Swath Roller
OwnerKeith Hauserinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A swath roller is attached to a tractor and includes a first frame with two arms each independently connected to the tractor on an adjustable bracket allowing at least up and down movement of the arm relative to its bracket and a transverse bean across the arms. A second frame carries the roller and is supported on a pair of castor wheels spaced outwardly to respective sides of the roller. The second frame includes a front beam connected to the first frame by a center pivot so as to allow side to side pivotal movement of the second frame and two force transmitting members spaced outwardly of the pivot. Conversion to transport is provided by adding a hitch at one end of the frame and an additional wheel behind the roller at the opposite end and by locking one or more of the wheels against castoring.
Claims17
A swath roller apparatus for attachment to a swather tractor to follow the tractor along a direction of travel to roll a swath, comprising:
- a roller;
- a first frame for attachment to the tractor including two arms and a transverse beam;
- a pair of brackets, each for attachment to a rear member on the swather tractor such that the brackets are located at spaced positions across the rear of the tractor;
- each arm having a hitch coupling at a forward end for connection to a respective one of the brackets, the hitch coupling allowing at least up and down pivotal movement of the arm relative to the respective bracket;
- the transverse beam being connected across the arms generally at right angles to the direction of travel so as to be located transverse to the tractor behind the tractor;
- a second frame for carrying the roller;
- a pair of castor wheels on the second frame at positions thereon spaced outwardly to respective sides of the roller such that the castor wheels roll on the ground and locate a height of the second frame and therefore the roller carried thereon relative to the ground;
- the second frame being connected to the first frame by a coupling arrangement arranged so that the second frame is pulled by the first frame across the ground behind the tractor to guide the roller in a rolling action and so as to allow side to side pivotal movement of the second frame and therefore the roller relative to the first frame about a pivot axis generally along the direction of travel.
A swath roller apparatus for attachment to a swather tractor to follow the tractor along a direction of travel to roll a swath, comprising:
- a roller;
- a coupling for connection to the tractor by which the roller is towed behind the tractor;
- a frame construction for carrying the roller and connected to the coupling so as to be located generally at right angles to the direction of travel transverse to the tractor behind the tractor;
- a pair of castor wheels on the frame construction at positions thereon spaced outwardly to respective sides of the roller such that the castor wheels roll on the ground and locate a height of the frame construction and therefore the roller carried thereon relative to the ground;
- wherein there is provided a hitch member for connection at one end of the frame construction to a towing vehicle arranged to pull longitudinally of the frame construction for towing the roller in a transport position;
- wherein one of the castor wheels at the end of the roller opposite the hitch member includes a locking member by which the castor wheel can be locked in a rolling direction longitudinal of the frame construction for use in the transport position;
- and wherein there is provided a mounting for an additional wheel at a position on a side of the roller opposite to the castor wheel at the end of the frame construction opposite to the hitch member so that the swath roller can be towed in the transport position in the direction longitudinally of the frame construction while supported on the additional wheel and at least one of the two castor wheels.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.