Mowing assembly transport mechanical interlock
AssigneeCNH Industrial America LLC
InventorJeffrey Fay, II
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A mowing assembly that is towed behind an agricultural vehicle. The mowing assembly has an integrated lateral transport mechanism that is deployed using actuators such as hydraulic actuators. A physical support is provided between a trail frame that supports a mowing device and a transport frame to support the mowing device and the trail frame in the event of an actuator failure during transport.
Claims20
A mowing assembly having an integrated transport mechanism, the mowing assembly comprising:
- a trail frame configured to support a mowing device and to be towed by an agricultural vehicle, the mowing device having a field position and a transport position;
- a transport frame having a stowed state in which the transport frame is positioned above the mowing device and a transport state in which the mowing device is supported by the transport frame for transport, the transport frame comprising a vertical support and a non-vertical support extending from the vertical support;
- a support structure coupled to the transport frame, the support structure having a bottom plate and an arcuate support structure extending from the bottom plate toward the non-vertical support, the bottom plate having a horizontal surface forming a support surface when the transport frame is in the transport state;
- a mating structure coupled to the trail frame, the mating structure having a mating surface and positioned on the trail frame such that the mating surface is adjacent the support surface when the mowing device is in the transport position and the transport frame is in the transport state.
A method for transporting a mowing assembly having an integrated lateral transport mechanism, the mowing assembly comprising a trail frame configured to support a mowing device and to be towed by an agricultural vehicle, the mowing device having a field position and a transport position, a transport frame having a stowed state in which the transport frame is positioned above the mowing device and a transport state in which the mowing assembly is supported by the transport frame for transport, the transport frame comprising a vertical support and a non-vertical support extending from the vertical support, a first support structure coupled to the transport frame, the first support structure including a bottom plate having a horizontal surface when the transport frame is in the transport state and an arcuate support structure extending from the bottom plate toward the non-vertical support, and a second support structure coupled to the trail frame, the second support structure having a mating surface that is adjacent the horizontal surface of the first support structure when the mowing device is in the field position and the transport frame is in the transport state, the method comprising:
- moving the transport frame from the stowed state to the transport state in which the transport frame supports the mowing assembly;
- rotating the trail frame with respect to the transport frame until the mating surface is adjacent the horizontal surface when the transport frame is in the transport state for transport by the integrated lateral transport mechanism.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.