AU647752B2

AU647752B2 - Agricultural implement

Info

Publication number: AU647752B2
Application number: AU64901/90A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Antonina Lamari
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1989-10-23
Filing date: 1990-10-23
Publication date: 1994-03-31
Anticipated expiration: 2010-10-23
Also published as: AU6490190A

Description

47 752 COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA The Patents Act 1952-1969 Name of Applicant: Address of Applicant: ANTONINA LAMARI Jourama Falls Road via Ingham Queensland 4850 ANTONINA LAMARI 0044 (4$r Actual Inventor: Address for Service: CULLEN CO., Patent Trade Mark Attorneys, 240 Queen Street, Brisbane, Qld. 4000, Australia.

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR THE INVENTION ENTITLED: AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENT The following statement is a full description of the invention including the best method of performing it known to j no o o o a o o

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THIS INVENTION relates to an agricultural cultivating implement. In particular, the invention is directed to an agricultural implement particularly suited for tilling or scarifying the soil around cucurbitaceous plants such as watermelons, cucumbers, rockmelons, pumpkins, etc. in order to control weeds, although the invention is not limited to such plants and purpose.

It is common practice to use agricultural S implements or power-driven cultivating machines to till the 0 soil around plants in their early stages of growth in order to kill weeds or at least control weed growth. However, S known implements and cultivating machines have been found to be unsuited for use with cucurbitaceous plants as such plants do not have stalks aligned in rows, but rather have long runners which spread out over the ground. Thus, cucurbitaceous plants pose particular problems for weeding by tilling.

One known cultivating machine is the rotary hoe which comprises a number of blades attached to a rotary shaft 20 which is normally driven from the power take off (PTO) coupling of the tractor to which it is attached. The shaft is arranged horizontally and transverse to the direction of travel, such that the blades rotate in 4enerally vertical planes aligned with the direction of travel.

Some farmers have attempted to use the rotary hoe to till the soil around cucurbits by lifting and lowering the jj r:i

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j 1; rrL--r rotary hoe as required. That is, the hoe is lifted as it approaches each plant and then lowered back into the ground after it has passed the plant. However, it has been found that the rotary hoe leaves a large hollow across the entire width of the rotary hoe every time it is lifted off the ground. Furthermore, on being lowered back into the ground after having skipped over the plant, the rotating blades of the rotary hoe shift the soil in a backward direction covering the preceding plant.

For the foregoing reasons, rotary hoes and other known mechanical tilling devices are not particularly suitable for cultivating cucurbitaceous plants, and it is therefore necessary to chip and till the soil around these plants by hand. Such manual chipping is tedious and time consuming, and increases the cost of cultivation.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome or at least substantially alleviate the abovedescribed problems by providing an agricultural cultivating implement suitable for use with cucurbitaceous plants.

In one broad from, the present invention provides an agricultural implement for working soil between plants, comprising a plurality of spaced fingerlike projections mounted around the periphery of a powerdriven mechanism and extending outwardly therefrom, the projections being arranged to rake the soil sequentially in a direction transverse to the direction of travel of t .he implement.

Typically, the implement is mounted to the rear of a tractor and is powered by the tractor. The projections are suitably in the form of fingers or tines mounted at spaced locations on an endless chain operating in a vertical plane transverse to the direction of travel of the tractor.

Unlike known cultivation implements such as rotary hoes and harrows which rake, turn or till the soil in a direction or plane parallel to the line of travel of the tractor, the agricultural implement of this invention operates in a plane generally transverse to the direction of travel. Thus, the implement can be used to cultivate between plants in a drill. Since the projections of the agricultural implement of this invention operate in a transverse plane, the implement can be brought up close to each plant, and can cultivate in confined areas between plants in a drill.

The implement of this invention minimises the need for manual chipping. Manual chipping is only required, if at all, for the small area immediately adjacent the plant.

In the preferred embodiment, the spaced fingers are mounted on an endless chain mounted on two spaced sprockets, the chain being arranged in a plane transverse to the normal direction of travel of the tractor implement.

Typically, one of the sprockets is driven from U the PTO coupling of the tractor.

Preferably, the implement is pivotally mounted 4a to the rear of the tractor, and means are provided for lifting the fingers so that the implement can skip over the plants while tilling the soil between them. The lifting means can i o be mechanically operated, for example by a hydraulic cylinder or by using the standard three point linkage found at the rear of tractors. Alternatively, or in addition, the lifting means may be manually operated. Such manual lifting means may comprise a handle extending rearwardly from the implement which is lifted by a person following behind. To assist in Slifting the implement, the pivotal mounting of the implement is preferably spring-loaded.

V In order that the invention may be more fully understood and put into practice, a preferred embodiment ithereof will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: i Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the agricultural 1 implement of a preferred embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the implement of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is an elevational view looking rearwardly at V the implement of Fig. 1.

As shown in the drawings, the agricultural implement 10 of the preferred embodiment comprises a frame 11

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which is adapted to be mounted at points A, B, C to the three point linkage commonly found on the back of tractors. The implement further comprises another frame 12 which is pivotally connected to frame 11 adjacent lower links B, C.

Frame 12 is held at the desired attitude or orientation relative to frame 11 by means of a chain 20. However, a 6 hydraulic cylinder or other mechanically equivalent device may be used instead of chain A pair of spaced sprockets 13, 14 are mounted on frame 12 in the vertical plane, one of the sprockets 13, 14 being driven from the PTO coupling of the tractor via shaft 21 as shown in Fig. 2. (Shaft 21 has been omitted from Figs.

I1 and 3 for clarity).

An endless chain 15 is mounted on sprockets 13, 14 generally transverse to the direction of operation of the tractor. To facilitate mounting, at least one of the sprockets 13, 14 is preferably adjustable in position. A plurality of spaced fingers 16 are fixedly mounted j perpendicularly to the chainr 15 and extending outwardly from the chain in a generally vertical plane. The fingers 16 are typically metal bars\and may be shaped to enhance their i scarifying or raking action. A cover or shield 17 is preferably provided at one end of the chain/sprocket arrangement to block the path of soil being thrown by the fingers 16.

The fingers 16 can be lifted by tilting frame 12 relative to frame 11. To assist in manual lifting of the fingers 16, a handle 18 is connected to frame 12 and extends rearwardly of the implement so that the fingers 16 can be lifted manually by an operator walking at a safe distance behind the implement. To assist in lifting the fingers 16, the pivotal mounting of frame 12 to frame 11 is preferably 7 spring-loaded with springs 19.

In use, the implement 10 is attached to the three point linkage at the iear cf a tractor and the chain/sprocket arrangement is driven from the PTO of the tractor. As the fingers 16 pass along the bottom leg of the chain arrangement, they sequentially rake or scarify the soil in single file. As can be seen in the drawing, the fingers 16 operate in a plane transverse to the normal line of travel of the tractor. (However, while the tractor is moving, the individual fingers will actually move diagonally or obliquely relative to the earth due to the combined movement of the tractor and chain 15. The term "transversely" as used in this specification should therefore be interpreted and understood without regard to the superimposed movement of the tractor on the fingers 16).

The tractor travels along the drills containing the plants, the wheels of the tractor straddling the plants. The fingers 16 move transversely to the line of travel of the tractor and are able to cultivate the whole area between plants in a drill to a width approximating the distance between the sprockets 13, 14. Since the fingers 16 operate in a single plane, they can be brought up close to the plants in a safe manner, typically a few centimetres from the plants, before being lifted to skip over the plants. The fingers can be lifted either manually using rod 18, or mechanically by using the three point linkage of the tractor 8 or a hydraulic cylinder fitted instead of chain Unlike rotary hoes, the implement 10 of the present invention does not leave a wide furrow when it is lifted. Furthermore, when the fingers 16 are lowered back into the soil on the other side of the plant, the soil will be moved sideways and will not cover the plant. As a result, the fingers 16 may be lowered back into the soil close to the plant.

The implement 10 minimises the need for manual chipping around the plant, thereby reducing labour time and costs in cultivation.

Although the invention is particularly suited to cucurbitaceous plants, its use is not limited to such plants.

The foregoing describes only one embodiment of the invention, and modifications which are obvious to those skilled in the art may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims. For example, instead of being mounted to a tractor, the implement of this invention may be constructed as a dedicated machine, by being mounted on a wheeled frame driven by a small internal combustion engine and operated by an operator following behind. More than one operating plane of fingers may be provided if required or desired.

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Claims

2. An agricultural implement as claimed in claim 1 wherein the power-driven mechanism is an endless loop member located in a plane transverse to the direction of I travel of the implement.
3. An agriciltural implement as claimed in claim 2 wherein the loop member is an endless chain mounted on a pair of spaced sprockets, at least one of which is power- driven and wherein the projections are metal tines mounted on the chain.
4. An agricultural implement as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the implement is adapted to be mounted to a tractor vehicle, the mechanism being powered in use from the tractor vehicle. An agricultural implement as claimed in claim 4, further comprising means for tilting at least a portion of the implement relative to the tractor vehicle so as to raise the projections relative to the ground.
6. An agricultural implement as claimed in claim wherein the tilting means includes a handle member extending rearwardly of the implement for manual lifting r f of the implement. i
7. An agricultural implement as claimed in claim 6, wherein the implement comprises a first portion for mounting to the tractor vehicle, a second portion pivotally connected to the first portion, the second portion having the spaced projections and the handle member mounted thereto, and spring means connected between the first and second members for facilitating the lifting of the spaced projections.
8. An agricultural implement as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first portion is adapted to be mounted, in a use, to at least one mechanically operated lever arm located on the rear of the tractor vehicle whereby the :implement may be mechanically lifted by the lever arm. ol
9. An agricultural implement as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising a guard member located around at least a portion of the mechanism. 1o 0. An agricultural implement substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this seventh day of July 1993 ANTONINA LAMARI By her patent attorneys ACULLEN CO.