Tractor Ploughing Manual, The, 2nd Edition E-Book

Brian Bell

• Herausgeber: Old Pond Books
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021

Seitenzahl: 152

Beschreibung

Perfect for both the novice and the experienced plougher, this comprehensive guide will show you everything you need to know about tractor ploughing, its history, and its competitive traditions – both past and present. Featuring detailed sections on various types of ploughs, basic techniques, the Society of Ploughmen's rules for ploughing matches, and so much more, also included in this complete manual are high-quality photographs and helpful illustrations. This new, updated edition contains the current rules for match ploughing, judges' scoring system, and a list of ploughing organizations around the world.

Leseprobe

The Tractor Ploughing Manual

The Tractor Ploughing Manual

Edited by Brian Bell MBE

First published 2005, reprinted 2009. This second edition published in 2021

Copyright © Brian Bell & Ken Chappell, 2021

The moral right of the author in this work has been asserted

All rights reserved. No parts of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of Old Pond Publishing.

ISBN 978-1-913618-11-7

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

Published by

Old Pond Publishing

3 The Bridle Way, Selsey

Chichester, West Sussex PO20 0RS

www.oldpond.com

Endpaper illustrations: Ransomes, Sims and Jefferies catalogue, 1886

Front cover: Ploughing match competitors in the reversible, mounted and trailed conventional plough classes. Photographs courtesy of the Society of Ploughmen.

Cover design and book layout by Liz Whatling

Printed and bound in Hong Kong

Contents

Introduction

1. Types of plough

Mounted conventional ploughs – trailed conventional ploughs – reversible ploughs – plough alignment.

2. Basic ploughing techniques

Conventional ploughing – reversible ploughing – basic plough setting faults.

3. Setting out the plot and preparing the tractor and plough

Ploughing match classes

4. Vintage and classic mounted ploughs

The double split opening – twelve-furrow start – eleven-furrow start – ploughing the plot – ins and outs – the finish.

5. Trailed vintage ploughs

Double split opening – twelve-furrow start – eleven-furrow start – ploughing the plot – ins and outs – the finish.

6. World-style conventional mounted ploughs

The twelve-furrow start – double split opening – completing the twelve-furrow start – the eleven-furrow start – ploughing the plot – ins and outs – the finish.

7. Reversible ploughs

Preparing the tractor and plough – the eight- or nine-furrow start – marking the butts – ins and outs – ploughing the full-length furrows – ploughing the butts – scratch furrow ins and outs – ploughing the finish – the joining furrow – completing the finish.

8. High cut or oatseed furrow work

9. A short history of the plough

Early ploughs – early one-way ploughs – steam ploughing – ploughing with electricity – early tractor ploughs – motor ploughs – mounted ploughs – multi-furrow reversible ploughs.

10. The Society of Ploughmen ploughing match rules

The Society of Ploughmen ploughing match regulations

Judges’ scoring system

Glossary

The Cairn of Peace at the site of the 63rd World Ploughing Contest held at Crockey Hill near York in 2016. The Cairn contains an engraved stone from every country taking part in the contest.

Introduction

Ploughing has been practised since Biblical days when man first used his own muscle power to scratch the soil with a suitably shaped piece of wood. Early Britons were required by law to fashion their own ploughs before being allowed to use these mainly wooden implements to till the land. Ploughs were made from iron by the late eighteenth century and chilled cast-iron ploughshares were already turning the soil when Nelson defeated the French navy at Trafalgar. Originally a village affair, ploughing matches have been held for over 150 years with the best ploughman enjoying great esteem locally. J. Allen Ransome wrote in 1843 that the object of these matches was to promote the art of ploughing and it has remained so to the present day. Many countries hold their own national championships with the winners taking part in the annual World Ploughing Match. First held in 1953 this event is hosted by a different country each year. The first British National Ploughing Match, organised by the British Ploughing Association, was held in Yorkshire in 1951. This annual event, arranged by The Society of Ploughmen since 1973, is still keenly contested today.

The Tractor Ploughing Manual has been written for the benefit of both the novice and the more experienced ploughing match competitor in the hope that it will help to promote the art of ploughing. An introduction to ploughs and the basic principles of commercial ploughing is followed by a survey of the types of tractor plough used at ploughing matches up and down the country. The main body of this book sets out to explain the complexities of the various classes of competition ploughing. Further chapters cover a brief history of the plough, the Society of Ploughmen’s rules for ploughing matches and a glossary of ploughing terms.

The 2016 World Ploughing Match was held at Crockey Hill, near York.

A Society of Ploughmen practical seminar dealing with the finer points of hydraulic, trailed and reversible match ploughing techniques.

Preparation for the first edition of The Tractor Ploughing Manual was a team effort by Ken Chappell MBE, David Chappell and Peter Alderslade, who provided a great deal of technical information and ploughed the demonstration plots which were photographed by John Allen. Additional illustrations were provided by the Society of Ploughmen, Alan Jones and Roger Smith. Ken Chappell and Sue Frith have provided new photographs and up to date information for the second edition of The Tractor Ploughing Manual. New material in this edition includes the current rules for match ploughing, judges’ scoring system and a list of ploughing organisations in many countries throughout the world.

Brian Bell, September 2020

Chapter 1

1. Types of Plough

Ploughs have evolved over the years from horse-drawn and steerable tractor ploughs to trailed and later to the semi-mounted and fully-mounted conventional and reversible ploughs of today. The soil-working components and their basic settings are common to all types of mouldboard plough but the methods of adjustment vary according to type, make and model.

MOUNTED CONVENTIONAL PLOUGHS

The main components of a conventional mounted plough.

The conventional mounted plough is attached to the tractor hydraulic three-point linkage. The plough frame consists of a separate beam for each plough body, the three-point linkage headstock and a curved or straight leg connecting each right-hand plough body to the beam. Ploughs may have one or more one-piece beams and legs or individual legs bolted to the beams. The cross shaft attached at right angles to the plough beams provides the hitch points used to attach the plough to the lower left and right hydraulic lift arms and the top link is connected to the upper part of the headstock. Depending on the make and the type of tractor used with a mounted plough it may have one, two or three wheels but sometimes none at all.

The Share

The share, or point, cuts the bottom of the furrow slice.

The Mouldboard

The mouldboard lifts and turns the furrow slice. The shape, size and appearance of the furrow slice depend on the profile of the mouldboard.

The various types of plough body in current use have evolved from the traditional, general purpose semi-digger and digger plough bodies. Slatted mouldboards tend to break up the furrow slice more efficiently than a full mouldboard and improve soil movement across the mouldboard when ploughing sticky soils. The bar point body often has a spring-loaded ba which is moved forward as the point wears away. This body is ideal for soils with large stones near the surface.

The Landside

The landside absorbs the side thrust produced by the mouldboard. Some ploughs have a short, fixed landside and a hinged, spring-loaded rear furrow wheel or rolling landside. The vertical movement of a rolling landside provides a more rapid entry into work.

The Heel Iron

Bolted to the end of the rear landside, the heel iron supports some of the weight at the back of the plough.

The Tailpiece

The tailpiece, or mouldboard extension, helps to press down the furrow slice, especially when ploughing up grassland and heavy soils.

The Disc Coulter

The disc coulter cuts the side of the furrow slice about to be turned by the mouldboard. Some ploughs have a fixed knife coulter.

The Skimmer

The skimmer, or skim coulter, turns a small slice of the corner of the furrow about to be turned and throws it into the furrow bottom. This reduces the likelihood of weeds growing up between adjacent furrow slices.

The rear landside and hinged rear furrow or rolling landside of a Ferguson mounted plough.

Controls and Adjustments

Hitching

Hitching a mounted conventional plough to the three-point linkage is best done by first attaching the lower left lift arm, then the right lower lift arm and finally the top link. By using this method the right-hand lift rod levelling box can be used to align the right-hand lift arm with the cross shaft pin. The use of an adjustable top link makes it equally simple to align the top link pinhole with the holes in the head stock.

Disc Coulters

For normal work the bottom edge of the disc should be set 12 mm (1/2 in) to the unploughed side of the share. A stepped furrow wall indicates the disc is set too far towards the unploughed land and a ragged furrow wall means that the disc is too far towards the ploughed land. The height of the disc above the share will depend on ploughing depth. It will need to be about 12 mm (1/2 in) above the share when ploughing at a depth of approximately 15 cm (6 in) but it will need to be higher for deeper work. In all cases the disc should be set high enough to prevent the disc bearing from dragging along on the previous furrow. This will cause undue wear on the housing and will lose points in a ploughing match. A knife coulter should be set with the leading tip of the coulter in the same position as the lowest edge of a disc coulter.

The disc coulter should normally run in a vertical position but a small amount of undercutting with the top edge slightly tilted towards the ploughed land can be an advantage when ploughing grassland.

For normal ploughing the disc coulter should be about 12 mm (1/2 in) above the share but it will need to be higher for deeper work.

Skim Coulter

The point of the skimmer share should be below and behind the disc coulter hub and should be set to work at no more than one third of ploughing depth. For example, when ploughing at 10 cm (4 in) the skimmer point should work at a depth of no more than 6 cm (21/2 in). The skimmer only needs to be set low enough to prevent any surface trash showing between the furrow slices. Setting the skimmer too deep can prevent the plough working at the required depth, especially in hard land.

Front Furrow Width

Front furrow width is adjusted by rotating the cross shaft a few degrees. Depending on the model of plough, this is done either with a hand lever or by slackening the retaining bolts and rotating the cross shaft slightly with a spanner.

The disc coulter should be positioned approximately 12 mm (1/2in) towards the unploughed side of the share.

The skimmer point should be set just deep enough to turn the top corner of the furrow slice into the previous furrow bottom.

Ploughing Depth

Ploughing depth is controlled either with a depth wheel running on unploughed land or by the hydraulic draft control system on the tractor. Draft control is usually sufficient to maintain the required depth for commercial ploughing but a depth wheel will be more effective on multi-furrow ploughs and more accurate on a competition plough.

Levelling

The adjusting handle on the tractor’s right-hand lift rod is used to level the plough and set all of the furrows at the same depth.

Pitch

Pitch refers to the angle of penetration of the shares. The pitch of the complete plough is adjusted by altering the length of the tractor top link. When correctly adjusted the plough will be seen to run level with the rear landside, making no more than a light mark on the furrow bottom.

A plough has too much pitch when the front body digs in deeper than the rear body. The ploughing will be uneven, the rear landside and heel iron will ride clear of the furrow bottom and there will be undue wear on the shares, especially when working in hard ground. Lengthening the top link will correct this fault.

A plough will have insufficient pitch when the front share tends to ride out and the rear landside makes a deep mark in the furrow bottom. This makes it difficult to plough at the required depth but shortening the top link will solve the problem.

Each body should have the same pitch measurement. This can be checked by measuring the vertical distance from an identical position on the underside of each beam to the tip of a new share. Some ploughs have an individual pitch adjustment on each body.

TRAILED CONVENTIONAL PLOUGHS

The main parts of a conventional trailed plough.

A trailed plough with three wheels and an adjustable drawbar has the same soil-engaging parts set up in the same way as on a mounted plough. Other field adjustments are made with the plough drawbar and levers or screw handles connected to cranked axles on the land and furrow wheels. A rope-operated mechanical lift clutch or rack lift mechanism on the land wheel of the plough lifts and lowers the bodies into and out of work.

The rack lift mechanism on the land wheel of a trailed plough.

Controls and Adjustments

Ploughing Depth

Ploughing depth is adjusted by the depth control screw handle or hand lever which raises and lowers both sides of the plough. On some ploughs the depth control handle also raises or lowers the rear furrow wheel to keep the plough level from front to back. Other ploughs have a separate depth-adjusting screw handle for the rear wheel.

The depth-adjusting handle on the rear castor wheel.

Levelling

Levelling is done with a screw handle or lever connected to the furrow wheel of the plough. It is used to tilt the plough when the front body ploughs a deeper or shallower front furrow than the one turned by the rear body. Uneven furrow depth will show up in the work as alternating high and low furrow slices.

A trailed plough drawbar. The angled bar is used to change the position of the plough in relation to the tractor wheels, while the hand lever provides a fine adjustment in each pinhole position.

The Drawbar

Vertical and horizontal settings on the plough drawbar are used to alter the width of the front furrow, adjust the pitch of the shares and hitch the plough so that its line of draft is central to the tractor.

Plough Pitch

Plough pitch relates to the angle of penetration of the shares. When correctly set the plough bodies will turn furrows of equal depth and size. With too little pitch it is difficult to get the front body to plough at the required depth and with too much pitch the front body will dig in too deep.

The sets of holes in the hake plates are used to adjust the pitch of the plough bodies.

Measuring the vertical distance from the underside of the beam to the tip of a new share is a simple way to check that each body has the same amount of pitch. Some ploughs have individual pitch adjustment for each body.

The pitch of a trailed plough is adjusted by altering the position of the hake bar on the plough frame. In normal ploughing conditions the pitch will be correct when the plough drawbar slopes slightly up towards the tractor. When the hake bar is too low the plough has insufficient pitch, the tractor tends to pull the front of the plough up out of work and the rear landside, or rear furrow wheel, leaves a deep mark in the furrow bottom. When the hake bar is too high there will be too much pitch, causing the front body to plough too deep while the rear landside runs clear of the furrow bottom.

Some trailed ploughs have a screw handle on the rear wheel. This will also be used to set the plough level from front to back when adjusting the pitch of the plough. Others have the rear wheel linked to the plough depth control lever with no separate adjustment for the castor wheel.

Front Furrow Width

Front furrow width is controlled by the horizontal position of the hake bar on the plough frame. It is important to hitch the plough to the tractor so that the main drawbar is parallel to the furrow wall, putting the line of draft of the plough as near as possible to the centre line of the tractor. When hitching the plough it should be attached so that the front furrow is at the same width as the other furrows.

If the rear of the plough swings or ‘crabs’ to the left or to the right the hake bar should be moved in the opposite direction to the ‘crabbing motion’. Moving the hake bar to the left or to the right must be done without changing the relative position of the tractor and the plough. Some ploughs have a hitch adjustment lever on the drawbar used to make minor alterations to the line of draft.

REVERSIBLE PLOUGHS

The tractor must be prepared before attaching a reversible plough to the hydraulic linkage. Enough front weight should be added so that with the plough in the raised position the tractor is stable. The rear wheels should be set at the track centre recommended in the plough book, usually with the inside of the tyre walls on the front wheels in line with the inside face of the rear tyre walls. The tyre pressure on each axle should be the same. Relatively small differences in tyre pressure, especially in the rear tyres, can affect ploughing depth by an inch or more. The hydraulic linkage lift rods should both be set at the same length as unequal length lift rods can affect the furrow depth on alternate runs. The mouldboards, shares, landsides, disc coulters and skim coulters on a reversible plough serve the same purpose and are adjusted in the same way as described earlier (see here) for conventional mounted ploughs. However, as the reversible plough has left- and right-handed bodies, coulters and skimmers it is critical to match the settings on both sides of the plough so that both sets of bodies turn equal-sized furrows.

Hitching