Leveling harrow

• US 5,715,892 A
• Filed: 10/09/1996
• Issued: 02/10/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Farmers Factory Company
• Original Assignee: Farmers Factory Company
• Inventors: Foster, Phillip W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Melius, Terry Lee
• Assistant Examiner(s): BATSON, VICTOR D
• Application Number:
  US08/731,116
• Time in Patent Office: 489 Days
• Field of Search: 172/200, 172/254, 172/540, 172/548, 172/549, 172/551, 172/552, 172/553, 172/554, 172/624.5, 172/661, 172/307, 172/417, 172/483, 172/484
• US Class Current: 172/200
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 35/18 with both rotating and non-rotating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 35/28 Rotating tools; Mounting rotating tools

Abstract

The harrow includes a series of sleeves each having a plurality of teeth and telescoped non-rotatably over a rod which is rotatably journaled by laterally spaced bearings supported by mounting arms which, in turn, are attached to a tool bar. The teeth roll over the ground and pulverize and level the soil as the tool bar is pulled forwardly. The toothed sleeves may be laterally positioned as necessary on the rod to enable the bearings and the mounting arms to be located laterally as required to permit attachment of the arms to any particular tool bar. The tool bar is supported by parallel links which may be adjusted upwardly or downwardly by manually operable jacks in order to change the operating height of the harrow, the jacks being connected to the links in such a manner as to enable the links to float upwardly or downwardly in the event the harrow encounters a rise or falls into a valley.

Claims

1. A harrow adapted to be towed forwardly by a tool bar and comprising an elongated and laterally extending rod, a plurality of sleeves telescoped onto said rod and sized so as to be capable of sliding along said rod, each of said sleeves having a plurality of angularly spaced teeth for working the ground, means for preventing said sleeves from rotating relative to said rod and for securing said sleeves against sliding along said rod, a first pair of adjacent sleeves being separated laterally from one another along said rod whereby a first space is defined between the sleeves of said first pair, a second pair of adjacent sleeves being spaced laterally along said rod from the sleeves of said first pair and being separated laterally from one another whereby a second space is defined between the sleeves of said second pair, first and second bearings disposed in said first and second spaces, respectively, and rotatably supporting said rod, and means connected to and extending upwardly from said bearings for supporting said bearings and for connecting said rod to said tool bar, said harrow being combined with said tool bar and with a beam adapted to be pulled forwardly, said tool bar trailing said beam, upper and lower parallel links each having a forward end portion pivotally attached to said beam and having a rear end portion pivotally attached to said tool bar, an actuator adapted when operated in one direction to effectively decrease in length and adapted when operated in the opposite direction to effectively increase in length, said actuator having forward and rear end portions with the forward end portion of said actuator being pivotally connected to said beam at a location spaced above the forward end portions of said links, a yoke straddling said upper link and having a forward end portion pivotally connected to the rear end portion of said actuator and a rear end portion pivotally attached to said tool bar to swing about an axis coinciding with the pivot axis of the rear end portion of said upper link, and a stop acting between said yoke and said upper link and causing said yoke normally to be inclined upwardly and forwardly at an obtuse included angle relative to the rear end portion of said actuator, said stop enabling said yoke to move to a position decreasing said angle when said upper link swings upwardly relative to said beam.

2. A harrow as defined in claim 1 in which each sleeve has a rectangular internal and external cross-sectional shape and includes at least two oppositely extending teeth.

3. A harrow as defined in claim 2 in which said rod is of circular cross-section, said preventing and securing means comprising screws extending threadably through said sleeves and having tips engaging said rod.

4. A harrow as defined in claim 2 in which said rod is of rectangular cross-section, said preventing and securing means being defined in part by the outer surface of said rod and by the inner surfaces of said sleeves and being further defined by screws extending threadably through at least some of said sleeves and having tips engaging said rod.

5. A harrow as defined in claim 1 in which a third pair of adjacent sleeves is located between and is spaced laterally from the sleeves of said first pair and the sleeves of said second pair, the sleeves of said third pair being separated laterally from one another whereby a third space is defined between the sleeves of said third pair, a third bearing disposed in said third space and coacting with said first and second bearings to rotatably support said rod, and means connected to and extending upwardly from said third bearing for supporting said third bearing and for additionally connecting said rod to said tool bar.