Agricultural cultivator
First Claim
1. In an agricultural cultivator having a toolbar adapted to be pulled by a tractor, a plurality of cultivator units, a four-bar linkage for mounting each cultivator unit to said toolbar, each cultivator unit including a main frame connected to its associated four-bar linkage, a depth gauge wheel supporting said main frame for determining the operating depth of ground-engaging tools on said unit and a sweep carried by said main frame behind said gauge wheel, the improvement in said units comprising:
- a hiller disc assembly including a mounting bar extending laterally to both sides of said main frame;
first and second discs mounted respectively to the right and left sides of said mounting bar; and
adjustment means mounted to said main frame of said unit and carrying said mounting bar for adjustably setting the operating height of said discs relative to said main frame.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Improvements are disclosed for independent adjustment of the gauge wheel, disc hillers, stabilizer disc and, if desired, the rear, central sweep for an agricultural cultivator unit. The adjusting mechanism includes a screw jack which is easily accessible from the top of the cultivator for setting the adjustment of vertically telescoping inner and outer tubular sections, and a clamp for maintaining the setting once the adjustment is made. Improvements in the disc hiller structure itself include an indicator plate located at the top of the shank on which the disc is mounted for indicating the angular adjustment of the working angle of the disc, and a forged shank having a circular cross-section at the top, and a flattened portion at the bottom to provide strength but flexibility. Improvements are also disclosed for mounting the sweep to the distal end of the main beam, including a screw jack and clamp arrangement of the type used to adjust the disc hillers and stabilizer disc, a rigid clamp using a single bolt and two cast clamp plates, and a spring cushion mechanism permitting the sweep shank to rotate rearwardly and upwardly when an obstruction is encountered.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. In an agricultural cultivator having a toolbar adapted to be pulled by a tractor, a plurality of cultivator units, a four-bar linkage for mounting each cultivator unit to said toolbar, each cultivator unit including a main frame connected to its associated four-bar linkage, a depth gauge wheel supporting said main frame for determining the operating depth of ground-engaging tools on said unit and a sweep carried by said main frame behind said gauge wheel, the improvement in said units comprising:
- a hiller disc assembly including a mounting bar extending laterally to both sides of said main frame;
first and second discs mounted respectively to the right and left sides of said mounting bar; and
adjustment means mounted to said main frame of said unit and carrying said mounting bar for adjustably setting the operating height of said discs relative to said main frame. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
- a hiller disc assembly including a mounting bar extending laterally to both sides of said main frame;
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20. In an agricultural cultivator having a toolbar adapted to be pulled by a tractor, a plurality of cultivator units, a four-bar linkage for mounting each cultivator unit to said toolbar, each cultivator unit including a main frame connected to its associated four-bar linkage, a depth gauge wheel supporting said main frame for determining the operating depth of ground-engaging tools on said unit and a sweep carried by said main frame behind said gauge wheel, the improvement in said units comprising:
- a gauge wheel arm mounting said gauge wheel to said main frame of said unit;
an adjustable screw jack having first and second telescoping housing sections and an adjusting member extending through said first housing section for external access;
means for pivotally mounting said upper housing section to said main frame of said unit in a generally vertical orientation with said adjusting member accessible from the top of said unit; and
means for pivotally mounting said second housing section of said screw jack to said gauge wheel arm at a location displaced from said pivotal mounting of said gauge wheel arm to said main frame, whereby turning said adjusting member of said screw jack will adjust the length of said screw jack and thereby adjust the height of said main frame of said unit relative to the ground.
- a gauge wheel arm mounting said gauge wheel to said main frame of said unit;
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21. In an agricultural cultivator having a toolbar adapted to be pulled by a tractor, a plurality of cultivator units, a four-bar linkage for mounting each cultivator unit to said toolbar, each cultivator unit including a main frame connected to its associated four-bar linkage, a depth gauge wheel supporting said main frame for determining the operating depth of ground-engaging tools on said unit and a sweep carried by said main frame behind said gauge wheel, the improvement in said units comprising:
- a disc hiller assembly including a mounting bar extending to both sides of said main frame;
first and second disc hillers mounted respectively to said mounting bar;
an adjustable screw jack having first and second telescoping housing sections, one of said housing sections being mounted to said main frame and the other of said housing sections being mounted to said discs mounting bar, whereby adjustment of said screw jack adjusts the height of said disc hiller assembly relative to said main frame; and
means for reducing torsional forces on said adjustable screw jack as said discs engage soil in use.
- a disc hiller assembly including a mounting bar extending to both sides of said main frame;
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22. In an agricultural cultivator having a toolbar adapted to be pulled by a tractor, a plurality of cultivator units, a four-bar linkage for mounting each cultivator unit to said toolbar, each cultivator unit including a main frame connected to its associated four-bar linkage, a depth gauge wheel supporting said main frame for determining the operating depth of ground-engaging tools on said unit and a sweep carried by said main frame behind said gauge wheel, the improvement in said units comprising:
- said main frame including a main tubular beam extending in the direction of travel;
a stabilizer disc mounted to said beam behind said gauge wheel; and
an adjustable screw jack for adjusting the height of said stabilizer disc relative to said main frame including first and second telescoping housing sections and an adjusting member extending through said beam and located above said beam, said adjusting member interconnecting said first and second housing sections, one of said housing sections being mounted to said beam and the other of said housing sections being mounted to said stabilizer disc, whereby turning of said adjusting member adjusts the height of said stabilizer disc relative to said beam; and
a clamp carried by one of said housing sections of said screw jack for clamping said first and second housing sections rigidly together when a desired adjustment is made.
- said main frame including a main tubular beam extending in the direction of travel;
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23. In an agricultural cultivator having a toolbar adapted to be pulled by a tractor, a plurality of cultivator units, a four-bar linkage for mounting each cultivator unit to said toolbar, each cultivator unit including a main frame connected to its associated four-bar linkage, a depth gauge wheel supporting said main frame for determining the operating depth of ground-engaging tools on said unit and a sweep carried by said main frame behind said gauge wheel, the improvement in said units comprising:
- said sweep having a flat bar shank, said apparatus further comprising means for adjustably mounting said sweep shank to said main frame of said unit including housing means mounted to said main frame and defining a vertically extending receptacle for receiving said shank, a first clamp plate mounted to one side of said housing for engaging one side of said shank, a second clamp plate mounted to an opposing side of said housing and adapted to engage the opposing side of said shank, said second clamp plate characterized in having a center portion of increased thickness and top and bottom portions of reduced thicknesses, thereby permitting said second clamp plate to adjust about its mid section; and
clamping means for urging said second clamp plate at its mid section into engagement with said shank, thereby compressing said shank against said clamp plates, said clamp plates further characterized in that each clamp plate defines first and second laterally spaced vertical flat rail sections located in opposing relation to the corresponding rails on the opposing clamp plate for engaging opposing sides of said shank.
- said sweep having a flat bar shank, said apparatus further comprising means for adjustably mounting said sweep shank to said main frame of said unit including housing means mounted to said main frame and defining a vertically extending receptacle for receiving said shank, a first clamp plate mounted to one side of said housing for engaging one side of said shank, a second clamp plate mounted to an opposing side of said housing and adapted to engage the opposing side of said shank, said second clamp plate characterized in having a center portion of increased thickness and top and bottom portions of reduced thicknesses, thereby permitting said second clamp plate to adjust about its mid section; and
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24. In an agricultural cultivator having a toolbar adapted to be pulled by a tractor, a plurality of cultivator units, a four-bar linkage for mounting each cultivator unit to said toolbar, each cultivator unit including a main frame connected to its associated four-bar linkage, a depth gauge wheel supporting said main frame for determining the operating depth of ground-engaging tools on said unit and a sweep carried by said main frame behind said gauge wheel, the improvement in said units comprising:
- said main frame including a tubular beam extending in the direction of travel, said sweep including a shank, said apparatus further comprising housing means for receiving and mounting said sweep shank, said housing means being mounted to said main beam for pivotal motion about a transverse axis forward of said shank whereby said shank and sweep may be moved rearward and upward relative to said main frame, a coil spring having a first end mounted to said housing for resiliently urging said sweep into the ground-engaging use position; and
a leaf spring having a first end connected to said beam and second end connected to said coil spring means, whereby the initial displacing motion of said sweep will compress its coil spring and further displacing motion of said sweep after said coil spring is fully compressed will cause said leaf spring to continue to flex, thereby to avoid breakage of said sweep or sweep shank.
- said main frame including a tubular beam extending in the direction of travel, said sweep including a shank, said apparatus further comprising housing means for receiving and mounting said sweep shank, said housing means being mounted to said main beam for pivotal motion about a transverse axis forward of said shank whereby said shank and sweep may be moved rearward and upward relative to said main frame, a coil spring having a first end mounted to said housing for resiliently urging said sweep into the ground-engaging use position; and
Specification