Earth working – Rolling – rotating or orbitally moving tool – Axis substantially vertical
Patent
1996-03-15
1997-09-02
Melius, Terry Lee
Earth working
Rolling, rotating or orbitally moving tool
Axis substantially vertical
172612, 172537, 172543, A01B 2104, A01B 3310
Patent
active
056621736
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF INVENTION
This invention relates to an implement suitable as a cultivator for agricultural ground working and more particularly to a cultivator adapted to roll.
The invention will be generally discussed in relation to its use as a agricultural implement but it is to be realised that it is not restricted to that use. For instance the device may be adapted to be used as a ground roller for compacting ground.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Cultivators am used to cultivate ground but with a move to trash farming or farming in which stubble and straw is left on the ground then cultivators which are normally dragged across the ground get easily clogged with such straw and stubble and become ineffective. Prickle chain harrows which consist essentially of a chain with a number of spikes extending from it which are dragged across the ground at an angle to transverse to the direction of travel of the cultivator to give a rolling motion provide a degree of cultivation but the tines can easily get blocked up with trash. Further, the weight of such a chain can be insufficient to cause sufficient ground working for suitable cultivation in some types of soils.
Australian Patent specification No. 612,585 published 21 st Jan. 1988 discloses a ground working tool which has groups of tool elements connected longitudinally together to form a chain which when held in tension form a prickle chain. Each tool element has at least one tine extending radially out from it. Although there are significant advantages in having a chain system in which an assembly is made up of a series of replaceable links there are several problems with the system disclosed. A first problem is that the number of tool elements in each group is restricted to two or three because they need to touch each other to provide mutual support and any greater number would form an unstable group which would collapse under conditions of use. Other problems which exist are that the total weight of the chain is insufficient to provide ground working in other than quite light soils and the maximum possible diameter does not allow for good ground entry, track of cultivation and trash clearance. Extending the lengths of the tines to give a greater diameter is impractical because longer tines are liable to break.
It is the object of this invention to provide an implement suitable as a rolling or rotating type cultivator which can have a greater overall diameter than existing prickle chain harrows and hence will not catch so much trash and which can have sufficient weight to provide good cultivation.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one form therefore the invention is said to reside in an elongate ground working implement adapted to be supported at each end thereof so as to be able in use to rotate about a longitudinal axis thereof, wherein the ground working implement comprises an elongate cylindrical support, a plurality of cultivating elements on a peripheral cylindrical surface of the cylindrical support, each cultivating element including means to link up with other like cultivating elements on the peripheral cylindrical surface and at least one tine extending from each cultivating element and means to support the cylindrical support on the longitudinal axis for rotation thereabouts.
It will be seen that by this invention there is provided a ground working implement or cultivator which comprises a cylindrical support with a number of cultivating elements on the surface of and extending out from it and which can be dragged along the ground with a rolling type motion to cause cultivation.
If the ground working implement or cultivator is drawn along the ground with the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical support at an angle to transverse to the direction of motion then the cultivating elements or tines will effect cultivation of the ground over which it is drawn. This is because each tine of the cultivating elements does not just enter the ground and leave the ground but is drawn sideways while it is in the ground so giving cultivation by displacement of s
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SU, 1653559 (Chernigova Agric) 7 Jun. 1991, Figs. 1-5.
Melius Terry Lee
Pezzuto Robert
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