Steerable agricultural implement with adaptable wheel spacing
AssigneeCNH Industrial America LLC
InventorsMichael J. Connors, Brian Anderson, Marvin A. Prickel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An agricultural implement is provided that includes a hitch assembly configured to couple the agricultural implement to a tow vehicle. The agricultural implement also includes a carrier frame pivotally coupled to the hitch assembly by a main pivot joint such that the main pivot joint resists substantially all lateral loads between the carrier frame and the hitch assembly. The agricultural implement further includes a pair of wheel assemblies each rotatably coupled to the carrier frame by a respective knuckle pivot joint, and an actuator assembly configured to rotate each wheel assembly about the respective knuckle pivot joint while the agricultural implement is in both a working and transport position.
Claims19
An agricultural implement, comprising:
- a hitch assembly configured to couple the agricultural implement to a tow vehicle;
- a carrier frame pivotally coupled to the hitch assembly;
- a main pivot joint configured to pivotally couple the carrier frame to the hitch assembly, wherein the main pivot joint is configured to resist substantially all lateral loads between the carrier frame and the hitch assembly;
- a pair of wheel assemblies each rotatably coupled to the carrier frame by a respective pivot joint, wherein each wheel assembly is positioned laterally outward from the hitch assembly, and wherein no structural element of the carrier frame or the hitch assembly is positioned between the pair of wheel assemblies;
- and
- an actuator assembly configured to rotate each wheel assembly about the respective pivot joint.
An agricultural implement, comprising:
- a hitch assembly configured to couple the agricultural implement to a tow vehicle;
- a carrier frame pivotally coupled to the hitch assembly by a single main pivot joint, wherein the main pivot joint is configured to resist substantially all lateral loads between the carrier frame and the hitch assembly;
- a pair of wheel assemblies each rotatably coupled to the carrier frame by a respective knuckle pivot joint, wherein each wheel assembly is positioned laterally outward from the hitch assembly;
- and
- an actuator assembly configured to rotate each wheel assembly about the respective knuckle pivot joint while the agricultural implement is in both a working and transport position.
An agricultural implement, comprising:
- a hitch assembly configured to couple the agricultural implement to a tow vehicle;
- a carrier frame pivotally coupled to the hitch assembly by a main pivot joint;
- a pair of main lift cylinders each extending between the hitch assembly and the carrier frame, and each configured to selectively lower the hitch assembly into a working position and raise the hitch assembly into a transport position, wherein the carrier frame is coupled to the hitch assembly only by the main pivot joint and the pair of main lift cylinders, and wherein the carrier frame is interchangeable to accommodate various row spacings;
- a pair of wheel assemblies each rotatably coupled to the carrier frame by a respective knuckle pivot joint, wherein each wheel assembly is positioned laterally outward from the hitch assembly;
- and
- an actuator assembly configured to rotate each wheel assembly about the respective knuckle pivot joint.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.