique axle mounts 105 are
able to rotate within the connecting arms 107 to change the orientation of the
coulter
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axles 106 relative to the press wheel beam 113. The rotation and position of
the
oblique axle mounts 105 relative to the connecting arms 107 and the outer
press wheel
beam 113 is adjusted by an adjustment means shown as adjusting arm 109 fixed
to the
oblique axle mounting beam 101 and adjustably received by fixed bracket 112.
Fixed
bracket 112 is provided with a quadrant arm 111 extending upwardly from the
press
wheel beam 113 and having a plurality of apertures (not shown) for sliding
engagement with the adjusting arm 109. The adjusting arm 109 is provided with
a pin
or lug 110 which engages the quadrant arm 111 to set the position of the
oblique axle
mounting beam 101 relative to the press wheel beam 113. By rotating the
oblique
axle mounting beam 101 relative to the connecting arms 107, the orientation
and pitch
angle of the coulter relative to the corresponding press wheel varies enabling
the
distance between the leading edges of the coulters to increase or decrease
thereby
altering the tilth and contact angle of the coulter with the soil.
The sub-unit may be mounted to a tyne or upright 121 having a bush 120
welded at the base to form a T-shaped member. Journalled with the bush 120 is
an
elongate longitudinal shaft member 104 which is provided with an enlargement
128 at
its end in proximity to the oblique axle mounting beam 101. The oblique axle
mounting beam 101 of the sub-unit is provided with mounting plates 103 which
engage with enlargement 128 of the elongate shaft 104 allowing rotation of the
oblique axle mounting beam 101 about an axis substantially parallel to the
Longitudinal axis of that beam. The longitudinal shaft 104 may also be
provided with
a thrust washer and seal 122 to protect the interior of the bush 120 while
allowing
rotation of the longitudinal shaft 104 in the bush 120.
The height of the press wheels relative to the tyre 121 or upright may also be
adjusted by a rear depth adjustment means which alters the position of the
bush 120
relative to the press wheel beam 113. The rear depth adjustment means as
illustrated
in Figure 9 includes fixed guide plates 117 secured to the press wheel beam
113, a
depth adjustment Linkage 118 pivotally connected at one end 118a to the
elongate
shaft 104 journalled within bush 120, and depth adjustment lever 118b. The
depth
adjustment lever 118b is pivotally connected to fixed guide plates 117 at a
fulcrum
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point 118c and provided with an adjustable engagement means (not shown) fixed
to
the press wheel beam 113. The adjustment means may include a mounting bracket
and upwardly extending quadrant arm which is engaged by a lug or pin
associated
with the depth adjustment lever 118(b) in a similar manner to the adjustment
means
which set the rotation and position of the oblique axle mounting beam 101.
By raising depth adjusting lever 118(b), the linkage 118 is moved downwardly
by action through the fulcrum point 118(c) and pivotal connection 118(d)
causing the
position of the longitudinal shaft 104 and hence the tyre to be lowered
relative to the
press wheels. Similarly lowering the depth adjusting lever 118(b) raises the
position
of the longitudinal shaft relative to the press wheels. Since the height of
the
longitudinal shaft above the bottom of the coulters is set, raising or
lowering the
longitudinal shaft relative to the press wheels respectively decreases or
increases the
depth of the coulters into the soil.
As with the earlier embodiment shown in Figure 1 to 6, it is most preferable
that a seed supply means be provided with the soil working apparatus of the
invention
to enable seed or other beneficial agents to be dropped into the momentary
void which
is created behind the coulter in its passage through the soil. The press wheel
positioned partially behind and on the disturbed side of the coulter, catches
and
controls the disturbed soil as it rises with the trailing edge of the coulter.
Once the
coulter has passed through a particular part of the soil and the seeds or
other beneficial
agents dropped into the soil, the press wheel operating synchronously with the
coulters pushes the disturbed soil back into void to cover the seed and other
beneficial
agents and presses the soil down without overpressing or overcompacting the
soil.
In a further embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 11 to 1 S, the sub-
unit 200 includes oblique mounting sleeve 231 secured to quadrant bodies
230(a) and
230(b) and press wheel beam 244 secured to press wheel arms 240(a) and 240(b).
Axle or axles of at least one soil working means are received in oblique axle
mount
232 which is provided with an adjusting arm 233 adapted to releasably engage
one of
the quadrant bodies 230(b). The releasable engagement between the adjusting
arm
233 and quadrant body 230(b) is provided by a plurality of engagement
apertures 235
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formed in the quadrant body 230(b) or 230{a) adapted to receive locating lugs
234 on
the adjusting arm 233.
The press wheel arms 240(a), 240(b) are pivotally mounted to the respective
quadrant bodies 230(a), 230(b) by an engaging pin 246 which passes through
apertures 241, 239 in the respective press wheel arms and quadrant bodies. The
relative position of the press wheel arms 240(a), 240(b) to the respective
quadrant
bodies 230(a), 230(b) is releasably secured by locator tabs 243 provided on
the press
wheel arms 240{a), 240(b) which slides within slots 245 and engage with teeth
242
formed in the respective quadrant bodies.
By varying the position of the adjusting arm on the quadrant body, the oblique
axle mount 232 is able to be rotated within sleeve 231. Since the straight
axle or axles
of the soil working means such as coulters or discs are received within the
mounting
232 so that the axis of rotation of each soil working means is offset at an
angle to the
axis of rotation of the mounting 232, the angle of the soil working means
relative to
the soil can be changed as can the distance between the forward most edges of
the soil
working means when two soil working means are used.
Furthermore by releasing the locator tabs 243 from engagement with teeth 242,
the position of the press wheel sleeve 244 relative to the oblique axle
mounting sleeve
231 can be raised or lowered. Since the press wheels are always in contact
with the
ground in use, raising or lowering the oblique axis mounting sleeve 231
relative to the
press wheel mounting sleeve 244, effectively decreases or increases the depth
to
which the soil working means passes through the soil. To connect the sub-unit
of this
embodiment to a tyre or upright, forward connecting plate 236 and rear
connecting
plate 237 are secured to and extend between quadrant bodies 230(a), 230(b).
The tyre
or upright 221 is provided with a bush 220 to form a T-shaped member which is
positioned between the forward and rear connecting plates 23G, 237. An
elongate
longitudinal shaft 204 extends through an aperture in the rear connecting
plate through
the bush 220 to engage an aperture in the forward connecting plate 23G. It is
preferable that the longitudinal shaft 204 is permitted some limited
rotational
movement with the bush 220 to allow the sub-unit to rotate to accommodate
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variations in the soil surface.
The above described sub-unit enables the angle and space between the forward
most edges of the coulters to be varied when two coulters are used as well as
enabling
the tilth or depth of the coulters as they pass through the soil to be varied.
Figure 16 shows a fourth embodiment of the invention which is similar to the
previous embodiment of Figure 11. The embodiment of Figure 16 is specifically
designed to operate a single coulter or soil working means in conjunction with
the
press wheel. In this embodiment the sub-unit includes press wheel mounting
beam
344 having connecting arms 340(a) and 340(b) secured thereto. The coulter
mounting
beam 331 receives oblique axle mounting 332 which have fixed thereto a
quadrant
body 330 similar to that shown in Figure 15 as 230. In this embodiment the
tyne or
upright 321 is secured directly to the oblique mounting sleeve 331. The angle
of the
coulter axles 306 within the oblique axle mounting sleeve 331 may be varied by
rotating adjusting arm 333 which is identical to adjusting arm 233 shown in
Figure 15
and releasably engaging lugs 334 with apertures 335 formed in the quadrant
330. To
adjust the height of the coulter mounting sleeve relative to the press wheel
sleeve,
press wheel connecting arms 340 are pivotally mounted to quadrant body 330 by
pivot
pin 346 to enable the depth of the coulter to be varied.
Figure 10 illustrates an example of a parallelogram arrangement which allows
a sub-unit of any one of the preferred embodiments to be mounted to a tool
carrying
assembly such as a tractor tool bar. This figure illustrates a means whereby
the soil
working apparatus of the invention may be completed by mounting the sub-unit
of
any one of the preferred embodiments to a superstructure which allows
transverse
movement in upwards and downwards direction to accommodate variations in the
soil
without effecting the performance of the invention. The superstructure 50
includes
linkages 51, 53 connected directly or indirectly to the tyne or upright 21
(which may
also be type or upright 121, 221 321, formed into a parallelogram arrangement.
Upright connection 57 joins linkages 51,53 and is welded to a clamp which , in
turn is
attached to the frame. The upright connection 57 fixed parallel to the tyre 21
has a
damping means such as a spring 59 secured thereto preferably so that the axis
of the
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spring is substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of the connection
57. With
one end of the biasing means 59 secured to a support plate on the connection
57, the
other end of the biasing means is secured to linkage 53 which at rest is
substantially
perpendicular to connection 57. To secure this superstructure to a tool
carrying
assembly for a tractor, connection 57 is welded to a clamp which attaches to
frame bar
55 (not shown). The frame bar 55 may then be attached to a tractor 3 point
linkage or
it may be provided with its own wheels.
If the soil working apparatus of the invention includes multiple sub-units,
the
frame bar 55 can be extended in either direction and similar superstructures
attached
for each sub-unit.
Embodiments of the invention involving differing arrangements of rotatable
soil working means and press wheels are illustrated in Figures 17(a) to 17(e).
Figure 17(a)(1), 17(a)(2) and 17(a)(3) are respectively an overhead view, a
rear
view and a left side view of a single coulter in which a single press wheel is
positioned behind and beside the coulter.
Figures 17(b)( 1 ), 17(b)(2) and 17(b)(3) are respectively an overhead view,
rear
view and left side view of an embodiment of the invention in which a pair of
coulters
are positioned beside and behind a single press wheel. Each coulter is angled
to
disturb soil beneath a portion of the soil beneath the surface of the path
traversed by
the press wheel.
Figure 17(c)(1) is an overhead view of two opposed coulters cutting outwardly
to their respective press wheel. Also illustrated is the central oscillation
bush (20, 120,
220) from which the apparatus is pulled. Figure 17(c)(2) is a rear view of the
embodiment of Figure 17(c)( 1 ) showing opposed coulters which cutting towards
the
press wheel and are obliquely mounted by their axles to either end of a
mounting
beam which can rotate. This allows the pitch angle of the couiters to alter
simultaneously thus allowing a greater or lesser void beside the coulters in
which to
place beneficial agents.
Figure 17(d)(1) is an overhead view of a pair of coulters which cuts toward a
single press wheel. This unit is attached along side a similar unit by a main
chassis
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beam or frame bar which can be constructed or lengthened to any desired unit
spacing. This combination is given down forcing connected by parallelogram as
illustrated in Figure 10. Figure 17(d)(2) is a rear view of the embodiment
shown in
Figure 17(d)( 1 ).
Figure 17(e)( 1 ), 17(e)(2) and 17(e)(3) are respectively a top view, rear
view
and left side view of a close coulter design in which two opposed coulters are
cutting
toward their respective press wheels.
Figure 17(e)(2) also illustrates the central vertical standard or tyre to
which the
apparatus is attached to a parallelogram arrangement as shown in Figure 10.
