US 4,047,587 AGranted

Tractor-implement control system

AssigneeDeere & Company

InventorHenry Dennis Anstey

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Abstract

A mobile agricultural machine pulled by a tractor has first and second hydraulically actuated functional units powered through a single pair of outlets of a hydraulic system on the tractor. A spool-type direction control valve mounted on the machine has its inlet side connected to the outlets of the tractor hydraulic system and outlets connected to the respective hydraulic actuators. The valve spool is selectively positioned by means of a cam to direct oil to actuate either the first or second functional units. The cam is rotated by a bell crank through a sprag clutch so that the cam is driven in one direction only. The throw of the bell crank is limited by a stop and it is provided with a spring return so that an operator on the tractor may, by successive pulls on a single control rope attached to the bell crank, progressively index the cam and hence selectively actuate either the first or second functional units on the machine.

Claims8

Dependent claims

In a tractor-trailing implement combination wherein the tractor includes an operator's station, a hydraulic coupling means connected to a hydraulic power source on the tractor, and a control valve for controlling the flow of hydraulic fluid between the source and the coupling means, and the implement includes a frame and at least two functional units with hydraulic actuators, an improved hydraulic control system for connecting the hydraulic actuators on the implement to the coupling means on the tractor and directing the flow of hydraulic fluid between them comprising:

an implement valve mounted on the implement frame having an inlet connected to the coupling means, at least two outlets respectively connected to the hydraulic actuators, and a control element movable to a plurality of settings so that the inlet may be selectively connected to any one of the outlets and biased to a first setting;
and
means operatively connected to the control element for moving the control element between its alternate settings and including locking means for retaining the control element in any one of the selected settings and actuating means disposed at the operator's station and connected to the locking means so that an operator on the tractor may selectively direct hydraulic power to any one of the hydraulic actuators on the implement.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.