Farm tractor

An intercropping farm tractor apparatus including connected leading and trailing components comprising:

• a leading rear section, a trailing front section, a high center frame for connecting said leading rear and trailing front sections, and means for attaching said high center frame to said leading rear section, said trailing front section;
• said leading rear section including a rear section frame, a low elongated transverse axle supported from said rear section frame and wheels mounted on the opposite ends thereof;
• a standard ASAE three point hitch mounted on said leading rear section frame and extending therefrom rearwardly of said leading rear section frame;
• an operators station means;
• means for operating said standard ASAE three point hitch;
• said trailing front section including a front section frame, a low elongated transverse front section drive axle supported from said front section frame and auto-type steerable wheels mounted on the opposite ends thereof;
• an engine supported from front section frame for driving said wheels;
• reversible drive means drivingly connecting said engine to the wheels of said drive axle;
• means for steering said wheels;
• hitch means mounted on said trailing front section and extending reardwardly of front section frame;
• the wheels of said leading rear and trailing front section axles defining substantially the same wheel track width and being disposed in front-to-rear alignment laterally of said apparatus;
• said high center frame being spaced above said standard ASAE three point hitch sufficient to allow the latter to lift a three point hitch mounted implement fully above the ground upon which said wheels rest independent of interference between said standard ASAE three point hitch, three point hitch mounted implement and the said high center frame.

An intercropping farm tractor apparatus including connected leading and trailing components comprising:

• a leading front section, a trailing rear frame section, a high center frame for connecting said leading front and trailing rear frame sections, and means for attaching said high center frame to said leading front section, said trailing rear frame section;
• said leading front section including a front section frame, a low elongated transverse drive axle supported from said front section frame and auto-type steerable wheels mounted on the opposite ends thereof;
• an engine supported from said front section frame for driving said wheels;
• reversible drive means drivingly connecting said engine to the wheels of said drive axle;
• a standard ASAE three point hitch mounted on said front section frame and extending therefrom rearward of said front section frame;
• means for operating said standard ASAE three point hitch;
• means for steering said wheels;
• said trailing rear frame section including a rear section frame, a low elongated transverse rear section axle supported from said trailing rear section frame having wheels mounted on the opposite ends thereof;
• the wheels of said leading front and trailing rear frame section axles defining substantially the same wheel track width and being disposed in front-to-rear alignment laterally of said apparatus;
• said high center frame being spaced above said standard ASAE three point hitch sufficient to allow the latter to lift a three point hitch mounted implement fully above the ground upon which said wheels rest independent of interference between said standard ASAE three point hitch, three point hitch mounted implement and said high center frame;
• hitch means mounted on said trailing rear frame section extending rearwardly of rear section frame;
• and
• an operators station means.

An intercropping farm tractor apparatus including connected leading and trailing components comprising:

• a leading front section, a trailing front section, a high center frame for connecting said leading front and trailing front sections, and means for attaching said high center frame to said leading front section, said trailing front section;
• said leading front section including a front section frame, a low elongated transverse drive axle supported from said front section frame and auto-type steerable wheels mounted on opposite ends thereof;
• an engine supported from said leading front section frame for driving said wheels;
• reversible drive means drivingly connecting said engine to the wheels of said leading front section drive axle;
• a standard ASAE three point hitch mounted on said leading front section frame and extending therefrom rearward of said leading front section frame;
• means for operating said standard ASAE three point hitch;
• means for steering said wheels;
• said trailing front section including a front section frame, a low elongated transverse drive axle supported from said front section frame and wheels mounted on opposite ends thereof;
• an engine supported from said trailing front section frame for driving said wheels;
• reversible drive means drivingly connecting said engine to the wheels of said trailing front section drive axle;
• the wheels of said leading front and trailing front sections axles defining substantially the same wheel track width and being disposed in front-to-rear alignment laterally of said apparatus;
• said high center frame being spaced above said standard ASAE three point hitch sufficient to allow the latter to lift a three point hitch mounted implement fully above the ground upon which said wheels rest independent of interference between said standard ASAE three point hitch, three point hitch mounted implement and said high center frame;
• an operators station means;
• and
• hitch means mounted on said trailing front section extending rearwardly of said trailing front section frame.

The method of mounting an equipment supporting toolbar to a standard ASAE three point hitch extending rearwardly of a leading section of an intercropping farm tractor, including a longitudinally extendible then retractible high center frame with front and rear sections mounted from forward and rearward end portions of said high center frame with each section equipped with a transverse axle and each axle equipped with opposite ends steerable wheels, the wheels on each axle being steerable independently of the other axle and at least the wheels of one of said axles being selectively reversibly driveable, said method comprising:

• positioning the intercropping farm tractor outwardly of one end of the toolbar with the tractor extending transverse to the longitudinal extent of the toolbar;
• extending the length of the high center frame of the tractor;
• oppositely steering the wheels of said axles in conjuntion with alternate forward and rearward movements of the tractor to crab-wise move said tractor, during said forward and rearward movements, in one lateral direction to a position with said tractor disposed over said toolbar and with the latter spaced between said axles;
• stopping the tractor at generally the center of said toolbar;
• coupling the toolbar to the hitch of the tractor;
• retracting the length of the high center frame of the tractor to the desired length;
• actuating the hitch to elevate the toolbar to a level spaced above the ground to enable the tractor to thereafter transport the toolbar and equipment or implement supported therefrom to a field use.