Ground leveler attachment for a ground working device

• US 5,595,249 A
• Filed: 09/05/1995
• Issued: 01/21/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/1995
• 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: Dan P. Steinberger, Jack Oberlander
• Inventors: Steinberger, Dan P., Oberlander, Jack
• Primary Examiner(s): Melius, Terry Lee
• Assistant Examiner(s): BATSON, VICTOR D
• Application Number:
  US08/523,152
• Time in Patent Office: 504 Days
• Field of Search: 172/156, 172/159, 172/160, 172/182, 172/203, 172/264, 172/265, 172/705, 172/707, 172/708, 172/711, 172/709, 172/570-572, 267/74, 248/548, 248/900, 182/127
• US Class Current: 172/156
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 35/18 with both rotating and non-rotating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 61/04 of the connection between tools and carrier beam or frame
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 248/90 Movable or disengageable on impact or overload

Abstract

A ground leveler attachment for a ground working device comprises a bracket fastened to a shank supporting a ground breaking tool, a carrier arm connected to the bracket, a pair of leg supports in pivotal contact with the carrier arm, a pair of springs biasing the legs supports into pivotal contact with the carrier arm, a pair of leg members extending from the leg supports, and a pair of levelers rotatably mounted upon the leg members and biased into a ground engagement position by the springs. The levelers independently and resiliently retract upon contact with a relatively immoveable object or objects to avoid being broken off from the leg members or severely damaged beyond usefulness.

Claims

1. A ground leveler attachment for a ground working device comprising:

a mounting means for securely mounting said ground leveler attachment to said ground working device, said mounting means being securely mounted to a shank supporting a ground breaking tool of said ground working device;

a leveler support means attached to said mounting means and including a carrier arm having a distal end, a pair of leg supports being in pivotal and contactable relationship to said carrier arm which has a pair of pivot mounts attached thereto, a pair of leg members attached to said leg supports, and a pair of leveler support said leg members, said pivot mounts adapted to be received in selected ends of said leg supports and for positioning said leg supports relative to said carrier arm, each of said pivot mounts having a lateral cross-section consistent with the lateral cross-section of said leg supports for restricting movement of said leg supports;

a pair of levelers attached to said leveler support means for leveling the ground; and

bias means for biasing said levelers into a ground engagement position.

2. A ground leveler attachment for a ground working device as described in claim 1, wherein each of said leg supports has a first end which is in pivotal and contactable relationship to a side of said carrier arm near said distal end.

3. A ground leveler attachment for a ground working device as described in claim 2, wherein each of said leg supports is adapted to extend beyond a lateral reach of said ground breaking tool.

4. A ground leveler attachment for a ground working device as described in claim 3, wherein said leg members depend from said leg supports.

5. A ground leveler attachment for a ground working device as described in claim 4, wherein said levelers are mounted upon said leveler supports such that said levelers are engageable with the ground.

6. A ground leveler attachment for a ground working device as described in claim 5, wherein said levelers are rotatably mounted upon said leveler supports.

7. A ground leveler attachment for a ground working device as described in claim 6, wherein each of said levelers is a disk.

8. A ground leveler attachment for a ground working device as described in claims 3, wherein said bias means includes a pair of spring means, a pair of spring means supports engaged to said pair of spring means for connecting said spring means to said leg supports.

9. A ground leveler attachment for a ground working device as described in claim 8, wherein said spring means supports are threaded upon threaded members fastened to said leg supports for adjusting the tension of said spring means.

10. A ground leveler attachment for a ground working device as described in claim 9, wherein said pair of spring means are removeably connected to said pivot mounts.

11. A ground leveler attachment for a ground working device comprising:

a bracket fastenable to a shank of said ground working device;

a carrier arm fastened to said bracket and having a pair of pivot mounts fixedly attached thereto, said pivot mounts being attached to and extended from either side of said carrier arm;

a pair of ground engageable levelers;

means for supporting said pair of ground engageable levelers, said support means including a pair of leg supports each having a first end and being pivotally contactable to said carrier arm and also having a threaded member fastenable thereto, said pivot mounts adapted to be received in said first ends of said leg supports and to orientate the positioning of said leg supports which are capable of pivoting about said pivot mounts; and

bias means for holding said leg supports into pivotal contactable relationship with said carrier arm and for biasing said levelers in a ground engagement position, each of said pivot mounts further having an eyelet to which said bias means is removeably connected.

12. A ground leveler attachment as described in claim 11, wherein each of said pivot mounts have a generally pyramid configuration.

13. A ground leveler attachment as described in claim 12, wherein said bias means comprise a pair of spring means and a pair of spring means supports engaged in said spring means and threadingly mounted upon said threaded member for adjusting the tension of said spring means.