Constant pressure scraper system with adjustment

• US 6,223,832 B1
• Filed: 06/03/1999
• Issued: 05/01/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Goins, Garrett Lee, Hook, Richard Wayne, Zaun, Richard David
• Primary Examiner(s): Pezzuto, Robert E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MAMMEN, NATHAN SCOTT
• Application Number:
  US09/325,481
• Time in Patent Office: 698 Days
• Field of Search: 172/186, 172/461, 172/509, 172/547, 172/558, 172/559, 172/563, 172/565, 172/566, 172/610, 111/52, 111/69, 111/82
• US Class Current: 172/565
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 15/16 Discs bearings therefor A01B71/04; Scrapers for cleaning discs; Sharpening attachments sharpening in general B24
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 71/02 Setting or adjusting mechanisms

Abstract

A disk scraper system for an agricultural implement includes a tubular member slidably supported by the implement frame adjacent a gang assembly having a plurality of disks. Scrapers are fixed to the member and project into scraping relationship with the disks to remove dirt and debris from the surfaces of the disks. A hydraulic cylinder is connected between the frame and the tubular member and connected through a pressure control valve assembly to a source of fluid under pressure to bias the member so the scrapers are urged into scraping relationship relative to the disks. The pressure control valve assembly may be remotely adjustable to vary the scraper pressure on-the-go as conditions change. The system maintains the selected scraper bias even as the gang assembly moves vertically and from side to side relative to the frame with changing contour and soil conditions.

Claims

1. An agricultural implement including a plurality of disks supported for rotation about an axis from a disk frame for tilling soil and sizing trash, the disks supported by a cushion member from the disk frame and moveable relative to the disk frame vertically and from side to side with changes in soil conditions, an elongated support slidably mounted from the disk frame adjacent the disks and movable relative to the disks, a plurality of scrapers connected to the support and extending toward the disks, a hydraulic cylinder connected between the support and the disk frame for moving the support relative to the disk frame and biasing the scrapers into scraping relationship with the disks to thereby remove soil and trash from the disks, and an adjustable control valve assembly connected to the cylinder at a location remote from the support and to a source of hydraulic fluid under pressure to move the support in response to changes in the biasing, the control valve assembly including an adjustable pressure control located remotely from the disks to automatically maintain a preselected scraper bias as the disks move vertically and from side to side relative to the disk frame with changing ground and debris conditions, the motor control providing adjustability of the preselected bias on-the-go from a location remote from the disks.

2. The implement of claim 1 wherein the support includes a tube, and further including a bracket connected to the frame and slidingly supporting the tube, and wherein the motor is connected between the tube and the frame.

3. The implement of claim 2 wherein the tube is slidable within a portion of the bracket for movement in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the disks.

8. The implement as set forth in claim 1 wherein the disks are supported in a disk gang arrangement and the cushion support comprises a C-shaped spring connected between the frame and the disk gang arrangement.

4. An agricultural implement including a plurality of disks supported for rotation about an axis from a disk frame for tilling soil and sizing trash, a cushion support member providing limited movement of the disks vertically and from side to side relative to the disk frame with change in soil conditions and soil contour, an elongated scraper support mounted from the frame adjacent the disks and movable relative to the frame and the disks, a plurality of scrapers connected to the scraper support and projecting into scraping relationship with the disks, wherein the disks move relative to the scrapers as the disks move vertically and from side to side, a hydraulic cylinder operably connected between the frame and the scraper support and extendible and retractable to move the scraper support relative to the disk frame and bias the scrapers into scraping relationship with the disks, a hydraulic control connected to the cylinder and to a source of hydraulic fluid under pressure, the hydraulic control including an adjustable pressure control adjustable remotely from the cylinder to vary the scraper pressure on-the-go and wherein the motor control is responsive to changes in the biasing of the scrapes for operating the motor to move the scraper support and automatically maintain a preselected bias of the scrapers towards the disks as the disks move relative to the disk frame.

5. The implement as set forth in claim 4 including a pressure gauge providing an indication of the bias.

6. The implement as set forth in claim 4 further comprising a second cylinder connected in parallel with the hydraulic cylinder.

7. The implement as set forth in claim 4 wherein in the disks are supported for rotation about an axis and the scraper support is movable in a path extending generally parallel to the axis.

9. A disk scraper system for an agricultural disk implement adapted for movement in a forward direction over the ground, the disk implement having a frame, a cushion support connected to the frame, and a ground working disk gang assembly with a plurality of disks connected to the cushion support for movement vertically and from side to side relative to the frame as the disk gang assembly works the ground, the disk scraper system including:

a tubular member slidably supported by the frame adjacent the gang assembly;

a plurality of scrapers are connected to the tubular member and projecting into scraping relationship with the disks to remove dirt and debris from the disks, wherein the disks move relative to the scrapers as the disk gang assembly moves vertically and from side to side relative to the frame;

a hydraulic cylinder connected between the frame and the tubular member and extending generally parallel to the tubular member;

a control valve assembly connected between a source of fluid under pressure and the hydraulic cylinder and operating the hydraulic cylinder to bias the scrapers into scraping relationship with the disks with substantially constant bias as the disk gang assembly moves relative to the frame, the control valve assembly including an adjustable pressure control remotely adjustable to vary the scraper pressure on-the-go and maintain a selected scraper bias even as the gang assembly moves vertically and from side to side relative to the frame with changing ground and debris conditions; and

wherein the source of fluid under pressure includes pressure reversing control to reverse the bias and move the scrapers out of contact with the disks.