System for eliminating delayed hitch response due to air ingress within agricultural machinery

A three-point hitch, comprising:

• a first hitch cylinder;
• a second hitch cylinder;
• a hydraulic system coupled to both the first hitch cylinder and the second hitch cylinder and configured to provide hydraulic fluid to both the first hitch cylinder and the second hitch cylinder, wherein hydraulic system is configured to keep air from entering the hydraulic system from a reservoir of the hydraulic fluid when the three-point hitch is in a neutral position and when the three-point hitch is in a float position;
• a first flow path;
• a hitch valve fluidly coupled to both the first hitch cylinder and the second hitch cylinder via the first flow path, wherein the hitch valve is configured to control a flow of hydraulic fluid to both the first hitch cylinder and the second hitch cylinder along the first flow path;
• a second flow path fluidly coupled to the first flow path at a first location between the hitch valve and both the first hitch cylinder and the second hitch cylinder, wherein the second flow path is fluidly coupled to the reservoir;
• and
• a first check valve disposed along the second flow path between the first flow path and the reservoir, wherein the first check valve is configured to keep air from entering the hydraulic system via the second flow path from the reservoir.

A method for operating a hydraulic system of a three-point hitch, comprising:

• controlling a flow of hydraulic fluid to both a first hitch cylinder and a second hitch cylinder of the three-point hitch via a hitch valve fluidly coupled to both the first hitch cylinder and the second hitch cylinder via a first flow path;
• keeping air from entering the hydraulic system from a reservoir of the hydraulic fluid when the three-point hitch is in a neutral position and when the three-point hitch is in a float position;
• and
• keeping the air from entering the hydraulic system from the reservoir from a second flow path via a first check valve disposed along the second flow path, wherein the second flow path is fluidly coupled to both the first flow path and reservoir, and the first check valve is located above a hydraulic fluid level within the reservoir.