Soil-Working Device for Row Crops

Abstract

A soil-working device (1) for row crops, comprising: a frame (2) which extends transversely with respect to the direction of travel (F) in a working position and which has a base segment (2A) and at least one boom (2B) which is able to be folded with respect to the base segment (2A); a folding device (3) for moving the at least one foldable boom (2B) between the working position and transport position in which it is folded by at least approximately 90 degrees; and a plurality of tool carriers (6a-6i) which are arranged on the frame via in each case a remotely adjustable height-guiding device (7a-7i), wherein soil-working tools (9a) assigned to individual plant rows (8) are arranged on the tool carriers (6a-6i). To provide a soil-working device which can be moved reliably between the working position and the transport position, there is provision that the folding device (3) and at least the height-guiding devices (7d-7f) of tool carriers (6d-6f) arranged on the base segment (2A) are coupled to one another by means of a, preferably hydraulic, coupling control device in such a way that, for each movement of a boom (2B) from the working position into the transport position, the height-guiding devices (7d-7f) of tool carriers (6d-6f) arranged on the base segment (2A) move the tool carriers (6d-6f) into a position in which they are lowered relative to the frame (2).

Claims

1. A soil-working device for row crops, comprising: a frame which extends transversely with respect to the direction of travel in a working position and which has a base segment and at least one boom which is able to be folded with respect to the base segment; a folding device for moving the at least one foldable boom between the working position and a transport position in which it is folded by at least approximately 90 degrees, and a plurality of tool carriers which are arranged on the frame via in each case a remotely adjustable height-guiding device, wherein soil-working tools assigned to individual plant rows are arranged on the tool carriers, characterized in that the folding device and at least the height-guiding devices of tool carriers arranged on the base segment are coupled to one another by means of a, preferably hydraulic, coupling control device in such a way that, for each movement of a boom from the working position into the transport position, the height-guiding devices of tool carriers arranged on the base segment move the tool carriers into a position in which they are lowered relative to the frame.

2. The soil-working device of claim 1, wherein the height-guiding devices of tool carriers arranged on a boom are coupled to the coupling control device in such a way that each time a boom is moved from the working position to the transport position, the height-guiding devices of tool carriers arranged on a boom move the tool carriers into a raised position.

3. The soil-working device of claim 1, further comprising at least one support wheel, which is arranged on the frame, in particular a boom, via a remotely adjustable swivel device, preferably on the side facing away from the tool carriers.

4. The soil-working device of claim 3, wherein the at least one swivel device is coupled to the coupling control device in such a way that whenever a boom is moved from the working position to the transport position, the swivel device swivels the at least one support wheel into a lift-out position.

5. The soil-working device of claim 1, wherein the height-guiding devices are each configured to move the tool carrier into positions spaced at least 30 centimeters apart, preferably at least 40 centimeters apart.

6. The soil-working device of claim 1, wherein the height-guiding devices comprise a releasable fixing device, which is preferably configured as a clamping device, for arranging the tool carriers on the frame, so that the tool carriers can be arranged on the frame at adjustable distances transversely to the direction of travel.

7. The soil-working device of claim 2, wherein at least the height-guiding devices on a tool carrier arranged on a boom are lockable, preferably in the folded transport position of the soil-working device.

8. The soil-working device of claim 1, wherein the coupling control device is configured as a hydraulic master circuit, so that whenever a boom is moved from the working position to the transport position, the height-guiding devices on the tool carrier arranged on the base segment can be controlled exclusively in the direction of the lowered position, the height-guiding devices on tool carriers arranged on a boom can be controlled exclusively in the direction of the raised position and/or the swivel devices can be controlled exclusively in the direction of the lift-out position.

9. The soil-working device of claim 1, wherein the frame comprises the base segment and two booms, in that the booms are arranged so as to be foldable about a respective horizontal axis, in front of the base segment in the direction of travel.

10. The soil-working device of claim 9, wherein the base segment and the booms are superimposed adjacent to the horizontal axis, in particular transversely to the direction of travel.

Description

[0023] Further details of the invention can be found in the example description and the drawings. In these drawings

[0024] FIG. 1 shows a soil-working device in working position in perspective view,

[0025] FIG. 2 shows the soil-working device in transport position in perspective view,

[0026] FIG. 3 shows the soil-working device from FIG. 2 in rear view, and

[0027] FIG. 4 shows the soil-working device from FIG. 2 in a plan view.

[0028] A soil-working device 1 configured as a hoeing machine for row crops is shown in FIG. 1 in a working position. The soil-working device 1 comprises a frame 2 which has a central base segment 2A and two booms 2B which is able to be folded with respect to the base segment 2A and which extends transversely to the direction of travel F in the working position shown. The base segment 2A is used, among others, to arrange an attachment device 4 by means of which the soil-working device 1 can be coupled to a towing vehicle that is not shown. The two booms 2B connect to the free ends of the base segment 2A transversely to the direction of travel F and are arranged in front of the base segment 2A in the direction of travel F. By means of a folding device 3, which has two folding actuators configured as hydraulic cylinders 3′, the booms 2B can be moved from the at least approximately horizontal working position into an upright transport position folded at least approximately 90 degrees, as shown in FIG. 2. For this purpose, the hydraulic cylinders 3′ are actuated from the working position, as shown in FIG. 1, so that their piston rods are retracted, whereby the booms 2B are each folded about a horizontal axis 5 into the transport position. The base segment 2A and the booms 2B are arranged superimposed in the area of the horizontal axis 5 transversely to the direction of travel F.

[0029] The soil-working device 1 further comprises a plurality of tool carriers 6a-6i arranged on the frame 2 transversely to the direction of travel F. The tool carriers 6a-6i are each arranged on the base segment 2A or one of the booms 2B via a remotely adjustable height-guiding device 7a-7i and carry soil-working tools 9a assigned to individual plant rows 8 as well as soil-working tools configured as weeders 9b. In this soil-working device 1, the height-guiding devices 7a-7i comprise a parallelogram-type suspension 10, which can be deformed in an adjustable manner by means of an actuator 11, which in this case is configured as a hydraulic cylinder, and can thus be adjusted remotely. By selectively deforming a parallelogram-type suspension 10 by means of the actuator 11, the assigned tool carrier 6a-6i can be supported at an adjustable height relative to the frame 2.

[0030] For the arrangement of the tool carriers 6a-6i on the frame 2, the height-guiding devices 7a-7i have at their front free end a releasable fixing device configured as a clamping device. The tool carriers 6a-6i can thus be fixed to the base segment 2A and the booms 2B at distances adapted to the row distances of the plant rows 8. The frame 2 can be designed as an H-section, wherein the clamping device has two fixing claws that embrace the H-section and can be braced against each other.

[0031] The soil-working devices 9a, which are assigned to individual crop rows 8, are configured in this soil-working device 1 in the direction of travel F as hoe guard rollers, hoe knives and finger wheels and are supplemented by the trailing weeders 9b. The tool carriers 6a-6i are each arranged on the frame 2 transversely to the direction of travel F between two plant rows 8 to be cultivated, so that hoe guard rollers and finger wheels arranged on adjacent tool carriers 6a-6i jointly cultivate a plant row 8 and the hoe knives and the weeder 9b are guided between two adjacent plant rows 8. The tool carriers 6a-6i also carry a leading guide wheel 12, wherein by the distance of the wheel to the tool carrier 6a-6i the working depth of the soil-working tools 9a, 9b can be adjusted. The distance between the guide wheel 12 and the tool carrier 6a-6i can be adjusted manually, for example by means of a crank, or remotely, for example hydraulically.

[0032] The soil-working device 1 further comprises two support wheels 14 arranged on the side of the frame 2 facing away from the tool carriers 6a-6i, each via a remotely adjustable swivel device 13. In this soil-working device 1, the support wheels 14 are arranged on the booms 2B and roll on the soil to be cultivated when the soil-working device 1 is in the working position, so that the frame 2 is supported on them. By means of the swivel devices 13, the support wheels 14 can be swivelled up into a lift-out position, which ends the ground contact and is shown in FIGS. 2-4.

[0033] In the working position of the soil-working device 1 shown in FIG. 1, all tool carriers 6a-6i are in an intermediate position, in which the respective guide wheel 12 rolls on the ground and the actuators 11 are uncoupled from the height-guiding devices 7a-7i, so that the tool carriers 6a-6i or the soil-working tools 9a, 9b fixed to them can follow the ground contour by means of the guide wheel 12 cooperating with the parallelogram-type suspension 10. The folding device 3 is provided to move the soil-working device 1 into the transport position shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4. It should be noted here that tool carriers 6a-6c, 6g-6i arranged on the booms 2B fold over the tool carriers 6d-6f arranged on the base segment 2A. In order to avoid collisions between the height-guiding devices 7a-7i on the booms 2B and tool carriers 6a-6i arranged on the base segment 2A, a coupling control device is provided: The folding device 3 and the height-guiding devices 7d-7f of tool carriers 6d-6f arranged on the base segment 2A are coupled to each other by means of the coupling control device in such a way that, for each movement of the booms 2B from the working position into the transport position, the height-guiding devices 7d-7f of tool carriers 6d-6f arranged on the base segment 2A move the tool carriers 6d-6f into a position in which they are lowered relative to the frame 2. In the lowered position, the actuators 11 of the height-guiding devices 7d-7f are preferably completely retracted so that the parallelogram-type suspensions 10 extend downwards from the base segment 2A and thus release the installation space for the folding over parts of the soil-working device, in particular in the area above the horizontal axis 5, as shown in FIG. 3.

[0034] In the lowered position, the height-guiding devices 7a-7i are located essentially below a plane 15A, 15B, 15B′ which is set up by the longitudinal direction of the frame 2, i.e. the base segment 2A and/or the booms 2B, and the direction of travel F and thus runs at least approximately horizontally in the working position of the soil-working device 1. The plane 15A, 15B, 15B′ is divided into several partial planes 15A, 15B, 15B′ by assuming the transport position, i.e. one partial plane 15A, 15B, 15B′ per frame element 2A, 2B: The partial planes 15A, 15B, 15B′ are set up by the longitudinal direction of the base segment 2A or boom 2B and the direction of travel F, so that the partial plane 15B, 15B′ of a boom 2B in transport position is at least approximately vertically aligned.

[0035] The height-guiding devices 7a-7c, 7g-7i of tool carriers 6a-6c, 6g-6i arranged on a boom 2B are also coupled to the coupling control device in such a way that each time a boom 2B is moved from the working position to the transport position, the height-guiding devices 7a-7c, 7g-7i of tool carriers 6a-6c, 6g-6i arranged on a boom 2B move the tool carriers 6a-6c, 6g-6i into a raised position. In the raised position, the actuators 11 of the height-guiding devices 7a-7c, 7g-7i are preferably completely extended so that the parallelogram-type suspensions 10 extend upwards from the booms 2B and thus occupy the installation space released, in particular in the area of the horizontal axis 5, in the transport position. The height-guiding devices 7a-7c, 7g-7i are in the raised position disposed essentially above the plane 15A, 15B, 15B′ set up by the booms 2B and the direction of travel F, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. In transport position, the height-guiding devices 7a-7c, 7g-7i are thus disposed between the partial planes 15B, 15B′, as shown in FIG. 3. “Above” thus refers less to the direction of gravity and more to the fact that the height-guiding devices 7a-7c, 7g-7i are moved from the lowered position to the raised position, i.e. from the starting position on one side of the plane 15B, 15B′ through the plane 15B, 15B′ to the other side of the plane 15B, 15B′. The soil-working device 1 thus has a reduced transverse projection in the folded transport position, wherein the height-guiding devices 7a-7c, 7g-7i of tool carriers 6a-6c, 6g-6i arranged on the booms 2B can be locked in the transport position. Unintentional swiveling of these tool carriers 6a-6c, 6g-6i could, for example, endanger other road users and is thus effectively avoided.

[0036] The tool carriers 6a-6i are in the working position of the soil-working device 1 at least approximately in the lowered position. In order to protect the crops when driving into a wedge situation or during turning operations on the area to be cultivated, the soil-working tools 9a, 9b can be lifted out via the height-guiding devices 7a-7i cooperating with the corresponding tool carriers 6a-6i for each tool carrier 6a-6i. For this purpose, the corresponding tool carrier 6a-6i is brought into its raised position. In order to continue to give the crops sufficient clearance as they grow, the lowered and raised positions can be at least 40 centimeters apart. The height-guiding devices 7a-7i are thus each set up to move the tool carrier 6a-6i to positions spaced at least 40 centimeters apart. By looking at FIGS. 3 and 4 together, it can be seen that the height-guiding devices 7a-7i are each configured to lower the circumference of the guide wheel 12 to a distance A below the plane 15A, 15B, 15B′ which is between the single and double diameter of the guide wheel 12 and/or to raise the circumference of the guide wheel 12 at least approximately into this plane 15A, 15B, 15B′.

[0037] The swivel devices 13, via which the support wheels 14 are arranged in a swivable way on the booms 2B, are also coupled to the coupling control device in such a way that each time a boom 2B is moved from the working position to the transport position, the swivel device 13 swivels the corresponding support wheel 14 into a lift-out position. The support wheels 14 are disposed at least partially in the plane 15B, 15B′ in the lift-out position, so that the soil-working device 1 has a further reduced transverse projection in the transport position, as shown in FIG. 4.

[0038] In this soil-working device 1, the coupling control device is configured as a hydraulic master circuit, so that whenever a boom 2B is moved from the working position to the transport position, the height-guiding devices 7d-7f on the tool carrier 6d-6f arranged on the base segment 2A can be controlled exclusively in the direction of the lowered position, the height-guiding devices 7a-7c, 7g-7i on tool carriers 6a-6c, 6g-6i arranged on the booms 2B can be controlled exclusively in the direction of the raised position and the swivel devices 13 can be controlled exclusively in the direction of the lift-out position. The hydraulic cylinders 3′ of the folding device 3, the actuators 11 of the height-guiding devices 7a-7i, which are configured as hydraulic cylinders, as well as the swivel devices 13, which also have a hydraulic actuator, are connected by means of the hydraulic master circuit in such a way that the movement of the soil-working device 1 follows a predetermined sequence of movements. The soil-working device 1 can thus be moved from the working position to the transport position in a particularly easy, safe and useful way, wherein operating errors or collisions are avoided. The following steps are carried out: [0039] Folding of the boom 2B from the working position extending transversely to the direction of travel F, as shown in FIG. 1, into the transport position angled by at least approximately 90 degrees by means of the folding device 3, [0040] Lowering of tool carriers 6d-6f arranged on the base segment 2A by means of the corresponding height-guiding devices 7d-7f, [0041] Lifting of tool carriers 6a-6c, 6g-6i arranged on the booms 2B by means of the corresponding height-guiding devices 7a-7c, 7g-7i, and/or [0042] Lifting of the support wheels 14 by means of the swivel devices 13.

[0043] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST [0044] 1 Soil-working device [0045] 2 Frame [0046] 2A Base segment [0047] 2B Boom [0048] F Direction of travel [0049] 3 Folding device [0050] 3′ Hydraulic cylinder [0051] 4 Attachment device [0052] 5 (Horizontal) axis [0053] 6a — i Tool carrier [0054] 7a — i Height-guiding device [0055] 8 Plant rows [0056] 9a Soil-working tools [0057] 9b Weeder [0058] 10 Parallelogram-type suspension [0059] 11 Actuator [0060] 12 Guide wheel [0061] 13 Swivel device [0062] 14 Support wheel [0063] 15A, B, B′ Plane [0064] A Distance