SOIL TILLING TINE ENTITY FOR SOIL TILLAGE IMPLEMENT

SOIL TILLING TINE ENTITY FOR SOIL TILLAGE IMPLEMENT

The invention refers to a soil tilling tine entity for soil tillage implements according to the ingress of Claim 1, and a soil tillage implement according to the ingress of Claim 6.

Background of the invention

Tractor-drawn soil tillage implements for soil cultivation, such as cultivators and harrows, are often provided with a plurality of soil tilling tines. The tines are commonly suspended with spring at the frame of the implement and comprise a soil tilling tool at their tip.

With increasingly stronger tractors coming onto the market, the use of larger and more efficient soil tillage implements is possible. These implements must commonly be possible to fold by some means during transport between different fields of work, partly due to possible purely physical obstacles such as narrow passages, and partly due to legal requirements on road traffic, which limit the maximum width of the implement's external dimensions.

For these reasons, to obtain maximum utilisation of the available space it is desirable to be able to fold away the soil tilling tines during transport. Such a solution is shown in patent application EP 777 956. This solution has certain practical disadvantages. It acquires in its folded parking position a long extension rearwards. Often one wants to have a longitudinal distance between the rows of tines (which are carried by crosswise frame beams) that is shorter than the tine length, which thereby becomes difficult to resolve with this known solution. There can also often be other frame-fixed components in the way. Furthermore, it is desirable that the tines are suspended with spring at the frame in order to be able to take up uneven forces, for example from stones in the soil. The solution according to EP 777 956 requires certain technical arrangements for diverting or opposing this spring force in the parking position.

Aims of the invention

The aim of the invention is to provide a soil tilling tine entity for soil tillage implements that permits reduced implement width in transport position and where the abovementioned disadvantages are avoided. The work function of the tine entity may not be diminished. In addition, it is desirable to have as simple and cost-effective a solution as possible.

The invention also has the aim of providing a soil tillage implement provided with tine entities according to the above.

Summary of the invention

The first aim of the invention is solved by a soil tilling tine entity according to Claim 1. The tine entity is journalled in bearings with spring relative to the frame of the soil tillage implement. Allowing the entire tine entity or only the tip part to be rotatable around a second axis enables repositioning between working position and transport position without the influence of the springing member. This hereby also enables the tine entity (or only the tip part) to be folded aside so that the extension of the tine entity in the parking position for the greatest part falls with the extension of the frame and therefore does not become limiting for the external dimensions of the soil tillage implement in its transport position. A device according to Claim 2 enables one to only fold aside the tine tip, which provides a simple construction with few changes to the construction or function of the tine.

Claims 3 and 4 show advantageous detail designs where a very effective folding aside can be achieved for essentially L-shaped tine entities. L-shaped tine entities demonstrate advantages in the form of the lower part of the tine being able to work essentially vertically, which is favourable since it counteracts collection of straw residues, while at the same time the tine acquires a position behind the first axis around which the tine entity is journalled in bearings, which allows the tip part to rebound up out of the soil more easily without too great a force load in for example stone collisions.

An alternative embodiment according to Claim 5 allows the entire tine entity to be folded aside sideways.

The second aim of the invention is solved by a soil tillage implement according to Claim 6 provided with the above described tine entities.

A soil tillage implement according to Claims 7 and 8 enables automatic repositioning between working position and parking position controlled by the soil tillage implements 's ordinary folding between working position and transport position. Here the operator accordingly does not need to take any further measures for the repositioning.

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention are described more closely below with the help of an embodiment example with reference to the drawings attached. Drawing summary

Figure 1 shows a view of a soil tillage implement with a plurality of tine entities according to a first embodiment in working position. Figure 2 shows the soil tillage implement according to Figure 1 in transport position with the tine entities in parking position. Figure 3 shows a detailed view of a tine entity according to Figure 1 in an active working position.

Figure 4 shows a detailed view of a tine entity according to Figure 3 in an inactive parking position.

Figure 5 shows a second embodiment of two tine entities in an active working position.

Figure 6 shows tine entities according to Figure 6 in an inactive parking position. Figure 7 shows a schematic view of a frame with tine entities according to Figure 6.

Description of an embodiment example

Figures 1-4 show a first embodiment of the invention. In Figures 1 and 2, a number of details, such as hydraulic and electrical components, have been omitted for reasons of clarity. Figure 1 shows a soil tillage implement in a working position comprising a frame 2 comprising a central part 4, outer parts 6 and a towing device 8 intended to be connected to a towing vehicle, suitably a tractor. At the rear end of each frame part 6, 8 a packer wheel package 10 is arranged. At each frame part is also a number of tine entities 12 according to the invention, here shown in a working position.

In Figure 2, the soil tillage implement is shown in a transport position. Here the outer frame parts 6 have been folded upwards and inwards to a transport position with the aim of reducing the total width of the implement. Here also the tine entities 12 that are arranged at the outer frame parts 6 have been repositioned to an inactive parking position.

The detailed design of the tine entities 12 and their repositioning between working and transport position are described more closely below with reference to Figures 3 and 4 where a tine entity is shown in working and parking position respectively.

The tine entity 12 is fastened at a beam on the frame part 6 with the help of a fastening 14. The tine entity 12 comprises as essential parts an upper tine part 16, a tip part 18, a fastening entity 30 and a springing member 22.

The upper tine part 16 is at its one end turnably journalled in bearings relative to the frame 6 around a first axis of rotation 24, here in the form of a bolt that runs through holes in the fastening 14, and at its other end attached at the fastening entity 30. The tip part 18 is at its one end turnably journalled in bearings at the fastening entity 30 around a second axis of rotation 34, this too in the form of a bolt, essentially parallel to the first axis of rotation 24. At the other end of the tip part 18 a work tool 20 for soil tillage is fastened in. It is also conceivable to allow the work tool to be integrated with the tip part. A springing member 22, here in the form of a spiral spring is fastened between a fastener 28 at the fastening entity 30 and a frame- fixed part 6, here in the form of a rotation joint 26 in the fastening 14.

The tine entity 12 in Figure 3 is locked in the working position with the help of a locking member in the form of a locking pin or clip through a first pair of holes 40 in the fastening entity 30. The tip part 18 is prevented from rotation backwards by a fore contact face concealed in Figure 3 abutting a co-acting stop face in the fastening entity 30 or alternatively the rear-facing end face of the upper tine part 16. The tip part 18 is prevented from rotation forwards by a rear contact face 44 abutting the locking pin 38.

In the working position the tip part 18 is accordingly prevented from rotating around the second axis 34. The entire tine entity can however be rotated relative to the frame part 6 around the first axis of rotation 24 against the action of the springing member 22 which influences the tine entity towards a neutral position. The springing is as mentioned previously to allow uneven forces from the soil to be taken up.

In Figure 4 the tine entity 12 is locked in a parking position. This parking position has been achieved by first removing the locking pin 38 from the first pair of holes 40, thereafter rotating the tip part 18 approx. 90 degrees forwards, and finally locking the tip part 18 with the help of the locking pin 38 through a second pair of holes 42. This rotating occurs thereby without the influence of the springing member 22. The tip part 18 is thereby prevented from rotation by the fore contact face 46 abutting the locking pin 38 and by the tool 20 abutting the fastening 14 or the upper tine part 16.

Hereby is achieved a parking position where the tine entity 12 acquires a space- saving placement for the greatest part within the extension of the frame where the spring 22 remains in its neutral position.

Figures 5-7 show schematically a second embodiment of the invention. Figure 5 shows an outer frame part 106 with two tine entities 112 in working position. According to this embodiment a tip part 118 and an upper tine part 116 are integrated in one component with a tool 120 mounted at the end of the tip part 118. The tine entity 112 comprises a spring 122 fastened in between the upper tine part 116 and a plate 150. The upper tine part 116 is turnably journalled in bearings relative to the frame part 106 around a first axis of rotation 124, against the action of the spring 122. The axis of rotation 124 is suitably comprised of a pin not shown that runs through a sleeve fixed at the plate 150. The tine entity 112 is also turnably journalled in bearings at the frame around a second axis of rotation 134. The second axis of rotation 134 is essentially perpendicular to the first axel 124 and is here comprised of a not shown bolt or pin that runs through fastening eyes or a fastening sleeve fixed at the frame part 106. The pin is fixed at the plate 150 which can thereby rotate relative to the frame part 106 around the second axis 134 but not the first axis 124.

A mechanical link arrangement 160 connects the tine entities 112 with each other by a rod 162 turnably journalled in bearings at the respective plates 150 via rotation joints 164.

In Figure 6 the tine entities 112 are shown in parking position. The parking position here has been achieved by displacement of the rod 162 causing rotation of the plate 150 around the second axis 134 so that the tine entities are rotated in towards the frame part 106 without the influence of the spring 122.

The movement has been achieved by the soil tillage implement's folding movement of the outer frame parts from a working position to a transport position. This is now described below with reference to Figure 7.

Figure 7 shows a frame with a central part 104 and two outer sections folded up on each side 106, 166. This folding occurs with the help of a not shown hydraulic cylinder in a known way.

Through the folding movement the mechanical link arrangement has influenced the rod 162 movement relative to the frame part 106 through the link arm 165 journalled in bearings at a journal point 167 fixed relative to the central part 104 which in its turn leads to folding in of the tine entities 112 to the parking position.

In the same way the tine entities 112 are folded on the second outer frame part 166 to their parking position via link arms 170, 172 and joint point 168 fixed relative to the first outer frame part 106.

Here too a parking position is accordingly achieved where the tine entity 112 acquires a space-saving placement and where the spring 122 remains in its neutral position.

The embodiment described above is not limiting for the invention, which can be varied in a plurality of ways within the framework of the patent. Accordingly the design of the tine entities can for example be varied and the placing and relative disposition of the first and second axis of rotation varied, as long as at least the tip part is rotated aside to a parking position without the spring being affected. The spring member can take a different form, for example a hydraulic cylinder that acts against an accumulator.

Furthermore the tine entities according to the first embodiment can also be provided with link arrangements for automatic repositioning even if this becomes more complex. Likewise the second embodiment can be used without link arrangements with manual repositioning and some form of locking member.

Manual repositioning also allows for only a selectable number of tine entities to be set in the parking position. This can be desirable if the farmer requires extra deep tillage. By then folding up for example alternate tines to the parking position one can greatly reduce the necessary draught requirement while at the same time the tillage result in deep tillage is not necessarily noticeably decreased by the greater tine spacing.

Furthermore one can conceive according to the first embodiment allowing the rotation joint to be moveable along the tip part, as a suggestion by several selectable passage holes for the bolt. This allows the farmer to have different working depths for different tines or to adjust the tines after wear. It is also conceivable to allow the tine tip to be lockable in more than two positions, for example by several pairs of holes, to allow variation of the working angle of the tool relative to the soil.