Disk harrow assembly

• US 5,267,619 A
• Filed: 01/27/1992
• Issued: 12/07/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Blue Leaf IP Incorporated (CNH Industrial N.V.), CNH Industrial America LLC (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Case Corporation (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Inventors: Eversole, Brad K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Reese, Randolph A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WARNICK IV, SPENCER K
• Application Number:
  US07/825,949
• Time in Patent Office: 680 Days
• Field of Search: 172/572, 172/570, 172/573, 172/500, 172/705, 172/707, 172/708, 172/711, 172/643, 384/157, 384/205, 384/192, 384/460, 267/36.1, 267/164
• US Class Current: 172/572
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 21/083 of the type comprising four individual disk groups each pivotally connected at fixed locations to a substantially rigid frame
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 23/06 Discs A01B15/16 takes precedence; bearings therefor A01B71/04; Scrapers for cleaning discs; Sharpening attachments; Lubrication of bearingssharpening in general B24

Abstract

A disk harrow assembly comprising a frame with an elongated beam and having an elongated shaft arranged generally parallel to and below the beam with a plurality of laterally spaced disks mounted on the shaft of rotation therewith. At least two laterally spaced bearing standards resiliently connecting the shaft to the beam. Each bearing standard includes a spring whose first extremity is secured to the beam, a curved central portion for positioning a free ended second extremity of the spring in spaced relation beneath the first extremity and a bearing assembly carried toward the free ended extremity of the spring for rotatably supporting the shaft. The bearing assembly is mounted toward the second end of the spring for rocking movement about an axis disposed in an acute angle relative to the horizontal direction of movement of the harrow assembly.

Claims

1. A disk harrow assembly comprising a frame adapted to be towed for generally horizontal movement across a field and including an elongated beam, an elongated shaft arranged generally parallel to and below the beam with a plurality of laterally spaced disks mounted on and for rotation with said shaft, at least two laterally spaced bearing standards for resiliently connecting said shaft and beam, each bearing standard including a curved leaf spring having a first portion joined to a free ended second portion by a curved central portion, fasteners for fastening an extremity of said first portion of the spring to said beam, with the central portion of said spring positioning the second portion in spaced relation below and extending at an angle of about 35°

to 50°

relative to said first portion, and a bearing assembly carried by the second portion of said spring for rotatably supporting said shaft, said bearing assembly including a bearing adapted to have said shaft pass therethrough and which is captively received within a trunnion housing, the trunnion housing being mounted on the second portion of said spring for rocking movement about an axis extending generally parallel to the second portion of the spring whereby the bearing is permitted to self-align itself in response to upward and rearward disk deflection during harrow assembly operation.

2. The disk harrow assembly according to claim 1 wherein the central portion of said spring is configured such that the second portion of the spring to which the trunnion housing is mounted forms an angle of about 40°

relative to the first portion of said spring.

3. The disk harrow assembly according to claim 1 wherein said trunnion housing is mounted to an interior surface of said spring on said second portion to protect the bearing carried thereby against field debris impacting thereagainst.

5. A disk harrow assembly according to claim 1 further including a scraper assembly including a series of scrapers positioned to remove dirt and debris from rotating discs of the harrow assembly and which are movable in response to spring deflection thereby maintaining the relative mounting position of the scrapers and disks substantially constant.

4. A disk harrow assembly comprising a frame adapted to be towed for generally horizontal movement across a field and including an elongated beam, an elongated shaft arranged generally parallel to and below the beam with a plurality of laterally spaced disks mounted on and for rotation with said shaft, at least two laterally spaced bearing standards for resiliently connecting said shaft and beam, each bearing standard including a curved leaf spring, fasteners for securing a first extremity of said leaf spring to said beam, said spring being configured with a curved central portion which positions a free ended second extremity of said spring in spaced relation beneath said first extremity and wherein the second extremity is offset at about a 40°

angle relative to the first extremity, wit the offset angle therebetween allowing an outer surface of said spring to form a ramp like configuration to force soil and residue smoothly under a bearing assembly mounted toward the second extremity of said spring and adapted to rotatably support said shaft, said bearing assembly including a bearing having said shaft pass therethrough and which is captively received within a trunnion housing, the trunnion housing being mounted toward the second extremity of said spring for rocking movement about an axis extending transverse to the direction of deflection of said spring thereby allowing the bearing to self align in response to the disks impacting with obstacles during harrow assembly operation.

6. A disk harrow assembly comprising a frame adapted to be towed across a field and including an elongated beam, an elongated rotational member having a plurality of laterally spaced disks mounted for rotation with said member, a pair of spaced bearing standards for resiliently mounting said member to and below said beam, each bearing standard including a unitary spring having a first portion fastened to said beam and a free-ended second portion in spaced relation beneath said first portion, with said first and second portions being connected by a a central portion such that said first and second portions form an acute angle ranging between about 35°

to about 50°

therebetween, and a assembly mounted on the second portion of said spring for rotatably supporting said member, said bearing assembly being freely rotatable about an axis extending generally parallel to the second portion of the spring to reduce binding forces on the bearing assembly during operation of the harrow assembly.

7. The disk harrow assembly according to claim 6 further including an assembly for scraping dirt and debris from the rotating disks as the harrow assembly moves across a field.

8. A disk harrow assembly comprising a frame adapted to be towed for generally horizontal movement across a field and including an elongated horizontal beam, a horizontally elongated rotatable shaft arranged generally parallel to and below the beam, a plurality of spaced disks mounted on and for rotation with said shaft, at least two substantially identical spaced bearing standards for resiliently connecting said shaft and beam, each bearing standard including a curved spring having diverging upper and lower limbs joined by a curved central portion, fasteners for fastening said upper limb of said spring to said beam, a bearing assembly arranged in spaced relation beneath said upper limb of said spring for rotatably supporting said shaft, said bearing assembly including a bearing adapted to rotatably accommodate a lengthwise portion of said shaft, said bearing being captively accommodated in a bearing housing mounted toward a free end of said lower limb of said spring, said housing having diametrically opposed trunnions extending outwardly therefrom to define an axis about which said bearing housing and the bearing mounted therein rock, with said axis extending at an acute angle of about 35°

to about 50°

relative to the upper limb of said spring thus allowing the bearing to self align in response to impact loads applied against said disks.

9. The disk harrow assembly according to claim 8, wherein the free end of said lower spring limb has an upturned lip which is configured to rotatably accommodate one trunnion of said bearing housing.

10. The disk harrow assembly according to claim 8 further including a disk scraper assembly including an upstruck mounting member attached to the lower spring limb and which is configured to rotatably accommodate one trunnion of said bearing housing.

11. The disk harrow assembly according to claim 8 wherein said bearing housing further defines an apparatus for supplying lubricant to said bearing captively received within said housing.

12. An apparatus for resiliently mounting a gang of disk harrows to and below and elongated beam, said range of disk harrows being mounted on and for rotation with an elongated rotatable member, said resilient mounting apparatus comprises a spring having first and second generally straight limbs which are joined to and diverge from each other at an angle ranging between about 35°

to about 50°

, fasteners for releasably fastening an aft end of the first straight limb of said spring to said beam, said first and second limbs being joined by a central portion on said spring which positions the second straight limb in spaced relation beneath said first straight limbs, and a bearing assembly mounted toward a free second end of said second limbs for rotatably supporting said elongated member, said bearing assembly being mounted for rocking movement about an axis extending generally parallel to the second limb of said spring to permit the bearing assembly to self align itself when the disk harrows impact against an object during a harrow assembly operation.