Sprayer with hydraulically adjustable wheel spacing

In a self-propelled chemical applicator having a pair of transversely spaced ground wheels, and a frame adapted for forward movement over the ground in fields planted in parallel rows of plants, the spacing of the rows varying from field to field, variable tread structure comprising:

• a transversely extending tube structure connected to the frame and including front and rear spaced tubes extending outwardly from the frame in cantilever fashion, the tubes extending substantially parallel to each other, the tubes having outer surfaces including a lower surface and an upper surface;
• a roller assembly including a roller frame having outwardly facing surfaces, forwardly and rearwardly extending rollers connected to the roller frame in rolling contact with the lower surfaces of the front and rear tubes, respectively, for transverse movement of the roller assembly along the tube structure;
• an upright drop assembly having an upper end fixed to the roller frame for support thereby on the tube structure in a preselected attitude relative to the tube structure, and a lower end rotatably mounting one of the ground wheels;
• wherein the rollers include outermost rollers extending a substantial distance on either side of the transverse extremities of the upper end of the drop assembly and supported for contact with the outer surfaces of the front and rear tubes;
• an extendible and retractable hydraulic cylinder connected to the roller frame for moving the roller frame along the tube structure to thereby adjust tread width to accommodate the varying rows widths;
• and
• means for releasibly securing the roller frame relative to the tube structure for maintaining desired wheel tread.

In a self-propelled chemical applicator having a pair of transversely spaced ground wheels, and a frame adapted for forward movement over the ground in fields planted in parallel rows of plants, the spacing of the rows varying from field to field, variable tread structure comprising:

• a transversely extending tube structure connected to the frame and including front and rear spaced tubes extending outwardly from the frame in cantilever fashion, the tubes extending substantially parallel to each other;
• a roller assembly including a roller frame having outwardly facing surfaces, forwardly and rearwardly extending rollers connected to the roller frame in rolling contact with the lower surfaces of the front and rear tubes, respectively, for transverse movement of the roller assembly along the tube structure, the rollers including upper rollers supported for rolling contact with an upper surface of the front and rear tubes;
• an upright drop assembly having an upper end fixed to the roller frame for support thereby on the tube structure in a preselected attitude relative to the tube structure, and a lower end rotatably mounting one of the ground wheels;
• an extendible and retractable hydraulic cylinder connected to the roller frame for moving the roller frame along the tube structure to thereby adjust tread width to accommodate the varying row widths;
• means for releasibly securing the roller frame relative to the tube structure for maintaining desired wheel treads;
• and
• wherein the means for releasibly securing the roller frame includes means for urging a plurality of the rollers against the surfaces of the front and rear tubes including an adjustable camming surface engageable with the tubes.

In a self-propelled chemical applicator having a pair of transversely spaced ground wheels, and a frame adapted for forward movement over the ground in fields planted in parallel rows of plants, the spacing of the rows varying from field to field, variable tread structure comprising:

• a transversely extending tube structure connected to the frame and including front and rear spaced tubes extending outwardly from the frame in cantilever fashion, the tubes extending substantially parallel to each other;
• a roller assembly including a roller frame having outwardly facing surfaces, forwardly and rearwardly extending rollers connected to the roller frame in rolling contact with the lower surfaces of the front and rear tubes, respectively, for transverse movement of the roller assembly along the tube structure;
• an upright drop assembly having an upper end fixed to the roller frame for support thereby on the tube structure in a preselected attitude relative to the tube structure, and a lower end rotatably mounting one of the ground wheels;
• an extendible and retractable hydraulic cylinder connected to the roller frame for moving the roller frame along the tube structure to thereby adjust tread width to accommodate the varying row widths;
• means for releasibly securing the roller frame relative to the tube structure for maintaining desired wheel tread;
• and
• wherein the said one of the ground wheels ground wheel comprises a driven wheel, and further comprising a hydraulic motor supported at the lower end of the drop assembly and drivingly connected to the driven wheel.