Adjustable cultivator hitch for towing an air cart
AssigneeFlexi-Coil Ltd.
InventorTerrance A. Friggstad
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention discloses an adjustable hitch for towing an air cart behind a cultivator or similar tillage device. The invention consists of a pivotable hitch which is connected to a pair of cultivator pivot arms pivotally mounted on the cultivator frame. The pivot arms are controlled by a pair of hydraulic cylinders. At the air cart end, the hitch has a pair of slides which are inserted into a pair of slots located on an offset air cart hitch. When the hydraulic cylinders move the cultivator pivot arms, the hitch pivots and allows the slides to move within the slots of the offset air cart hitch. The invention also has a pair of spring-biased, hydraulically actuated latches for securing the hitch in either the field or transport mode.
Claims28
An adjustable cultivator hitch for towing an air cart, comprising:
- a. a cultivator frame;
- b. a pair of cultivator supports, each support perpendicularly attached to the cultivator frame;
- c. a cultivator slide frame attached to each cultivator support;
- d. a pair of cultivator pivot arms, each arm pivotally attached to the cultivator frame;
- e. a transport latch assembly pivotally attached to each cultivator pivot arm;
- f. a field latch assembly pivotally attached to a single cultivator pivot arm;
- g. a pair of hydraulic cylinders, each cylinder pivotally attached to the cultivator support and controlling the field latch assembly and the transport latch assembly;
- h. a pair of hitch frames, each hitch frame pivotally attached to each cultivator pivot arm;
- i. a pair of cart slides affixed to the hitch frame;
- and
- j. a hitch affixed to an air car frame;
- said hitch having a pair of slots therein, each said slot for slideably holding each cart slide.
An adjustable cultivator hitch for towing a second agricultural implement, comprising:
- a. a cultivator frame;
- b. a first cultivator pivot arm and a second cultivator pivot arm, each pivot arm pivotally attached to the cultivator frame;
- c. a first cultivator support frame and a second cultivator support, each cultivator support affixed to the cultivator frame;
- d. a first hydraulic cylinder pivotally attached to the first cultivator support and the first cultivator pivot arm;
- e. a second hydraulic cylinder pivotally attached to the second cultivator support and the second pivot arm;
- f. a first hitch frame pivotally attached to the first cultivator pivot arm, the first hitch frame having a first cart slide;
- g. a second hitch frame pivotally attached to the second cultivator pivot arm, the second hitch frame having a second cart slide;
- h. said second towed implement having a frame, said frame supporting a first hitch and second hitch, said first hitch having a first slot, therein, for slideably receiving the first cart slide, said second hitch having a second slot, therein, for slideably receiving the second cart slide.
In a ground-working cultivator, said cultivator pulled by a tractor and connect to the tractor by a tractor hitch, the cultivator having a plurality of toolbars, the cultivator supported by a plurality of caster wheels and packing wheels, the cultivator having a cultivator frame, the cultivator capable of towing an air cart by a cultivator hitch, the improvement comprising an adjustable cultivator hitch further comprising:
- a. a first cultivator pivot arm and a second cultivator pivot arm, each pivot arm pivotally attached to the cultivator frame;
- b. a first cultivator support frame and a second cultivator support, each cultivator support affixed to the cultivator frame;
- c. a first hydraulic cylinder pivotally attached to the first cultivator support and the first cultivator pivot arm;
- f. a second hydraulic cylinder pivotally attached to the second cultivator support and the second pivot arm;
- g. a first hitch frame pivotally attached to the first cultivator pivot arm, the first hitch frame having a first cart slide;
- h. a second hitch frame pivotally attached to the second cultivator pivot arm, the second hitch frame having a second cart slide;
- i. said second towed implement having a frame, said frame supporting a first hitch and second hitch, said first hitch having a first slot, therein, for slideably receiving the first cart slide, said second hitch having a second slot, therein, for slideably receiving the second cart slide;
- j. a transport latch assembly further comprising:
- i. a first bracket attached to the first cultivator pivot arm;
- ii a first transport latch pivotally attached to the first bracket;
- iii. a first transport catch affixed to the first cultivator support arm;
- iv. a first transport spring affixed between the first pivot arm and first transport latch;
- v. said first bracket having a first bracket slot, therein, said slot for receiving said first hydraulic cylinder whereby said first cylinder contacts the first transport latch;
- vi. a second bracket attached to the second cultivator pivot arm;
- vii. a second transport latch pivotally attached to the second bracket;
- viii. a second transport catch affixed to the second cultivator support aim;
- ix. a second transport spring affixed between the second pivot arm and second transport latch;
- and
- x. said second bracket having a second bracket slot, therein, said second slot for receiving said second hydraulic cylinder whereby said second cylinder contacts the second transport latch;
- and
- k. a field latch assembly further comprising:
- i. a field latch pivotally attached to the second cultivator pivot arm;
- ii. a field catch affixed to the first cultivator support arm;
- iii. a field spring affixed between the second pivot arm and field latch;
- and
- iv. said field latch contacted by the second hydraulic cylinder.
An adjustable hitch between a first towed implement and a second towed implement, comprising:
- a. a frame affixed on the first towed implement;
- b. a pair of cultivator pivot arms, each arm pivotally attached to the frame;
- and
- c. a pair of hitch frames, each hitch frame having a first end and a second end, said first end pivotally attached to the cultivator pivot arms and the second end pivotally attached to the second towed implement, each said hitch frame pivotally attached to each other at an intermediate point, whereby one pair of ends are positioned apart and the other pair of ends are positioned as vertically aligned.
An agricultural implement hitch made for towing a second implement behind a first implement and said hitch operable to be converted between a field configuration and a transport configuration further comprising:
- a. while said hitch is in the field configuration, the hitch is pivotal relative to the first implement in a plane generally parallel to the ground and substantially not pivotal relative to the second implement in said plane;
- and
- b. while said hitch is in the transport position, the hitch is pivotal relative to the second implement in the plane generally parallel to the ground and substantially not pivotal relative to the first implement in said plane.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.