Abstract:
The field cultivating sweep includes a body with wings extending from a center line in opposite directions, and a conditioning element extending downwardly from the wing body. The conditioning element may be a blade extending vertically downwardly along the center line of the body and having a leading edge sloped rearedly from front to back. In alternative embodiments, the conditioning element may have a triangular or rectangular shape or may be in the form of a fluted coulter. The conditioning element acts to till the ground vertically and break up compacted soil as the sweep is drawn along the ground.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to previously filed provisional applications, U.S. Serial 62/305,339, filed on Mar. 8, 2016; U.S. Serial No. 62/339,592, filed May 20, 2016; U.S. Serial No. 62/383,945, filed on Sep. 7, 2016, and U.S. Serial No. 62/385,727, filed on Sep. 9, 2016, all of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to a tool for improved soil tillage, and particularly to an agricultural field cultivator sweep having a soil conditioner for improved vertical tillage. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Field cultivator sweeps are well known in the agricultural industry. These sweeps are pulled through the ground to loosen the soil for seeding. These sweeps are also used to remove weeds which otherwise absorb nutrients and moisture from the soil. 
         [0004]    Conventional filed cultivator sweeps have a V-shaped body formed by opposing wings, with a pointed nose on the body. The wings generally reside in a horizontal plane and have an upstanding neck which connects to a shank of the cultivator using bolts or other known attachment means, such as clamps, pins, screws, and welding. The sweeps are drawn through soil at a depth of a few inches below the surface. 
         [0005]    In operation, the conventional cultivator sweeps do a reasonably good job of ripping weeds from the soil, while creating some loosened soil. However, the sweeps have a tendency to compress the soil beneath the sweep, which makes it difficult for the roots of the crop to grow into or below the compressed soil. As a result, the roots tend to grow horizontally along the compressed soil, rather than growing downwardly through the compressed soil. 
         [0006]    Therefore, there is a need for an improved filed cultivator sweep which eliminates or minimizes compression of soil during use of the sweep. 
         [0007]    Accordingly, a primary objective of the present invention is the provision of a field cultivating sweep having a soil conditioning element to break up compressed soil and thereby promote plant root growth. 
         [0008]    Another objective of the present invention is the provision of a field cultivator sweep having a body with opposing wings, and a downwardly extending blade to till the soil in a vertical direction. 
         [0009]    A further objective of the present invention is the provision of a field cultivator sweep having a vertically oriented lower blade with a leading edge extending at an angle between 30°-60° so as to create a vertical slit in the soil without sideways displacement of the soil. 
         [0010]    Still another objective of the present invention is the provision of a method of cultivating soil by drawing a filed cultivating sweep with a vertical blade through the soil for vertical tillage. 
         [0011]    Another objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved field cultivator sweep which minimizes noise and minimizes stress on the farming equipment during use. 
         [0012]    A further objective of the present invention is the provision of a field cultivator sweep having a stabilizing rudder which minimizes vibrations, shock, and bounce as the sweep is drawn through the field, and thereby reduce material loss in the sweep and increase the life of the sweep. 
         [0013]    Yet another objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved agricultural sweep which is economical to manufacture, easy to install, and durable in use. 
         [0014]    These and other objectives have become apparent from the following description of the invention. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0015]    The field cultivator sweep of the present invention includes opposite left and right wings which extend outwardly and rearedly from a center line so as to form a symmetrical body with a V-shaped leading edge. An upstanding neck is provided on the body for mounting to sweep to a shank of a cultivator. A soil conditioning element extends downwardly from the bottom of the body. In a preferred embodiment, the conditioning element is a flat blade with a rearwardly angled leading edge. The blade creates a vertical slit in the soil as the sweep is pulled through the ground, thereby minimizing soil compaction and enhancing plant root growth. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0016]      FIG. 1  is a side elevation view of the field cultivator sweep according to the present invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  is a front elevation view of the sweep. 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  is a lower perspective of the sweep. 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  is another lower perspective of the sweep from a different perspective than  FIG. 3 . 
           [0020]      FIG. 5  is a side elevation of a first embodiment wherein the conditioning element has a leading edge extending to the front nose of the sweep. 
           [0021]      FIG. 6  is a side elevation view of the second alternative embodiment of the sweep, according to the present invention. 
           [0022]      FIG. 7  is a side elevation view of a third alternative embodiment of the sweep. 
           [0023]      FIG. 8  is a side elevation view of a fourth alternative embodiment of the sweep. 
           [0024]      FIG. 9  is a side elevation view of a fifth alternative embodiment of the sweep. 
           [0025]      FIG. 10  is a front-end view of a sixth embodiment of the sweep. 
           [0026]      FIG. 11A  is a bottom plan view of a seventh embodiment of the sweep. 
           [0027]      FIG. 11B  is a cross sectional view taken along the lines B-B of  FIG. 11A ; 
           [0028]      FIG. 11C  is a bottom perspective view of the sweep shown in  FIG. 11A . 
           [0029]      FIG. 12  is a bottom perspective view of an eighth embodiment of the sweep, according to the present invention. 
           [0030]      FIG. 13  is front elevation view of a ninth embodiment of the sweep, according to the present invention. 
           [0031]      FIGS. 14A and 14B  are photographs from the top and bottom, respectively, showing applicant&#39;s sweep on the left and a conventional prior art sweep on the right, after a field test of the sweeps to compare the wear after 500 acres (approximately) of use. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0032]      FIGS. 1-4  show a preferred embodiment of a field cultivator sweep  200  in accordance with the present invention. The field cultivator sweep  200  includes a first wing  210  and second wing  220 , together forming a wing body, and an upstanding neck  230  at the rear of the body. The neck  230  is configured to attach to a shank of a cultivator. To this end, the neck  230  may include a plurality of apertures to connect the cultivator sweep  200  to the shank. For example, in  FIG. 2  the field cultivator sweep  200  is illustrated as having two apertures  232  and  234  to allow the field cultivator sweep  200  to connect to the shank by a pair of bolts. It is understood the above connecting method is merely exemplary as the field cultivator sweep  200  may be attached to the shank by a different method, for example, by clamps, pins, screws, and welding. Furthermore, the number of apertures illustrated in  FIG. 2  is not meant to be a limiting feature since some embodiments of the cultivator sweep  200  may include only a single aperture, more than two apertures, or even no apertures. 
         [0033]    The cultivator sweep  200  of  FIGS. 1-4  has a conditioning element  250  in the form of a blade. The blade  250  has a leading edge  251 , and may have, but is not required to have, a chamfered cut  255  at the beginning of the blade which may reduce a stress riser that may occur in the blade. The blade may attach to an underside of the cultivator body by a conventional method such as, but not limited to, welding. Although  FIGS. 1-4  illustrate the cultivator sweep  200  as having a single blade, the invention is not limited thereto. For example, additional blades may be placed in parallel with the blade shown in  FIGS. 1-4 . In addition, while  FIGS. 1-4  illustrate a single blade attached in the center line of the body at the juncture of the first and second wings  210  and  220 , the invention is not limited thereto as one or more blades may be positioned offset from a middle of the sweep. For example,  FIG. 9  illustrates a cross section of a sweep  200  having two parallel blades. The conditioning element  250  may be made from a rectangular metal plate cut to have the general shape of the blade shown in  FIGS. 1-4 , with parallel leading and trailing edges. This, however, is not meant to limit the invention. For example, as shown in  FIG. 3 , the blade may resemble a substantially triangular shape and  FIG. 4  shows the blade as having a trapezoidal shape. In each of these latter embodiments the blades have constant thickness, as though they were manufactured from a plate, or a varying thickness. As another embodiment, in  FIG. 5 , the blade is shown having a leading edge  251  extending to the nose of the sweep  200 . 
         [0034]    In the preferred embodiment, a depth D of the blade below the wings should be approximately two inches or longer, preferably, in the range of two to three inches, as shown in  FIG. 1 . The two inch length provides for efficient vertical tillage. Furthermore, sweep  200  may be substantially symmetrical about a line of symmetry C-C as shown in  FIG. 2  to further promote a stabile strong structure. Further yet, thickness of the conditioning blade  250  and the thickness of the wings  210  and  220  may be about the same and may be about ⅜ inch to promote event wear of the sweep  200 . While the thickness of ⅜ of an inch is presented herein, it is done so merely for the purpose of illustration as the thickness of the blade may be more or less than ⅜ inch, for example ¼ inch or ⅛ inch. 
         [0035]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , the angle Θ of the leading edge  251  of the conditioning element  250  makes with the wing body may be about 30° to about 45°, and preferably about 35° to about 60°, and more preferably, between 40° and 50°. For vertical tillage, it is desirable that the angle Θ be sufficient to allow the blade to slice through the ground rather than as a structure which displaces soil sideways (which may occur if the blade was relatively thick and had a vertical leading edge). Furthermore, the length of the blade may be chosen to control the depth of the slit in the ground. For example, in vertical tillage applications, the length of the blade may be chosen so the depth D of the blade below the wing body is about three inches. The action of slicing though the ground to a depth of about  3  inches prevents incorporation of reside as would be incorporated using a horizontal tool. It is noted the above dimensions are not intended to limit the invention. For example, the blade length may be chosen so that D is larger than three inches or less than three inches. 
         [0036]    The conditioning element  250 , when in blade form as shown in  FIGS. 1-4 , may be offset from a nose  280  of the wing body. In use, the nose  280  of the sweep  200  may cause some soil to displace. However, because the conditioning element  250  may be offset from the nose  280 , for example, by one to six inches, the blade would be passing though disrupted soil and making a slit in the disrupted soil rather than creating an additional disruption to the soil. The slit facilitates root growth in a downward direction, rather than a sideways direction. 
         [0037]    Applicant field tested the cultivator sweep  200  of  FIGS. 1-4  and obtained some surprising results. First, Applicant noticed the noise generated by the farming equipment to which the sweep  200  was attached was less than the noise generated by the farming equipment when a conventional sweep  100  is attached. The reduction in noise is believed to be an indicia of less stress exerted on the farming equipment when the cultivator weep  200  passes through the soil. Furthermore, Applicant ran a side-by-side test of the embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 1-4  against a conventional sweep  100 . Each cultivator sweep  200  and  100  was substantially identical except the cultivator sweep  200  included the conditioning element  250  in blade form. Each cultivator weep  200  and  100  was run through approximately 500 acres of farmland, on the same machine, at the same time. 
         [0038]    Thus, the soil and weather conditions for each sweep were substantially identical.  FIGS. 14A and 14B  illustrate the sweeps  200  and  100  after the test with  FIG. 14A  illustrating a top view of the sweeps  200  and  100  and  FIG. 14B  illustrating bottom views of the sweeps  200  and  100 . As shown in  FIGS. 14A and 14B , Applicant&#39;s sweep  200  showed significantly less material loss on the wings than the convention sweep  100 . Applicant believes the difference in wear is a direct result of the addition of the conditioning element  250  in blade form. When the blade  250  is attached to the sweep body of the cultivator sweep  200 , the conditioning element  250  acts as a rudder which not only breaks up compacted soil but also stabilizes the sweep  200  as it passes though the ground. The sweep  200 , stabilized by the conditioning element  250 , vibrates less and keeps the sweep from bouncing around, a problem often observed with conventional sweeps  100 . Thus, the stabilization reduces shock and vibration which reduces material loss in the body of the sweep  200 . 
         [0039]      FIGS. 11A-11C  show another alternative embodiment of the cultivator sweep  200  with a conditioning element  250 A. In  FIGS. 11B , the conditioning element  250 A has a triangular cross section. As shown in  FIG. 12 , an alternative conditioning element  250 B has a rectangular cross section.  FIG. 13  shows another embodiment of a conditioning element  250 C resembling a fluted coulter  260  which is rotationally supported by the wings  210  and  220 , for example, by a shaft  270 . 
         [0040]    Applicant notes the inventive sweep  200  with any embodiment of the conditioning element may be used in various locations and for various purposes. For example, one embodiment may be used behind tractor wheels to reduce, if not eliminate, soil compaction which may be created by a tractor. In another application, the sweeps  200  may be offset from the tractor wheels and therefore may be used to break compacted soil which naturally occurs with conventional sweeps  100 . Regardless, the presence of the conditioning element  250 , especially in blade form, reduces wear and tear on any agricultural equipment it is attached to while at the same time, reducing if not eliminating soil compaction. 
         [0041]    From the foregoing, it can be seen that the present invention accomplishes at least all of its stated objectives.