US 6,238,170 B1 · Agricultural implement trailer

Abstract

An agricultural implement trailer for supporting one of a plurality of implements for field usage and transport. The trailer includes a trailer frame supported by transport wheels, and a turntable supporting a hitch member for attachment to a conventional three-point hitch connection on an implement. The hitch member is connected to a horizontally extending arm of the turntable through a linkage assembly including upper and lower link structures defining a parallelogram structure for moving the hitch member from a lowered field-use position to a raised transport position. In the raised transport position, the arm of the turntable supports an implement in cantilever relationship to a pivot member supporting the arm for pivotal movement. During pivotal movement of the arm, the supported implement is pivoted from an orientation with its long axis extending transverse to the longitudinal axis of the trailer to a position where the long axis of the implement is extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the trailer. In moving the implement to its raised transport position, the center of gravity of the implement is moved forwardly of the pivot member, and the linkage assembly is moved to an over center position to provide a stable arrangement for supporting the implement and for pivoting it to its position longitudinally aligned with the axis of the trailer.

Claims23

Dependent claims

An agricultural implement trailer for supporting one of a plurality of implements for field usage and transport, said trailer comprising:

(a) a trailer body including a trailer frame and wheels supporting said trailer frame;
(b) a turntable including an arm having first and second ends, and a pivot member connecting said first end of said arm to said trailer frame for rotation of said turntable about a vertical axis;
(c) a hitch member comprising attachment points for connection to an implement;
(d) a linkage assembly including a proximal end pivotally attached to said arm adjacent said second end of said arm, and said linkage assembly including a distal end supporting said hitch member;
and
(e) said arm extending generally horizontally from said pivot member whereby said second end of said arm supports an implement attached to said hitch member in cantilever relationship to said pivot member, and wherein said turntable is pivotable between a field-use position in which said hitch member and attached implement extend substantially transverse to the rear of said trailer body and a transport position in which said hitch member and attached implement extend longitudinally of said trailer body.

3 more elements

An agricultural implement trailer for supporting one of a plurality of implements for field usage and transport, said trailer comprising:

(a) a trailer body including a trailer frame and wheels supporting said trailer frame;
(b) a turntable and a pivot member connecting said turntable to said trailer frame for rotation of said turntable about a vertical axis;
(c) a hitch member comprising attachment points for connection to an implement;
(d) upper and lower link structures, each of said upper and lower link structures including a proximal end pivotally attached to said turntable, and each of said upper and lower link structures including a distal end supporting said hitch member with said hitch member extending between said distal ends of said upper and lower link structures:
(e) said turntable is pivotable between a field-use position in which said hitch member and an attached implement extend substantially transverse to the rear of said trailer body and a transport position in which said hitch member and attached implement extend longitudinally of said trailer body;
and
(f) a hydraulic cylinder operatively connected to said hitch member for raising said hitch member and attached implement, said hydraulic cylinder extending from an attachment point on one of said link structures to an attachment point on said hitch member.

4 more elements

An agricultural implement trailer for supporting one of a plurality of implements for field usage and transport, said trailer comprising:

(a) a trailer body including a trailer frame and wheels supporting said trailer frame;
(b) a turntable including an arm, and a pivot member connecting said arm to said trailer frame for rotation of said turntable about a vertical axis;
(c) a hitch member comprising attachment points for connection to an implement;
(d) a linkage assembly including a proximal end pivotally attached to said arm, and said linkage assembly including a distal end supporting said hitch member;
(e) said turntable is pivotable between a field-use position in which said hitch member and an attached implement extend substantially transverse to the rear of said trailer body and a transport position in which said hitch member and attached implement extend longitudinally of said trailer body;
(f) said vertical axis of rotation for said turntable is laterally offset from a longitudinal axis of said trailer frame;
and
(g) said arm is laterally offset from said vertical axis of rotation for said turntable such that rotation of said turntable from said field-use position to said transport position locates the longitudinal axis of said arm forwardly of said pivot axis and laterally positions an end of said arm adjacent one side of said trailer body.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Agricultural implement trailer

Life of this patent

Agricultural implement trailer

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims23