Greaseless gauge wheel arm assembly
AssigneeDeere & Company
InventorRobert W. Martin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pivot arm assembly for an agricultural machine. The pivot arm assembly has a pivot arm having a bushing block on a first end and configured to be coupled to a gauge wheel on a second end, a lateral positioning member configured to be selectively coupled to the bushing block to provide lateral adjustment of the pivot arm, a through bolt configured to selectively couple the lateral positioning member to a frame, and a friction reducing member positioned between the bushing block and the through bolt. The friction reducing member allows pivotal movement of the pivot arm relative to the through bolt and does not require a routine application of grease.
Claims20
A pivot arm assembly for an agricultural machine, comprising:
- a pivot arm having a bushing block on a first end and configured to be coupled to a gauge wheel on a second end;
- a lateral positioning member configured to be selectively coupled to the bushing block to provide lateral adjustment of the pivot arm;
- a through bolt configured to selectively couple the lateral positioning member to a frame;
- and
- a friction reducing member positioned between the bushing block and the through bolt;
- wherein, the friction reducing member allows pivotal movement of the pivot arm relative to the through bolt without requiring a routine application of grease.
A method of manufacturing a laterally movable pivot arm assembly, comprising:
- positioning a lateral positioning member within a bushing block of a pivot arm, the lateral positioning member being laterally repositionable relative to the bushing block;
- coupling a friction reducing member to the lateral positioning member, the friction reducing member configured to allow the pivot arm to pivot about a through bolt;
- coupling the lateral positioning member and friction reducing member to a frame of an agricultural machine with the through bolt;
- adjusting the lateral positioning member so the pivot arm is positioned to align a gauge wheel with an opener disk;
- and
- locking a lateral position of the lateral positioning member relative to the bushing block.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.