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US 6,578,641 B2Granted
Hitch system with synchronized cylinders
AssigneeDeere & Company
InventorsGerd Bernhardt, Sergiy Fedotov, Ruslan Rudik, Heinz Weiss
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An implement/vehicle hitch system for coupling implements to a utility vehicle includes two hydraulic cylinders for adjusting the position of the implement. The hydraulic cylinders are connected to a pair of motor/pump units which cause the hydraulic cylinders to operate in a synchronous manner.
Claims10
An implement/vehicle hitch system comprising:
- a hitch mounted on the vehicle and having left and right coupling members;
- first and second hydraulic cylinders, each coupled to a corresponding one of the coupling members for adjusting a position thereof, each cylinder having a rod end chamber and a piston end chamber;
- a pressure source;
- a first valve assembly for controlling communication between the pressure source and the cylinders;
- first and second gear-type motor/pump units, each motor/pump unit having first and second rotors coupled together by a shaft;
- and
- a second valve assembly for controlling communication between the cylinders and the motor/pump units, the second valve assembly having an open position wherein the first rotor of the first unit is communicated with a rod end chamber of the first cylinder, the second rotor of the first unit is communicated with a piston end chamber of the second cylinder, the first rotor of the second unit is communicated with a rod end chamber of the second cylinder, the second rotor of the second unit is communicated with a piston end chamber of the first cylinder, the motor/pump units causing the cylinders to operate synchronously when the second valve assembly is open and the first valve assembly closes communication between the pressure source and the cylinders.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.