Skip row cultivators

The moveable plow shanks upon a skip row cultivator are mounted for vertical sliding motion. Each shank has a hydraulic cylinder connected to it by a flexible hydraulic line so that the tool bar to which the shanks are connected may be folded. By selectively energizing the hydraulic cylinders by a single valve, alternate cultivators are placed in the cultivating or non-cultivating position.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
(1) Field of the Invention. 
This invention relates to earth working and more particularly agricultural 
cultivators for cultivating row crops planted in skip row cultivation so 
that selected rows may be cultivated or not cultivated. 
(2) Description of the Prior Art. 
In agricultural practices often it is desirable to plant row crops in a 
skip row configuration with two rows planted and one row skipped. When the 
crop is cultivated, the cultivators normally move up one set of rows and 
down the next cultivating the field. This causes the same plow upon the 
cultivator implement to be above a planted row when going in one direction 
and a skip or blank row when going in the other. It is desirable to have 
the blank row cultivated but it is, of course, necessary to transfer the 
plow into a non-cultivating position when moving in the opposite 
direction. This situation is illustrated in FIG. 1 as will be explained 
more particularly later on. 
Prior to my invention cultivators to solve this problem were commercially 
upon the market which would have cultivator shanks mounted upon an 
eccentric tool bar. Then at the end of moving in one direction the tool 
bar would be rotated sufficiently to bring one set of plows down and the 
other set of plows up. However, this required a rigid tool bar. In modern 
agriculture today often a very long tool bar is used. For maneuverability 
in transportation of the equipment from one location to another it is 
desirable to have these long tool bars fold. I.E., there is a central 
portion of the tool bar with wings on each side which fold upward. 
Therefore, having a rotating eccentric tool bar was not compatible with 
folding wings and the farmer could not have such a system with a folding 
wing tool bar. 
Before filing this application the applicant caused search to be made in 
the United States Patent and Trademark Office. That search revealed the 
following U.S. Pat. Nos.: 
Bergeland 1,711,485 
Bickerton 1,808,759 
Legendre 2,053,618 
McGee 3,058,243 
Haverdink 3,967,684 
MCGEE discloses an earthworking apparatus with a plurality of chisel teeth. 
Each of the chisel teeth are slideable up and down on the tool bar which 
is in cylindrical form. The back of each shank is in the form of a rack 
with teeth thereon. A pinion mounted upon a common shaft engages the rack 
so that the shanks may be raised and lowered. 
HAVERDINK shows the folding wing cultivator as discussed above. 
BICKERTON discloses a planting apparatus where the opening discs for the 
planter are each adjustable by an individual hydraulic cylinder so that 
each of the discs runs the same uniform depth for planting the seed. 
The other two patents do not seem as pertinent as those specifically 
discussed above. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
(1) New and Different Functions 
I have invented a new way to cultivate the skip or blank rows. I do this by 
sliding each shank vertically up and down within a loop clamped to the 
tool bar. The shank is moved up and down by hydraulic cylinder connected 
by flexible hoses. Therefore, the system is all of the cylinders 
compatible with a folding cultivator. 
The cylinders are connected to a hydraulic pump by a valve so that in one 
position all of the shanks are in the proper position to plow in one 
direction and in the other position they are in the proper position to 
plow in the other direction. 
This, it may be seen that the total function of my invention far exceeds 
the sum of the functions of the individual shanks, plows, hoses, etc. 
(2) Objects of this Invention 
An object of this invention is to cultivate skip row agricultural fields. 
Further objects are to achieve the above with a device that is sturdy, 
compact, durable, lightweight, simple, safe, efficient, versatile, 
ecologically compatible, energy conserving, and reliable, yet inexpensive 
and easy to manufacture, install, adjust, operate and maintain. 
Other objects are to achieve the above with a method that is versatile, 
ecologically compatible, energy conserving, rapid, efficient, and 
inexpensive, and does not require skilled people to install, adjust, 
operate, and maintain. 
The specific nature of the invention, as well as other objects, uses, and 
advantages thereof, will clearly appear from the following description and 
from the accompanying drawing, the different views of which are not scale 
drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring to the schematic representation of FIG. 1 there may be seen 
represented an agricultural field planted in a skip row configuration. 
I.e., referring to the plants P, it may be seen that two of the furrows 
are planted with a plant P, whereas the third furrow is blank. 
The depiction of the implement having the tool bar 10 is shown by numeral I 
as going up the field wherein the same tool bar 10 is shown by numeral II 
as coming down the field and again in numeral III a portion of the same 
tool bar 10 is shown again going up the field. Therefore, it may be seen 
that if the plow positions upon the tool bar 10 were lettered A-F that 
going up the field as in numeral I and III, the plows in position A and D 
would be at skip or blank rows and, therefore, it is desirable to have the 
plows in cultivating position so that they will cultivate the blank rows 
having no plants P planted therein. However, when coming down the field as 
depicted in numeral II, these same plows in position A and D will be 
positioned at planted rows containing plants P and, therefore, it is 
desirable to have them in a non-cultivating position so that the plants P 
will not be destroyed. Likewise, when going up the field, the plows in 
position C and F will be located over plants and it is desired that these 
plows be in the up or non-cultivating position, however, when coming down 
the field as shown in numeral II, they should be in the down or 
cultivating position. 
This is the problem which has existed and has been known in the prior art 
before my invention. It will be understood that when I use the word 
"plow", I mean to include any of various cultivating implements, e.g., 
including sweeps, as illustrated in the drawing, or chisels, discs, 
listers, etc. 
Also, the drawing, and particularly the schematic representations of FIGS. 
1 and 5, show only those plow shanks which are alternately over planted 
rows or blank rows. It will be understood that the tractor or other draft 
implement carrying the tool bar 10 would probably carry many other 
implements as well, I.e., it would also carry other plows to cultivate 
around the planted crops P or the middle of the rows between the planted 
crops P or to perform other agricultural procedures besides cultivation. 
However, inasmuch as those farmers having ordinary skill in the art will 
understand that multiple cultivating implements can be carried either on 
tool bar 10 or upon another tool bar connected to the same tractor, they 
have not been illustrated here for clarity of the description and drawing. 
Each of the plows 12 in the form of sweeps are mounted in customary manner 
upon plow shank 14. The plow shanks 14 are normal plow shanks except they 
are elongated to provide for not only the necessary movement up and down 
but also for the connection and space of the hydraulic cylinder. The plow 
shanks 14 have a rectangular cross section as particularly seen in FIG. 4. 
The plow shanks telescope or slide through loop 16 attached to tool bar 
clamp 18. The clamp 18 is attached to the tool bar 10 by bolts 20 as is 
customary in attaching implements to a tool bar. The loop 16 is of 
correlative shape to the shank 14, thus it also has a rectangular cross 
section. Two set screws 22 extend through the loop so the shank may be 
locked in some position and not be adjustable as hereinafter described. 
Hydraulic cylinder 24 is connected at its lower end to ear 26 which is 
connected as by welding to the front of loop 16. As is customary, the 
cylinder may be connected by pin 28. The top of the cylinder, which is to 
say the ram thereof, is connected by similar pin to ear 30 of shank clamp 
32. 
The shank clamp is connected to the top of the shank 14 by conventional 
manner, e.g., by bolts. As may be seen and understood, each of the 
cylinders 24 has a down position which is the fully contracted position, 
as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 in which position, the plow 12 attached to the 
bottom of the shank is in the cultivating position. Also, each cylinder 
will have an expanded or up position wherein the plow on the bottom of the 
shank is in the raised or non-cultivating position. In the non-cultivating 
position, it might be said that the plow is out of the cultivating 
position. The up position of the cylinder 24 is shown by dashed lines in 
FIG. 2 although the shank is shown in the up position, the plow 12 has not 
been shown for clarity. 
Each cylinder has two hydraulic connections thereon which have been 
disignated as up connection 34 and down connection 36. When hydraulic 
pressure is applied to the up connection 34, it will cause the cylinder to 
move into the up position, as seen in dashed lines in FIG. 2. When 
hydraulic pressure is applied to the down connection, the cylinder will be 
moved to the down position with the plow 12 in cultivating position. 
First hose line 38 is connected to the up connection of half the cylinders. 
Referring to FIG. 5, if the cylinders are designated by the same letter by 
which the plows are designated in FIG. 1, it may be seen that the first 
hose line 38 is connected to the up connection of cylinders A and D. Also, 
it may be seen that the first hose line 38 is connected to the down 
connection of cylinders C and F. Second hose line 40 is connected to the 
connections which are not connected to the first hose line. Therefore, the 
second hose line is connected to the down connection of A, up connection 
of C, down connection of D and up connection of F. Therefore, it may be 
seen that one hose line is connected to every other one of the cylinders 
as they are spaced along the horizontal tool bar. 
The hydraulic fluid from a source of hydraulic fluid under pressure in the 
form of outlet 46 from pump 42 is connected by valve 44 so that either the 
first hose line 38 or the second hose line 40 is pressurized. 
As an aid to correlating the terms of the claims to the exemplary drawing, 
the following catalog of elements is provided: 
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Plants - P 
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10 tool bar 30 ear 
12 plows 32 shank clamp 
14 plow shank 34 up connection 
16 loop 36 down connection 
18 tool bar clamp 38 first hose line 
20 bolts 40 second hose line 
22 set screws 42 pump 
24 hydraulic cylinder 
44 valve 
26 ear 46 outlet 
28 pin 
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The embodiment shown and described above is only exemplary. I do not claim 
to have invented all the parts, elements or steps described. Various 
modifications can be made in the construction, material, arrangement, and 
operation, and still be within the scope of my invention. The limits of 
the invention and the bounds of the patent protection are measured by and 
defined in the following claims. The restrictive description and drawing 
of the specific example above do not point out what an infringement of 
this patent would be, but are to enable the reader to make and use the 
invention.