CA1131977A - Agricultural implement - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT

An agricultural implement having a welded plate on the leading edges and an upstanding rib extending from the point toward the shaft. This results in a better earth engagement, a better wear pattern by which the implement retains its point and greatly increased life for the implement,

Description

113~977 This invention relates to an improved earth engag-ing agricultural implement.
Agricultural shares and points commonly used in agriculture are items which must be regularly replaced because of wear. Many solutions have been proposed to reduce the abrasive wear on points and shares including plat-ing the points with wear resistant coatings or increasing the hardness of the metal. These techniques have not proved cost effective as the cost of increasing the wear resistance by these means is not repaid by a corresponding cost saving resulting from a prolonged useful life for the implement.
Another factor in earth engaging implement design is the energy required to move the implement through the soil. Obviously an implement which can displace a green volume and weight of soil with less energy input from the towing tractor is desirable.
It is an object of this invention to provide an earth engaging implement which has improved wear resistance is relatively ecomonical to manufacture and requires less energy to move it through the topsoil.
To this end the present invention provides an earth engaging implement comprising a body formed of metal plate, a leading point and leading edges extending rearwardly from said leading point along the lower most portion of said body said edges comprising at least two layers of metal and an upstanding rib comprising at least two abutting layers of metal extending rearwardly from said leading ed8e along the centre line of said body between said leading edges.
The double layer of metal forming the leading edge of the implement means effectively that the thickness has '~
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been increased and this provides an increased wear life for the implement. Preferably the double plating only extends over a small portion of the surface area of the implement.
However, the central leading edge is the area most subject to wear from soil abrasion and so the increased cost of employing a small area of double thickness is more than repaid in increased wear resistance.
Further it has been discovered that a centrally located upstanding rib along the centre of the implement also increases the wear resistance and working life of the imple-ment. The central rib maintains a point on the implement and thus the implement retains an earth engaging profile.
Further a double plated rib divides the soil and disperses it to either side rather than pushing the soil forward. This soil dividing action requires less energy than a soil moving action.
Conveniently the double plated portion of the imple-ment is formed by welding two plates having flanged edges along one side to a standard implement so that the flanged edges abut and lie along the centre of the implement.-The accompanying drawing illustrates an embodiment of this invention.
Figure 1 is a front view of a share according to this invention while Figures 2 and 3 are perspective and slde views respectively of the same share. Figures 4 and 5 are perspective views of an agricultural cultivating point and an agricultural sweep made according to this invention.
The share comprises a point 5 leading edges 6 and 7 a central spine 8 and a shaft portion 9.
The leading edges 6 and 7 have welded to thcm tri-, : . :

113~7 angular plates 11 and 12 which are flanged at their abutting sides 13 and 14. These flanges 13 and 14 form spine 8.
Generally the length of the spine 8 is at least one third of the centreline length of the share.
Formation of the share is accomplished by forming a share in one piece by conventional means and welding there-to the plates 11 and 12. These plates can conveniently be formed from metal scrap created in blanking out the convent-ional shares or o~her implements. Alternatively the tri-angular shapes an be cut from steel strip in ~ patt~rn which will ensure no wastage of metal at all.
The flanging of one edge of the triangu~ar piecesis easily achieved by conventional means.
Spot welding is sufficient to secure each plate 11 and 12 to the share so that a significant length of the leading edges 6 and 7 are double plated as well as creating the doubly thick central upstanding spine.
In Figures 4 and 5 a conventional polnt 19 and a conventional sweep 29 have been modified according to the - present invention and the reference numerals in these two figures re~er to the same parts as described in relation to figures 1 to 3.
Field trials have shown that this implement exhibits a wear life of at least 3'~2 times that of a convent-ional implement (one without the metal plating). It has also been observed that the implement of this invention has improved soil penetration traits and tends to draw itself into the soil. The action of the implement in the soil exhibits aerodynamic qualities and thus vastly improves the tillage action of the implement.

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From the above description it can be seen that this invention not only provides an earth engaging implement of improved wear resistance but also provides an implement requiring less expenditure of energy. In addition the imple- -ment of this invention can be produced in an economical manner ensuring the cost effectiveness of the implement.

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Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. An earth engaging implement comprising a body formed of metal plate, having a leading point and leading edges extending rearwardly from said leading point along the lower most portion of said body wherein two flanged metal plates are welded to the leading edges of the implement body to form leading edges having two layers of metal, and said flanges abut to form a central upstanding rib extending rearwardly from said leading point along the centre line of said body between said leading edges.