SOIL CULTIVATING DEVICE

SOIL CULTIVATING DEVICE

The present invention relates to a soil cultivating device such as a harrow or corresponding tool, including a frame or similar device, whereto at least one but preferably a row of plates, discs are attached transversally to the width of the tool, each disc during advancement of the tool being arran¬ ged and adapted for rolling against and penetrating the soil for cultivating purposes.

Harrowing is effected after ploughing to obtain a disinte- gration of larger earth lumps, a leveling of the soil and a certain deep cultivation of the same. It is intended to ele- minate the need of ploughing and thereby effect the necessa¬ ry tilting of the soil surface in question by harrowing and at the time to achieve the other results of a harrowing.

A multiplicity of tool designs, harrow designs are well known such as pin harrows and disc harrows of different kind. However, the designs known in the art have the disad¬ vantages of considerable resistance when being advanced as well as of a less effective soil cultivating. With the de¬ signs known in the art the need of ploughing cannot be sub¬ stituted in a completely acceptable way.

The present invention relates to a device whereby a particu- larly effective soil cultivating is achieved. With the devi¬ ce the need of ploughing is eleminated for the majority of applications. With the device time and driving fuel for the tracting vehicle are saved. ^•

The present invention relates therefore to a device for soil cultivating such as a harrow or corresponding tool, inclu¬ ding a frame or similar device whereto at least one mainly circular plate, disc but preferably at least one row of se¬ veral side by side in the transverse direction of the tool orientated and mainly vertically placed generally circular plates, discs are attached, the disc or the discs being adapted during the advancement of the tool to roll against and to penetrate the soil and thereby cultivating it.

The device according to the present invention is especially characterized by the sides of each disc including mainly wedged and mainly radially orientated means in form of pro¬ truding parts, the wedge being shaped to taper at least in the direction of rotation of said disc and the pointed part of said wedge being connected to the plane of said disc.

The present invention will now be described in more detail by way of several embodiments with reference to the accompa¬ nying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic illustration of a first embodi- ment of a tool according to the present invention, the tool being shown in a cross-section side view along the lines A-A of figure 2;

Figure 2 is a part top elevational view of the tool of figure 1;

Figure 3 is an illustration of a first embodiment of a disc adapted for soil cultivating, shown perpendicularly to the plane of the disc;

Figure 4 illustrates the disc of figure 3 seen from the right in figure 3, the aft half of the disc for sake of clearness being left out and shown only with dotted lines;

Figure 5 is a schematic illustration of a first embodi¬ ment of a loosening means in a cross-section along the lines B-B of figure 6; Figure 6 is a part view of the means of figure 5 seen from the left in figure 5;

Figure 7 is a schematic view of another embodiment of a soil cultivating disc in accordance with the present inven¬ tion, seen perpendicularly to the plane of the disc; and

Figure 8 illustrates half of the disc of figure 7 seen from the right in figure 7, only the front half being shown in the figure.

In figure 1 a frame or similar is indicated with 1 included in a device for soil cultivation such as a harrow or similar tool. The device includes preferably at least one row of several side by side in the transverse direction of the tool orientated and mainly vertically placed generally circular plates 2, discs, the discs 2 being adapted during the advan¬ cement of the tool, as indicated by the arrow of figure 1, to roll against and to penetrate the soil 3 and thereby cul- tivating it. In the embodiment of figures 1 and 2 the device includes two rows of discs 2, a front row and an aft row seen in the transfer direction of the tool, the discs 2 of one row being displaced related to the other row in the transverse direction with a distance corresponding mainly to half the pitch between two nearby discs 2.

According to the present invention the sides 4,5 of each disc 2 include in accordance with figures 1, 3 and 4 mainly wedged and mainly radially orientated means 6 in form of protruding parts 6, the wedge being shaped to taper at least the means 6 in the intended direction of rotation of said disc 2, indicated by an arrow in figure 3 and the pointed part 7 of said wedge mainly being connected to the plane of the disc 2. The embodiment shown in figures 3 and 4 has each means 6 with mainly circular sector shape seen perpendicu¬ larly to the plane of the disc 2. Furthermore, the wedge is somewhat concave, the means 6 thus protruding with a pitch which is increasing with the distance from the plane of said _ _

disc 2, as illustrated in figure 3 and 4.

At the thickest part 8 of the means 6, wedge a mainly ra¬ dially running rim 8 is shaped. Also in accordance with the embodiment in figures 3 and 4 each side 4,5 of the disc 2 includes as many means 6 equally distributed around the cir¬ cumference , said means 6 being arranged with mainly mid between two nearby means 6 on one side a means 6 of the other side of the disc being arranged.

The discs 2 are preferably manufactured of metal such as steel plate. The plates can thus be stamped into a form in accordance with figures 3 and 4, each means 6 on one side corresponding to an impression on the other side. The means 6 can also consist of separate units attached to a mainly plane supporting disc. A disc according to the embodiment of figures 3 and 4 can also consist of two halves attached to each other, each half forming one side of the disc.

Several embodiments of discs in accordance with the present invention can be endeavoured. In the embodiment of figures 7 and 8 each disc 2 consists of two equal halves 9, each half 9 has said means 6 with stamped or corresponding cavities 10, being bent to form a wedge. Hereby the means 6 of the two sides, halves can be placed in front of each other as shown in figures 7 and 8 or being arranged in a correspon¬ ding way as the embodiment according to figures 3 and 4.

In a preferred embodiment there is in connection with prefe- rably each disc 2 and mainly behind said disc 2 seen in the intended transfer direction of the tool at least one mainly barshaped means 11, a pin 11 in accordance with figures 1 and 2 is placed with a free end 12 inserted past said disc 2, the means 11 being adapted for a soil cultivating in a depth somewhat exceeding the penetration of said disc 2. In figure -2 only one means 11 has been illustrated. According to a preferred embodiment the means 11 runs in an arc around one part of the disc 2 from said free end, a springlike con- struction thereby being obtained.

In an embodiment of the device in accordance with the pre¬ sent invention at least one loosening and distributing means exists in combination with the discs 2 according to SE- (pa¬ tent application 8204952-9) preferably placed behind a row or corrsponding of discs 2, said means including one mainly transversally to the transfer direction, i.e. the width, of the tool situated, rotatable shaft 13 or similar from which soil cultivating means 14 are protruding. Prefe¬ rably each of said soil cultivating means 14 includes a first part 15 pivotably arranged at and mainly radially pro¬ truding from shaft 13 and a second part 16 in connection with said first part 15 and running mainly perpendicularly to said first part and thereby mainly parallel to the shaft 13, a mainly L-shaped means thereby being formed, said pivot 17 allowng for rotation of said means in

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^i;s.a!.d- seeø d part-Tβ befήgl cϊ:. movable against and from said shaft 13 as indicated by dot- ted lines in figure 6. In an other preferred embodiment each of said first 15 and second 16 parts consists of two mutually parallel running plateshaped parts 18, a cavity 19 being formed in between said parts running mainly in said direction of rotation.

The function of the device according to the present inven¬ tion is partly evident from the description above. When the tool is advanced^' in the intended way the discs 2 roll a- gainst the soil 3 and thus penetrate the soil to a predeter- mined depth, as indicated in figure 1. The insertion of the means 6 into the soil is facilitated by the we.d.geshape, the pointed part first coming into contact with the soil. Due to the means 6 an effect corresponding to ploughing including a tilting of the soil part concerned is achieved, when said means during rotation and simultaneous rolling of the discs 2 are inserted and pivoted and thereafter lifted out of the soil, the tilting being generally obtained by the rims 8. Due to the rodshaped means 11 a complementary cultivating for mainly draining purposes is obtained with a depth mainly corresponding to the insertion of the discs.

By the means 13 ,14 a primarily loosening and distributing cultivation of the soil 3 is obtained. During advancement of the tool during rotation of the shaft 13 or similar in a direction corresponding to a rolling against the soil 3 cul¬ tivation is effected by mainly inserting said second part 16 into the soil and during rotation and rolling under certain circumstances bending said part against the shaft 13 and finally lifting it out of the soil. The soil cultivating devices 14 shall in this way be retracted when hitting lar¬ ger stones or similar. By the cavity 19 a larger insertion is obtained compared with a device without cavities. Conve- niently a means 13,14 is placed behind each row of discs 2. As indicated in figure 1, the aft means 13,14 can be arran¬ ged for cultivating on a somewhat minor depth than the front one, a final leveling thus being achieved by the aft means.

As one can see from the description above, the device faci¬ litates a good and effective soil cultivation. By the device the need of ploughing is eliminated for most applications among other things because a tilting is achieved with the means 6 of the discs. Driving fuel and time are thus saved, this being of utmost importance. By the rolling contact and function instead of dragging, being common, the device of¬ fers a less resistance during advancement, further savings being possible.

The present invention has been described above in connection with several different embodiments. Further embodiments and minor changes can of course be endeavoured without departing from the scope of the invention.

Thus, the means 6, the protruding parts 6 can be shaped in different ways than being described above. They can thus be made flat and not concave. Furthermore the number of means on each side can of course be varied. Larger or minor chan- ges can also be endeavoured from the circular sectorshape shown in the drawings. The pointed part 7 can thus be shaped more rounded e.g. the sharp corner 7* of figure 3 starting from means 6, whereby a more central part of the pointed part 7 first comes into contact with the soil.

For the frame 1 and mountings etc. for the discs and means 13,14 schematic devices and arrangements have been shown in the drawings. The frame 1 can of course be made more compli- cated and be tailored to suit special needs. The frame 1 can be provided with coupling means 20 as. per figure 1 for a coupling to a tractor or similar and with wheels 21 as per fi¬ gure 2 to obtain a convenient distance to the soil surface. The frame can also be provided protruding from e.g. a tractor and be operated, i.e. lifted or lowered, by e.g. hydraulic cylinders. For the attachment etc. of the discs 2and the means 13,14 simple mountings 1' have been shown and each row of discs 2 is arranged on one common and at the moun¬ tings 1* placed shaft 2'. Embodiments can also be envisaged with each row of discs and each means 13,14 being indivi¬ dually liftable and lowerable by e.g. hydraulically operated devices.

The means 13,14 with the soil cultivating devices 14 can also be differently shaped. An embodiment is shown with three devices 14 provided in a plane perpendicular to the shaft 13 and equally distributed around the circumference, groups of three devices 14 being distributed along the shaft and arranged so that devices in nearby groups are displaced with 60 degrees on the circumference to each other. The de¬ vices 14 can of course be arranged so that e.g. each group includes four devices, said displacement being 45 degrees. According to another embodiment said second part 16 is pro¬ vided with a certain clearance, the parts 18 forming a minor angle with each other as indicated at the lower device 14 in figure 5. Preferably stops, here not shown, are arranged in connection with e.g. pivot 17 so that the part is always rotated in the direction against the shaft 13 in the inten- ded way and cannot be moved closer to the shaft than e.g. about what is shown in figure 6. Each device can e.g. with a stop obtain a certain initial rotation in that direction. The L-shape of the soil cultivating devices 14 does not need to be sharp cornered, but the transition between said first 15 and said second 16 part can be effected along a much lar¬ ger radius than that shown in the embodiment according to the drawings. Moreover, one or each of the parts 15,16 can be bent to a more C-shape or in form of a boomerang. The length of the parts 15,16 does not to have the proportion between these parts as shown in the embodiment. This propor¬ tion can be varied within broad limits.

Furthermore, embodiments can be endeavoured with said discs 2 and/or said means 13,14 being driven in a convenient known manner by e.g. one or several hydraulic motors, acting on the shafts 2' ,13.

It can also be endeavoured that the form of the discs is not accentuated. Said means 6 are thus instead provided as spo¬ kes protruding from a boss, here not shown. The means here consist of rodshaped spokes with a mainly wedged cross-sec¬ tion.

The discs 2 according to the present invention have of course not necessarily to provide the main part of the tool , but a separate or a few discs can be used in connection with tools already known in the art such as a plough, in complementary purposes.

The configuration of the discs 2 can of course also include that the width of the discs and/or the distance between nearby discs as well as the number of rows of discs can be varied within broad limits. Compared with the example of figure 1 and 2, the width of the discs and/or their number can be increased, a cultivating being obtained over the whole width of the tool, possibly^" with some overlap be¬ tween different rows of discs.^" During the deep cultivating effected by the pins 11 the free end 12 does not have to be inserted to a broader depth than the insertion of the discs. The meaning, however, is that a complementary cultivating shall take place on a depth mainly corresponding to said insertion.

The present invention is thus not limited to the embodiments described above, but can be varied within the limits set by the attached claims.