Plow colter with yieldable force-applying means and adjustable overload mount for colter carrying arm

Claim 2

An adjustable cushion mounting for a colter comprising: a generally vertical shank; a mounting bracket having vertically spaced journals mounted on the lower end of the shank for rotary movement; a clamp secured to the shank between the journals to retain the bracket on the shank; means acting between the clamp and bracket to limit rotary movement of the bracket on the shank; there being a transverse bore provided in the mounting bracket; a rockshaft rotatably mounted in the bore and having a projecting end; the projecting end of the rockshaft being provided with a serrated face; a generally rearwardly extending colter arm having a colter rotatably mounted on the rear end thereof; one side of the forward end of the colter arm being provided with a centrally apertured serrated face complementary to the serrated face on the rockshaft; bolt means extending through the aperture provided in the forward end of the colter arm and into the rockshaft holding the serrated faces in engagement with the colter arm in an adjusted position with respect to the rockshaft and being deformable in a direction normal to the serrated faces when subjected to an extensive tensile force, whereby the position of the colter arm relative to the rockshaft can be varied by loosening the bolt means; a lever arm provided on the projecting end of the rockshaft; abutment means provided on the mounting bracket in general alignment with the lever arm; yieldable force-applying means acting between the lever arm and abutment means to yieldably rotate the rockshaft in a direction to move the colter downwardly to a normal working position; and stop means acting between the rockshaft and bracket to limit the downward movement of the colter and determine the normal working position of the colter; the parts being so arranged and constructed that the yieldable force-applying means affords upward movement of the colter when the colter encounters an obstruction, and, if the obstruction requires greater clearance than is afforded by the yieldable force-applying means, the bolt means will be deformed to permit the teeth of the serrated faces to slip and thereby prevent damage to the colter.

Claim 3

The colter mounting set forth in claim 1 wherein the yieldable force-applying means includes an extensible and retractable hydraulic cylinder means supported by the bracket in engagement with the abutment means and acting against the lever arm on the projecting end of the rockshaft.

Claim 4

The colter mounting set forth in claim 1 wherein the yieldable force-applying means includEs spring means acting between the abutment and the lever arm on the projecting end of the rockshaft.

Claim 5

The colter mounting set forth in claim 1 wherein the lever arm on the projecting end of the rockshaft extends generally upwardly, the abutment means includes an apertured lug on the bracket positioned to the rear of the lever arm, and the yieldable force-applying means includes a tension link having its forward end secured to the lever arm, the tension link extending through the aperture in the lug and having a threaded rear end, retainer means threaded on the rear end of the tension link, and a coil spring encircling the tension link and having its opposite ends bearing against the lug and retainer means, whereby the coil spring normally yieldably holds the lever arm in a rearward position against the lug, and when the colter encounters an obstruction the spring permits forward movement of the lever arm and upward movement of the colter so that the colter clears the obstruction.

Claim 6

The colter mounting structure set forth in claim 1 wherein the lever arm secured to the projecting end of the rockshaft extends generally upwardly, and the yieldable force-applying means includes a cylinder carried by the bracket in engagement with the abutment means in a fore-and-aft position forwardly of the lever arm and having an open end facing the lever arm, a plunger reciprocally mounted in the cylinder and having a projecting end in engagement with the lever arm, and means for connecting the cylinder to a source of fluid pressure.

Claim 7

An adjustable cushion mounting for a colter comprising: a vertical shank, a bracket having a pair of vertically spaced journals mounted on the lower end of the shank for rotary movement; a clamp secured to the shank between the journals to retain the bracket on the shank; means acting between the clamp and bracket to limit the rotary movement of the bracket; there being a transverse bore provided in the bracket; a rockshaft rotatably mounted in the bore and having one enlarged end which bears against the bracket to prevent lateral movement of the rockshaft in one direction; the enlarged end of the rockshaft having a serrated face; a central bore extending through the rockshaft; a colter arm having a colter mounted on its rear end and a centrally apertured and laterally directed serrated face on its forward end complementary to the serrated face on the rockshaft; bolt means extending through the aperture in the colter arm and the bore in the rockshaft; a washer having a diameter greater than the bore in the bracket mounted on the end of the bolt means opposite from the colter arm to engage the bracket means, whereby, by tightening the bolt means, the rockshaft is secured in the bore in the bracket and the colter arm is retained in an adjusted position relative to the rockshaft; a lever arm on the enlarged end of the rockshaft; abutment means on the bracket; and yieldable force-applying means acting between the lever arm and abutment means to yieldably force the rockshaft and colter arm in one direction to move the colter to and retain the colter in a normal working position; whereby, the yieldable force-applying means affords movement of the colter when the colter encounters an obstruction, and, if the obstruction requires greater clearance than is afforded by the yieldable force-applying means, the bolt means will stretch to permit the teeth of the serrated faces to slip and thereby prevent damage to the colter.

Claim 8

An adjustable cushion mounting for a colter comprising: a vertical shank, a bracket having a pair of vertically spaced journals mounted on the lower end of the shank for rotary movement; a clamp secured to the shank between the journals to retain the bracket on the shank; means acting between the clamp and bracket to limit the rotary movement of the bracket; there being a transverse bore provided in the bracket; a rockshaft rotatably mounted in the bore and having one enlarged end which bears against the bracket to prevent lateral movement of the rockshaft in one direction; the enlarged end of the rockshaft having a serrated face; a central bore extending through the rockshaft; a colter arm having a colter mounted on its rear end and a centrally apertured and laterally directed serrated face on its forward end complementary to the serrated face on the rockshaft; bolt means extending through the aperture in the colter arm and the bore in the rockshaft; a washer having a diameter greater than the bore in the bracket mounted on the end of the bolt means opposite from the colter arm to engage the bracket means, whereby, by tightening the bolt means, the rockshaft is secured in the bore in the bracket and the colter arm is retained in an adjusted position relative to the rockshaft; a lever arm on the enlarged end of the rockshaft; abutment means on the bracket; and yieldable force-applying means acting between the lever arm and abutment means to yieldably force the rockshaft and colter arm in one direction to move the colter to and retain the colter in a normal working position; whereby, the yieldable force-applying means affords movement of the colter when the colter encounters an obstruction, and, if the obstruction requires greater clearance than is afforded by the yieldable force-applying means, the bolt means will stretch to permit the teeth of the serrated faces to slip and thereby prevent damage to the colter.

Claim 9

An adjustable cushion mounting for a colter comprising: a vertical shank, a bracket having a pair of vertically spaced journals mounted on the lower end of the shank for rotary movement; a clamp secured to the shank between the journals to retain the bracket on the shank; means acting between the clamp and bracket to limit the rotary movement of the bracket; there being a transverse bore provided in the bracket; a rockshaft rotatably mounted in the bore and having one enlarged end which bears against the bracket to prevent lateRal movement of the rockshaft in one direction; the enlarged end of the rockshaft having a serrated face; a central bore extending through the rockshaft; a colter arm having a colter mounted on its rear end and a centrally apertured and laterally directed serrated face on its forward end complementary to the serrated face on the rockshaft; bolt means extending through the aperture in the colter arm and the bore in the rockshaft; a washer having a diameter greater than the bore in the bracket mounted on the end of the bolt means opposite from the colter arm to engage the bracket means, whereby, by tightening the bolt means, the rockshaft is secured in the bore in the bracket and the colter arm is retained in an adjusted position relative to the rockshaft; a generally upwardly extending lever arm on the enlarged end of the rockshaft; an apertured lug on the clamp positioned to the rear of the lever arm; a tension link having its forward end secured to the lever arm; the tension link extending through the aperture in the lug and having a threaded rear end; retainer means threaded on the rear end of the tension link; and a coil spring encircling the tension link and having its opposite ends bearing against the lug and retainer means; whereby the coil spring normally yieldably holds the lever arm in a rearward position against the lug; the coil spring yieldably affords forward movement of the lever arm and upward movement of the colter when the colter encounters an obstruction, and, if the obstruction requires greater clearance than is afforded by the coil springs, the bolt means will stretch to permit the teeth of the serrated faces to slip and thereby prevent damage to the colter.

Claim 10

An adjustable cushion mounting for a colter comprising: a vertical shank, a bracket having a pair of vertically spaced journals mounted on the lower end of the shank for rotary movement; a clamp secured to the shank between the journals to retain the bracket on the shank; means acting between the clamp and bracket to limit the rotary movement of the bracket; there being a transverse bore provided in the bracket; a rockshaft rotatably mounted in the bore and having one enlarged end which bears against the bracket to prevent lateRal movement of the rockshaft in one direction; the enlarged end of the rockshaft having a serrated face; a central bore extending through the rockshaft; a colter arm having a colter mounted on its rear end and a centrally apertured and laterally directed serrated face on its forward end complementary to the serrated face on the rockshaft; bolt means extending through the aperture in the colter arm and the bore in the rockshaft; a washer having a diameter greater than the bore in the bracket mounted on the end of the bolt means opposite from the colter arm to engage the bracket means, whereby, by tightening the bolt means, the rockshaft is secured in the bore in the bracket and the colter arm is retained in an adjusted position relative to the rockshaft; a generally upwardly extending lever arm on the enlarged end of the rockshaft; an apertured lug on the clamp positioned to the rear of the lever arm; a tension link having its forward end secured to the lever arm; the tension link extending through the aperture in the lug and having a threaded rear end; retainer means threaded on the rear end of the tension link; and a coil spring encircling the tension link and having its opposite ends bearing against the lug and retainer means; whereby the coil spring normally yieldably holds the lever arm in a rearward position against the lug; the coil spring yieldably affords forward movement of the lever arm and upward movement of the colter when the colter encounters an obstruction, and, if the obstruction requires greater clearance than is afforded by the coil springs, the bolt means will stretch to permit the teeth of the serrated faces to slip and thereby prevent damage to the colter.

Claim 11

An adjustable cushion mounting for a colter comprising: a vertical shank, a bracket having a pair of vertically spaced journals mounted on the lower end of the shank for rotary movement; a clamp secured to the shank between the journals to retain the bracket on the shank; means acting between the clamp and bracket to limit the rotary movement of the bracket; there being a transverse bore provided in the bracket; a rockshaft rotatably mounted in the bore and having one enlarged end which bears against the bracket to prevent lateral movement of the rockshaft in one direction; the enlarged end of the rockshaft having a serrated face; a central bore extending through the rockshaft; a colter arm having a colter mounted on its rear end and a centrally apertured and laterally directed serrated face on its forward end complementary to the serrated face on the rockshaft; bolt means extending through the aperture in the colter arm and the bore in the rockshaft; a washer having a diameter greater than the bore in the bracket mounted on the end of the bolt means opposite from the colter arm to engage the bracket means, whereby, by tightening the bolt means, the rockshaft is secured in the bore in the bracket and the colter arm is retained in an adjusted position relative to the rockshaft; means acting between the rockshaft and bracket to limit rotary movement of the rockshaft in a direction to move the colter downwardly; a generally vertically extending lever arm secured to the enlarged end of the rockshaft; a cylinder secured to the bracket in a fore-and-aft position forwardly of the lever arm and having an open end facing the lever arm; a plunger reciprocally mounted in the cylinder and having a projecting end in engagement with the lever arm; and means for connecting the cylinder to a source of fluid pressure, whereby, the plunger normally retains the lever arm in a rearward position determined by the means acting between the rockshaft and bracket, fluid expelled from the cylinder yieldably affords forward movement of the lever arm and upward movement of the colter when the colter strikes an obstruction, and, if the obstruction requires greater clearance than is afforded by expelling the fluid from the cylinder, the bolt means will stretch to permit the teeth of the serrated faces to slip and thereby prevent dAmage to the colter.

Claim 12

An adjustable cushion mounting for a colter comprising: a vertical shank, a bracket having a pair of vertically spaced journals mounted on the lower end of the shank for rotary movement; a clamp secured to the shank between the journals to retain the bracket on the shank; means acting between the clamp and bracket to limit the rotary movement of the bracket; there being a transverse bore provided in the bracket; a rockshaft rotatably mounted in the bore and having one enlarged end which bears against the bracket to prevent lateral movement of the rockshaft in one direction; the enlarged end of the rockshaft having a serrated face; a central bore extending through the rockshaft; a colter arm having a colter mounted on its rear end and a centrally apertured and laterally directed serrated face on its forward end complementary to the serrated face on the rockshaft; bolt means extending through the aperture in the colter arm and the bore in the rockshaft; a washer having a diameter greater than the bore in the bracket mounted on the end of the bolt means opposite from the colter arm to engage the bracket means, whereby, by tightening the bolt means, the rockshaft is secured in the bore in the bracket and the colter arm is retained in an adjusted position relative to the rockshaft; means acting between the rockshaft and bracket to limit rotary movement of the rockshaft in a direction to move the colter downwardly; a generally vertically extending lever arm secured to the enlarged end of the rockshaft; a cylinder secured to the bracket in a fore-and-aft position forwardly of the lever arm and having an open end facing the lever arm; a plunger reciprocally mounted in the cylinder and having a projecting end in engagement with the lever arm; and means for connecting the cylinder to a source of fluid pressure, whereby, the plunger normally retains the lever arm in a rearward position determined by the means acting between the rockshaft and bracket, fluid expelled from the cylinder yieldably affords forward movement of the lever arm and upward movement of the colter when the colter strikes an obstruction, and, if the obstruction requires greater clearance than is afforded by expelling the fluid from the cylinder, the bolt means will stretch to permit the teeth of the serrated faces to slip and thereby prevent dAmage to the colter.