Abstract:
An apparatus for maintaining a secondary tool bar in spaced relation to a primary toolbar utilizes a spring biased quadrilateral linkage connected between the primary and secondary tool bars independently of any tools mounted on said bars such that said primary tool bar supports said secondary tool bar and any tools mounted thereon.

Description:
FIELD OF INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to agricultural implements used behind tractors to work the soil and more particularly the use of multiple tool bars to carry multiple implements behind tractors. Even more particularly the present invention relates to linkages between primary and secondary tool bars. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    It is an object of the current invention to save vital mounting space on the main tool bar of an agricultural tillage machine. Yet another object is to provide improved economy over individual linkages for each row of secondary tillage tools as seen on some competitor&#39;s machines. A still further object is to facilitate the connection of multiple implements in a labor saving manner. Each of these is accomplished in the present design which further avoids the creation of un-worked soil when the secondary tillage tools are directly mounted to the primary tillage tool, as seen on Pat. No. 4,068,061, when the tool is tripped. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0003]    Referring to the drawings which are appended hereto and which form a portion of this disclosure, it may be seen that: 
           [0004]      FIG. 1  is a side elevational view of an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0005]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of tillage equipment using an embodiment of the present invention to connect two tool bars with implements attached thereto: 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0006]    One or more of the above objects can be achieved, at least in part, by providing parallel linkage on a tillage machine to connect the main toolbar to a secondary toolbar(s) on which secondary tillage tools are mounted.  FIG. 1  shows the parallel linkage mechanism  10 . Referring to  FIG. 1 , a main tool bar bracket  11  is the connection component to the main toolbar  17 . Bracket  11  includes a pair of spaced apart plates  13  having a notch  15  formed therein for engagement with a main toolbar  17 . A spacer plate  19  connects the spaced apart plates  15  and may be secured thereto by welding or by forming the plates  13  and spacer plate  19  from a single steel plate. A U-bolt  21  and associated nuts are conventionally used to secure the bracket  11  to main tool bar  17 . 
         [0007]    A rear bracket  23  is the connection piece to the secondary toolbar. The structure of rear bracket  23  mirror that of main tool bar bracket  11  including the plates  13 , notches  15 , and spacer plate  19 . U-Bolt  22  is used to connect the secondary bracket to the secondary tool bar  38  in  FIG. 2 . Link members  25  and  27  are pivotally connected to the brackets  11  and  23  by pivot pins  28  to  31 . A stop  26  affixed to link member  27  engages bracket  23  to inhibit the quadrilateral linkage from collapsing beyond a set angular measure. Spring  33  applies adjustable spring down pressure on the parallel links depending on its connection point to spring bracket  34  and thus insures that the secondary strip tillage as shown in  FIG. 2  properly engages the ground. If spring down pressure is unneeded, the spring  33  can be easily removed. 
         [0008]      FIG. 2  shows the parallel linkage  10  connecting the main toolbar to the secondary toolbars  38 . Primary tillage tools  40  are mounted in two sets of three tools to the main tool bar  17  which is conventionally a strong weldment connected to the tractor or prime mover that pulls the tillage apparatus across a field. Near the center of the main tool bar  17  a pair of parallel linkage  10  are connected to the main tool bar  17  and to adjacent ends of two secondary toolbars  38 . Likewise near the ends of main tool bar  17  a second pair of parallel linkage  10  are connected to the outer ends of secondary tool bars  38  thus forming a secure connection to which secondary tools can be mounted. Tying multiple rows of strip tillage tools together on a secondary toolbars  38  saves vital mounting space on the main toolbar  17 . In turn, linking to secondary toolbars is more economical individual linkages for each row of secondary tillage tools. As may be seen in  FIG. 2 , the secondary toolbars  38  span multiple rows. Parallel linkages  10  allow for constant engagement of secondary tillage tools  41  with the ground irrespective of the displacement of the primary tillage tools  40 . 
         [0009]    The use of a secondary toolbars on such units ensures consumer flexibility. The consumer can easily change secondary tillage tools by replacing the secondary toolbars  38  or changing the secondary tillage tools  41  individually. The farmer has enormous flexibility to switch between secondary strip tillage equipment, or to change to secondary bedding tillage equipment simply by connecting the secondary tool bar  38  with the desired tools mounted thereon. Thus, allowing the farmer to convert his Rip-Strip machine to a Ripper-Bedder machine with considerably less work than previous machines. 
         [0010]    While in the foregoing specification this invention has been described in relation to certain embodiments thereof, and many details have been put forth for the purpose of illustration, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is susceptible to additional embodiments and that certain of the details described herein can be varied considerably without departing from the basic principles of the invention.