As used herein, the word “tractor” refers to a four-wheeled or tracked vehicle used especially for drawing farm equipment. Tractors are commonly used to pull implements that includes harvesters, tillage equipment, planters and the like.
It is well known that the weight of the tractor itself can cause the tractor and implements attached to it to overturn when the tractor is used on sloping terrain. An apparatus that would prevent or reduce the likelihood of overturning a tractor and attached implements when they are used on sloping terrain would be an improvement over the prior art.
Referring now to
A prior art accelerometer 202 has an output which is a signal representing the angle of inclination 104 at which the tractor is pitched by its operation on an inclined surface 102. The signal output from the accelerometer 202 is provided to a processor 204 which has an included non-transitory memory that stores program instructions for the processor 204. Those program instructions evaluate the output signal from the accelerometer 202 and determine the angle 104 at which the tractor 102 is being operated. Upon the detection that the tractor's angle 104 is approaching the angle at which the tractor will tip over, the processor 204 generates an output signal to a linear actuator 206. The linear actuator is thus actuated prior to the inclination angle 104 being less than the angle at which the tractor will tip over. The deployment of the stabilizer 106 before the critical angle is reached thus prevents the tractor 100 from tipping over.
The linear actuator 206 is coupled to the stabilizer 106 and causes the stabilizer's deployment in either a right hand or left hand direction as needed by the tractor's operation. Put simply, the linear actuator 206 thrusts the stabilizer outwardly from the tractor, preventing the tractor from tipping over.
In the preferred embodiment, the linear actuator can be either a hydraulic pump coupled to one or more pistons or a motor, the output shaft of which is provided a pinion that drives a rack gear on a telescoping piston. In either embodiment, operation of the linear actuator causes the stabilizer to extend laterally from the tractor preventing it and preferably equipment attached to the tractor from tipping over.
The foregoing description is for purposes of illustration only. The true scope of the invention is set forth in the following claims.