Hitch

A hitch connection between a tractor and implement wherein the tractor has a pair of transversely spaced fore-and-aft extending lower lift arms and an upper stabilizing arm comprising:

• a bar extending between and mounted on the distal ends of said lift arms, fore-and-aft extending vertical plates mounted on the implement in transverse offset relation to but substantially the transverse distance between the 1ift arms, said vertical plates having matching U-shaped lower edges opening downwardly for receiving the transverse bar;
• a link mounted each of said plates to pivot on a transverse axis in fore-and-aft offset relation to the U-shaped edges and to swing vertically between a first position in which said U-shaped edges are open to ingress and egress by said transverse bar and a second position in which said link extends across the U-shaped edge to prevent ingress and egress of said bar into and from, respectively, the nip areas of said U-shaped edges to a free end portion of the link positioned alongside the respective plate and on the opposite side of said U-shaped edge than said pivot, said link being mounted so as to have adjoining surfaces in substantial side-by-side relation between a surface of said end portion and a surface of a portion of said one plate and being yieldable to permit said free end portion to shift transversely away from said portion of said one plate to thereby provide a transverse gap therebetween, a rod fixed to each of said plates and extendable through an opening in the respective link when said link is in its position to prevent ingress and egress of the bar into and from the nips of said U-shaped edges, said rod terminating at an end that is in the confines of said transverse gap;
• and an upper link connecting structure on the implement for securing the upper stabilizing link to the implement.

A hitch connection between a tractor and implement wherein the tractor has a pair of transversely spaced fore-and-aft extending lower lift arms and an upper fore-and-aft extending stabilizer arm comprising:

• a bar extended between and mounted on the distal ends of said lift arms;
• a transversely spaced connecting structure on the implement spaced generally on the order of the lift arms and transversely offset from the lift arms, each structure including a pair of opposed vertical and fore-and-aft extending plates mounted on the implement with matching U-shaped edges opening vertically for receiving the transverse bar, a transverse horizontal latching rod fixed to both of said plates and extending outwardly from one of said plates to an end transversely offset from the surface of said one of said plates;
• a link mounted on said one of said plates to pivot on a transverse axis in fore-and-aft offset relation to said U-shaped edges and to swing vertically between a first position in which said U-shaped edges are open to ingress and egress by said transverse bar and a second position in which said link extends across the U-shaped edge to prevent ingress and egress of said bar into and from, respectively, the nip areas of said U-shaped edges to a free end portion of the link positioned alongside said one of said plates and on the opposite side of said U-shaped edge than said pivot, said link being biasly mounted so as to normally be in substantial side-by-side relation with said one of said plates but being yieldable transversely to permit said free end portion and said portion of said one wall to shift transversely away from one another to provide a transverse gap therebetween sufficient to permit the link to bypass the end of said latching rod, said link having a rod-receiving opening therein that is in transverse registry with and receives the end of the latching rod when the 1ink is in its position to prevent ingress and egress of a bar into and from the nips of said U-shaped edges;
• and an upper link connecting structure on the implement securing the upper stabilizing link to the implement.