Bidirectional plow with rotatable tool bar

A bidirectional moldboard plow comprising a main frame for being towed by a tractor along a path of travel with the main frame remaining about parallel to the transverse axis of said tractor and so that it will be tilted to one side of the path of travel when one wheel of the tractor is in a furrow on one side of the tractor and so that it will be tilted toward the other side of the path of travel when the other wheel of the tractor is in another furrow, a tool bar pivotally carried by said frame for being swung from one extreme position where it is angling forwardly and to one side of the path of travel, to another extreme position where it is angling forwardly and to the other side of said path of travel;

• and means for rotating said tool bar about a longitudinal axis of said tool bar for disposing said moldboards parallel to the ground when said main frame is tilted and said tool bar is rotated with respect to said main frame, including a latch plate having opposed end notches, said latch plate being fixed on the end portion of said tool bar for pivoting with said tool bar as said tool bar is swung from one extreme position to another, and spaced pins adjacent to and below the path of travel of said plate for respectively receiving said notches on said pins after said tool bar is in one or the other of its extreme positions and said tool bar is pivoted about the longitudinal axis of said tool bar.

A bidirectional plow comprising:

• (a) a main frame;
• (b) hitch means for hitching said main frame to a tractor for being towed by said tractor along a path of travel and for being tilted sidewise with said tractor to one side of the path of travel or the other side of the path of travel when the tractor is tilted because one wheel of the tractor is in a previously plowed furrow, said hitch means also permitting said tractor to lift said main frame to an inclined position with respect to the ground;
• (c) an elongated tool bar having a front end, a rear end, and a central portion;
• (d) swivel means between said main frame and said central portion of said tool bar for suspending said tool bar from said main frame;
• (e) a plurality of moldboards connected to and suspended below said tool bar, said moldboards being rotationally rigid about a vertical axis with respect to said tool bar and being aligned with each other and being spaced from each other along the length of said tool bar, said moldboards each having generally straight lower edges extending transversely of the length of said tool bar so that each moldboard protrudes from both sides of said tool bar and said edges are disposed in a common plane, said moldboards having points at the respective ends of said straight lower edges, said moldboards each having a curved concaved front extending upwardly and rearwardly from said straight lower edge;
• (f) means connected between said main frame and said tool bar for pivoting said tool bar in one direction or another direction about said swivel means so as to position said tool bar in a first angular position in which all of said moldboards are angularly disposed with respect to the path of travel of said main frame for engaging the ground and for pitching the soil to one side of said frame and so as to position said tool bar in a second angular position in which all of said moldboards are angularly disposed with respect to the path of travel and said main frame for engaging the ground and for pitching the soil to the other side of said frame;
• (g) the weight of said moldboards being equally distributed on opposite sides of said tool bar so that, when said tool bar is lifted, said moldboards are oriented by gravity for disposing said edges of said moldboards about parallel to the ground, regardless of whether said main frame is tilted in one direction or the other by said tractor;
• and
• (h) said swivel means includes a socket carried by said main frame, a ball confined within said socket and a shaft protruding from said ball and connected to said central portion of said tool bar.

A bidirectional plow comprising:

• (a) A main frame;
• (b) hitch means for hitching said main frame to a tractor for being towed by said tractor along a path of travel and for being tilted sidewise with said tractor to one side of the path of travel or the other side of the path of travel when the tractor is tilted because one wheel of the tractor is in a previously plowed furrow, said hitch means also permitting said tractor to lift said main frame to an inclined position with respect to the ground;
• (c) an elongated tool bar having a front end, a rear end, and a central portion;
• (d) swivel means between said main frame and said central portion of said tool bar for suspending said tool bar from said main frame;
• (e) a plurality of moldboards connected to and suspended below said tool barb said moldboards being rotationally rigid about a vertical axis with respect to said tool bar and being aligned with each other and being Spaced from each other along the length of said tool bar, said moldboards each having generally straight lower edges extending transversely of the length of said tool bar so that each moldboard protrudes from both sides of said tool bar and said edges are disposed in a common plane, said moldboards having points at the respective ends of said straight lower edges, said moldboards each having a curved concaved front extending upwardly and rearwardly from said straight lower edge;
• (f) means connected between said main frame and said tool bar for pivoting said tool bar in one direction or another direction about said swivel means so as to position said tool bar in a first angular position in which all of said moldboards are angularly disposed with respect to the path of travel and said main frame for engaging the ground and for pitching the soil to one side of said frame and so as to position said tool bar in a second angular position in which all of said moldboards are angularly disposed with respect to the path of travel and said main frame for engaging the ground and for pitching the soil to the other side of said frame;
• (g) the weight of said moldboards being equally distributed on opposite sides of said tool bar so that, when said tool bar is lifted, said moldboards are oriented by gravity for disposing said edges of said moldboards about parallel to the ground, regardless of whether said main frame is tilted in one direction or the other by said tractor;
• and
• (h) an arcuate channel shaped rearwardly opening track having opposed upper and lower surfaces mounted on said main frame adjacent to the front end of said tool bar, and guide means on an end of said tool bar for movably protruding into said track so as to permit said guide means to move along said track in an arcuate path when said tool bar is pivoted from one position to the other and also to permit said tool bar to move in a direction toward said track when said main frame is lifted to its incline position by said tractor and move away from said track when said frame is returned to an essentially horizontal position with respect to the ground.