Claims
- 1. A tow bar assembly for use in operatively connecting a plurality of agricultural implements having hitch tongues to the hitch of a tractor having a source of power supply, the tow bar assembly comprising,
- a primary support beam having opposite end portions and a central portion,
- means mounted to said primary support beam for mounting said primary support beam to the tractor hitch,
- a pair of outrigger beams,
- pivot means for pivotally mounting an inner end portion of each said outrigger beams to said opposite end portions of said primary support beam,
- means for pivoting each of said outrigger beams about said pivot means, each of said means for pivoting including a first end pivotally mounted to said primary support beam and a second end pivotally mounted to one of said outrigger beams,
- at least one dolly, and means for pivotally connecting said at least one dolly to one of said outrigger beams, said at least one dolly including a frame supported by at least one ground engageable wheel and a hitch member adapted for selectively pivotally connecting the hitch tongues of an agricultural implement thereto whereby an implement hitched to said at least one dolly is pivotally connected to the tow bar assembly so as to follow the contour of the ground over which the implement is pulled.
- 2. The tow bar assembly of claim 1 including a second dolly, means for pivotally connecting said second dolly to the other of said outrigger beams, said second dolly including a frame supported by at least one ground engageable wheel and a hitch member adapted for selectively pivotally connecting the hitch tongue of an agricultural implement thereto.
- 3. The tow bar assembly of claim 2 including a means mounted to said central portion of said primary support beam and extending therefrom adapted to be connected to the hitch tongue of an agricultural implement.
- 4. The tow bar assembly of claim 3 in which said means mounted to said central portion includes a third dolly, means for pivotally connecting said third dolly to said primary support beam, said third dolly including a frame supported by at least one ground engageable wheel and a hitch member adapted for selectively pivotally connecting the hitch tongue of an agricultural implement thereto.
- 5. The tow bar assembly of claim 3 including at least one support wheel mounted to said primary support beam.
- 6. The tow bar assembly of claim 3 wherein each of said at least one and second dollies each include a pair of ground engageable wheels.
- 7. The tow bar assembly of claim 6 wherein each of said means for pivoting each of said outrigger beams includes a hydraulic cylinder pivotally mounted to said primary support beam and having a piston rod extending outwardly and pivotally connected to one of said outrigger beams, and means for supplying hydraulic fluid to each of said hydraulic cylinders.
- 8. The tow bar assembly of claim 3 in which each of said means for pivotally connecting said at least one dolly and said second dolly include a pivot connection allowing pivot motion about both a horizontal and a vertical axis.
- 9. The tow bar assembly of claim 8 wherein each of said pivot connections includes a swivel assembly for allowing said at least one dolly and said second dolly to pivot about a horizontal axis relative to said outrigger beams, each of said swivel assemblies being connected to vertical pivot pin members for allowing said swivel assemblies to be moveable about a vertical axis relative to said outrigger beams.
- 10. The tow bar assembly of claim 8 including at least one motor means mounted to at least one of said dollies said at least one motor means having an output shaft adapted to be connected to a drive input of an agricultural implement, and means for connecting said motor means to a source of power supply.
- 11. The tow bar assembly of claim 10 in which said at least one motor means is a hydraulic motor, at least one hydraulic fluid tank mounted to said primary support beam, said source of power supply including pump means for circulating fluid within said at least one hydraulic fluid tank to said hydraulic motor.
- 12. The tow bar assembly of claim 11 including a motor means mounted to each of said dollies, each of said motor means being connected to said source of power supply.
- 13. The tow bar assembly of claim 1 in which said means for pivotally connecting said at least one dolly includes a pivot connection allowing pivot motion about both a horizontal and a vertical axis.
- 14. The tow bar assembly of claim 13 wherein said pivot connections include a swivel assembly for allowing said at least one dolly and said second dolly to pivot about a horizontal axis relative to said one of said outrigger beams, said swivel assembly being connected to vertical pivot pin members for allowing said swivel assembly to be moveable about a vertical axis relative to said one of said outrigger beams.
- 15. The tow bar assembly of claim 13 including at least one motor means mounted to said at least one dollies, said at least one motor means having an output shaft adapted to be connected to a drive input of an agricultural implement, and means for connecting said motor means to a source of power supply.
- 16. The tow bar assembly of claim 13 wherein said at least one dolly includes a pair of ground engaging wheels.
- 17. A baling implement for simultaneously baling forage material and a plurality of rows and which is attachable to a tractor having a power source, the baling implement comprising:
- a plurality of balers, each of said balers having a hitch tongue,
- a primary support beam having opposite ends and a central portion,
- means mounted to said central portion of said primary support beam for mounting said primary support beam to the tractor hitch,
- a pair of outrigger beams,
- pivot means for pivotally mounting an inner end portion of each said outrigger beams to said opposite ends of said primary support beam,
- means for pivoting each of said outrigger beams about said pivot means, each of said means for pivoting including a first end pivotally mounted to said primary support beam and a second end pivotally mounted to said outrigger beams,
- means for connecting at least one of said outrigger beams to the hitch tongue of one of said plurality of said balers, said means for connecting including at least one dolly having a frame supported by a pair of spaced ground engageable wheels and a joint connecting said dolly to said one of said outrigger beams to permit pivotal movement about both a horizontal and a vertical axis with respect thereto.
- 18. The tow bar assembly of claim 17 includes means for connecting one of said plurality of balers to each of said outrigger beams.
- 19. The tow bar assembly of claim 18 including means for connecting another of said plurality of balers to said primary support beam.
- 20. The tow bar assembly of claim 19 wherein said means for connecting another of said plurality of balers includes a dolly having a frame supported by a pair of spaced ground engaging wheels and a joint mounting said dolly to said primary support beam to permit pivotal movement about both a horizontal and a vertical axis with respect thereto.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. Ser. No. 08/691,800 filed Aug. 2, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,713,192 in the name of the same inventor and entitled TOW BAR ASSEMBLY FOR MULTIPLE HAY BALERS.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
4108924 |
Sep 1992 |
DEX |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
691800 |
Aug 1996 |
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