SPACE-OPTIMISED GROUND PROCESSING DEVICE

Abstract

The present application relates to a soil tillage implement (10) having soil tillage tools (12), in particular cultivator tines, wherein the soil tillage implement (10) comprises a frame (14) in order to arrange the soil tillage tools (12) in multiple tool rows (16.1 . . . 16.4) following one another in the working direction (A) oriented transversely to the working direction (A), and a running gear (18) having at least one main wheel (20.1, 20.2) which is spaced apart from a centre longitudinal axis (22) transversely to the working direction (A) by a lateral wheel distance (dr). The running gear (18) is arranged within the frame area in such a manner that with respect to the working direction (A) in front of and preferably behind the running gear (18) as well as to the left and right of the running gear (18) at least one soil tillage tool (12) is arranged. According to the invention, all soil tillage tools (12), which are arranged in the tool row (16.1) located furthest in front of the running gear (18) in the working direction (A), have a lateral tool distance (dw) from the centre longitudinal axis (22) that is smaller than or equal to the lateral wheel distance (dr).

Claims

1. A soil tillage implement (10) having soil tillage tools (12), in particular cultivator tines, wherein the soil tillage implement (10) comprises a frame (14), in order to arrange the soil tillage tools (12) in multiple tool rows (16.1 . . . 16.4) over a frame area that follow one another in the working direction (A) and are oriented transversely to the working direction (A), and a running gear (18) having at least one main wheel (20.1, 20.2), which is spaced apart transversely to the working direction (A) from a centre longitudinal axis (22) by a lateral wheel distance (dr), wherein the running gear (18) is arranged within the frame area in such a manner that with respect to the working direction (A) in front of and preferably behind the running gear (18) as well as to the left and right of the running gear (18) at least one soil tillage tool (12) is arranged, characterised in that all soil tillage tools (120 which are arranged in the tool row (16.1) located furthest in front of the running gear (18) in the working direction (A) have a lateral tool distance (dw) from the centre longitudinal axis (22) that is smaller than or equal to the lateral wheel distance (dr).

2. The soil tillage implement (10) according to claim 1, wherein the running gear (18) comprises two main wheels (20.1, 20.2) which are each spaced apart by the same lateral wheel distance (dr) from the centre longitudinal axis (22).

3. The soil tillage implement (10) according to claim 1, wherein all soil tillage tools (12) arranged in the working direction (A) in the rear-most tool row (16.4) are equidistantly spaced apart from their laterally adjacent soil tillage tools (12) of the same tool row (16.4), namely by a tine spacing (bz).

4. The soil tillage implement (10) according to claim 3, wherein the tool row (16.1) located furthest in front of the running gear (18) in the working direction is a part tool row which extends over less than half of a working width (B) of the soil tillage implement (10), wherein the soil tillage tools (12) of the soil tillage implement (10) are arranged in a number R, preferably three, of main tool rows (16.2, 16.3, 16.4) substantially extending over the entire working width (B.ges) of the soil tillage implement (10), wherein each of the soil tillage tools (12) of a main tool row (16.2, 16.3) in the working direction (A) in front of the rear-most main tool row (16.4), whose lateral tool distance (dw) from the centre longitudinal axis (22) is greater than the lateral wheel distance (dr), is displaced relative to one of the soil tillage tools (12) of the main tool rows (16.2, 16.3, 16.4) directly adjoining in the working direction (A) at the back by 1/R-times the tine spacing (bz) to the inside towards the centre longitudinal axis (22) and wherein the running gear (18) is arranged with respect to the working direction (A) in a region of a main tool row (16.2, 16.3) in front of the rear-most main tool row (16.4).

5. The soil tillage implement (10) according to claim 1, wherein on both sides outside the centre longitudinal axis (22) the same number of soil tillage tools (12) are arranged.

6. The soil tillage implement (10) according to claim 1, wherein with respect to the working direction (A) to the left and right next to the tool row (16.1) located furthest in front of the running gear (18) in the working direction (A) and along the working direction (A) in the same position as this tool row (16.1), at least one front support wheel (24.1, 24.2) each is arranged, so that the soil tillage tools (12) of this tool row (16.1) are flanked by the front support wheels (24.1, 24.2).

7. The soil tillage implement (10) according to claim 1, wherein to the left and right with respect to the working direction (A) next to a tool row (16.2, 16.3) in front of the rear-most tool row (16.4) but behind the tool row (16.1) located furthest in front of the running gear (18) in the working direction, in particular of the penultimate tool row (16.3), at least one rear support wheel (26.1, 26.2) each is arranged, so that the soil tillage tools (12) of this tool row (16.2, 16.3) are flanked by the rear support wheels (26.1, 26.2), wherein preferably aligned in the working direction (A) behind the respective at least one rear support wheel (26.1, 26.2) a soil tillage tool (12) is arranged, which is arranged in particular in the last tool row (16.4).

8. The soil tillage implement (10) according to claim 1, wherein some soil tillage tools (12) are arranged on a middle frame segment (14.2) and of these two or more soil tillage tools (12) form the tool row (16) located furthest in front of the running gear (18) in the working direction (A) and wherein preferably a plurality each of soil tillage tools (12) is arranged on a left lateral frame segment (14.1) and a right lateral frame segment (14.3), wherein the lateral frame segments (14.1, 14.3) are each preferably foldable relative to the middle frame segment (14.2) about a folding axis (K1, K2) running parallel to the working direction (A) in order to switch the soil tillage implement (10) between a working position and a transport position, wherein preferably the running gear (18) is arranged on the middle frame segment (14.2) and wherein support wheels (24.1, 24.2, 26.1, 26.2) are optionally arranged on the lateral frame segments (14.1, 14.3).

9. The soil tillage implement (10) according to claim 1, wherein the soil tillage tools (12) are cultivator tines, wherein the soil tillage implement (10) furthermore comprises additional tools which have a clearing or levelling effect, preferentially rotating tools, preferentially disc tools (28), which are arranged in the working direction (A) in front of the cultivator tines (12) in multiple additional tool rows (30.1, 30.2, 30.3) following one another in the working direction (A) and oriented transversely to the working direction (A), wherein a rear-most additional tool row (30.3) is arranged substantially with respect to the working direction (A) to the left and right next to the tool row (16.1) located furthest in front of the running gear (18) in the working direction (A) and along the working direction (A) in the same position as this tool row (16.1), wherein in the working direction (A) in front of the rear-most additional tool row (30.3) a front-most additional tool row (30.1) is arranged, wherein preferably in front of the rear-most additional tool row (30.3) a middle additional tool row (30.2) and in the working direction (A) in front of the middle additional tool row (30.2) the front-most additional tool row (30.1) is arranged, and wherein all additional tools (28) which are arranged in the front-most additional tool row (30.1), have a lateral additional tool distance (ds) from the centre longitudinal axis (22) that is smaller than or equal to the lateral wheel distance (dr).

10. The soil tillage implement (10) according to claim 9, wherein the disc tools (28) of the rear-most additional tool row (30.3) located nearest to the centre longitudinal axis (22) are arranged aligned in the working direction (A) in front of the main wheels (20.1, 20.2) of the running gear (18).

11. The soil tillage implement (10) according to claim 9, wherein with respect to the working direction (A) to the left and right next to the front-most additional tool row (30.1) and along the working direction (A) in the same position as this additional tool row (30.1) at least one front support wheel (32.1, 32.2) each is arranged, so that the additional tools (28) of this additional tool row (30.1) are flanked by the support wheels (32.1, 32.2).

12. The soil tillage implement (10) according to claim 9, wherein the additional tools (28) are arranged obliquely and preferentially are hollow discs, through which in each case a throwing direction is defined, wherein the throwing direction of the additional tools (28) of the rear-most additional tool row (30.3) points to the centre longitudinal axis (22) and wherein the throwing directions of the additional tools (28) of the additional tool rows (30.1, 30.2, 30.3) arranged one behind the other alternately point away from the centre longitudinal axis (22) and towards the centre longitudinal axis (22).

13. The soil tillage implement (10) according to claim 9, wherein at least one of the additional tools (28), which is located on the centre longitudinal axis (22) or directly adjacent to the same, is displaced relative to the other additional tools (28) of its additional tool row (30.1, 30.2, 30.3) in the working direction (A) to the front or rear, preferentially by ⅓-times to ½-times its longitudinal extent along the working direction (A).

14. The soil tillage implement (10) according to claim 9, wherein on both sides outside the centre longitudinal axis (22) the same number of additional tools (28) per additional tool row (30.1 . . . 30.3) is arranged.

15. The soil tillage implement (10) according to claim 9, wherein a total number n_ges of soil tillage tools (12) satisfies the following equation:
n_ges=nh+(R−1)*(nh−1), wherein nh refers to a number of soil tillage tools (12) of the rear-most tool row (16.4) and R refers to a number of main tool rows (16.2, 16.3, 16.4) substantially extending over the working width (B.ges).

16. The soil tillage implement (10) according to claim 9, which comprises a number R of main tool rows (16.2, 16.3, 16.4) extending substantially over the entire working width (B.ges) of the soil tillage implement (10), wherein a lateral tine spacing (bz) between the soil tillage tools (12) is equal to a greater lateral tool distance (dw) from the centre longitudinal axis (22) than the lateral wheel distance (dr) and wherein the soil tillage tools (12) with a greater lateral tool distance (dw) from the centre longitudinal axis (22) than the lateral wheel distance (dr) are displaced from the rear-most tool row (16.4) towards the front between tool rows (16.1 . . . 16.4) located one behind the other in each case by 1/R-times the tine spacing (bz) towards the centre axis (22) to the inside, i.e. are staggered.

17. The soil tillage implement (10) according to claim 16, wherein between the soil tillage tools (12) with a maximally same lateral tool distance (dw) from the centre longitudinal axis (22) as the lateral wheel distance (dr) there is a distance whose amount is at least as great as the amount of the distance between the soil tillage tools (12) with a greater lateral tool distance (dw) from the centre longitudinal axis (22) than the lateral wheel distance (dr).

Description

[0052] Further advantages and further developments of the invention are obtained from the following figure description and the totality of the claims.

[0053] FIG. 1 shows a plan view of a soil tillage implement in a first preferred embodiment.

[0054] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the soil tillage implement from FIG. 1.

[0055] FIG. 3 shows a plan view of a soil tillage implement in a second preferred embodiment.

[0056] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the soil tillage implement from FIG. 3.

[0057] In the following description, same reference numbers are used for same or corresponding elements and a repetitive description largely avoided.

[0058] FIG. 1 shows a plan view of a wing share cultivator 10 in a first preferred embodiment. The cultivator 10 comprises a frame 14 with a middle frame segment 14.2, a left lateral frame segment 14.1 and a right lateral frame segment 14.3. The directions left and right are based on a working direction A, in which the cultivator 10 is pulled during its working operation. For this purpose, the cultivator 10 is coupled to a tractor by way of a towbar in the known manner. The frame segments 14.1 and 14.3 are movably interconnected with the metal frame segment 14.2 via folding axes K1 and K2 and can be preferentially brought via actuators H1 and H2 from a laterally extending working position into a vertical transport position.

[0059] In order to support the load of the cultivator 10 a running gear 18 is integrated in the frame 14. The running gear 18 includes two main wheels 20.1, 20.2 that are spaced apart from a centre longitudinal axis 22 equidistantly to the left and right, 25 which have a lateral wheel distance dr from the centre longitudinal axis 22 and carry the metal frame segment 14.2 by way of an axle. Complementarily to the running gear 18, the cultivator additionally includes a pair of front support wheels 24.1, 24.2 and rear support wheels 26.1, 26.2, which in each case flank a row of cultivator tines 12. Through the hinging effect of the folding axes K1 and K2 an 30 adaptation of the working depth of the respective frame segments 14.1, 14.2 and 14.3 to soil irregularities that occur transversely to the main working direction can take place with the help of the further support wheels 24.1, 24.2 and/or 26.1, 26.2 also with the help of the actuators H1 and H2.

[0060] In the present embodiment, the cultivator tines 12 are arranged in three main tool rows 16.2, 16.3, 16.4 which run transversely to the working direction A and are arranged in the working direction A one behind the other. Behind the last main tool row 16.4, whose lateral extent defines a total working width B.ges of the cultivator 10, levelling tools such as rollers 36 or flexible harrows 35 are additionally provided. By way of the rollers 36, a re-compacting effect for the soil loosened by way of the soil tillage tools (12) and/or a depth guidance for the soil tillage tools (12) can be additionally achieved.

[0061] In the last main tool row 16.4, ten cultivator tines 12 each at the same lateral tine spacing from one another are arranged, wherein five cultivator tines 12 are arranged to the left of the centre longitudinal axis 22 and five cultivator tines 12 to the right of the centre longitudinal axis 22.

[0062] In the working direction A in front of the last main tool row 16.4 a middle main tool row 16.3 including seven cultivator tines 12 is located. In the middle main tool row 16.3, the main wheels 20.1, 20.2 of the running gear 18 are also integrated and between the main wheels 20.1, 20.2 a cultivator tine 12 is slightly displaced towards the front in the working direction, wherein this cultivator tine 12 is nevertheless defined as belonging to the middle main tool row 16.3, since its distance in the working direction A to the laterally adjacent cultivator tines 12 of the middle main tool row 16.3 is less than half the share step, i.e. the distance in the working direction A between consecutive main tool rows 16.2 . . . 16.4. At the lateral ends of the middle main tool row 16.3 the respective outer-most cultivator tines 12 are slightly displaced towards the rear in the working direction A and are thus located behind a front edge of the rear support wheels 26.1, 26.2 arranged next to these. These outer-most cultivator tines 12 also belong to the middle main tool row 16.3 since its distance in the working direction A to the laterally adjacent cultivator tines 12 of the middle main tool row 16.3 is less than half the share step.

[0063] The cultivator tines 12 of the middle main tool row 16.3 are positioned relative to the cultivator tines of the last main tool row 16.4 so that for each cultivator tine 12 of the middle main tool row 16.3 there is a cultivator tine 12 of the last main tool row 16.4 which is displaced relative to this by a third of the tine spacing of the cultivator tines 12 in the last main tool row 16.4 in the direction of the centre longitudinal axis to the inside. This arrangement contributes to an even working pattern by the cultivator 10, wherein the main wheels 20.1, 20.2 take the place of two cultivator tines 12 of this pattern.

[0064] In the working direction A in front of the middle main tool row 16.3 is located the front main tool row 16.2 including the eight cultivator tines 12. The cultivator tines 12 of the front main tool row 16.2 are arranged relative to the middle main tool row 16.3 according to the same pattern as the cultivator tines 12 of the middle main tool row 16.3 relative to those of the last main tool row 16.4. In other words, the cultivator tines 12 of the front main tool row 16.2 are displaced by a third of the tine spacing of the cultivator tines 12 of the last main tool row 16.4 in the direction of the centre longitudinal axis 22 to the inside. Since in the middle main tool row 16.3 the main wheels 20.1, 20.2 take up the place of a cultivator tine 12 each, this regularity does not apply to the innermost cultivator tines 12 of the front main tool row 16.2, but which have a corresponding relative position to the main wheels 20.1, 20.2, i.e. the innermost cultivator tines 12 of the front main tool row 16.2 are each displaced relative to one of the main wheels 20.1, 20.2 by a third of the tine spacing of the cultivator tines 12 in the last main tool row 16.4 in the direction of the centre longitudinal axis to the inside.

[0065] In the working direction A in front of the front main tool row 16.2 is located the tool row 16.1 situated furthest in front of the running gear 18 in the working direction A, which is a part tool row since it extends over less than half of the total working width B.ges of the last main tool row 16.4. The cultivator tines 12 of this tool row 16.1 located furthest in front of the running gear 18 in the working direction A have a lateral tool distance dw from the centre longitudinal axis 22 that is smaller than the lateral wheel distance dr.

[0066] The tool row 16.1 located furthest in front of the running gear 18 in the working direction A is flanked by two front support wheels 24.1, 24.2. A great advantage of the preferred embodiment consists in that the tool row 16.1 is provided with three cultivator tines 12 in such a manner that an even working pattern of the cultivator 10 is created. Through its narrow embodiment it is ensured at the same time that the cultivator 10 is highly manoeuvrable. The cultivator 10 of the preferred embodiment is more manoeuvrable than a cultivator having four main tool rows 16.2 . . . 16.4 substantially spread over the entire working width B.ges. In other words, the cultivator 10 can follow a small turning circle. However, other than in the prior art, the high level of manoeuvrability is not at the expense of the evenness of the soil tillage since the displacement of the cultivator tines of tool rows arranged one behind the other in each case is a third of the tine spacing in the last main tool row 16.4. This facilitates levelling by a roller or flexible harrow behind the cultivator tines 12.

[0067] This preferred embodiment makes possible to very evenly arrange 28 cultivator tines 12 in a compact frame 14 with integrated running gear 18 and thus a high level of manoeuvrability so that a highly homogeneous working pattern is created and thereby a high-quality soil tillage is possible.

[0068] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the soil tillage implement from FIG. 1, wherein the same reference numbers as in FIG. 1 are used.

[0069] FIG. 3 shows a plan view of a soil tillage implement in a second preferred embodiment. A large part of the elements shown in FIG. 3 is equal to those of the first preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 1. This first preferred embodiment from FIG. 1 is complemented, according to the second preferred embodiment from FIG. 3, by three disc rows 30.1 . . . 30.3. The three disc rows 30.1 . . . 30.3 follow in the working direction A in front of the main tool rows 16.2 . . . 16.4.

[0070] Seen in the working direction A, a rear disc row 30.3 is in the same place as the tool row 16.1 and laterally flanks this tool row 16.1. The disc rows 30.1 . . . 30.3 include multiple hollow discs 28 as disc tools each defining a throwing direction. The hollow discs 28 of the last disc row 30.3 are oriented and arranged so that their throwing direction points to the inside towards the centre longitudinal axis 22.

[0071] In front of the rear disc row 30.3 a continuous middle disc row 30.2 substantially running over the entire working width B.ges is arranged. The hollow discs 28 of the middle disc row 30.2 have a throwing direction that points to the outside away from the centre longitudinal axis 22.

[0072] Again in front of the middle disc row 30.2 a front disc row 30.1 is arranged, which extends approximately over the same lateral extent as the main tool row 16.1. The throwing direction of the hollow discs 28 of the front disc row 30.1, like that of the hollow discs 28 of the rear disc row 30.3, points to the inside towards the centre longitudinal axis 22. It is true for the hollow discs 28 of the front disc row 30.1 that a lateral disc distance ds of all hollow discs 28 to the centre longitudinal axis 22 is smaller than or equal to the wheel distance dr.

[0073] Similar to the cultivator tines 12 of the front tool row 16.1 in the first preferred embodiment from FIG. 1, the hollow discs 28 of the front disc row 30.1 are flanked by the front support wheels 32.1, 32.2. In contrast with the first preferred embodiment from FIG. 1, no support wheels are arranged in this second preferred embodiment next to the cultivator tines 12 of the tool row 16.1.

[0074] By selecting and distributing the throwing directions of the hollow discs 28 via the disc rows 30.1 . . . 30.3 a preparation of the soil that takes place symmetrically and comparatively evenly is possible. Thus, a synergy with the arrangement of the cultivator tines 12 materialises insofar as the even and symmetrical soil tillage through the cultivator tines 12 is very well prepared by the hollow discs 28 in the arrangement according to the second preferred embodiment from FIG. 3.

[0075] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the soil tillage implement from FIG. 3, wherein the same reference numbers as in FIG. 3 are used.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

[0076]

TABLE-US-00001 10 Soil tillage implement 12 Soil tillage tools, cultivator tines 13.1, 13.2 Soil tillage tools 14 Frame 14.1 Left lateral frame segment 14.2 Middle frame segment 14.3 Right lateral frame segment 16.1 . . . 16.4 Tool row 18 Running gear 20.1, 20.2 Main wheel 22 Centre longitudinal axis 24.1, 24.2 Front support wheel 26.1, 26.2 Rear support wheel 28 Disc tools, hollow discs 30.1, 30.2 Disc rows 32.1, 32.2 Front support wheel 35 Flexible harrow 36 Roller A Working direction B. ges Working width dr Wheel distance dw Tool distance bz Tine spacing ds Disc distance K1, K2 Folding axis H1, H2 Actuator