Front folding no-till drill

In a multi-section, front-folding agricultural implement having a pair of wing sections which may be pivoted forwardly into generally fore-and-aft extending, transport positions from transversely extending, field working positions, the improvement comprising:

• a carrier frame having ground-engaging transport wheels supporting the frame for movement over the ground,
• said transport wheels being located forwardly of the wing sections when the wing sections are in their field working positions;
• a pair of pivotal couplings between the frame and the wing sections adapting the latter for fore-and-aft pivoting movement about a pair of laterally spaced, upright axes between said transport and field working positions,
• said coupling including means adapting the wing sections for generally vertical movement between lowered positions and raised positions in which the wing sections clear the transport wheels for folding;
• powered lift mechanism operably coupled with the wing sections for selectively effecting said vertical movement of the wing sections between the raised and lowered positions thereof;
• and
• powered swing mechanism operably coupled with the wing sections for selectively effecting said pivoting movement of the wing sections between said transport and field working positions when the wing sections are raised above the level of said transport wheels,
• each of said wing sections including a ground-engaging support wheel,
• each of said pivotal couplings including a horizontal flotation pivot extending fore-and-aft when the wing sections are in their field working positions for permitting the wing sections to rock up and down about the flotation pivots in response to changes in ground contour experienced by their support wheels,
• each of said pivotal couplings further including limit means for preventing swinging of the wing sections beyond a predetermined limit about their flotation pivots during lifting of the wing sections into the raised positions thereof,
• each of said pivotal couplings including a tool bar having said flotation pivot for the wing section at an outer end of the tool bar,
• each tool bar having a horizontal lift pivot at its inner end extending fore-and-aft when the wing sections are in their field-working positions and by which the outer end of the tool bar is swingable up and down during raising and lowering of the wing sections between said raised and lowered positions,
• said powered lift mechanism including a fluid pressure piston and cylinder assembly operably coupled with each tool bar,
• said tool bars, said horizontal pivots, said piston and cylinder assemblies and said limit means being swingable fore-and-aft with the wing sections during pivoting movement between said field working and transport positions.

In a multi-section, front-folding agricultural implement having a pair of wing sections which may be pivoted forwardly into generally fore-and-aft extending, transport positions from transversely extending, field working positions, the improvement comprising:

• a carrier frame having ground-engaging transport wheels supporting the frame for movement over the ground,
• said wing sections being coupled with the carrier frame and having ground-engaging depth control wheels adapting the wing sections for movement over the ground with the carrier frame;
• powered depth control mechanism operably coupled with said transport wheels and said depth control wheels for raising and lowering said carrier frame and the wing sections together while the transport wheels and the depth control wheels remain in engagement with the ground;
• powered swing mechanism operably coupled with the wing sections for selectively effecting said pivoting movement of the wing sections between said transport and field working positions,
• said wing sections being coupled with the carrier frame in a manner to permit the wing sections to be selectively raised and lowered relative to the carrier frame between raised and lowered positions;
• and
• powered lift mechanism operably coupled with the wing sections for selectively raising the wing sections relative to the carrier frame into said raised positions for vertically clearing the transport wheels during pivoting of the wing sections between their transport and field working positions.

In a multi-section, front-folding agricultural implement having a pair of wing sections which may be pivoted forwardly into generally fore-and-aft extending, transport positions from transversely extending, field working positions, the improvement comprising:

• a carrier frame having ground-engaging transport wheels supporting the frame for movement over the ground,
• said wing sections being coupled with the carrier frame and having ground-engaging depth control wheels adapting the wing sections for movement over the ground with the carrier frame;
• powered depth control mechanism operably coupled with said transport wheels and said depth control wheels for raising and lowering said carrier frame and the wing sections while the transport wheels and the depth control wheels remain in engagement with the ground;
• powered swing mechanism operably coupled with the wing sections for selectively effecting said pivoting movement of the wing sections between said transport and field working positions;
• powered lift mechanism operably coupled with the wing sections for raising the wing sections and their depth control wheels entirely off the ground and into an elevated position in which the wing sections clear the transport wheels during pivoting of the wing sections between their transport and field working positions,
• each of said wing sections having a horizontal flotation pivot between the wing section and the frame which extends fore-and-aft when the wing sections are in their field working position and the depth control wheels are engaging the ground whereby to permit the wing sections to rock up and down about the flotation pivots in response to changes in ground contour experienced by their depth control wheels;
• and
• means associated with said flotation pivots for preventing swinging of the wing sections beyond a predetermined limit about the flotation pivots during lifting of the wing sections into the elevated positions thereof.
• each of said wing sections being coupled with the frame by structure that includes a tool bar having the flotation pivot for the wing section at an outer end of the tool bar,
• each tool bar having a horizontal lift pivot at an inner end of the tool bar which extends fore-and-aft when the wing sections are in their field working positions,
• said lift pivots being operable to permit the outer ends of the tool bars to swing up and down during raising and lowering of the wing sections toward and away from said elevated position,
• said powered lift mechanism including a fluid pressure piston and cylinder assembly operably coupled with each tool bar,
• said tool bars, said horizontal pivots, said piston and cylinder assemblies and said limit means being swingable fore-and-aft with the wing sections during pivoting movement between said field working and transport positions.

In a front-folding, no-till grain drill, the improvement comprising:

• a generally fore-and-aft carrier frame having ground-engaging transport wheels supporting the frame for movement over the ground;
• a pair of oppositely extending, transverse tool bars coupled with the frame at the rear of the latter for fore-and-aft swinging movement about a pair of laterally spaced, upright pivots during folding and unfolding of the drill;
• a pair of elongated, transversely extending drill units coupled with respective ones of the tool bars in substantially end-to-end relationship for movement with the carrier frame along the ground,
• each of said drill units including a series of side-by-side openers for making trenches in the soil as the drill is advanced, depositing seeds in the trenches, and covering the seeds with soil,
• each of said drill units further including a series of cutters disposed in aligned, leading relationship with the respective openers for severing crop residue ahead of the openers,
• each of said drill units having at least one ground-engaging depth control wheel and being provided with a fore-and-aft, horizontal flotation pivot between the drill unit and the respective tool bars for permitting each unit to rock up and down about the flotation pivot in response to changes in ground contour experienced by the depth control wheel;
• powered depth control mechanism operably coupled with said transport wheels and said depth control wheels for selectively raising and lowering the carrier frame and the drill units while the transport wheels and the depth control wheels remain in engagement with the ground;
• powered swing mechanism operably coupled with the tool bars for selectively effecting said fore-and-aft swinging of the tool bars to move the drill units into and out of fore-and-aft, folded positions;
• and
• powered lift mechanism operably coupled with the tool bars for selectively swinging the tool bars upwardly relative to the frame to raise the drill units and their depth control wheels entirely off the ground into an elevated position in which the cutters clear the transport wheels during folding and unfolding of the drill units.

In an agricultural implement having a plurality of tool sections including a pair of wing sections which may be pivoted into generally fore-and-aft extending, transport positions from transversely extending, field working positions, the improvement comprising:

• a carrier frame having ground-engaging transport wheels supporting the frame for movement over the ground,
• said wing sections being coupled with the carrier frame and having ground-engaging depth control wheels adapting the wing sections for movement over the ground with the carrier frame;
• powered depth control mechanism operably coupled with said transport wheels and said depth control wheels for raising and lowering said carrier frame and the wing sections together relative to the transport wheel sand the depth control wheels while the transport wheels and the depth control wheels remain in engagement with the ground;
• powered swing mechanism operably coupled with the wing sections for selectively effecting said pivoting movement of the wing sections between said transport sand field working positions,
• said wing sections being coupled with the carrier frame in a manner to permit the wing sections to be selectively raised and lowered relative to the carrier frame between raised and lowered positions as well as rocked side-to-side about individual longitudinal flotation axes as the depth control wheels experience uneven terrain;
• and
• powered lift mechanism operably coupled with the wing sections for selectively raising the wing sections, their flotation axes, and their depth control wheels relative to the carrier frame entirely off the ground and into an elevated position for folding.