Floating row-crop cultivator

A row-crop cultivator for tilling the soil between adjacent rows of crops adapted for connection to a prime mover for travel over the ground in a forward direction comprising a drawbar assembly operatively connected to the prime mover, a plurality of laterally adjacent cultivating gang assemblies adapted to till the soil between adjacent crop rows, and coupling means for connecting each gang assembly to said drawbar assembly so as to permit each gang assembly to travel on the ground under its own weight and move independently in a vertical direction relative to an adjacent gang assembly as the cultivator travels forwardly along the ground, each gang assembly including a frame assembly having a longitudinally extending center member coupled to said drawbar assembly by said connecting means and at least one cross member secured transversely to said center member, a guide wheel rotatably mounted on a wheel support carried by said frame assembly, said guide wheel adapted to follow a path defined in the ground between the crop rows to indicate the direction of movement for the gang assembly between adjacent crop rows, earthworking tools carried by said center member and said cross members to loosen or break up the soil between adjacent crop rows with ground opening discs disposed along the forward portion of the opposite lateral sides of the gang assembly for penetrating the ground along a line generally adjacent the crop row, the discs at the respective opposing lateral sides of adjacent gang assemblies being spaced apart to flank the crop row which passes between the adjacent gang assemblies as the cultivator travels along the ground, the respective ground opening means separating a block of soil from which the crops grow from the surrounding ground, weed cutters rearward of each disc having a generally horizontal cutting portion extending inwardly from the sides of the gang assembly below the surface of the ground to separate the top surface of the ground from the remainder and at least one spring tooth harrow disposed between the opposite lateral sides of the gang assembly for cultivating the ground therebetween, an upright shield carried by said frame assembly rearward of each disc extending longitudinally along each lateral side of the gang assembly to prevent soil loosed by said harrows from being thrown into the crop rows between adjacent gang assemblies, and bearing means carried by said frame assembly adjacent each lateral side of the gang assembly to abut corresponding cooperating bearing means carried by an adjacent gang assembly, said bearing means including a bearing plate at one side having a vertical surface facing the adjacent gang assembly and a rotatable member carried by the adjacent gang assembly adapted to roll along said vertical surface, at least one of said bearing plate and said rotatable member of adjacent gang assemblies extending laterally outward from its respective gang assembly to engage the other, each gang assembly thereby being operative to follow the contour of the ground and till the soil between adjacent crop rows, whereby said bearing means permits, without substantial frictional resistance, relative vertical movement between adjacent gang assemblies, but prevents relative lateral movement between adjacent gang assemblies because of the horizontal abutment of their respective cooperating bearing means.

A row-crop cultivator for tilling the soil between adjacent rows of crops adapted for connection to a prime mover for travel over the ground in a forward direction comprising a drawbar assembly operatively connected to the prime mover, a plurality of laterally adjacent cultivating gang assemblies adapted to till the soil between adjacent crop rows, and connecting means for coupling each gang assembly to said drawbar assembly so as to permit each gang assembly to travel on the ground under its own weight and move independently in a vertical direction relative to an adjacent gang assembly as the cultivator travels forwardly along the ground, each gang assembly including a frame assembly coupled to the drawbar assembly by said connecting means, guide means carried by said frame assembly for following a path defined in the ground indicating the direction of movement for the gang assembly between adjacent crop rows, earthworking tools carried by said frame assembly to loosen or break up the soil between adjacent crop rows with ground opening means positioned at opposite lateral sides of the gang assembly for penetrating the ground along a line generally adjacent the respective crop rows, the ground opening means at the respective opposing lateral sides of adjacent gang assemblies being spaced apart to flank the crop row which passes between the adjacent gang assemblies as the cultivator travels along the ground, the respective ground opening means separating a block of soil from which the crops grow from the surrounding ground, and bearing means carried by said frame assembly adapted to abut corresponding cooperating bearing means carried by an adjacent gang assembly, said cooperating bearing means between adjacent gang assemblies including a bearing plate at one lateral side of one gang assembly having an upright bearing surface and a roller at the opposing lateral side of the other adjacent gang assembly in rolling engagement with said bearing plate, each gang assembly thereby being operative to till soil between adjacent crop rows and free to float along the ground by the connecting means, whereby said bearing means permits relative vertical movement between adjacent gang assemblies but prevents relative lateral movement because of the horizontal engagement of the respective cooperating bearing means.