PROTECTION ELEMENT FOR AN EARTH-WORKING IMPLEMENT

Abstract

A protection element for an earth-working implement includes a flat plate having a wearing portion on a side of the flat plate facing a distal end of the earth-working implement. A lower portion of the flat plate forms an attachment portion provided with notches, projecting portions, or a combination thereof configured to engage with the earth-working implement. When the attachment portion is engaged with the earth-working implement, the protection element is configured to project above a plane coinciding with a top surface of at least a portion of the earth-working implement proximal to the protection element such that the portion of the earth-working implement proximal to the protection element is shielded from a flow of loose mass during use of the earth-working implement. The wearing portion is arranged at an upper portion of the flat plate. The attachment portion is arranged at a lower portion of the flat plate.

Claims

1. A protection element for an earth-working implement, comprising: a flat plate having a wearing portion on a side of the flat plate facing a distal end of the earth-working implement, wherein a lower portion of the flat plate forms an attachment portion provided with notches, projecting portions, or a combination thereof configured to engage with the earth-working implement, wherein when the attachment portion is engaged with the earth-working implement, the protection element is configured to project above a plane coinciding with a top surface of at least a portion of the earth-working implement proximal to the protection element such that the portion of the earth-working implement proximal to the protection element is shielded from a flow of loose mass during use of the earth-working implement, wherein the wearing portion is arranged at an upper portion of the flat plate, and wherein the attachment portion is arranged at a lower portion of the flat plate.

2. The protection element according to claim 1, wherein the wearing portion is arranged at a distance from the attachment portion.

3. The protection element according to claim 1, wherein the wearing portion comprises at least one of a plate element fixed to the flat plate by soldering or gluing, a coating applied to the flat plate in vapor form, or an upper plate portion with a hardness-increasing substance added to a molecular structure thereof.

4. The protection element according to claim 1, wherein the wearing portion is a plate element fixed to the flat plate by soldering or gluing, and wherein the plate element is formed from carbide steel.

5. The protection element according to claim 1, wherein the wearing portion is a plate element fixed to the flat plate by soldering or gluing, and wherein the plate element is formed from ceramic.

6. An earth-working implement comprising: a wearing part configured as a leading edge of a working member having quick-coupling elements; a wearing-part attachment having a quick-coupling element that complements the quick-coupling elements of the wearing part; and the protection element according to claim 1.

7. The earth-working implement according to claim 6, wherein the wearing part is distal to the protection element, and wherein the wearing-part attachment is proximal to the protection element.

8. The earth-working implement according to claim 6, wherein the earth-working implement comprises a plough or a cultivator.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] In what follows, an example of a preferred embodiment is described, which is visualized in the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0018] FIG. 1 shows, in perspective, a leading portion of a working member, shown here as a cultivator tine, in which a leading end face of a wearing-part attachment is shielded by a protection element according to the invention;

[0019] FIG. 2 shows a front view of the leading portion of the working member;

[0020] FIG. 3 shows, on a larger scale, a longitudinal section III-III according to FIG. 2 through the leading portion of the working member; and

[0021] FIG. 4 shows a cross section IV-IV according to FIG. 3 through the wearing part.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF VARIOUS EMBODIMENTS

[0022] In the figures, the reference numeral 1 indicates a leading portion of a working member, illustrated here as a cultivator tine, provided with a wearing part 11 arranged on a leading edge of the working member 1. The wearing part 11 is provided with a quick-coupling holder 111 including quick-coupling elements 112 (see FIG. 4 in particular), shown here as ridges forming guide portions for engagement with complementary coupling grooves 122 arranged on a wearing-part attachment 12 which is fixed to the working member with several fixing bolts 123. The wearing-part attachment 12 has a leading end face 121 facing in the working direction of the working member 1 and facing a rear portion 113 of the wearing part 11.

[0023] A protection element 13 is arranged between the leading end face 121 of the wearing-part attachment 12 and the rear portion 113 of the wearing part 11. The protection element 13 is formed from a plate 130 forming a wearing portion 135 in an upper portion 133. In the figures, the wearing portion 135 is shown as a plate element 135 fixed to an upper portion 134 of a leading side surface 132 of the plate 130 in a suitable manner known to a person skilled in the art. If made from a metal, for example hard metal (carbide steel or the like), the plate element 135 may be fixed by means of soldering, or, if it is made from a non-metallic material, for example a ceramic material, be fixed by means of an adhesive. The protection element 13 extends higher up than a top surface 124 of the wearing-part attachment 12, so that the top surface 124 lies shielded behind the protection element 13.

[0024] In an embodiment not shown, an upper plate portion 133 is coated with a hard metal, for example by vaporing or welding, or treated in such a way that a hardness-increasing substance is added to the molecular structure of the plate portion 133, for example by a supply of carbon in a carbidizing process or nitrogen in a nitrating process.

[0025] A lower plate portion forms an attachment portion 131 with a sectional profile 136 complementary to the cross section of the quick-coupling element 112 of the wearing part 11, see FIG. 4 in particular.

[0026] When the wearing part 11 is being attached to the wearing-part attachment 12, the protection element 13 is inserted between the quick-coupling holders 111 of the wearing part 11, so that the sectional profile 136 of the attachment portion 131 engages with the quick-coupling elements 112 of the wearing part 11. Then the wearing part 11 is connected to the wearing-part attachment 12, the protection element 13 then coming to lie in front of the leading end face 121 of the wearing-part attachment 12. In an operative state, the flow of loose mass, for example earth, will push the protection element 13 against the wearing-part attachment 12, and the wearing portion 135 retards the wear on the protection element 13 so that it maintains its protective effect on the wearing-part attachment 12.

[0027] The effect has turned out to be surprisingly large, which testing of the protection element 13 provided with a wearing portion 135 only on part of the width of the protection element 13 has shown. While the portion of the top surface 124 that was protected by a plate element 135 showed insignificant wear, the portion of the top surface 124 that was not protected had worn down several millimetres in the course of a few days' use on a plough.