Deere + Company

Mark W Porter

Francis E Schlueter

Warren L Thompson

Terry L Lowe

Russell D Copley

Bierl James F

An improved disk harrow C-spring with a tapered cross section which reduces the compressive stresses in the inside radius and improves vertical and side-to-side flexibility. The curved portion of the C-spring has a constant cross section at the top and around three-fourths of the bend. At a location on the bend 45 degrees down from the horizontal, the thickness tapers to a location forward of the bearing hanger. The cross section is constant from the end of the taper to the end of the spring. The tapered cross section allows a thicker section to be used on the most highly stressed areas in the upper quadrant of the curved portion of the C-spring. The lower quadrant taper results in uniform stress distribution along the entire C-spring with the maximum compressive stress on the inside radius reduced substantially over a conventional C-spring. In addition, the tapered design provides an increase in both vertical and side-to-side flexibility for improved operation in rocky soil.

Tapered C-spring for a disk harrow

A cotton harvester with an offset head having four row units positioned for harvesting cotton planted in uniformly spaced narrow rows. The frame of the harvester is supported near its forward end by a pair of drive wheels adapted to run between two pairs of rows of cotton. The head is offset so that three rows of cotton are accommodated between the wheels and one row of cotton is accommodated outside one of the wheels. The machine drive and guide wheels can therefore be positioned between the rows for ease in steering and driving. A cotton basket on the harvester can be dumped toward the side which is unobstructed by a harvesting unit so the receiving implement can be positioned closer to the harvester and so the head which is offset in the opposite direction can act as a counterweight to balance the harvester as the basket is extended transversely for dumping.

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Bondurant, IA, United States of America

Mark W Porter