Drag bar for levelling ground

1 . A drag bar apparatus for attachment to a tractor allowing levelling a surface of ground over which the tractor passes, the tractor having forwardly projecting forks for engaging the drag bar apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a frame having a generally planar body for resting on the ground;

wherein the frame includes a mounting coupling for attachment to a front support of the tractor for movement in a forward and rearward direction by the tractor in a levelling action;

the frame including a front transverse member and a rear transverse member forming two parallel components for engaging the ground sequentially as the frame is moved forwardly and rearwardly over the ground;

the front transverse member comprising a plate having downward projecting ground scraping elements for breaking the surface of the ground;

the rear transverse member having a leveling surface for compressing and levelling the surface of the ground;

wherein the plate carries front and rear rows of said ground scraping elements;

and wherein the front and rear rows of the ground scraping elements are arranged with the ground scraping elements of the front row alternately offset from the ground scraping elements of the rear row.

2 . The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the levelling surface includes a vibration mechanism for causing vibration of the levelling surface as it moves across the ground with the frame.

3 . The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said scraping elements comprise carbide pins which extend through the plate to provide a pointed lower end for engaging the ground.

4 . The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said front transverse member carries a drag plate therealong with a lower edge of the drag plate at a height above a lowermost tip of the ground scraping elements.

5 . The apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the drag plate is pivotal about an axis along said front transverse member so as to be pivotal from a first position inclined forwardly and downwardly to a second position inclined rearwardly and downwardly.

6 . The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein in the first position the drag plate engages a rear edge of the plate.

7 . The apparatus according to claim 4 wherein a height of the drag plate is adjustable.

8 . The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the mounting coupling for attachment to a front support of the tractor comprises a first coupling component for attachment to a skid steer loader and additional fork ports for receiving at least one fork of a second separate tractor.

9 . The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the frame is divided into a plurality of sections arranged in a row across the front and rear transverse members where at least one free section of the plurality of sections is free from the ground scraping elements and the levelling surface.

10 . The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said at least one free section includes a ground engaging grader bar inclined to a line along the forward and rearward direction to draw material from the free section into at least one other of the plurality of sections.

11 . The apparatus according to claim 9 for use with gravel roads having traffic wheel strips wherein said at least one free section comprises two wing sections each on a respective side of a middle section to be used to grade a single traffic wheel strip of the gravel road with the two wing sections arranged to pull material into the middle section.

12 . The apparatus according to claim 9 for use with gravel roads having two traffic parallel spaced wheel strips wherein said at least one free section is located between two wing section with the two wing sections to be used to grade the two traffic wheel strips of the gravel road with the middle section arranged to pull material into at least one of the two wing sections.

13 . A drag bar apparatus for attachment to a tractor allowing levelling a surface of ground over which the tractor passes, the tractor having forwardly projecting forks for engaging the drag bar apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a frame having a generally planar body for resting on the ground;

wherein the frame includes a mounting coupling for attachment to a front support of the tractor for movement in a forward and rearward direction by the tractor in a levelling action;

the frame including a front transverse member and a rear transverse member forming two parallel components for engaging the ground sequentially as the frame is moved forwardly and rearwardly over the ground;

the front transverse member comprising a plate having downward projecting ground scraping elements for breaking the surface of the ground;

the rear transverse member having a leveling surface for compressing and levelling the surface of the ground;

wherein the plate has front and rear edges each of which is shaped in a plane of the plate to define a wave pattern;

and wherein the plate carries front and rear rows of said ground scraping element and wherein the wave patterns are out of phase so that the ground scraping elements are arranged with the ground scraping elements of the front row alternately offset from the ground scraping elements of the rear row.

14 . A drag bar apparatus for attachment to a tractor allowing levelling a surface of ground over which the tractor passes for use with gravel roads having traffic wheel strips, the tractor having forwardly projecting forks for engaging the drag bar apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a frame having a generally planar body for resting on the ground;

wherein the frame includes a mounting coupling for attachment to a front support of the tractor for movement by the tractor in a levelling action;

the frame including a first transverse member having downward projecting ground scraping elements for breaking the surface of the ground;

the frame including a second transverse member having a leveling surface for compressing and levelling the surface of the ground;

wherein the frame is divided into a plurality of sections arranged in a row across the front and rear transverse members where at least one free section of the plurality of sections is free from the ground scraping elements and the levelling surface;

wherein said at least one free section comprises two wing sections each on a respective side of a middle section to be used to grade a single traffic wheel strip of the gravel road with the two wing sections arranged to pull material into the middle section.

15 . A drag bar apparatus for attachment to a tractor allowing levelling a surface of ground over which the tractor passes for use with gravel roads having two traffic parallel spaced wheel strips, the tractor having forwardly projecting forks for engaging the drag bar apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a frame having a generally planar body for resting on the ground;

wherein the frame includes a mounting coupling for attachment to a front support of the tractor for movement by the tractor in a levelling action;

the frame including a first transverse member having downward projecting ground scraping elements for breaking the surface of the ground;

the frame including a second transverse member having a leveling surface for compressing and levelling the surface of the ground;

wherein the frame is divided into a plurality of sections arranged in a row across the front and rear transverse members where at least one free section of the plurality of sections is free from the ground scraping elements and the levelling surface;

wherein said at least one free section is located between two wing sections with the two wing sections used to grade the two traffic wheel strips of the gravel road with the middle section arranged to pull material into at least one of the two wing sections.