AU656802B2 - Trash clearance arrangement - Google Patents

Description

P//0/0011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT 656802

ORIGINAL

S

*5* 0*

S

C

S.

S

Name of Applicant: DEREK GILBERT BARNSTABLE Actual Inventor: DEREK GILBERT BARNSTABLE Address for service in Australia: CARTER SMITH BEADLE, Qantas House, 2 Railway Parade, Camberwell, Victoria, 3124, Australia, Attorney Code CD Invention Title: TRASH CLEARANCE ARRANGEMENT Details of Associated Provisional Applications: Nos: PK 8357, PK 8723 PK 9100 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: -1- 4 -2- This invention relates to an arrangement for clearing trash from the leading edges of tine-equipped agricultural implements.

In this specification, 'trash' is generally defined as 'residue from an earlier crop'.

For example, cereal crop stubble, retained on the surface of ground to be worked, whether it has been subject to grazing, burning or at least partial removal, would be regarded as 'trash'.

Usually, an implement provided with tines and working in retained stubble, gathers trash on the leading edge of the tines and/or the tine support. This causes the implement to totally plug up, or in more minor cases causes random small clumps of trash to be left 10 on the paddock or field being worked.

As a result, the fertility pattern in the paddock or field tends to become altered. If the previous crop was evenly distributed, stubble distribution should be equally even after any mechanical operation which disturbs soil or stubble.

In wind or water erosion-prone soils, even coverage of the soil by previous crop stubble is essential, to reduce raindrop impact on and wind penetration into the soil surface.

Furthermore, previous crop stubble contains plant nutrients which are recycled after the stubble has broken down. The resultant fertility of the paddock can only be evenly •distributed if the stubble is left as evenly distributed after each pass of a ground-working implement.

Crop stubble should also be retained so that organic matter content of the soil may be increased over time. Australian soils are notoriously low in organic matter content.

High organic matter content in soils promotes better soil structure and higher moisture retention.

Another reason for the even distribution of crop stubble on the soil c ,face is to l-"sslm lin 11 epeb, Iyn -3reduce the possibility of subsequent fouling of the gathering front portion of a harvester.

Such fouling causes lost time, lost grain and major frustrations to primary producers.

Clearly, there is a need for an arrangement to prevent trash from gathering on tines or tine supports. At present, the one method used is to have a person on the implement, manually removing trash. Such an arrangement is labour-intensive, and, thus is costly. In addition, it is inefficient, as one mal could not effectively cover an array of a multiplicity of tines.

It has been suggested to provide coulters ahead of the tines, to break up the trash, but such an alternative would also be costly.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved trash clearance apparatus.

The applicant has found that by supporting a sweep in front of a tine or ground o: working tool to sweep through an area in advancement of the ground working tool in a reciprocating motion, fouling of the ground working tool is prevented and the trash is evenly distributed over the surface of paddock or field being worked. Non-reciprocating "i 15 motion tends to cause the trash to accumulate in a furrow or one side of the ground working tool.

Accordingly, the invention provides an apparatus for clearing trash from an area in front of an agricultural implement having at least one tine, said apparatus including a support arrangement in fixed relation to said at least one tine and a sweep means mounted on said support arrangement, said sweep means having at least one finger for sweeping generally laterally through said area in a reciprocating motion to contacting and sweeping said trash to either side of said at least one tine.

In another aspect the invention provides a ground working apparatus incorporating an improved trash cle :ance apparatus.

In accordance with this aspect, the invention provides a ground working apparatus including at least one ground working tine for advancement through ground, a support I 1"4 3a arrangement in fixed relation to said at least one tine, a sweep means mounted on said support arrangement fr sweeping generally laterally in a reciprocating motion through an area in front of said at least one tine relative to the direction of advancement of said at least one tine, said sweep means having at least one finger for conta:ting and sweeping trash laterally and sequentially to either side of said ground working tine.

In yet another aspect, a method of clearing trash from in front of an advancing ground engaging tool is described.

Embodiments of the invention, will be described in detail here'inafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic end elevation of one embodiment of trash clearing apparatus; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a bush for holding a trash clearing finger; Fig. 3 is a front elevation of part of the trash clearing apparatus of Fig. 1; 15: Fig. 4 is a side elevation of suspension means used in a second embodiment of trash 15 clearing apparatus; Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a housing for a trash clearing finger, for use in the second embodiment; Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the housing of Fig. Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the second embodiment of trash clearing apparatus; and Fig. 8 is a front elevation of one form of drive means fir trash clearing apparatus 1 D 199% -4according to the invention.

The trash clearing apparatus 10 is adapted to be fitted to any implement which uses tines 12 or other ground-working tools to work soil. Examples of such implements are combines or air seeders.

In Fig. 1 a tine 12 and a tine support or support cover 14 are shown. It is to be understood that those elements are conventional, and are adapted to be attached to the (rigid) frame (not shown) of one type of the aforementioned implements.

Fig. 1 also shows part of a longitudinally-extending frame member 16 of the frame.

of such an implement.

Attached to at least two generally parallel members of the type shown as 16 is a ;transverse member 18, preferably of square-section tubing. Member 18 is secured beneath members 16, and is attached thereto by bolts or the like 20, extending through a plate 22 on each member 16, the bolts 20 being secured by nuts 24.

:'In between members 16, and in register with a tine/support 12/14, is a support 15 arrangement 26, which is adapted to depend from member 18. Preferably, arrangement 26 is a square-section tube portion, of a size which enables it to act as a sleeve surrounding i member 18. A bearing housing or the like 28 is secured, preferably by welding, to support 'arrangement 26. A vertical support member 30 has a shaft 25 attached thereto, to facilitate limited rotational movement of member 30 about the axis of dual bearings 29,31 of housing 28. The exact form of the bearing arrangement 28 may be varied; there may be a plain shaft journalled in a simple bush, or a ball or roller bearing or a self-lubricating bush could be used. Shaft 25 may be releasably retained in bearings 29,31 by a pin or clip 33 acting in an aperture in shaft A push arm 32 in the form of an elongated plate is pivotally attached to member i-SP/m771 11 ScpImb, 1Im As shown in Fig. 3, the arrangement is such that the sweep arm is connected to at least two vertical support members, each of which is suspended from member 18 as described hereinbefore. Thus, a parallelogram arrangement is created, with push arm 32 remaining generally parallel to member 18 whilst members 30 rotate about shaft 25 through a predetermined angle with member 18. Push arm 32 is provided with apertures 34 (Fig.

3) for connection of members 30 at various selected points thereon.

Member 30 is preferably tubular, more preferably square-section tubular, and is adapted to slidably receive a portion 36 of a finger support member 38 therein. The position of portion 36 may be adjusted by operation of a grubscrew/nut or the like 10 arrangement 40, the tightening of which will lock the member 38 in position.

Finger support member 38 includes a bifurcated portion 42, in between the bifurcations of which a finger support housing 44 is adapted to be located. A shaft 46 extends through the bifurcations and through housing 44, to enable housing 44 to rotate to a limited degree within the bifurcations.

15 Apertures 48 are provided in housing 44, in each of the bifurcations. Apertures 48 are adapted to register with a plurality of (preferably five) apertures 50 in housing 44.

Apertures 50 are radially equidistant from shaft 46, and are circumferentially spaced.

An element such as a length of wire may be passed through apertures 48 and a selected one of apertures 50 to fix housing 44 at a particular angle to member 42.

At the extreme end of housing 44 is a finger support 52, consisting of a tubular member 54 (preferably square-sectioned) into which a piece of flexible tubing 56 (such as a portion of hose) has been pushed in a tight fit. The top of a finger 58 is pushed into the tube 54 and itself is held in a tight fit.

The finger 58 may be made of any suitable material, having different grades of 1II-SP07/771 11 feplmlr 1991.

-6resilience, from rigid to reasonably resilient. The degree of resilience would normally be determined by the stubble or trash conditions and type.

For example, a fibreglass finger would be nearly rigid, whilst a nylon one would be more flexible.

Because the load on the finger (to be described hereinafter) is mostly due to lateral forces with virtually no vertical component, the finger 58 is held sufficiently tightly by the aforementioned friction fit to require no additional fixing. In addition, the hose 56 is itself resilient, and thus assists in absorbing shock suffered by the finger.

Pivotally attached to push arm 32 at 68 is one part of a connecting arm 60. As 10 shown, pivot point 68 is preferably the same pivot point as that between arm 32 and member 30. Another part of connecting arm 60 is pivotally attached to a bell crank, cam or similar arrangement 62.

Bell crank 62 is operated by or connected to a source of rotary motion. In a preferment, power is transmitted by a speed controlled hydraulic motor, but depending 15 on requir-ments could be derived from a reduction gear equipped electric motor (perhaps 12v or 24v DC) or from a suitable ground wheel drive via chains and sprockets.

If one considers Fig. 3, it can be seen that rotation of bell crank 62 imparts, through connecting arm 60, back-and-forth motion to member 32. This results in finger 58 having a lateral (relative to the direction of travel of the implement) motion, angular motion about pivot point 28. In practice, the angle swept on each full cycle would be in the range 900 to 1200. In practice, the arrangement is preferably used with pairs of fingers, and as such the angle should be calculated such that the finger 58 does not sweep trash into the path of an adjacent tine.

If one looks at Fig. 1 again, tine 12 is being advanced through soil having a surface m-sesIM771 It S&pk4mb'r, 19m -7- 64. As the tine is advanced, the surface bearing stubble and/or other trash, rides up and may become adhered to parts of the tine 12, tine support or cover 14.

Arrangement 10 operates such that finger 58 sweeps back and forth in a reciprocating motion in front of the tine 12 and/or cover 14, pushing the 'wave' of surface/stubble/trash to one side or the other of the tine 12 and/or cover 14, preventing the trash from adhering to those elements, and thus preventing a situation of uneven paddock fertility from arising.

As previously mentioned, the degree of sweep is kept to an amount where finger f 58 does not sweep trash to a position in front of an adjacent tine.

10 In practice, tines 12 would be located on an implement frame. Carrier beam 18, supported by frame member 16 and at least one other (preferably parallel) frame member, e may be adjusted on those members, in a longitudinal direction, in order to position the fingers in a particular position relative to the tines. The beam 18 may then be secured.

*The hydraulic motor or equivalent is moved into position independently, but is always 15 adjusted in accordance with the carrier beam movement to maintain the drive of connecting arm 60 and push arm 32. The hydraulic drive may easily be removed for servicing.

As has previously been stated, the fingers 58 are preferably arranged in pairs, in register with adjacent tines 12. Once the tine spacing has been set, and the beam 18 located and fixed on the implement frame, particular apertures 34 on push arm 32 are selected for the pivotal connection of members 30, to maintain the arrangement 10's general parallelogram pattern.

Similarly, apertures 66 on connecting arm 60 may be used to adjust the connecting pivot 68 with push arm 32, to provide the appropriate degree of angular movement of fingers 58. Of course, adjacent push arms 32 for adjacent pairs of tines (and in practict, one would have a number of pairs of tines extending laterally on the implement) could be cnil:M7l I D..bo. 19% -8connected together, and thus all driven from connecting arm 60 and the hydraulic motor or equivalent.

As previously described, support 38 is vertically adjustable relative to member and housing 44 is angularly adjustable relative to support 38. Thus, the angle and position of finger 58 is finely adjustable.

In a preferred arrangement, the finger 58 is set at an angle somewhat along the lines of that shown in Fig. 1. Thus, there is virtually a point contact of the end 70 of finger 58 with trash. In addition, the slope of the finger 58 prevents trash build up nAthcfinger58.

The length of finger 58 may also be selected (given that the finger is so easily replaceable 10 in housing 44) to minimise the problem of sweeping trash in fr,, of an adjacent tine, In addition, with the total length of the sweep (housing 44 and finger 58) being relatively short, sufficient leverage can be produced by push arm 32, whereas if the length were greater, leverage would be reduced.

The bell crank 62 may be offset to a lesser or greater degree to control sweep arc 15 length, ap-rt from the adjustment of pivot point 68.

In Figs. 4 to 7 there is shown a parallelogram arrangement which is an alternative :to that shown in Fig. 3.

*It is intended that the member 18, and the bearing housings 28 of Fig. 3, or a very similar arrangement, be used in the arrangement of Figs. 4 to 7.

In Fig. 4, there is shown a suspension member 72 which, with finger support member 74 of Figs. 5 and 6 (to be described hereinafter) is intended to replace member of Fig. 3.

Suspension member 72 includes a top portion 76, a central portion 78 and a lower portion 1si07/7m 11 epKebert, 191t -9- Top portion 76 has a shaft 82 secured thereto. Shaft 82 is adapted to be received in a bearing such as that shown as 28 in Fig. 3.

Top portion 76 is connected to central portion by an element 84, which arrangement is adapted to permit limited rotation generally about the axis of element 84, between portions 76 and 78.

The preferred means shown has element 84 with a screwthreaded lower part (not shown) which engages in a screwthreaded recess in portion 78. More preferably, the recess is formed by a nut 86 which is secured to portion 78, for example by welding.

In practice, element 84 would be screwed part-way into the recess, to allow axial 0 0 10 movement in both directions.

SMember 78 has a shaft 88, which is joumalled in a bearing 90 secured, by welding a or any other suitable means, to ring member 92. Bearing 90 and ring member 92 constitute lower portion Ring member-9 is adapted to slide over a tubular bar 94 (shown in Fig. 7 and to 15 be described hereinafter) with preferably a snug fit, and may be releasably secured at a *0 desired location on bar 94 by lock nuts 96. It may be desired to provide indentations in the surface of bar 94 to facilitate secure location of member 72.

Turning now to Fig. 5 and 6, there is shown a finger support member 74. The member 74 includes a ring element 98, substantially the same, in at least a cross-sectional view, to ring member 92 of Fig. 4. Ring clement 98 is similarly adapted to slide snugly on bar 94, and to be releasably secured thereto by a lock nut or the like 100.

Attached to ring element 98, preferably by welding, is a square-section tube element 102, which is intended to hold a finger 58 in much the same way as member 54.

Fig. 7 is a view of the second embodiment of trash clearance apparatus, similar to ln-SPrDti/nI71 10 the view in Fig. 3. Member 18, bearing supports 28 and fingers 5P are not shown.

Bar 94 may be of any practical length, with just the two supports 72, and thus one bar may be used for many applications, instead of having a series of smiller arrangements of the Figs. 1 to 3 type.

A number of finger support elements may be located on bar 94, at desired positions, and at desired (and adjustable) angular positions in relation to the axis of bar 94. Thus the angle adjustment mechanism of Fig. 1 may be avoided.

Two suspension members 72 are also located on bar 94, and the shafts 82 of portion 76 are located in bearings of the type shown in Fig. 3 as 28.

Not shown is the means to reciprocate bar 94. It may be the means shown and Sdescribed in relation t the first embodiment of Figs. 1 to 3, it may be that which is to be described in relation to Fig. 8, or it may be any other suitable mechanism.

One difference in the operation of the arrangement of Fig. 7 from that of Fig. 3 is that fingers 58 (not shown in Fig. 7) will remain in the Fig. 7 rrangement, in the same S 15 orientatinq as bar 94 reciprocates, as they are effectively secured to bar 94, which remains in the same parallel relationship to the frame of the apparatus on which it is located. In the Fig. 3 embodiment, the fingers 58 change their angular orientation relative to bar 32.

It is noc consid'red that the sweep of fingers 58 in the second embodiment would be any less effective in removing trash, and the overall arrangement is much more simple, mechanically, and is thus more economical to produce.

Fig. 8 shows a means for deriving motion, which could be used to reciprocate bar 32 or bar 94.

The rubber tyre and/or wheel 104 of the agricultural implerent is shown on ground surface 64.

Jl-sPnFImrw/71 II Spl*tW, 197M ii A driven wheel 106 is arranged generally at right angles to wheel 104. Driven wheel 106 has peripheral blades, flanges, protrusions or the like 108, which are adapted to contact the side wall 11.0 of tyre 104.

Wheel 106 rotutes on an axle 112, which is supported by a housing (not shown) which is secured to the chassis or frame of the agricultural implement. The housing may be spring-loaded.

Pivotally attached to wheel 106 is a crank arm 114, the other end of which is pivotally attachtd to a bar such as 94 or to a fitting attached to such a bar. An adjustment means 116 may be provided.

10 As the implement is towed or propelled, wheel 104 will rotate, causing wheel 106 to rotate, which in turn causes bar 94, through crank arm 114, to reciprocate.

o• It can be seen that this invention provides an improved Irash clearance apparatus.

In particular, it should be noted that the apparatus of this invention is preferably located bentath the implement frame. The area above the frame is usually provided with 15 other equipment, and this invention makes use of the generally unused space beneath the *9 frame.

The entire contents of PK 8357, PK 8723 and PK 9100 being the provisional specifications lodged with Australian Patent Application of which this is the complete specification is hereby imported into this specification and forms part of the discloure of this specification.

The claims form part of the disclosure of this specification.

M)FI-SOR7/11 I Splmbc'. 199

Claims (14)

1. An apparatus for clearing trash from an area in front of an agricultural implement having at least one tine, said apparatus including a support arrangement in fixed relation to said at least one tine and a sweep means mounted on said support arrangement, said sweep means having at least one finger for sweeping generally laterally through said area in a reciprocating motion to contacting and sweeping said trash to either side of said at least one tine.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said sweep means includes a linkage mounted laterally relative to the direction of advancement of said at least one tine adapted 10 to be driven between two limit positions, said at least one finger being attached to said I linkage.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said at least one finger is mounted such that it reciprocates through an arc.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said finger is adjustable vertically a 15 and/or angularly with respect to said linkage.

An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said agricultural implement has a plurality of tines and the number of fingers of said sweep means corresponds to the number of tines.

6. An apparatus according to either of claims 2 or 3, wherein said linkage includes suspension means having two portions, said means being adapted to permit limited axial movement between said portions.

7. An apparatus according to any one of claims 2, 3 or 6, wherein said or each finger is mounted upon a bar forming part of said linkage, such that the angular orientation of said finger remains generally the same.

8. An apparatus according to any o.:e of claims 2 to 7, wherein aid finger is 7 substantially rigid. 1 Bacnam I Dufnlbc, 199 13

9. An apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein said finger is flexible.

A ground working apparatus including at least one ground working tine for advancement through ground, a support arrangement in fixed relation to said at least one tine, a sweep means mounted on said support arrangement for sweeping generally laterally in a reciprocating motion through an area in frc-'t of said at least one tine relative to the direction of advancement of said at least one tine, said sweep means having at least one finger for contacting and sweeping trash laterally and sequentially to either side of said ground working tine.

11. A method of clearing trash from an area in front of an advancing ground working 10 tine, using the apparatus of claim 10 including the steps of engaging said tine with said ground and advancing said tool, and :sweeping said sweep means generally laterally through said area in a reciprocating motion to clear trash from the front of said tool.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said sweep means includes a parallelogram linkage 15 mounted laterally relative to the direction of said tool, and at least one finger attached to said linkage for contacting said trash.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said apparatus includes a plurality of tines for ground working and the number of fingers of said sweep means corresponds to the number of tines.

14. An apparatus for clearing trash from an area adjacent a tool, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. A method of clearing trash from in front of an advancing ground engaging tool substantially as hereinbefore described. DATED: 1 December, 1994 CARTER SMITH BEADLE FPatent Attorneys for the Applicant: 4 DEREK GILBERT BARNSTABLE 1 Domb., 1994 14 ABSTRACT An arrangement (10) for clearing trash from or near a tine (12) of an agricultural implement includes a series of fingers (58) each of which is resiliently located in a housing (52) attached to a member (30) pivotally attached to the frame (18) of the implement. The members (30) are also pivoted to a bar (32) which forms a parallel linkage, the reciprocation of the bar (32) causing the fingers to reciprocate through an arc, thereby removing trash from the tine (12). pp *oo JlI-SE/T/8771 I1 Sl&elp, 1979