SOIL TILLING MACHINE

Abstract: The invention relates to a soil tilling machine, compris­ ing soil tilling members which are drivable around upwardly directed axes. The tilling members are in the form of a suboiler which is predominantly constituted by a forwardly and downwardly extending shaft. In front of the tilling members there are arranged discs in such a way that the discs cut trenches through which the subsoiler can move whereby the subsoil is intensively worked and broken up, whereas the surface of the soil is hardly disturbed.

Description: The invention relates to a soil tilling machine, comprising a plurality of soil tilling members which are drivable about forwardly and downwardly directed axes. A soil tilling implement of this kind is known from the DE-C-828 614 or the BE-A-653 005. The former patent relates to an implement provided with soil tilling members which are in the form of an auger by means of which during operation subsoil is entirely loosened. The latter patent relates to a soil working implement provided with soil tilling members that are provided with downwardly extending knives that are bent inwardly and by means of which during operation lumps of soil are cut out and moved upwardly in order to fall down to get a crumbling action. None of the afore mentioned implements is suitable for working hard layers embedded in the subsoil. The invention now has for its object to provide an implement of the kind set forth suitable for working the subsoil. In accordance with the invention there is provided an implement of the kind set forth with each tilling member in the form of a subsoiler which is predominantly constituted by a single forwardly and downwardly extending shaft, the arrangement being such that during operation the subsoil is broken whereas the surface layer is substantially not disturbed. This proposed construction provides a device with which a water-impermeable layer in the subsoil can efficiently be broken whilst the layer on top thereof is substantially not disturbed, so that it in particular is possible to efficiently cultivate grasslands or fields on which there is already a crop. The invention will now be described in greater detail by way of example with reference to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a second embodiment of a soil tilling machine according to the invention; Figure 2 is a view along the line II - II in Figure 1; Figure 3 shows, on a larger scale, a view along the line III - III in Figure 2; Figure 4 is a view along the arrow IV in Figure 3; Figure 5 shows, on an enlarged scale, a view along the line V - V in Figure 2; Figure 6 shows, on the same scale as in Figure 3, a third embodiment of a subsoiler of a machine according to the invention; and Figure 7 is a view along the arrow VII in Figure 6. The arrangement shown in Figures 1 - 6 comprises an at least substantially horizontally directed hollow cylindrical beam 45, which extends transversely of the intended direction of travel A and is formed by two identical parts, which are predominantly U-shaped and clamped together by means of folded-over edges and bolts. In the cylindrical beam 45 bushes 46 are bearing-supported equidistantly from each other (Figure 3). The bushes 46 are supported in the upper and lower walls of the cylindrical beam 45 by means of bearings 49 and 50 accommodated in bearing houses 47 and 48, respectively. Each bush 46 is provided at its outer circumference with splines for a gear wheel 51, located near the centre of the cylindrical beam. The splines extend from the upper side to beyond the centre of each bush 46. Two freely rotatable gear wheels 52 are provided between two gear wheels 51 on adjacent bushes 46. The gear wheels 52, which have a diameter equal to the diameter of the gear wheels 51, are supported by means of fixed shafts 53 and fitted on these shafts by means of superjacent bearings 54. Each shaft 53 is secured in the upper and lower wall, respectively, of the cylindrical beam 45 by means of a nut 55 which is screwed on the threaded shaft ends. The cylindrical beam 45 is arranged such that a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal centre line of a bush 46 encloses an angle of approximately 45° to the horizontal plane. The longitudinal centre line of the bush is in this situation directed at a forward angle and downwardly at an angle of 35° in the intended direction of travel of the machine. At its interior, each bush 46 is provided from its centre to the top with splines with which splines at the top of a shaft portion 56 can cooperate. The shaft portion 56 is secured to the upper end of the bush 46 by means of a threaded stud 57 fitted to the top end, a nut 58, a retaining plate 59 and a locking ring 60. The shaft portion 56 forms part of a tilling member 61 in the form of a subsoiler, which - as will be clear from inter alia Figure 1 - is predominantly shaft-shaped. The bottom end of shaft portion 56 is provided with a cylindrical recess portion 62, which is located concentrically relative to the longitudinal centre line which coincides with the longitudinal centre line of the bush 46. At its inside, the cylindrical recess portion 62 is provided with splines with which splines on a stud 63, which form the upper end of a shaft portion 64, this stud being locked in the recess by means of a pin 65, cooperate. The bottom end of the shaft portion 64 tapers to the free end over a distance equal to approximately 1/3 of the overall length of the shaft portion (Figure 1). The tapering portion has a sharp point and diametrically opposite projections in the form of blades 66, which extend to at least substantially halfway of the tapering portion (Figures 1 and 3). The blades 66 are of a triangular shape, the triangle being an isosceles triangle, its base being fastened to the tapering portion. The diametrically opposite blades 66 of plate material are folded such that the whole assembly assumes the shape of a propeller (Figure 3) and the free ends of the blades extend forwards in the direction of rotation B of the tilling member 61 (Figure 4). The front side of the cylindrical hollow beam 45 is provided in the region of each tilling member 61 with plate members 67 which extend by means of their bottom sides along a predetermined distance along the shaft portion 56 of the subsoiler 61. The plate members 67 constitute scrapers with the aid of which the shaft portions 56 can be kept free from adhering soil. The ends of the cylindrical beam 45 are provided with plates 68 which, in side view, are sector-shaped, the largest width being at the rear side. At the front side of the cylindrical beam 45 forwardly-extending beams 69 are arranged near the ends of the cylindrical beam, the plates 68 acting as supports. The beams 69 are interconnected by means of their front ends with the aid of a beam 70, which extends transversely of the intended direction of travel A and is arranged substantially horizontally. The frame beam 70 is provided on both sides of the centre, and equidistantly from the centre, with a support 71 which extends at an upward angle and to the rear. The support 71 is connected to the front side of the cylindrical beam 45 by means of a support 72 which extends at a downward angle and to the rear. The supports 71 and 72 are arranged such that together they enclose a rectangle (Figure 1). Near its bottom and top sides, the front side of the support 71 is provided with lugs 73 and 74, respectively. Freely swivable arms 76 are arranged on both sides of the lugs 73 and 74 by means of a shaft 75 which extends transversely of the direction of travel A and at least substantially horizontally. The arms 76 are provided, capable of free rotation, to lugs 78 and 79 at the rear of a support 80, by means of shafts 77 which extend in parallel with the shafts 75. At its bottom side, the support 80 is connected to the rear side of a rectangular coupling member 81, whilst the top side of the support 80 is connected to the upper side of the rectangular member 81 by means of a connecting member 82. The rectangular member 81 is provided at its front side with coupling points 83 constituting a three-point arrangement for coupling the device to the three-point hitch of a tractor. Between the upper shafts 77 and the lower shafts 75 of each hinging rectangle formed by the arms 76 and being in the shape of a parallelogram, a pressure spring 85 is present which counteracts deformation of the hinging rectangle and is provided around a rod 84 which is disposed such that one end of it is capable of shifting. In the region of the subsoilers 61 the beam 70 is provided with disc-coulters 86. The disc-coulters 86 are arranged freely rotatably between the legs of a U-shaped support 87, which, by means of an upwardly directed shaft 88, is capable of free rotation in a bush 89 fastened to the front of the frame beam 70. Near the front side, each of the sector-shaped plates 68 has a shaft 90, which extends transversely of the intended direction of travel A and around which a rearwardly extending arm 91 is arranged capable of free rotation. By means of a pin 92 passed through a hole in the arm and one of a plurality of holes 93 at the rears of the plates 68 each of the arms 91 is adjustable to a plurality of positions and is lockable. A roller 94 which in this embodiment is constituted by a packer roller is arranged between the arms 91 by means of bearings and shafts and is capable of free rotation. Scrapers 95 fastened to a cross-beam 96 arranged between the ends of the arms 91 and extending at least substantially transversely of the intended direction of travel A extend between the rows of packer roller projections. The ends of the scrapers 95, which extend at a downward angle and to the front, bear against a cylindrical portion 97 of the packer roller 94 located at a circumferential angle of at least 45° to the horizontal plane through the rotary axis of the roller. The shaft portion 56 of one of the shaft-shaped subsoilers 61 located near the centre, extends to over the cylindrical beam 45 and into a gear box 98, accommodated on this beam. Inside the gear box 98, on the extension, a conical gear wheel 99 is provided which can cooperate with a conical gear wheel 100 on a shaft 101 which extends in the intended direction of travel A and is in drivable connection via a speed variator 102 at the rear of the gear wheel box with a shaft 103, whose front end projects from the gear wheel box and is couplable to the power take-off shaft of a tractor by means of intermediate shaft 104. The machine shown in the Figures 1 - 6 operates as follows: During operation, the rectangular coupling member 81 is coupled by means of the coupling points 83 to the three-point hitch of a tractor and the whole assembly can be moved by means of the tractor in a direction as indicated by arrow A. Thus the predominantly shaft-shaped subsoilers 61 which extend at a downward angle of approximately 35° and forwardly, can be caused to rotate, all this such that the subsoilers rotate in opposite senses (B) during operation. The spacing between the rotary axes of two adjacent subsoilers 61 is approximately 45 cm. During movement through the soil, subsoilers break the subsoil with the aid of the propeller-shaped blade 66, whose pointed ends face forward, whilst the layer on top thereof is substantially not disturbed by the preferably round shaft portions 56 and 64, which preferably have a diameter of approximately 50 mm. Trenches are made in the soil by means of the disc coulters 86 which precede each shaft-shaped subsoiler 61, as a result of which the subsoil is disturbed to a still lower extent by the shaft portions 56. As is illustrated in Figure 1, the front side of a disc coulter is located substantially over the point of the shaft portion 64. Thus an appropriate cooperation between a disc coulter and the subsoilers 61 is created. The working depth is determined by the packer roller 94, which is adjustable to a plurality of positions relative to the subsoilers 61 by means of the arms 91. During operation, the packer roller 94 is kept free from adhering soil by means of the scrapers 95. The frame formed by the cylindrical hollow beam 45 and the beams 69 and 70, which supports the shaft-shaped subsoilers 61 and the disc coulter 86, can adapt itself efficiently to any surface undulation by means of the hinging quadrangle formed by the arms 76, movement then taking place against the action of the springs provided between the upper and lower hinge pins 77 and 75, respectively. Instead of the above-described exchangeable shaft portions 64, carrying the blades 66, of the subsoilers, it is alternatively possible to use an exchangeable shaft portion 64A of a construction as shown in Figures 5 and 6. Then a single blade 105 is provided on a cylindrical portion of the exchangeable shaft portion 64A, which portion extends along approximately one half of this shaft portion. In this embodiment the blades 105 are predominantly in the form of a right-angled triangle, the largest leg being fastened to the shaft portion 64A and the smallest leg passing from the connecting point via a flowing curve into the hypothenuse, all this such that the upper part of the blade is located above the connection point of the shaft portion 64A to the shaft portion 56. Also in this embodiment, the blades are in the shape of a propeller and folded over in the direction of rotation B. When a subsoiler of a construction as shown in Figures 5 and 6 is used, it is possible to accomplish breaking of the soil with a tapering portion such that the soil comes within the reach of the blades 105 located there-above, which exerts a greater pressure causing the overall cohesion of this layer to be broken.

Claims: A soil tilling machine, comprising a plurality of soil tilling members (61) which are drivable about forwardly and downwardly directed axes, characterized in that each tilling member (61) is in the form of a subsoiler which is predominantly constituted by a single forwardly and downwardly extending shaft (56, 64), the arrangement being such that during operation the subsoil is broken, whereas the surface layer is substantially not disturbed. A soil tilling machine as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the shaft of the subsoiler has an upper portion (56) and an exchangeable lower portion (64, 64A). A soil tilling machine as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the upper portion (56) is provided at two ends with splines. A soil tilling machine as claimed in claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the lower shaft portion (64) at its lower end is provided with oppositely directed projections (66). A soil tilling machine as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that, from its connection point to the lower shaft portion (64), a projection (66) has a cone-shaped extension, a triangular cross-section being present. A soil tilling machine as claimed in claim 2 - 5, characterized in that the lower portion (64) has a tapering end portion, which is provided with at least one plate-shaped blade (66). A soil tilling machine as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that two plate shaped blades (66) are arranged diametrically opposite each other and are in the shape of a propeller. A soil tilling machine as claimed in claim 2 or 3, characterized in that a blade (105) is fastened to a cylindrical portion of an exchangeable portion (64A). A soil tilling machine as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a disc coulter (86) is provided before each tilling member (61) in the form of a subsoiler, in such a way that the disc coulter (86) is accurately in front of the rotary axis of the subsoiler A soil tilling machine as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that during operation a subsoiler (61) extends to under a disc coulter (86). A soil tilling machine as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the tilling members (61) in the form of subsoilers are arranged side-by-side in a row which extends transversely of the direction of travel and the paths described by the subsoilers are remote from each other. A soil tilling machine as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a roller (94) is located behind the tilling members (61) in the form of subsoilers. A soil tilling machine as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the machine is linkable to the three-point hitch of a tractor and the frame supporting the tilling members (61) in the form of subsoilers is capable of movement at an upward and rearward angle relative to a frame portion (81) which is linkable to the tractor.

Inventors: VAN DER LELY, CORNELIS
Applicants: C. VAN DER LELY N.V.
Application year: 1985
Main classification: A01B33
IPC codes: A01B33