US 12,668,085 B2Granted

Agricultural vehicle for providing improved load distribution when towing an implement

AssigneeCNH Industrial America LLC

InventorsCarter Weiser, Chad Sietsema, John Rasset

Life of this patent

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Abstract

Many agricultural vehicles utilize a drawbar to pull an implement. Generally, drawbars are mounted to the vehicle at one end and mounted to a drawbar hanger at another end. A drawbar hanger is commonly coupled to a frame rear end of a vehicle with a set of brackets. During towing operations, the implement may exert varying amounts of force on the drawbar. As such, the drawbar may exert varying amounts of force on the drawbar hanger, which may exert varying amounts of force on the frame rear end of the vehicle. As such, the brackets coupling the drawbar hanger to the frame rear end may experience deformation and/or stress, which, in turn, may cause deformation and overloading of the frame rear end of the vehicle. As such, a vehicle for providing improved load distribution while towing an implement would be useful.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An agricultural vehicle, comprising:

a frame;
a drawbar assembly pivotably coupled to the frame and configured to be coupled to an agricultural implement;
and
a drawbar hanger coupled to the frame and the drawbar assembly, the drawbar hanger comprising:
a first lateral plate coupled to the frame, wherein a junction of the first lateral plate and the frame defines a first corner;
a second lateral plate opposite the first lateral plate coupled to the frame, wherein a junction of the second lateral plate and the frame defines a second corner;
a structural member extending along a lateral direction from the first lateral plate to the second lateral plate, wherein a junction of the structural member and the first lateral plate define a third corner and a junction of the structural member and the second lateral plate define a fourth corner;
and
a cross-bracing plate comprising an arm configured to distribute a towing load received from the agricultural implement throughout the cross-bracing plate, the cross-bracing plate extending along the lateral direction from the first lateral plate to the second lateral plate and along a longitudinal direction from the frame to the structural member.

6 more elements

A hitch assembly for an agricultural vehicle, the hitch assembly comprising:

a drawbar assembly pivotably coupled to a frame of an agricultural vehicle and configured to be coupled to an agricultural implement;
and
a drawbar hanger coupled to the frame and the drawbar assembly, the drawbar hanger comprising:
a cross-bracing plate including a cross-bracing plate first surface, a cross-bracing plate second surface, a cross-bracing plate third surface, and a plurality of arms configured to distribute the load received from the agricultural implement throughout the cross-bracing plate,
wherein the cross-bracing plate first surface and the cross-bracing plate second surface are parallel to a field surface and have larger surface areas than the cross-bracing plate third surface, and
wherein each of the plurality of arms extend from a first end to a second end.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/139,496Filed 26 Apr 2023
Published: US 2024/0359513 A131 Oct 2024
Granted: 30 Jun 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

B60D 1/143
Draw-gear or towing devices characterised by their type: characterised by the mounting of the draw-gear on the towed vehicle
A01B 59/042
For machines pulled or pushed by a tractor: having pulling means arranged on the rear part of the tractor
B60D 1/247
Characterised by arrangements for particular functions: for improving weight distribution
B60D
Vehicle connections