 |
Description  |
|
|
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to an agricultural implement having
a plurality of soil packer units in the form of helical coils which are
positioned forward of a harrow assembly, the implement adapted for towing
behind a vehicle.
Compaction of soil in the vicinity of newly planted seed has long been
known to substantially increase crop yield. It is known to provide soil
compaction by a number of relatively heavy packing wheels mounted on a
cultivator, but this arrangement has not been completely satisfactory.
More recently, increased interest has been directed toward the concept of
soil compaction by means of a series of helical coil packers extending
rearwardly of associated harrow assemblies. Examples of such arrangements
are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,418,762 and Canadian patent Nos. 838,417,
871,991, 1,081,021, 1,099,566, and 1,212,569. However, this arrangement
has disadvantages in that clumps or clods of soil, weeds and other debris
loosened and raised by the harrow assemblies, are pressed back into the
soil by the soil packers.
Agricultural implements have also been designed with soil packer devices
located forward of the harrow assemblies. One such example is the Fuerst
Flexible Tine Drill Harrow manufactured by Fuerst Brothers, Inc. of Gibson
City, Ill. Another is the Kewanee 80-90 Mulcher manufactured by the
Kewanee Farm Equipment Co. of Kewanee, Ill.
There is also now available from Morris Rod Weeder Co., Ltd. of Yorkton,
Canada, a packer/harrow implement sold under the name Morris Rangler II
Packer Harrow Bar, which has a plurality of helical soil packer units
directly coupled to a transversely extending, transverse frame member or
tool bar. Harrow assemblies are carried behind the packer units by
elongated, arched carrier arms connected directly to the frame member and
extending over the soil packer units. Each of &he packer units is
connected by means of short, pivotal links directly to the frame member
for up and down shifting movement in substantial independence of any
vertical movement of the trailing harrow sections.
A number of benefits are realized by mounting the soil packer units ahead
of the harrow sections or assemblies. For example, clumps and clods of
soil as well as trash and debris are left on the top of the ground,
thereby functioning as a barrier to prevent moisture loss through
capillary action. The clumps, clods, trash, etc., reduce wind and water
erosion, and the trash cover enhances moisture intake and retention from
rain, irrigation, etc. In addition, weeds pulled from the soil by the
harrow tines are left on the ground surface to die, instead of being
worked into the ground for additional growth as is observed with
conventional soil packer/harrow apparatus.
This invention relates to an improvement in packer/harrow implements, such
as the Morris implement identified above, and specifically, to an improved
mounting arrangement for the soil packer coils.
In accordance with this invention, transversely oriented soil packer coils
are mounted directly to a transverse frame adjacent to the rearwardly
extending harrow bars which, in turn, are connected to the transversely
extending frame member. In this arrangement each coil is located entirely
between and substantially transverse to a pair of adjacent harrow arms.
More specifically, each coil is mounted between a respective pair of harrow
arms by means of a pair of link arms which pivotally mount the coil
directly to the transverse frame directly under the pair of harrow arms.
The link arms of each coil are also free to pivot about the longitudinal
axis of rotation of the coil so that the coil maintains uniform ground
engaging contact independent of any up and down movement of the harrow
arms.
Along with the attachment of the soil packer coils directly to the harrow
arms, this invention also relates to the manner in which the soil packer
coils are mounted for rotation about their own longitudinal axes.
In one exemplary embodiment, the link arms which mount each coil to a pair
of adjacent harrow arms are provided with axially shortened stub shafts
which extend toward each other, generally coincident with the longitudinal
axis of the coil, and generally perpendicular to the respective link arms.
These stub shafts are receivable within apertures provided in support
plates fixed at either end of the coil. In addition, the support plates
have affixed thereto, on either side of the apertures, roller bearing
assemblies which enable the coil to rotate freely about the otherwise
non-rotatable stub shafts. In this regard, "non-rotatable" as used above
describes the shaft relative to its associated link arm and its own axis.
Of course, the shaft is free to rotate, along with the link arm, about the
pivot mounting between the link arm and harrow arm.
In another exemplary embodiment, the stub shafts are replaced by a pair of
half-shafts which extend along the longitudinal axis of the coil, and are
separably joined approximately mid-way along the axis of the coil by a
sleeve bushing. The half shafts are fixed at their opposite respective
ends to the link arms via a conventional roll pin arrangement which
precludes rotation relative to the link arm, but which permits pivotal
movement with the link arm about the pivotal mounting between the link arm
and harrow arm. The sleeve bushing also permits relative movement between
the half-shafts to accommodate uneven or irregular up and down movement of
the harrow arms.
Thus, in both embodiments, the arrangement is such that the link arms of
each coil are free to move independently of each other in response to
uneven movement of the harrow arms, while at the same time permitting free
rotation of the coil about its own longitudinal axis.
Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the detailed
description of the preferred exemplary embodiments which follows.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a partial plan view, in schematic form, of a packer/harrow
implement in accordance with the invention;
FIG. 2 is a side schematic view taken along the line 2--2 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a partial plan view of a soil packer coil mounting arrangement in
accordance with a first exemplary embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 4 is a partial plan view of a soil packer coil mounting arrangement in
accordance with a second exemplary embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a bearing and support plate assembly in
accordance with the invention; and
FIG. 6 is a side view of a coil support plate and bearing assembly in
accordance with the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
An agricultural implement in accordance with the invention, and broadly
designated by the numeral 10 in FIG. 1, includes a conventional hitch
structure 12 having a forward end portion 14. The hitch structure 12 is
supported by two pair of wheels 16, and the forward end portion 14 of the
hitch structure 12 is adapted for connection to a towing vehicle (not
shown) that is movable in an advancement direction over the ground and
along a path of travel, in a direction indicated by the arrow 18.
As best illustrated in FIG. 1, the implement 10 has a main frame 20
supported by wheels (not shown) at opposite ends thereof, and which
comprises a center section or member 22 and side sections or members 30
and 32. Auxiliary frame member 28 is attached to the center section 22 in
a conventional manner. The overall configuration of the implement frame,
hitch and associated means by which the frame sections may be pivoted to
an inoperative or transport position may be generally similar to the
above-identified Morris implement and form no part of this invention.
Accordingly, no detailed description of these aspects of the implement are
required here.
The implement 10 further includes a number of soil packer coils 34 which
are disposed directly behind the respective frame members 28, 30 and 32.
Each of the packer coils 34 comprises a generally cylindrically shaped
helical coil as best seen in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4.
As will be described further hereinbelow, the packer coils 34 are mounted
for rolling engagement with the ground, while rotating about their
respective longitudinal axes of rotation. In an exemplary embodiment of
the invention, the coils 34 are each pivotally mounted to and between a
pair of adjacent harrow arms 36 which extend rearwardly, substantially
perpendicular to the frame members 28, 30 and 32 to which they are fixedly
secured.
The harrow arms 36 carry a gridwork 38 of individual tine members 40 in a
manner well understood by those skilled in the art. The gridwork 38 is
made up of individual assemblies 42 (FIG. 2) which are suspended from the
harrow arms 36 by flexible link means cables or chains 44, 46. Again, this
is a conventional arrangement and forms no part of the subject invention,
per se, except insofar as it is part of the overall combination of
components. Each of the harrow arms 34 is also formed with an arched
section 48 that curves over and between the coils 34 to provide adequate
clearance therebetween. A relatively short, downwardly extending leg 50 is
fixed to each of the arms 36 directly behind the arched section 48 in
substantially transverse relation to the direction of extension of arms
36, and provides a point of attachment for cable or chain 46.
Each of the coils 34 is provided at opposite ends with support plates 52
which reinforce and maintain the cylindrical configuration of the coils.
The plates are preferably welded to the endmost convolutions on either
side of the coil. As described in more detail below, these plates also
provide mounting means for facilitating connection of the coils to the
harrow bars in such a way that the coils 34 are free to rotate about their
own longitudinal axes while, at the same time, being free to pivot or
swing about pivot axes fixed to the harrow bars.
Each coil 34 is pivotally mounted to and between an adjacent pair of harrow
arms 36 by a pair of link arms 54. Since each such coil mounting
arrangement is identical, only one need be described in detail. With
reference now to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, it will be seen that each harrow arm 36
is mounted to a respective frame member 28, 30 or 32 by a mounting bracket
56 which is secured thereto by any suitable means, such as welding, bolts,
etc. Each harrow arm also includes a pair of angle supports 58, 60 which
are welded or otherwise rigidly secured to, and extend downwardly from,
either side of the harrow arm 36. The angle brackets 58, 60 engage one of
the brackets 56 at their respective lower ends and may be secured to the
lower end of bracket 56, beneath the associated frame member, e.g., member
28 as illustrated in FIG. 2, by any suitable means.
The pair of angle supports 58, 60 serve to capture therebetween, and
intermediate the respective upper and lower ends of the angle supports, a
pair of ball and socket type joints 64 by means of a pin 62 as best seen
in FIG. 3. The joints 64 are located at first ends 66 of a pair of
adjacent link arms 54 associated with adjacent coils 34. In this regard,
it will be appreciated that the pin 62 passes through aligned apertures
(not shown) in the angle supports 58, 60, as well as bores (not shown)
provided in the respective ball and socket joints 64.
The ball and socket connections or joints 64 permit, Within limits,
universal movement of the link arms 54 relative to the harrow arms 36
during travel of the implement over uneven or irregular surfaces.
The pin 62 is releasably retained in place by means of a hair clip or
cotter pin in a conventional manner, so that the packer coils 34 may be
readily detached from the implement 10 for maintenance, repair or
replacement.
It will be appreciated that the above-described arrangement is modified for
the ends of those coils 34 which are connected to harrow bars 36 at the
ends of the frame members 28,30, or 32, i.e., where there is no adjacent
coil. In these locations, only a single link arm 54 and associated ball
and socket joint 64 is pivotally mounted between angle supports 58, 60.
It can now be appreciated that during use of the implement 10, the short,
pivotal links 54 directly interconnecting the coil packers 34 and the
harrow arms 36 permit pivotal movement of the coils about the pivot pins
62. At the same time, due to the inherent resilience of coils 34, the link
arms 54 of any one coil are pivotable to some extent relative to each
other. Moreover, the ball and socket connectors 64 function to enable the
packer coils 34, and particularly the central, longitudinal axes of the
coils 34, to tilt slightly in either direction from horizontal in order to
follow the contours of the ground without affecting the position or
orientation of the respective trailing harrow sections.
The arched or raised sections 48 of the harrow arms 36, as well as the
rearward placement of leg members 50, provide sufficient clearance for
coils 34 to move in complete freedom over large stones or other obstacles
in the field without damage.
With specific reference to FIG. 3, a link arm-to-coil mounting arrangement
in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the invention includes a
coil body 34, as previously described, provided with a pair of plates 52,
one at either end of the coil.
Plates 52 are welded across the endmost convolutions of each coil to
provide rigidity to the coil and to serve as a support for shaft means
which permit the coil to rotate about its longitudinal axis. Each has a
central aperture 68 formed therein, with roller bearing assemblies 70 and
72 mounted on either side of the plate in axial alignment with the
aperture 68, as best seen in FIGS. 5 and 6.
In addition, the endmost portions 53 of plate 52 are bent in opposite
directions as indicated in FIG. 6 and as shown in phantom in FIGS. 3 and
4. The lines 55 about which the ends are bent are oppositely inclined
relative to horizontal. This allows the plate to be welded along opposite
edges to the opposite surfaces of the coil as best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4.
In this embodiment, each link arm 54 is provided at its lower end 74 with a
stub shaft 76, preferably welded thereto and reinforced by a gusset 78
extending between the stub shaft and link arm. The stub shaft is received
through the aperture 68 and associated bearing assemblies 70, 72 of the
plate 52. At the same time, locking collars 80 lock the inner bearing
races of both bearing assemblies 70, 72 to the stub shaft 76 and also
prevent separation of the coil and link arm/stub shaft assembly. It will
be understood that the above described roller bearing assemblies are of
conventional construction, as are the locking collar 80. For example,
suitable bearing assemblies which may be used in this invention are the
Fafnir GRA-RR Series and RR Flangette Units manufactured by Fafnir. It
will also be appreciated that the inner races may be secured to the shaft
by means other than locking collars 80, e.g., by set screws, etc.
The double bearing arrangement on each support plate 52 maintains the stub
shafts 76 substantially perpendicular to the support plates 52, thus
permitting independent movement of the link arms 54 associated with any
one of the soil packer coils 34.
By thus mounting the soil packer coil 34 to stub shafts 76 at either end
thereof, it will be appreciated that the coil is itself free to rotate
about its own longitudinal axis defined by the non-rotatable stub shafts
76. At the same time, the link arms 54 are free to pivot about the pins 62
of the universal ball and socket joints 64 to accommodate up and down, as
well as any twisting movement, imparted to the harrow arms 36 as a result
of movement of the implement over uneven terrain, etc.
Turning now to FIG. 4, an alternative exemplary embodiment of the invention
is disclosed, and wherein similar reference numerals are utilized to refer
to common components.
In this exemplary embodiment, a pair of axle half-shafts 82, 84 are
utilized in place of the stubs shafts 76 of the FIG. 3 embodiment.
The one axle half shaft 82 is fixed to a link arm 54 by means of a roll pin
86 which fixes the shaft against rotation relative to the link arm, but
which permits disassembly for maintenance and/or replacement.
The half shaft 82 extends axially substantially to the center of the coil,
where it is joined to the other half shaft 84, by a sleeve bushing 88. The
bushing 88 is sized to permit rotation so that the half shafts 82, 84 are
permitted to rotate relative to each other as a result of uneven movement
of the associated harrow arms. The bearing assembly arrangement is the
same as that described in the FIG. 3 embodiment, although the inner
bearing assembly, i.e., on the main coil body side of plate 52, can be
omitted if desired since the bushing 88 stabilizes the axial orientation
of the half-shafts.
In use, it will be appreciated that each of the coils 34 rolls smoothly
over the ground during advancement of the implement 10 to roll and pack
the soil and thereby enable the harrow assemblies 42 to travel along a
smoother path. In addition, the trailing harrow assemblies 42 smooth and
level the ground, pull up weeds and leave trash and coarse particles on
the ground surface to thereby reduce wind and water erosion, and enhance
soil moisture retention.
While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently
considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be
understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed
embodiment, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various
modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and
scope of the appended claims.
* * * * *
|
|
 |
|
 |
Description |
|
