Patent GB-1386841-A (GB)
Title: Cultivators
IPC: A01B61/02
Filed: 1972-03-07
Abstract: 1386841 Soil cultivators C VAN DER LELY NV 7 March 1972 [12 March 1971] 10653/72 Heading A1B A soil cultivator has a plurality of rotary soil working members which are driven from a transmission mechanism having a power take off point from which the moving parts of another agricultural implement e.g. a seed drill or planting machine can be driven when the cultivator is used in conjunction with such other implement. In a first embodiment (Fig. 2) the transmission mechanism comprises a gearbox 20 mounted substantially centrally on a transverse hollow beam 1 which carries twelve tined soil working members on respective vertical shafts 2. The gearbox has a shaft 33 which is connected at one end, via a safety overload slip clutch 37 and a cardan shaft, to a drive shaft from the power take off point of a towing vehicle and is extended at its rear end 39 to provide the take off point for the other implement. The shaft 33 is turned and carries a removable gear 31 which meshes with another removable gear 30 on a splined intermediate shaft 29 carrying a bevel pinion 27 on its opposite end. The pinion 27 meshes with a crown wheel 24 bolted on an extension 19A of one of the shafts 2. Each shaft 2 has a spur toothed gear 10 intermeshing with the the or each similar gear 10 on the adjacent shaft(s) to complete the drive chain. The shafts 2 are mounted in bearings housed in the hollow beam 1 which comprises a lower part 9 and a cover 7 which has integrally formed housings (6) for the bearings (Fig. 3, not shown). The gears 30, 31 are protected by a removable cover 40 and are interchangeable or exchangeable with other pairs of co-operating gear wheels so that different rotational speeds for the soil working members is achieved. In a second embodiment of the gearbox (Fig. 5) the upper end of an extension 51 of a shaft 2 is optional and carries a gear 53 which meshes with a gear 54 on another vertical splined shaft 55. The shaft 55 carries crown wheel 57 meshing with a bevel pinion 58 on a splined shaft 59. A rearward extension 61 of the shaft 59 forms the take off point for the other implement. As before the gear wheels 53, 54 are interchangeable or exchangeable with other pairs of pinions. In both instances the gearboxes are constructed and arranged so that the coupling point between the towing vehicle's drive shaft and the input end of the shafts 33, 59 is over the central portion of the beam. The arrangement permits the cultivator to be connected, via the three point hitch of the towing vehicle, at a minimum distance behind the towing vehicle and hence reduces loadings on the hitch and increases manoeuvrability. The skeleton of the gearboxes can either be made from cast iron or stamped from sheet metal. A roller (14) Fig. 1 (not shown) is rotatably mounted between the rearwardly projecting ends of two pivotable arms and comprises a plurality of detachable, relatively spaced circumferential bars arranged either parallel to or helically around the longitudinal axis. The arms may be set in a range of angular positions about their pivots to alter the working depth of the soil working members. Two shield plates are located at respective ends of the beam 1 and extend parallel to the direction of travel. In use, their lowermost edges slide over the ground and the shields can pivot about respective horizontal axes on encountering undulations. They can also be pivoted upwardly into a transport position. Reference has been directed by the comptroller to Specifications 1226679, 1266432 and 1277679.