US 4,491,183 AGranted

Retractable in-row tiller device

AssigneeJack F. Anderson

InventorsJack F. Anderson, Clayton Melrose

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Abstract

A retractable in-row tiller device is adapted for mounting on a movable vehicle and for tilling the ground around and between objects in a row. An outrigger arm with a rotary tiller mounted on its distal end is retracted inwardly and extended outwardly by a trapeze-type control arm which amplifies the velocity and magnitude of reciprocal motion produced by a hydraulic ram to move around and avoid objects encountered in the row. Both manually and automatically operable controls are included respectively to allow an operator to retract and extend the tiller out of and into the row as desired and to cause the tiller to be retracted and extended out of and into the row automatically upon encountering an object in the row. Manual control is also provided for the operator to override the automatic retraction control. A lift mechanism for lifting the tiller out of the ground and a rotary drive for rotating the tiller are interrelated such that the vertical lift force is variable in relation to the force required to rotate the tiller. The ratio between the lifting force and the rotary drive is adjustably variable to effect automatic depth control for ground penetration. An additional feature includes a positive depth control plate for the rotary tiller head, and alternative embodiments include a pair of parallel spaced-apart linear chain tillers which move in opposite directions transverse to the forward motion of the vehicle with one chain tiller following the other.

Claims18

Dependent claims

Retractable tiller apparatus for tilling the ground around and between objects in a row, comprising:

a first pivotal means defining a first pivotal axis;
a support means for supporting said first pivotal means;
a rigid outrigger arm positioned in spaced-apart relation to said support means and having a proximal end and a distal end;
a pivotal control arm, one end of said control arm being pivotally connected to said support means to pivot about said first pivotal axis such that said control arm pivots in a sector about said first pivotal axis in relation to said support means, and the other end of which control arm is pivotally connected to said proximal end of said outrigger arm such that said control arm and said outrigger arm are pivotal in relation to each other about a second pivot axis in parallel spaced-apart relation to said first pivot axis;
first drive means connected to said control arm for pivoting said control arm about said first pivot axis in relation to said support means;
a rotary tiller tool on said distal end of said outrigger arm, and a rotary hydraulic motor connected to said tiller tool for rotatably driving said tiller tool;
and
an extendable and retractable hydraulic ram, one end of which is pivotally connected to said control arm and the other end of which is pivotally connected to said outrigger arm such that extension of said hydraulic ram causes said outrigger arm to pivot downwardly about said second pivot axis, and retraction of said hydraulic ram causes said outrigger arm to pivot upwardly about said second pivot axis, said rotary hydraulic motor and said hydraulic ram being adapted for connection in parallel relation to a common hydraulic fluid circuit such that pressure exerted by hydraulic fluid in said hydraulic fluid circuit on said ram varies in proportion to the pressure required to operate said rotary hydraulic motor in driving said rotary tiller tool.

5 more elements

Retractable tool apparatus adapted for mounting on a movable vehicle that has a support structure with a ground engaging support surface at ground level for supporting the vehicle on the ground, said retractable tool apparatus comprising:

a main frame with an upper end and a lower end;
a control arm having an upper end and a lower end, said control arm being pivotally connected at its upper end to said frame at a first pivot axis located at the lower end of said frame;
an elongated outrigger arm having a proximal end connected to said control arm and a distal end with a working tool attached thereto, said proximal end being pivotally connected to said control arm at a second pivot axis located at the lower end of said control arm, whereby said proximal end of said outrigger arm is positioned a significant distance below the level of said lower end of said frame and said first pivot axis with said outrigger arm extending laterally outward from said lower end of said control arm;
first fluid motor means connected to said control arm for pivoting said control arm back and forth in a sector about said first pivot axis in response to flow of pressurized hydraulic fluid in said first fluid motor means, whereby said outrigger arm is moved inwardly and outwardly in relation to said frame;
and
second fluid motor means connected to said outrigger arm for pivoting said outrigger arm up and down in a sector about said second pivot axis in response to flow of pressurized hydraulic fluid in said second fluid motor means, said outrigger arm also being pivotal about said second pivot axis in response to vertical forces applied to its distal end that are independent of said second fluid motor means during angle changes between the outrigger arm and the control arm as the control arm pivots back and forth about said first pivot axis.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.