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Title: Agriculture light tillage implement and tool mounting mechanism therefor
Claims: What is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent is: 1. An agriculture implement for light soil tillage immediately preceeding a trailing, agriculture earth working device, said implement comprising: (a) a frame shaped for connection to a forward side of the earth working device, and including mobile ground engaging support means for translating said implement over the ground; (b) a control arm having one end thereof pivotally connected with said frame; (c) a motor connected with and selectively rotating said control arm with respect to said frame; (d) a tool support carriage suspended from and operably connected with the other end of said control arm and adapted for mounting a plurality of earth working tools thereto; (e) a linkage arm having first and second ends thereof pivotally connected with said frame and said tool support carriage respectively; said linkage arm second end being spaced apart from said control arm other end to securely retain tool orientation when said implement is in a tilling position; (f) a longitudinally resilient member having first and second ends thereof respectively connected with said tool support carriage and said control arm other end, whereby rotation of said control arm in a normally downwardly direction resiliently urges said tools into the ground when said implement is in the tilling position; (g) stop means limiting maximum separation between said tool support carriage and said control arm, and positively interconnecting the same when said implement is in a transport position, whereby rotation of the control arm in a normally upwardly direction lifts said tools out of engagement with the ground for transport; (h) an elongate tool bar adapted for having said earth working tools mounted therealong, and being pivotally connected with and supported by said tool support carriage, whereby said tool bar laterally pivots with respect to said tool support carriage thereby conforming said earth working tools with the contour of the ground during the tilling position; (i) a frame attached to a medial portion of said tool bar and extending horizontally therefrom; said frame having a support section horizontally spaced apart from said tool bar; and (j) an axle extending between said tool bar medial portion and said support section; said axle being thereby positioned generally perpendicular to the forward motion of said implement and horizontal; said tool support carriage being pivotally mounted on said axle; whereby said tool bar will rotate laterally about said axle but will not rotate in a horizontal plane in relation to said axle. 2. An agriculture implement for light soil tillage immediately preceeding a trailing, agriculture earth working device, said implement comprising: (a) a frame shaped for connection to a forward side of the earth working device, and including mobile ground engaging support means for translating said implement over the ground; (b) a control arm having one end thereof pivotally connected with said frame; (c) a motor connected with and selectively rotating said control arm with respect to said frame; (d) a tool support carriage suspended from and operably connected with the other end of said control arm and adapted for mounting a plurality of earth working tools thereto; (e) a linkage arm having first and second ends thereof pivotally connected with said frame and said tool support carriage respectively; said linkage arm second end being spaced apart from said control arm other end to securely retain tool orientation when said implement is in a tilling position; (f) a longitudinally resilient member having first and second ends thereof respectively connected with said tool support carriage and said control arm other end, whereby rotation of said control arm in a normally downwardly direction resiliently urges said tools into the ground when said implement is in the tilling position; (g) stop means limiting maximum separation between said tool support carriage and said control arm, and positively interconnecting the same when said implement is in a transport position, whereby rotation of the control arm in a normally upwardly direction lifts said tools out of engagement with the ground for transport; (h) an elongate tool bar adapted for having said earth working tools mounted therealong, and being pivotally connected with and supported by said tool support carriage, whereby said tool bar laterally pivots with respect to said tool support carriage thereby conforming said earth working tools with the contour of the ground during the tilling position; and (i) a connector arm pivotally connecting said tool support carriage to said control arm, said connector arm having one end thereof pivotally connected to said control arm at a point spaced inwardly of said control arm other end, an opposite end thereof pivotally connected to said tool support carriage, whereby movement of said tool support carriage relative to said control arm in a horizontal direction is substantially limited, and said tool support carriage may be urged to move in a vertical direction relative to said control arm but is biased to a specific relative position therefrom by said relient member. 3. An implement according to claim 2 including: (a) a journal-bearing mechanism having a first element and a second element; said first element being fixedly attached to said tool bar and said second element being fixedly attached to said tool support carriage at a spaced apart position from said first element whereby said tool is freely pivotal in said tool support carriage in a plane perpendicular to the line connecting said first and second elements. 4. An implement according to claim 2 wherein: (a) said control arm comprises first and second segments substantially parallel to and horizontally spaced from each other; (b) said linkage arm comprises first and second members substantially parallel to and horizontally spaced from each other; (c) said connector arm comprises first and second portions substantially parallel to each other; (d) said tool support carriage comprises a first and a second stanchion positioned substantially parallel to each other and interconnected at a lower end thereof by a base section; said connector arm first and second portions being attached to said first and second stanchions respectively; said first and second control arm segments, linkage arm members, connector arm portions and stanchions all being coextensively positioned with respect to one another and forming a generally rectangular volume therebetween; whereby substantial geometric strength is imparted to said implement. 5. An implement according to claim 4 wherein: (a) said tool support carriage extends above said control arm and has a stop member projecting therefrom; said stop member extends over said control arm and restricts maximum upward movement of said control arm with respect to said tool support carriage, whereby said control arm will raise with respect to said tool support carriage until said stop member is engaged, and thereafter, continued raising of said control arm positively lifts said tool support carriage. 6. An implement according to claim 5 wherein: (a) said resilient member comprises a compression spring having said first end connected with said tool support carriage and said second end connected with said control arm; said compression spring being preloaded, wherein the same is slightly compressed during the implement transport position, for tool bar stability. 7. An agricultural earth working mechanism, comprising in combination: (a) a tractor means; (b) a light tillage implement for working soil connected to said tractor means; said implement comprising a mobile frame structure having a plurality of tool bars operably depending therefrom; each of said tool bars being adapted for mounting tools thereon to work soil when in a soil engaged position; each of said tool bars including means to engage and be simultaneously biased toward said soil, and allowing the same to independently follow the contour of said soil; (c) a plurality of trailing agriculture devices, each said device performing an agriculture operation; said devices being arranged in a tandem unit behind said light tillage implement; said tandem unit being independently connected with said tillage implement to follow the contour of soil, whereby said soil is lightly tilled, in a single swath across said soil in combination with said agriculture operations, and said tillage implement is free to independently follow the soil contour apart from said tandem unit, thereby permitting multiple farming operations in unison on uneven ground; (d) said tillage implement has a hitch receiver mounted thereon; and (e) said tandem unit has a hitch mechanism thereon having an engaged position with said hitch receiver; said hitch mechanism including means for permitting free, independent lateral rotational movement of said tandem unit about a longitudinal axis thereof with respect to said tillage implement, and restricting rotational movement of said tandem unit in a horizontal plane with respect to said tillage implement, whereby said implement and said unit maintain a proper alignment and are free to individually follow the soil contour. 8. A mechanism according to claim 7 wherein each of said tool bars is mounted on said frame structure by an apparatus comprising: (a) a first and a second control arm being parallel and elongate; each control arm being pivotally connected at one end thereof to said frame structure; (b) a first and a second linkage arm being parallel and elongate, each linkage arm being pivotally connected at one end thereof to said frame structure and being positioned below and generally parallel to said control arms; (c) a tool support carriage including a base with first and second upright stanchions connected therewith and positioned between said first and second control and linkage arms; said tool support carriage being pivotally connected near a lower end thereof to a second end of each of said linkage arms; (d) a first and a second parallel connector arm, each being pivotally connected to an upper end of one of said stanchions and to an associated one of said control arms respectively, whereby said first and second control arms, linkage arms, connector arms and stanchions are substantially coextensively arranged and form a cradle having a generally rectangular volume therebetween; said cradle being substantially stable against rotation in a horizontal plane; (e) a cross member connecting second ends of said first and second control arms; (f) a compression spring mounted on said tool support carriage base and thrusting against both said cross member and said base, whereby said cross member and said base are flexibly biased apart; (g) a stop member connecting said first and second stanchion upper ends; said stop member being positioned above and over said first and second control arms, whereby said control arms may be raised relative to said tool carriage until said stop member is engaged, and thereafter additional raising of said connecting arms also raises said tool carriage; and said control arms may be lowered relative to said tool frame thereby biasing said tool frame downwardly; (h) a horizontal rocker axle perpendicularly attached to said tool bar and positioned generally parallel to the forward motion of said implement; and (i) a rocker bearing pivotally mounted on said rocker axle and attached to and projecting below said tool support carriage base, whereby said tool bars are substantially free to rotate laterally about said rocker axle in a plane perpendicular to the forward motion of said implement but said tool bars will not substantially rotate a horizontal plane relative to said frame. 9. An agriculture implement for light soil tillage immediately preceeding a trailing, agriculture earth working device, said implement comprising: (a) a frame shaped for connection to a forward side of the earth working device, and including mobile ground engaging support means for translating said implement over the ground; (b) a control arm having one end thereof pivotally connected with said frame; (c) a motor connected with and selectively rotating said control arm with respect to said frame; (d) a tool support carriage suspended from and operably connected with the other end of said control arm and adapted for mounting a plurality of earth working tools thereto; (e) a linkage arm having first and second ends thereof pivotally connected with said frame and said tool support carriage respectively; said linkage arm second end being spaced apart from said control arm other end to securely retain tool orientation when said implement is in a tilling position; (f) a longitudinally resilient member having first and second ends thereof respectively connected with said tool support carriage and said control arm other end, whereby rotation of said control arm in a normally downwardly direction resiliently urges said tools into the ground when said implement is in the tilling position; (g) stop means limiting maximum separation between said tool support carriage and said control arm, and positively interconnecting the same when said implement is in a transport position, whereby rotation of the control arm in a normally upwardly direction lifts said tools out of engagement with the ground for transport; and (h) a connector arm pivotally connecting said tool support carriage to said control arm, said connector arm having one end thereof pivotally connected to said control arm at a point spaced inwardly of said control arm other end, an opposite end thereof pivotally connected to said tool support carriage, whereby movement of said tool support carriage relative to said control arm in a horizontal direction is substantially limited, and said tool support carriage may be urged to move in a vertical direction relative to said control arm but is biased to a specific relative position therefrom by said resilient member. 10. An implement according to claim 9 wherein: (a) said control arm, tool support, linkage arm, resilient member, and stop means form a mounting mechanism; and including: (b) a plurality of said mounting mechanisms; (c) a rocker shaft being connected with said frame for axial rotation thereabout and being fixedly perpendicular to each of said mounting mechanism control arms; and wherein (d) said motor is connected with and rotates said rocker shaft, whereby all of said mounting mechanisms are operably rotated in unison. Other info: Inventors: Sylvester, Merton E. (Sabetha, KS, US) Application Number: 938951 Filing Date: 1978-09-01 Publication_date: 1980-03-04 Assignee: Primary Class(es): 172/459 111/52, 111/121, 111/140, 111/186, 111/187, 111/193, 111/924, 111/927, 172/484, 172/500 Other Classes: US Patent Ref:
Other Refs: Primary Examiner: Johnson, Richard J. Assistant Examiner: Attorney: Fishburn, Gold & Litman |
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