Patent Application
20080314604
The present invention relates to an improved plow. More particularly, the invention relates to an improvement to a moldboard plow enabling it to reach substantially deeper into the soil.
Moldboard plows have been virtually the same, except for size, for at least the last fifty years. A moldboard plow includes a leading cutter to slice surface plants and a curved plow tip that engages the soil. The moldboard plow tips over or turns over the top six to eight inches of soil, and has been found to be effective in many soils, increasing the yield of corn, for example by ten to fifteen bushels per acre in some cases and in other soil up to forty bushels per acre.
The problem with moldboard plows is that they sometimes create a hard layer at the depth of the plow tip, and this layer prevents the roots from going deeper. In dry climates or during a less than average rainfall growing season, the roots do not go deep enough to get the proper moisture. Crop yield suffers.
An alternative to the moldboard plow is a chisel plow or cultivator shank which cuts deeper into the soil. However, these plows do not turn the soil. With increased fuel costs, it is no longer economical to first plow a field with a moldboard plow and follow up with a second plowing using a chisel plow.
Another current trend is to plant corn in more fields and to skip planting alternative crops in fields because the demand for corn is increasing dramatically as an alternative energy source.
It would be of advantage in the art if a moldboard plow could be improved to eliminate the formation of a hard subsurface layer.
It would be another advance in the art if the advantages of a moldboard plow could be retained while reaching deeper into the soil.
Other advantages will appear hereinafter.
It has now been discovered that the above and other advantages of the present invention may be obtained in the following manner. Specifically, the present invention provides an improved moldboard plow by adding a second plow point behind the moldboard bottoms. The second plow point extends deeper into the soil, at least doubling the depth reached by conventional moldboard plows.
In its simplest form, the present invention comprises a shank, similar to a chisel plow or cultivator shank, directly behind each moldboard bottom. The shank extends from six inches to eight inches or more deeper than the furrow. As the shank follows behind the moldboard plow bottoms, it breaks up the flow pan and functions like a subsoiler.
The shanks, one for each moldboard bottom, is connected directly to the moldboard so that when the moldboard strikes a rock or other buried hard object, it would trip up as does the moldboard. The shank is also provided with its own trip to protect it in case it encounters a hard object at its greater depth.
Typical moldboard plows are raised when moving to and from a field and when turning around. The shank portion is adapted to rise a greater distance to avoid contact with the ground. This can be done either by modifying the moldboard plow component to raise to the higher required elevation or by a separate lift for the shank component.
In a preferred embodiment, a hydraulic cylinder is mounted behind each moldboard bottom. The cylinder would be adapted to raise or slide the shank up and down independently of the moldboard bottom. Preferably, the shanks would be inside a channel or conduit that would hold the shank and allow it to be raised or lowered to any depth when plowing. The cylinder and shank would trip by the same mechanism.
For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference is hereby made to the drawings, in which:
The present invention provides for substantial improvements in plowing by combining a conventional moldboard plow with a plurality of bottoms, each of which includes a shank extending below the bottom to further turn the soil during plowing.
As seen in
Also mounted on bottom support 13 is a cylinder support 19 which in turn mounts a hydraulic cylinder 21. Cylinder 21 raises and lowers a bracket 23 through shaft 25 that in turn mounts the soil engaging shank element 27. Shank 27 engages the soil at a point below that of bottom 17. Shank 27 can extend up to twelve inches and preferably extends into the soil by between six and eight inches below that reached by said moldboard plow bottoms 17. Cylinder 21 can adjust this depth over the whole range as set forth here.
Most moldboard plows are fitted with a release component that allows the bottoms 17 to be raised when the bottom 17 strikes a rock or other hard object as it moves through the soil. It is contemplated that the shank 17 will also rise when this component raises the bottoms 17. Frame 11 includes a pivot point 29 that moves in the counterclockwise direction as seen in
A particular advantage of the present invention is that the forces of bottom 17 are to one side since the bottoms all turn the soil in one direction essentially perpendicular to the direction of travel of the plow. Shank 27 engages the soil at a greater depth and serves as a counter force to the side forces of bottom 17.
Shank 27 also increases the yield of the corn planted by this plow because it plows deeper than a moldboard plow can reach, thus reaching the heavy under soil and turning it over. It is estimated that a yield of 140 to 225 bushels per acre will be increased by the present invention by from ten to fifteen bushels per acre up to forty bushels per acre.
While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it is not intended to limit the invent
