A DRAW MECHANISM FOR SECTIONALLY DIVIDED SOIL PREPARING IMPLEMENTS

Abstract: Lever arms (13, 15) are placed on each implement section (26, 27), the horizontal angular mobility of said arms being limited by guideways (30, 31). Other lever arms (10, 12) and stabilizer rods (16, 21) fix the lever arms (13, 15) in mutually parallel positions. Before turning, the implement is disconnected from the tractor. When the tractor drives in the opposite direction, a catch arm in the opposite side of the tractor engages a coupling means (34, 35) in the opposite end of the draw mechanism and carries the implement along. The implement sections (26, 27) automatically change paths and are caused to assume parallel positions. An axial bearing (14) imparts mutual freedom of motion to the implement sections so that they can follow irregularities in the ground.

Description: A draw mechanism for sectionally divided soil preparing implements The invention concerns a draw mechanism for sectionally divided soil preparing implements. In agriculture, horticulture and civil engineering it is important to have as much work as possible per¬ formed in the shortest possible time. Till now, for an estimated 90%, rolling of all farm land has been performed by additional driving. The main purpose of rolling is to obtain an expedient packing of smaller stones. Tests have shown clearly than an increased yield is obtained for most crops with rolling in imme¬ diate connection with sowing. Owing to the utilization of the other machinery it has been difficult for most farmers to perform this rolling immediately after sowing. By means of modern tractors it is possible to carry heavy implements at a great speed. In soil preparation it is often desirable to carry as many implements as possible owing to labour saving so that these can per- form successive soil preparing processes in a single cycle. Even for tractors having a great tractive force there is a natural limit to the number of implements that can be carried because, in particular in case of turning, it is a problem to lift the implements coupled on the tractor. The object of the invention is to provide a draw mecha¬ nism for sectionally divided soil preparing implements which makes it possible in a convenient and time saving manner to carry more additional implements beyond what is usually the case, without this impeding turning. The draw mechanism of the invention is characterized by the subject-matter defined in the characterizing portion of claim 1. A convenient and time saving draw mechanism is thus obtained, making it possible, e.g. in agriculture to carry more additionally implements, such as a sectionally divided roller, together with a combination implement consisting of a rotor harrow and a sowing machine. The implement sections are sup¬ ported by their respective frames on the draw mechanism and are mutually offset in the path direction. Having traversed a path, the draw mechanism is released from the tractor, which turns and is coupled at its other side to the opposite side of the draw mechanism, so that the implement sections have now changed positions with respect to the tractor and are carried in the opposite direction. Owing to the features defined in claim 1, the now rearward implement section rapidly changes paths and moves inwardly behind the tractor. This causes the draw point to be moved inwardly toward the draw line of the tractor. When uneven ground is prepared, each implement section must be capable of following the ground independently of the others. Claim 2 defines axial bearings which enable this. Claims 3 and 4 define expedient embodiments of the axial bearings. Claims 5 - 7 define expedient features with the coope¬ ration of the lever arms with respective implement sections. The invention will be explained more fully by the follow- ing description of a preferred embodiment with reference to the drawing, in which fig. 1 shows a draw mechanism in connection with a tractor with other implements, fig. 2 shows the draw mechanism of fig. 1 alone, fig. 3 is a schematical horizontal section through an axial bearing, and figs. 4 and 5 show parts of an axial bearing. A tractor 50 has firmly connected with it a plurality of implements 52, such as e.g. a sowing machine and a catch arm 40 at each side. Frames 26, 27 are adapted to support their respective implement sections. Lever arms 13, 15 are pivotally secured to shafts 28, 29 at one end of each frame. The free ends of the lever arms are passed through guideways 30, 31 on the frames, which restrict the mobility of the lever arms to rotation in a horizontal plane around the shafts 28, 29. Both ends of the guide¬ ways 30, 31 are provided with adjustable screws 32, 33 as adjustable end stops for the horizontal angular movement of the lever arms. Other lever arms 10, 12 are attached to each of the lever arms 13, 15 at a distance 24, 25 from the pivot 28, 29. These other lever arms 10, 12 are connected end to end through an axial bearing 14. The axial bearing 14 permits the lever arms 10, 12 to rotate with respect to each other around their common axis, but ensures a non-flexural connection. Stabilizer rods 16, 21 serve to take up considerable forces and thus to stabilize, in a horizontal plane, the angular levers 10, 13 and 12, 15 thus interconnected. The stabilizer rods 16, 21 are attached to the lever arms 13, 15 by links 19, 22 and to a bracket 18 by straps 20, 23 and with bolts or the like in holes 17. The straps 20, 23 can be attached in different ones of the holes 17 by the bolts, whereby the stabilizer rods 16, 21 can be adjusted. The bracket 18 also serves to take up a considerable moment of force. The free ends of the lever arms 13, 15 are formed with a strong, upwardly extending pin 34, 35 for engagement with respective ones of the catch arms 40 on the tractor. The axial bearing 14 consists of two flanges 56, 58, which are firmly mounted on their respective ones of the lever arms 10, 12. Both flanges 56, 58 have a plu¬ rality of slots 60 in the shape of circular arcs to receive clamping bolts, so that sufficient, but restricted mutual rotation of the lever arms 10, 12 is possible. The flange 58 is formed with a slot 62, and the flange 56 has a central bore 63, thus permitting mounting of a shaft 64 journalled in needle bearings 66. Both flanges 56, 58 are braced with ribs 70 since they are affected by great forces. The effect of the lever arrangement and the guideways 30, 31 described here is that the frames 26, 27 auto¬ matically change paths and are caused to assume parallel positions when the mechanism is carried in the opposite direction after turning. The guideways 30, 31 may be replaced by equivalent guide parts, but are particularly suitable for agri¬ cultural, horticultural and civil engineering opera¬ tions in the form described here. The axial bearing 14 may be replaced by an equivalent means, e.g. of strong plastics, but since the forces involved in the said operations are very considerable, the form described here is particularly useful. Since the draw mechanism is not firmly connected with the tractor, but only in the draw point, the tractor will always be subjected to a draw load in the direc- tion of travel. The preferred embodiment of the invention described here has two implement sections. The draw mechanism of the invention can also operate according to its purpose with three or more implement sections. Since the draw mechanism allows the tractor to carry at least one implement more than is usually the case, a great saving is obtained.

Claims: P a t e n t C l a i m s 1. A draw mechanism for sectionally divided soil pre¬ paring implements, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that each implement section has rotatably attached to it a lever arm (13, 15) with restricted angular mobility about a vertical shaft (28, 29), and that these lever arms (13, 15) are interconnected by means (10, 12) which fix said lever arms (13, 15) in mutually parallel " positions, and that means (34, 35) for coupling to a tractor (50) are provided on the free end of at least one of the lever arms (13, 15). 2. A draw mechanism according to claim 1, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that the means connecting the lever arms (13, 15) moreover comprise an axial bearing (14) between each adjacent pair of lever arms (13, 15). 3. A draw mechanism according to claim 2, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that each axial bearing (14) is pro¬ vided with two flanges (56, 58) having slots (60) shaped as circular arcs to receive clamping means. 4. A draw mechanism according to claim 3, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that each axial bearing (14) has a shaft (64), which is positioned in needle bearings (66) and is passed through a bore in one flange (56) and a slot (62) in the other flange (58). 5. A draw mechanism according to claims 1-4, c h a ¬ r a c t e r i z e d in that each of the lever arms (13, 15) is passed through a guideway (30, 31) on a frame (26, 27) for attachment of an implement section. 6. A draw mechanism according to claim 5, c h a r a c - t e r i z e d in that each of the guideways (30, 31) is provided as a guide slot between two parallel rods on the respective frame (26, 27). 7. A draw mechanism according to claims 5-6, c h a ¬ r a c t e r i z e d in that the guideways (30, 31) are provided with adjustable means (32, 33) at the ends for adjustment of the limits of the angular mo¬ bility of the respective lever arm.

Inventors: MOELLER ALLAN, MOELLER, ALLAN
Applicants: MOELLER ALLAN, MOELLER, ALLAN
Application year: 1989
Main classification: A01B59
IPC codes: A01B49, A01B59