Detachable side mount hitch system for an agricultural implement
AssigneeBucyrus Equipment Co., Inc.
InventorGary H. Dover
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hitch system for attaching an agricultural implement to a towing vehicle, includes a side mount hitch having a pair of longitudinally spaced and upwardly oriented hitch balls connected to a side of the towing vehicle and a pair of longitudinally spaced hitch arms pivotally connected to an adjacent side of the implement. Each hitch arm carries a hitch coupler adapted to engage a respective one of the hitch balls proximate its distal end. The hitch arms are moveable between a raised transport position and a lowered working position wherein the couplers engage the hitch balls. The hitch system may also include a towing hitch for connecting the implement behind the towing vehicle during transport.
Claims25
A hitch system for attaching an agricultural implement alongside a towing vehicle, said implement and said towing vehicle each having a front end, a rear end and opposed sides extending longitudinally between said front and rear ends, said hitch system comprising:
- a) a pair of longitudinally spaced hitch arms, each said arm having a proximate end and a distal end, each said proximate end being pivotally connected to one of the implement or the towing vehicle on one of said sides adjacent to the other of the implement or the towing vehicle;
- b) respective first coupling means mounted on the distal end of each of said arms for selectively engaging respective second coupling means on said other of the implement or the towing vehicle;
- wherein
- c) said arms are moveable between a raised and substantially vertically extending transport position and a lowered and laterally extending working position wherein said first coupling means are engaged with said second coupling means;
- and further including
- d) a respective linear actuator connected to each said arm for moving said arms between said transport position and said working position.
A hitch system for attaching an agricultural implement alongside a tractor having a tractor frame and an operator's station, said implement and said tractor each having a front end, a rear end and opposed sides extending longitudinally between said front and rear ends, said hitch system comprising:
- a) a pair of longitudinally spaced hitch arms, each said arm having a proximate end and a distal end, each said proximate end being pivotally connected to the implement on one of said sides thereof;
- b) a pair of ball couplers each mounted on the distal end of one of said arms for selectively engaging a respective one of a pair of hitch balls on the tractor;
- said hitch balls include a forward hitch ball secured to the tractor frame proximate a front extremity thereof and a rearward hitch ball secured to the tractor frame just forward of the operator's station;
- and wherein
- c) said arms are moveable between a raised and substantially vertically extending transport position and a lowered and laterally extending working position wherein said ball couplers are engaged with said hitch balls.
A hitch system for attaching an agricultural implement having a frame and a front dolly wheel assembly including a wheel carrier rotatably connected to the frame to a towing vehicle, said hitch system comprising:
- a) a pair of longitudinally spaced hitch arms, each said arm having a proximate end and a distal end, each said proximate end being pivotally connected to one of the implement or the towing vehicle on a side adjacent to the other of the implement or the towing vehicle;
- b) respective first coupling means mounted on the distal end of each of said arms for selectively engaging respective second coupling means on said other of the implement or the towing vehicle;
- and
- c) a towing hitch for alternatively attaching the implement behind the towing, said towing hitch comprising:
- i) a tongue having proximate and distal ends, said proximate end being pivotally connected to the wheel carrier of the dolly wheel assembly;
- and
- ii) hitch means on said distal end of said tongue for coupling said tongue to a rear portion of the towing vehicle.
A hitch system for attaching an agricultural implement alongside a towing vehicle, wherein the implement includes a frame with an elongate longitudinal frame member positioned along a first side of the implement, the hitch system comprising:
- a) a pair of longitudinally spaced and upwardly oriented hitch balls connected to a side of the towing vehicle adjacent the first side of the implement;
- b) a pair of elongate hitch arms, each said arm having a proximate end and a distal end, each said proximate end including a transverse pin receiver;
- c) a pair of arm attaching brackets mounted on the longitudinal frame member and longitudinally spaced therealong, each said bracket having a pair of outwardly extending vertical flanges, each said flange having a pin receiver formed therein;
- d) a pair of clevis pins, each said clevis pin being simultaneously received by the transverse pin receiver in a respective one of said arms and the pin receivers of a respective one of said arm attaching brackets;
- e) a pair of hitch couplers, each said hitch coupler being connected to a respected one of said hitch arms proximate its distal end, said hitch couplers each being adapted to engage a respective one of said hitch balls;
- f) a pair of outriggers, each said outrigger reinforcing a respective one of said arms and including a hinge portion lying generally parallel to the respective arm and a connecting portion interconnecting the respective hinge portion to the respective arm, each said hinge portion having a proximate end including a transverse pin receiver;
- g) a pair of outrigger attaching brackets mounted on the longitudinal frame member and longitudinally spaced therealong, each said bracket having a pair of outwardly extending vertical flanges, each said flange having a pin receiver formed therein;
- h) a pair of clevis pins, each said clevis pin being simultaneously received by the transverse pin receiver in a respective one of said outriggers and the pin receivers of a respective one of said outrigger attaching brackets;
- and
- i) a pair of linear actuators, each said linear actuator being connected between a respective one of said arms and its respective arm attaching bracket;
- said actuators acting to move said arms between a raised transport position and a lowered working position wherein the couplers each engage a respective one of said hitch balls on the towing vehicle.
A hitch system for attaching an agricultural implement to a towing vehicle, said hitch system comprising:
- a) a side hitch for attaching the implement alongside the towing vehicle, comprising:
- i) a pair of longitudinally spaced and upwardly oriented hitch balls connected to a first side of the towing vehicle;
- ii) a pair of longitudinally spaced arms pivotally connected to the implement frame on a side of the implement adjacent to said first side of the towing vehicle, each said arm having a distal end and a hitch coupler connected thereto proximate said distal end;
- and
- iii) a pair of linear actuators, each said linear actuator being connected between a respective one of said arms and the implement frame;
- said actuators acting to move said arms between a raised transport position and a lowered working position wherein the couplers each engage a respective one of said hitch balls on the towing vehicle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.