GB2128067A

GB2128067A - Equipment comprising a soil cultivating machine and a further machine

Info

Publication number: GB2128067A
Application number: GB08327584A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Der Lely Cornelis Van
Original assignee: C Van der Lely NV
Current assignee: C Van der Lely NV
Priority date: 1982-10-15
Filing date: 1983-10-14
Publication date: 1984-04-26
Also published as: FR2534443A1; DE3337193C2; NL192364C; NL192364B; GB2128067B; GB8327584D0; DE3337193A1; NL8203978A

Abstract

A tractor is provided with equipment comprising a soil cultivating machine and a seed drill. The soil cultivating machine is hitched to the tractor by lower coupling points (24) and an upper coupling point (22) which is disposed behind the lower coupling points (24). The upper coupling point is connected to the tractor by an adjusting cylinder (34) which can be retracted to lift the equipment into a transport position. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Equipment comprising a soil cultivating machine and a further machine This invention relates to equipment comprising a soil cultivating machine and a further machine such as a seed drill.

When such equipment is used, particularly when the working width is large, the lifting device of the tractor, by means of which the equipment is moved into and held in a transport position, may be undesirably heavily loaded.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided equipment comprising a soil cultivating machine and a further machine, the soil cultivating machine comprising a frame and means for coupling it to a tractor, an adjusting cylinder being provided for arrangement between the frame and the tractor.

With such a construction, the equipment may be turned as a whole about the coupling points of the soil cultivating machine in a manner such that the centre of gravity of the equipment lies considerably nearer the tractor so that the load on the lifting device is appreciably reduced.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided equipment comprising a soil cultivating machine and a further machine, the soil cultivating machine being provided with a multi-point attachment for coupling it with the lifting device of a tractor, a lower coupling point of the multi-point attachment being disposed, during operation of the equipment, in front of a higher coupling point, with respect to the intended direction of operative travel of the equipment.

According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided equipment comprising a soil cultivating machine and a further machine, the soil cultivating machine being provided with a multipoint attachment for coupling it to the lifting device of a tractor, the multi-point attachment comprising an upwardly extending frame part, the front of which slopes to the rear from bottom to top with respect to the intended direction of operative travel of the equipment.

In this way the top of the frame part is disposed further to the rear then the bottom so that a maximum distance is available between the soil cultivating machine and the tractor for turning the equipment.

In accordance with a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided equipment comprising a soil cultivating machine and a seed drill, the soil cultivating machine being adapted to be coupled with the lifting device of a tractor for movement of the equipment into a transport position in which the seed drill is in an inclined position, the hopper of the seed drill being provided with at least one latchable cover.

For a better understanding of the present invention and to show how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure lisa plan view of a soil cultivating machine and a seed drill attached to a tractor; Figure 2 is a view taken in the direction of the arrow II in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a view corresponding to Figure 2, showing the equipment in a transport position; and Figure 4 is an enlarged view taken on the line IV-IV in Figure 1.

The equipment shown in the Figures comprises a soil cultivating machine, for preparing a seed bed, used in combination with a second machine, which in this embodiment is a seed drill.

The soil cultivating machine comprises a frame part 1 extending transversely of the intended direction of operative travel, indicated by an arrow A, in which upwardly extending (and preferably vertical) shafts 2 of cultivating members 3 are journalled at equal intervals of preferably 25 cms. Each of the cultivating members 3 comprises a substantially horizontal carrier arranged at the end of a shaft protruding from the underside of the frame part. The carrier 4 is provided near its ends with cultivating elements in the form of tines which extend downwardly. Near its ends, the frame part 1 is provided with upwardly directed plates 6, each of which is provided near the front with a stub shaft 7 which pivotally supports an arm 8 extending to the rear along the inner surface of the respective plate 6.

Near the rear end of each of the arms 8 there is a screw spindle 9 for adjusting the arms upwardly and downwardly with respect to the plates 6. A roller 10 is mounted for rotation between the free ends of the arms 8. The roller is, in this embodiment, a packer roller.

Inside the frame part 1, each of the shafts 2 is provided with a spur gear wheel in a manner such that the gear wheels 11 on the shafts 2 of neighbouring cultivating members 3 are drivably in mesh with one another. Near the middle of the frame part 1, the shaft of one of the cultivating members 3 is extended into a gear box 12, in which the extended shaft is drivably connected by a change-speed mechanism 13 with a shaft 14 extending in the direction A and projecting from the front of the gear box. The shaft 14 can be coupled by an auxiliary shaft 15 with the power take-off shaft of a tractor. At equal distances from the gear box 12, on both sides thereof, there are support plates 16 arranged on the top of the frame part 1, these support plates extending in the direction A beyond the frame part at the front and at the rear.The support plates 16 form part of a multi-point attachment (in this embodiment a threepoint attachment) comprising also an upwardly extending frame part 17, which is constructed in the from of a trestle. The trestle 17 comprises plates 18, which converge upwardly away from the support plates 16. The plates 18 are disposed above the rear of the frame part 1 and are interconnected by means of plates 19 extending in the direction A and by means of a transverse piece. At the rear, each of the plates 18 has a substantially straight edge extending approximately parallel to a vertical plane transverse of the direction A.At the front, each of the plates 18 slopes to the rear from bottom to top away from the place where it is fastened to the respective support plate 16 in a manner such that the top ends of the plates 18 are disposed behind a vertical plane containing the rotary axes of the cultivating members. The front edges of the plates 19 are connected by downwardly diverging supports 21 to the front of the frame part 1. Between the plates 19, near the front, there is a coupling point 22 for the top arm of a three-point attachment, this coupling point being disposed behind the vertical plane containing the rotary axes of the cultivating members 3. Near the front, each of the support plates 16 has a slot 23 in which a rod 24 extending transversely of the direction A is freely movable. The ends of the rod 24 constitute coupling points for the lower arms of a three-point attachment.At the level of the front of the frame part 1, each of the support plates 16 is provided with a stub shaft 25 (Figure 4), about which is pivotable an arm 26 which extends to the rear along the respective support plates. The arms 26 extend beyond the roller and are provided at the level of the roller with an upwardly directed curve.

An arm 27 of adjustable length is freely pivotably mounted between the rear ends of the plates 19. The movement of the lower arms 26 is limited by stops 29A, which are preferably made from elastic material and which are arranged behind the plates 18 on each of the support plates 16 in a manner such that the arms 26 do not come into contact with the top of the frame part 1 (Figure 4). The ends of the respective arms 26 and 26 constitute the coupling points for a three-point attachment 28A of a machine to be combined with the soil cultivating machine; in the illustrated embodiment the machine is a seed drill.

The seed drill 28 comprises ground wheels 29 and has a hopper 30 with which seed tubers 31 are connected, which open out behind the ground wheels. The hopper 30 extends transversely of the direction A and is provided at the top with two relatively pivotable covers 32, each of which can be retained in place by mans of readily releasable latching means 33.

When coupling the combination described above with a tractor, the top arm of the three-point attachment is constituted by a hydraulically or pneumatically actuable adjusting cylinder 34. The cylinder 34 is pivotally mounted at one end, in this case the piston rod end, between the plates 19 at the top of the trestle 17 and is pivotally connected at the other end to a coupling point at the rear of the tractor (Figure 2).

During operation, the equipment can be moved, in the position shown in Figure 1, in the direction A.

The cultivating members 3 are driven from the power take-off shaft of the tractor through the transmission described above so that neighbouring cultivating members rotate in opposite senses and their cultivating elements 5 work adjacent or overlapping strips of soil. The working depth of the cultivating members can be adjusted with the aid of the packer roller 10 and the screw spindle 9 on each of the arms 5. The strip of soil worked by the cultivating members and slightly consolidated by the packer roller arranged behind them can be sown during the same run by the seed drill, which is movable upwardly and downwardly independently of the soil cultivating machine during operation.

The adjusting cylinder 34 is in its maximum extended position during operation so that the connection point 22 is disposed behind the vertical plane containing the rotary axes of the cultivating members (Figure 2). For transporting the equipment, the cylinder 34 can be moved into its shortest position, the equipment comprising the soil cultivating machine and the seed drill then being turned about the coupling points 22, 24 at the front of the trestle 17 into a transport position as shown in Figure 3. From this Figure it will be appreciated that in the transport position the centre of gravity of the seed drill 28 is disposed above the roller 10 so that the centre of gravity of the equipment as a whole is displaced far to the front so that during transport only a small load, if any, is applied to the lifting device of the tractor.The stops 29A prevent the seed drill from moving in an undesirable manner. The result of this is that, despite the use of the combined equipment described above and despite its relatively heavy weight, fairly light-weight tractors may be employed. The transport position shown can thus be attained by using the adjusting cylinder 34 with its coupling point 22 disposed near the top of the trestle 17 and behind a vertical plane containing the rotary axes of the cultivating members. In the manner illustrated the coupling point 22 for the adjusting cylinder 34 is situated to the rear of the lower coupling points 24 of the three-point attachment and to the rear of the rear axle of the tractor by such an extent that the transport position shown in Figure 3 can be obtained.Since the covers 32 of the hopper 30 of the seed drill are provided with the latching means 33, which may comprise quick-action latches, loss of seed during transport is avoided despite the inclined position of the seed drill. For attaining the transport position shown in Figure 3 it is only necessary to turn the equipment about the coupling points of the multi-point attachment. It is further ermore possible to lift the equipment, by performing a turn about the coupling points on the tractor so that the centre of gravity of the equipment can lie even nearer the tractor. This position is shown in dot-dash outline in Figure 3.

Whilst various features of the equipment that have been described, and that are illustrated in the drawings, will be set forth in the following claims as inventive features, it is to be noted that the invention is not necessarily limited to these features and that it encompasses all of the features that have been described both individually and in various combinations.

Claims

1. Equipment comprising a soil cultivating machine and a further machine, the soil cultivating machine comprises a frame and means for coupling it to a tractor, an adjusting cylinder being provided for arrangement between the frame and the tractor.

2. Equipment as claimed in claim 1, in which the frame of the soil cultivating machine is provided with a multi-pont attachment, lower coupling points of the multi-point attachment being disposed, during operation of the equipment, in front of a higher coupling point, with respect to the intended direction of operative travel of the equipment.

3. Equipment comprising a soil cultivating machine and a further machine, the soil cultivating machine being provided with a multi-point attachment for coupling it with the lifting device of a tractor, a lower coupling point of the multi-point attachment being disposed, during operation of the equipment, in front of a higher coupling point, with respect to the intended direction of operative travel of the equipment.

4. Equipment as claimed in claim 2 or 3, in which the multi-point attachment comprises an upwardly extending frame part, the upper end of which is disposed to the rear of the lower end, with respect to the intended direction of operative travel of the equipment.

5. Equipment as claimed in claim 4, in which the frame part is constructed in the form of a trestle, the front of which slopes to the rear from bottom to top with respect to the intended direction of operative travel of the equipment.

6. Equipment comprising a soil cultivating machine and a further machine, the soil cultivating machine being provided with a multi-point attachment for coupling it to the lifting device of a tractor, the multi-point attachment comprising an upwardly extending frame part, the front of which slopes to the rear from bottom to top with respect to the intended direction of operative travel of the equipment.

7. Equipment as claimed in claim 5 or 6, in which the top of the frame part is disposed behind the longitudinal centre line of a further frame part which extends transversely of the intended direction of operative travel of the machine and is provided with cultivating members.

8. Equipment as claimed in claim 7, in which the cultivating members are arranged in a row extending transversely of the intended direction of operative travel and are adapted to rotate about substantially vertical axes, the upper coupling point of the upwardly extending frame part being disposed behind a vertical plane containing the rotary axes of the cultivating members.

9. Equipment as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the further machine is coupled with the soil cultivating machine by means of substantially parallel, lower arms and a fastening arm so as to be upwardly and downwardly pivotable.

10. Equipment as claimed in claim 9, when appendant to any one of claims 4 to 8, in which the lower arms are pivotally mounted near the front of the upwardly, extending frame part.

11. Equipment as claimed in claim 10, in which at least one stop is provided for the lower arms near the bottom of the trestle in a manner such that the arms are prevented from making contact with the frame of the soil cultivating machine.

12. Equipment as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the equipment is movable into a transport position by turning about coupling points of a multi-point attachment on the soil cultivating machine.

13. Equipment as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the further machine is a seed drill.

14. Equipment as claimed in claim 13, when appendant to claim 12, in which, in the transport position, the seed drill is in an inclined position, the seed drill comprising a hopper which is closed by at least one latchable cover.

15. Equipment comprising a soil cultivating machine and a seed drill, the soil cultivating machine being adapted to be coupled with the lifting device of a tractor for movement of the equipment into a transport position in which the seed drill is in an inclined position, the hopper of the seed drill being provided with at least one latchable cover.

16. Equipment as claimed in claim 14 or 15, in which the latching member comprises a quick-action element.

17. Equipment substantially as described herein with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.