Soil cultivating implements

Abstract

A cultivating implement has side-by-side soil working members journalled in a hollow frame portion. Each member includes a support with hub that is connected to the lower end of a corresponding shaft. The shafts of the soil working members have meshed pinions on their upper ends that are housed in an upper chamber of the frame portion. The support and hub are housed substantially in their entireties within the frame portion and the lower side of each hub has apertured tags with pins that comprise quick release fastenings for downwardly extending tines.

Description

Claims

1. A soil-cultivating implement comprising a frame and at least one soil-working member supported on a hollow portion of said frame, said portion comprising three vertically spaced apart plates that define upper and lower chambers between a top and a central plate and between said central plate and a bottom plate, respectively, said soil-working member being rotatable about an upwardly extending shaft and driving means connected to said shaft to rotate same, said shaft being journalled within said portion and tool support means being connected to the shaft's lower portion, said support means including a hub that is substantially positioned entirely within the lower chamber, downwardly extending tool means connected to said support means and the lower side of said support means being flanged and fitted with minimal clearance in a hole in said bottom plate to exclude soil, said lower side being positioned at substantially the same level as the bottom plate and having connecting means fastened to at least one downwardly extending tine.

2. An implement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cross section of the lower chamber is larger than that of the upper chamber.

3. An implement as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tool means comprises tines positioned at opposite sides of the axis of rotation of said soil working member.

4. An implement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lower side of the support means is substantially circular.

5. An implement as claimed in claim 1, wherein said hub has stiffening ribs.

6. An implement as claimed in claim 5, wherein said ribs are located on the top of said hub.

7. An implement as claimed in claim 1, wherein said lower side has recesses and said tool means includes tines fastened in said recesses.

8. An implement as claimed in claim 1, wherein said shaft is rotatably supported from said upper and central plates by upper and lower bearings, said bottom plate being formed with an aligned hole to receive said hub.

9. An implement as claimed in claim 8, wherein said lower bearing is supported from the central plate and is located substantially midway along the length of said shaft.

10. An implement as claimed in claim 1, wherein a toothed pinion is secured to the upper portion of said shaft, said pinion being located in the upper chamber.

11. An implement as claimed in claim 10, wherein there are a plurality of soil working members mounted in a row, said members having toothed pinions that correspond to immediately neighbouring shafts in intermeshing engagement.

12. An implement as claimed in claim 1, wherein substantially all of said support means is located in said lower chamber.

13. An implement as claimed in claim 1, wherein both the central plate and the bottom plate have substantially horizontal central regions and said regions are flanked by corresponding upwardly and outwardly inclined flat portions.

14. An implement as claimed in claim 13, wherein both of said substantially horizontal portions are flanked at both the front and the rear, by corresponding upwardly and outwardly inclinded portions.