Frame for agricultural cultivator

An agricultural machine comprising:

• a tool bar assembly including an elongate tool bar having a longitudinal axis;
• a plurality of tool frames mounted on the tool bar at longitudinally spaced positions therealong;
• a plurality of ground working elements mounted on each tool frame;
• the tool bar including a center section, two wing sections and pivot coupling means connecting an inner end of each wing section to a respective one of two outer ends of the center section;
• a plurality of ground wheels for supporting the center section and the wing sections, the center section having at least two ground wheels spaced longitudinally thereof and each wing section having at least one ground wheel at a position thereon spaced outwardly of said inner end thereof;
• a hitch frame having a hitch for attachment to a towing vehicle;
• connecting means for connecting the hitch frame to the tool bar assembly for transporting the tool bar assembly, the tool frames and the ground working elements across the ground;
• means providing pivotal movement of the elongate tool bar relative to the hitch frame about a pivot axis between a first operating position, in which the center section and wing sections are substantially coaxial and in which the tool frames trail generally rearwardly from the elongate tool bar, and a second transport position in which the elongate tool bar is rotated through an angle to raise the tool frames to an orientation generally upwardly from the elongate tool bar;
• said pivot coupling means being arranged, in the first operating position, to allow the outer ends of the wing sections to move upwardly and downwardly relative to the center section and, in the second transport position, to allow the wing sections to move rearwardly to a trailing position;
• each tool frame comprising a plurality of parallel bars and a pair of longitudinal rails, the bars lying parallel to the tool bar and each bar having thereon a plurality of said ground working elements;
• the tool bar having for each tool frame a tool frame engagement means allowing individual pivotal movement of each tool frame independently of the other tool frames and including a pair of forwardly extending, transversely spaced arms connected to the tool bar for pivotal movement about a tool frame axis parallel to the tool bar;
• each ground working element including a trip shank for mounting the ground working element on the tool frame comprising:
• a shank member having an elongate curved shank and a mounting shoe at a lower end of the shank for removably receiving the ground working element thereon;
• a mounting member for receiving and supporting the shank member;
• a clamp assembly for attachment of the mounting member to a bar of the respective tool frame for supporting the shank and mounting shoe at a position at the ground;
• the shank member having thereon a transverse engagement element adjacent an upper end thereof and extending outwardly to each side of the shank;
• the mounting member comprising a body defining a downwardly facing bottom engagement surface for engaging and locating the upper end of the shank member;
• the body including a rear downturned portion such that a shank engagement surface of the downturned portion faces forwardly;
• the downturned portion including a slot therein through which the shank passes, each side of the slot being shaped to engage the shank to prevent side to side shifting of the shank while allowing twisting of the shank about a trip axis extending generally in a forward direction;
• a spring applying a force to the shank member to move to a position in which the upper end of the shank member is in contact with the bottom engagement surface and the transverse engagement element is in contact with the shank engagement surface of the downturned portion to allow forward movement of the mounting member to apply a forward pulling force to the shank member;
• the shank member and the mounting member being shaped to allow a sideways force on the shank caused by impact with an obstacle to cause downward movement of one side of the transverse engagement element relative to the engagement surface of the downturned portion to allow sideways tripping movement of the shank by twisting movement about said trip axis.

An agricultural machine comprising:

• a tool bar assembly including an elongate tool bar having a longitudinal axis;
• a plurality of tool frames mounted on the tool bar at longitudinally spaced positions therealong;
• a plurality of ground working elements mounted on each tool frame;
• the tool bar including a center section, two wing sections and pivot coupling means connecting an inner end of each wing section to a respective one of two outer ends of the center section;
• the tool bar assembly including a plurality of ground wheels for supporting the center section and the wing sections, the center section having at least two ground wheels spaced longitudinally thereof and each wing section having at least one ground wheel at a position thereon spaced outwardly of said inner end thereof;
• the tool bar assembly including brace means connecting each ground wheel to the elongate tool bar such that each ground wheel has an axis of rotation parallel to said longitudinal axis of the elongate tool bar and spaced therefrom;
• the brace means being arranged such that when the center section and the wing sections of the elongate tool bar are coaxial the axes of the ground wheels lie on a common line;
• a hitch frame having a hitch for attachment to a towing vehicle;
• connecting means for connecting the hitch frame to the tool bar assembly for transporting the tool bar assembly, the tool frames and the ground working elements across the ground;
• the connecting means including pivot mounting means providing pivotal movement of the tool bar assembly including the center section and wing sections of the elongate tool bar together with the brace means and ground wheels carried thereby relative to the hitch frame about a pivot axis parallel to said common line;
• actuator means for effecting said pivotal movement of the tool bar assembly about said pivot axis between a first operating position, in which the center section and wing sections of the elongate tool bar are substantially coaxial, in which the common line of the ground wheels is located forwardly of the longitudinal axis of the elongate tool bar, in which the tool frames trail generally rearwardly from the elongate tool bar and in which said pivotal movement causes a change in height of the elongate tool bar relative to the common line, and a second transport position in which the common line of the ground wheels is moved rearwardly relative to the elongate tool bar and in which the elongate tool bar is rotated through an angle to raise the tool frames to an orientation generally upwardly from the elongate tool bar;
• said pivot coupling means being arranged, in the first operating position, to allow the outer ends of the wing sections to move upwardly and downwardly relative to the center section and, in the second transport position, to allow the wing sections to move rearwardly to a trailing position;
• the connecting means connecting the hitch frame to the brace means of the center section of the elongate tool bar;
• the pivot mounting means being arranged such that the pivot axis is parallel to and offset from the longitudinal axis of the elongate tool bar and parallel to and offset from the common line;
• and a mechanical stop member which is located between the hitch frame and the brace means for locating the brace means in the first operating position relative to the hitch frame so as to set a height of the tool bar, the mechanical stop means comprising a wedge member slidable longitudinally of the hitch frame.

An agricultural machine comprising:

• a tool bar assembly including an elongate tool bar having a longitudinal axis;
• a plurality of tool frames mounted on the tool bar at longitudinally spaced positions therealong;
• a plurality of cultivator shanks mounted on each tool frame, each having a ground cutting tool attached thereto at a lower end thereof and having a front point for engaging under a top surface of the ground in a cutting action;
• each shank including a spring trip mechanism and having a generally C-shape extending from the trip mechanism to the cutting tool;
• the tool bar including a center section, two wing sections and pivot coupling means connecting an inner end of each wing section to a respective one of two outer ends of the center section;
• a plurality of ground wheels for supporting the center section and the wing sections, the center section having at least two ground wheels spaced longitudinally thereof and each wing section having at least one ground wheel at a position thereon spaced outwardly of said inner end thereof;
• a hitch frame having a hitch for attachment to a towing vehicle;
• connecting means for connecting the hitch frame to the tool bar assembly for transporting the tool bar assembly, the tool frames and the ground working elements across the ground;
• each tool frame comprising a plurality of parallel bars and a pair of longitudinal rails, the bars lying parallel to the tool bar and each bar having thereon a plurality of said shanks;
• the tool bar having for each tool frame a tool frame engagement means allowing individual pivotal movement of each tool frame independently of the other tool frames and including a pair of forwardly extending, transversely spaced arms connected to the tool bar for pivotal movement about a tool frame axis parallel to the tool bar;
• the tool bar having for each tool frame spring biasing means connected between the tool bar and the tool frame at a position on the tool frame rearwardly of said tool frame axis for applying downward pressure on the tool frame;
• said pivot mounting means being arranged such that rotation of the elongate tool bar about the pivot axis rotates the spring biasing means in a direction to increase said downward pressure;
• said spring biasing means comprising an elongate spring bar with a forward end clamped to the tool bar and a rearward end engaging an abutment member on the tool frame.