Agricultural tool carrier

• US 4,333,534 A
• Filed: 08/04/1980
• Issued: 06/08/1982
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Swanson Spray and Manufacturing Incorporated Palouse Washington
• Original Assignee: Guy J. Swanson, Morton C. Swanson
• Inventors: Swanson, Guy J., Swanson, Morton C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Richard J.
• Application Number:
  US06/174,841
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• Field of Search: 172/464, 172/671, 172/657, 172/483, 172/166, 172/474, 172/624, 172/675, 172/619, 172/630, 172/620, 172/657, 172/661, 111/85, 111/52, 111/12, 111/55, 111/13, 111/62, 111/14, 16/102, 16/99, 16/106
• US Class Current: 172/464
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 15/005 Undercarriages, tanks, hoppers, stirrers specially adapted for seeders or fertiliser distributors
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 5/06 Machines for making or covering drills or furrows for sowing or planting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 111/926 Special suspension or gauging feature

Abstract

Individual tool bars are mounted between upright guides of a horizontal rectangular frame. Rollers engaging the guides transmit longitudinal forces from the frame to the tool bars and allow the tool bars to move freely up and down. Ground working tools mounted to the bars can therefore "walk" over uneven terrain as controlled by balancing depth wheels and packer wheels. Hydraulic cylinders are mounted between the tool bars and frame for applying upward or downward force against the tool bars without inhibiting their free movement along the guides in response to ground contour.

Claims

1. An agricultural tool carrier comprising:

a ground-supported frame;

front and rear upright guides fixed on said frame in longitudinally spaced positions along its intended direction of travel, said guides presenting upright surfaces;

a longitudinally elongated single row tool bar mounted between the front and rear guides, said tool bar being aligned along the intended directions of travel of said frame;

first means operably connected between said tool bar and one of said guides for transmitting longitudinal forces from the frame to said tool bar by engagement of said upright surfaces during frame travel;

second means operably connected between said tool bar and each of said guides for vertically guiding the tool bar for elevational movement relative to the frame alongside each of said front and rear guides by engagement of said upright surfaces;

a first ground-engaging wheel mounted to the tool bar at a location adjacent to the front guide; and

a second ground-engaging wheel mounted to the tool bar at a location adjacent to the rear guide;

power means operably connected between the frame and tool bar at a location between the first and second ground-engaging wheels for applying a selected vertical force against the tool bar.

2. An agricultural tool carrier as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said power means is comprised of a double acting hydraulic cylinder mounted in an upright orientation between the frame and the tool bar at the approximate center of the tool bar, said cylinder being selectively operable to lift or lower the tool bar relative to the frame.

3. An agricultural tool carrier comprising:

a longitudinally movable ground-supported frame;

a plurality of paired front and rear upright guides arranged in longitudinally spaced positions, each guide presenting upright surfaces;

a plurality of longitudinally elongated single row tool bars movably mounted in side-by-side locations across said frame, each tool bar being arranged alongside one of said pairs of front and rear upright guides;

first means operably connected between each tool bar and one of said guides alongside it for transmitting longitudinal forces from the frame to the tool bar by engagement of said upright surfaces during frame travel;

second means operably connected between each tool bar and each of the guides alongside it for vertically guiding the tool bar for elevational movement relative to the frame by engagement of said upright surfaces;

a first ground-engaging wheel mounted to each tool bar at a location adjacent to the front guide alongside it; and

a second ground-engaging wheel mounted to each tool bar at a location adjacent to the rear guide alongside it; and

individual power means operably connected between the frame and each tool bar for applying a selected vertical force against the tool bar at a location between the first and second ground-engaging wheels mounted to the tool bar.

4. An agricultural tool carrier as claimed in claim 3 wherein:

said power means is comprised of a double acting hydraulic cylinder mounted in an upright orientation between the frame and the tool bar, said cylinder being selectively operable to lift or lower the tool bar relative to the frame.