Abstract: A closed loop feedback circle drive system utilized onboard a motor grader includes an operator input device, a blade, and a multi-speed hydraulic motor having a motor output shaft. The motor output shaft is mechanically linked to blade such that motor output shaft rotation drives rotation of the blade about a blade rotation axis. A controller is operably coupled to the operator input device and to the multi-speed hydraulic motor. The controller is configured to: (i) receive blade rotation commands via the operator input device to rotate the blade about the rotation axis in a commanded manner; and (ii) control the multi-speed hydraulic motor to implement the blade rotation commands, while repeatedly adjusting the rotational speed of the motor output shaft to reduce variations in a rotational velocity of the blade due to changes in blade loading conditions occurring during motor grader operation.

Abstract: A system and method for automatically adjusting the blade of a motor grader to an operator programmed blade position. The method includes the steps of: providing an electronic controller and blade controls having position sensors; monitoring the output of the position sensors to ascertain the position of the blade controls; receiving a first input signal for setting a memory blade position; determining the memory blade position based on the output of the position sensors; receiving a second input signal for requesting the memory blade position; determining the present blade position based on the output of the position sensors; and producing a control signal for actuating the blade controls to move the blade from the present blade position to the memory blade position.

Abstract: A soil tilling device that is pulled by a tractor vehicle comprises at least one tool holder that is supported at a supporting element and is rotatably drivable. At least two circular disk-shaped soil tilling tools are connected to a respective one of the tool holders and are distributed over a circumference of the tool holder at a uniform distance from one another. Each one of the soil tilling tools is connected to a shaft whereby the shaft is supported at a support that is connected to the tool holder. The soil tilling tools are rotatable about an axis of rotation thereof corresponding to the shaft. This shaft is slanted relative to an axis of rotation of the tool holder such that the soil tilling tools have an angle of 20.degree. to 40.degree. to a surface of soil to be tilled whereby circumferential sections of the soil tilling tools form tilling surfaces. With this embodiment it is possible to achieve a clean soil tilling without soil parts or rocks being pulled from the soil and thrown into the air.

Abstract: A rotary agricultural tool which may be incorporated in a number of different types of agricultural equipment, such as in a device for chopping up bulk material is disclosed. The rotary tool has an elongate cutter body mounted in a frame for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis and carrying on its outer periphery pivotally mounted cutter blades, a housing extending partly around the cutter body, and feed rollers for feeding the bulk material to the cutter body. The blades are arranged in pairs of blades.

Abstract: The invention concerns a device (1), which is self-powered or can be connected-up to a vehicle, for loosening the sub-soil, the device having an array of piercing tools (13) mounted substantially perpendicular to the direction of travel of the device. Before driving into the soil, the tools are oriented by means of a jointed-rod parallelogram, independently of the penetration depth selected (the penetration depth is adjustable). The position of the link rod (21) running approximately parallel to the chassis-mounted linkage between the two chassis-mounted bearings (7,8) can be altered by pivoting the piercing tool (13) or its mounting (14), against the bias of a spring (22), in a direction away from a stop (23) while the tool is executing the loosening movement in the soil.

Abstract: A three-point hitch mounted in-row tiller has a conventional three-point hitch mounted frame member with an outrigger arm pivotally mounted to the frame member in a manner that accommodates pivotal movement of the outrigger in relation to the frame member about two orthogonal axes. Pivotal movement about one of the axes causes tilting of a working tool mounted on the outrigger arm, and pivotal movement about the other axis causes vertical lifting and depth control of the working tool. Various working tool embodiments, including several with flexible teeth, and a mechanical/hydraulic sensor apparatus are also included.

Abstract: A rotary tilling device has a cutting device having a plurality of cutters each of which is rotatably mounted on a supporting member. The cutter has a vertical portion and a lateral portion at an end of the vertical portion and has edges on both sides of the vertical and lateral portions. The cutter is held by a stopper in a tilling position when rotated in a tilling direction, and is released in a grass cutting position when rotated in the opposite direction.

Abstract: A rotary tilling device has a cutting device having a plurality of cutters each of which is rotatably mounted by a bolt on a supporting member at a base end thereof. The cutter has a vertical portion and a lateral portion at an end of the vertical portion and has edges on both sides of the vertical and lateral portions. A stopper for receiving the cutter in a tilling position and a spring plate for resiliently holding the cutter in the tilling position are provided on the supporting member.

Abstract: A rotary tiling device has a cutting device having a plurality of cutters each of which is mounted on a supporting member at a base end thereof in such a manner that the cutter is rotatable about a first center. The cutter has a vertical portion and a lateral portion at an end of the vertical portion and has edges on both sides of the vertical and lateral portions. The base end has an arcuated periphery about a second center. The first center is offset from the second center, so that in grass cutting operation, the arcuated periphery is positioned in a position which is further outward than its position in the soil cutting operation.

Abstract: A tine assembly for use with a rotary tiller comprising a selectively rotatable tine shaft and a plurality of pivotally mounted tines. The tines each include stop surfaces associated with an innermost end of the tine whereby the tine pivots to one position when the tine shaft is rotated in a clockwise direction and automatically pivots to a second position when the tine shaft is rotated in a counterclockwise direction. The angle of pivot between the two positions is such that the leading edge of the ground engaging portion of the tine sweeps a larger radius than the following portion of the tine when the tine shaft is rotated in either the clockwise or counterclockwise directions.

Abstract: There is provided a cultivator blade supporting structure. The structure comprises at least one cultivator blade comprising a shank and a blade portion; at least one blade holder having a hollow sleeve for removably receiving the shank of the cultivator blade; and a rotational driving shaft to which the blade holder is fixed, wherein at least a part of the sleeve for receiving the shank of the cultivator blade comprises confronting oppositely inclined interior faces between which the shank is wedged when the cultivator blade is rotated to cultivate the ground.

Abstract: Cultivating tines, each having opposite cutting edge portions, are pivotably supported by mount brackets on a tine shaft reversibly rotatable about a horizontal lateral axis. One of the edge portions of each tine is positionable in a position rearward with respect to the direction of forward rotation, while the other edge portion is positionable in a position rearward with respect to the direction of reverse rotation. The edge portions differ in upstanding posture when positioned for rotation in the intended direction. The curved edge line of the reverse-rotation edge portion is more upstanding than that of the forward-rotation edge portion when coming into contact with the ground.

Abstract: A tine assembly for a tiller, comprising a plate (12 or 20) mounted on a rotative shaft (11) and a plurality of tines (13 or 21) connected by a pivotal connection (14 or 22) to the plate so as to swing outwardly of the plate to engage the soil upon rotation of the plate, and limiting means comprising bolts (15 or 24) in arcuate slots (13D or 23) whereby the tines are angled or positioned for proper soil working action depending on the rotative direction of the plate with the shaft.

Abstract: Cultivating tines, each having opposite cutting edges, are pivotably supported by tine mount members on a tine shaft reversibly rotatable about a horizontal lateral axis. One of the cutting edges of the tine is retainable in a position rearward with respect to the direction of forward rotation, while the other cutting edge is retainable in a position rearward with respect to the direction of reverse rotation. When held in each of these positions, the tine is restrained by resistant force imparting means from being pivotally moved by a centrifugal force. The resistant force to be imparted by this means is smaller than the reaction to be produced when the tine is driven into the soil.

Abstract: A cultivating attachment mounted on a tractor is driven by the power take-off drive of the tractor to simulate the customary action of a hoe when it is manually manipulated. The desired effect is achieved by providing a pair of ground engaging rotatable cutting elements at the ends of an arm mounted on a chassis which is connected to the tractor frame. Shafts are connected to the ends of the arm and also eccentrically connected to plates which are rotated by a drive connected to the power take-off of the tractor. Movement of the eccentrics imparts an oscillating and vertical movement to the arm and the cutting elements connected thereto as the cutting elements engage the ground being cultivated.

Abstract: An implement has rotatable cultivating members that are driven to rotate about upwardly extending axes. Each member includes a horizontal support arm and downwardly extending tools journalled at each end of the arm for free rotation. Along the length of each tool, are radial, superposed soil-working elements that are flat; the lowermost element can have cutting edges. The elements are separated from one another by spacer sleeves and are angularly offset relative to one another. Also, the elements can be different in configuration from one another and in one version, the tools are rotatable about axes that converge towards the axis of rotation of the corresponding member. When rotated and moved through the soil, the elements work ground at different levels to intermix the soil.

Abstract: A soil cultivating implement has soil working members mounted for rotation about corresponding upwardly extending axes. A soil working tool, preferably one or more tines, is connected to a support of the soil working member by at least one quick release fastener. The tool or tine can be a torsioned spring steel strip or a rod that has a spring coil. Each tine can have one or more operative soil contacting ends that are spaced apart from one another. When the operative ends are located one above the other, the soil working member can work deep in the soil. The fastener can be a pin that extends horizontal and at right angles to the axis of rotation of the soil working member so that the operative ends can pivot to some extent about the fastener. The ends of each tool or tine can extend in different directions from one another and tines in pairs can be mounted on the same support. The support can include arms pivoted to the fastening portions of the tines by spaced apart pins.

Abstract: A soil-cultivating implement has soil-working members mounted for rotation about corresponding upwardly extending axes. A soil-working tool, preferably one or more tines, is connected to a support of the soil-working member by at least one quick release fastener. The tool or tine can be a torsioned spring steel strip or a rod that has a spring coil. Each tine can have one or more operative soil-contacting ends that are spaced apart from one another. When the operative ends are located one above the other, the soil-working member can work deep in the soil. The fastener can be a pin that extends horizontal and at right angles to the axis of rotation of the soil-working member so that the operative ends can pivot to some extend about the fastener. The ends of each tool or tine can extend in different directions from one another and tines in pairs can be mounted on the same support.

Abstract: A cultivating machine has one or more working members that are driven to rotate about upwardly extending axes. Each working member is connected to a drive transmission to turn and, spaced apart soil working members mounted for free rotation about respective axes, are moved through the soil. At least two of the soil working members are different from one another and capable of workingthe soil in different ways. One member can be a group of tines that are freely rotatable about an upwardly extending axis and an adjacent member can be a disc that rotates about a horizontal axis. Each member includes a stub shaft that is journalled in a universal mount so that the members can be released and exchanged to meet varying soil conditions. The mount has a pivot connection and a setting device to retain the soil working member at various working angles. Also, the stud shaft is adjustable within a sleeve of the mount.

Abstract: A soil cultivating machine has soil working members that are driven about upwardly extending axes. Each working member has radial arms and a tined cultivating rotor is pivotably connected to the outer end of each arm. Each cultivating rotor is freely rotatable about an upwardly extending axis and an adjustment device can be set to vary the position of the cultivating rotor about the pivot connection to its corresponding arm to change the working positions of the tines. The cultivating rotor can use different tines depending on the condition of the ground being worked.

Abstract: A soil cultivating machine has side-by-side working members mounted on upwardly extending shafts that extend slightly forward with respect to the direction of travel. Each working member includes radial arms and at the outer end of each arm a tool, such as a disc or group of tines, is journalled for free rotation about a corresponding axis of rotation that extends at an angle with respect to the axis of rotation of the working member. During operation, the tools have portions that contact the ground and cut across the soil while rotating about the tools' axes of rotation and that of the working member. Such movements assist to propel the machine forwardly.

Abstract: A soil cultivating machine has a frame beam with a forward supporting member and a rear supporting member. The frame beam and the supporting members are all elongated and extend transverse to the direction of travel. The opposite lateral ends of one supporting member are linked to the corresponding ends of the other member by curved coupling members and both supporting members are movable about substantially vertical axes in directions transverse to the normal direction of travel of the machine. Tined cultivating members are mounted on each of the supporting and coupling members for free rotation about upwardly extending axes.

Abstract: A soil cultivating machine has a cultivating member that is driven to rotate about a support that defines a horizontal axis extending transverse to the direction of travel. Radial arms fastened to brackets along the length of the support in helical rows mount freely rotatable discs or strips at their outer ends and the discs or strips each comprise means that rotate about corresponding axes of rotation that are non-perpendicularly inclined to the horizontal axis. Each soil working means is positioned along the length of said support to successively work an adjacent strip of land and the axes of rotation of the discs or strips are inclined to one another.

Abstract: A cultivating machine has an elongated cultivating member that is rotatably mounted to turn about a horizontal axis that extends transverse to the direction of normal travel. A plurality of tined soil cultivating means is mounted on a support shaft of the member and that shaft defines the horizontal axis of rotation. Each cultivating means comprises a group of tines that is freely rotatable about a corresponding axis of rotation. The axes of rotation of the cultivating means non-perpendicularly intersect the shaft and are formed by stub shafts that are journalled on brackets fastened to the shaft. Upon rotation of the cultivating member about the shaft, the tines of successive cultivating means engage the ground and the cultivating means each rotate to work a broad path of soil. The group of tines extend at angles to the axis of rotation of each cultivating means and twos of the cultivating means are mounted in opposing pairs that are offset with respect to adjacent pairs.