US 3,989,272 AGranted

Variable offset hitch

AssigneeHesston Corporation

InventorsJames Edson McCanse, Timothy A. Sevick

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Abstract

A variable offset hitch is especially adapted for selectively positioning a semi-mounted implement in a trailing, laterally offset relationship to a towing tractor having a three-point hitch. A pair of laterally spaced mounts, each having a plurality of horizontally spaced, upright lugs, are secured to the forward end of the implement and receive corresponding lift arms of the three-point hitch through the use of respective removable connecting pins having a length sufficient to span the distance between preselected pairs of lugs on each mount. Lateral displacement, in either direction, of the implement relative to its normal operating disposition behind the tractor is determined by the location of the tractor lift arms with regard to selected pairs of the horizontally spaced lugs. Relocation of the tractor lift arms relative to the lugs to effect the lateral repositioning of the implement with respect to the tractor does not interfere with the operation of a drive line between the tractor and the implement or the raising and lowering of the lift arms to control the height of the forward end of the implement with respect to the ground.

Claims7

Dependent claims

In combination with a tractor having a three-point hitch including a pair of powered, vertically swingable lift arms, an implement adapted to be towed by said tractor, and structure for coupling the implement with the tractor, said structure comprising:

a pair of spaced mounts rigidly secured to the implement;
and
a removable connecting pin for each mount respectively adapted for pivotal attachment to corresponding arms,
each mount having a plurality of horizontally spaced lugs,
each lug being provided with a pin-receiving opening,
the openings being horizontally aligned transversely of the normal path of travel of the implement and all of the lugs being so positioned that the distance between any lug of one mount and the corresponding lug of the other mount is the same as the spacing between the two arms,
said identity in corresponding lug and arm spacing permitting attachment of the arms to their pins adjacent preselected corresponding lugs to dispose the implement in a normal trailing disposition behind the tractor, offset to the left of the normal trailing disposition relative to the path of travel of the tractor or offset to the right of the normal trailing disposition relative to the path of travel of the tractor.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.