NOTCHED COULTER/DISC AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME
A coulter or disc having a plurality of directional notches therein is used in one rotational direction for one use and an opposite rotational direction for a different use. The notches are selected from many arcuate shapes and sizes. The notches taper from sharp to dull from one end to the other, but in use one can chose to lead with the dull or the sharp end of the notches. A method of making and using such coulters or discs is described and shown.
Not applicable.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENTNot applicable.
REFERENCE TO MICROFICHE APPENDIXNot applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to tillage tools and, more particularly, to a coulter and disc and a method of making them.
2. Background Art
Coulters are presently used ahead of no-till implements—such as a planter—to fracture a narrow band of soil to prepare the soil to receive the no-till implement. U.S. Pat. No. 7,497,270 to Bruce, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, shows coulters and one way of how they are used to till the soil.
A disc can be like a flat coulter that is deformed to a convex shape on one side and a concave shape on the other side so it will throw soil in one direction as it moves forwardly through the ground. Discs are most often used with a plurality of them side by side in “gangs” as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,554,079 to Bruce, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Because of differences in soil types and differences among the crops being grown, there is a need for coulters and discs that can be easily adjusted in shape at the time of manufacture to conform to the conditions anticipated in the field.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to an apparatus and a method of making it. The disc has a metal disc that is generally circular with an outer periphery. A plurality of notches is disposed in the outer periphery of the disc, each of the plurality of notches tapering from a predetermined thickness on a radial inside to a thinner generally sharpened edge at the radially outermost part thereof. In one embodiment of the invention each notch has a forward end that is sharper than a rearward end so the disc will penetrate the ground easier to gather residue to be crushed and chopped by the duller following end of the notch. The disc can be either a flat coulter or a disc that is convex on one side and concave on the other side. This first embodiment is most suitable for sandy soils growing crops like wheat or oats though other uses are possible.
In another embodiment of the invention each notch has a forward end that is duller than a rearward end thereof so that the disc will tend gather the crop in the notch and then cut it with the following sharper end of the notch as the notch moves into the soil and whereby the notch with the leading dull end is more self cleaning as the notch releases from the soil. The disc of the second embodiment can be either a flat coulter or a disc that is convex on one side and concave on the other side. This second embodiment is most suitable for heavy, non-sandy, soil for fields that have corn stalks in it, though other uses are possible.
Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views,
- (A) providing a support surface along a first plane 10 as shown in
FIG. 3 on a tool holder 9; - (B) placing a die 11 (
FIGS. 1 , 3, 4a, 6, 7 and 9) on one side of the support surface 10, the die 11 having an arcuate supporting surface 11a on said one side thereof, the arcuate supporting surface 11a including an arc with a midpoint center 11mp; - (C) providing a punch 12 (
FIGS. 3 , 4A, 4B and 5) having a cutting edge 12a complementary to the arcuate supporting surface 11a of the die 11, the punch 12 having a first position (FIGS. 3 and 5 ) on another side of the support surface 11a and being moveable, along an operational punch line 12opl that is straight, between the first position (FIGS. 3 and 5 ) and a second position substantially in contact with the die 11; - (D) laying out a first straight line 13 (
FIG. 1 ) disposed in a first plane of the support surface, the first straight line 13 (FIG. 1 ) extending from the center 11mp of the arcuate supporting surface 11a to a first tool holder zero axis 14zero on a tool holder 15, the operational punch line 12opl being disposed at an acute angle with respect to the first plane 10 (FIG. 3 ); - (E) laying out a second straight line 16 (
FIG. 1 ) disposed in the first plane 10 (FIG. 3 ), the second straight line 16 (FIG. 1 ) being perpendicular to the first straight line 13 (FIG. 1 ); - (F) the first tool holder zero axis 14zero being perpendicular to the first plane 10 at a place where the first 13 and second 16 lines intersect (
FIG. 1 ); - (G) determining the size of a production circular disc 17 (
FIG. 5 ) to be notched, the production disc 17 (FIG. 5 ) being of a predetermined radius and having a center rotational axis; - (H) placing a disc, such as pattern disc 30 degrees clockwise 17pbc (
FIGS. 6 , 7 and 8) of the size of the production disc 17 (FIG. 5 ) actually, or conceptually using engineering drawing techniques, on the tool holder 9 (FIG. 3 ) for reference purposes with the center rotational axis of the circular disc 17pbc being coincident with the zero axis 14zero; - (I) using a third straight line (any one of lines 18xc, 18yc, 18zc, 18xcc, 18ycc or 18zcc shown in
FIG. 1 ) disposed in the first plane 10 (FIG. 3 ) and extending through the center of the arcuate supporting surface 11mp of the disc 17 at a predetermined angle with respect to the first straight line 13 (FIG. 1 ), the third straight line (any one of lines 18xc, 18yc, 18zc, 18xcc, 18ycc or 18zcc shown inFIG. 1 ) also intersecting the second straight line 14 (FIG. 1 ) at a support pin axis 19 (FIGS. 2 and 3 ), the support pin axis 19 (FIGS. 2 and 3 ) being perpendicular to the first plane 10 (FIG. 3 ); - (J) placing a support pin 19p at the support pin axis 19 (
FIGS. 2 and 3 ); - (K) placing a pattern circular disc 17pbc (
FIG. 7 ) on the support surface 10 so that the center rotational axis of the pattern circular disc 17pbc is the same as the support pin axis 19 and so that the pattern circular disc 17pbc is rotatable about the support pin axis 19, the support pin 19p and support pin axis 19 being at least temporarily fixed with respect to the tool holder 9 and spaced a predetermined distance from the die 11, the pattern circular disc 17pbc having at least one notch 17n of a configuration and size desired to be formed in a production circular disc; - (L) selecting one edge of the at least one notch 17n of the pattern circular disc 17pbc to be point A (
FIG. 7 ); - (M) selecting a point on the arcuate support surface to be point B (
FIG. 7 ); - (N) moving the pattern disc point A to point B in the arcuate support surface 10 by moving the support pin 19p and rotating the pattern disc 17pbc (
FIG. 7 toFIG. 8 ); - (O) removing the pattern disc 17pbc from the support pin 19p;
- (P) placing the production circular disc 17 (
FIG. 9 ) to be notched on the support surface 10 so that the center rotational axis of the production circular disc 17 (FIG. 9 ) is the same as the support pin axis 19 and so that the production circular disc 17 is rotatable about the support pin axis 19, the support pin 19p and the support pin axis 19 being at least temporarily fixed with respect to the tool holder 9 at such time; - (Q) while keeping the production circular disc 17 (
FIG. 9 ) to be notched stationary, moving the cutting surface 12a of the punch 12 between a first and a second position of the punch 12, through a first portion of the production circular disc 17 to be notched that is at that time located between the punch 12 and the die 11, thereby cutting off said first portion of the production circular disc to be notched from the remainder of the production circular disc 17 (FIG. 10 ) to form a notch 17nca; - (R) (i) moving the punch 12 to the first position thereof (
FIGS. 3 and 5 ), (ii) rotating (fromFIG. 10 toFIG. 11 ) the production circular disc 17 to be notched about the support pin axis 19 by a predetermined amount and again (iii) moving the punch 12 with respect to the die 11 from the first (FIGS. 3 and 5 ) to the second position thereof to cut off a second portion (FIG. 11 ) of the production circular disc to be notched to form another notch 17nca in the production circular disc 17 to be notched; and - (S) repeating step (R) until the production circular disc 17f (
FIG. 12 ) has evenly spaced notches 17nca disposed around the periphery thereof.
Although not required, a preferred step is sharpening the exterior periphery 17s of the disc 17 before any of the notches are cut therefrom. Optionally the method can include bending the coulter disc 17f so that the disc is concave on one side and convex on the other side thereof as shown in
Also, optionally the method can include using a locking device 21 (
Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.
Claims
1. An apparatus comprising:
- a metal disc that is generally circular and has an outer periphery;
- a plurality of notches disposed in the outer periphery of the disc;
- each of the plurality of notches tapering from a predetermined thickness on a radial inside to a thinner generally sharpened edge at the radially outermost part thereof; and
- each notch having a forward end that is sharper than a rearward end.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the disc is a flat coulter.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the disc is convex on one side and concave on the other side.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least most of the metal disc has a substantially constant thickness except where the notches are cut out and at the outer periphery of the disc between the notches which is thinner than the substantially constant thickness of the disc.
5. An apparatus comprising:
- a metal disc that is generally circular and has an outer periphery;
- a plurality of notches disposed in the outer periphery of the disc;
- each of the plurality of notches tapering from a predetermined thickness on a radial inside to a thinner generally sharpened edge at the radially outermost part thereof; and
- each notch having a forward end that is duller than a rearward end.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the disc is a flat coulter.
7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the disc is convex on one side and concave on the other side.
8. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein at least most of the metal disc has a substantially constant thickness except where the notches are cut out and at the outer periphery of the disc between the notches which is thinner than the substantially constant thickness of the disc.
9. A method of making a notched blade comprising:
- (A) providing a support surface;
- (B) placing a die on one side of the support surface, the die having an arcuate supporting surface on said one side thereof, the arcuate supporting surface including an arc with a midpoint center;
- (C) providing a punch having a cutting edge complementary to the arcuate supporting surface of the die, the punch having a first position on another side of the support surface and being moveable, along an operational punch line that is straight, between the first position and a second position;
- (D) laying out a first straight line disposed in a first plane of the support surface, the first straight line extending from the center of the arcuate supporting surface to a first tool holder zero axis, the operational punch line being disposed at an acute angle with respect to the first plane;
- (E) laying out a second straight line disposed in the first plane, the second straight line being perpendicular to the first straight line;
- (F) the first tool holder zero axis being perpendicular to the first plane at a place where the first and second lines intersect;
- (G) determining the size of a production circular disc to be notched, the production disc being of a predetermined radius and having a center rotational axis;
- (H) placing a first pattern circular disc of the size of the production disc actually, or conceptually using engineering drawing techniques, on the tool holder for reference purposes with the center rotational axis of the first pattern circular disc being coincident with the zero axis;
- (I) using a third straight line disposed in the first plane and extending through the center of the arcuate supporting surface of the disc at a predetermined angle with respect to the first straight line, the third straight line also intersecting the second straight line at a support pin axis, the support pin axis being perpendicular to the first plane;
- (J) placing a support pin at the support pin axis;
- (K) placing the pattern circular disc on the support surface so that the center rotational axis of the pattern circular disc is the same as the support pin axis and so that the pattern circular disc is rotatable about the support pin axis, the support pin and support pin axis being at least temporarily fixed with respect to the tool holder and spaced a predetermined distance from the die, the pattern circular disc having at least one notch of a configuration and size desired to be formed in a production circular disc;
- (L) selecting one edge of the at least one notch of the pattern circular disc to be point A;
- (M) selecting a point on the arcuate support surface to be point B;
- (N) moving the pattern disc point A to point B in the arcuate support surface by moving the support pin and rotating the pattern disc;
- (O) removing the pattern disc from the support pin;
- (P) placing the production circular disc to be notched on the support surface so that the center rotational axis of the production circular disc is the same as the support pin axis and so that the production circular disc is rotatable about the support pin axis, the support pin and support pin axis being at least temporarily fixed with respect to the tool holder at such time;
- (Q) while keeping the production circular disc to be notched stationary, moving the cutting surface of the punch between a first and a second position of the punch, through a first portion of the production circular disc to be notched that is at that time located between the punch and the die, thereby cutting off said first portion of the production circular disc to be notched from the remainder of the production circular disc;
- (R) (i) moving the punch to the first position thereof, (ii) rotating the production circular disc to be notched about the support pin axis by a predetermined amount and again (iii) moving the punch with respect to the die from the first to the second position thereof to cut off a second portion of the production circular disc to be notched to form another notch in the production circular disc to be notched; and
- (S) repeating step (R) until the production circular disc has evenly spaced notches disposed around the periphery thereof.
- Although not required, a preferred step is sharpening the exterior periphery of the disc before any of the notches are cut therefrom.
10. The method of claim 9 additionally comprising:
- bending the disc so that the disc is concave on one side and convex on the other side thereof.
11. The method of claim 9 additionally comprising:
- using a locking device in a notch which has been already been cut to hold the disc from rotating while another notch is being cut.
12. The method of claim 9 additionally comprising:
- sharpening the exterior periphery of the disc before any notches are cut therefrom.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 9, 2009
Publication Date: Jan 13, 2011
Inventor: Douglas G. Bruce (Perry, IA)
Application Number: 12/500,410
International Classification: A01B 15/16 (20060101); B21K 19/00 (20060101);