Abstract:
An angularly adjustable bracket structure is provided for mounting tool-carrying standards on the frame of an agricultural implement. The bracket structure includes a bracket having three adjoining vertical faces which are angularly offset from one another and which can be abutted to the frame to adjust the tool between three positions and provide selected widths of cut between the tools. A wedge element is removably insertable between the frame and two faces of the bracket to position the third face in abutment with the frame.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to agricultural implements and more particularly relates to a manually adjustable bracket structure for mounting a plow standard on an implement frame. 
     Agricultural operations utilizing earthworking tools such as plows often require that the lateral spacing between the tools be adjusted to vary the width of cut. Such a change is often desirable to match the horsepower and traction of the tractor with particular soil conditions. Further, plowing productivity can be improved by changing width of cut, as for example, when finishing the ends and edges of a hillside or a field or plowing under alfalfa pastures or bean ground. 
     Plows and similar earthworking tools have in the past been rigidly mounted to the toolbar at fixed lateral spacings. Accordingly, a dealer had to maintain a significant inventory of units to provide the widths and spacings necessary for the soil conditions and tractors in his area. The farmer who wanted to maximize his productivity had to either purchase more than one unit or spend substantial time adjusting the width of the spacing between the tools whenever soil conditions or crop conditions required a significant change in that spacing. 
     To overcome this problem, implements have been introduced with mechanisms for adjustably spacing the tools on the frame. See, for example, the John Deere Model 2800 Plow. These implements provide tool-supporting standards which are pivotally mounted to the frame and connected by a hydraulically actuated linkage for simultaneous swinging movement. The interconnecting linkage adjusts each standard relative to the beam and therefore adjusts the angular relationship between each standard and the beam to change the width of the cut between the tools. To provide the continuously variable selection of widths of cut between the tools, these implements possess extensive hydraulics and mechanical linkages and require substantial expense to manufacture as well as maintain. 
     Less expensive manually adjustable mounting structures have also been made available. See, for example, the John Deere Model 3200 Drawn Plow which provides a mounting bracket that can be adjusted between two angular positions. See, also, the John Deere Model S3531 Integral Disk Plow which provides a mounting bracket adjustable between three positions. The adjustments required to the mounting brackets on each of these models, however, requires considerable time and effort. Further, these structures do not couple the mounting brackets with the implement frame so as to resist the torque and other forces commonly encountered by the earthworking tools and standard. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, it is an object to provide an inexpensive manually adjustable tool-mounting structure which can be angularly adjusted with respect to the frame. It is also an object to provide a structure which permits adjustments of the width of cut between the tools in a simple and quick manner. 
     Yet another object is to provide a mounting structure which can be quickly and easily adjusted by a single individual with few tools. A further object is to provide a mounting structure which is angularly adjustable between three positions and which is securely coupled with the frame to resist the forces encountered by the tool and its standard. 
     It is further an object to provide a simple, rugged and durable mounting structure that minimizes both the manufacturing and maintenance expenses. 
     Also an object is a structure which requires few parts yet permits the dealer to assemble the standards and tools at various lateral spacings to provide whatever width is required while maintaining the dealer&#39;s inventory at the lowest reasonable volume. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a top view of an implement utilizing the structure of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective of the standard mounting structure. 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective of the wedge used to adjust the mounting bracket. 
     FIG. 4 is a view of the wedge taken along lines 4--4 of FIG. 3. 
     FIG. 5 is an enlarged top view of the mounting structure illustrating the wedge inserted between the rear of the bracket and the frame. 
     FIG. 6 is a further enlarged view of a portion of the mounting structure illustrated in FIG. 5 and showing the relative positions of the bracket, wedge and frame. 
     FIG. 7 is a view of an alternate wedge embodiment similar to the view shown in FIG. 4. 
     FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 6, but illustrating the alternate wedge embodiment in place between the bracket and frame. 
     FIG. 9 is an enlarged perspective of the alternate wedge embodiment. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Looking now to FIG. 1, there is illustrated an earthworking implement 10 utilizing the mounting structure of the invention. The implement 10 is attached to a tractor 12 (partially shown) and includes a longitudinally extending generally horizontal frame member 14 supporting plow bottoms 16 at equally spaced intervals. The frame 14 is supported at its front by the three-point hitch 18 of the tractor 12 and at its rear portion by the ground-engaging wheels 20 and 22. Each plow 16 is supported by a standard 24 which in turn is connected with the mounting structure 26 for swinging movement about a horizontally extending pivot structure 28. 
     FIG. 2 illustrates an enlarged perspective of the mounting structure 26. The structure 26 includes the bracket 30 and the positioning wedge 32. The bracket 30 is secured by bolts 34 to the frame 14 and supports the forwardly extending bar 36 at its lower front portion. The bar 36 in turn supports the coulter blade 38 forwardly of the plow. The bracket 30 further includes upstanding side plates 40 which support the pivotal connections 28 and 42 respectively for the standard 24 and trip linkage 44. The top surface 46 of the bracket 30 is joined to the upstanding side plates 40 and, as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, extends above the frame 14 to aid in supporting the bracket 30 and to simplify alignment of the bracket 30 with the frame 14. 
     The bracket 30 is further provided with center, rear and front faces, numbered 48, 50 and 52 respectively, which can be selectively abutted against the vertical and flat surface 54 of the frame 14. As is best illustrated in FIG. 5, the faces 50 and 52 recede from and form respective acute angles with the plane of the center face 48. The position of the bracket 30 relative to the frame 14 determines the angle of the standard 24 relative to the frame 14 and accordingly the separation between the plows 16 or the width of cut. 
     The generally rectangular wedge or spacer member 32, best illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, is utilized to selectively position any of the three faces 48, 50 or 52 against the frame 14. The wedge 32 can be inserted between the flat surface 54 and either the front face 52 or rear face 50 to change the position of the bracket 30 relative to the frame 14. When the wedge 32 is not inserted between the bracket 30 and frame 14, the center face 48 will abut the upright surface 54. 
     To permit the wedge 32 to be inserted around the bolts 34 which project through the bracket 32 and frame 14, it is provided with vertically spaced slots or openings 56. To hold the wedge 32 in place once inserted, there is provided lug elements 58 extending outwardly from one upright surface 60 of the wedge and receivable in the lug-receiving recesses 62 carried in the bracket 30. 
     When the wedge 32 is placed between the frame 14 and bracket 30 as illustrated in FIG. 2, it separates the forward portion of the bracket 30 or front and center faces 52 and 48 from the frame 14 and brings the rear face 50 of the bracket 30 into contact with the frame 14. With the bracket 30 in this position, the width of cut would be adjusted to its narrowest setting. When the wedge 32 is inserted between the rear face 50 of the bracket 30 and the frame 14 as illustrated in FIG. 5, the bracket 30 is angularly adjusted relative to the frame 14 and abuts the surface 54 at its front face 52. Removing the wedge 32 altogether causes the center face 48 to be abutted against the surface 54 of the frame 14 and the width of cut to be adjusted to its center setting. 
     The wedge 32 is provided with opposed upright surfaces 60 which extend between wide and narrow edges. The upright surfaces 60, as best shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, diverge from one another in the preferred embodiment at an angle alpha that is approximately twice the angle beta at which the front and rear faces 52 and 50 extend outwardly from the plane of center face 48. The angle alpha at which the surfaces 60 of the wedge 32 diverge determine the separation between the bracket 30 and frame 14. Since the wedge 32 is positioned between the flat frame surface 54 and either the angled front or rear face 52 or 50, it must have sufficient thickness to separate two of the bracket faces from the frame 14 and bring the third face into full surface contact with the frame 14. Thus it must have a taper equal to the sum of the acute angles at which the front and rear faces 52 and 50 diverge from the plane of the center face 48. In the preferred embodiment, this taper would approximate 8°. 
     An alternate wedge embodiment is illustrated in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9. This wedge or spacer member 32 includes a more narrowly tapering edge that will abut on its sides the frame 54 and center face 48 of the bracket 30 when it is inserted. This wedge 32 includes the wider edge having an 8° angle α, the sides 60 of which abut the face 50 and frame 54. Additionally, the narrower edge is tapered to a 4° angle θ to permit its sides 60 to abut the center face 48 of the bracket 30 and the frame 54. The wedge 32 thus provides better surface contact and support between itself and the bracket 30, particularly around the bolt 34 to reduce the stresses which occur as the bolt 34 is tightened to draw the non-parallel surfaces of the bracket 30 and frame 54 tightly together. 
     In the preferred embodiment, and as illustrated in FIG. 5, the bracket 30 is designed to provide a spacing between the plows 16 of approximately 400 millimeters when the front face 52 is secured to the surface of the frame 14. The rear and front faces 50 and 52 of the bracket 30 form reflex angles of approximately 184° with the center face 48 or extend outwardly from the plane of the center face 48 to form acute angles therewith of approximately 4°. This angle at the lines of intersection 64 between the faces 48 and 50 and 48 and 52 can be varied to change the spacing between the plows 16 when the front or rear faces 52 or 50 are abutted against the vertical surface 54 of the frame 14. 
     The preferred angle between faces 50 and 48 and 52 and 48 is selected to change the spacing between the plows 16 by approximately 50 millimeters. Consequently, abutting the rear face 50 with the vertical surface 54 of the frame 14 member for each bracket 30 along the frame 14, will space the plows 16 at approximately 400 millimeters. Abutting the forward face 52 against the vertical surface 54 of the frame 14 for each of the brackets 30 along the frame 14, will space the plows 16 at distances of approximately 500 millimeters. 
     To abut the rear face 50 of the bracket 30 against the surface 54 of the frame 14 requires the wedge 32 to be inserted between the front face 52 and the vertical surface 54 of the frame 14. When inserted, the wedge 32 will project beyond the line of intersection 64 between the front and center faces 52 and 48 and will separate the front and center faces 52 and 48 from the surface 54 of the frame 14 and assure full contact between the surface 54 of the frame 14 and the rear face 50. To properly gauge the depth to which the wedge 32 should be inserted, slots 56 are provided in the wedge 32 to surround the bolts 34 which project through the bracket 30. To prevent the wedge 32 from working loose and to also assure proper insertion of the wedge 32, lugs 58 project into the recesses 62 within the bracket 30. As is apparent from FIGS. 5 and 6, the bolts 34 which secure the bracket 30 to the frame 14 pass through the lines of intersection 64 between faces 50 and 48 and 52 and 48 respectively. In this way, the bolts 34 secure face 48 to the frame 14 when the wedge 32 is not inserted, and when it is inserted act to secure the other face between it and the frame 14 to the frame 14. Therefore, the wedge 32 acts as a spacer when inserted and permits the bolts 34 to securely fasten the bracket 30 to the frame 14 to resist the forces encountered by the plow 16 and its supporting standard 24. 
     In operation, the bracket 30 is simply and easily adjusted by a single individual using a wrench adjusted to the size of the nuts utilized with the bolts 34. When a different spacing is desired between the plows 16, the operator can simply raise the implement above the ground, support the standard and bottom, insert the wrench through the C opening of the bracket 30, loosen the bolts 34, remove the wedge 32 if it has been inserted and either reinsert it on the other side between the alternate face and the surface of the frame 14 or leave it out. The nuts are then retightened and the operator can move on to the next bracket 30 to change the angle of that bracket with respect to the frame member. 
     Upon having adjusted each of the brackets 30, the operator would then adjust the position of the stinger 66 relative to the frame 14. The stinger 66 which is pivotally connected at 68 to the frame, can be simply adjusted through changing the length of the turnbuckle 70 between it and the frame 14. To change the length, the operator need only remove the pin 72 securing the threaded eyebolt 74 to the stinger 66, rotate the eyebolt 74 within the internally threaded member 76 and then reinsert the pin 72. With the simple and inexpensive width adjustment mechanism provided herein, an operator can quickly and easily adjust the width of cut between earthworking tools to select the most appropriate setting for his operation.