AU611638B2

AU611638B2 - An offset discing implement

Info

Publication number: AU611638B2
Application number: AU75978/87A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Glen Fountain; Graham Powell; Graham Young
Original assignee: Clyde Industries Ltd
Current assignee: Csn Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1986-07-18
Filing date: 1987-07-21
Publication date: 1991-06-20
Anticipated expiration: 2007-07-20
Also published as: AU7597887A

Description

3608-P78 JRW:JM 2069T.4

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1952 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

FOR OFFICE USE Application Number: Lodged: Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: Published: Priority: Related Art: e TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT Name of Applicrnt: CONNOR-'-SHEA,-NAP-IR-R.-^r- Address of Applicant: /4o ae~pa S, 'F-ou-rth Avenue-, -Sun-s-hi-ie- 6/ix43,7 Sror/ -V-i-et-o-ri-a-, New South Wales, ao Australia \o 3 Actual Inventor: Address for Service: ARTHUR S. CAVE CO.

Patent Trade Mark Attorneys Goldfields House 1 Alfred Street SYDNEY N.S.W. 2000

AUSTRALIA

Complete Specification for the invention entitled AN OFFSET DISCING IMPLEMENT.

The following statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing it known to me:k ASC 49 400T:mmb AN OFFSET DISCING IMPLEMENT This invention relates to offset discing implements also known as disc harrows.

Traditionally tandem disc harrows have been constructed with four substantially linear gangs of discs. Each gang may comprise discs mounted on several axles particularly where the large width of the implement requires the outermost part of the gangs to be on folding wings to facilitate transporting.

The four gangs of discs are arranged in two V-shaped pairs with the verticies of the V-shapes adjacent. The forward pair of gangs are oriented such that the mouth of the V-shape is directed forwardly and rear pair are oriented such that the mouth of the V-shape is directed rearwardly.

Whilst disc harrows of this type have some disadvantages.

For example, the discs must be lifted clear of the ground in any turning manoeuvres because otherwise the leading gang of discs on the inside of the turn is pulled substantially sideways in the turn. Few tractors have sufficient power or traction to drag the discs around a turn in this manner.

Also the leading discs which encounter the greatest loads are located at the outermost ends of the gangs. This requires S the support frame to be sufficiently strong and rigid to support the high loading at the outermost ends. Often the outermost ends are folding wings which leads to further difficulty in obtaining sufficient structural strength. The leading discs being at the outermost extremities of the implement are also prone to damage.

L Another difficulty with the above described disc gang -2- 0456E L 1 configurat;.on is that a furrow is left in the field behind the implement. This furrow must be filled in on the next pass of the field.

A further disability of prior art disc harrows is that the cutting depth of the discs in some implements is dependent upon a linkage with the rear of a tractor. Because the discs are some distance behind the wheels of the tractor the cutting depth cannot properly adjust in response to short sharp corrugations.

It is an object of this invention to provide an offset discing implement which will overcome, or at least ameliorate some of the abovementioned disadvantages.

Accordingly, this invention consists in an offset discing implement comprising a frame and a plurality of linear gangs of i discs mounted with said frame and arranged in a diamond shape configuration with two opposite corners of the diamond substantially coinciding with the central longitudinal axis of S the frame.

In a second aspect the invention consists in an offset discing implement as described above further comprising a height adjustable steerable wheel mounted centrally and S forwardly of the frame, the steering direction of the wheel being adjusted in response to the direction in which the implement is drawn.

In an alternative form the present invention comprises: a plurality of linear gangs of discs mounted to a mainframe structure, at least one wheel assembly supporting said mainframe and a height adjustable steerable wheel mounted 3 0456E i centrally and forwardly of the said central frame, wherein the steering direction of the wheel is adjusted in response to the direction in which said implement is drawn.

In its broadest form the present invention comprises an offset discing implement comprising: a mainframe structure having a plurality of linear gangs of discs mounted thereto in a substantially diamond shaped configuration wherein the leading and trailing opposing points of the diamond configuration substantially coincide with the central longitudinal axis of said mainframe structure, said mainframe comprising a central frame with said central frame being supported by at least one height adjustable wheel assembly; characterised in that the central frame has detachably connected thereto at least one height adjustable steerable wheel assembly mounted forwardly of the said central frame with the steering direction of the wheel being adjusted in response to the direction in which the discing impl,.,,.nt is drawn.

For preference the steerable wheel is mounted on a height adjustment assembly hingedly connected with the frame, the implement being drawn by a draw bar attached to said assembly.

It is further preferred that the height adjustment assembly comprises a trailing arm hingedly connected to a forwardly extending arm mounting the wheel, height adjustment of the wheel being effected by means of the hinged connection.

One non limiting embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings which: 4 0 00 0 0 0213j i

N.T

4 p j i- Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of the main frame of an implement according to this invention; Figure 2 is a schematic plan view of a steerable wheel and drill bar assembly forming part of the invention; Figure 3 is a schematic side elevation of the wheel assembly for supporting the mainframe; Figure 4 is a schematic side elevation of the supporting wheels of the implement shown in Figure 1.

Referring to figures 1 to 4 the offset disc implement 'o comprises a frame 11 with which four linear gangs of discs 12, 13, 14, 15 are connected in the conventional manner, however, the gangs of discs are arranged in a diamond shaped configuration with two opposite corners of the diamond, those S' formed between gangs 12 and 13 and 14 and 15 respectively, substantially coinciding with the central longitudinal axis of the frame 11. Each gang of discs is set at an angle between 4 4) 4a I 170 and 230 to the transverse axis of the implement.

Frame 11 is fitted with two mountings 16 which, as shown in Figure 2 hingedly connect to linkage arms 17 and 18.

Linkage arms 17 and 18 are in turn respectively hingedly connected at mountings 19 and 20 to a height adjustment assembly 21.

Height adjustment assembly 21 is attached by means of pins 22 to draw bar 23 adapted for connection to a tractor (not shown) in the conventional manner.

0O Height adjustment assembly 21 includes a pair of trailing arms 24 which are rigidly attached thereto. A pair of support o ,i arms 25 which holds a steerable wheel and axle arrangement 26 f is hingedly connected to the trailing arms 24 via pivot 27. A 0 hydraulic piston 28 is interposed between the arms 24 of V assembly 21 to facilitate height adjustment of the wheel by acting in co-operation with hinged connection 27.

The height adjustment assembly 21 thus mounts the st-erable wheel 26 centrally and forwardly of the frame 11 and because the assembly 21 is hingedly mounted with the frame by o means of linkage arm 17 the steering direction of the wheel 26 0 (2 0 i: 0 0 0 is adjusted in response to the direction in which the implement o o° is drawn by drawn bar 23.

The frame 11 is supported by four sets of conventional dual wheel assemblies 29 mounted with the frame. As shown in Figure 4 the dual wheel assemblies 29 are mounted for height adjustment on an arm 30 extending from an axle 31 which can be rotated by means of a hydraulic piston 32 connected with a further arm 33 acting in co-operation with the pivot 31.

3 23j 5 V I The outermost wheel assemblies 29 are mounted on wings 34 which frame 11. Wings 34 are attached to the main frame 11 by pins This attachment allows wings 34 and that part of the gangs Sof discs mounted thereon to be folded by means of hydraulic rams (not shown) to a transport position in the known manner.

In operation depth adjustment of the gangs of discs 12, 13, 14, 15 is controlled by means of height adjustment of the wheel assemblies 29 through pistons 32 and steerable wheel 26 by piston 28. For this purpose a dependent hydraulic system o connected with rams 28 and 32 (not shown) controlled and operated form a substantially conventional tractor (not shown) is provided. It will be apparent that height adjustment of the front of the implement 10 is controlled by height adjustment assembly 21 which is close to the leading discs on gangs 12 and 13. Accordingly, the prior art problem of lack of correct depth adjustment when short sharp corrugations are encountered is reduced. In addition, because the leading discs are directly behind the steerable wheel the possibility Qf damage to the discs is reduced.

Moreover, the leading discs are substantially at the longitudinal centre of the frame so that the maximum loading occurs at the centre of the frame. For this reason the frame can be of lighter construction than hitherto possible with the prior art disc gang configuration.

The provision of a height adjustable steerable wheel acting in response to the direction in which the implement is being drawn greatly aids the stability and directional control -6of the implement. In this connection it will be apparent that any deviation from a straight line pull on the draw bar will produce an angling of the steerable wheel by means of the hinged connection of the linkage arms so that the front of the implement follows the tractor to which the draw bar is connected.

The diamond shaped configuration of the discs also allows the implement to be turned without being lifted clear of the ground. This is because during a turning maneouvre the implement follows a path in with the discs are not dragged substantially sideways as with prior art disc configurations.

The provision of a steerable wheel at the front of the S implement also greatly assists in turning maneouvres.

It has also been found that a diamond shaped disc gang configuration is easier to "arrange" in terms of adjusting the disc overlap and the sizes of discs at the ends of the rearmost gangs to avoid leaving furrows in the field.

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Claims

1. An offset discing implement comprising: a mainframe structure having a plurality of linear gangs of discs mounted thereto in a substantially diamond shaped configuration wherein the leading and trailing opposing points of the diamond configuration substantially coincide with the central longitudinal axis of said mainframe structure, said mainframe structure including a central frame with said central frame being supported by at least one height °0 adjustable wheel assembly; 0 00 characterised in that the central frame has detachably 0 000 connected thereto at least one height adjustable steerable 0 0 o wheel assembly mounted forwardly of the said central frame with the steering direction of the wheel being adjusted in response o0 to the direction in which the discing implement is drawn.

2. A discing implement according to claim 1 wherein the said ooo height adjustable steerable wheel assembly is mounted on the O.0 central frame so that the steerable wheel is central to the said central frame. 0 0

3. A discing implement according to claim 2 wherein the said 0 height adjustable, wheel assembly is height adjustable by means .S0o0 of a height adjusting mechanism which is incorporated with said wheel assembly.

4. A discing implement according to claim 3 wherein the said height adjusting mechanism comprises a pair of trailing arms pivotally connected to a pair of support arms which extends forward of a pivot connection which connects the trailing arms to the support arms with the support arms having attached therebetween a hydraulic piston. \0213j 8 V <C A discing implement according to claim 4 wherein the said arms of the said pair of trailing arms are splayed and the said pair of support arms are spaced apart and parallel each arm of said pair terminating at one of their ends in an interconnection with the axle of the steerable wheel axle and at their other end at the said pivot connection.

6. A discing implement according to claim 5 wherein the height adjustment of the said steerable wheel is effected by pivotal interaction between said pair of trailing arms and said pair of support arms responsive actuation of said hydraulic o piston.

7. A discing implement according to claim 6 wherein the said S hydraulic piston is disposed substantially vertically when the said height adjustment assembly is at its lowermost position between the said pivot connection and a bridging bar at the top C of the said height adjustable steerable wheel assembly.

8. A discing implement according to claim 7 wherein the central frame has mounted thereon on opposing lateral edges foldable wing frames, each of said wing frames being supported by at least one height adjustable wheel assembly.

9. A discing implement according to claim 8 wherein each of S said at least one height adjustable wheel assembly on said wing frames and said central frame is hingedly connected to linkage arms which are in turn connected to said wing frames and said central frame. 0213j _9- "V A discing implement as hereinbefore described and with reference to the accompanying illustrations. DATED this 5th day of December, 1990. CONNOR SHEA NAPIER By Its Patent Attorneys ARTHUR S. CAVE CO. 0 00 0 0I 0 a 000 CI 000 00 CO 0 ,0,000 0 o 0 I0 4 0213j 10