This invention relates to a soil cultivating machine comprising soil cultivating members driven to rotate about upwardly extending axes and carried by a frame portion extending transverse of the intended direction of operative travel and a roller located behind the cultivating members, said roller being arranged by means of carrying arms on the frame portion, so as to be adjustable in height, whereby to each end face of the said frame portion one side of a plate extending above the frame portion is fastened in a plane parallel or substantially parallel to the direction of height adjustment of the roller.

Soil cultivating machines of the kind as mentioned above are known from the French patents 2446052 and 1594692.

With the known construction during operation the upwardly directed force exerted on the bottom of the supporting roller, is substantially equal to the overall weight of the machine and as well as the acceleration forces produced during operation is transferred via the carrying arms to the gearbox. This means that the supporting of the roller by means of the carrying arms, must be of a very sturdy construction. However, this results - as is shown by the prior art - in a connection of the roller, whereby the total width of the roller is less than the total working width of the co-operating soil cultivating members, which in general is undesirable.

The invention now has for its object to overcome the afore-mentioned disadvantages. In accordance with the invention there is provided a machine of the kind set forth wherein each carrying arm for the roller is pivotally arranged on that part of the inner side of its associate plate which extends above the said frame portion whereby the plate constitutes a head partition of the frame portion, a screw spindle for the depth control of the roller is located between the frame portion and the carrying arm and a locking element is arranged between said head partition and the carrying arm for locking one to the other at a setting determined by means of the screw spindle.

With this construction the carrying arm is located at the inner face of the head partition which extends above the transverse frame part and thus is rigidly supported in the outward direction, so that an undesirable load of the pivotal shaft for the carrying arms is avoided.

The disposition of the carrying arm on the inner side of the head partition not only filfils an important function in the simple pivotal disposition of the supporting roller, but also provides a geometrical advantage in optimizing the relative positions of the soil cultivating members.

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

• Fig. 1 is a plan view of a machine embodying the invention,
• Fig. 2 is a side elevation in the direction of the arrow II in Figure 1,
• Fig. 3 is an elevational view taken in the direction of the arrow III in Figure 2 of part of Figure 2,
• Fig. 4 is an elevational view taken on the line IV-IV in Figure 1, and
• Fig. 5 is a rear view in the direction of arrow V in Figure 4.

The device illustrated in the Figures is a soil cultivating machine comprising a frame part 1 extending transversely of the intended direction of operative travel A of the machine and having the shape of a closed box formed from metal sheets. It will be apparent from Fig. 4 that the frame part 1 comprises a substantially U-shaped part 2, the two limbs of which extend upwardly, said part being closed at the top by a detachable cover 3 fastened by bolts and occupying a substantially horizontal position covering the whole width of the machine. The frame part 1 is closed at both ends by a head partition 4 comprising a metal plate welded along the whole length of the head periphery of the U-shaped part 2. The plate 4 is arranged in a substantially vertical position and is approximately parallel to the direction of movement A. Midway along the length of the frame part 1, a trestle 5 is fastened principally to the top of said frame part, said trestle having, at the front of the machine, three connecting points intended to be coupled with the arms of a three-point lifting device of a tractor moving the machine. Near the mid-point of the frame part 1, the top side thereof is furthermore provided with a driving mechanism 6 having a forwardly protruding input shaft 7 which can be coupled, with the aid of an intermediate shaft 8, to the power take-off shaft of a tractor connected with the trestle 5.

The bottom of the U-shaped part 2 is provided with a sequence of bearing 9 extending transversely of the direction of movement A and the cover 3 has a corresponding sequence of bearing 10 so that the centre line of each bearing 9 registers with the centre line of a corresponding bearing 10. In the bearings 9 and 10 are rotatably held upwardly extending rotary shafts, which are coaxially surrounded, inside the closed frame part 1, by gear wheels 11, the proportions of the arrangement being such that the gear wheels 11 associated with the two series of bearings 9 and 10 form a sequence of meshing pinions extending transversely of the direction of movement A. A gear wheel 11 located near the driving mechanism 6 can be directly driven from said mechanism and all further gear wheels 11 are rotated by said directly driven gear wheel during operation. In this way the gear wheels 11 constitute an even number of pairs of wheels rotatably driven in opposite directions. The axes of the shafts associated with the gear wheels 11 are preferably spaced apart by a distance of about 25 cms and protrude from the bottom of the frame part 1. At the lower ends, said shafts have the tine carriers 12 which each project from both sides of the shaft and, near their opposite ends, they carry downwardly extending soil cultivating tines 13. The paths described by the tips of the tines 13 overlap one another. Each carrier 12 and its tines 13 together constitute a soil cultivating member. The frame part 1 thus forms a gear box containing, in addition, the lubricants required for the gear wheel drive.

From Figs. 2, 4 and 5 it will be apparent that, considered in a direction of height, each head partition 4 is not limited to the top of the cover 3 of the frame part 1 but, by part of its height indicated by the reference numeral 14, it extends above the top surfaces of the frame part 1. The elevational view of Fig. 2 and the sectional view of Fig. 4 show that the circumference of the head partition 4 is substantially rectangular and, viewed parallel to the direction of travel A, it extends from the front of the frame part 1 to a point at a pre-determined distance behind the rear edge of said frame part. As shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the bottom edge of the head partition 4 approximately coincides with the bottom of the gear box 1. The height by which the part 14 of the head partition 4 extends above the top of the frame part 1 is, in the preferred embodiment, shown to be at least equal to the height of the frame part 1 itself measured in the same direction.

On the inner, vertical boundary surface of the part 14 of the head partition 4, that is to say, the boundary surface of the part 14 facing towards the other end of the frame part 1, a carrying arm 15 is pivotally arranged on a pivotal shaft 16. The pivotal shaft 16 is horizontal, transverse to the direction of travel A and parallel to the frame part 1. Considered with respect to the direction of movement A, the pivotal shaft 16 is arranged near the front of the part 14 of the head partition 4 that extends above the frame part 1. Measured in a direction of height, the pivotal shaft 16 is located approximately midway between the top surface of the frame part 1 and the horizontal top edge of the part 14. The carrying arm 15 is cut from a flat metal sheet and has a part 17 extending rearwardly away from the pivotal shaft 16 and, in the position shown, it is substantially horizontal and at the top and bottom it is bounded by two parallel lines. As seen in the sectional view of Fig. 4, the rear end of the part 17 is located substantially directly behind the rear edge of the frame part 1. This rear end terminates in a downwardly and rearwardly inclined part 18, which has, in the end position shown in Fig. 4, a lowermost boundary point located just below a horizontal plane containing the bottom of the frame part 1. The part 18 then terminates in a part 19 which is directed away from the part 18 substantially horizontally to the rear in the position shown in Fig. 4, whilst its rear edge extends over a pre-determined distance behind the rearmost boundary line of the part 14. Also the parts 18 and 19 are roughly bounded by relatively parallel edges. The parts 17, 18 and 19 are made from a single piece of metal sheet. In the position shown in Fig. 4, the vertical side face of the part 17 of the carrying arm 15 directed towards the part 14 of the head partition 4 is, throughout its height, in engagement with the side face of the part 14 directed towards the carrying arm 15.

To the outer side of the rearmost part 19 of the carrying arm 15 is fastened a support 20 which, in the position of the carrying arm 15 shown in the Figures, is rearwardly and mainly downwardly inclined away from the part 19 of the carrying arm 15. The support 20 is fastened to the end part 19 of the carrying arm 15 by bolts 21, the heads of which are located on the outer side of the outermost side face of the support 20. Therefore, the part of the support 20 in engagement with the .part 19 is located, viewed in plan, straight behind, or in line with, the part 14 of the head partition 4. From Fig. 5 it will be apparent that the support 20, which may be considered to be part of the carrying arm 15, is located, in the position of the carrying arm 15 shown, approximately at the level of the tine carriers 12 and is bent over in a direction towards the other end of the frame part 1. A bent-over part 22 terminates in a part 23, which, like the top part of the support 20, is again vertical and parallel to the direction of travel A. The lower part 23 of the support 20 has on its outer side a bearing (not shown) for a supporting roller 24 of the machine, said roller being freely rotatable on the support 20 and on a substantially symmetrically disposed support 20 fastened to the other end of the gear box 1. During operation the machine bears on the ground by means of the roller 24 (Figs. 1, and 4).

The distance, designated in Fig. 5 by a reference numeral 25, between the outer face of the part 23 of the support 20 and a plane coinciding with the outer face of the plate 4 corresponds to the dimension of the aforesaid bearing by which the roller 24 is connected to the support 20, measured in the same direction.

The roller 24 comprises a central, tubular shaft 26, on which annular metal partitions 27 are arranged near both ends and at several places between the two ends, said partitions being coaxial with the shaft 26 (Fig. 1). The partitions 27 are interconnected by a large number of rods or tubes 28, which extends in the direction of the greatest dimension of the roller 24 and which are passed through apertures provided around the circumferences of the partitions 27. The rods 28 extend outwardly over a given distance beyond the two outermost partitions 27 so that, on each side of the roller 24, their ends are located in a plane intersecting the part 22 of the corresponding support 20 which is bent over towards the centre near the inner side surface of the upper part of the support 20 concerned.

Near the rearmost end of the part 17 of the carrying arm 15 is fastened a screw spindle 29 journalled in a bearing 30 which is secured to the inner side face of the part 17. The upwardly extending screw spindle 29 is arranged to turn about a pivotal shaft 31 associated with the bearing 30 (Fig. 4), said shaft being directed horizontally and perpendicularly to the vertical side faces of the plate-shaped part 17. The screw spindle 29 extends downwardly through the bearing 30 and is rotatably fastened near its lower end to a supporting plate 32, which is fastened to the rear and top surfaces of the U-shaped part 2 of the gear box 1, from where it protrudes to the rear.

As will be seen from the elevational view of Fig. 2 and the sectional view of Fig. 4, an upwardly extending rear edge 33 of the plate 4 is rounded off in the form of an arc of a circle. The centre of this arc is located on the axis of the pivotal shaft 16. Viewed in plan, the rear edge 33 is located substantially midway between the rear edge of the gear box 1 and the longitudinal axis of the roller 24. From Fig. 2 it will be apparent that, near the rear edge 33, the material of the plate 4 has a large number of notches 34 which, in this embodiment, are of triangular shape, in the outer face of the plate 4. The notches 34 are located directly side-by-side in a continuous row, which row covers the whole height of the rounded-off rear edge 33 of the plate 4. The horizontally measured dimension of each notch 34 is about 1 to 2 cms.

Fig. 2 and, in particular, Fig. 3 show that, between the rear of the plate 4 and the top part of the support 20 fastened by means of the bolts to the outer side of the carrying arm 15, is arranged a locking element 35, which holds, during operation, the carrying arm 15, the support 20 and the roller 24 on the rear edge of the head partition 4. As shown in the elevational view of Fig. 2, the locking element 35 has a substantially rectangular outer circumference and, as will be seen from Fig. 3, it is in contact with the outer side of the head partition 4 and the upper part of the support 20. The edge directed towards the head partition 4 has a row of adjacent notches fitting, during operation, between and on the notches 34 of the head partition 4. The locking element 35 is fastened by a bolt 36 near the lower end of the part 18 of the carrying arm 15. The edge directed towards the upper part of the support 20 (Fig. 4) has a cavity 37 closely surrounding the neighbouring head of one of the bolts 21. The bolt 36 extends through an open space between the edge 33 of the head partition 4 and a boundary face 38 of the upper part of the support 20 extending substantially parallel to the edge 33. In this open space also lies a bulging part 39 (Fig. 3) of the locking element 35, said bulging part being integral with the material of the locking element 35. The bulging part 39 has side faces directed towards the edge 33 and the boundary face 38, respectively, and is in substantially fitting engagement with said faces. The boundary face of the bulging part 39 that is directed towards the part 18 is located at a short distance from said plate part 18 so that, after the bolt 36 is tightened, the locking element 35 and also the notches at the front bear forcibly on the outer faces of the head partition 4 (notches 34) and the support 20.

At the side of the row of notches 34, the outer face of the head partition 4 is provided with a dial 40 and the outer face of the locking element 35 has a mark 41 in the form of an arrow joining the dial 40.

The construction shown in the Figures is illustrated for one of the two ends of the machine. At the other end of the machine the same construction is found in a symmetrically similar position.

During operation the machine is hitched by means of the trestle 5 to the three-point lifting device of a tractor moving the machine. The intermediate shaft 8 is connected with the power take-off shaft of the tractor and drives, through the driving mechanism 6, a gear wheel located near said mechanism inside the frame part 1 forming a gear box, said gear wheel, in turn, driving the further pairs of gear wheels in opposite directions. Thus, the tine carriers 12 and the pairs of tines 13 secured thereto are driven in pairs in opposite directions.

The situation illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4 indicates a rest position of the machine in which the roller 24 is in its lowermost position relative to the pairs of tines 13. Prior to commencing operation, the two screw spindles 29 are manually turned so that, with respect to the frame part 1, the roller 24 is turned bodily upwardly, for example out of the position shown in Fig. 4, about the pivotal shafts 16 until the bottom of the roller, considered in a direction of height, is in the correct position relative to the pairs of tines 13 or, in other words, until the correct working depth of the tines 13 is attained, since the roller supports the machine on the ground surface. Since it must be possible separately to actuate the screw spindles 29, the bearings by which the roller 24 is journalled in the supports 20 are of an adjustable type.

During road transport, the legal provisions in various countries with respect to the maximum width of a machine, which should not exceed 3 metres or some different width, have to be observed. In order to ensure that this maximum width is, as far as possible, available for the deployment of the row of pairs of tines 13, said maximum width being an integral multiple of the desired spacing between the rotary axes of the soil cultivating members (about 25 cms), the outer faces of the two plate-shaped head partitions 4 are exactly disposed at a relative spacing of 3 metres so that no width has to be reserved for suspending the roller 24. The latter is achieved by arranging the carrying arms 15 of the supporting roller 24 on the inner side of each part 14 of each head partition 4 which projects upwardly above the top face of the frame part 1 and by arranging the spindles 29 and the associated structure on the same side of each part 14. By means in the inwardly bent-over parts 22 of the supports 20 arranged each on one side of the machine, it is ensured that the bearings of the supporting roller 24 lie just within the dimension 25 (Fig. 5) and do not protrude beyond the outer faces of the head partitions 4. In order to maximize the length of the roller, the rods 28 extend beyond the outermost partitions 27 over a short distance from the inner side faces of the upper parts of the supports 20.

During the displacement of the roller 24 in a direction of height by means of the spindles 29, the bolt 36 of the locking element 35 is slightly loosened so that the notches of the locking element 35 will no longer firmly bear in the notches 34 of the head partition 4. When the spindles 29 are turned, the locking element 35 moves together with the carrying arm 15 and the support 20, the locking element 35 maintaining its position shown since the cavity 37 holds the head of the bolt 21 forming a stop. When the desired height has been attained, the bolt 36 on both sides of the machine is again tightened. During operation, the entire upwardly directed force exerted by the roller 24 on the remainder of the machine is transferred via-the two locking elements 35 to the head partition 4 and hence to the box-shaped frame part 1 so that the screw spindles 29 are not loaded. Through the head of the bolt 21 concerned, said force results in a moment on the bolt 36, which is absorbed on the side of the locking element 35 remote from the bolt 21 since the notches of the locking element 35 are pressed into the notches 34 and also because (Fig. 3) the side faces of the bulging part 39 directed towards the edge 33 and the boundary face 38, respectively, can engage the edge 33 and the boundary face 38, respectively. By this design of the locking element 35 a simple transfer of forces is obtained.

The upwardly directed force exerted on the bottom of the supporting roller 24 is substantially equal to the overall weight of the machine and, as well as the acceleration forces produced during operation, is transferred via the parts 23 and 22 and the bolts 36 to the head partitions 4. Owing to the inward bends of the parts 22 of the support 20 an eccentric force (Fig. 5) is exerted on the carrying arm 15 with respect to the associated head partition 4. Owing to the symmetry of the construction, and to the load, the portion of the supporting part 23 located near the roller suspension is compelled to deform with respect to the frame part 1 in a vertical plane perpendicular to the length of the frame part 1, in which plane said portion is lying in the unloaded state. Owing to said, so to say, compulsory deformation, the upper part of the support 20 and the parts 18 and 19 of the carrying arm 15 will tend to bend outwardly, which would produce an undesirable load on the pivotal shaft 16 of the carrying arm 15; however this carrying arm is located at the inner face of the part 14 of the head partition 4 which extends above the frame part 1, and thus is rigidly supported in the outward direction so that such undesirable load of the pivotal shaft 16 is avoided. The disposition of the carrying arm 15 on the inner side of the head partition 4 thus not only provides a geometrical advantage in optimizing the relative positions of the soil cultivating members but also fulfils an important function in the simple pivotal disposition of the supporting roller 24.