Rotary disk tool assembly and implements

• US 4,585,073 A
• Filed: 08/24/1984
• Issued: 04/29/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Arts-Way Manufacturing Company
• Original Assignee: Eversman Manufacturing Company
• Inventors: Owen, Robert R., Mayeda, Bruce H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Richard J.
• Application Number:
  US06/643,879
• Time in Patent Office: 613 Days
• Field of Search: 172/526, 172/522, 172/773, 172/774, 172/739, 172/574, 172/169, 172/49.5, 111/87, 171/95, 171/96, 56/255, 56/13.7, 56/13.9
• US Class Current: 172/158
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 39/08 with rotating tools such as weeding machines
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 39/14 for working ridges , e.g. for rows of plants and/or furrows

Abstract

An agricultural tool assembly (21) disclosed is usable on a variety of implements in place of shovels, blades, tines or sweeps and on novel cultivating or crop root undercutting implements and the like. Assembly (21) includes a rotary disk (23) mounted on a lower end of a rotary spindle (25). An offset mount for the spindle includes a shank (41) adapted to be received in the vertical slot of a clamp (22) and a sleeve (45) offset from the shank for rotatably supporting the spindle. The sleeve is connected to the shank, using a bifurcated portion comprised of spaced plates (47, 48) connected to the sleeve with a lower pivot member (52) and an upper fastener (58) extending through arcuate slots (61 and 62) in the spaced plates. The disk may be tilted at a selected angle or set horizontally and for some applications may be set to release in the event the blade strikes an obstruction. A cultivator implement has front and rear disk gangs (108, 109, 114, 115) and a rear centered tool assembly (21). An onion undercutting implement has a front tool bar (134) with front tool assemblies (121a, 121b and 121c) clamped thereto and a rear tool bar (135) with rear tool assemblies (122a, 122b and 122c) clamped thereto. A planter attachment has a support frame that disposes a tool assembly (21) ahead of the planter (230) to cut the old crop prior to have the planter deposit the seed.

Claims

1. A tool assembly for agricultural purposes comprising:

a rotary disk having a peripheral cutting edge mounting to an end of a substantially vertical rotary spindle; and

mounting means for said spindle including an elongated shank and a sleeve connected to and offset from said shank, said shank having a length of substantially uniform cross section so as to be capable of being slidably received in an upright slot of a clamp on a support movable along the ground, set at a selected elevation by a locking means, and readily removed from and replaced on the clamp, said sleeve rotatably supporting said spindle, said connection between said shank and sleeve including pivot means at a lower end portion of said shank, an offset portion between said shank and sleeve with said pivot means pivotally connecting said offset portion to said shank at a first connection to offset the axis of said spindle from the axis of said shank to enable said sleeve to pivot about said pivot means in relation to aid shank about a substantially horizontal axis and sleeve locking means connecting said offset portion and said shank at a second connection displaced from said pivot means, said sleeve locking means being releasable to enable said offset portion and sleeve to be pivoted about said pivot means whereby to set said sleeve at a fixed position relative to said shank and to selectively position said spindle upright and said cutting edge in a horizontal plane or at an angle to a horizontal plane as they are moved along the ground.

2. A tool assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said disk is in the form of a circular, inverted dish of a concavo-convex shape with a concave surface facing down, said disk being made of a high carbon steel.

3. A tool assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein said disk is a segment of a sphere.

4. A tool assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said spindle has an externally threaded lower end portion and a lower stop above said threaded lower end portion, said disk being held against said lower stop by a Belleville washer fitted over said lower threaded portion with a concave surface facing up and a bottom nut threaded on said lower threaded portion and urging said Belleville washer against said disk.

5. A tool assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said shank has a generally rectangular cross section and is made of a heat-treated metal.

6. A tool assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said spindle is chrome-plated and has an externally threaded upper end portion and a top nut threaded on said threaded upper end portion with a top washer under said nut.

7. A tool assembly as set forth in claim 6 wherein said sleeve has a top surface and an interior surface complementary in shape to the exterior shape of said spindle, said top nut and top washer being greater in diameter than said interior surface to provide a lateral flange surface to support said spindle for free rotation relative to said sleeve.

8. A tool assembly for agricultural purposes comprising:

a rotary disk having a peripheral cutting edge mounted to an end of a rotary spindle; and

mounting means for said spindle including an elongated shank and a sleeve connected to and offset from said shank, said shank being adapted to be slidably received in an upright slot of a clamp on a support movable along the ground, set at a selected elevation by a locking means, and readily removed from and replaced on the clamp, said sleeve rotatably supporting said spindle, said connection between said shank and sleeve including pivot means for connecting said sleeve to a lower end portion of said shank to enable said sleeve to pivot in relation to said shank about a substantially horizontal axis, said connection between said shank and said sleeve including a bifurcated portion having spaced plates connected along side edges to said sleeve and slidably receiving said shank, and sleeve locking means to set said sleeve at a fixed position relative to said shank whereby to position said spindle upright and said cutting edge in a substantially horizontal plane as they are moved along the ground, said sleeve locking means including an upper fastener extending through said bifurcated portion and shank, said pivot means including a pivot member below said upper fastener extending through said bifurcated portion and said shank.

9. A tool assembly as set forth in claim 8 wherein said upper fastener is slidable in alined arcuate slots in said spaced plates to enable said sleeve to pivot relative to said shank and has means to lock said bifurcated portion to said shank at a selected setting to enable said spindle to be disposed perpendicular to a horizontal plane or turned to a selected tilt angle.

10. A tool assembly as set forth in claim 8 wherein said upper fastener is a shear bolt extending through said shank and said bifurcated portion that will break to enable said sleeve, spindle and disk to pivot about said pivot means when said disk strikes an obstruction or the like.

11. A rotary disk tool assembly for soil tilling, cultivating, plant cutting, and the like comprising:

a rotary disk mounted to an end of a chrome-plated spindle,

said disk being in the form of a circular, inverted dish of a concavo-convex shape with a concave surface facing down and having a peripheral cutting edge, said disk having a central opening and being made of a high carbon steel,

said spindle having an externally threaded lower end portion extending through the central opening of said disk, a lower stop above said threaded lower end portion, and an upper stop above and in spaced relation to the lower stop, said disk being held against said lower stop by a Belleville washer fitted over said lower threaded portion with a concave surface facing up and a bottom nut threaded on said lower threaded portion and urging said Belleville washer against said disk, said spindle having an externally threaded upper end portion, a top nut threaded on said threaded upper end portion and a top washer under said nut; and

an elongated shank having a generally rectangular cross section and being made of heat-treated steel, said shank being adapted to be slidably received in an upright slot of a clamp on a support movable along the ground and set at a selected elevation by a shank locking means;

a sleeve connected to and offset from said shank, said sleeve having a top surface and an interior surface complementary in shape to the exterior shape of said spindle, said top washer and top nut being greater in diameter than said interior surface to support said spindle for free rotation relative to said sleeve,

said connection between said shank and said sleeve including a bifurcated portion having spaced plates connected to said sleeve and slidably receiving said shank, pivot means extending through said bifurcated portion and shank connecting said sleeve to a lower end portion of said shank to enable said sleeve to pivot in relation to said shank about a substantially horizontal axis, and sleeve locking means including an upper fastener extending through said bifurcated portion and shank to set said sleeve at a fixed position relative to said shank whereby to position said cutting edge in a substantially horizontal plane as it is moved along the ground, said pivot means including a pivot member below said upper fastener extending through said bifurcated portion and said shank.

12. In combination with an agricultural implement having support means adapted to be moved over the soil,

at least one clamp carried on said support means having a vertical slot, shank locking means extending into said slot, and

a rotary disk tool assembly adjustably and removably carried by said clamp, said tool assembly including:

a circular disk having a peripheral cutting edge mounted to an end of a rotary spindle; and

an offset mounting means for said spindle including an elongated shank slidable in said upright slot and set at a selected elevation in relation to the surface of the ground by said locking means, and a sleeve offset from and adjustably connected to said shank for supporting said spindle for rotation, said sleeve being adjustably movable through an arc relative to said shank to enable said spindle to be disposed perpendicular to a horizontal plane or tilted at a selected angle relative to the longitudinal axis of said shank and having means to lock said disk substantially in a horizontal plane or at a selected angle relative to a horizontal plane as it is moved along the ground.

13. In agricultural apparatus suitable for use as a row crop cultivator, the combination comprising:

support means adapted to extend between two rows of crops and adapted to fasten to a tool bar or the like for movement along the ground;

two gangs of upright front disks on opposite sides of said support means, said front disks having concave surfaces facing said frame means and outturned from a straight-ahead position at a selected gang angle;

two gangs of rear disks on opposite sides of said support means, said rear disks having concave surfaces facing away from the frame means and inturned from a straight-ahead position at a selected gang angle;

a clamp at one end of said support means having a vertical slot and shank locking means extending into said slot;

a disk tool assembly adjustably and removably carried by said clamp, said assembly including a disk having a peripheral cutting edge mounted to an end of a rotary spindle; and

offset mounting means for said spindle including an elongated shank and a sleeve connected to and offset from said shank, said shank being adapted to be slidably received in an upright slot of a clamp on a support movable along the ground and set at a selected elevation by a locking means, said sleeve rotatably supporting said spindle, said connection between said shank and sleeve including pivot means for connecting said sleeve to a lower end portion of said shank to enable said sleeve to pivot in relation to said shank about a substantially horizontal axis and sleeve locking means to set said sleeve at a fixed position relative to said shank whereby to position said cutting edge in a substantially horizontal plane as it is moved along the ground.

14. In agricultural apparatus suitable for use as a plant cutter, the combination comprising:

support means including a front tool bar and a rear tool bar joined in a longitudinally spaced relationship by longitudinal connecting members;

a plurality of laterally spaced front tool assemblies clamped to said front tool bar;

a plurality of laterally spaced rear tool bar assemblies clamped to said rear tool bar,

each said tool bar assembly having;

a disk having a peripheral cutting edge mounted to an end of a rotary spindle; and

mounting means for said spindle including an elongated shank and a sleeve connected to and offset from said shank, said shank being adapted to be slidably received in an upright slot of a clamp on a support movable along the ground, set at a selected elevation by a locking means, and readily removed from and replaced on the clamp, said sleeve rotatably supporting said spindle, said connection between said shank and sleeve including pivot means for connecting said sleeve to a lower end portion of said shank to enable said sleeve to pivot in relation to said shank about a substantially horizontal axis and sleeve locking means to set said sleeve at a fixed position relative to said shank whereby to position said spindle upright and said cutting edge in a substantially horizontal plane,

said tool assemblies being disposed at substantially equal laterally spaced intervals and at a selected depth in the soil to undercut the roots of a plurality of rows of crops as they are moved through the soil.