Retractable row crop tire guard
AssigneeAGCO Corporation
InventorsJeremiah T. Rau, Todd B. Snyder
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tire guard for a wheel of an agricultural vehicle includes a fender having a first width substantially covering a width of the wheel and a crop shield having a forward area and a back area. A first bracket connects the fender to the wheel and a second bracket connects the crop shield to the wheel. The crop shield is movable over the fender between a first position and a second position. In the first position, the forward area of the crop shield is disposed proximate an upper portion of the wheel and the back area of the crop shield is disposed proximate a rear portion of the wheel. In the second position, the forward area of the crop shield is disposed proximate a front portion of the wheel and the back area of the crop shield is disposed proximate an upper portion of the wheel.
Claims20
A tire guard for use with a ground-engaging wheel of an agricultural vehicle that is movable in a travel direction through a field of row-planted crops, the tire guard comprising:
- a fender portion having a first width substantially covering a width of the wheel;
- a crop shield portion having forward area and a back area;
- a first bracket assembly connecting the fender portion to the wheel;
- and
- a second bracket assembly connecting the crop shield portion to the wheel;
- wherein the crop shield portion is movable over the fender portion between:
- a first position, wherein the forward area of the crop shield portion is disposed proximate an upper portion of the wheel and wherein the back area of the crop shield portion is disposed proximate a rear portion of the wheel relative to the travel direction;
- and
- a second position, wherein the forward area of the crop shield portion is disposed proximate a front portion of the wheel relative to the travel direction and wherein the back area of the crop shield portion is disposed proximate an upper portion of the wheel.
A tire guard for use with a ground-engaging wheel of a device that is movable in a travel direction, the tire guard comprising:
- a fender portion having a first width substantially covering a width of the wheel;
- a crop shield portion having a forward area and a back area;
- a first bracket assembly connecting the fender portion to the wheel;
- and
- a second bracket assembly connecting the crop shield portion to the wheel;
- wherein the crop shield portion is movable over the fender portion between:
- a first position, wherein a major portion of the fender portion is covered by the crop shield portion;
- and
- a second position, wherein a major portion of the fender portion is exposed by the crop shield portion.
A method of using a tire guard with a ground-engaging wheel of a device that is movable in a travel direction, wherein the tire guard comprises:
- a fender portion having a first width substantially covering a width of the wheel;
- a crop shield portion having a forward area and a back area;
- a first bracket assembly connecting the fender portion to the wheel;
- and
- a second bracket assembly connecting the crop shield portion to the wheel;
- the method comprising:
- moving the crop shield portion over the fender portion between a first position and a second position;
- wherein in the first position, a major portion of the fender portion is covered by the crop shield portion;
- and
- wherein in the second position, a major portion of the fender portion is exposed by the crop shield portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.