Abstract:
A joint device of an agricultural machine has at least one tool-bearing beam ( 2   a - c,    3   a - c ) for soil tillage tools ( 4, 5, 38, 39 ), such as seed coulters and cultivator tines, whereby a portion ( 10 ) of the beam end, at least on one side of the machine, is detachably fastened by means of a bolt/nut connection ( 13, 18, 23 ) arranged within the tool-bearing beam. A threaded body ( 18, 50 ) in the bolt/nut connection is fixed, preferably plug welded, in the main part of the beam ( 2   a - c,    3   a - c ).

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a joint device at an agricultural machine with at least one tool-bearing beam for soil tillage tools, such as discs, cultivator tines, or similar tools. 
     The large seed drills of today often have a width that exceeds the permitted width for vehicles on public roads. During transport of newly manufactured seed drills from the factory to the user or wholesaler, i.e. transport during delivery, one problem is that the seed drill is delivered in sections, which must then be finally assembled on site. 
     An aim of the present invention is to achieve a device of the initially defined type, with which transport of the agricultural implement on public roads is simplified and which thus brings a cost effectiveness and often represents a time saving during final assembly. 
     2. Summary of the Invention 
     The aim of the invention is achieved through the end portions of the tool-carrying beam being detachable and attachable by means of a bolt/nut connection arranged inside the beam and the end portion. 
     The present invention is especially suitable during transport of seed drills and cultivators where the machine can be finally assembled at the factory and the user only needs to assemble the end portions by tightening a bolt that is recessed in a hole in a counterstay anchored in the end portion of the tool-bearing beam, which bolt is inserted into and tightened in a threaded hole in a cylinder, which is anchored in the main part of said tool-bearing beam. The counterstay and cylinder are preferably welded fast in the beam parts. 
     The joint device between the end portion of the tool-bearing beam and the main part has a pattern so as to achieve a torsional resistance between the two parts. Furthermore, the joint device can be formed so that it can only be assembled in one way, which prevents incorrect assembly. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention is described more closely in the following with reference to the drawings attached, which show preferred embodiments. 
         FIG. 1  is a partial perspective view from above of a tool-bearing frame at a soil tillage machine with a first embodiment of a joint device according to the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an enlarged perspective view of the detail A shown with a circle in  FIG. 1 , which shows the joint device according to the invention. 
         FIG. 3  shows a partial exploded view in a perspective from above of the detail in  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  shows a side view of the detail in  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 5  shows a cross-section through the line B-B in  FIG. 4  of the detail in  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 6  partially shows a view similar to that in  FIG. 1  of a part of the frame in  FIG. 1 , more specifically its outer end portion, whereby is illustrated a second embodiment of a joint device according to the invention. 
         FIG. 7  shows an enlarged perspective view of the detail C shown with a circle in  FIG. 6 , which shows the joint device according to the invention. 
         FIG. 8  shows a side view of the detail in  FIG. 7 . 
         FIG. 9  shows a cross-section through the line D-D in  FIG. 8  of the detail in  FIG. 7 . 
         FIG. 10  shows a side view of the right wing section c in  FIG. 6  with the two outer discs visible. 
         FIG. 11  shows a side view of the right wing section c in  FIG. 6  and reveals how the tools can be displaced inwards so as not to exceed the permitted width. 
         FIG. 12  is a partial perspective view from above of a tool-bearing frame in a soil tillage machine with a third embodiment of a joint device according to the invention. 
         FIG. 13  is a partial exploded view in perspective of an end portion of the frame in  FIG. 12 , which shows the joint device according to the invention. 
         FIG. 14  shows a partial view from above of the fore part of the end portion in  FIG. 13 . 
         FIG. 15  shows a cross-section through the line E-E in  FIG. 14 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Corresponding details in the embodiments described below and in the drawings have been given the same reference number. 
       FIGS. 1-5  show a first embodiment of a joint device according to the invention, where  FIG. 1  shows a frame  1  with tool-bearing beams  2   a, b, c  and  3   a, b, c  for an agricultural machine, where the plurality of the details have been removed for the sake of clarity and where only two tools are shown, namely discs  4 ,  5 , which are journalled in bearings on disc arms  6 ,  7 , which at their upper end are mounted on the beams  2   a, b, c  and  3   a, b, c  by means of a rubber-sprung holding fixture  8 ,  9  through tightening of bolts in the holding fixtures  8 ,  9 . Similar not shown discs are mounted at predetermined distances from each other along the beams. The frame  1  is divided into three sections a, b and c, of which b comprises a central section and a and c comprise side or wing sections. The wing sections are turnable by means of not shown hydraulic piston and cylinder aggregates upwards to a mainly vertical position for transport of the machine behind a not shown tractor on public roads. 
     Between the beams  2  and  3  are mounted brace plates, which are partially welded fast and partially mounted fast by means of the joint device according to the invention, which will be described more closely below. 
     To facilitate final assembly at the user the ends of the beams have been provided with detachable and re-attachable extension portions  10 . The cross-sectional surfaces  11  and  12  between the beam  2   b  and the extension portion  10  have been given a special compatible form.  FIGS. 2-5  show square wave-like cross-sectional surfaces  11  and  12 . However the cross-sectional surfaces are not limited to this form but can be shaped according to preference, the main factor being that it provides a torsion resistant connection between the beam sections, when they are assembled. Furthermore, it is desirable that when the extension portions are assembled a uniform transition between all side surfaces of the beam is achieved. 
     An insert or counterstay  13 , through which a circular fully penetrating hole  14  has been made, is fixed at a predetermined distance from the end of the extension portion  10  away from the main beam  2   b . The counterstay  13  has the shape of a T and can be inserted down into a recess  16  in one side of the extension portion  10 , as shown in  FIG. 3 . The upper part of the T forms shoulders  15 , which are brought on each side to abut the walls of the extension portion in the recess  16 . The counterstay is then plug welded fast in the recesses  17  on the other sides of the extension portion  10 . In the beam  2   b  a cylinder  18  is fixed, preferably by means of plug welding in the recesses  19 . One side  20  of the cylinder  18 , which in the assembled position is facing the extension portion  10 , is provided with a conical recess  21 , in the center of which is a threaded hole  22 . A bolt  23  is intended to be pushed into the hole  14  in the counterstay  13  and further into the threaded hole  22  in the cylinder  18 . The aim of the conical recess is to guide the bolt into the threaded hole  22 . The bolt  23  is then tightened so that the bolt, the head  24  of which abuts the counterstay  13 , tightens the extension portion  10  firmly against the beam  2   b . In this way a tighten and torsion resistant extension of the beam  2   b  is achieved. Other beams in the frame  1  also preferably have in the same way extendable outer ends. The extension portion can be made of different lengths to thereby form the basis for a system of agricultural machines of different lengths. Thus for different working widths different lengths of extension portions can be procured or can be included on delivery. 
     The tool-bearing beams in  FIG. 1  are internally displaceable laterally by means of rigging screws  25 , which extend through recesses  26  in the brace plates  27 . Between the beams  2   b  and  3   b  on the central section is arranged a tie bar  27   a , of which the outer ones as well as the brace plates  27  are bowed during lateral displacement by means of the rigging screws  25 . The fore beam  2   b  of the central section is divided into three parts with guides  28  in the form of cylindrical rods, preferably round in section, which are inserted into two neighbouring beams and plug welded in one beam at  28   a . These measures have been adopted to allow two neighbouring beams to be fixed in different positions so as to thereby set the relative distance between the discs on the fore beams  2   a, b, c  and  3   a, b  and  c  respectively. During tightening or displacement of the rigging screws  25  the brace plates  27  give way and the beams are fixed in a new position. Diagonal bars  29  are arranged welded fast between the brace plates  27  on the wing sections a and c for stability purposes. 
       FIGS. 6-9  show a second embodiment of the joint device according to the invention arranged at the outermost end of the right wing section c in  FIG. 1 . Here the illustration shows how a brace plate can be fixed at the beam between the main beam parts  2   c  and  3   c  and the corresponding extension portions  30  and  31  respectively. It is recognised that this described below can also be applied on the beams on the left wing section a. The end portions of the main beam parts  2   c ,  3   c  are referred to with reference number  32  and the corresponding end portions of the extension portions  30  and  31  are referred to with reference number  33 . The extension portion  31 , which is shown in  FIG. 7 , has on one cross-sectional surface, which is facing the main beam part  3   c , an end contour in the form of a protrusion  34  at each corner of the square profile of the beam. In the brace plate  27  there are four holes  35  positioned to correspond to each corner protrusion  34  so that they essentially together form the corners of an imaginary square and are intended to thus arranged receive the four protrusions  34  of the extension portion. In the middle of the imaginary square with the mentioned holes  35  is a fully penetrating hole  36 . The corresponding end of the beam  3   c  is similarly provided with four protrusions (not shown in  FIG. 6 , but as shown for the main beam part  2   c ), which also can be inserted into the holes  35  in the brace plate  29  but on its opposite side. A bolt  37  is introduced through a hole in the counterstay  13 , further through the hole  36  made in the brace plate  27  and is thereafter screwed into the threaded hole  22  in the cylinder  18 . 
       FIGS. 10 and 11  show how the tools, in this case discs  38 ,  39  on the wing sections a and c, can be turned towards the beams and fixed in this position during driving on public roads so as not to exceed the permitted width. First the rigging screws and other objects (not the brace plates) that can impede a rotation of the beams around their axles are loosened. The bolts  37  are thereafter loosened somewhat so that all the protrusions  34  come free from the holes  35 . The beams are then rotated approx. 45° and the bolts are tightened again to clamp the beams fast against the brace plates. 
       FIGS. 12-15  show a third embodiment of the joint device according to the invention. Here is shown a frame with two tool-bearing rows of fore beams  40   a, b, c  and rear beams  41   a, b, c  arranged on a central section  42  and side or wing sections  43 . Extension sections  44  and  45  are detachably mounted by means of a bolt/nut connection consisting of, at each joint and extending from the inner corners of the beam, four threaded rods  46 , which are inserted through plug welded hole-provided end bars  47  and plug welded, with fully penetrating hole-provided guides  48  and then screwed into corresponding threaded holes  49 , which are made in plug welded inserts  50  in the main beam parts of the sections. Nuts  51  with washers  51   a  are tightened at the outer ends of the threaded rods towards the end portions of the end bar  47  that function as a counterstay. 
       FIG. 12  shows joints  52  between the central section  42  and the wing sections  43  and parts of the hydraulic device  53 ,  54 , which is required to lift the wing sections from the working position shown to a transport position, in which they are primarily vertical. A towbar  55  for coupling to a tractor or similar draught vehicle is also shown. Parallel to the end bar  47  additional stabiliser bars  56  are fastened between the fore and rear beams  40   a, b, c  and  41   a, b, c . In  FIG. 12  too, tools and other details have been omitted for the sake of clarity. 
     It should be pointed out that the abovementioned cylinders  18  in the different embodiments can be as shown circular cylindrical, but can also be created in another suitable form. They can also have a form that fixes them rotation resistantly in the holes in the main beam, such as mainly square cylindrical. 
     The joint device according to the invention can naturally be modified further within the framework of the attached claims.