Patent ID: 7594546
Filing Date: 2009-09-29
Classification: A01B

Abstract:
1. A tillage machine comprising: a ground-penetrating tillage shank adapted to leave clods of soil behind the shank as the shank is moved through the soil; berm-forming structure behind the shank for forming loose soil and clods left by the shank into an elongated, fore-and-aft extending berm; and a ground-driven, rotatable reel disposed behind the berm-forming structure and the shank in on-center alignment with said shank in such a position that the reel engages the clods left by the shank, said reel including support structure rotatable about a transverse axis as the reel is advanced in a forward direction while engaging the ground, said reel further including a plurality of elongated flexible elements carried by said support structure and spaced circumferentially about the periphery of the reel for engaging and breaking up the clods without destroying the berm as the reel rolls along the ground, said flexible elements comprising lengths of chain having a series of interconnected links.