Abstract: The present invention entails an agricultural implement for forming planting rows with a minimum of tillage. The implement of the present invention is designed to form a multiplicity of rows and accordingly includes a series of side-by-side row units. Each row unit includes a front colter, a ripper which follows the colter, a rotor tiller assembly disposed behind the ripper, a pair of laterally spaced soil confining panels extending between the ripper and the rotor tiller assembly, and a final following soil packer. Once the agricultural implement has traversed a certain area of the land, there is formed a multiplicity of planting rows with the area between the formed planting rows being untilled.

Abstract: A power take-off shaft driven combination machine for ground preparation which can be coupled to a tractor vehicle is equipped, with a view to a short, light and constructionally simple construction, with levelling tools 107 arranged directly behind the tractor vehicle 38 which level the wheel tracks left by the tractor vehicle 38, with a rotor-tiller 20 arranged between the levelling tools which is driven via the power take-off shaft in a direction of rotation U which sustains the direction of travel F and which throws the excavated earth against a movable rake 24 or against a flexibly arranged mat 31 and with a vertically adjustable crushing roller 202 arranged therebehind which has a peripherally at least substantially closed roller body 203 with peripherally directed rows of teeth 204 and scrapers 207 arranged between and spaced apart from the rows of teeth.

Abstract: To prevent the development of clods on the soil surface when using a soil layer cultivator for the deep loosening of a field or the like, a pressure roller is provided to travel over the soil surface rearwardly of the elements effecting the deep loosening of the soil. The pressure roller is made up of several sections mounted on a common shaft with the individual roller sections located between support posts on a frame tube which posts support the loosening elements. The roller sections may be hinged individually or in groups to the frame tube. The rollers may roll freely over the soil surface or a forced drive for the roller sections can be provided.

Abstract: A plow is structured to wholly or partly invert a furrow slice during operation. The furrow slice is cut loose by a leading V-shaped blade and is both compressed, and deflected laterally towards a side wall of the frame by a plurality of rotary lateral displacing rollers arranged in a row inclined to the direction of travel. The rollers are preferably of progressively increasing size towards the rear and co-operate with a soil guide surface at the rear of the plow in turning the furrow slice about an axis which extends in the direction of travel to deposit the slice substantially completely back into the furrow from which it was originally cut. In one version, the row of displacing rollers leads to a power-driven rotary soil guide unit of annular formation, the inverted furrow slice being delivered back into the furrow from which it was cut through the interior of the unit.

Abstract: A tractor drawn tillage implement having a front hood, rippers, a rotary tiller and a row former, conditions tight adobe soil ready for planting in one pass. The front hood, having rock deflectors, protects the operator from airborne objects while containing dust and soil disturbed by the rippers and the tiller. The rippers fracture the soil to aid water and root penetration, to increase water retention of the subsoil and to constrain development of hard pan. The rotatary tiller, driven by an auxiliary power unit and having its axis of rotation at or submerged below the ground surface, mulches the soil and plant residue and aerates the soil commensurate with rearward airborne discharge of the soil. A row former deflects the airborne soil into rows of predetermined height and width ready for planting and provides an air tight shroud to control dust and airborne objects. A tool bar is also incorporated for supporting add ons, such as fertilizers and planters.

Abstract: An agricultural implement is arranged to be connected to a tractor so that it can be pulled over a field covered with organic material, such as live or dead plants or harvesting residues. The implement includes a main support frame followed by an auxiliary support frame. A flail-blade cylinder is dependently supported from the main frame for comminuting the organic material. Arms are mounted on the main frame rearwardly of the cylinder for loosening the soil. On the auxiliary support frame, a device is mounted for breaking up clods of loosened soil. A hood is positioned over the cylinder with a selectively adjustable rear part for directing the flow of the comminuted organic material thrown rearwardly by the cylinder. Other material directing or conveying members can be used in combination with the hood for facilitating the movement of the comminuted material rearwardly from the cylinder.

Abstract: A cultivating machine has groups of soil working tines that are mounted on an elongated support that is driven to rotate about a horizontal axis. The tines are mounted in spaced apart groups and guide members converge at the rear of the groups to form ridges of worked soil. Each group includes tine units that are formed by opposing bracket portions clamped to the support. Strikers can be mounted on the support between groups of tines and the strikers are pivotable about respective horizontal axes spaced from the support's axis of rotation. The strikers are positioned to excise crop leaves or emerged growth on the ridges. Hoods and a grating ensure that the top layer of worked soil is free of debris. Screening plates having obliquely upwardly and inwardly inclined inner edges are located at the lower, front, outer corners of the hood to prevent the rearwardly adjacent time groups from displacing soil too far laterally.

Abstract: A soil cultivation implement comprising a frame adapted to be coupled to a drive means, and said frame supporting, one behind the other in the direction of travel, first cutting means for cutting the ground substantially vertically, second cutting means for dividing the ground substantially horizontally and lifting it in a rearward direction, and a substantially horizontal rotor. The rotor is provided with power means from said drive means and is adapted to be driven rotationally and provided with prongs for penetrating the surface of the ground. The prongs are disposed helically on a rotor shaft in a least three rows staggered uniformly in relation to one another in the peripheral direction. The prongs are further substantially rectilinear and rigidly fastened substantially tangentially on the rotor shaft. Furthermore the prongs enclose in relation to the radii associated with their fastening points an angle of less than 90.degree.

Abstract: A soil working machine has elongated carriers that extend transverse to the direction of travel, one behind the other. Eccentric mechanisms are attached to each carrier to move tools depending from the carriers, back and forth in directions parallel to the direction of travel. The eccentrics have upper supports connected with resilient controls and lower supports of unequal lengths so that the tools work different paths. A front levelling member is connected to the frame via a parallelogram linkage and the rear carrier has a row of tines. A supporting roller is connected to the frame by arms each of which has two portions. The portions can be pivoted or slid towards and away from one another so that the roller is also moved towards and away from the carriers. Also, the arms with roller are vertically adjustable and fixable in position.

Abstract: An implement has rows of tines on carrier supports that are elongated and extend transverse to the direction of travel. A transmission shaft with pairs of eccentrics is positioned between the supports and connected to move the tines of the supports to and fro in relatively opposite directions. The eccentrics are in pairs and interconnected to the frame by adjustable links that control the operative movements of the tines, those movements being in the direction of travel. A pulverizing member is pivoted to the rear carrier support to move with same and a front soil levelling member with strip-shaped members is positioned in front of the tines. Preferably, a supporting roller is connected to the frame at the rear of the pulverizing member.

Abstract: An implement has a forward row of soil working members that have flat blades and the blades are periodically raised and lowered to initially coarsely break the soil with pivotal motions induced by respective eccentrics mounted on a horizontal shaft. The members have respective polygonal linkage connections to the frame. Further soil working members that include elongated bars with tines are moved to and fro to work the upper layer of coarsely broken soil. The bars are pivoted about upwardly extending pivots and an eccentric reciprocates the bars in relative opposite directions. A trailing roller is linked to the bars and to the frame supporting the bladed members. The bars and roller are interconnected to the frame sides by parallelogram linkages that can be fixed to regulate the working depths of the blades and the tines.

Abstract: An implement has two elongated tined carriers that extend transverse to the direction of travel. The carriers are moved through circular orbits around spaced apart driving shafts that extend upwardly. An eccentric for each carrier is journalled to each shaft and includes a disc with encircling ring having support plates that are bolted to the respective carrier. The upper eccentrics extend forwardly from a drive shaft, located between the carriers, to the forward carrier and the lower eccentrics extend rearwardly to the trailing carrier. The carriers are off set relative to one another as well as out-of-phase. An elongated levelling beam is adjustably connected to the forward carrier and a supporting roller is connected to the frame at the rear of the trailing carrier.

Abstract: A cultivating machine has tines mounted on an elongated horizontal support that is driven to move the tines forwardly through the soil towards the normal direction of travel. The tines are in groups along the length of the support and each group has a number of pairs of opposing units. Each unit includes bracket portions having two rims and a tine is fastened to each rim. Opposing portions are bolted together to form a whole bracket that mounts four tines around the support. Each tine is a strip-shaped member that is hook-like in configuration with an inner straight portion and an outer soil working portion having a pointed tip. The inner portion has a series of holes along its length which can be releasably fastened to a respective rim in any one of a plurality of positions that change the working length of the tine. A front hood partially surrounds the tines and support and a rod grating is positioned at the rear of the tines. A rear hood is connected to the machine and located behind the grating.

Abstract: An implement has rotary soil-working cultivating members with tines that are arranged to work a broad path of soil. The cultivating members are rotated about upwardly extending axes by a drive from a p.t.o. and are positioned adjacent one another. A beamed support at the front of the implement frame has soil arresting elements fastened to the support and the elements can be tines, strips or the like that extend horizontally above the tines and below the main frame portion to free ends. The elements are positioned to arrest the lateral and/or forward displacement of soil thrown by the cultivating members. Soil crumbling members can also be attached to the frame portion in front of and between neighboring cultivating members. A supporting roller having a periphery formed by elongated rods is positioned to the rear of the cultivating members.

Abstract: A soil cultivating machine has a row of tined rotors on an elongated frame portion that extends transverse to the direction of travel. An elongated soil crumbling member is pivoted to the frame portion at the front of that portion and settable to level the ground and provide support for the machine. A second elongated crumbling member is linked at the rear of the frame portion for free pivoting responsive to ground irregularities to further crumble the soil worked by the tined rotors. Both crumbling members have parallelogram linkage connections so that the relative positions of the crumbling members to the frame portion can vary without those members tilting. The bottoms of the crumbling members can be corrugated plates or other configured elements designed to bear on the ground and be self cleaning. Also, the rotors can have resilient or freely rotatable mountings to allow for the displacement of tines when meeting obstacles.

Abstract: An implement has a row of soil working or cultivating members that are driven to rotate about upwardly extending axes. Adjacent cultivating members are rotated in relative opposite directions to work overlapping circular paths and depend from an elongated frame portion that extends transverse to the direction of travel. Between neighboring cultivating members, soil crumbling members are positioned to work the top soil adjacent the overlapping paths defined by tines of the cultivating members. Each cultivating member includes a substantially horizontal support with tines depending from that support. The crumbling members extend from a forward supporting structure, rearwardly to free ends that normally are located above or adjacent the cultivating member supports, but below the frame portion. The crumbling members are resilient and/or spring mounted and can be used in combination with forward soil working elements that also extend rearwardly to the ground during operation.

Abstract: A cultivating implement has an elongated, rotatable cultivating member that is driven to rotate about a horizontal axis. The cultivating member has a central support that defines its axis of rotation and the support is polygonal in cross-section with tines resiliently fastened to each side along the length of the support. Each tine has an outer, arcuately curved portion that is fastened to an inner portion through a coil having turns located to the rear and adjacent a succeeding side relative to the direction of its rotation. The outer portion has a replaceable blade at its outer free end and different blades can be secured to that free end. A further row of fixed but resilient tines is connected to the frame in front of the rotatable member and an additional row of resilient tines is pivoted to the frame, at the rear of the rotatable member.

Abstract: A cultivating implement has an elongated frame portion with soil working tines rotatably mounted along the length of the frame portion. The implement is supported, at least in part, by a leading member and a rear member each of which bear on the ground in advance and to the rear of the soil working tines. The supporting members can be wheels, rollers, a row of rods, levelling bars or combinations thereof which are interconnected by at least one linkage. Each supporting member has a respective carrier that is pivoted to a strip or pair of strips secured to the frame portion. The carriers include upwardly extending arms or plates with holes at different levels that receive pins and the pins interconnect the upper portions of the carriers to an adjustable connecting member. When one supporting member is displaced upwardly or downwardly, the other member is displaced in an opposite direction.

Abstract: A rotary harrow has a plurality of soil working members rotatably mounted on upwardly extending shafts and the shafts are journalled in an elongated frame portion that extends transverse to the direction of travel. A protective and supporting member of elongated configuration is secured to the frame portion by arms that are pivoted to that portion. The protective member can be nonrotatable but is angularly displaceable about a horizontal axis that extends generally parallel to the frame portion. The protective member has an inclined surface that can be curved or substantially flat and the outer surface faces the soil working members and is positioned relative to those members to direct debris downwardly to the ground.

Abstract: A cultivator has a row of soil working members journalled in an elongated frame portion. The frame portion is supported on side-by-side elongated elements that extend generally parallel to the direction of travel. The elements are preferrably curved and can be arranged in a forward group attached at the front of frame portion and a rear group of different-shaped elements that are interconnected to the frame portion to bear on the ground at the rear of the soil working members. The rear group can be fastened to a central carrier and curved to form a supporting roller. The elements can be inherently resilient and/or interconnected with spring mechanisms so that the soil working members respond to ground undulations.

Abstract: A tillage machine includes a main frame that supports rotary soil working tined members and various additional tools that can be detachably fastened to the main frame in combination with the rotary tined members to landscape in one pass. For primary use, a ripper assembly is detachably fastened at the front of the frame in advance of the rotary soil working members. A pulverizer-support roller is detachably fastened to the frame in a trailing position and a leveler bar supported between the roller and the rotary members to prevent ridging. A seed box with delivery system can be mounted on the roller frame and driven by a transmission connected to the roller axle. A packer roller is detachably pivoted to the frame to leave the ground in a finished condition.

Abstract: A harrow attachment has side-by-side rotary soil-working members mounted on upright axes journalled in a frame. A delivery mechanism with an elongated hopper and agitators and/or other feeding mechanisms can be connected to be rotatable and driven by the power take off of the prime mover or transmission connections from a rotary roller pivotably secured on arms to the frame to trail the working members. The working members are rotors with tines or earth working portions formed by a single metal sheet material which has been bent over to form two downwardly extending blades with lower parts that are inclined rearwardly. The blades are twisted so that leading cutting edges work overlapping paths and a horizontal portion of the rotors is secured by breakable bolts to upright shafts.

Abstract: A rotary harrow has a ground engaging supporting member mounted in front of soil working members. The supporting member can be an elongated cylinder that is rotatable or a non rotatable generally cylindrical member that has its largest cross section dimension extending generally parallel to the normal direction of travel. The supporting member can be secured to a frame portion with arms that hold the member close to the soil working member connections with the frame portion. The supporting member can be pivoted or moved within limits responsive to ground irregularities and affords protection to tine connections and associated parts from stones and the like due to its close proximity to these elements.

Abstract: A rotary harrow has soil-working members that are protected and, to some extent, supported from the ground by an elongated transverse beam that is pivoted to the front of the frame. The beam is spring biased to an operative location adjacent the soil-working member connections and vertically adjustable with respect to those members. The beam is rounded off at its lower surfaces to level the ground and ride along the ground. If debris becomes lodged between the beam and soil-working members, the beam can pivot forwardly against spring opposition to release the debris. The pivot axis for the beam is substantially directly above the beam itself.

Abstract: This invention relates to earth processing equipment and, more particularly, to a scarifier or plow apparatus capable of deep soil penetration which has an attached earth fragmentation assembly. The apparatus comprises a frame mounting on its forward end, a scarifier assembly which is adjustable from the frame to provide varying soil penetration. An earth fragmentation assembly is permanently affixed to the frame immediately behind the scarifier and comprises a scoop bucket with internal, shaft-mounted rotatable arms or cudgelers for fragmentizing earth passing interiorly of the fragmentation assembly and with a fixed bottom support for the soil within the scoop bucket. This apparatus is particularly useful for the single pass processing of compacted agricultural beds.

Abstract: A combination implement has a leading cultivator with fixed tines and a rear rotary harrow with driven soil working tined members. The cultivator has side ground wheels with vertical adjusting means that controls the working depths of the fixed tines. The harrow has a trailing roller that is interconnected to the harrow frame with arms that also have an adjustment feature so that the working depths of the harrow's tined members can be regulated. The cultivator and harrow are linked to one another by a parallelogram linkage so that they can be disconnected from one another and individually connected to the three point lift of a prime mover. When the combination is assembled, a suspended drive shaft of the harrow's driving system is passed through the cultivator and connected to the p.t.o. of the prime mover.

Abstract: Two cultivators, in combination, form an assembly with a first implement having fixed soil penetrating members and a second cultivator has rotatary soil working members with tines that intensely work the soil broken by the first cultivator. Each cultivator has a corresponding coupling member at the forward portion of its frame and each coupling member is connectable to the lifting hitch of a conventional tractor independently of the other implement. Alternatively, the coupling members can be interlinked to one another with pivotable arms so that each cultivator is independently movable with respect to one another for a limited extent in vertical directions. A supporting roller can be positioned to the rear of the second cultivator.