A SOIL CULTIVATING MACHINE

Abstract: The invention relates to a soil cultivating machine (1), preferably a p.t.o.-driven rotary harrow, having a frame (2) provided with coupling means for connecting the machine to the lifting hitch (3) arranged at the front side of a tractor as well as power-driven soil working members (49) which, relative to the frame (2), are provided such that they are movable from a working position to a transport position and vice versa, a plurality of soil working members (49) being provided as a whole (6) such capably of being moved towards each other that, in the transport position, they extend in a substantially horizontal plane.

Description: A SOIL CULTIVATING MACHINE The present invention relates to a soil culti¬ vating machine, preferably a p.t.o-driven rotary harrow, having a frame provided with coupling means for connecting the machine to the lifting hitch arranged at the front side of the tractor as well as power-driven soil cultivating members which, relative to the frame, are provided such that they are movable from a working position to a transport position and vice versa. Machines of this type are known. They usually are machines, the soil cultivating members of which pivot about a shaft provided on the frame, and in which an upwardly direct¬ ed force has to be produced. Such machines are disadvantage¬ ous in that, arranged at the front side of a tractor, they obstruct the driver's view of the road as well as of the further, whether or not vulnerable, road users present there¬ on. Therefore, the object of the present invention is to realize a machine which, during transport, does not obstruct the driver's view due to its folded soil cultivating members, while the dimensions in the forward and sideward directions of the tractor remain favourable. Furthermore, it is the object to realize a machine which can be adjusted to a transport position without the need of excessive upwardly directed forces. To that end, according to the invention, a plurality of soil working members of the machine are provided as a whole such capably of being moved towards each other that, in the transport position, they extend in a substan¬ tially horizontal plane. In accordance with a particular embodiment, the soil working members are movable in an approximately straight line transversely to the direction of operative travel. The invention then also includes a soil cultivating machine, preferably a disc harrow, alternatively denoted p.t.o-driven rotary harrow, having a frame provided with coupling means for connecting the machine to the lifting hitch of a tractor and soil working members which relative to the frame are provided such that they are movable from a working position to a transport position and vice versa, the soil working members being movable in an approximately straight line transversely to the direction of operative travel. This arrangement has the advantage that the soil working members can be mounted very close to the tractor. Also in accordance with a particular embodiment of the invention, a supporting roller is disposed near the leading side of the frame. Therefore, the invention then also includes a soil cultivating machine, preferably a p.t.o- driven rotary harrow, having a frame provided with coupling means for connecting the machine to the lifting hitch of a tractor and soil working members which relative to the frame are provided such that they are movable from a working posi¬ tion to a transport position and vice versa, a supporting roller being arranged near the leading side of the frame. This accomplishes an adequate bearing on the soil for the case in which the machine is front-mounted. Also in accordance with a particular embodiment of the invention, the soil cultivating machine comprises two p.t.o-driven rotary harrows, each of which is laterally movable through a distance corresponding to approximately the working width thereof. Therefore, the invention then also includes a soil cultivating machine having a frame provided with coupling means for connecting the machine to the lifting hitch of a tractor and soil working members which relative to the frame are provided such that they are movable from an operating position to a transport position and vice versa, the machine comprising two p.t.o-driven rotary harrows, each of which is laterally movable through a distance correspond- ing to approximately the working width thereof. According to a further particular embodiment of the invention, the soil cultivating machine comprises two p.t.o-driven rotary harrows, each of which is provided near its midway point with a pivot shaft and near its end with a drive. The invention, therefore, also relates to a soil cultivating machine having a frame provided with coupling means for connecting the machine to the lifting hitch of a tractor and soil working members which relative to the frame are provided such that they are movable from an operating position to a transport position and vice versa, the machine comprising two p.t.o-driven rotary harrows, each provided near its midway point with a pivot shaft and near its end with a drive. Such a structure enables an advantageous adaptation to the soil. In accordance with a still further embodiment of the machine, the machine is fitted, in a side view and taken in the direction of operative travel, with a supporting roller both at the leading and the trailing end thereof. The invention then also includes a soil cultivating machine, preferably a p.t.o-driven rotary harrow, having a frame pro¬ vided with coupling means for connecting the machine to the lifting hitch of a tractor and soil working members which relative to the frame are provided such that they are movable from a working position to a transport position and vice versa, whilst, in a side view and taken in the direction of operative travel A, a supporting roller is provided both at the leading and the trailing end of the machine. Such a structure has the advantage of an adequate bearing on the soil. In accordance with a still further particular embodiment of the invention, the machine includes a frame beam which extends transversely to the direction of operative travel and one end of which has an intermediate beam which is pivotal about a shaft extending in the direction of operative travel. Therefore, the invention then also includes a soil cultivating machine, preferably a p.t.o-driven rotary harrow, having a frame provided with coupling means for connecting the machine to the lifting hitch of a tractor and soil work¬ ing members which relative to the frame are provided such that they are movable from a working position to a transport position, whilst the machine includes a frame beam which extends transversely to the direction of operative travel and one end of which includes an intermediate beam which is pivotal about a shaft extending in the direction of travel. This renders it possible to pivot the soil working members advantageously to the transport position. In a still further particular embodiment, the machine includes a frame beam to which the soil working members are connected by means of a straight guide. The invention, therefore, also includes a soil cultivating machine, preferably a p.t.o-driven rotary harrow, having a frame provided with coupling means for connecting the machine to the lifting hitch of a tractor and soil working members which relative to the frame are provided such that they are movable from an operating position to a transport position and vice versa, the machine including a frame beam to which the soil working members are attached via a straight guide. Such a structure has the advantage that, taken in the direc¬ tion of operative travel, the frame may be of a short length. In accordance with a still further particular embodiment, the machine includes a straight guide comprising an inner tube and an outer tube, balls having been disposed in the corners of the tubes for guiding the outer tube. The invention, therefore, also includes a soil cultivating machine, preferably a p.t.o-driven rotary harrow, having a frame provided with coupling means for connecting the machine to the lifting hitch of a tractor and soil working members which relative to the frame are provided such that they are movable from a working position to a transport position and vice versa, which machine includes a straight guide having an inner tube and an outer tube, balls having been disposed in the corners of these tubes for guiding the outer tube. Using this construction, a simple but suitable straight guide for agricultural machines is realized. In addition, in accordance with the invention, the machine is also couplable to the front of a tractor, which renders it possible to combine the machine with a second agricultural implement coupled to the rear side of the tractor. According to the invention, this may either be a plough, a seed drill or a p.t.o-driven harrow, which is inter alia rendered possible by the fact that, relative to the transverse centre line, the soil working members of the machine can be moved to a working position at any distance, and because, in accordance with the invention, it is possible to cause only one of the two soil cultivating machines to be operative in the soil, the other one being in the transport position. In this situation, the machine can be adjusted such that it is operative contiguous to the working width of the combined machine. According to the invention, the machine further¬ more includes a cross-beam which is attached to the frame capably of pivoting about a shaft extending in the direction of travel. This renders it possible to create a difference in height when only one of the two soil cultivating implements is to be operative in the soil. On moving only one of the two soil cultivating implements to a working position, the cross¬ beam pivots about the said shaft in such a manner that the implement which is in the transport position is moved upward- ly. In accordance with the invention, the pivotal movement of a cross-beam is limited by stops, whilst a p.t.o-driven rotary harrow is connected pivotalby to one end of the cross¬ beam via an intermediate beam. In a further implementation, the p.t.o-driven rotary harrow is connected to the cross-beam via a straight guide which comprises four rows of balls arranged between the corners of an inner tube and an outer tube. The invention furthermore includes a plough com¬ prising a frame and a plurality of plough bodies, which plough has at its rear side coupling points for coupling to the front side of a tractor and includes a mechanism having an adjusting cylinder for adjusting the plough into the transverse direction, the arrangement being such that the plough is movable laterally at least through a width equal to the working width of a plough body. According to the inven¬ tion, the adjusting mechanism comprises two mutually tra¬ verse, hollow cross-beams, the adjusting cylinder being accommodated in one of the cross-beams. For a better understanding of the invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect, the invention will now be described with reference to three embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a plan view of a first embodiment of the soil cultivating machine in accordance with the inven¬ tion, coupled to the front lifting hitch of a tractor; Figure 2 is a side view of the machine, also in the situation in which it is coupled to a tractor, taken in the direction of the arrow II in Figure 1; Figure 3 shows, to an enlarged scale, a portion of the machine taken in the direction of the arrow III in Figure 1; Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line IV-IV in Figure 3; Figure 5 is a front view of a portion of the machine taken in the direction of the arrow V in Figure 1; Figure 6 is a front view, corresponding to Figure 5, of a portion of the machine in the transport position; Figure 7 is a front view of a portion of the machine in accordance with a second embodiment; Figure 8 is a plan view, corresponding to Figure 7, of the second embodiment of the machine; Figure 9 is a side view taken in the direction of the arrow IX in Figure 7; Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line X-X in Figure 7; Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line XI-XI in Figure 10; Figure 12 is a schematic plan view -of a third embodiment of the soil cultivating machine ±n accordance with the invention, wherein at the front side there is provided an implement for the primary soil working operation and at the rear side two implements arranged in a side-by-side relation- ship for the secondary soil working operation, each implement being combined with a seed drill; Figure 13 is, to an enlarged scale, a view taken in the direction of the arrow XIII in Figure 12; Figure 14 is a side view taken in the direction of the arrow XIV in Figure 13; Figure 15 is, to an enlarged scale, a plan view of the coupling of the plough to the front side of the tractor; Figure 16 is, to an enlarged scale, a view taken in the direction of the arrow XVI in Figure 12; Figure 17 is a view taken in the direction of the arrow XVII in Figure 16, and Figure 18 is a view taken in the direction of the arrow XVIII in Figure 17. Corresponding components in the drawings have been denoted by the same reference numerals. Furthermore, the invention is in no way limited to the embodiments illustrated and described here; they only serve by way of illustration of the inventive idea. As is shown in Figure 1, the soil cultivating machine 1 in accordance with the invention includes a central framework 2, by means of which the machine 1 is couplable to the three-point lifting hitch 3 of a tractor 4. A carrier beam 5 is suspended from this framework 2 in such a manner that it can reciprocate about a central line M which is located parallel to the direction of operative travel A of the machine and the tractor. A soil cultivating implement 6, in the present case a p.t.o.-driven rotary harrow is con- nected pivotably to each of the ends of the carrier beam 5. The central framework is provided at the leading end of a top rod > 7 located in the midway point with a transmission box for any optional drive of the soil cultivating implements 6 arranged at its sides. In the midway point of the machine, at the leading side, under the framework 2, there is provided a roller 10 for the purpose of supporting and stabilizing the machine. Figure 2 also shows that the central framework 2 is constituted by a vertically arranged, square-iron trestle 11 in the shape of a closed triangle with vertical base. The trestle is provided with an upper pair of lugs and two pairs of lower lugs 13 for coupling to the known per se three-point lifting hitch 3 of a tractor. The obliquely extending legs 14 of the trestle 11 each have their upper end welded to the side edges of a vertically extending frame portion 15 and their lower end to a horizontally extending frame portion 16. Welded to the bottom side of the upper frame portion 15 is a top rod 7, which extends horizontally forwardly from the trestle 11 through the centre line. The top rod 7 is sup¬ ported by a trestle structure. Two side beams 18 thereof extend parallel to the direction of operative travel A, from the bottom and exterior sides of the three-point trestle 11, obliquely forwardly and upwardly. A connecting beam 19 is welded against the foremost ends of these side beams, trans¬ versely to the direction of operative travel A. Near the centre line N, this connecting beam is connected to the top rod 7 via an intermediate section 20. The intermediate sec- tion 20 is formed by a vertical lug 21 arranged transversely to the direction of operative travel, to whose side edges strut plates 22 are welded which extend parallel to the direction of travel. Near the trestle 11, the top rod 7 is provided at its lower end with yet another lug 23 which extends, parallel to the lug 21 of the intermediate section, transversely to the direction of operative travel A. A spindle 24 is inserted through the lugs 21, 23, above and parallel to the centre line M. An arcuate stiffening member 25 which, as has also the carrier beam 5, has a quadrangular profile is secured against the rear side of the carrier beam 5. Halfway the carrier beam 5, a connecting beam 26 is welded parallel to the direction of operative travel A between the stiffening member 25 and the carrier beam 5. The carrier beam 5 is suspended capably of reciprocating to the central framework via the spindle 24. In the plane of the carrier beam 5 and the stiffening member 25, this spindle 24 is passed through the centre of the carrier beam 5 and the stiffening member 25. In this situation, the rearmost vertical side of the stiffening member 25, whose central portion extends trans¬ versely to the direction of operative travel A, contacts the rearmost lug 23, whilst a spacer element 28 is disposed between the leading lug and the leading vertical side of the carrier beam. Any deflection of the carrier beam 5 is limit- ed, as is shown in Figure 4, by a stop 29 disposed on both sides of the top rod. One end of the stop 29 is folded such that, when the carrier beam 7 is in its utmost oblique posi¬ tion, this stop end is in parallel therewith. At its extreme ends, the carrier beam 5 is pro¬ vided with a pivotal portion, alternatively denoted the intermediate beam 33, to which the soil cultivating implement is connected. The pivotal point to the intermediate beam 33 is formed by an outer fork member 34 and an inner fork member 35, it being possible to insert the inner fork member 35 with a close fit in the outer fork member 34. The end of the legs of the respective forks is provided with a bore, through which a spindle 36 is inserted. For the purposes of stiffen- ing the construction, a fitting spacer element 37 is placed around the spindle 36 between the legs of the inner fork 35. The respective bases of the fork members 34, 35 are welded to the ends of the carrier beam 5 and the intermediate beam 33. Figure 3 clearly shows that the intermediate beam 33 can be pivoted with respect to the carrier beam 5 with the aid of an adjusting cylinder 37. To that end, the cylinder housing 40 is pivotal about a shaft 41 which extends between the legs 42 of a U-member which has its base welded to the bottom side of the arcuate stiffening member 25. By means of its other end, the adjusting cylinder is positioned via the cylinder rod 43 about a shaft 44 which is welded approximate¬ ly in the midway point to the rear side of an intermediate beam 33. Both shafts 41, 44 extend in the direction of opera¬ tive travel A. Parallel to the direction of operative travel A, the outermost end of the intermediate beam 33 is provided with a relatively thick-walled tube 45, through which a spindle 46 is inserted. The soil cultivating implement 6 is connected pivotably to this spindle 46, the implement being provided with vertically arranged lugs 47 which extend trans¬ versely to the direction of operative travel and between which the said tube portion 45 is disposed with a close fit, via the spindle 46. A stop 48 is disposed at the upper side of the p.t.o-driven rotary harrow, in the imaginary extension of the carrier beam 5 and approximately 10 cms beyond the midway point of the p.t.o-driven rotary harrow. The upper side of this stop has an oblique plane, so that the p.t.o- driven rotary harrow is fixed in the transport state in a horizontal position by abutment of this stop on an inter¬ mediate beam 33. In this situation, rotation of the harrow about the shaft 46 is counteracted in one direction by the weight of the transmission box 51 and in the other direction by the stop 48. The p.t.o-driven rotary harrow, which in the pre¬ sent implementation constitutes the soil cultivating imple¬ ment 6, comprises four rotors 49 which in a generally known manner are supported capably of rotation about a vertical shaft and drivably in the frame 50 of the p.t.o-driven rotary harrow. For that purpose, the inner end of a p.t.o-driven rotary harrow is fitted with a transmission box 51 which has bevel gear wheels and, for the purpose of connection to a coupling shaft has at its output end a stub axle which is provided with splines. At its rear side, the p.t.o-driven rotary harrow has a roller 52 which is coupled in accordance with the known per se floating principle. In this situation, the roller is capable of rotation between two arms made of thick steel plate, which arms are attached pivotably to the leading side of the p.t.o-driven rotary harrow. The arms are kept in a vertical plane between guide plates disposed at one end of the harrow. For the purpose of driving the p.t.o-driven rotary harrow(s), the leading end of the top rod 7 of the machine is fitted with a gear box 8 which has a shaft 53 projecting from its rear side for coupling to the power take-off shaft of a tractor and which furthermore has a second shaft 54 which is at a right angle to the first shaft and projects on both sides from the rear box 8. The two shafts 53, 54 are inter- connected via a transmission having bevel gear wheels 55. Each of the two laterally extending portions is equipped with a coupling shaft 56 which extends transversely to the direc¬ tion of operative travel A and which has its outermost ends likewise coupled to a gear box 57 for right-angled trans- mission. The second shaft of this laterally extending gear box 57 projects, however, only at the rear side from the gear box. Connected to the stub axle of this output end there is a coupling shaft 58 which has its other end connected to the gear box 51 of the p.t.o-driven rotary harrow. The gear boxes 57 positioned on both sides of the central gear box 8 are connected to the carrier beam 5 via a forwardly projecting intermediate beam 59. Near a point where they are in pivotal connection with the shaft 36, the auxiliary beams are welded to the leading edge of the carrier beam 5. A horizontal strut plate 60 disposed at the interior side stiffens this connec¬ tion. In its midway points and at the leading side, the machine is further provided with a roller 10. To this end, the obliquely forwardly and upwardly arranged beams 18 of the framework 2 have a stub axle at their outermost sides at equal heights and equidistantly from the trestle for the three-point lifting hitch. Pivotal about these stub axles is a pair of arms 61, between the leading ends of which a roller 18 is disposed which is rotatable about a bearing-supported shaft. The mode of operation of the machine 1 in accord¬ ance with the first embodiment is such that the machine is combined with a further machine for either a secondary or a primary soil working action. When the machine is combined with an implement for secondary soil working, the two soil cultivating implements 6 operate simultaneously. In Figure 1 this is represented as a connection to a p.t.o-driven rotary harrow 62 having a width of approximately 3 metres. For that purpose, the adjusting cylinders 39 are adjusted such, with the aid of the standard equipment of the tractor 4 and from the cab in a lifted state of the lifting hitch 3, that both implements 6 are contiguous to the working width of the combined machine, in this case the p.t.o-driven rotary harrow 62. All this results from the fact that the intermediate beams 33 to which the cylinder rod 43 is connected is pivotal. Since also the soil cultivating implement 6 is pivotably connected to an intermediate beam, an implement 6 can be operative at any angle between an intermediate beam and the carrier beam. This means that an implement can be operative at different distances from the centre line M of the machine. As a result thereof, the machine 1 according to the invention can be combined for a subsequent contiguous operating run with other machines of any optional dimensions. As the length of an intermediate beam approximately corre¬ sponds to half the working width of an implement, an imple- ment can be moved from the transport position through a distance equal to its working width, approximately 1 metre in the present case. Of prime importance during trave l of a driven implement 6 is the construction in which the drive is effect- ed via a gear box which, taken in the direction of operative travel, is located at some distances from the implement and likewise approximately halfway the working range of an imple¬ ment. In this situation, the midway point of the working range is determined by the location of the pivot between the extreme ends and the carrier beam. When such a construction is used, the required telescopic shift of a coupling shaft is only a fraction of the maximum displacement of a soil culti¬ vating implement. Once it has been lifted from the soil, the machine can be moved to a transport position. Then the soil cultivating implement initially tilts over to the side where the transmission box is present. Near the transport position, the stop on the soil working implement comes into contact with the intermediate beam and during further displacement the implement is forced into an opposite direction about its shaft. As a result thereof, the soil cultivating implement is in the transport state in an at least substantially horizon¬ tal position, equal to the position in the operating state. Put differently, the spatial orientation of the soil cultiva¬ ting implement in the transport pos ition is equal to its spatial orientation during operation. Maintaining the spatial orientation of an object implies that this object can only be subj ected to trans lation. Needles s to say that al l this implies that any form of rotation is impossib le. The con¬ struction described has for its further result that , during movement to the transport position, an implement remains at approximately the same leve l , so that , compared to a dis ¬ placement in which the implement is pivoted upwardly, no heavy adjusting cylinders are required. Once the implement is in the transport position, the overall width of the machine does not exceed three metres. During movement to the transport position, both implements move in one line trans¬ versely to the direction of operative travel. Using such a construction, in which the implements are in any position located at equal distances behind the tractor, it is possible for the machine to be mounted very close to the tractor. This has the advantage that the machine can be coupled to a rela¬ tively light tractor. In combination with an implement for primary soil cultivation, according to the previously worked and non- worked states of the field and the progression of the tractor on the boundary thereof, only one soil working implement is operative. This is enabled by the shaft 24, around which the carrier beam 5 is pivotal; on adjusting one implement to the working position gravity moves it downwards, whereas the implement that is in the transport position moves upwards. This causes the difference in level required to render it possible to introduce only one of the two implements into the soil, which difference cannot be obtained by a simple lifting operation by means of the lifting hitch of the tractor. In a second embodiment, the machine 1 according to the invention has, as is shown in Figure 8, a central frame¬ work 63 provided with a trestle 64 having pairs of lugs 12, 13 for the purpose of coupling to a three-point lifting hitch 3 of a tractor 4. In this second embodiment of the machine, the trestle 64 is assembled from a lower, approximately horizontally extending beam portion 65 and a shorter upper beam portion 66, positioned above the midway point of the lower frame portion 65 and extending in parallel thereto. Arranged between the frame portions 65, 66 and perpendicular¬ ly thereto there are two supporting beams 67, each beam being located below the end of the upper frame portion 65. In addition, two strutting beams 68 are provided to reinforce the trestle 64. These beams extend from one end of the lower frame portion 65 obliquely upwardly towards the other end of a supporting beam 67. The third dimension of the framework 63 is inter alia defined by three beams 69, 70 which extend in parallel to the direction of operative travel and the lower beam 70 of which engages by means of its rearmost end in an approximately horizontal direction the midway point of the lower beam 65 of the trestle 63 and the two upper beams 69 of which are each arranged by means of their rearmost end at approximately two-thirds of the height of a supporting beam 67. At their leading ends, the three beams 69, 70 are inter¬ connected by a predominantly triangular connecting plate 72. The lower edge of the plate is located at the sH3ame height as the lower beam 65 of the trestle, whereas the upper edge slightly projects above the supporting beams 67. This renders it possible to provide two strutting tubes 73 which each extend above a beam 69 slightly upwardly and rearwardly from the connecting plate to the upper beam 66 of the trestle 64. At some distance above the lower beam 70, parallel to the direction of operative travel there is a shaft 24, also extending in the direction of travel, one end of which is supported by the connecting plate 72 and the other end by a (non-shown) support disposed on the upper side of the lower beam 69. This shaft 74 itself carries a carrier beam 75 which extends transversely to the direction of operative travel and which, to prevent sagging, is provided with stiffening beams 76. These stiffening beams 76 each extend from a connecting plate 77, which is arranged on an outermost end of the carrier beam 75, to as far as the rear end of an intermediate section 78 which is provided around the afore-mentioned shaft 74. At its leading end, this intermediate section 78 is rigidly connected to the carrier beam 75 and abuts with its rearmost end on the (non-shown) support of the shaft 74. A spacer bushing 79 is provided such about the shaft between the leading edge of the carrier beam 75 and the connecting plate 72 that the carrier beam 75 has no axial clearance. The reciprocating motion of the carrier beam 75 is limited by stops 29 which this time are piaced against the lower beam 69 under the carrier beam 75. A soil cultivating implement 6 is disposed on either side of the shaft 74 by means of a straight guide element 80, provided around the carrier beam 75. An arm 81 which extends horizontally and obliquely forwardly is posi¬ tioned at the bottom side of the straight guide element 80. At the outermost end of the arm 81, a relatively thick-walled tube 45 is disposed, which is pivotably connected to the soil cultivating implement via the shaft 46. The tube 45 fits between the lugs 47. In the present embodiment, the lugs 47 are provided with a slotted hole and at least one stop con¬ stituted by a horizontal folded-over portion 71 of a lug 47 at the upper side of the slotted hole. At at least one end and at the upper edge thereof, the tube 45 is likewise pro¬ vided with a stop 86 which is rigidly connected to the tube 45 and has a horizontal upper plane. On lifting of the machine,, the stops are moved up against each other and in this manner the p.t.o-driven rotary harrows are locked in a horizontal position for the purpose of road transport. In operation, the p.t.o-driven rotary harrow is freely pivotal about the shaft 46, so that slight adaptations to uneven- nesses of the soil are possible. The straight guide element 80, whether the soil cultivating implement is coupled thereto or not, is movable about the carrier beam either manually or with the aid of an adjusting cylinder. In the structure provided with an adjust¬ ing cylinder,, this cylinder extends parallel to the rear side of the carrier beam and the closed end of the cylinder housing is pivotal about a shaft which is connected to the intermediate section 78 with the aid of a U-member. In this case, the piston rod is pivotal about a shaft disposed hori¬ zontally and parallel to the other shaft at the rear side of the straight guide element 80. In the present embodiment, the soil working unit is a p.t.o-driven rotary harrow which only differs from that of the first embodiment by the fact that the gear box 51 is disposed at the outermost end of the harrow. Also in this case, the harrow can be driven via a coupling shaft 58, which coupling shaft is connected at its interior side to a gear box 82 mounted on top of the straight guide element 80. This gear box 82 is formed by two meshing gear wheels 85 which are rotatable about parallel shafts 83, 84 and are disposed at equal heights. One of these shafts is positioned approximate¬ ly over the straight guide element 80 and the other at the leading side thereof. The said coupling shaft 58 is connected to the shaft 83 of the leading gear wheel 85. The shaft 84 of the rearmost gear wheel 85 extends through the overall length of the carrier beam 75. Halfway the machine, this shaft 84 is passed through a gear box 8 for square transmission of the drive by the power take-off shaft of the tractor 4. In this embodiment, the gear box 8 is mounted at the upper side of the carrier beam 75. The straight guide of a soil cultivating implement 6 is assembled from an outer beam 87 arid an inner beam, constituted by the carrier beam 75. Arranged between the four corners of the two beams are rows of balls 88 which, in order to keep them in their position, are supported by bearing profiles 89 formed by metal strips applied against the inte¬ rior side of the outer beam 87. In the present implementa¬ tion, in accordance with a preferred embodiment, the balls 88 have a diameter of 25 mm, whilst the sides of the beams have lengths of approximately 10 and 15 cms, respectively. The two apertures in the outer beam are covered, with the object of keeping the balls 88 together, by plates 90, 91 which fit around the inner beam and are welded to the outer beam 87. For supporting the gear box 82, the outer sealing plate 90 extends upwardly and is provided with an aperture through which the transverse drive shaft 84 extends. In the present embodiment, the transverse drive shaft 84 is of a hexagonal shape and at its end is provided with a lockable sliding member 92, which is surrounded by a bearing 93. At its outer ends, the carrier beam 75 is sealed by means of a welded sealing plate 95 which is pushed into the carrier beam 75 over approximately three-quarters of its thickness. The bear¬ ing 93 of the transverse drive shaft 84 is locked in a bear¬ ing housing 96. The bearing housing 96 is supported by a thick upwardly directed plate 97 which is secured to the end of the carrier beam 75 with the aid of screw holes made in the sealing plate 95. The mode of operation of the second embodiment differs from that of the first embodiment mainly in the use of means by which the transport position and/or a working position is/are accomplished, namely the straight guide. With the aid of an adjusting cylinder, the guide element 80 moves on displacement of an implement over the carrier beam 75. In this situation, no outward shift of a coupling shaft is effected, but a gear box 82 coupled to the straight guide element 80 slides over a lubricated, angular drive shaft 84 which is rigidly supported at the upper side of the carrier beam 75. As is also the case in the first embodiment, the soil cultivating implement is locked during transport by a combination of its own weight and a stop; by moving the lifting hitch of the tractor upwardly, the shafts 46 move upwardly in their respective slotted holes until the stop provided on the tube 45 contacts the stop of the lugs 47. Since the stop on the tube 46 is not rotatable and the planes of the stops are straight, rotation of the implement about the shaft 46 is no longer possible and, during transport, the implement remains in the horizontal position it predominantly occupies in operation. The working position is reached by lowering the lifting hitch until the implement has penetrated into the soil. The shafts 46 then move against the bottom end of the slotted hole and the stop of the tube is then sufficiently far from the stop on the lugs 47 to have the soil cultivating implement rotate about the shaft 46 in the case of uneven- nesses in the soil. The rotatability of the implement is, in this situation, limited by the roller 52 which is operative on the soil area worked by the rotors and smoothed thereby. The presence of the roller contributes towards the horizontal position the implement assumes to a predominant or at least average degree. In a third embodiment, the soil cultivating machine is shown as being combined with an implement for primary soil cultivation, more specifically a plough. In this embodiment, the soil cultivating machine likewise includes a combination with a seed drill. The plough 101 comprises a frame beam 102 which extends obliquely to the direction of operative travel A and at least substantially horizontally and whose longitudinal centre line encloses, in operation, an angle of approximately 30° with the direction of operative travel A. The plough 101 is in the form of a half-turn plough provided with three pairs of plough bodies 103 fitted to the frame beam 102, each being provided with a mould board and a share. The plough 101 is suitable for coupling to a three-point lifting hitch at the front side of a tractor. To that end, the rear side of the frame beam 102 is applied pivotably between lugs 105 by means of an upwardly directed shaft 104. The lugs 105 are attached to the leading side of a cross beam 106, which extends at least substantially in a horizontal direction. An adjusting member 107 is arranged between the cross beam 106 and the frame beam 102 by means of pins and lugs. Using the adjusting member 107, the position of the frame beam 102 can be altered relative to the cross beam 106 and thereby the position of the plough bodies. The cross beam 106 has a U-shaped portion which is folded from plate material and whose horizontally rearwardly extending legs are folded at a square angle. By means of the folded- over portions, the legs are slidably disposed between a plate which seals the legs of an identically shaped and positioned portion of a tranverse beam 108 at its leading side and guide strips present at the bottom and upper sides of the relevant plate. Near that end of the transverse beam 108 which, taken in Figures 12 and 15 in the direction of operative travel, is the left-hand end, which has a length exceeding the length of the cross beam 106, there is placed one end of a hydraulic adjusting cylinder 111 by means of a lug 109 and a pin 110. The adjusting cylinder 111 is accommodated in the U-shaped portion of the beam 106 and has its other end ' pivot- ably connected by means of a pin 110 disposed near the end of the cross beam 106, the arrangement being such that on energizing of the adjusting cylinder the cross beam 106 can move laterally along the transverse beam 108 via the above- mentioned bearings. The adjusting cylinder 111 forms part of an adjusting mechanism, which furthermore includes the beams 106 and 108 which are capable of sliding along each other. The cross beam 108 is provided with a triangular trestle 112, which is arranged eccentrically relative to the midway point of the beam 108 and constitutes a three-point connec¬ tion for coupling to a three-point lifting hitch 113 at the front side of a tractor. The cross beams 106 and 108 together with the frame beam 102 attached thereto can be pivoted with the aid of a hydraulic adjusting cylinder 115 through 180° about a shaft 114 which extends in the direction of travel A and, in a plan view, is located near the midway point of the trestle 112, in order to move the plough 101 to a second working position in which, contrary to the working position shown, the plough bodies 103 throw the soil, taken in the direction of operative travel, to the right. In operation, the adjust¬ ing cylinders 111 and 115 are connected to the hydraulic circuit of the tractor via (non-shown) lines. In this situa- tion, the arrangement of the respective hydraulic adjusting cylinders is such that by means of a (non-shown) control slide the adjusting cylinder 111 is first energized for the transverse displacement of the plough 101, whereafter, as soon as the plough has arrived in a central position which in Figures 12 and 15 is denoted by "C", the adjusting cylinder 115 is energized for reversal of the plough. The control slide is positioned such that, as soon as the plough arrives in the position "C", it is operated against the action of a spring by means of a projection 116 on the adjusting cylinder 111, thus effecting the energization of the adjusting cylin¬ der 105. At the leading side, the frame beam 102 is pro¬ vided with a support 117. At the leading side the support 117 has a profile 118, whose legs extend in an at least substan- tially horizontal and forward direction. Between the legs of the U-profile 118 there are arranged, by means of upwardly directed shafts 119, freely pivotal, forwardly extending arms 120. The leading ends of the arms 120 are attached in the same manner as the trailing ends to the rear side of an at least substantially horizontal cross support 121. The arms 120 form together with the shafts 119 a pivotal quadrangle 122 which in this case is constituted by a parallellogram. The cross support 121 is provided at that side which, taken in the direction of travel A, is the left- hand side (Figure 14) with a plate 123 which extends at least substantially parallel to a vertical plane in the direction of travel A. The cross support 121 has an aperture, in which a shaft 124 is rotatable over a distance limited by two (non- shwn) stops. The shaft 124 is provided with a support 125 which bears against the plate 123, an upwardly extending straight end of an arm 126 extending through said support. Under the support 125, the arm 126 is bent sidewardly and at its bottom end forms a shaft for a ground wheel 127. As is apparent from Figures 13 and 14, the shaft of the ground wheel 127 is located in a vertical plane transversely to the direction of operative travel A of the machine and then extends, taken from the plough, obliquely upwardly and out- wardly. The straight portion of the arm 126, which portion is passed capably of pivoting through the support 125, is provided at its upper side with a lug 128, through which a pin 129 can be inserted. The pin 129 can also be inserted through one of a plurality of apertures 130 made in a disc 131 located near the upper side of the support 125. Using the pin 129, the lug 128 and the disc 131, the. osition of the arm 126 and consequently the position of the wheel 127 can be pivoted from the position shown in Figures 13 and 14 about a shaft formed by that portion of the arm 126 that is passed through the support 125, which shaft inclines forwardly in a vertical plane parallel to the direc¬ tion of travel A. During this pivotal motion, the rotary shaft of the ground wheel 127 is induced to enclose an angle with the vertical plane perpendicularly to the direction of operative travel A, which causes a larger or smaller portion of the ground wheel to bear against the upright edge of the plough furrow. At the side remote from the ground wheel 127, an arm 120 of the pivotal quadrangle 122 is provided with a lug, to which one end of an adjusting cylinder 133 is pivotal, whose other end is pivotably arranged between the lugs 134 on the frame beam 102 of the plough 101. In operation, the adjusting cylinder 133 is connected to the hydraulic circuit of the tractor via (non-shown) lines and is operable from the tractor. At the rear side, the tractor 4 has as three-point lifting hitch 135 which is coupled to a rectangular trestle 136. The trestle 136 has a lower, at least substantially horizontal cross beam 137, the ends of which are connected to an upper cross beam 139 by means of at least substantially vertical beams 138 located near the front and rear side(s). Near the midway point, the upper cross beam 139 has a coupling point 140 for the upper arm of the lifting hitch 135, whereas the lower cross beam 137 is provided near the ends with coupling points 141 for coupling of the lower arms of the lifting hitch 135. Just above the lower cross beam 137 and at the level of the upper cross beam 139, the vertically extending beams 138 are provided at the leading and trailing end, respectively, with an at least substantially horizontal shaft 142. A fork 143 is applied freely pivotably about each of the pairs of shafts 142. Each of the forks 143 is located at the end of an arm 144, which arm is pivotably connected via a fork 145 and an at least substantially horizontal shaft 142 to an upwardly directed support 146, which comprises two spaced-apart plates. The arms 144 and the shafts 142 form a pivotal quadrangle 144A in the shape of a parallelogram. The support 146 is connected to a carrier 147, which extends transversely to the direction of operative travel A of the tractor and in an at least substantially horizontal direction. At the rear side, the carrier 147 is provided with a U-profile 148, whose legs extend rearwardly and horizontally. By means of upwardly directed shafts 149 there are arranged between the legs of the U-profile 148 rearwardly extending arms 150 (Figure 16), which via shafts 149 and a U-profile 151 are attached to the leading side of a support 152. The shafts 149 and the arms 150 each form a pivotal quadrangle 153 in the form of a parallelogram, which is adjustable in the horizontal direction by means of an adjusting cylinder 153A located between the arms and connect¬ ed to the hydraulic circuit of the tractor. The support 152 is located at the leading side of a box-like frame portion 154 which forms part of an implement 155 for a secondary soil working operation, which in this case is a rotary harrow. In the present embodiment, the gear box 61 is positioned in the centre of the harrow. The gear box 61 is of a known type for driving a shaft, which is located eccentrically from the ingoing shaft 164, of a rotor 59. Via a shaft 163 provided with universal couplings, the shaft 164 is in driving connection with a shaft 162 which at the rear side projects from a gear box 165. The gear box 165 is mounted on the support 147. Inside the gear box 165, the shaft 164 is connected via a bevel gear wheel transmission to a shaft 166 which extends transversely to the direction of operative travel A and is positioned at that side where the pivotal quadrangle 144A is present. The shaft 166 is connected by means of a shaft 167, which is provided with universal couplings, to a shaft 168 which is drivingly connected via a slip clutch 169 to a shaft which is supported in a gear box 170. Within the gear box 170, the said shaft is drivingly connected via a speed variator 17i to a shaft which projects at the front side from the gear box and is couplable to the power take-off shaft of the tractor via an intermediate shaft 172. The lower arms 144 of the pivotal quadrangles 144A are each provided near the fork 143 with a support 173 which extends to under the trestle 136. Each support 173 is pivotably connected by means of a pin 174 to one end of a hydraulic adjusting cylinder 175, which near one end is pivotably arranged at the bottom side of the trestle 136 by means of a pin 176 and lugs 177 (Figure 18). In operation, the adjusting cylinder 175 is connected via (non-shown) lines to the hydraulic circuit of the tractor. Near the ends, each rotary harrow 155 is fitted with plates 178 which extend in an upward direction and at least substantially parallel to the direction of operative travel A. Near the leading side, each of the plates 178 is provided with an axle pin 179. An arm 180, which forms part of a supporting member 181 is pivotal about the axle pin 179. The supporting member 181 is in the shape of a plate and extends- at least substantially parallel to a vertical plane in the direction of operative travel A. At the bottom side, a roller 182, which in this embodiment is formed by a packer roller, is applied freely rotatably between the supporting members 181. At the rear side, the supporting members 181 are provided with pro- jections 183, between which a carrier 184 is disposed which extends transversely to the direction of operative travel A. The carrier 184 is equipped with obliquely downwardly and forwardly extending scrapers 185 which extend to between the crowns of cams of the packer roller and ensure that, in operation, the packer roller is kept free from clogging earth. Near the upper side of the supporting members 181, a hopper 186 for seed material is arranged between these mem¬ bers. The bottom side of the hopper 186 is provided with a rotating discharge mechanism, which is located above a plu- rality of delivery tubes 187 connected to the bottom side of the hopper an arranged in a side-by-side relationship, each ending at the bottom side in a seed shoe 188 attached to the carrier 184. The drive of the drilling mechanism in a hopper 186 is, in this embodiment, effected from one end of the packer roller via a rope transmission 189. The overall assem¬ bly of hopper 186 and delivery tubes 187 constitutes a seed drill 189 supported by the roller 182. The mode of operation of the above-described com¬ bination, consisting of an implement which is hitched to the front side of the tractor, performs a primary soil working operation and is in the form of a two-way plough 101, and the two rearmost implements 155 which are intended for a seconda¬ ry soil working operation in combination with the rear- mounted seed drill 190, is as follows. When the plough mounted at the front of the tractor assumes a position as illustrated by solid lines (position A), a strip of soil which, taken in the direction of operative travel A, is located to the left of the tractor is worked by means of the three plough bodies 103, the ground wheel 127 rolling in the furrow and assuming a position as is shown in Figures 12, 13 and 14. Depending on the type of soil and the lateral forces excerted during operation, it is possible, as has already been described in the foregoing, to alter the posi¬ tion of the ground wheel such by adjusting the carrier 126 of the ground wheel 127 with the aid of the pin 129 and the disc 131 provided with apertures 130 that a greater or lesser pressure force can be absorbed. The ground wheel then swivels about the longitudinal centre line of the upper portion of the carrier 126, which in operation inclines forwardly. When the said combination travels in a direction as indicated by the arrow A, the ploughed strip of soil can be worked through its entire width of approximately 100 cms by that implement 155 for the secondary soil working opera¬ tion that is the left-hand implement, taken in the direction of operative travel, to produce an intensive crumbling of the soil which, by means of the packer roller 182 with which also the working depth of the working members 157 is adjusted, can be compressed and subsequently be sown by the seed drill 190. In operation, adjacently arranged working members are driven in opposite directions from the power take-off shaft of the tractor via the transmission described in the foregoing. At the end of the working run it is possible, after the frame beam 102 has been lifted, to adjust the two- way plough 101 to the working position using the above- described adjusting cylinders 111 and 115. The carrier 126 then swings downwardly about the horizontal cross shaft sup- ported by the support 121, whereafter it moves to a position as illustrated by broken lines in Figure 2 when it is adjust¬ ed to the new working position. After the plough has arrived in its new working position, the soil then being thrown to the right, the other combination of secondary soil cultivating implement 155 and seed drill 190 can be adjusted to a working position. To that end, using the pivotal quadrangle 153 and with the aid of the adjusting cylinder 153A, the harrow 155/seed drill 190 com¬ bination can be moved to straight behind the strip of soil to be worked and thereafter can be adjusted to a working posi¬ tion via the pivotal quadrangle 144A and the adjusting cylin¬ der 175. In this situation, the other combination is then simultaneously lifted from the working position (Figure 18). Using a (non-shown) mechanism, it can then be ensured that the drive for the combination which is then in the non- operative position is interrupted. By means of the pivotal quadrangle 122 and the adjusting cylinder 133 which can be controlled from the tractor, the ground wheel 127 can be adjusted to a position as is shown by broken lines in Figure 14, whereby the ground wheel is moved through approximately 30 cms until it is located before the foremost plough body 103, i.e. the ground wheel and the foremost plough body can then move through the furrow produced, so that only two plough members are opera¬ tive (position B). For the secondary soil working operation, the relevant combination of rotary harrow 155 and seed drill 190 can then be moved into a more inwardly located position with the aid of the pivotal quadrangle 153 and the adjusting cylinder 153A. The plough mounted at front of the tractor can additionally be moved, after having been lifted by displace¬ ment of the cross beam 106, to a number of further working positions (C, D and E), which are shown schematically in Figure 12. In the working positions D and E, work can advantageously be effected along fences or ditches. In both working positions, it is then possible to plough optionally with two or three plough bodies, as has already been described for the working positions A and B, in which situa¬ tion the ground wheel 127 is then adjusted laterally. As has already been described, the plough is also moved to position C with the object of being reversed. If one does not want to reverse, it is possible to interrupt in a manner not further shown the operation for the adjusting cylinder 115. Position C is also the starting position for transport. For the various plough positions to be adjusted, one can alter with the aid of the pivotal quadrangle 153 and the adjusting cylinder 153A the position of the implement for the secondary soil working operation 155 and the seed drill 190 in such a manner that the ploughed strip is always worked in its totality. In operation, the implement 155/seed drill 190 combination can adapt itself to any soil unevennesses by means of the pivotal quadrangle 144A. To adjust the overall assembly to the transport position, it is possible, as has already been mentioned, to start for the plough from the position C and to move, with the aid of the lifting hitch of the tractor 4, the pivotal quadrangles 153 and adjusting cylinders 153A and the cylinder 175 with the pivotal quadrangles 144A, the rotary harrow 155/seed drill 190 combinations to an intermediate position behind the tractor, such that the maximum width of the tractor-implement combination does not exceed three metres. The construction described, which includes the parallelogram 144A and the rod system 50, provides that the position of a p.t.o-driven rotary harrow 155 in the transport position is similar to that in the working position. As was also the case for the first two embodiments, it is possible for the present embodiment to have a soil working implement 6, in the present case a p.t.o-driven rotary harrow 155, assume a working position at any distance from the centre line M of the machine. The independent operation of the p.t.o-driven rotary harrows 155 is realized, in the present embodiment, by the adjusting cylinders 175 and 153A which can be operated independently of each other. As a result thereof, it is possible to have only one of the two harrows 155 be opera¬ tive. The invention is not limited to the foregoing description but also relates to all the details shown in the drawings, whether they have been described or not.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A soil cultivating machine (1), preferably a p.t.o.-driven rotary harrow, having a frame (2) provided with coupling means for connecting the machine to the lifting hitch (3) arranged at the front side of a tractor as well as power-driven soil working members (49) which, relative to the frame (2), are provided such that they are movable from a working position to a transport position and vice versa, characterized in that a plurality of soil working members (49) are provided as a whole (6) such capably of being moved towards each other that, in the transport position, they extend in a substantially horizontal plane. 2. A soil cultivating machine as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the machine has two soil cultivating units (6) comprising a plurality of soil working members (49), each soil cultivating unit (6) being movable laterally through a distance substantially corresponding to the working width thereof. 3. A soil cultivating machine as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the machine has two soil culti- vating units (6) comprising a plurality of soil working members (49), each soil cultivating unit (6) including near the centre a pivot shaft (46) and near an end a drive (51). 4. A soil cultivating machine as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the soil working members (49) are movable in an approximately straight line transversely to the direction of operative travel (A). 5. A soil cultivating machine as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the drive (51) of a soil cultivating unit comprises a drive shaft arranged in the direction of travel (A) and is driven via a coupling shaft (58) which during movement of a soil working member (49), seen in plan view, includes an angle with said direc¬ tion of travel (A) of the machine. 6. A soil cultivating machine as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the machine includes a frame beam (2) which extends transversely to the direction of operative travel (A) and supports the soil cultivating units (6), the said frame being pivotable in its centre about a shaft (24) arranged in the direction of opera¬ tive travel (A). 7. A soil cultivating machine as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a soil working member (49) is capable of movement via an intermediate beam (33), one end of which, by means of shafts (.36, 46) arranged in the direction of operative travel (A), is connected pivot- ably to the end of the frame beam (2) and the other is connected pivotably to the centre of a soil cultivating unit (6). 8. A soil cultivating machine as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a soil culti- vating unit (6) comprises four soil working members (49). 9. A soil cultivating machine as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the soil cultivating units (6) are arranged at the frame beam (2) by means of a straight guide (80). 10. A soil cultivating machine as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the straight guide includes four rows of balls (88) arranged in the corners of a beam-shaped housing (75, 87).

Inventors: VAN DER LELY CORNELIS, VAN DER LELY, CORNELIS
Applicants: LELY NV C VAN DER, C. VAN DER LELY N.V.
Application year: 1992
Main classification: A01B73
IPC codes: A01B59, A01B63, A01B73