LEVELING WHEEL STRUCTURE FOR A MINIMUM TILLAGE RIPPER

摘要

A leveling wheel assembly for a deep tillage ripper tool includes a support bracket fixed to the upper end of the ripper shank and a wheel support arm pivotally connected to the aft end of the bracket. Wheel support structure rotatably mounts a pair of leveling wheels offset several feet behind the ripper point. An adjustable downpressure spring provides an effective moment arm that decreases with spring compression to provide a generally constant downpressure as the wheels move vertically with respect to the shank over a substantial range of ripper dept h changes and when large obstacles are encountered. The wheel support structure includ es slots for adjusting the spacing of the leveling wheels and the angle of the wheels relative to the forward direction depending on soil conditions.