US3402774A - Soil tillage sled - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 24, 1968 M. R. ROBINSON SOIL TILLAGE SLED 2 Sheets-Shet 1 Filed Oct. 14, 1965 INVENTOR MAYES R. ROBINSON BY United States Patent 3,402,774 SOIL TILLAGE SLED Mayes R. Robinson, Gilroy, Califi, assignor to International Harvester Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 14, 1965, Ser. No. 495,811 2 Claims. (Cl. 172-4l3) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A frame and supporting wheel construction for a soil tillage sled wherein the frame includes at least three transverse square bars rigidly interconnected at their ends by unitary elongated channel shaped opposed clamping elements having longitudinally spaced notches adapted to seat opposite sides of all of said bars with means securing the clamping elements to the bars, and wherein the supporting wheels mounting means likewise includes opposed channel-shaped elements longitudinally notched to seat opposite sides of any two adjacent bars and adjustable longitudinally of the frame for optional attachment to any other two adjacent frame bars.

The present invention relates to a soil tillage sled frame construction in combination with certain attachments thereto including sled runners, bed formers, tongue assembly, and wheel assemblies. In more particular, the present invention relates to the constructions of such frame and such attachments, and the unitary coaction between such constructions. In particular, the frame is one made up of spaced parallel transverse bars and longitudinal clamps each of which clamps comprise but two jaws that extend across all of the bars and act to space the bars and to hold them in such spacing. Thus the clamps act both as structural members and as clamps. This is in contrast to the prior devices which used a grid of structural members and separate clamping means or welding at the grid intersections to obtain connection between the longitudinal and transverse sets of grid members. Thus it is an object of the present invention to devise a grid frame for earth working tools that is easily adjustable as to the spacing of the grid members, and in which one set of grid members act as clamps to secure thereto the other set of grid members.

One of the uses of the present device is that of forming raised bed rows in Which crops are planted. Thus one of the tools often attached to the present frame are bed formers adjacent the front edge of the frame, the forward edge in the direction of travel of the device across a field. In the past it has not been possible to adjust a carrier of bed formers so that the resulting beds would be of a uniform and desired height. This has been so because of a lack of means for setting the height at which the bed formers would ride within narrow adjustments, often needed within a quarter or eighth inch; and because of a lack of means of readily setting and controlling the aspect of the bed formers. Thus it is another object of the present invention to devise a bed former carrying device that may have its height and aspect readily adjusted and adjusted to precise values of height and aspect.

These defects of the prior devices are overcome and the above objects achieved by a grid frame construction outlined above and by the provision of sled runners that may be easily and precisely adjusted as to their spacing from the frame to which they are attached and which carries the bed formers. Further, the aspect of the frame and the bed formers carried thereby is adjusted and set by a tongue pivoted to the frame and an adjustable length jack operative between the tongue and the frame to set ice and hold the angle therebetween to give frame and bed formers a desired aspect.

One embodiment of the invention such as outlined briefly above, and that achieves the mentioned objects is hereinafter described in detail and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the device with parts cut away for clarity of construction.

FIGURE 2 is a front end view of the same device.

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the device shown in FIG- URES 1 and 2.

In the drawings, the frame 11 of the present ,device enables adjustments to be made thereto and to equipment attached thereto to easily accommodate various planting row spacings, bed widths and heights, and bed spacings. Not only may such adjustments be made but they may be easily made. Further, while such adjustments may be easily made, the frame is more rigid than those of known devices intended for similar functioning. Such versatility is had by a grid construction of the frame employing transverse square section tubular bars that are spaced apart and coextensively parallel to each other in a single plane, and employing spaced and parallel 10ngitudinal clamps that extend normal to and across all of the transverse members. In the presently disclosed embodiment of the invention, there is shown five of such transverse bars 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and two of such longitudinal clamps 18, 19, one located near each side of the frame. Each of the transverse bars is orientated with an edge thereof uppermost. Each of the clamps is composed of a top part 21 on and above the transverse bars and a bottom part 22 contacting and below the transverse bars. Each clamp part is in the form of a channel with the flange edges of the channels in opposition so that the two parts together form a rectangular tube. Where the flanges of the clamp parts contact the transverse bars, the flanges have been formed 'with V-shaped notches 23 whose edges contact the faces of the transverse tubes. That is, if the sides of the transverse tubes are normal to each other, the edges of the notches are normal to each other. The depth of the notches is such that the channel flanges, while in opposition from one part to the other, are spaced, but deep enough to securely hold the transverse bars in position. The clamps are held to the bars by bolts 24 that pass thru, between and bear on the webs of the clamp chan nels. There is a bolt 24 at each side of a bar and close to the bar at each intersection of a bar and a clamp.

While the illustrated embodiment discloses five bars and two clamps, the number of bars may be three or more depending on the area to be covered by the frame and on the equipment to be attached to the frame. It is desirable that the spacing of the bars be done evenly, that is on a module. With this in mind, the illustrated frame clamps have been provided with one unused set of notches 23 that could receive one more bar that would be the same as one each of the five shown. Thus, the frame is versatile and modular. All of the attachments to the frame may 'be designed for attachment thereto at any location on the frame as the bars are evenly spaced apart. Also, it is evident that the bars and clamps may be made in any desired lengths so as to obtain any desired frame area. This easy adjustment is achieved without the use of a large number of small clamp fixtures, one for each intersection of a lateral and longitudinal member as found in prior art devices. This use of top and bottom clamp parts that are notched to receive the bars results in a rigid frame. Even under large stresses and vibration, the bars remain in the clamp notches and evenly spaced, and bars and clamps remain normal to each other. The frame does not wrack to change the original rectangular grid pattern.

There are four attachment forms secured to the frame in the present showing. Three of these forms coact with the frame at all times in the formation of a series of beds, and particularly in forming the beds with a desired height. These three coacting attachement forms are a tongue and associated linkage 31 at the front of the frame. Four bed formers 32, are spaced apart and aligned across and below the front end of the frame, A pair of runners 33 is located one at each side of and below the frame. The reasons for the coaction of these attachments with each other and with the frame will be given hereafter. The fourth attachment form shown is a pair of wheel assemblies 34 that may serve as gauge wheels or towing wheels.

Each of the bed formers comprises spaced side plates 36, and a top plate 37 extending between and joined to the side plates. The plates form a tunnel that tapers from front to back with the rear opening being the shape of the bed. The four bed formers shape four beds, three complete furrows, and, at each side of the frame, a half furrow. Each of the full furrows is formed by the joining together of the side plates of adjacent formers at their front edges 38 to constitute a wedge shaped plow. The bed formers are secured to the front transverse bar 12 by means of upright arms 39 welded to the plates of the formers and clamps 40 securing the uprights to the bar 12. The uprights are of lengths and the clamps 40 are such that the spacing of the formers along and from the frame may be varied, and the formers equally spaced from the frame. These formers may be of the general type such as disclosed by Mostrong, Re. 26,439, Sept. 3, 1963.

The outside bed former at each side of the frame has secured to its outside plate, at the front edge thereof, a sweep 41 that removes earth from the full width of the bottom of the furrow that is outside of the outside bed. This cleaning of the outside furrows allow the shoes 42 of the runners 33 to follow in the bottom of these furrows and to aid in determining the height of the beds and to carry some of the weight of the device. The runners comprise the shoes 42 formed as channels with the flanges thereof extending upward and with the front end of the channel curved upward. Spaced along the shoe are three upright telescopic legs, each having an upper square rod 43 secured at its upper end to the web of the bottom part 22 of the frame clamp, and a lower square tubular sleeve 44 with its bottom end inside of and secured to the runner. The upper end of the sleeve is slotted an the diagonal and a two part clamp 46 around the portions of the sleeve opposite such slot has one of its parts secured to one side of the diagonal slot and the other part to the opposite side of the slot. Bolts between the parts serve to draw the clamp parts and the upper end portions of the sleeve together to secure the sleeve to the rod. By loosening the clamp bolts and sliding the sleeve relative to the rod, and again tightening the clamp bolts, the length of the legs may be varied, Usually the bottoms of the shoes 42 form a plane with the lower edges of the bed former side plates 36.

In the use of the present device, listers, and perhaps other implements, are used to prepare the soil and roughly raise it into ridges. The present device then takes over to form the finished bed. If not enough soil has been raised for the beds, it is necessary that the bed formers be set to dig in and raise more soil into the beds. If too much soil has been listed into the ridges, then the bed formers must spread some of the soil into the furrows. The bed formers are adjusted to accomplish this raising or spreading of soil by adjusting the aspect of the frame. If the needed amount of soil is in the rough ridges, then the plane of the frame 11 is parallel to the plane of the soil being worked. If more soil is needed in the ridges to make the proper beds, then the front of the frame is lowered so that the plane of the frame slopes downward from the plane of the field in the direction of travel. If there is too much soil in the ridges then the plane of the frame slopes upward from the plane of the field in the f 4 direction of travel. This downward and upward sloping of the frame may be called its aspect, downward or upward aspect. Also, the aspect may be considered as negative or positive, or neutral, negative being downward. The control of the aspect, in the present device, is had by controlling the angle that the shaft 47 of the tongue 31 makes with the plane of the frame, the tongue being adjustable in a plane normal to the plane of the frame and the bars 12, 13, etc. This control is had by pivoting the shaft 47 of the tongue to the frame just ahead of the forward bar 12 of the frame. The pivot axis is parallel to the bars 12, 13, etc., of the frame. This is accomplished by securing to the rear end of the tongue shaft and normal thereof a tubular pintel 48 at the midpoint thereof. The tongue shaft 47 is centered on the frame with the pintle extending for about half the width of the frame. The outer end portions of the pintle are journaled in bearings 49, one adjacet each end of the pintle.

Movement of the tongue shaft and the pintle about the axis of the pintle is controlled by means continuously adjustable such as a hydraulic aspect jack 51 that has one end pivotally secured to the tongue shaft 47 a short distnace forward of the pintle and the other end pivotally secured to the upper end of a three legged mast 52 that rests on and extends upward from the frame 11 a short distance to the rear of the pintle 48. The front end of the tongue shaft 47 has secured thereto tractor connecting linkage having a clevis 53 for pin connection to a tractor draw bar, thru the back of the clevis a horizontal pivot pin 54 transversely of the shaft 47, and back of the pin 54 a pair of abutting plates 56, 57 that are pivotally pinned together by a pin 58 that is axial of the shaft 47 with the forward plate 56 formed forwardly to carry the horizontal pin 54 and the rearward plate 57 secured to the front end of the shaft 47. The levis pin and the horizontal pin 54 and their supporting means constitute a universal joint. By this linkage the shaft 47 and the frame 11 can rotate about the axis of the shaft 47 on the axial pin 58, and the tractor can pitch about the horizontal pin 54 and turn about a pin thru the forward end of the clevis. The aspect of the frame 11 is set by hydraulic adjustment of the aspect jack 51 when the clevis 53 is connected to the draw bar of a tractor. From a neutral aspect, the jack 51 is shortened to obtain a negative aspect and lengthened to obtain a positive aspect for the frame. From the above description it may be seen that the frame 11, the bed formers 32, the runners 33, and the tongue 31 all cooperate to form the beds to the desired shape and height.

Also secured to the frame are a pair of wheel assemblies. Only one assembly will be described as both are identical in construction and control. The wheel assembly is secured to the frame by a two part clamp similar to the previously described frame clamp parts 18, 19, The upper channel 61 and the lower channel 62 are wider than the frame clamp channels 18, 19 and there are four bolts 24 instead of two at each intersection of the clamp With a transverse bar. The wheel assembly clamps extend across and are secured to only the front three transverse bars 12, 13, 14. At the intersection of the bars and the clamps, the clamps are notched in the same manner as the frame clamps.

Secured to and depending from the flanges of the bottom clamp channel are a pair of parallel spaced triangular shaped hanger plates 63, 64, one from each flange. Pivoted to the lower corner of and outside of the hangers are a pair of parallel and spaced wheel arm plates 66, 67 that extend rearwardly of the frame. A wheel 68 is carried and pivoted between the rear ends of the wheel plates. Below the wheel clamp bottom channel 62 and longitudinally thereof and between the hanger wheel arm plates is positioned a hydraulic jack 69 that has its rod end pivoted to a cross brace 71 secured between the wheel plates 66, 67 forward of the wheel. The jack cylinder, the forward end of the jack is pivoted between a pair of cars 72 depending from and secured to the bottom channel 62 of the wheel clamp and forward of the hanger plates 63, 64. The wheel jack is above the pivot of the wheel arms so that if the wheel is in contact with the ground, shortening of the jack will move the wheel toward the frame and lower it toward the ground and lengthening the jack will raise the frame away from the ground.

The wheels may be lowered for raising the bed formers 30 and the runners 33 from the ground, and for transporting the device to and from the fields. Also, the wheels may be lowered to make a short run adjustment of the height of the beds being formed by the device. Also, when forming beds, the wheels may take some of the frame load and thus act as a fine adjustment of the height of the beds. That is, the wheels may substitute for or work with the runners under some circumstances.

The wheel jacks 69 and the tongue jack 51 are provided with standard hydraulic hoses 73, shown only in part, and standard controls, not shown, so that the described functioning of the jacks may be had.

The wheel assemblies can easily be moved backward across the frame to where their clamps extend across the back three transverse bar positions 14, 15, 16 and the wheels located to the rear of the frame. In the position shown, the wheels are close to the center of ravity of the device so that there is little down load on the tractor bar when the wheels are down. Also, in this position, less room is needed for turning the tractor and its attached sled than when the wheels are placed farther back on the frame. However, in some instances When the frame is crowded with further attachments such as rotary cultivators, seeders, fertilizer applicators, and bed rollers there may be the need to place the wheels rearward of the frame. Further, the wheels may, by the present construction be moved to the sides of the frame to run in the furrows outside of the formed beds. All of these arrangements are easily possible with the present construction.

It will thus be seen that the present device has many functions and performs them in new and better ways.

Having thus described an embodiment of my invention, its construction and operation, I claim:

1. For use with an implement frame including at least three longitudinally spaced transversely extending parallel bars, generally square in cross section, and means interconnecting the ends of said bars to form a rigid rectangular tool carrying frame for the optional mounting thereon of different earth working tools performing different functions: an adjustable transport wheel assembly mounted on a combination of two or more adjacent of said bars and longitudinally adjustable to a mounting position on another combination of two or more of said bars, said wheel assembly comprising a pair of vertically spaced longitudinally elongated channel members having the flanges thereof in opposition, said channel members being removably secured together and each having longitudinally spaced pairs of opposed notches adapted to mate with the opposed angled faces of any pair of adjacent bars, a rearwardly extending wheel carrying arm pivotally connected at its forward end to one of said channel members, and a jack operatively connected at one end to the frame and at its other end to said arm for vertically swinging the latter and said wheel relative to the frame.

2. The invention set forth in claim 1, wherein a hanger is secured to the lower of .said channel members and includes a pair of spaced plates, said wheel carrying arm includes a pair of spaced plates pivotally connected at their forward ends between the plates of said hanger and a wheel is rotatably mounted between the rear ends of said arm plates, said jack being connected at one end etween said arm plates and at its other end to the lower of said channel members forwardly of and above the pivoted connection of said arm plates to said hanger.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,361,605 10/1944 Cross 172421 2,739,396 3/1956 Frenzel 172327 X 2,987,125 6/1961 Singleton 172393 3,077,231 2/1963 Hamilton 172-421 3,128,833 4/1964 Johnson et a1 172176 X 3,235,013 2/1966 Kirkpatrick 172-413 3,239,015 3/1966 Scott 172-413 3,252,522 5/1966 Taylor 172-763 3,288,480 11/1966 Calkins et a1 172456 X ABRAHAM G. STONE, Primal) Examiner.

J. R. OAKS, Assistant Examiner.

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