The present invention relates to a lockable joint for use with an agricultural implement.
Joints connect working unit bars to a toolbar or agricultural implement and are used to permit the working unit bars, and the connected working units, to move when the agricultural implement is in an operational mode. Known joints lack the ability to place the working unit bar into a storage mode. In particular, for toolbars that include wings that are folded during travel and/or storage, the joint and the working units on the wings may move, causing the working units to contact each other or the ground. This is a safety concern as well as causing damage to the working units.
The present invention includes one or more alignment devices connected to an agricultural implement. The alignment devices are preferably attached, or part of a toolbar, which in turn is connected to, or a part of, the implement. A working unit bar includes one or more working units, such as manure injectors, discs, rakes, or the like. The working unit bar is connected to the toolbar or implement at a joint, where the joint is freely moving at times and held in place at other times. The one or more alignment devices have two modes, storage and operational. In the storage mode, the alignment device decreases, or eliminates, the space between the toolbar and the working unit bar, called the extended position. In the extended position, the alignment device contacts the working unit bar to hold the working unit bar in place, and prevents the joint from moving. This locks the joint in place and puts the working unit bar in a storage mode. In the operational mode, the alignment device is in its initial state, such that there is space between the toolbar and the working unit bar. This is called the retracted position. In the retracted position, the alignment device does not contact the working unit bar, and permits the joint to move. This puts the working unit bar in an operational mode.
The invention includes one or more alignment devices and one or more joints connecting working unit bars to an agricultural implement.
The one or more alignment devices are preferably part of, or connected to, a toolbar or the implement. For simplicity, toolbar is used to refer to the preferred location of the alignment devices, regardless if the toolbar is separate or integral to the agricultural implement. The alignment devices may be oriented generally parallel to the plane of the ground and generally parallel with the transmission of the implement or the forward direction of travel of the implement. The alignment devices each include a push pad that will impinge upon one or more working unit bars or a portion of the working unit bars, such as a mounting plate.
The one or more joints connect the toolbar to the working unit bar(s). The joints preferably allow rotation about at least one axis that is generally perpendicular to the plane of the ground. That is, the joints allow the working unit bar and the attached working units to move in a plane that is generally parallel to the plane of the ground when the toolbar and/or working unit bar are in the operational mode. Furthermore, the joints are not required to permit movement through a full circle in the plane; rather only a restricted amount of movement of the working unit bars is needed. This restricted movement may be provided by the joint per se, by stops on the working unit bars and/or the toolbar, and, of course, by the alignment devices. Such restricted movement about the joints prevents working units from colliding with adjacent working units, the working unit bars, and/or the toolbars.
Preferred joints include single axis pivots, multi-axis pivots, slide joints, with single axis pivots being more preferred. Single axis pivots generally only allow movement in the form of rotation about a single axis. When utilized, single axis pivots allow the working unit bar and the attached working units to sweep through a plane that is generally parallel to the plane of the ground when the toolbar and/or working unit bar are in the operational mode. As discussed above, movement may be restricted to accomplish the goal of preventing damage to the working units, etc. Multi-axis pivots allow a greater number of degrees of freedom of movement, but otherwise at least allow the same type of movement of the working unit bar as the single axis pivot. Slide joints may also be used to connect the working unit bar to the toolbar. A slide joint includes a pin that is held within a slot, preferably an arcuate slot, such that the pin is movable within the slot, typically providing side-to-side movement, and some amount of rotation if the slot is arcuate. Here, the pin is part of the working unit bar and the slot is part of the toolbar or vice versa.
In the preferred embodiment seen in the Figures, a toolbar 10 is preferably used to connect one or more working units 12 to the implement (not shown). The one or more working units 12 are part of, or mounted to, a working unit bar 14 with a plurality of working unit bars being preferably attached to the toolbar at a joint. For each working unit bar 14, one, two, or more alignment devices 16 are located on the toolbar 10 and associated with a particular working unit bar. For working unit bars 18, 20 located at either end of the toolbar, or either end of a section of a toolbar, only a single alignment device may be needed. Working unit bars 18, 20 are termed exterior working unit bars, while working unit bar(s) 14 are termed interior working unit bars. Each working unit bar is connected to the toolbar at a joint 22 that permits the working unit bar to rotate about an axis 24. Each alignment device includes a push pad 26 to impinge on the working unit bar or a portion thereof.
As seen in
Each working unit bar may also include one or more stops 30, 32 located at the ends of the working unit bar, as seen in
Any alignment device that accomplishes the functionality of locking the joint in place is contemplated; that is, any device then can increase or decrease the space between the toolbar and the working unit bar and hold that position without otherwise biasing the working unit bar. That is, alignment devices are able to maintain both retracted and extended positions. Preferred alignment devices include ram style and lever style devices. Ram style alignment devices are those that increase and decrease their length. Lever style alignment devices are those that move a lever or arm from adjacent the toolbar (i.e. the retracted position) to contacting the working unit bar (i.e. the extended position). For example, an arm attached to the toolbar at a pivot could be rotated about an axis to contact the mounting plate. Such rotation preferably about a single axis, but is otherwise unconstrained. In this manner, a push pad on the arm would contact the mounting plate in the storage mode to limit movement of the working unit bar. In another embodiment, the arm may include a pin that is held within a hole in the mounting plate in the extended position to additionally secure the alignment device to the mounting plate. Other types of connections between the push pad of the alignment device and the mounting plate are contemplated as well, regardless if a ram style or level style alignment device is utilized.
Actuation or driving of the alignment device could be accomplished with numerous different methods, such as using hydraulic or pneumatic pressure or electric motors to operate the alignment devices. More preferable alignment devices include cylinders such as hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders, with hydraulic cylinders being most preferred because hydraulic systems are commonly used on implements and toolbars to control and operate working units, toolbars, and segments. In one embodiment, in addition to slip cylinders, a rotational cylinder may be used such that the ram rotates about an axis parallel to the longest length of the alignment device as it is being extended or retracted
Each alignment device 16 has at least two positions, extended (
For working unit bars associated with one alignment device, the locking of the joint is achieved by the alignment device limiting the permitted amount that the joint, and the working unit bar, may rotate or swivel. That is, in one embodiment, the joint may only swivel through a portion of its arc of rotation. In another embodiment, a single alignment device, in the extended position, prevents any movement of the joint by connecting to the mounting plate or working unit bar and holding the joint in position. In these manners, the single alignment device prevents the working units on working unit bar from contacting the working units on the adjacent interior working unit bar. While a single alignment device is preferably used with exterior working unit bars, single alignment device may also be used with interior working unit bars.
In the retracted or initial position, the push pad of the alignment devices does not impinge or otherwise interfere with the working unit bar. This is referred to as the operational mode because the joint is permitted to rotate or swivel as the implement moves through the field. The alignment devices do not bias or apply pressure to the working unit bar in the operational mode; rather the working unit bars freely move side-to-side on the joint up to the point when it encounters one or more stops, such as when the stops 30, 32 on the working unit bar 14 contact the alignment device or toolbar. The push pads of the retracted alignment devices may also act as stops to limit the side-to-side movement of the working unit bars. This is seen in
While the alignment devices are preferably mounted on the toolbar or agricultural implement, the alignment devices may also be mounted on the working unit bar, such that the push pad impinges upon the toolbar/implement in the storage mode. In such embodiments, the stops would preferably be located on the toolbar.
In addition to the use of the alignment devices to place the working unit bars into storage mode, one or more locking devices may be used to further secure the toolbar, toolbar segment, working unit bars, and/or working units in order to prevent or limit damage during storage. For example, latches, hasps, cotter pins, tumbler locks, etc. may be used to provide redundant protection or otherwise prevent unauthorized use or removal of working units, working unit bars, and/or toolbars.
In one embodiment, shown in
The end segments, called wings, may be folded upward to lift the connected working unit bars and working units off the ground for storage. To prevent working unit damage, the alignment devices located on the wings are preferably placed in the storage mode prior to the folding up of the wings. Also, preferably, the alignment devices located on the wings are placed in the operational mode after the wings of the toolbar have been unfolded or lowered.
On each toolbar segment, there maybe exterior working unit bars and interior working unit bars. Exterior working unit bars are those located at either end of the segment. The interior working bars are those located on the toolbar segment between the exterior working unit bars.
Preferably, for exterior working unit bars, only a single alignment device is associated with each of these working unit bars, and the alignment device is located on the toolbar segment between the exterior working unit bar and the adjacent interior working unit bar. In this manner, the number of alignment devices can be minimized, while the damage to adjacent working units from uncontrolled movement of the working unit bars can be also minimized. Conversely, for interior working unit bars, two alignment devices are associated with each of the working unit bars, one on either side of the joint for that particular working unit bar. Here, use of two alignment devices further restricts the movement of the interior working unit bars and working units to minimize damage to working units by controlling the free movement of the working unit bars.
In one embodiment, the implement further comprises a mechanism for raising and lowering the toolbar (and any segments) as a whole relative to the ground so that the working units do not contact the ground, and thus placing the whole toolbar into storage mode. Preferably the alignment devices are extended prior to the raising of the toolbar, so that they are in storage mode prior to raising the toolbar.
In addition to the alignment devices, the invention may also include controls and systems for operation of the alignment devices, that permit control and operation of the alignment devices remotely, such as by the operator on the implement or an operator remote from the implement. Such controls may be wireline or wireless and use any appropriate communications protocol. Such systems include hydraulic systems that provide pressure through hydraulic fluids to the alignment devices and the like.
It will be further appreciated that functions or structures of a plurality of components or steps may be combined into a single component or step, or the functions or structures of one-step or component may be split among plural steps or components. The present invention contemplates all of these combinations. Unless stated otherwise, dimensions and geometries of the various structures depicted herein are not intended to be restrictive of the invention, and other dimensions or geometries are possible. Plural structural components or steps can be provided by a single integrated structure or step. Alternatively, a single integrated structure or step might be divided into separate plural components or steps. In addition, while a feature of the present invention may have been described in the context of only one of the illustrated embodiments, such feature may be combined with one or more other features of other embodiments, for any given application. It will also be appreciated from the above that the fabrication of the unique structures herein and the operation thereof also constitute methods in accordance with the present invention. The present invention also encompasses intermediate and end products resulting from the practice of the methods herein. The use of “comprising” or “including” also contemplates embodiments that “consist essentially of” or “consist of” the recited feature.
The explanations and illustrations presented herein are intended to acquaint others skilled in the art with the invention, its principles, and its practical application. Those skilled in the art may adapt and apply the invention in its numerous forms, as may be best suited to the requirements of a particular use. Accordingly, the specific embodiments of the present invention as set forth are not intended as being exhaustive or limiting of the invention. The scope of the invention should, therefore, be determined not with reference to the above description, but should instead be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. The disclosures of all articles and references, including patent applications and publications, are incorporated by reference for all purposes.
The present application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application 62/515,773, filed on Jun. 6, 2017, which is incorporated by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
62515773 | Jun 2017 | US |