Narrow transport boom folding hinge system

A narrow transport boom folding hinge system for an agricultural product applicator with a boom supported by a chassis of the agricultural product applicator, the boom having multiple boom sections and defining an unfolded in-use position when in a boom in-use state and a folded transport position when in a boom fully folded state, the narrow transport boom folding hinge system comprising:

• an intermediate hinge arranged between a pair of adjacent boom sections of the multiple boom sections, the intermediate hinge defining an intermediate hinge pivot axis, one boom section of the pair of adjacent boom sections being pivotable about the intermediate hinge pivot axis with respect to another boom section of the pair of adjacent boom sections to define a boom partially folded state as a stack of partially folded boom sections, the intermediate hinge pivot axis being arranged in a first orientation when the one boom section of the pair of adjacent boom sections pivots with respect to the other boom section of the pair of adjacent boom sections from the boom in-use state to the boom partially folded state;
• an inner hinge arranged between the chassis of the agricultural product applicator and an inner-most boom section of the multiple boom sections, the inner hinge defining an inner hinge pivot axis, the boom being pivotable about the inner hinge pivot axis from the boom partially folded state to the boom fully folded state, the inner hinge pivot axis being misaligned with respect to the intermediate hinge pivot axis so that while the stack of partially folded boom sections pivots from the boom partially folded state to the boom fully folded state, the intermediate hinge pivot axis changes to a second orientation, the inner hinge comprising:
• a hinge arm having a first hinge arm end and a second hinge arm end;
• two hinge lobes including a first hinge lobe and a second hinge lobe, each of the first hinge lobe and the second hinge lobe having a hinge lobe pivot portion and a hinge lobe rod portion, the first hinge arm end of the hinge arm extending from a sidewall of the hinge lobe pivot portion of the first hinge lobe, and the second hinge arm end of the hinge arm extending from a sidewall of the hinge lobe pivot portion of the second hinge lobe, the first hinge lobe and the second hinge lobe being coaxially aligned to define the inner hinge pivot axis;
• and
• an actuator arm extending from the hinge arm, the actuator arm being spaced apart from the first hinge lobe and the second hinge lobe;
• and
• an actuator engaged with the actuator arm, the actuator being selectively operable to pivot the boom about the inner hinge pivot axis;
• wherein the inner hinge pivot axis defines a compound pivot axis angle, the compound pivot axis angle being both:
• tilted in one of a longitudinal forward direction or a longitudinal rearward direction with respect to a longitudinal axis of the agricultural product applicator;
• and
• tilted in one of a transverse inward direction or a transverse outward direction with respect to the longitudinal axis of the agricultural product applicator.