Agricultural implement with treader-reel finishing attachment

Abstract

An agricultural tillage implement has a main frame with a plurality of ground support wheels, and a finishing attachment arranged behind a group of primary seedbed preparation tools. The finishing attachment includes a reel assembly having an over-frame tube to which reel standards are attached, and reel arms that connect the over-frame tube to the implement frame. The reel arms are attached to the over-frame tube by a flex pivoting connection that allows at least one degree of freedom movement when the reel encounters an obstruction. The reel assembly includes a rolling reel basket having slats made from half-round material. The slats are oriented with leading edges that provide clod breakage and residue pinning action during their descent, and rounded surfaces for firming soil at their lowest quadrant position. A push configuration treader assembly with multiple operation modes can be mounted compactly close to and ahead of the reel assembly.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An agricultural tillage implement, comprising:
 a main frame with a plurality of ground support wheels, a group of primary seedbed preparation tools supported by the main frame, and a finishing attachment arranged behind the seedbed preparation tools, said finishing attachment comprising:
 a rolling reel assembly connected to the main frame by reel arms, said rolling reel assembly having an over-frame tube connected to said reel arms, reel standards attached to said over-frame tube, and a rolling reel basket supported by said reel standards; and 
 said rolling reel arms having a flex pivoting connection arrangement with said over-frame tube to allow at least one degree of freedom movement when the rolling reel basket encounters a one-sided obstruction, said flex pivoting connection arrangement comprising a connection axis having a vertical component and aligned along a pin or bolted connection. 
   
     
     
         2 . The implement according to  claim 1 , wherein a clamp plate assembly is attached to the over-frame tube, and a flex pivot tube and connecting axis is affixed to said clamp plate assembly, and wherein said flex pivot connection and said reel arms are arranged to provide a full surround enclosure around the over-frame tube. 
     
     
         3 . The implement according to  claim 2 , wherein a rubber spacer plate is mounted inside the clamp plate assembly to allow a secondary degree of freedom flex movement needed for greater flexibility and improved contour following during obstruction encounters. 
     
     
         4 . An agricultural tillage implement, comprising:
 a main frame with a plurality of ground support wheels, a group of primary seedbed preparation tools supported by the main frame, and a finishing attachment arranged behind the seedbed preparation tools, said finishing attachment comprising:
 a rolling reel assembly connected to the main frame by reel arms, said rolling reel assembly having an over-frame tube connected to said reel arms, and a rolling reel basket supported by said over-frame tube; and 
 wherein said rolling reel basket has slats made from lengths of material having a rounded side, a flat side, and an edge between said rounded and flat sides, and said slats are oriented so that said edge is a leading edge relative to a direction of rotation during operation to provide clod breakage and residue pinning action during a descent of said edge, and so that said rounded side provides a soil firming action at its lowest quadrant position. 
   
     
     
         5 . The implement according to  claim 4 , wherein said lengths of material have a shape of a truncated cylinder cut along a plane parallel to a longitudinal axis of the cylinder. 
     
     
         6 . The implement according to  claim 4 , wherein an angle measured between a radial axis of the reel basket and the flat side of the material is 35 to 50 degrees.