US2718740A - Harrow evener - Google Patents

Description

R. B. WALLACE 2,718,740

HARROW EVENER Sept. 27, 1955 Filed June 1'7, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 27, 1955 R. B. WALLACE 2,718,740

HARROW EVENER Filed June 17, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 cfzvezzZoz Wkkard 2. ez/zzace 2,718,740 [Ce Patented Sept. 27, 1955 HARROW EVENER Richard Byron Wallace, Sac City, Iowa, assignor to Grace A. Noble, Sac City, Iowa Application June 17, 1950, Serial No. 168,788

3 Claims. (Cl. 55-84) My invention relates to a novel type of harrow evener.

In harrowing operations, not all situations require the use of the same number of harrow sections and the specific number used or required will be found generally to vary from two to eight. The harrow sections are usually attached to a tubular drawbar or evener which in turn is usually flexibly attached by cables to a center chain assembly. The chain assembly in turn is connected to the hitch on a prime mover such as a tractor or the like. The basic drawbar or center tubing as it is sometimes called is constructed to accommodate a specific number of harrow sections and this is generally three. Stub sections can be added to the evener to. increase the number of harrow sections that may be pulled and in the present state of the art the practice has beento add a like number of harrow sections to each end of the evener so that the load to be pulled by the evener is balanced in relation to the force transmitted to the cables connecting the evener to the tractor. Consequently, for example, where a four-section harrow is all that is needed, the basic three section drawbar with one stub added could not be used as this would not give a proper balance and alignment. Therefore, the user is limited to a three-section harrow which would be insufiicient or to a five-section harrow that would be more than he required. The same is true in other cases, when the number of harrow sections needed in addition to the capacity of the central tubing is not divisible by two.

It is therefore an object of my invention to provide a harrow evener with a basic central section having a capacity for a predetermined number of harrow sections and which is designed to be adaptable for accommodating an odd or even number of harrow sections in addition to the capacity of the central section thereof.

More specifically my invention embodies the use of one or more stub sections capable of being detachably secured to the basic central section of the evener and a calculated arrangement of eye members on the stub sections and basic section whereby the cables running from the evener to the tractor or the like can be selectively secured to certain of the eye members to provide an even balanced pull irrespective of whether the capacity of the evener is increased to accommodate an odd or even number of harrow sections in addition to its basic capacity.

A further object of this invention is to provide a harrow evener having the advantages above recited and in which the adaptation of the evener for accommodating an increasing number of harrow sections can be made quickly and easily without requiring any special tools.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a novel means for attaching a clevis to an eye member when securing the harrow evener cables to a ring on the center chain assembly thereof.

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is an elevational View showing a central section for a harrow evener having a capacity for three harrow sections and showing the harrow sections attached thereto,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a ring on the center chain assembly of this device secured by a clevis to an elongated slotted eye member attached to one of the evener pulling cables,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of this device taken from the line 33 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the manner of inserting the clevis through the elongated eye member on one of the cables,

Fig. 5 is an elevational view of this evener with one stub section added to increase the capacity of the evener from three to four harrow sections and showing the addition of extra cables and their connecting points on the evener and stub sections,

Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of one of the links used for increasing the length of a cable, and

Fig. 7 is an elevational view similar to Fig. 5 but showing the evener having two stub sections and adapted to accommodate five harrow sections.

Referring to the drawings I have used the numeral 10 to designate an elongated tubular drawbar or harrow evener. As viewed in Fig. 1 this evener tube 10 has the stub shaft 11 on the left end so that the respective ends 11 and 12 of the tube 10 present a male and female portion. Arranged in longitudinal spaced relationship on the evener tube 10 and extending in the same direction therefrom are the eye members 13, 14, and 15. It is pointed out that the members 13 and 15 are positioned near the respective end portions of the tube 10 and each are approximately equidistant from the respective tube ends excluding the stub shaft 11. The member 14 is not centered on the tube 10 but is located at a point between the member 13 and the longitudinal center of the tube 10 as shown in Fig. l. The numeral 16 designates three hook members respectively secured in equidistant spaced relationship to the tube 10 by means of the respective collars 17 as shown in Fig. 1. This construction thus far described is known as the center tubing or what I have referred to as the basic center section. Each of the hooks 16 is designed to pull the respective harrow sections 18.

A center chain assembly comprises the length of link chain 19 having the ring members 20 secured to each respective end. This chain assembly is secured to the evener tube 10 by means of cables and when the basic center section only is used for a three-section harrow I provide the two cables 21 and 22 as shown in Fig. 1 and when the evener is adapted to accommodate more than three harrow sections I provide the additional cables 23 and 24 as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 7. The terminal eye members 25 for each of the above cables and the clevis 26 and clevis pin 27 for attaching the respective ends to the evener and the rings 20 are of like construction and are given like numbers. Each end of each cable 2124 is provided with the elongated eye member 25. It is pointed out that in construction these members 25 are in the form of an elongated link as shown in Figs. 2 and 4 and makes possible the insertion of the clevis 26 therein as illustrated in Fig. 4. Heretofore, in securing cables to eveners by a clevis, the terminal members on the cables have been in the form of rings. This was thought to be necessary to allow passageway for the eye portions of the clevis, but by providing the elongated slots as I have done in the members 25, the clevis can be easily passed therethrough and at the same time the members 25 provide greater strength than a ring member at this point.

The numeral 28 designates a link member formed from p the members 13 and 33 and to the rings 20.

a rod length with its respective ends bent to form an eye as shown in Fig. 6. These links are used as hereinafter described to lengthen the cables when required.

For purposes of adapting the center tubing 10 to accommodate more than three harrow sections, I provide the stub tubular sections 29 and 30 respectively as illustrated in Figs. and 7. The stub section 29 is provided with the stub shaft 31 so that it has a male and female end the same as the center tubing 10. Two spaced apart eye members 32 and 33 are secured thereto as shown in Fig. 5. The distance between the members 32 and 33 is the same as the distance between the members 13 and 14 on the tubing 10. A hook 34 is secured by a collar 35 to the stub tubing 29 similarly to the hooks 16. The stub section 30 comprises a length of tubing of like diameter and length as the stub section 29 excluding the stub shaft 31. An eye member 36 is secured near one end portion of the tube 30 and this eye is similar to the eyes 1315 and 32 and 33. Likewise the hook 37 and collar 38 on the tube 30 for pulling the harrow section is similar to like hooks on the other sections and 29.

In operation this harrow evener is capable of use as follows: Fig. 1 illustrates the arrangement of the center tubing 10 or basic center section designed to pull three harrow sections. This arrangement contemplates the use of the two cables 21 and 22 secured respectively to the members 13 and 15 and to the rings 20. The evener is pulled by attaching the link chain 19 to a hitch on a trailer or the like. To increase the capacity of the evener from three to four harrow sections, reference is made to Fig. 5. Here the tubing 29 is attached to the center tubing 10 by inserting the stub shaft 31 of the tube 29 into the female end 12 of the tubing 10. This is a telescoping arrangement and requires no bolts, hinges or the like. The cable 21 is then secured to member 14 and the cable 22 is secured to member 32. Two cables 23 and 24 are added and secured respectively to It is pointed out that the respective distances between hooks 13 and 14 and 32 and 33 are equal so that the pulling force on the expanded evener remains equalized even though the capacity of the evener has been increased to accommodate only one additional harrow section.

To adapt the evener to five harrow sections which is two more than the capacity of the center tubing and one more than the arrangement shown in Fig. 5, reference is made to Fig. 7. This adaptation contemplates the structure of Fig. 5 with the stub tubing 30 telescoped on the stub shaft 11 of the tubing 10 as illustrated. The cables 23 and 24 respectively are then secured to the eye members 36 and 33 and a link 28 is added to each forwardly end of each of these cables to provide the additional length obviously needed. The cables 21 and 22 respectively are secured to the members 13 and 15. Thus arranged the distance between the members 36 and 13 and 1S and 33 is equal so that the pulling force on the evener remains equalized.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of my harrow evener without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims, any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim:

1. In a harrow evener, a center section tubular draw bar having a stub shaft extending from one end thereof, means on said center section for pulling a predetermined number of harrow sections, a first and second eye member respectively disposed on said center section and equally spaced from the transverse median and ends thereof, a. third eye member disposed on said center section intermediate said first and second eye members and closer to said first eye member than said second eye member, a lengthwise tubular drawbar extension unit extending from each side of said center section, one of said extension units having a stub shaft extending from one end thereof and interengaging the tubular end of said center section, a stub shaft on said center section interengaging one tubular end of the other extension unit, a pair of eye members disposed on one of said extension units and equally spaced from the transverse median and ends thereof, the spaced relationship between said pair of eye members and said first and third eye members being the same, an eye member disposed on the other extension unit near the outer end thereof, each of said extension units having means to pull only one harrow section, flexible pull members joined at one end to a common attaching means designed to be coupled to a tractor or the like and connected at their other respective ends to selected eye members on said center sections and extension units tol produce a balanced draft for said center drawbar as extended, each of said flexible pull members being disconnectible from said eye members and rearrangeable thereon whereby the harrow section capacity of this harrow evener can be selectively increased or decreased by one or more without disturbing the balance of the draft.

2. In a harrow evener, a center section drawbar member having means designed to pull a predetermined number of harrow sections, a lengthwise drawbar extension unit extending from each side of said center section and coupling means for endwise engagement therewith, each of said extension units designed to pull only one harrow section, a plurality of eye members on said center section, a pair of eye members on one extension unit and one eye member on the other extension unit, flexible pull members joined at one end to a common attaching means designed to be coupled to a tractor or the like and connected at their other respective ends to selected eye members to produce a balanced draft for said center drawbar as extended, means on each of said flexible pull members disconnectible from said eye members and rearrangeable thereon whereby the harrow section capacity of this harrow evener can be selectively increased or decreased by one or more without disturbing the balance of the draft, said last mentioned means comprising, an elongated link member secured to the end of said respective flexible pull members, a clevis member, eyes on the oppositely disposed free ends of said clevis member, one of said clevis eyes insertable through said link and means for detachably securing each respective clevis to an eye member and a link member.

3. A harrow drawbar consisting of a plurality of sections detachably secured in endwise alignment, a plurality of spaced apart eye members on said drawbar, a plurality of flexible pull members connected at one end to a common coupling and at their other respective ends to selected eyes to produce a balanced draft for said drawbar, means on each of said flexible members disconnectible from said eyes and rearrangeable thereon to selectively increase or decrease said sections by one or more and to maintain a balanced draft, said last mentioned means comprising, an elongated link member secured to the end of said respective flexible pull members, a clevis member, eyes on the oppositely disposed free ends of said clevis member, one of said clevis eyes insertable through said link and means for detachably securing each respective clevis to an eye member and a link member, and said flexible members remaining attached at one end to a common coupling irrespective of the number of sections used.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 952,210 McGovern Mar. 15, 1910 1,230,294 Hansen et al. June 19, 1917 1,653,292 Kelly Dec. 20, 1927 1,722,540 Rasmussen July 30, 1929 2,131,667 Noble Sept. 27, 1938

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