Subsoil rotary cultivator

• US 4,506,610 A
• Filed: 04/08/1983
• Issued: 03/26/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: J.E. Love Company
• Original Assignee: J E Love Company
• Inventors: Neal, Archie E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Feyrer, James R.
• Application Number:
  US06/483,194
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• Field of Search: 111/1, 111/7, 111/85, 111/87, 172/522, 172/705, 172/59, 172/523, 172/524, 172/525, 172/526, 172/169, 172/310, 172/39
• US Class Current: 111/139
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 39/08 with rotating tools such as weeding machines

Abstract

Disclosed is a subsoil rotary cultivator. The cultivator can advantageously include a tool bar which is mounted to the tractor in the usual fashion. Group frames are advantageously mounted upon the tool bar and have spring-loaded pivoting arms upon which are mounted main tubular members. The main tubular members support a disc assembly using bearings which are positioned within the main tubular member, preferably at the extreme ends thereof. A central shaft extends through the bearings and main tubular member and has a disc attached transversely at the lower end. A shield tube is attached to the rotating disc assembly and extends upwardly from near the disc thereby providing an exterior surface which rotates with the disc in order to deflect weeds, straw, viney plants, and other debris, thereby preventing the cultivator from becoming plugged when it is drawn through a field.

Claims

1. An unpowered subsoil rotating disk cultivator for being pulled behind a tractor or other towing means to cultivate soil, comprising:

a frame adapted for attachment to the tractor for pulling thereby;

an upstanding main tubular member having an upper end and lower end, and being mounted to the frame adjacent the upper end of said main tubular member;

a central shaft having an upper end and a lower end, the central shaft being rotatably and coaxially supported within the main tubular member by upper and lower bearing means seated in said tubular member, allowing the central shaft to freely rotate relative to the main tubular member;

disc means attached transversely to the central shaft near the lower end thereof and freely rotatable therewith, for piercing and cultivating soil as the disk is pulled through and freely rotates by frictional contact with the soil; and

a shield tube and means for coaxially connecting the shield tube to the disc means and lower end of the central shaft, to freely rotate therewith;

the shield tube extending upwardly from connection with the disc means to encase the lower end and a major length of the main tubular member;

the shield tube being diametrically larger than the main tubular member to provide a radial clearance void therebetween;

the exterior surfaces of said disc means, shield tube and connecting means rotating simultaneously together to deflect plants and debris and prevent entanglement with the cultivator.

2. The cultivator of claim 1 further comprising a dust shield attached to the main tubular member and extending outwardly and over the shield tube to prevent dust and debris from becoming lodged between the main tubular member and the shield tube.

3. The cultivator of claim 1 wherein said means for coaxially connecting the shield tube comprises a shield plate;

the shield tube being rigidly attached to the shield plate; and

the shield plate being nonrotatably connected to the central shaft.

4. The cultivator of claim 1 wherein the shield tube extends upwardly adjacent to a mounting of the main tubular member to the frame.

5. The cultivator of claim 1 wherein the central shaft is hollow to allow seed, fertilizer or other soil treatment to be dropped therethrough.

6. The subsoil rotating disk cultivator of claim 1 wherein the frame includes a pivotable arm extending between a substantially horizontal transverse pivot and said main tubular member, allowing the lower end of the main tubular member to tilt backwardly when excessive forces are encounted while being pulled through the soil;

and

biasing means for biasing the main tubular member into an upright position.

7. A subsoil rotary cultivator, comprising:

a tool bar adapted for attachment to a tractor;

a plurality of group frames attached to the tool bar at laterally spaced positions across the tool bar, the group frames including parallel links for allowing a rearward part of the group frames to shift upwardly and downwardly with respect to the tool bar;

at least one wheel mounted upon the group frames for engaging soil and rollably supporting the group frame thereon;

at least one unit mounting frame connected to each of said group frames;

the unit mounting frames including a pivoting arm pivotally connected thereto at an approximately horizontal transverse pivot;

biasing means extending between the pivoting arm and remaining portions of the unit mounting frames for biasing the pivoting arms forwardly;

main tubular members rigidly attached to said pivoting arms in an upstanding orientation;

the main tubular members having an upper end and a lower end;

central shafts having an upper end and a lower end;

the central shafts being rotatably supported within the main tubular members by at least upper and lower bearing means allowing the central shaft to freely rotate relative to the main tubular member;

disc means attached transversely to the central shaft near the lower end thereof, for piercing and cultivating soil;

a shield tube connected to the central shaft and disc means, and encasing the lower end of the main tubular member;

the shield tube extending upwardly from the lower end of the central shaft to a height above the soil and wherein said shield tube extends over the major length of said main tubular member between attachment of the main tubular member to said pivoting arm and said disc means;

the shield tube being freely rotatable with the disk and central shaft so that soil, plants and other debris are deflected as the shield tube rotates as the cultivator is pulled through the soil.