Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
ACTIVE DOWN-PRESSURE ARRANGEMENT FOR AN AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENT
BACKGROUND
Field of Invention
[0001] Embodiments of the present invention described herein generally relate
to an Active
Down-Pressure Arrangement for an Agricultural Implement. The Active Down-
Pressure
Arrangement for an Agricultural Implement is designed to convert an
agricultural implement
having wings from a dedicated vertically free-floating configuration with
respect to the wings,
to controlled down-pressure operation with respect to the wings.
Related Art
[0002] Towed agricultural implements are used for various agricultural
operations, including
plowing, cultivating, planting, and fertilizing. In order to maximize
efficiency and productivity,
towed agricultural implements are often very wide. In this way, the towed
agricultural
implement can perform operations over a large swath of ground in a single
pass. However, in
order to provide for transportation of the towed agricultural implement over
public roads
having width limits, and in order to compensate for unevenness in crop fields,
wide towed
agricultural implements are often configured with hinged or otherwise
articulating wings.
These wings may be raised to a vertical position in order to make the towed
agricultural
implement narrow enough to be transported over public roads. The wings may
then be
lowered to a horizontal position for use in the field.
[0003] In order to compensate for crop field unevenness when in the horizontal
position, wings
of towed agricultural implements may be vertically free-floating, or they may
be actively
controlled in their down-pressure. Alternately, it is known to provide wings
that are rigidly
connected to the center section when in the horizontal position, thereby
providing no
compensation for crop field unevenness. If the wings are configured for active
down-pressure
control, then they are generally provided with hydraulic cylinders that are
pivotally connected
to the center section of the towed agricultural implement, and that are also
pivotally connected
to the wings. Pressure in the hydraulic cylinders is controlled as the wings
articulate over
uneven ground, resulting in constant down-pressure on the wings. If the wings
are configured
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as vertically free-floating, then they may be provided with a slotted
arrangement that engages
one end of the hydraulic cylinders used to raise the wings into a vertical
position. In this way,
when the wings are in the horizontal position, they can articulate up and down
to compensate
for ground contours, while the connection at the end of the hydraulic cylinder
floats within the
slotted arrangement. The presence of this slotted arrangement means that a
towed
agricultural implement manufactured with vertically free-floating wings cannot
readily be
reconfigured into one with actively controlled down-pressure.
[0004] It is further known to provide arrangements for converting wings of
towed agricultural
implements from vertically free-floating to rigidly connected to the center
section. European
Patent No. EP24994861B1 (Bergere) and U.S. Patent No. 8,960,321 (Tamm) provide
such an
arrangement. It is also known to provide both vertically free-floating
functionality and actively
controlled down-pressure to wings of towed agricultural implements, but only
at the
considerable expense and complexity of providing an additional hydraulic
cylinder and
associated hydraulic circuitry and complicated and expensive valving. U.S.
Patent No.
6,378,619 (Mayerle, et al.) provides such an arrangement.
[0005] While it is known to convert wings of towed agricultural implements
from vertically
free-floating to rigidly connected, and while it is known to actively control
down-pressure in
wings of towed agricultural implements using hydraulic cylinders, no method
exists for simply
and effectively converting an agricultural implement having vertically free-
floating wings to one
having wings with actively controlled down-pressure. Accordingly, there is an
unmet need for a
solution that simply and effectively converts an agricultural implement having
vertically free-
floating wings and to one with wings that have actively controlled down-
pressure.
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SUMMARY
[0006] Embodiments described herein relate to an Active Down-Pressure
Arrangement for an
Agricultural Implement that is designed to simply and effectively convert the
hinged or
otherwise articulating wings of an agricultural implement from vertically free-
floating to
actively controlled down-pressure when in the horizontal position. The Active
Down-Pressure
Arrangement for an Agricultural Implement includes converting the hydraulic
circuit connected
to the wing extension and retraction cylinders to a pressure controlled
hydraulic circuit using a
hydraulic pressure control valve that is controlled according to the desired
amount of down-
pressure. The wing extension and retraction cylinders as originally
constructed engage a pin
that free-floats in a slot, so that when extended, the hinged wings free-float
vertically by way of
the unrestricted motion of the pin in the slot.
[0007] The method and apparatus of the Active Down-Pressure Arrangement for an
Agricultural Implement includes a tie-plate and second pin. The tie-plate of
the method and
apparatus engages the previously unrestricted pin within the clevis of the
cylinder (which clevis
may be original, or part of the conversion kit), and extends to the far end of
the slot. The
second pin is added to the slot at the far end, thereby converting the
unrestricted motion of the
pin in the slot to a fixed pivoting location in the slot. In this way, the
unrestricted motion of the
pin in the slot is eliminated, and the hinged wings are no longer vertically
free-floating. Instead,
the wing extension and retraction cylinders are able to exert controlled
pressure against the tie
plate and second pin, and thereby to the wings to provide actively controlled
down-pressure,
while the hydraulic pressure control valve regulates the hydraulic pressure
provided by the
tractor hydraulic supply to the wing extension and retraction cylinders.
[0008] It is contemplated that embodiments of the method and apparatus of the
Active Down-
Pressure Arrangement for an Agricultural Implement may further include
providing a both a
hydraulic pressure control valve and/or a non-pressure control valve, or a
valve that acts in
both capacities, so that the agricultural implement may be readily switched
back and forth
between vertically free-floating wings and wings having actively controlled
down-pressure by
simply adding or removing the tie plate and second pin. It is further
contemplated that the
principles of the Active Down-Pressure Arrangement for an Agricultural
Implement may be
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applied to any style of articulating wings of an agricultural implement that
utilizes wing
extension and retraction cylinders that engage a pin that floats in a slot,
whether or not such
style of articulating wings are hingedly connected to the center section of
the agricultural
implement.
[0009] By providing a method and apparatus for simply and effectively
converting the hinged or
otherwise articulating wings of an agricultural implement from vertically free-
floating to
actively controlled down-pressure when in the horizontal position, the Active
Down-Pressure
Arrangement for an Agricultural Implement allows the operator of an existing
agricultural
implement to better distribute the weight of the center section across the
entire agricultural
implement. This allows constant down-pressure to be applied and eliminates the
need to add
weights to the wings, and makes the machine float across wet and/or uneven
ground better.
[0010] According to one embodiment of the Active Down-Pressure Arrangement for
an
Agricultural Implement, an agricultural implement is converted to provide
active-down
pressure upon one or more wings thereof. The agricultural implement has a
center section and
the one or more wings. The agricultural implement has been manufactured with
hydraulic
cylinders operable to raise the one or more wings to a vertical position and
to lower the one or
more wings to a horizontal position. The hydraulic cylinders are connected at
one end to the
center section, and are connected at the other end to the one or more wings by
way of first
pins and slots. The hydraulic cylinders, the first pins, and the slots are
further configured so
that when the one or more wings are in the horizontal position, the one or
more wings of the
agricultural implement as manufactured free-float vertically by way of
unrestricted motion of
the first pins in the slots. Tie-plates and second pins are configured to
engage the first pins and
the slots, and to restrict the motion of the first pins in the slots. A
pressure controlled hydraulic
circuit is connected to the hydraulic cylinders and is operable to control an
amount of down-
pressure applied by the hydraulic cylinders.
[0011] According to another embodiment of the Active Down-Pressure Arrangement
for an
Agricultural Implement, a conversion kit is provided for converting one or
more wings of an
agricultural implement to active down-pressure. The agricultural implement has
a center
section and the one or more wings. The agricultural implement has been
manufactured with
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hydraulic cylinders operable to raise the one or more wings to a vertical
position and to lower
the one or more wings to a horizontal position. The hydraulic cylinders are
connected at one
end to the center section, and are connected at the other end to the one or
more wings by way
of first pins and slots. The hydraulic cylinders, the first pins, and the
slots are further configured
so that when the one or more wings are in the horizontal position, the one or
more wings of
the agricultural implement as manufactured free-float vertically by way of
unrestricted motion
of the first pins in the slots. The conversion kit includes tie-plates and
second pins configured
to engage the first pins and the slots, and to restrict the motion of the
first pins in the slots. A
pressure controlled hydraulic circuit is connected to the hydraulic cylinders
and is operable to
control an amount of down-pressure applied by the hydraulic cylinders.
[0012] According to yet another embodiment of the Active Down-Pressure
Arrangement for an
Agricultural Implement, a method of converting one or more wings of an
agricultural
implement to active down-pressure includes several steps. The first step is
providing the
agricultural implement having a center section and the one or more wings. The
agricultural
implement has been manufactured with hydraulic cylinders operable to raise the
one or more
wings to a vertical position and to lower the one or more wings to a
horizontal position. The
hydraulic cylinders are connected at one end to the center section, and are
connected at the
other end to the one or more wings by way of first pins and slots. The
hydraulic cylinders, the
first pins, and the slots are further configured so that when the one or more
wings are in the
horizontal position, the one or more wings of the agricultural implement as
manufactured free-
float vertically by way of unrestricted motion of the first pins in the slots.
The second step is
engaging tie-plates and second pins with the first pins and the slots, and
restricting by way of
the tie-plates and the second pins the motion of the first pins in the slots.
The third step is
connecting a pressure controlled hydraulic circuit to the hydraulic cylinders
and operating the
pressure controlled hydraulic circuit to control an amount of down-pressure
applied by the
hydraulic cylinders.
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DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] The above-mentioned and other features of embodiments of the Active
Down-Pressure
Arrangement for an Agricultural Implement, and the manner of their working,
will become
more apparent and will be better understood by reference to the following
description of
embodiments of the Active Down-Pressure Arrangement for an Agricultural
Implement taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
[0014] Figs. land 2 are front right perspective views of part of the center
section and part of
the right wing of a towed agricultural implement having an embodiment of the
Active Down-
Pressure Arrangement for an Agricultural Implement of the present invention,
as described
herein;
[0015] Figs. 3 and 4 are front right perspective views of part of the right
wing and part of the
left wing, respectively, of a towed agricultural implement having an
embodiment of the Active
Down-Pressure Arrangement for an Agricultural Implement of the present
invention, as
described herein;
[0016] Fig. 5 is a front top perspective view of ground openers and their
cylinders of a towed
agricultural implement having an embodiment of the Active Down-Pressure
Arrangement for an
Agricultural Implement of the present invention, as described herein;
[0017] Fig. 6 is a front right perspective view of a constant down-pressure
control valve for
ground opener cylinders of a towed agricultural implement having an embodiment
of the
Active Down-Pressure Arrangement for an Agricultural Implement of the present
invention, as
described herein;
[0018] Fig. 7 is a top front perspective view of a hydraulic constant down-
pressure control valve
used to control down-pressure of the wings of a towed agricultural implement
having an
embodiment of the Active Down-Pressure Arrangement for an Agricultural
Implement of the
present invention, as described herein;
[0019] Figs. 8 and 9 are front views of an embodiment of the Active Down-
Pressure
Arrangement for an Agricultural Implement of the present invention, as
described herein;
[0020] Fig. 10 is a top view of an embodiment of the Active Down-Pressure
Arrangement for an
Agricultural Implement of the present invention, as described herein;
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[0021] Fig. 11 is a front right perspective view of a constant down-pressure
control valve for
ground opener cylinders and a hydraulic constant down-pressure control valve
used to control
down-pressure of the wings of a towed agricultural implement having an
embodiment of the
Active Down-Pressure Arrangement for an Agricultural Implement of the present
invention, as
described herein;
[0022] Fig. 12 is a diagram of a hydraulic circuit of an embodiment of the
Active Down-Pressure
Arrangement for an Agricultural Implement of the present invention, as
described herein; and
[0023] Fig. 13 is a partial embodiment of the Active Down-Pressure Arrangement
for an
Agricultural Implement of the present invention in kit form, as described
herein.
[0024] Corresponding reference numbers indicate corresponding parts throughout
the several
views. The exemplifications set out herein illustrate embodiments of the
Active Down-Pressure
Arrangement for an Agricultural Implement, and such exemplifications are not
to be construed
as limiting the scope of the claims in any manner.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0025] The following detailed description and appended drawing describe and
illustrate various
exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description and drawings serve to
enable one
skilled in the art to make and use the invention, and are not intended to
limit the scope of the
invention in any manner. In respect of any methods disclosed and illustrated,
the steps
presented are exemplary in nature, and thus, the order of the steps is not
necessary or critical.
[0026] Turning now to Figs. 1 through 4, an agricultural implement 10 having a
non-limiting
exemplary embodiment of the Active Down-Pressure Arrangement for an
Agricultural
Implement is shown. The agricultural implement 10 has a center section 12 and
two wings 22.
The center section 12 is supported by center section bogies 14, and the wings
22 are supported
by wing bogies 24 when in the horizontal position. The center section 12 and
the wings 22 are
provided with a number of ground openers 16 or other agricultural tools. The
wings 22 are
connected to the center section 12 by way of wing hinges 26, so that the wings
22 may pivot
about a longitudinal hinge axis to a vertical position or to a horizontal
position. In order to raise
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and lower the wings 22, wing extension and retraction cylinders 28 are
connected to the center
section 12 and to the wings 22.
[0027] As originally manufactured, the wing extension and retraction cylinders
28 of the
agricultural implement 10 engage the wings 22 by way of pins 32 that travel in
slots 38. When
the wing extension and retraction cylinders 28 are used to raise the wings 22,
the pins 32 first
travel to the end of the slots 38 closest to the wing hinges 26 and to the
center section 12.
When the pins 32 reach the end of their travel in the slots 38, the wing
extension and retraction
cylinders 28 are able to pull the wings 22 to their vertical positions as
shown. When the wing
extension and retraction cylinders 28 are used to lower the wings 22 to their
horizontal
positions, the geometry of the connections between the wing extension and
retraction
cylinders 28 and the center section 12, the connections between the wing
extension and
retraction cylinders 28 and the slots 38, and the locations of the wing hinges
26 dictates that
the pins 32 remain in the lower end of the slots 38 until the wing has
travelled past vertical and
gravity begins to pull the wings 22 downward. Thus, the pins 32 remain in the
lower or inward
end of the slots 38 through the downward travel of the wings 22.
[0028] As originally manufactured, once the wing extension and retraction
cylinders 28 of the
agricultural implement 10 are fully extended, the wings 22 are level with the
center section 12
and supported by the wing bogies 24, then the pins 32 are approximately
centered between
the ends of the slots 38. The wings 22 are then able to free-float vertically
as the agricultural
implement 10 pass over uneven ground, while the pins 32 float within the
length of the slots
38. As originally manufactured, no provision is made within the agricultural
implement 10 for
controlling down-pressure of the wings 22. With regards to the present Active
Down-Pressure
Arrangement for an Agricultural Implement, then, second pins 54 are shown
located at the
outward end of the slots 38, the function of which will become apparent with
reference to later
figures.
[0029] Turning now to Figs. 5 and 6, the center section 12 of an agricultural
implement 10 is
shown. The center section 12 is provided with ground openers 16, which are
controlled in their
down-pressure by way of ground opener hydraulic cylinders 18. Controlled down-
pressure of
the ground openers 16 is achieved by way of a constant down-pressure control
valve for ground
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openers 20 that provides constant hydraulic pressure to the ground opener
hydraulic cylinders
18.
[0030] Turning now to Figs. 7 through 12, an agricultural implement 10 again
having a non-
limiting exemplary embodiment of the Active Down-Pressure Arrangement for an
Agricultural
Implement is shown. The agricultural implement 10 again has a center section
12 and two
wings 22. The center section 12 is again supported by center section bogies
14, and the wings
22 are again supported by wing bogies 24 (not shown) when in the horizontal
position. The
center section 12 and the wings 22 are again provided with a number of ground
openers 16 or
other agricultural tools (not shown) that are controlled in their down-
pressure by way of a
constant down-pressure control valve for ground openers 20 and ground opener
hydraulic
cylinders 18. The wings 22 are again connected to the center section 12 by way
of wing hinges
26, so that the wings 22 may pivot about a longitudinal hinge axis to a
vertical position or to a
horizontal position. In order to raise and lower the wings 22, wing extension
and retraction
cylinders 28 are again connected to the center section 12 and to the wings 22.
[0031] According to the Active Down-Pressure Arrangement for an Agricultural
Implement of
the present disclosure, the wings 22 of the agricultural implement 10 have
been converted
from vertically free-floating to actively controlled down-pressure. As
manufactured, the wing
extension and retraction cylinders 28 are connected at one end to the center
section 12, and at
the other end to clevises 30. Pins 32 pass through the clevises 30 and through
slots 38. Cotter
pins 34 and washers 36 are used to retain the pins 32 within the clevises 30
and slots 38.
According to the Active Down-Pressure Arrangement for an Agricultural
Implement of the
present disclosure, then, tie plates 52 are inserted within the clevises 30
and engage the pins
32. Second pins 54 extend through the opposite ends of the slots 38 and
through the tie plates
52, thereby locking the clevises 30 and pins 32 at the ends of the slots 38
closest to the wing
hinges 26 and to the center section 12. Cotter pins 56 and washers 58 are used
to retain the
second pins 54 within the tie plates 52 and slots 38.
[0032] A second hydraulic constant downpressure control valve 60 is then
connected to the
wing extension and retraction cylinders 28 by way of a hydraulic circuit 62,
and is mounted to
the center section 12 by way of a valve mounting bracket 68. A hydraulic
supply hose 64 and
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hydraulic return hose 66 then connects the second hydraulic constant
downpressure control
valve 60 to the towing vehicle, which provides the necessary hydraulic flow
and pressure. By
way of the second hydraulic constant downpressure control valve 60, the wing
extension and
retraction cylinders 28 exert constant pressure against the wings 22, so that
the previously
vertically free-floating wings 22 are now actively controlled in down-
pressure.
[0033] Turning now to Fig. 13, parts of a conversion kit 50 according to an
embodiment of the
Active Down-Pressure Arrangement for an Agricultural Implement are shown,
including tie
plates 52, the hydraulic constant down-pressure control valve 60, which may or
may not be the
same as or similar to the constant down-pressure control valve 20 for the
ground openers 16,
and the valve mounting bracket 68.
[0034] While the Active Down-Pressure Arrangement for an Agricultural
Implement has been
described with respect to at least one embodiment, the Active Down-Pressure
Arrangement for
an Agricultural Implement can be further modified within the spirit and scope
of this disclosure,
as demonstrated previously. This application is therefore intended to cover
any variations,
uses, or adaptations of the Active Down-Pressure Arrangement for an
Agricultural Implement
using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover
such departures from
the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art
to which the
disclosure pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.
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REFERENCE NUMBER LISTING
agricultural implement
12 center section
14 center section bogie
16 ground openers
18 ground opener hydraulic cylinders
constant down-pressure control valve for openers
22 wing
24 wing bogie
26 wing hinge
28 wing extension and retraction cylinder
clevis
32 pin
34 cotter
36 washer
38 slot
50 conversion kit
52 tie plate
54 second pin
56 cotter
58 washer
60 hydraulic constant down-pressure control valve
62 hydraulic circuit
64 hydraulic supply
66 hydraulic return
68 valve mounting bracket
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