Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Title: FOLDING FRAME IMPLEMENT
DISCLOSURE
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to tool bar implements used in
agriculture to carry
ground engaging tools for preparing the ground for planting or for carrying
the planter units
themselves for planting seed into the ground, and, more particularly, to a
tool bar implement
that converts from a wide, transversely extending working configuration to a
narrow,
longitudinally extending transport configuration.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Modem farmers strive to improve the management of increasing amounts of farm
acres.
Improving management requires farmers to be able to quickly prepare the soil
for each
season's farming operations. This haste has driven the need for more efficient
and larger
farming equipment.
Implements such as harrows, packers, or combined harrow-packers were some of
the
earliest implements to be made with widths exceeding sixty feet in the field
operating
position. As tractor horsepower has increased over time, larger tillage
implements have been
made available. These larger implements require a mechanism for compactly
folding the
implement for practical and safe transport over the highway.
The conventional method of folding tillage implements is by folding wing
sections along
forward aligned axes such that the wings are folded to a generally upright
position. Double
folding wing sections may have outer sections that fold inwardly and
downwardly from the
ends of inner wing sections in five section winged implements. In the case of
these
conventional wing implements, the minimum implement width that can be achieved
by such
folding is limited by the width of the center section. As a result, road
transport may still be
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somewhat restricted as these implements often exceed twenty feet or more in
transport
width.
Road transport standards in North America are beginning to follow the
standards set in
Europe in which maximum road transport widths and heights for agricultural
implements
are being defined. Large implements that have conventional folding wing
sections are not
able to be folded such that they fall within width and height limits that may
be generally 3
meters wide and 4 meters high. Some U.S. states have adopted transport width
limits of
13.5 ft.
Forward or rear folding implements provide some relief with respect to such
transport
limits. However, implements must also be made to function with the accurate
seeding
ability that conventionally folded implements have become capable of. Although
some rear
or forward folding multibar tillage implements have been developed, they do
not
demonstrate the accurate depth control required for farming operations.
It is therefor desirable to provide a folding tool bar implement that is
operable to convert
between transport and field operating configurations.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an important object of the present invention is to provide a
folding tool bar
implement that converts between transverse field operating configuration and a
longitudinal
transport configuration.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a folding tool bar
implement having a
rotatable rockshaft supported on one or more caster wheels.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a caster wheel with
a first caster axis
and a second caster axis such that the caster wheel caster wheel pivots in all
directions on a
first caster axis when the implement is in a field operating configuration and
may be
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steerably controlled on a second caster axis by an actuator.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a caster lock
that engages and
disengages by gravity.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide tool frames that
pivot on the
rockshaft to follow uneven ground and maintain depth of ground working tools.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a folding tool bar
implement in which the
tool frames are attached to the rockshaft via slotted members such that both
pivotal motion
and motion along the slot is allowed.
It is an advantage of the present invention that the tool frames are raised in
sequence so that
all the tool frames of all wing sections are not raised at once, thereby
minimizing the stress
of the rockshaft.
It is a further advantage of the present invention that the tool frames in one
wing section are
all raised at once to minimize the length of hose attachments for hydraulics
or air-seed
delivery.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a limiting linkage
that pivots to an
over-center position to lock the tool frames when they are fully raised to a
transport
position.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide springs on the
tool frames which
abut members on the rockshaft when the tool frames are in the working
configuration and
which may be used to transfer weight from the rockshaft to the tool frames to
bias the tool
frames toward the ground.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a transport lock
that locks the wing
sections adjacent the main section when they are rotated rearwardly for
transport.
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It is another object of the present invention to provide actuators for raising
or lowering the
wing sections in a range of working positions.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a link on the
rockshaft that
operates a hydraulic valve to allow operation of the caster wheels in
transport configuration
but not in the field operating position.
These and other objects, features, and advantages are accomplished according
to the present
invention by providing a folding tool bar implement that converts from a
transversely
extending operating configuration to a longitudinally extending transport
configuration. The
implement includes a rotating rockshaft having a pair of wing sections
pivotally connected
to the opposing lateral ends of a center section. A plurality of individual
tool frames are
pivotally connected to the rockshaft sections and extend rearwardly thereof.
Each tool frame
is also supported by a rearwardly positioned support wheel connected to the
rockshaft by a
connecting link. T'he conversion of the tool bar implement begins with the
rotation of the
rockshaft from a first position to a second position to re-orient the pivot
axis connecting the
wing sections to the center section into a vertical orientation. The tool
frames corresponding
to the wing sections are then raised into a vertical orientation so that the
wing sections can
be pivotally folded rearwardly with the vertical wing section tool frames
being positioned
over top of the center section tool frames.
The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention
will appear more
fully hereinafter from a consideration of the detailed description that
follows, in conjunction
with the accompa~lying sheets of drawings. It is to be expressly understood,
however, that
the drawings are for illustrative purposes and are not to be construed as
defining the limits
of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The advantages of this invention will be apparent upon consideration of the
following
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detailed disclosure of the invention, especially when taken in conjunction
with the
accompanying drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a folding tool bar implement
incorporating the
principles of the instant invention, the representative tool frames being
oriented in a lowered
working position with the rockshaft rotated into the first position;
FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the folding tool bar implement with
the rockshaft
rotated into an intermediate position to raise the tool frames into a raised
headlands
position;
FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of the folding tool bar implement with
the rockshaft
fully rotated into the second position and the tool frames being positioned in
the non-
working position, the tool frames corresponding to the center section of the
rockshaft being
oriented into a lowered non-working position for compact folding of the
implement;
FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the folding tool bar implement with
the
representative tool frames corresponding to the wing sections being raised
into a vertical
transport position;
FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of the tool bar frame depicting the
left wing section
being folded rearwardly into the longitudinal transport configuration such
that the tool
frames and the ground engaging tools mounted thereon are positioned at least
partially over
top of the tool frames of the center section;
FIG. 6 is a schematic side elevational view of a wing section tool frame and
the associated
wing section of the rockshaft rotated into the first position with the tool
frames being
oriented in the lowered working position, corresponding to the orientation
depicted in FIG.
1;
FIG. 7 is a schematic side elevational view of the wing section tool frame and
associated
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wing section of the rockshaft rotated into the intermediate position to place
the tool frame
into the headlands position, corresponding to the orientation depicted in FIG.
2;
FIG. 8 is a schematic side elevational view of the wing section tool frame and
associated
wing section of the rockshaft rotated into the second position to place the
tool frame into the
raised non-working position, corresponding to the orientation depicted in FIG.
3;
FIG. 9 is a schematic side elevational view of the center section tool frame
and associated
center section of the rockshaft rotated into the first position to place the
tool frame into the
lowered working position, corresponding to the orientation depicted in FIG. 1;
FIG. 10 is a schematic side elevational view of the center section tool frame
and associated
center section of the rockshaft rotated into the intermediate position to
place the tool frame
into the headlands position, corresponding to the orientation depicted in FIG.
2;
FIG. 11 is a schematic side elevational view of the center section tool frame
and associated
center section of the rockshaft rotated into the second position to place the
tool frame into
the raised non-working position, corresponding to the orientation depicted in
FIG. 3;
FIG. 12 is a schematic side elevational view of the folding tool bar implement
with the wing
section tool frames being raised into the vertical transport position,
corresponding to the
orientation depicted in FIG. 4;
FIG. 13 is a schematic top plan view of the folding tool bar implement in the
transverse
field operating configuration with the tool frames lowered into the working
position,
corresponding to the orientation depicted in FIG. 1;
FIG. 14 is a schematic top plan view of the folding tool bar implement in the
transverse
field operating configuration with the tool frames raised into the non-working
position,
corresponding to the orientation depicted in FIG. 3;
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FIG. 15 is an enlarged schematic view of the center section of the rockshaft
rotated into the
second position, the tool frames being removed for purposes of clarity;
FIG. 16 is a schematic left front perspective view of the folding tool bar
implement in the
transverse field operating configuration with the rockshaft in the first
position, the left wing
section caster wheel being turned as though the implement were making a left
turn;
FIG. 17 is a schematic left front perspective view of the folding tool bar
similar to that of
FIG. 16, but with the rockshaft being rotated into the intermediate position
to position the
tool frames in the headlands position, the left wing section caster wheel
being turned as
though the implement were making a left turn;
FIG. 18 is an enlarged perspective detail view of the wing section caster
wheel in a turned
orientation as depicted in FIGS. 16 and 17; and
FIG. 19 is an enlarged perspective detail view of the wing section caster
wheel with the
rockshaft rotated into the second position with the caster lockout mechanism
engaged to
prevent the caster wheel from cantering.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to FIGS. 1-3, an agricultural tool bar implement incorporating the
principles of
the present invention can best be seen. Any left and right references are used
as a matter of
convenience and ~~re determined by standing at the rear of the implement and
facing
forwardly toward the hitch member connecting the implement to a prime mover
and,
therefore, into the direction of travel.
The draft frame 21 is supported for movement in the normal direction of travel
indicated by
arrow 22 by a conventional hitch mechanism 23 connectable to a prime mover
(not shown),
such as an agricultural tractor. At the rearward end of the implement frame
23, a rockshaft
20 is pivotally cormected to the draft frame 23 by pivots 24a, 24b to define a
transverse
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pivot axis 24 about which the rockshaft 20 is pivotable. Conventional
hydraulic cylinders
(not shown) interconnect the draft frame 23 and the rockshaft 20 to control
the pivotal
movement of the rockshaft 20 about the axis 24.
FIG. 1 shows the ftrst rotated position of the rockshaft 20, which corresponds
to the lowered
working position of the implement with the implement in a transversely
extending field
operating configuration. In the configuration depicted in FIGS. 1 and 13, the
castering first
axis 7 of each walking beam assembly 1, which is described in greater detail
below, is
generally vertical, thus permitting the walking beam assemblies 1 to freely
caster. The
rockshaft 20 is formed as having a center section 20c supported on a pair of
centrally
located walking beam assemblies la and 1b, as well as being pivotally
supported on the
implement frame 23, and at least one wing section 20a, 20b positioned
laterally of the center
section 20c on each opposing side thereof. The wing sections 20a, 20b are also
supported by
walking beam assemblies 1.
The rockshaft 20 is rotatable about the axis 24 to a partially rotated
intermediate position
depicted in FIG. 2 to raise the tool frames 27, 28 into a raised headlands
position in which
the ground engaging tools (not shown) carried by the tool frames 27, 28 are
raised just
slightly out of the ground to permit a turning of the implement, such as is
needed at the
headlands of a field. In this intermediate position of the rockshaft 20, the
castering axis 7 of
the walking beams 1 is substantially tilted forwardly in the direction of
travel 22. When the
rockshaft 20 has been fully rotated into the second position, as depicted in
FIGS. 3 and 14,
the castering first axis 7 of each walking beam assemblies 1 is turned to a
horizontal
orientation, whereupon the axis 7 is locked, as will be described in greater
detail below, to
prevent a castering of the walking beam assemblies 1.
The rockshaft 20 may be configured into a three section member or a five
section member,
as shown in FIGS. 1-3. For the five section rockshaft 20, the outermost wing
sections 20a,
20e are pivotally connected by the pivot 25 to the corresponding innermost
wing sections
20b, 20d, which is generally horizontal and extending in a longitudinal
direction when the
implement is in the lowered working position. The innermost wing sections 20b,
20d are
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pivotally connected to the opposing ends of the center section 20c by a pivot
26 in the same
manner in which the outermost wing sections 20a, 20e are connected to the
innermost wing
sections 20b, 20d. As best seen in FIGS. 13 and 14, the wing sections 20a,
20b, 20d, 20e are
retained in the transversely extending field operating position by supports 46
interconnecting the wing sections to the respective sides of the draft frame
21.
The center section 20c is provided with a central tool frame 27 pivotally
connected thereto
and extending rearwardly thereof for pivotal motion about a transverse axis
34. The central
tool frame 27 is also pivotally supported upon a rearward wheel assembly 31
which is
pivotable relative to the tool frame 27 about a transversely extending axis
33. Each wing
section 20a, 20b, 20d, 20e may carry one or more tool frames 28
(representatively shown by
the tool frames 28a and 28b in FIGS. 1-3 for each of the left side wing
sections shown in
these Figures). Each wing section tool frame 28 is pivotally connected to the
corresponding
wing section 20a, 20b, 20d, 20e of the rockshaft 20 for relative motion about
the
transversely extending axis 30 (representatively shown by the pivots 30a, 30b
in FIGS. 1-3).
Each wing section tool frame 28 is also supported by a rear mounted wheel
assembly 29
(representatively shown by wheel assemblies 29a, 29b in FIGS. 1-3) for
relative pivotal
motion about a transversely extending axis 32 (representatively shown in FIGS.
1-3 as axes
32a, 32b).
Each wheel assembly 29 is connected at a connection point 40 to a link 35
extending
forwardly thereof for pivotal connection to the rockshaft 20 at the connection
point 39. The
link 35 serves as a four bar linkage to maintain the tool frame 28 generally
horizontally and
parallel to the ground throughout all working and non-working positions of the
tool frame as
depicted in FIGS. 1-3. The rotation of the rockshaft 20 from the first
position toward the
second position, as is shown in FIGS. 1-3 and 6-8, raises the forward end of
the tool frames
28 and pulls the tool frames 28 forwardly. The links 35 cause rotation of the
wheel
assemblies 29 about the axis 32 to raise the rearward end of the tool frames
28
correspondingly, thereby maintaining the tool frame 28 parallel to the ground.
Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, the wing section tool frames 28 may be further
rotated
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about the axes 30 relative to the rockshaft 20 to orient the tool frames 28
into a vertical
transport position. whereupon the support wheels 29 are lifted clear of the
ground and will
pivot about the axis 32 to lie adjacent to the tool frame 28. The tool frames
27
corresponding to the center section 20c of the rockshaft 20 are not rotated
vertically to
convert the implement into a transport configuration. Instead, the tool frames
27 remain
generally horizontally disposed in a lowered non-working position, as will be
described in
greater detail below.
Once the wing section tool frames 28 have been raised into the vertical
transport position,
the rockshaft 20 having been rotated into the second position to re-orient the
axis 26 into a
vertical orientation, the wing sections 20a, 24b, 20d, 20e, can be folded
rearwardly about the
pivot axis 26 to orient the wing sections in a longitudinal direction so that
the transport
width of the implement is primarily determined by the transverse length of the
center
section 20c of the rockshaft 20. Preferably, the support wheel assemblies 29
and wing
section tool frames 28 are raised sufficiently in the transport position to
clear over top of the
central section tool frames 27.
Referring now to FIGS. 6-8, the wing section tool frames 28 and the associated
wing section
20c of the rockshaft 20 can best be seen. In FIG. 6, the lowered working
position of the tool
frame 28 is depicted. The rockshaft 20 is rotated to the first position. A
hydraulic cylinder
36 interconnects the rockshaft 20 at connection point 37 and the tool frame 28
at the
connection point 38. As can be seen in FIGS. 7 and 8, the hydraulic cylinder
36 extends as
the rockshaft 20 is rotated from the first position toward the second
position, thus keeping
the tool frame 28 in a generally horizontal orientation. The link 35
interconnecting the
rockshaft 20 and the wheel assembly 29 also maintains the tool frame 28 in the
generally
horizontal orientation. Once the rockshaft 20 has pivoted into the second
position, as
depicted in FIG. 8, the hydraulic cylinder 36 has fully extended with the tool
frame 28 in the
raised non-working position. The movement of the tool frames 28 into the
vertical transport
position as shown in FIG. 12 is accomplished by a contraction of the hydraulic
cylinder 36
after the rockshafl: 20 has been rotated into the second position.
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Referring now to FIG. 9, the center section tool frame 27 also moves between a
lowered
working position when the rockshaft 20 is rotated into the first position; a
headlands
position (shown in FIG. 10) when the rockshaft 20 is rotated into an
intermediate position;
and a raised non-working position when the rockshaft 20 is rotated into the
second position.
The center section tool frame 27, however, is connected at a pivot point 41
carried by the
center section of the rockshaft 20 within a slot 42. A link 44 interconnects
the pivot 41 to
the draft frame 21 to control the position of the pivot 41, and thus the tool
frame 27, within
the slot 42. Accordingly, the rotation of the rockshaft 20 into the second
position moves the
center section tool frame 27 into a raised, non-working position that is
oriented lower than
the corresponding non-working positions of the wing section tool frames 28.
The link 35 is
also mounted on the rockshaft 20 for movement corresponding to the movement of
the pivot
41 within the slot 42 so as to effect pivotal movement of the support wheel
assembly 31 to
maintain the tool frame 27 parallel to the ground.
Thus, when the wing sections 20a, 20b, 20d, 20e, are folded rearwardly with
the wing
section tool frames 28 raised into the vertical transport position, the center
section tool
frame 27 is lowered to permit the wing section tool frames 28 to locate over
top of the
center section tool. frame 27. However, as best seen in FIG. 10, the rotation
of the rockshaft
20 into the intermediate position to move the tool frames 27, 28 into the
headlands position
does not move the pivot point 41 sufficiently in the slot 42 to cause a
substantial difference
in height for the center section tool frame 27 as compared to the counterpart
wing section
tool frames 28. As depicted in FIG. 12, the wing section tool frames 28 are
raised into the
vertical transport position while the center section tool frame 27 is
maintained at the
lowered non-working position.
The details of the rockshaft 20 can best be seen in FIG. 15 wherein the center
tool frame
section 20c is shown in its fully rotated second position. In this position
the center section
tool frame 27 would be supported in the lower extremity of slot 42.
Preferably, the rockshaft
20 may be locked into this second position by the interaction of a locking arm
48 with an
abutment 47 carried by the draft frame 21. The position of the locking arm 48
is controlled
by the arm 49 of an L-shaped rotatable member 50 connected to a manually
operated control
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lever 52 by a linkage 51.
The details of the walking beam assembly 1 are best seen in FIGS. 16-19. The
walking
beam assembly 1 includes a pair of wheels 2, 3 supported in walking
arrangement on a
common axis of rotation 4. Each of the wheel axles 2a, 3a are offset from the
axis of
rotation 4 by an equal amount. All axes of rotation 2a, 3a, 4 are coplanar.
The walking beam
assembly 1 is supported on a first member 5 for rotation about the axis 4. The
first member
is pivotally supported on a second member 6 for rotation about the castering
first axis 7. In
the various working positions, including the headlands position, of the tool
frames 27, 28,
the castering first axis of rotation 7 is maintained substantially vertical,
wherein the support
member 5 is permitted to freely caster about the castering axis 7 while
supporting the
second member 6 on the walking beam assembly 1.
Preferably, the second member 6 is L-shaped so as to provide adequate
clearance for the
wheels 2, 3 to flip over in the working position without interference from
either the first or
second members 5, 6. The second member 6 is further rotatably supported on the
rockshaft
20 for rotation about a second axis 10. In the working positions, shown in
FIGS. 16-18, the
second member 6 is hydraulically locked by the hydraulic actuator 11
interconnecting the
rockshaft 20 and the second member 6 through the flange 12 to prevent rotation
about the
second axis 10 which remains substantially horizontally oriented throughout
the working
positions of the tool frames 27, 28. Furthermore, throughout the working
positions of the
tool frames 27, 28, the castering action of the first member 5 about the
cantering axis 7 is
unimpeded.
Rotation of the rockshaft 20 into the second position, as depicted in FIG. 19,
brings the
castering axis 7 into a substantially horizontal position next to the ground
and moves the
second axis 10, corresponding to the leg of the second member 6, into a
generally vertical
orientation. A latch tongue 14 is rotated about its pivotal attachment 16 to
the first member
5 by gravity so as to engage the latch 15 to prevent rotation of the first and
second members
5, 6 about the castering axis 7. The second member 6 is capable of rotation
about the now
vertical axis 10 to steer the wheel assembly 1 as will be necessary for
reorientation of the
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walking beam assembly 1 when the wing sections are folded into a
longitudinally extending
transport configuration. The rotation of the rockshaft 20 back into the first
position reorients
the cantering axis 7 into a vertical orientation and the second axis 10 into a
horizontal
orientation and causes the latch tongue 14 to disengage the latch 15 by
gravity to permit
movement of the first and second member S, 6 about the cantering axis 7.
The invention of this application has been described above both generically
and with regard
to specific embodiments. Although the invention has been set forth in what is
believed to be
the preferred embodiments, a wide variety of alternatives known to those of
skill in the art
can be selected within the generic disclosure. The invention is not otherwise
limited, except
for the recitation of the claims set forth below.
