Endwise transportable implement with sequential hydraulic circuit
OwnerKelli Marie Riffel, James B. Cooper +1inventors
InventorsKelli Marie Riffel, James B. Cooper, Benjamin Carrol Houghton
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A towable implement that is shiftable between a wide field configuration and a narrow transport configuration using a folding tongue and vertically adjustable transport wheels. Shifting of the towable implement between the field and transport configurations can be accomplished primarily by hydraulic power, with little or no manual manipulation of implement components being required.
Claims25
A towable implement that is shiftable between a field configuration for operation in a field and an endwise transport configuration for transporting over a road, the implement comprising:
- a frame;
- one or more work mechanisms supported by the frame and configured to perform work in the field;
- a plurality of field wheels for supporting the implement in the field configuration;
- a plurality of transport wheels for supporting the implement in the endwise transport configuration, wherein, in the field configuration, the transport wheels are in a raised position such that a bottom of the transport wheels is higher than a bottom of the field wheels, wherein, in the endwise transport configuration, the transport wheels are in a lowered position such that the bottom of the transport wheels is lower than the bottom of the field wheels,
- a folding tongue pivotably coupled to the frame and shiftable between an unfolded position and a folded position, wherein the tongue is in the unfolded position when the implement is in the field configuration and the tongue is in the folded position when the implement is in the endwise transport configuration;
- and
- a hydraulic circuit comprising at least one transport wheel actuator for shifting the transport wheels between the raised and lowered positions, at least one tongue actuator for shifting the tongue between the folded and unfolded positions, and at least one hydraulic control valve for controlling hydraulic fluid flow to the transport wheel actuator and the tongue actuator.
A towable implement that is shiftable between a field configuration for operation in a field and an endwise transport configuration for transporting over a road, the implement comprising:
- a frame;
- one or more work mechanisms supported by the frame and configured to perform work in the field;
- a plurality of field wheels for supporting the implement in the field configuration;
- a plurality of transport wheels for supporting the implement in the endwise transport configuration, wherein the field wheels and the transport wheels are oriented substantially perpendicular to one another, wherein, in the field configuration, the transport wheels are in a raised position such that a bottom of the transport wheels is higher than a bottom of the field wheels, wherein, in the endwise transport configuration, the transport wheels are in a lowered position such that the bottom of the transport wheels is lower than the bottom of the field wheels,
- a folding tongue for towing of the implement in both the field and endwise transport configurations, wherein the tongue includes a proximal end pivotally coupled to the frame and a distil end configured for attachment to a prime mover, wherein the frame includes a first side and a first end that face in substantially perpendicular directions, wherein, in the field configuration, the tongue is in an unfolded position with the distal end of the tongue extending outwardly from the first side of the frame, wherein, in the endwise transport configuration, the tongue is in a folded position with the distil end of the tongue extending outwardly from the first end of the frame;
- and
- a hydraulic circuit comprising at least one transport wheel actuator for shifting the transport wheels between the raised and lowered positions, at least one tongue actuator for shifting the tongue between the folded and unfolded positions, and at least one control valve for causing sequential operation of the transport wheel actuator and the tongue actuator.
A method of operating a towable implement having a frame, a folding tongue coupled to the frame, and a plurality of transport wheels coupled to the frame, the method comprising:
- (a) connecting the folding tongue of the implement to a prime mover;
- (b) connecting a hydraulic circuit of the implement to a pressurized hydraulic fluid source of the prime mover;
- and
- (c) manually activating a hydraulic controller using a single operator input to thereby cause (i) the tongue to pivot relative to the frame and (ii) the transport wheels to raise or lower relative to the frame.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.