Hitch mechanism for coupling implements to a vehicle
AssigneeDeere & Company
InventorsHeinz Weiss, Gerd Bernhardt, Mario Wünsche, Sergiy Fedotov
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A hitch mechanism for coupling an implement to a utility vehicle includes a coupling frame and six variable length links. The frame has couplers for coupling to the implement. Each link has a first end coupled to the vehicle and a second end coupled to the coupling frame. The links are preferably arranged in the form of a hexapod, so that, in addition to the functions of known three-point hitches, the implement may be steered sideways or shifted sideways, and so that the motion of the coupling frame has six degrees of freedom.
Claims10
A hitch for coupling an implement to a utility vehicle, comprising:
- a coupling frame for coupling to the implement;
- and
- six variable length links, each link having a first end connected to the vehicle and having a second end connected to the coupling frame, the links being arranged in closed kinematic chains so that the coupling frame is movable with six degrees of freedom, the first ends of the links being coupled in three pairs to positions near to corners of a first triangle, the second ends of the links being coupled in three pairs to positions near to corners of a second triangle, and the first triangle being smaller than the second triangle so that axis of at least two of the links converge in a forward direction of the vehicle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.