Ground following harrow

A harrow apparatus comprising:

• an implement frame mounted on wheel for travel along a ground surface in an operating travel direction;
• a harrow section comprising a plurality of rows of tines, the rows of tines spaced rearward from a front row of tines to a rear row of tines, and oriented substantially perpendicular to the operating travel direction;
• wherein the tines are attached to a harrow frame and extend downward substantially an equal distance from the harrow frame;
• wherein the harrow section is attached to a mounting assembly by a beam extending rearward from the implement frame such that the harrow section engages the ground surface when in an operating position;
• wherein the mounting assembly comprises a parallel linkage comprising:
• an upper link;
• and
• a lower link;
• wherein the upper link and the lower link are pivotally attached to the implement frame at front ends thereof about corresponding upper and lower implement pivot axes, and pivotally attached to the beam at rear ends thereof about corresponding upper and lower harrow pivot axes;
• wherein the mounting assembly comprises an extendable actuator pivotally attached directly to the upper link at an upper actuator location, and pivotally attached directly to the lower link at a lower actuator location location that is offset from the upper location toward the front or to the rear of the parallel linkage;
• and
• wherein the extendable actuator is operative to move the mounting assembly upward and downward.

A method of mounting a harrow section to an implement frame operative to move along a ground surface in an operating travel direction, the method comprising:

• providing a harrow section comprising a plurality of rows of tines, the rows of tines spaced rearward from a front row of tines to a rear row of tines, and oriented substantially perpendicular to the operating travel direction;
• wherein the tines are attached to a harrow frame and extend downward substantially an equal distance from the harrow frame;
• attaching a beam extending rearward from the implement frame and operative to move upward and downward with respect to the implement frame;
• attaching the harrow section under the beam by pivotally attaching front and rear arms at upper ends thereof to corresponding front and rear beam pivot axes located on the beam, and attaching the front and rear arms at lower ends thereof to corresponding front and rear frame pivot axes located on the harrow frame;
• configuring the front and rear arms such that the front arm slopes downward and rearward to the lower end thereof and the rear arm slopes downward and forward to the lower end thereof;
• wherein the front and rear arms are substantially equal in length;
• wherein, when the implement frame and harrow section are located on a substantially horizontal ground surface, maintaining the beam to be in a position where an upper line joining the front and rear beam pivot axes is in a substantially horizontal orientation as the beam moves upward and downward;
• wherein when the implement frame and harrow section are located on a substantially horizontal ground surface, configuring the front arm to slope rearward and the rear arm to slope forward at substantially the same angle with respect to a vertical line, such that a lower line joining the front and rear frame pivot axes is also substantially horizontal;
• and
• wherein a front line joining the front beam pivot axis and the front frame pivot axis extends to a ground location on the ground surface when the harrow section is in an operating position engaged in the ground surface, and a rear line joining the rear beam pivot axis and the rear frame pivot axis extends to the same ground location when the harrow section is in the operating position, and wherein the ground location is in a middle portion of the harrow section between the front row of tines and the rear row of tines.

A harrow apparatus comprising:

• an implement frame mounted on wheel for travel along a ground surface in an operating travel direction;
• a harrow section comprising a plurality of rows of tines, the rows of tines spaced rearward from a front row of tines to a rear row of tines, and oriented substantially perpendicular to the operating travel direction;
• wherein the tines are attached to a harrow frame and extend downward substantially an equal distance from the harrow frame;
• wherein the harrow section is attached to a mounting assembly by a beam extending rearward from the implement frame such that the harrow section engages the ground surface when in an operating position;
• wherein the mounting assembly comprises a parallel linkage comprising:
• an upper link;
• and
• a lower link;
• wherein the upper link and the lower link are pivotally attached to the implement frame at front ends thereof about corresponding upper and lower implement pivot axes, and pivotally attached to the beam at rear ends thereof about corresponding upper and lower harrow pivot axes;
• and
• wherein the mounting assembly comprises an extendable actuator pivotally attached directly to one of the upper link and the lower link at a front actuator location, and pivotally attached directly to the beam at a rear actuator location and operative to move the mounting assembly upward and downward.