Seeder with pivoting soil breakers

Claim 2

A soil cultivating implement comprising a frame and a plurality of soil working members being pivotably connected to said frame by corresponding polygonal linkages, driving means connected to rock said linkages and pivot said members up and down about substantially horizontal axes during operation, said members comprising fastening portions and forwardly extending soil working portions that are vertically displaced during operation to loosen soil, the amplitude of repetitive vertical displacement of points along the lengths of said soil working portions being greater rearwardly from their leading ends, at least one polygonal linkage having vertically spaced apart pivotal axes that extend substantially horizontally transverse to the direction of travel and said pivotal axes being located at different levels and behind one another, said linkage having two forward pivots interconnected to the frame and two trailing pivots interconnected to the fastening portion of said member, the distance between the two forward pivots being less than the distance between the two trailing pivots when viewed from the side.

Claim 3

An implement as claimed in claim 1, wherein a drive transmission to the linkage of each of said soil working members comprises a respective eccentric mechanism.

Claim 4

An implement as claimed in claim 2, wherein said linkage includes at least one upper arm link and at least one lower link, said transmission including an eccentric with a projecting arm connected to the upper link between the two upper pivots.

Claim 5

An implement as claimed in claim 3, wherein each projecting arm extends substantially horizontally and is connected to a ring of the corresponding eccentric mechanism, said ring rotatably surrounding an eccentrically mounted disc, the discs that correspond to the eccentric mechanisms being mounted on a common driving shaft.

Claim 6

An implement as claimed in claim 4, wherein each eccentric disc is arranged on a separate portion of said shaft and the separate portions of the common driving shaft being releasably interconnected by sleeves, the separate portions of said shaft located adjacent the center of the implement being releasably connected to an output shaft of a gear box, said output shaft being in driven connection with an input shaft via bevel pinions housed within said gear box, said input shaft extending forwardly and being connectable to the power take-off shaft of a tractor.

Claim 7

An implement as claimed in claim 1, wherein a straight line between the upper two pivots intersects a further straight line between the lower two pivots, the point of intersection being located directly above the leading end of said soil working member in the latter's lowermost position.

Claim 8

An implement as claimed in claim 6, wherein the two straight lines substantially coincide, as seen in side elevation, with the longitudinal axes of upper and lower links of each polygonal linkage.

Claim 9

An implement as claimed in claim 7, wherein at least one soil working member comprises a substantially planar tine having a hook-shaped configuration as seen in side elevation, said tine having a leading end in advance of the connections of the fastening portion of said tine to links of the corresponding linkage, each tine including a downwardly and forwardly inclined substantially straight portion that terminates in a forwardly directed portion, the end of the latter portion being located substantially directly beneath the point of the intersection of said lines when viewed in side elevation with said tine at substantially the lowermost end of its path of repetitive motion.

Claim 10

An implement as claimed in claim 8, wherein said forwardly directed portion has a lower substantially horizontal edge and the upper edge of said portion is inclined upwardly and rearwardly with respect to the direction of travel, away from the leading part, a substantially planar element being mounted on said upper edge.

Claim 11

An implement as claimed in claim 9, wherein said element has a substantially isosceles triangular configuration and the base thereof forms at the rear of the element.

Claim 12

An implement as claimed in claim 6, wherein the distance between the two upper pivots of said linkage is substantially the same as the distance between the two lower pivots, the distance between the two forward pivots being substantially four-fifths the distance between the two rear pivots.

Claim 13

An implement as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pivotal axes are defined by stub shafts mounted in bearing sleeves and maintained in position by blocking plates.

Claim 14

An implement as claimed in claim 1, wherein said frame is supported on at least one ground wheel and means adjusting said wheel upwardly and downwardly relative to said frame, said wheel being pivoted to said frame and movable to either one of two different positions relative to the frame, said wheel being located in advance of the soil working members with respect to the direction of travel in one of said positions and to the rear of the frame in the second position.

Claim 15

An implement as claimed in claim 13, wherein there are two ground wheels adjacent opposite ends of a row of said soil working members, the two ground wheels being mounted on arms and said arms being displaceable to either one of said two positions, said arms projecting forwardly from the frame in said one position and rearwardly from the frame in the second position.

Claim 16

A soil cultivating implement comprising a frame and a plurality of soil working members being pivotably connected to said frame by corresponding quadrilateral linkages, driving means connected to rock said linkages and pivot said members up and down about substantially horizontal axes, said members comprising upper fastening portions and lower soil working portions that extend forwardly to leading ends, said soil working portions being driven through repetitive vertical movements and the amplitude of vertical displacement of points along the lengths of the soil working portions being greater rearwardly from their leading ends, at least one of said linkages having four vertically spaced apart pivotal axes that extend substantially horizontally transverse to the direction of travel and said pivotal axes being located at different levels, behind one another, said linkage having upper and lower links and the forward ends of the links being pivoted to the frame, the trailing ends of the links being pivoted to the fastening portions, the distance between the pivotal axes that connect the links to the frame being less than the distance between the two pivotal axes that connect the links to said fastening portions, whereby the leading ends remain at substantially constant depths below the ground, means supporting the frame and soil working portions at any one of a plurality of different levels during operation.

Claim 17

A soil cultivating implement comprising a frame and a plurality of soil working members being pivotably connected to said frame by corresponding quadrilateral linkages, driving means connected to rock said linkages and pivot said members up and down about substantially horizontal axes, said members comprising upper fastening portions and lower soil working portions that extend forwardly to leading ends, said soil working portions being driven through repetitive vertical movements and the amplitude of vertical displacement of points along the lengths of the soil working portions being greater rearwardly from their leading ends, at least one of said linkages having four vertically spaced apart pivotal axes that extend substantially horizontally transverse to the direction of travel and said pivotal axes being located at different levels, behind one another, said linkage having upper and lower links and the forward ends of the links being pivoted to the frame, the trailing ends of the links being pivoted to the fastening portions, the distance between the pivotal axes that connect the links to the frame being less than the distance between the two pivotal axes that connect the links to said fastening portions, whereby the leading ends remain at substantially constant depths below the ground, means supporting the frame and soil working portions at any one of a plurality of different levels during operation.

Claim 18

An implement as claimed in claim 15, wherein at least one mechanism for inserting material into the soil during operative progress of the implement is connected to the frame at the rear of said members.

Claim 19

An implement as claimed in claim 16, wherein there are two mechanisms that dispense materials into the soil one behind the other with respect to the normal direction of implement travel, a first mechanism being positioned to insert chemical substances into the soil and a second mechanism being positioned to sow seeds.

Claim 20

An implement as claimed in claim 17, wherein the first mechanism is located immediately to the rear of the soil working members and comprises a plurality of injectors that are in register, with respect to the direction of travel, with corresponding soil working members, said second mechanism being linked to said frame and comprising a plurality of outlets that are in communication with corresponding sowing shoes, said sowing shoes being in register with corresponding soil working members.

Claim 21

An implement as claimed in claim 15, wherein a three-point coupling trestle is secured to the front of said frame and said trestle comprises resilient connection means that interconnects said implement to a tractor and reduces shocks caused during operation.

Claim 22

An implement as claimed in claim 19, wherein said trestle comprises an upper coupling point that is flexibly interconnected to said frame through blocks of resilient material, said resilient material being located inside an elongated housing and a rod extending through said material, the opposite ends of the housing being open and said rod extending lengthwise through the housing to a coupling at its leading end.

Claim 23

An implement as claimed in claim 20, wherein said housing is polygonal in cross-section.

Claim 24

An implement as claimed in claim 15, wherein ground wheels are pivoted to the lateral sides of the frame by a foldable linkage, said wheels being bodily displaceable relative to the frame by at least one fluid pressure operated piston and cylinder assembly that links pivoted parts of the foldable linkage to one another, said wheels being displaceable to ground engaging locations which correspond to an inoperative transport position of the implement in which the soil working members are raised above the ground surface.