Patent GB-114894-A (GB)
IPC: A01B63/08
Abstract: 114,894. Commercial Cars, Ltd., and Thomas, E. W. April 19, 1917. Motor implements; ploughs; adjusting parts of implements; stecring.- A self - propelled agricultural implement, such as a plough, has its driving wheels d, d' mounted on stub axles secured to cranks rigidly secured to, and extending in different directions from, the ends of the main axle. The driving axles are driven independently through clutches from a countershaft g operated from the motor b, the countershaft g driving chain-wheels i which are loosely mounted on the main axle and carry pinions meshing with internal gear wheels fitted on the driving wheels d, d'. The main axle c, carrying the cranks, which are preferably arranged at an angle of 90 degrees with each other, is rotated to raise or lower the ploughs or to adjust the machine for running on level ground by the device shown in Fig. 8. A drum carrying two rings of oppositely arranged ratchet teeth n, o is fixed to the axle c upon which is pivoted a lever p connected to and adapted to be moved by a screw shaft t. The lever p has loosely pivoted on it a pair of pawls q, r adapted to engage the teeth n, o respectively, these pawls being provided with tails y, x which are adapted to be engaged by cams on a shaft z when this shaft is rotated by the movement of an arm 1. To lower the ploughs, a pawl 13 is moved by a handle 15 to engage the teeth n and a rod 9 operating a lever 4 pivoted on the lever 1 is pushed to the left by a handle 8 causing, through the spring 6 and a link 5, the arm 1 to be moved to the right, in which position it is yieldingly held by the engagement of a spring catch in the recess 3. The shaft z is then operated, moving its cams and lifting the pawl q. The handle of the pawl 13 is then moved to give this pawl a tendency to free itself and the lever p moved over to the left by operating the screw t, drawing the rod 9 with it until a projection 12 on the rod strikes a stop 10. The rod 9 being held thus causes the lever 4 to swing until it strikes a projection on the lever 1 moving this lever back to mid-position and letting the pawl q fall into engagement with the ratchet teeth n. At the same time as the pawl q engages the teeth n and takes the weight of the ploughs, the pawl 13 is freed by spring 16. The axle c is now rotated to lower the ploughs by bringing lever p over to the right by the operation of the screw t until, by the engagement of a projection 11 on the rod 9 with the stop 10, the rod 9 is pushed to the left relatively to the lever p, thus causing the pawl q to be lifted again. Simultaneously with the second operation, the pawl 13 is moved into engaging position by a spring trip-gear 20. The operation can be repeated until the ploughs have reached the desired position. To lift the ploughs the rod 9 is turned round till the projections 11, 12 can pass the stop 10 and is pulled over to the right, causing the pawl r to be lifted ; the axle c is then turned by the pawl q and lever p operating in the manner of the ordinary ratchet brace. The pawl r is used to turn the axle when it has to be turned in a directior contrary to that above mentioned without the assistance of the load. A pin 21 locks the lever to the drum when the ploughs are at the correct height or the pawls may be mounted eccentrically on their spindle which may be turned to spread them and hold them in firm engagement with the teeth. To turn the plough at the headlands, one wheel is driven in a backward direction the other being freed from the drive; the reaction rocks the machine until a skid 22 at the front engages the ground, the front of the plough being raised simultaneously until the shares clear the top of the furrows. The machine then pivots round the free wheel. The pivoted frame carrying the shares may be removed and the machine used as a tractor, the driving wheels then being moved bodily further to the rear and a front wheel being substituted for the skid 22.