Adjustable wheel track axle with independent wheel angle control for an agricultural vehicle

A method for adjusting a wheel track axle width and a steering angle of an agricultural vehicle comprising the steps of:

• comprising:
• providing an at least two variable wheel track axle assemblies each of the variable wheel track axle assemblies connected to a wheel set of the agricultural vehicle, wherein the at least two variable wheel track axle assemblies comprise a front and a rear assembly,
• wherein each of the variable wheel track axle assemblies comprise:
• an outer axle housing having disposed therein an outer axle shaft;
• an inner axle housing having disposed therein an inner axle shaft, wherein the inner axle housing is fixed to a center differential gear unit and the outer axle housing is fixed to a planetary gear wheel unit, wherein the outer axle housing slidably connects the inner axle housing by means of a track width control, said a track width control comprising:
• a hydraulic cylinder connected between the center differential gear unit and the outer axle housing, the outer axle being splinedly connected to the inner axle, wherein the outer axle is configured to move axially within the inner axle spline to maintain wheel control;
• a hydraulic steering cylinder connected to the planetary gear wheel unit of each wheel to independently adjust the steering angle of the wheel in the wheel set;
• a linear position sensor configured to detect the position of the wheel in the wheel set;
• a computer system comprising a controller and microprocessor and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium coupled to the microprocessor, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is encoded with computer-readable instructions:
• wherein when the computer-readable instructions are executed, the microprocessor performs the respective functions, wherein the computer system is configured to input a desired set point:
• an input of the wheel position from the position sensor and an output signal to the track width adjustment cylinders to control the width of the wheel track axle and an output signal to the hydraulic steering cylinder to independently adjust the steering angle of the each wheel in the wheel set, adjusting the wheel track axle width from about 114 to 144 Inches of a wheel set while the agricultural vehicle is moving;
• adjusting the wheel angle to extend outwardly up to 3 degrees when the wheel track axle is extending outwardly;
• adjusting the wheel angle to extend inwardly up to 3 degrees when the wheel track axle is extending inwardly;
• and
• adjusting the wheel angle to zero when the wheel track axle is stationary.