Ridge leveler and stalk coverer

Claim 2

An agriculture machine for leveling and covering the ground, said machine comprising a main supporting frame, said frame including a frame member positioned transversely to the direction of travel of the machine, a first pair of lower bars pivotally attached to said transverse frame member, a pair of vertical extensions attached to said transverse frame member, a first pair of upper bars pivotally attached to the upper ends of the vertical extensions, a pair of vertical links pivotally attached to the ends of the pair of lower bars and upper bars, a pair of horizontal members extending between the ends of the two upper bars and the two lower bars, a T-shaped colter holder attached to the pair of horizontal members, and a pair of colters rotatably mounted on the legs of the T-shaped colter holder, said colters being positioned substantially 90* from each other when viewed from the top to throw soil in opposite directions with the planes of the colters positioned at about 30* from the vertical so that ridges of soil engaged by the colters are leveled.

Claim 3

The agriculture machine of claim 1 wherein the legs of the T-shaped colter holder are bent to support the colters at 90* to each other.

Claim 4

In the agriculture machine of claim 2, L-shaped colter brackets attached to the T-shaped colter holder and rotatably supporting the colters so that they are positioned at an angle of about 30* with the vertical.

Claim 5

For use in connection with a prime mover and a carriage connected thereto capable of being towed by said prime mover, said carriage including a tool bar extending transversely to the direction of travel, an agricultural implement for leveling ridges of soil, said implement comprising a plurality of vertically extending upright supports adapted to be removably attached to said tool bar, colter supports extending rearwardly from and pivotally connected directly to said upright supports, said upright and colter supports being adjustably spaced apart transversely to the direction of travel so as to correspond to the ridges of soil to be leveled, at least two rotatable colters attached to each of said colter supports, one of said colters being positioned in a plane substantially 90* relative to the other of said colters when viewed from the top, each colter being independent of the other and positioned at an angle to the direction of travel of the implement to throw soil in opposite directions so that ridges of soil engaged by the colters are leveled, said colter and upright supports providing for vertical adjustability of the colters so as to control the height thereof relative to the ground without substantially changing the angle of the colters relative to the ground, lift means for selectively raising and lowering the colters, said lift means including a control shaft turnably supported on the upper ends of said upright supports so as to be turnable about an axis substantially parallel to said tool bar when said implement is connected thereto the axis of said control arm being thereby fixed relative to said tool bar, a plurality of arms connected to and extending rearwardly from and turnable with said control shaft connecting member, said arms connecting directly to said colter supports, and means removably attachable to and supported by said carriage when so attached for selectively turning the control shaft to cause said colter supports to pivot on said upright supports and thereby raise and lower the colters.

Claim 6

For use in connection with a prime mover and a carriage connected thereto capable of being towed by said prime mover, said carriage including a tool bar extending transversely to the direction of travel, an agricultural implement for leveling ridges of soil, said implement comprising a plurality of vertically extending upright supports adapted to be removably attached to said tool bar, colter supports extending rearwardly from and pivotally connected directly to said upright supports, said upright and colter supports being adjustably spaced apart transversely to the direction of travel so as to correspond to the ridges of soil to be leveled, at least two rotatable colters attached to each of said colter supports, one of said colters being positioned in a plane substantially 90* relative to the other of said colters when viewed from the top, each colter being independent of the other and positioned at an angle to the direction of travel of the implement to throw soil in opposite directions so that ridges of soil engaged by the colters are leveled, said colter and upright supports providing for vertical adjustability of the colters so as to control the height thereof relative to the ground without substantially changing the angle of the colters relative to the ground, lift means for selectively raising and lowering the colters, said lift means including a control shaft turnably supported on the upper ends of said upright supports so as to be turnable about an axis substantially parallel to said tool bar when said implement is connected thereto the axis of said control arm being thereby fixed relative to said tool bar, a plurality of arms connected to and extending rearwardly from and turnable with said control shaft connecting member, said arms connecting directly to said colter supports, and means removably attachable to and supported by said carriage when so attached for selectively turning the control shaft to cause said colter supports to pivot on said upright supports and thereby raise and lower the colters.

Claim 7

The agriculture implement of claim 4 in which said colter supports each include a lower member extending rearwardly and having its forward end pivotally connected to one of said upright supports, an upper member in substantially the same plane as said lower member pivotally connected at its forward end to said upright support at a point above the pivotal connection between said lower member and said upright support, and a connecting member pivotally connected between said uppEr and lower members, said pair of colters being attached to said lower member near the outer end thereof.

Claim 8

The agriculture implement of claim 5 in which said upright support, upper member, lower member and connecting member form a parallelogram.

Claim 9

The agriculture implement of claim 4 in which said means for selectively turning the control shaft includes a control arm connected to the control shaft and pivotally movable relative thereto, a hydraulic cylinder operatively connected to the control arm, and means for controlling hydraulic fluid to the cylinder.

Claim 10

In the agriculture implement of claim 7 a stabilizing colter pivotally attachable to and extending rearwardly from said tool, said stabilizing colter being operatively connected to said control shaft so as to be movable up and down with said colter supports, said stabilizing colter being positioned with the plane of the colter substantially vertical and in the direction of movement of the machine.