Chain Reel for Tillage Implement and Method

Abstract

In lieu of rigid bars, a tillage reel utilizes a number of elongated flexible elements such as lengths of link chain that are spaced circumferentially around the reel and extend axially thereof. The flexible elements bow outwardly by centrifugal force as the reel rolls along the ground during tillage operations to impact and fracture clods encountered at the lower front extremity of the reel. When the reel is used in connection with strip till operations, the flexible elements bow upwardly and inwardly along the lower periphery of the reel as they engage and conform to the transverse cross-section of the strip till berm, thereby avoiding destruction of the berm notwithstanding the clod-pulverizing action provided by the flexible elements.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION[0001]The present application is a continuation of prior co-pending application Ser. No. 12 / 051,420, filed Mar. 19, 2008, which claims the priority benefit, with regard to all common subject matter, of earlier-filed U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60 / 896,695, filed Mar. 23, 2007 and titled “CHAIN REEL FOR TILLAGE IMPLEMENT.” The identified earlier-filed applications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety into the present application.TECHNICAL FIELD[0002]The present application relates to tillage tools and, more particularly, to a special ground-engaging tillage reel useful in breaking up surface clods and pulverizing the soil such as when preparing a seed bed.BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY[0003]Tillage reels are well known in the art and have typically been used in field finishing operations to reduce clod size and smooth the surface of the ground to prepare a suitable seed bed. Conventional reels are typically provided with a cage-like constr...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0005]Accordingly, one important object of the present invention is to provide a tillage reel that is effective in reducing surface soil clods to the desired particle size while resisting the tendency to become packed with mud and trash materials during use in adverse conditions. Another important object of the invention is to provide a reel that is especially suited for use in strip till operations in which it is desirable to reduce clod size and pulverize the soil without destroying the integrity of the berm created by components that precede the reel.

Problems solved by technology

However, in these strip till operations, and in conventional field finishing operations as well, there is a tendency for the reels to ball up and plug as wet stick soil pushes past the reel bars into the interior of the reel.

This adversely affects the ability of the reel to perform its intended finishing operations and may necessitate costly and frustrating down time in order to clean out the plugged reel so that it will perform properly.

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