Soil working machines including height and pitch tool adjustability
AssigneeAbsolute Innovations, Inc.
InventorKevin V. Keigley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Unique self-propelled soil working machines are disclosed. In certain exemplary embodiments the self propelled soil working machine includes a tool carrier which is actively adjustable to provide variable downward force on a soil working tool via a suspension element which is further passively responsive to accommodate motion of the tool in response to external force. In certain exemplary embodiments, the tool carrier is configured to adjust the working depth and pitch of the tool. Further embodiments, forms, objects, features, advantages, aspects, and benefits shall become apparent from the following description and figures.
Claims19
An apparatus comprising:
- a soil working machine including a frame and an operator station;
- front and rear ground supporting members coupled with the frame;
- a linkage coupled with the frame and coupled with a soil working tool, the soil working tool being adjustably positioned by the linkage rearward of the front members and forward of the rear members, the linkage including a suspension element accommodating movement of the tool in response to external force;
- a first adjustment mechanism coupled with the linkage and configured to adjust the linkage;
- and
- a second adjustment mechanism coupled with the soil working tool and configured to adjust the soil working tool;
- wherein adjustment of the first adjustment mechanism emulates the addition or subtraction of weight exerting downward force on the tool, adjustment of the second adjustment mechanism varies the pitch of the tool, the first adjustment mechanism and the second adjustment mechanism can be adjusted to vary an amount of emulated weight exerting downward force on the tool with the tool at first predetermined pitch and can be adjusted to vary the first predetermined pitch of the tool with emulation of a first predetermined amount of weight exerting downward force on the tool.
A soil working machine comprising:
- a plurality of surface contact members carrying a chassis;
- a carrier assembly coupled with the chassis, the carrier assembly including a suspension coupled with the chassis and a soil working tool coupled with the suspension;
- a first adjustment mechanism coupled with the carrier assembly and configured to adjust the position of the soil working tool and to vary force applied to the soil working tool at least in part based upon compression of the suspension;
- and
- a second adjustment mechanism coupled with the soil working tool and configured to adjust position of the soil working tool;
- wherein the first adjustment mechanism and the second adjustment mechanism can be adjusted concurrently or sequentially to position the tool at a plurality of different pitches with the same force magnitude applied to the soil working tool by the suspension and to position the tool at a the same pitch with the a plurality different force magnitudes applied to the soil working tool by the suspension.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.