# US 7,461,702 B2 · Coupling assembly for a three point hitch assembly > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,461,702 B2 - Document ID: US7461702B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/171,680 - Filed: 2005-06-30 - Published: 2007-01-04 - Granted: 2008-12-09 - Earliest claimed: 2005-06-30 - Inventors: Fred L. Farnsworth; Jason R. Farnsworth - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7461702B2 ## CPC - A01B 59/066: {of the type comprising at least two lower arms and one upper arm generally arranged in a triangle, e.g. three-point hitches} - A01B: SOIL WORKING IN AGRICULTURE OR FORESTRY; PARTS, DETAILS, OR ACCESSORIES OF AGRICULTURAL MACHINES OR IMPLEMENTS, IN GENERAL (making or covering furrows or holes for sowing, planting or manuring A01C5/00; mowers convertible to soil working apparatus or capable of soil working A01D42/04; mowers combined with soil working implements A01D43/12; soil working for engineering purposes E01, E02, E21) ## Abstract A coupling assembly for use with a tractor having a three point mounting hitch assembly having two extension legs telescopically retained by two generally vertical sleeve members slanted towards each other and two lateral extension arms telescopically retained by a cross sleeve member, wherein the lateral extension arms can be extended or retracted and wherein the extension legs can be extended or retracted to alter the relative positions of an upper hook and two lower hooks. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A coupling assembly for connecting an implement to a three point mounting hitch assembly on a tractor, the implement comprising a mounting frame having an upper pin and two lower pins, said coupling assembly comprising: an upper hook to receive and retain the upper pin of an implement, said upper hook mounted on a generally horizontal assembly comprising lateral extension arms; two lower hooks to receive and retain the lower pins of an implement, and extension legs mounted to said lateral extension arms; means to simultaneously extend and retract said lateral extension arms such that the horizontal spread distance between said lower hooks may be increased or decreased; means to independently extend and retract said extension legs, such that the vertical spread distance between said upper hook and said two lower hooks may be increased or decreased. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, further comprising an upper arm assembly comprising means to extend or shorten said upper arm assembly. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The assembly of claim 2, wherein said means to extend or shorten said upper arm assembly comprises a hydraulic cylinder. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The assembly of claim 3, further comprising a cross sleeve member retaining said lateral extension arms in a telescoping manner, wherein said upper arm assembly is joined to said cross sleeve member and said upper hook is joined to said upper arm assembly. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, further comprising two vertical sleeve members retaining said extension legs in a telescoping manner, said vertical sleeve members joined to said lateral extension arms. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The assembly of claim 5, wherein said means to extend and retract said extension legs comprise two electrical actuators. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a cross sleeve member retaining said lateral extension arms in a telescoping manner. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The assembly of claim 7, wherein said means to simultaneously extend and retract said lateral extension arms comprises an electrical actuator operating a dual piston cylinder. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The assembly of claim 1, wherein said extension legs are non-parallel to each other. ### Claim 10 A coupling assembly to connect an implement to a three point mounting hitch on a tractor, the tractor three point mounting hitch assembly comprising an upper arm mounting means and two lower arm assemblies each having a lower hitch arm, said coupling assembly comprising: an upper hook and two lower hooks, said lower hooks disposed on two extension legs telescopically retained by two vertical sleeve members; two lateral extension arms telescopically retained by a cross sleeve member, said vertical sleeve members mounted to said lateral extension arms and said upper hook mounted to said cross sleeve member; means to simultaneously extend and retract said lateral extension arms, such that the distance between said lower hooks may be increased or decreased; means to independently extend and retract said extension legs, such that the vertical distance between the upper hook and the lower hooks may be increased or decreased. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The assembly of claim 10, further comprising an upper arm assembly connected to said cross sleeve member, said upper arm assembly comprising means to extend or shorten said upper arm assembly. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The assembly of claim 11, wherein said upper arm assembly is adapted to connect to a mounting bracket on a tractor, and wherein said extension legs further comprise mounting brackets to receive lower hitch arms of a tractor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The assembly of claim 10, wherein said means to simultaneously extend and retract said lateral extension arms and said means to independently extend and retract said extension legs comprise electrical actuators. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The assembly of claim 11, wherein said means to extend or shorten said upper arm assembly comprises a hydraulic cylinder. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The assembly of claim 10, wherein said vertical sleeve members are non-parallel to each other, such that the vertical sleeve members slant towards each other at their upper ends. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The assembly of claim 15, wherein said vertical sleeve members are slanted at an angle of approximately 10 to 15 degrees from vertical. ### Claim 17 A coupling assembly in combination with a tractor having a three point mounting hitch comprising an upper arm mounting means and two lower arm assemblies each having a lower hitch arm, said coupling assembly adapted to temporarily retain an implement comprising a mounting frame having an upper pin and two lower pins, said coupling assembly comprising: an upper hook to receive and retain the upper pin of an implement; two lower hooks to receive and retain the lower pins of an implement, said lower hooks disposed on two extension legs telescopically retained by two vertical sleeve members, wherein said vertical sleeve members are slanted towards each other, and wherein said extension legs are connected to said tractor lower hitch arms; two lateral extension arms telescopically retained by a cross sleeve member, wherein said lateral extension arms extend and retract in opposite directions from said cross sleeve member and wherein said vertical sleeve members are mounted to said lateral extension arms and said upper hook is mounted to said cross sleeve member; an upper arm assembly connected to said cross sleeve member and to said tractor upper arm mounting means, said upper arm assembly comprising means to extend or shorten said upper arm assembly; means to simultaneously extend and retract said lateral extension arms relative to said cross sleeve member, such that the distance between said vertical sleeve members, said vertical leg extensions, lower hooks may be increased or decreased; means to independently extend and retract said extension legs relative to said vertical sleeve members, such that the vertical distance between the upper hook and the lower hooks may be increased or decreased. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The assembly of claim 17, wherein said means to simultaneously extend and retract said lateral extension arms and said means to independently extend and retract said extension legs comprise electrical actuators, and wherein means to extend or shorten said upper arm assembly comprises a hydraulic cylinder. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The assembly of claim 17, further comprising means to lock in a particular position said means to simultaneously extend and retract said lateral extension arms, said means to independently extend and retract said extension legs comprise electrical actuators, and said means to extend or shorten said upper arm assembly comprises a hydraulic cylinder. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The assembly of claim 17, wherein said vertical sleeve members are slanted towards each other at an angle of approximately 10 to 15 degrees from vertical.