Soil cultivating implements

Claim 2

An agricultural implement comprising an elongated frame and a plurality of soil-working members mounted on said frame in a row that extends transverse to the direction of travel, said members having tines and being rotatable about upwardly extending axes defined by corresponding shafts depending from said frame, driving means connected to rotate said members and said tines to work the soil during operation, a rotatable supporting member being connected to the frame and located to the rear of said soil-working members, said supporting member being a roller that is rotatable about a substantially horizontal axis and spraying means being located between said soil-working members and said roller, said spraying means comprising nozzles in communication with a source of fluid material to be sprayed, said nozzles being mounted on support means and positioned adjacent the soil-working members at the rear thereof, whereby material is sprayed in the immediate proximity of the soil-working members during operation.

Claim 3

An implement as claimed in claim 1, wherein said spraying nozzles are arranged at regular intervals to the rear of said row of said soil-working members.

Claim 4

An implement as claimed in claim 2, wherein the distance between two neighboring spraying nozzles is about twice the distance between two upwardly extending shafts of two neighboring soil-working members.

Claim 5

An implement as claimed in claim 3, wherein the distance between the shafts of neighboring soil-working members is about 25 centimeters.

Claim 6

An implement as claimed in claim 4, wherein, as seen in the direction of travel, there are two soil-working members positioned between two spraying nozzles.

Claim 7

An implement as claimed in claim 4, wherein said spraying nozzles are located at about the same level as the upper part of said soil-working members.

Claim 8

An implement as claimed in claim 1, wherein said roller is coupled to said frame by arms and said nozzles are mounted on a pipe which is carried by said arms.

Claim 9

An implement as claimed in claim 7, wherein said pipe is coupled to said arms by supports and said supports can be vertically adjusted into a number of settings with respect to said arms.

Claim 10

An implement as claimed in claim 8, wherein said spraying nozzles are mounted on the front side of said pipe.

Claim 11

An implement as claimed in claim 1, wherein said roller has a periphery comprised by a plurality of longitudinal elements which extend in substantially the direction of its axis of rotation.

Claim 12

An implement as claimed in claim 1, wherein monitoring means is positioned in the path of sprayed material.

Claim 13

An implement as claimed in claim 11, wherein said implement is a harrow coupled to a tractor and said monitoring means comprises a camera, a row of spraying nozzles being supported adjacent the camera for supervision, said camera, during operation, being mounted for reciprocating movement, said camera being operatively connected to a visual monitor on the tractor.

Claim 14

An implement as claimed in claim 12, wherein the camera is located near the center of the row of spraying nozzles.

Claim 15

An implement as claimed in claim 11, wherein said implement is a harrow and the monitoring means comprises a light source and photo-electrical cell combination for each nozzle, said implement being coupled to a tractor and the latter having indication means that is actuated by said combination.

Claim 16

An implement as claimed in claim 11, wherein there are a plurality of spraying nozzles and for every spraying nozzle a valve is provided, said valve being connected to a lever, said lever being movable to actuate a switch in an electrical circuit of said monitoring means, said implement being coupled to a tractor and indication means on said tractor being in communication with said switch.

Claim 17

An implement as claimed in claim 15, wherein said valve, during normal operation of its corresponding spraying nozzle, has a position in which said lever is out of contact with said swich.

Claim 18

An implement as claimed in claim 11, wherein said monitoring means includes a discharge outlet nozzle, a rotatable fan wheel which, during normal operation, is moved against resilient opposition, actuating means connected to said fan wheel and said actuating means being out of contact with a switch in an electrical circuit, said implement being connected to a tractor and said circuit including indication means on said tractor.

Claim 19

An implement as claimed in claim 17, wherein said actuating means comprises one end of a shaft that defines the axis of rotation of the fan wheel.

Claim 20

An implement as claimed in claim 18, wherein said fan wheel is located inside a cylindrical house and the axis shaft of said fan wheel coincides with the center line of said house.

Claim 21

An implement as claimed in claim 11, wherein said monitoring means comprises a contact for each spraying nozzle, said contact forming part of an electrical circuit whereby, when hit by the stream of fluid material, said circuit is closed and indication means is actuated, said indication means being remotely mounted with respect to the nozzle.

Claim 22

An implement as claimed in claim 20, wherein said contact includes a pair of wires, the ends of said wires lying closely adjacent one another and said nozzle.

Claim 23

An implement as claimed in claim 20, wherein said indication means comprises a green light.

Claim 24

An implement as claimed in claim 1, wherein there are a plurality of spraying nozzles carried by a common pipe and said pipe extends substantially horizontal and transverse to the direction of travel of said implement.

Claim 25

An implement as claimed in claim 23, wherein a hose is connected to said pipe adjacent the center thereof and said hose communicates with a pump and a container for said material.

Claim 26

An implement as claimed in claim 24, wherein said pipe is mounted on supports secured to said frame and adjusting means is associated with said pipe that changes the nozzle spraying direction.

Claim 27

An agricultural inplement comprising an elongated frame and a plurality of soil-working members mounted on said frame in a row that extends transverse to the direction of travel, said members having tines and being rotatable about upwardly extending axes defined by corresponding shafts depending from said frame, driving means connected to rotate said members and said tines to work the soil during operation, spraying means being located at the rear of said soil-working members and comprising a plurality of nozzles is communication with a source of material to be sprayed, said nozzles being mounted on support means and positioned adjacent the soil-working members at the rear thereof, whereby material is sprayed in the immediate proximity of the soil-working members during operation, said tines having lower portions, and said nozzles being located above said lower portions and directing fluid to soil being worked at the rear of said members.

Claim 28

An agricultural inplement comprising an elongated frame and a plurality of soil-working members mounted on said frame in a row that extends transverse to the direction of travel, said members having tines and being rotatable about upwardly extending axes defined by corresponding shafts depending from said frame, driving means connected to rotate said members and said tines to work the soil during operation, spraying means being located at the rear of said soil-working members and comprising a plurality of nozzles is communication with a source of material to be sprayed, said nozzles being mounted on support means and positioned adjacent the soil-working members at the rear thereof, whereby material is sprayed in the immediate proximity of the soil-working members during operation, said tines having lower portions, and said nozzles being located above said lower portions and directing fluid to soil being worked at the rear of said members.

Claim 29

An implement as claimed in claim 26, wherein signal means is associated with said nozzles and said signal means is positioned to be actuated by contact with the material being sprayed. .Iadd. 28. In an agricultural implement, including at least one soil working tool and a spraying system, said system comprising a container for agricultural fluid material to be sprayed and at least one nozzle positioned to spray fluid in the path of soil worked by the soil working means, said nozzle being adapted to spray a fan-shaped pattern of material and said tool being located in advance of said nozzle, monitoring means comprising an electric circuit with electrical conductor means in switching communication with indication means, said conductor means including at least one exposed wire the end of which defines a gap in the circuit, said wire end being located below and substantially to one side of a vertical plane that passes through said nozzle and in the spray pattern that discharges from said nozzle, whereby, during normal operation, spray is spread across said gap to close said circuit and said indication means is actuated. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 29. An implement as claimed in claim 28, wherein said circuit comprises spaced-apart wires and the ends of the wires are separated by said gap. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 30. An implement as claimed in claim 29, wherein said indication means is a light that is remotely located with respect to said gap, said light being connected to shine during the normal operation of said nozzle, when said gap is bridged by the fluid being sprayed. .Iaddend..Iadd. 31. An implement as claimed in claim 29, wherein said nozzle is mounted on a fluid conducting pipe, said wires being connected to support means on the pipe and forming part of said circuit. .Iaddend.