Soil cultivating implements

A cultivating implement has a row of soil working members that are driven to rotate about upwardly extending axes and work overlapping paths. The working members each have freely rotatable tools which turn about further upwardly extending axes responsive to ground contact. The tools' axes of rotation can be angled to that of the corresponding working member. Also, one or more tines can be fixed in place to a support of the working member. A distribution member can be secured to the frame at the rear of each region of overlap of the soil working members to displace soil laterally. Also, an elongated supporting roller has portions with bent rods located to the rear of the distribution members. The rods engage the soil worked by the rotation working members and initially displaced by the distribution members. The bends of the rods can be positioned in line with the distribution members to further urge soil laterally of the direction of implement travel.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 6 of the accompanying drawings, the soil 
cultivating implement that is illustrated therein has a supporting frame 
that is generally indicated by the reference 1, said frame including a 
pair of parallel and substantially horizontally disposed beams 2, said 
beams 2 being spaced apart from one another in the intended direction of 
operative travel of the implement which is indicated by an arrow A with 
both of them extending transverse, and usually substantially 
perpendicular, to the direction A. Each of the frame beams 2 is of hollow 
construction and has a polygonal cross-section which it is preferred 
should be square as can be seen in FIG. 4 of the drawings. Each beam 2 is 
arranged so that, with the preferred square cross-section or any other 
polygonal cross-section, at least one flat side thereof is horizontally or 
substantially horizontally disposed. The ends of the beams 2 are 
interconnected by substantially vertically disposed side plates 3 of the 
supporting frame 1, said side plates 3 being substantially parallel to one 
another and to the direction A and being dimensioned so that both of them 
project both forwardly beyond, and rearwardly behind, the two frame beams 
2 with respect to the direction A. A number, such as four, of 
strengthening strips 2A extend substantially horizontally parallel to the 
direction A in interconnecting relationship with the two frame beams 2. 
Bars 4 of L-shaped cross-section are secured to the two upright sides of 
the two square cross-section frame beams 2 that face one another, the 
permanent connections being effected by welding with the bars 4 located 
close to the tops of the two beams 2. Each bar 4 has its substantially 
vertical limb welded to the upright side of the corresponding beam 2 in 
such a way that the substantially horizontal limb thereof projects from 
the substantially vertical limb towards the other bar 4. As can be seen in 
FIG. 4 of the drawings, this arrangement disposes the two substantially 
horizontal limbs of the two beams 4 at a level just above that of the tops 
of the two beams 2 and in regularly spaced apart relationship, throughout 
their lengths, between said beams 2. 
Six gear boxes 5 are secured by substantially vertically disposed bolts 8 
to the substantially horizontal limbs of the bars 4 in such a way that 
said six gear boxes 5 extend in a row in substantially regularly spaced 
apart relationship in a substantially horizontal direction that is 
perpendicular to the direction A, the spacings between the two end gear 
boxes 5 of the row and the corresponding adjacent side plates 3 of the 
supporting frame 1 being substantially the same as is the distance between 
any two immediately neighbouring gear boxes 5 in the row (see FIG. 1). 
Each gear box 5 comprises an upper part 6 and a lower part 7, said parts 6 
and 7 being releasably secured to one another by the same bolts 8 as are 
employed to secure the whole gear box 5 concerned to the substantially 
horizontally disposed limbs of the bars 4. The upper part 6 of each gear 
box 5 has its greatest width in a direction parallel to the direction A at 
its center and tapers from this central region in two opposite directions, 
that are both perpendicular to the direction A, towards its opposite ends. 
The lower part 7 of each gear box 5 incorporates a substantially 
horizontally disposed upper flange from the center of which integrally 
depends a housing 9 for corresponding axially aligned lower and upper ball 
bearings 10 and 10A. The bearings 10 and 10A are vertically spaced apart 
from one another and rotatably carry a corresponding upwardly extending 
shaft 11 whose longitudinal axis a (axis of rotation) will usually be 
vertically or substantially vertically disposed. The outer race of each 
upper ball bearing 10A is supported from beneath by an internal shoulder 
of the corresponding housing 9 while its inner race surrounds, and bears 
against a shoulder of, the hub of a corresponding crown wheel or bevel 
pinion 14 that is internally splined for mounting on the corresponding 
externally splined upper end of the shaft 11 concerned. Each crown wheel 
or bevel pinion 14 is disposed inside the upper part 6 of the 
corresponding gear box 5. 
The inner race of each lower ball bearing 10 bears at its lower end against 
a shoulder 15A of the corresponding shaft 11 while the upper end of its 
outer race bears against an internal shoulder of the corresponding housing 
9. Each shoulder 15A is surrounded by a sealing ring or the like which 
extends between that shoulder and the internal wall of the corresponding 
housing 9, the lowermost end of each housing 9 being closed by a ring or 
washer 16 whose inner edge closely surrounds the shaft 11 concerned 
immediately beneath its shoulder 15A. The lowermost end of each housing 9 
is thus closed to an extent sufficient to ensure lubricant retention and 
the substantial exclusion of external dirt. The lower surface of each ring 
or washer 16 bears against the upper surface of a hub 17 of a 
corresponding rotary soil working member that is generally indicated by 
the reference 12. The hubs 17 of the six rotary soil working members 12 
are internally splined for co-operation with external splines on lower 
portions of the six shafts 11 that project downwardly from beneath the 
bottoms of the six housings 9. The hubs 17 are prevented from becoming 
axially detached from the shafts 11 by washers 13 and retaining nuts 19, 
the latter being mounted on short screwthreaded stub shafts at the 
lowermost ends of the shafts 11 and preferably being provided with 
transverse split pins or the like so as positively to prevent the 
retaining nuts 19 from working loose during the operation of the 
implement. 
Each hub 17 is disposed integrally at the center of a support 18 of the 
corresponding rotary soil working member 12 and it will be seen from the 
drawings that each support 18 comprises two arms that extend in radially 
opposed relationship from the corresponding hub 17, the outer ends of said 
two arms being bent over downwardly through angles that are marginally 
greater than 90.degree.. The lower ends of the bends that have just been 
mentioned effectively coincide with flanges 20 and, beneath said flanges 
20, integral stub shafts 21 are provided. The angular magnitudes of the 
bends in the arms of each support 18 are, in fact, such that the 
longitudinal axis b of each stub shaft 21 is inclined at not less than 
substantially 5.degree. and not more than substantially 10.degree. to the 
longitudinal axis a of the corresponding shaft 11, an inclination of 
substantially 6.degree. being preferred. Since the bends in the arms of 
each support 18 have magnitudes of marginally more than 90.degree., the 
axes b are, of course, in downwardly convergent relationship with the 
corresponding axes a and it will be noted that, in fact, each axis a and 
the corresponding two axes b are contained in a common substantially 
vertically disposed plane. 
Each stub shaft 21 rotatably supports, by means of axially spaced apart 
upper and lower ball bearings 22, a corresponding cultivating tool that is 
generally indicated by the reference 24. The outer races of the two 
bearings 22 that correspond to each tool 24 are maintained in spaced apart 
relationship by internal shoulders of a hub 23, each hub 23 being 
maintained in its appointed axial position with respect to the 
corresponding stub shaft 21 by means which includes a circlip 25, each 
circlip 25 also maintaining a lower cap or cover 26 just inside the lower 
end of the corresponding hub 23 in dirt-excluding relationship with the 
lower end of the stub shaft 21 concerned and its bearings 22. Each hub 23 
forms part of a corresponding tool support 27 having three straight arms 
that radiate from said hub 23 at 120.degree. intervals around the axis b 
of the corresponding stub shaft 21. The radially outer end of each arm 27 
carries a corresponding tine holder 28 which is of upwardly tapering 
configuration. Each tine holder 28 receives the fastening portion 29 of a 
corresponding rigid tine 30, the fastening portions 29 being retained in 
the holders 28 by fastening nuts 31 mounted on short screwthreaded parts 
of the fastening portions 29 that project upwardly above the upper ends of 
the holders 28. Each upwardly tapering tine holder 28 is of polygonal 
outer cross-section and it will be seen from the drawings that this 
cross-section is preferably a square one. The internal bore of each holder 
28 has a matching square or other polygonal cross-section and the parts of 
the fastening portions 29 of the tines 30 that are received therein also 
have the same cross-section so that said fastening portions 29 cannot turn 
about their longitudinal axes in the holders 28 once they have been 
secured therein by the nuts 31. The internal bores of the holders 28 and 
the parts of the tine fastening portions 29 that co-operate therewith are, 
like the external profiles of the holders 28, of upwardly tapering 
configuration. 
The fastening portion 29 of each tine 30 is integrally connected to a soil 
working portion 32 of that tine in such a way that the longitudinal axes 
of the two straight portions 29 and 32 are inclined to one another, at the 
integral junction between them, by an angle of not less than substantially 
15.degree.. The soil working portion 32 of each tine 30 is of square or at 
least rectangular cross-section, as illustrated, or has some other 
polygonal cross-section and it tapers gently in a downward direction 
towards its lowermost free end or tip from its integral junction with the 
corresponding fastening portion 29. With the preferred substantially 
square cross-section of each soil working portion 32 and of the 
corresponding fastening portion 29 (except the uppermost screwthreaded 
part thereof), each tine 30 can be set in any one of four different 
angular positions around the longitudinal axis of the corresponding holder 
28, reference being made, in this connection, to FIG. 6 of the drawings 
which illustrates one such angular setting in full lines and the other 
three possible angular settings in broken lines. Clearly, all that is 
required to bring one of the tines 30 from one such angular setting to one 
of the other possible settings, is to release the co-operating nut 31, 
draw the fastening portion 29 downwardly until it is clear of the interior 
of the co-operating holder 28, turn the tine through the required angle of 
90.degree. or 180.degree. about the longitudinal axis of its fastening 
portion 29, enter that fastening portion 29 upwardly in the new setting 
into the co-operating holder 28, and finally replace the retaining nut 31. 
It will be appreciated that the ability to reposition the tines 30 of each 
cultivating tool 24 of each rotary soil working member 12 enables the 
widths of the strips of soil that are worked by the three tines 30 of each 
tool 24, during operation of the implement, to be varied. 
The distance between the longitudinal axes b of the two stub shafts 21 of 
each member 12 is, at the level of those stub shafts 21, not greater than 
substantially 50 centimeters, a spacing of substantially 35 centimeters 
being preferred. The distance between the axes of rotation a of each pair 
of immediately neighbouring shafts 11 is not more than substantially 50 
centimeters. FIGS. 3 and 5 of the drawings show that, in addition to the 
arms of the support 18, each soil working member hub 17 has two downwardly 
and outwardly directed, and diametrically opposed, arms of a further, 
shorter, support 33 secured to it in such a way that, as viewed lengthwise 
of the corresponding axis a, the arms of the support 33 extend 
perpendicular to the arms of the corresponding support 18. The outer ends 
of the arms of the supports 33 have tine holders 28 that are substantially 
identical to the previously described holders 28 secured to them and each 
holder 28 receives the fastening portion of a corresponding rigid soil 
working tine 34. The tines 34 are constructed and mounted in the same way 
as the previously described tines 28 except that they are of somewhat 
greater axial length and that their straight soil working portions are 
substantially coaxial with their straight fastening portions instead of 
being inclined thereto at angles of not less than substantially 15.degree. 
as in the case of the tines 30. 
The crown wheel or bevel pinion 14 that is carried at the upper end of each 
shaft 11 inside the upper part of the corresponding gear box 5 has its 
teeth in driven mesh with those of a corresponding bevel pinion 15. In the 
two gear boxes 5 that are located at the opposite ends of the row of six 
such gear boxes, the corresponding pinions 15 are mounted on substantially 
horizontally disposed shafts 35. The shafts 35 extend along said row 
inwardly towards the midpoint of that row through horizontal bearings 
carried by the walls of the gear boxes 5 and through tubular connecting 
members 36 that interconnect the successive gear boxes 5. The opposite 
ends of each tubular connecting member 36 are provided with perpendicular 
flanges 37, a plurality of strengthening ribs 38 being furnished between 
each flange 37 and the neighbouring region of the external cylindrically 
curved surface of the connecting member 36 concerned, said ribs 38 being 
contained in planes that are parallel to the lengths of the corresponding 
members 36. The inner ends of the two rotary shafts 35 are connected, 
inside the upper parts 6 of the corresponding inner pair of gear boxes 5, 
to substantially coaxial driving shafts 40, the ends of the shafts 35 and 
40 being externally splined and the connections between them being 
effected by surrounding internally splined sleeves 39. If preferred, each 
sleeve 39 can be fixed to one of the co-operating shafts 35 and 40 so as 
to function, in effect, as an internally splined socket for the reception 
of the splined end of the other co-operating shaft. 
A central gear box 41 is provided between the two innermost gear boxes 5 in 
place of one of the tubular connecting members 36, the two driving shafts 
40 being rotatably journalled in the central gear box 41 in such a way 
that their outermost ends project therefrom into the adjoining gear boxes 
5. The hubs of two bevel pinions 42 are mounted on the adjoining splined 
ends of the two driving shafts 40 inside the central gear box 41 and the 
teeth of a smaller bevel pinion 43 are in driving engagement with the 
teeth of both bevel pinions 42 so that, during operation, said pinions 42 
and their driving shafts 40 will revolve in opposite direction. The bevel 
pinion 43 is secured to the inner end of a substantially horizontal rotary 
input shaft 44 (FIG. 2) of the central gear box 41 that projects forwardly 
from the front of that gear box in a direction parallel or substantially 
parallel to the direction A. The forwardly projecting splined or otherwise 
keyed end of the input shaft 44 is intended to be placed in driven 
connection with the power take-off shaft at the rear of an agricultural 
tractor or other operating vehicle by way of an intermediate telescopic 
transmission shaft that is of a construction which is known per se having 
universal joints at its opposite ends. The longitudinal axis of the input 
shaft 44 perpendicularly intersects the common longitudinal axis of the 
driving shafts 40 upon which the bevel pinions 42 are mounted. The two 
driving shafts 40 are provided, inside the gear boxes 5 that are the 
immediate neighbours of the central gear box 41, with further bevel 
pinions 15 that co-operate drivingly with the corresponding crown wheels 
or bevel pinions 14 in the same manner as has already been described for 
the bevel pinions or crown wheels 14 and co-operating bevel pinions 15 in 
the other four gear boxes 5 of the row of six such gear boxes. 
Two shield plates 45 that are usually substantially vertically disposed are 
arranged near the side plates 3 of the supporting frame 1 immediately 
beyond the opposite ends of the row of six rotary soil working members 12. 
The upper edge of each shield plate 45 is connected by a corresponding 
pair of arms 44A to substantially horizontally aligned pivots 43A which 
define axes that are substantially parallel to the direction A, said 
pivots 43A being mounted on top of the frame beams 2 at short distances 
inwardly from the ends of those beams. The lower edges of the shield 
plates 45 are shaped to slide over the ground surface in the direction A 
during operation of the implement and the fact that said plates 45 are 
turnable upwardly and downwardly about the axes which are defined by the 
pairs of pivots 43A enables said plates to match any undulations in the 
surface of the ground that may be met with during operation. The shield 
plates 45 minimise ridging at the opposite edges of the broad strip of 
soil that is worked by the implement and greatly reduce the number of 
stones and like potentially dangerous objects that are flung laterally of 
the path of travel by its rotating soil working members 12. Substantially 
horizontally aligned stub shafts 46 are provided in central regions of the 
two side plates 3 and corresponding arms 47 are turnable upwardly and 
downwardly about those stub shafts 46 alongside the outer surfaces of the 
two side plates 3. The arms 47 extend rearwardly from the stub shafts 46 
with respect to the direction A and project rearwardly beyond the side 
plates 3. Rear edge regions of the two side plates 3 are formed with 
curved rows of holes 48A in which each hole 48A is at the same distance 
from the axis defined by the two stub shafts 46. Each arm 47 is formed 
with a single hole at the same distance from said axis and that hole can 
be brought into register with any chosen one of the corresponding row of 
holes 48A by turning the arm 47 concerned to an appropriate angular 
position about the stub shaft 56 upon which it is mounted. Bolts 48 are 
provided for horizontal entry through the single holes in the arms 47 and 
through chosen holes 48A to fix the arms 47 releasably in corresponding 
angular settings about said axis. The rearmost ends of the arms 47 with 
respect to the direction A are provided with substantially horizontally 
aligned bearings 49 which receive horizontal stub shafts 50 at the 
opposite ends of a rotatable supporting member in the form of a ground 
roller 51. The roller 51 comprises a central axially disposed tubular 
support 52 to which seven substantially circular support plates 52A are 
secured at regularly spaced apart intervals with two of said plates 52A 
located at the opposite ends of the support 52. The seven support plates 
52A are all substantially vertically disposed in parallel relationship 
with one another and substantially parallel relationship with the 
direction A. Each of the support plates 52A is formed close to its 
circumference with a number of holes that are regularly spaced apart from 
one another around the longitudinal axis of the central tubular support 
52. In the case of each of the first, second, fourth, sixth and seventh of 
said plates 52A counting from either end of the roller, there are twelve 
of said holes that are spaced apart from one another at regular 30.degree. 
intervals around said axis while, in the case of each of the third and 
fifth plates 52A counting from either end of the roller 51, there are 
twenty-four of said holes that are spaced apart from one another at 
regular 15.degree. intervals around the longitudinal axis of the support 
52. 
Three groups of elongated elements 53 of rod-like formation are entered 
through the various holes that are close to the peripheries of the support 
plates 52A and it will be seen from FIG. 1 of the drawings that, 
considered in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the central 
support 52 of the roller 51, each element 53 has a length which is a 
little in excess of the distance between one of the support plates 52A and 
the plate 52A that is next but one along the roller 51 therefrom. Each 
element 53 is entered with some clearance through the holes in the three 
plates 52A with which it co-operates and transverse pins are entered 
through bores formed very close to its opposite ends to prevent unwanted 
axial disengagement of each element 53 from the corresponding plates 52A. 
It can be seen from FIG. 1 of the drawings that the three groups of 
elements 53 are arranged in immediately succeeding relationship along the 
length of the roller 51 with said groups successively overlapping at the 
third and fifth plates 52A counting from either end of the roller 51. It 
will be remembered that it are these plates that are each formed with 
twenty-four, rather than twelve, peripheral holes, said twenty-four holes 
alternately receiving the ends of the twelve elements 53 of each of the 
two groups of those elements that overlap at the plate 52A concerned. It 
will also be noted from FIG. 1 of the drawings that each element 53 is 
formed at substantially its midpoint with a sharp angular bend or "kink", 
said bends or kinks thus registering with the peripheral holes in the 
second, fourth and sixth support plates 52A counting from either end of 
the roller 51 and said elements 53 being so disposed that the angular 
point which is defined by each bend or kink is orientated rearwardly with 
respect to the direction A when said bend or kink is in contact with or 
very close to, the ground surface during the operation of the implement. 
Moreover, each group of twelve bends or kinks and the support plate 52A 
with which they correspond is contained in a corresponding substantially 
vertical plane that is substantially parallel to the direction A and which 
passes midway between the axes of rotation a of the shafts 11 of two 
co-operating rotary soil working members 12. "Co-operating" means that the 
directions of positive rotation of the two members 12 concerned are such 
that parts of those members move rearwardly with respect to the direction 
A when in the proximity of the planes that have just been defined, 
reference being made to the arrows shown in FIGS. 1 and 5 of the drawings 
that denote the directions of operative rotation of the members 12 about 
the longitudinal axes a of the corresponding shafts 11. 
In addition to the stub shafts 46, the central regions of the two side 
plates 3 also carry substantially horizontally aligned stub shafts 54 that 
are quite close to the stub shafts 46 but that are located forwardly 
therefrom with reference to the direction A. Arms 55 are turnable upwardly 
and downwardly about the stub shafts 54 alongside the outer surfaces of 
the side plates 3, said arms 55 extending forwardly to locations beyond 
the leading edges of the side plates 3 with respect to the direction A, 
the leading ends of said arms 55 being inclined steeply downwardly (see 
FIG. 4). Curved rows of holes 56A are formed close to the leading edges of 
the side plates 3 with each hole 56A at the the same distance from the 
axis defined by the aligned stub shafts 54. The arms 55 are formed with 
single holes that are at the same distance from said axis and bolts 56 are 
provided for horizontal entry through the single holes in the arms 55 and 
chosen holes 56A to secure the arms 55 releasably in corresponding angular 
positions about the substantially horizontal axis defined by the stub 
shafts 54. The leading lower ends of the arms 55 are perpendicularly 
interconnected by a substantially horizontally disposed levelling member 
which comprises a hollow beam 57 having a polygonal cross-section which, 
as illustrated, is preferably square, the disposition of said square 
cross-section beam 57 being such that one diagonal between two opposite 
corner thereof, as seen in FIG. 4, is substantially vertically disposed. 
The levelling member also comprises a bar 57A of L-shaped cross-section 
that is secured to the beam 57 and/or to the arms 55 in such a way that 
one of its limbs is substantially coplanar with that side wall of the beam 
57 which is at the front of the beam with respect to the direction A and 
in upwardly and forwardly oblique relationship with the ground surface 
from its lower to its upper edge, the "forward" direction again being 
relative to the direction A. The leading frame beam 2 is provided, midway 
between the general planes of the two side plates 3 of the supporting 
frame 1, with a coupling member or trestle 58 that is of generally 
triangular configuration as seen in front or rear elevation. The 
construction and mode of use of the coupling member or trestle 58 are 
known per se but it will be noted that the connection of the coupling 
member or trestle 58 to the supporting frame 1 is strengthened by the 
provision of two tie beams 59 which interconnect the apex of said member 
or trestle 58 and two horizontally spaced apart locations at the top of 
the rear frame beam 2. The two tie beams 59 are steeply divergent in both 
downward and rearward directions from the apex of the coupling member or 
trestle 58 with respect to the direction A. 
In the use of the soil cultivating implement that has been described with 
reference to FIGS. 1 to 6 of the drawings, its coupling member or trestle 
58 is connected to the free ends of the lifting links of a three-point 
lifting device or hitch at the rear of an agricultural tractor or other 
operating vehicle in the generally known manner which can be seen in 
outline in FIG. 1 of the drawings and the rotary input shaft 44 of the 
central gear box 41 is placed in driven connection with the power take-off 
shaft of the same tractor or other operating vehicle by way of the 
aformentioned intermediate telescopic transmission shaft (not shown), of 
known construction, which has universal joints at its opposite ends. The 
maximum depth of penetration of the tines 30 and 34 into the soil which is 
possible is dictated by the level of the axis of rotation of the roller 51 
relative to that of the remainder of the implement and this level is set 
by bringing the arms 47 to appropriate angular positions about the axis 
afforded by the stub shafts 46 and subsequently entering the bolts 48 
through corresponding holes 48A and tightening those bolts. The levelling 
member which comprises the parts 57 and 57A is also adjusted in position 
before work commences so that said position will substantially correspond 
in height, relative to the supporting frame 1, to the position chosen for 
the roller 51. The bevel pinions 15 are so disposed on the shafts 35 and 
40 relative to the crown wheels or bevel pinions 14 with which they 
drivingly co-operate that immediately neighbouring soil working members 12 
are positively rotated about the corresponding axes a in the directions 
that are indicated by arrows in FIGS. 1 and 5 of the drawings, it being 
noted that each member 12 revolves about the corresponding axis a in a 
direction which is opposite to that of its neighbour, or both of its 
neighbours, in the single row of six members 12. During the positive 
rotation of the members 12 about the axes a, the cultivating tools 24 will 
simultaneously revolve in a more or less regular manner around the 
corresponding axes b in the directions that are indicated by small arrows 
in FIG. 5. It will be remembered that the axes b are inclined to the 
corresponding axes a at angles of between substantially 5.degree. and 
substantially 10.degree., preferably substantially 6.degree., the two axes 
b that correspond to each member 12 being in downwardly convergent 
coplanar relationship with one another and with the axis a concerned. The 
disposition of the axes b relative to the axes a ensures that the soil 
working portions 32 of those tines 30 which, at any instant, are further 
from the axis a concerned than is their own axis of rotation b, penetrate 
into the soil more deeply than do the portions 32 of the tines 30 of the 
same tool 24 that, at the same instant, are nearer to the axis of rotation 
a than is their own axis of rotation b. This arrangement, together with 
the inclined relationship of the soil working portions 32 to the vertical, 
produces the more or less regular rotation of the tools 24 about the axes 
b in the directions that are indicated by small arrows in FIG. 5, such 
rotation being ground-driven rotation as the result of the contact of the 
soil working portions 32 of the tines 30 with the ground. It will be 
appreciated that, should one or more of the soil working tine portions 32 
meet an embedded stone or other substantially immovable obstacle, the 
rotation of the tool 24 concerned abbout its axis b may be temporarily 
halted or even be momentarily reversed in direction. The free rotatability 
of the tools 24 about the axes b considerably reduces the likelihood of 
breakage of, or serious damage to, the tines 30 upon meeting more or less 
immovable obstacles in the soil since, generally speaking, the tines 30 
are capable of circumnavigating such obstacles unless they are 
considerably greater in size than is usual in previously worked 
agricultural land. 
Each rotary soil working member 12, which includes the tines 34 as well as 
the tined tools 24, works a strip of land having a width of between 
substantially 55 centimeters and substantially 60 centimeters, the working 
width of each individual tool 24 being substantially 20 centimeters, In 
addition to performing its supporting and consequent depth-controlling 
function, the roller 51 that immediately follows the members 12 over the 
ground will tend to crush any unbroken lumps of soil that may be left upon 
the ground surface by the tines 30 and 34 of the members 12. The levelling 
member which comprises the parts 57 and 57A at the front of the implement 
brings the soil that is to be worked by the members 12 to a substantially 
level condition before being engaged by the tines 30 and 34. The use of 
the levelling member is particularly advantageous when the implement is to 
deal with previously ploughed land. The shield plates 45 that are disposed 
beyond the opposite ends of the row of fixed soil working members 12 
prevent, or considerably minimise, the formation of soil ridges at the 
margins of the broad strip of land that is worked by the implement, such 
soil ridges tending to contain soil that is crumbled to a different extent 
from the soil that is located between the margins of said strip of land. 
It has already been mentioned, with particular reference to FIG. 6 of the 
drawings, that each tine 30 can occupy any chosen one of four different 
angular positions about the upwardly extending axis of the holder 28 with 
which its fastening portion 29 co-operates, the different angular 
positions of the tines 30 which are possible being such as to vary the 
speed of rotation of the tools 24 about the axes b and to vary the working 
widths of the tools 24 and thus of the members 12. The tines 30 are shown 
in FIGS. 1 to 5 of the drawings, and in full lines in FIG. 6 thereof, as 
occupying positions in which their soil working portions 32 are trailing 
with respect to the directions in which the tools 24 will be rotated about 
the axes b, by ground contact, during operation of the implement. 
Referring to FIG. 6 of the drawings, it will be seen that each tine 30 can 
be angularly displaced through 90.degree. to a position in which the 
working width of the corresponding tool 24 is either increased, or 
decreased, as compared with the position of the tine 30 that is shown in 
full lines in FIG. 6, or can be displaced angularly through 180.degree. to 
a position in which the working width of the tool 24 remains substantially 
unaltered but in which the soil working portion 32 of the tine is inclined 
forwardly so as to lead, rather than trail, with respect to the intended 
direction of ground-driven rotation of the tool 24 about its axis b. 
Although the tines 34 are illustrated as being straight tines, they may, 
in fact, have substantially the same formation as the tines 30 in which 
case each such tine 34 will be capable of occupying any chosen one of four 
different angular positions relative to its holder 28 in much the same way 
as is illustrated in FIG. 6 of the drawings for the tines 30. The soil 
working members 12 of the implement produce a thorough and effective 
cultivation of the soil since the axes of rotation b of the two tools 24 
of each member 12 are spaced apart from one another, at the level of the 
stub shaft 21, by a distance which is not greater, and is preferably less, 
than 50 centimeters while the axes of rotation a of immediately 
neighbouring members 12 are spaced apart from one another by a distance 
which has a magnitude of not more than substantially 50 centimeters. 
The angular bends or kinks in the elements 53 of the roller 51 are located 
in register, in the direction A, with the regions between the two members 
12 of each of the three pairs of those members in which a majority of the 
soil displaced by the tines 30 and 34 during the operation of the 
implement is actually delivered rearwardly and it will be remembered that, 
at substantially ground level, each element 53 extends rearwardly from its 
angular bend or kink in two different directions that are not 
diametrically opposite directions. This arrangement tends to spread the 
displaced soil which reaches the central regions of the three groups of 
elements 53 of the roller 51 laterally so as to produce an even and 
substantially unridged broad strip of worked soil. Distributing members 
that are generally indicated by the reference 61 may be provided, as 
illustrated, to initiate and improve the spreading effect of the roller 51 
that has just been described and that leads to a substantially uniform 
distribution of the worked soil throughout the width of the broad strip of 
land that is cultivated by the implement. Each distributing member 61 is 
turnable about a corresponding upwardly extending axis and is located, 
with respect to the direction A, between the soil working members 12 and 
the roller 51. Each member 61 comprises two rearwardly bent-over, and 
rearwardly divergent, with respect to the direction A, displacing portions 
62 that are substantially in register, in the direction A, with the 
regions between the co-operating pairs of members 12 in which the soil 
that is worked by those members 12 is delivered rearwardly. Each 
displacing portion 62 has a corresponding upright rim 60A and each member 
61 is carried at the lowermost end of a corresponding arm 61A, said arms 
61A being substantially vertically disposed and being entered turnably 
through holes in upper and lower lugs 62A that are secured to the back 
wall of the rear frame beam 2 close to the upper and lowermost edges of 
that wall. Moreover, in addition to being turnably mounted in the holes in 
the lugs 62A, each arm 61A is upwardly and downwardly adjustable in level 
relative to the supporting frame 1 to which end it is provided with a 
vertical row of transverse holes 63B and with a pair of retaining pins 63A 
that can be entered through any chosen holes 63B at positions immediately 
above, and below, one of the lugs 62A. This arrangement maintains a 
substantially constant chosen level of each arm 61A and the corresponding 
distributing member 61 while allowing that arm and member to be turnable 
about the substantially vertical, or at least upwardly extending, axis of 
the arm 61A concerned. The construction that has just been described is 
illustrated in detail in FIGS. 2 and 4 of the drawings. 
Since the roller 51 is provided with three groups of the elongated elements 
53, said groups being angularly staggered about the longitudinal axis of 
the central tubular support 52, and since each element 53 is movable to a 
very limited extent relative to the support plates 52A (the limitation as 
to movement being dictated by the positions of the transverse retaining 
pins at the ends of the elements 53 and the sizes and positions of the 
holes in the support plates 52A), the roller 51 will rotate smoothly and 
steadily during operative progress of the implement in the direction A, 
the elements 53 in each of the three successively adjoining groups thereof 
being effective in working the soil in co-operation with the foregoing 
positively rotated members 12. 
The construction and disposition of the gear boxes 5 and 41 are such that 
the drive transmission that is accommodated therein is readily accessible 
for partial or complete dismantling and installation purposes. For 
example, it is only necessary to remove the appropriate bolts 8 to enable 
the lower part 7 of one of the gear boxes 5 to be removed downwardly 
together with the corresponding bearing housing 9, crown wheel or bevel 
pinion 14 and shaft 11. Obviously, replacement is effected in an equally 
simple manner merely by introducing the removed assembly upwardly into 
position from beneath the supporting frame 1. The upper parts 6 of the 
gear boxes 5 remain in their appointed positions since they are laterally 
interconnected by the tubular members 36. It is noted that, in the central 
gear box 41, drive is transmitted from the rotary input shaft 44 to the 
coaxial driving shafts 40 by two separate bevel pinions 42 rather than by 
way of a single bevel pinion. This arrangement enables the bevel pinions 
42 to be of considerably lighter construction than would be necessary if a 
single bevel pinion were to be employed. 
FIG. 7 of the drawings illustrates a modification of the implement of FIGS. 
1 to 6 in which the soil working members 12 are replaced by rotary soil 
working members 12A each of which members 12A comprises a support 18A 
having three arms which radiate from the corresponding hub 17 at 
120.degree. intervals around the axis a concerned. The tines 34 and their 
supports 33 are not provided in the embodiment of FIG. 7 and, instead, the 
free end of each arm of each support 18A is provided with a corresponding 
stub shaft 21 upon which a rotary ground-driven cultivating tool 24 is 
rotatably mounted in the same manner as has already been described with 
reference to FIGS. 1 to 6 of the drawings. In the case of the embodiment 
of FIG. 7 of the drawings, the three axes of rotation b of the three 
cultivating tools 24 of each member 12A are all inclined to the 
corresponding axis a by the same angles as in the case of the embodiment 
of FIGS. 1 to 6 of the drawings and, in fact, are contained in a 
downwardly tapering imaginary conical surface whose imaginary apex, where 
the three axes b intersect, is also coincident with the corresponding axis 
a, the latter affording the central axis of the imaginary cone. 
FIGS. 8 and 9 of the drawings illustrate a soil cultivating implement in 
accordance with the invention which is similar, or identical, in many 
respects, to the implement that has already been described with reference 
to FIGS. 1 to 6 of the drawings. The similar or identical parts of the 
implement of FIGS. 8 and 9 of the drawings are denoted by the same 
references as have already been employed in FIGS. 1 to 6 and will not be 
described again in detail. In the embodiment of FIGS. 8 and 9 of the 
drawings, each rotary soil working member 12 is mounted on a lower end 
region of a corresponding substantially vertical, or at least upwardly 
extending, shaft 63. Each shaft 63 is rotatably supported by axially 
spaced apart upper and lower ball bearings 64 that are mounted internally 
of a surrounding bearing housing 65, the outer races of the two ball 
bearings 64 abutting against internal shoulders of the housing 65. The 
inner race of each upper bearing 64 surrounds a collar of the 
corresponding shaft 63 and, immediately above that collar, the shaft 63 is 
formed with a short screwthreaded portion. A nut 66 is mounted on the 
screwthreaded portion to bear downwardly against the upper surface of the 
inner race of the corresponding upper ball bearing 64, a sealing ring or 
other stuffing material being interposed between the nut 66 and the 
bearing 64. The lower surface of the inner race of each lower ball bearing 
64 abuts against the top of a further collar 68 of the corresponding shaft 
63 and the hub 17 of the corresponding soil working member support 18 is 
secured against axial displacement along the splined portion of the 
corresponding shaft 63 that projects from beneath the bottom of the 
bearing housing 65 concerned by the retaining nut 19, a co-operating 
washer at the lower end of the hub 17 and a sealing washer 69 at the upper 
end thereof. Moreover, as can be seen in FIG. 9 of the drawings, each 
collar 68 is surrounded, above the corresponding sealing washer 69, by a 
sealing ring, the sealing members being arranged to retain a lubricant 
supply for the bearings 64 and to exclude external dirt from that 
lubricant supply. It will be noted that each sealing washer 69 closes the 
bottom of the corresponding bearing housing 65. Each bearing housing 65 is 
sustained by a sheet steel part of a frame portion that is generally 
indicated by the reference 70, the longitudinal axis of the hollow frame 
portion 70 extending substantially horizontally transverse, and usually 
substantially horizontally perpendicular, to the intended direction of 
operative travel A of the implement. The longitudinal axis of the hollow 
frame portion 70 is also contained in a substantially vertical, or at 
least upwardly extending, plane that contains the axes of rotation a of 
the six central shafts 63 of the six soil working members 12, said plane 
being disposed transverse, and usually substantially perpendicular, to the 
direction A. 
The hollow frame portion 70 comprises an upper chamber 71 and a lower 
trough 72 located immediately beneath the chamber 71, the longitudinal 
axes of said chamber 71 and trough 72 being parallel to one another and 
substantially horizontally disposed. As can be seen in FIG. 9 of the 
drawings, the chamber 71 is of substantially oblong cross-section while 
the trough 72 has a substantially isosceles triangular cross-section, the 
broad base of said triangle being located uppermost to coincide with the 
bottom of the chamber 71. The chamber 71 has upper and lower walls 73 and 
74 that are both formed from sheet material, the upper wall 73 comprising 
a substantially horizontal portion that has obliquely downwardly divergent 
front and rear edges of symmetrically identical construction. Each of said 
front and rear edges is provided with a horizontally bent-over clamping 
rim 75 that extends throughout the length (transverse to the direction A) 
of the edge of the wall 73 concerned. The lower wall 74 is of inverted 
substantially symmetrically identical construction to the upper wall 73 
and thus comprises a substantially horizontal portion flanked by upwardly 
obliquely divergent front and rear edges that are both formed with 
horizontally bent-over clamping rims 76 that, like the rims 75, extend 
throughout the transverse lengths of the front and rear edges of the wall 
74. With this substantially symmetrically identical construction of the 
walls 73 and 74, the rims 75 of the wall 73 are spaced from the horizontal 
portion thereof by substantially the same distance as are the rims 76 from 
the substantially horizontal portion of the wall 74. The trough 72 has a 
substantially horizontally disposed central portion that is relatively 
narrow in the direction A, said central portion being a portion of a sheet 
metal wall 77 which is bent over at the front and rear edges of said 
portion so as to form further symmetrically disposed upwardly divergent 
portions. The upper edges of these divergent portions are, in turn, bent 
over to form further less steeply divergent portions which bear against 
the outer surfaces of the upwardly divergent front and rear edges of the 
lower wall 74 of the chamber 71, said less steeply divergent portions 
terminating in horizontally bent-over clamping rims 78 whose upper 
surfaces abut against the lower surfaces of the clamping rims 76 at the 
front and rear edges of said lower wall 74. The clamping rims 75 and 76 of 
the upper and lower walls 73 and 74 of the chamber 71 are secured to one 
another by vertically disposed bolts 79 with the interposition of a gasket 
80 formed from a hard synthetic plastics material. The gasket 80 is 
strip-shaped and its opposite edges are formed with inner and outer rims 
81 and 82 of different shapes. The inner rims 81 are of hollow tubular 
configuration and lie between the upwardly and downwardly inclined edges 
of the walls 73 and 74 whereas the outer rims 82 are of solid formation 
and lie against the outermost extremities of the superposed clamping rims 
75 and 76, each rim 82 having a substantially flat inner surface which 
sealingly engages said extremities and a curved outwardly directed 
surface. 
The rims 78 of the sheet metal wall 77 of the lower trough 72 
strengtheningly support the upper chamber 71 and are secured to the 
clamping rims 75 and 76 of the chamber by bolts 83A arranged in alternate 
relationship with the bolts 79. As can be seen in FIG. 9 of the drawings, 
the rims 78 are formed with large holes that receive nuts 79A co-operating 
with the shanks of the bolts 79 whereas smaller holes receive the shanks 
of the bolts 83A so that, when their nuts are tightened, the rims 78 are 
clamped to the rims 75 and 76 and intervening gaskets 80. Substantially 
vertically registering holes are formed in the lower wall 74 of the 
chamber 71 and in the substantially horizontally disposed central portion 
of the wall 77 of the trough 72, said holes being circular and being so 
disposed that imaginary lines joining their centers are spaced apart from 
one another by distances of not more than substantially 50 centimeters, 
said imaginary lines coinciding with the axes of rotation a of the shafts 
63. The lowermost end of each bearing housing 65 has an outwardly directed 
flange 83 and this flange is releasably secured to the margin of a 
corresponding lower hole in the wall 77 by substantially vertically 
disposed bolts 84. The corresponding upper hole in the wall 74 has a ring 
85 securely mounted in it by substantially vertically disposed bolts 86 
which are entered through openings in the material of the wall 74 which 
surrounds the hole. The ring 85 has a downwardly directed rim which 
extends throughout substantially the whole of the thickness of the 
material of the wall 74 and cooperates in accurately surrounding 
relationship with a reduced diameter upper extremity of the corresponding 
bearing housing 65. A lubricant seal 88 is arranged in a groove in the 
reduced diameter portion of the bearing housing 65 that co-operates with 
the inner surface of the corresponding ring 85 and, if desired, a further 
lubricant seal may be arranged in the inner cylindrical wall of the ring 
85 to ensure that there is an effective seal against oil or other 
lubricant leaking downwardly into the trough 72 from the interior of the 
chamber 71. It is noted that, with this construction, the bearing housings 
65, together with their shafts 63 and bearings 64, can be entered upwardly 
into their appointed positions from beneath the frame portion 70, only 
installation and tightening, or temporary removal, of the bolts 84 being 
necessary to effect rapid installation, or removal when required. 
An upper splined portion of each shaft 63 is provided, inside the upper 
chamber 71, with a straight- or spur-toothed pinion 89, there thus being a 
total of six of the pinions 89 (see FIG. 8) arranged with the teeth of 
each pinion in mesh with those of its neighbour, or each of its 
neighbours, in the single row thereof. The upper wall 73 of the chamber 71 
is provided with six depressions 89A (FIG. 9) and these depressions are in 
register with the upper ends of the six shafts 63 and the hubs of the 
corresponding six pinions 89. The depressions 89A serve effectively as 
stops, particularly for the hubs of the pinions 89, during the insertion 
of the bearing housings 65 and their shafts 63 and other associated parts 
from the bottom of the trough 72. During such insertion, the upper splined 
end of the shaft 63 concerned makes sliding engagement with the internal 
splines of the hub of the corresponding pinion 89 and that pinion is 
prevented from being pushed upwardly to any significant extent by the 
registering depression 89A. The lubricant seal 88 co-operates with the 
ring 85 in preventing downward leakage of lubricant from the chamber 71 
into the trough 72 and installation of the bolts 84, whose co-operating 
nuts are already fixed in place, is all that is necessary to retain the 
housing 65 and the parts which it carries in its appointed position. A 
gear box 95 is mounted substantially centrally across the width of the 
frame portion 70 at the top and front thereof with respect to the 
direction A. The gear box 95 is provided with a substantially horizontally 
disposed rotary input shaft 98 whose leading splined or otherwise keyed 
end projects forwardly from the front of the gear box in substantially the 
direction A for driven connection to the power take-off shaft of an 
agricultural tractor or other operating vehicle with the aid of an 
intermediate telescopic transmission shaft (not shown) that is of a 
construction which is known per se having universal joints at its opposite 
ends. The input shaft 98 carries, inside the gear box 95, a bevel pinion 
97 whose teeth are in driving mesh with those of a larger bevel pinion 96. 
The bevel pinion 96 is secured to the uppermost end of a substantially 
vertically disposed splined shaft 90 which is provided, throughout most of 
its length, with the hub of an internally splined straight- or 
spur-toothed pinion 91 of smaller size than the pinions 89. Upper and 
lower ends of the hub of the pinion 91, and thus the shaft 90, are 
rotatably supported by axially aligned and vertically spaced apart ball 
bearings 92, said bearings 92 being arranged in lower and upper bearing 
housings 93 and 94, respectively, which housings are arranged in openings 
in the lower and upper walls 74 and 73 of the chamber 71. The lower 
bearing housing 93 is also partly located in an opening in the leading 
upwardly divergent portion of the wall 77 of the trough 72. The top of the 
upper bearing housing 94 is located inside a lower region of the gear box 
95. 
The opposite ends of the frame portion 70 are closed by side plates 99 that 
extend substantially vertically parallel to one another and to the 
direction A, said side plates being equivalent to the previously described 
side plates 3 even though they are somewhat different in shape and extent 
to the side plates 3. Thus, they have the roller 51 that affords a 
rotatable supporting member of the implement connected to them by the arms 
47 so as to be upwardly and downwardly adjustable in level relative to the 
frame portion 70 and also have the levelling member that is afforded by 
the parts 57 and 57A adjustably connected to them in a similar manner. The 
previously described coupling member or trestle 58 of generally triangular 
configuration is fastened to the front of the frame portion 70 midway 
between the general planes of its two side plates 99 and the apex of the 
coupling member or trestle 58 is connected to an anchorage plate at the 
top and rear of the frame portion 70 by the two tie beams 59 which are in 
steeply downwardly and rearwardly divergent relationship with one another, 
with respect to the direction A, from said coupling member or trestle 58 
to the anchorage plate. 
The operation of the implement that has been described with reference to 
FIGS. 8 and 9 of the drawings is very similar to that of the implement 
previously described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6 of the drawings. 
However, in this case, major components of the positive drive transmission 
to the soil working members 12 are contained within the upper chamber 71 
of the frame portion 70 which chamber 71 is effectively sustained, from 
beneath, by the trough 72. Each straight- or spur-toothed pinion 89 has an 
effective diameter of substantially 50 centimeters and the chamber 71 
within which said pinions 89 are disposed in constructed and arranged to 
contain a supply of oil or other lubricant without significant leakage. 
The six bearing housings 65 are located principally inside the trough 72 
and any one, or more, of them can be readily removed and replaced, 
together with the corresponding shaft 63 and bearing 64, by releasing, or 
replacing, the bolts 84 and moving the assembly in question either 
downwardly or upwardly in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal 
axis of the frame portion 70. It is noted that, with this arrangement, it 
is not necessary to remove any of the pinions 89 from the chamber 71. If 
access to the pinions 89 is required to enable one or more of them to be 
replaced, or for any other purpose, it is necessary to undo the bolts 79 
and 83A and to remove temporarily the upper wall 73 of the chamber 71. 
Although not illustrated in the accompanying drawings in respect of either 
of the basic embodiments that have been described, it is noted that the 
drive transmission to the soil working members 12 or 12A may include a 
simple change-speed gear constructed and arranged to enable the shafts 11 
or 63, and thus the members 12 or 12A, to be rotated at any chosen one of 
a number of different speeds in response to a single more or less standard 
input speed of rotation applied to the shaft 44 or 98. It will be 
appreciated that different speeds of rotation of the members 12 or 12A are 
appropriate to soils of different natures and consistencies, to the 
operating conditions such as the moisture content of the soil, and to the 
degree of fineness of the soil that is desired at the end of the 
operation. It is noted that, since alternate holes in the rims 78 of the 
trough 72 are large enough to accommodate the nuts 79A that cooperate with 
the bolts 79 without said rims 78 themselves being restrained by those 
nuts and bolts 79/79A. It is possible to remove the trough 72 from the 
chamber 71, by releasing only the bolts 83A, so that the upper and lower 
walls 73 and 74 of the chamber 71 remain united by the bolts 79 and nuts 
79A thus preventing the loss of any lubricant from the interior of the 
chamber 71. 
Although various features of the soil cultivating implements that have been 
described and that are illustrated in the accompanying drawings will be 
set forth in the following claims as inventive features, it is emphasised 
that the invention is not necessarily limited to those features and that 
it includes within its scope each of the parts of each soil cultivating 
implement embodiment that has been described, and/or that is illustrated 
in the accompanying drawings, both individually and in various 
combinations.