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US 9,844,173 B2Granted
Side folding toolbar for chemical applicator
AssigneeFAST Global Solutions, Inc.
InventorsVerlyn K. Fast, James B. Prohaska
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A multi-row agricultural soil treatment implement includes a semi-trailed carriage and a rearward folding toolbar. The toolbar is suspended from the semi-trailed carriage through parallel links and includes a center section, flex hinges, main wings, main wing latches, and outer flip wings operatively connected to hydraulic cylinders to move them between transport and field position. The main wings fold rearward relative to the center section and are supported by a transport rack but they retain the ability to pivot up or down as needed for ground contour following capability or row end turning.
Claims21
A multi-row side-folding toolbar for a multi-row agricultural implement comprising:
- (a) a center section adapted to be pivotally secured to an associated carriage frame through parallel link arrangements, said center section being forward of said carriage frame;
- (b) a pair of main wing sections extending out from and flanking said center section, each main wing section having a first end connected to said center section and a second end;
- (c) a pair of unitary flex hinge structures, one connecting the first end of each main wing section to an associated end of said center section, each unitary flex hinge structure being configured to fold a corresponding one of the main wing sections rearwardly to a position adjacent said carriage frame, wherein each of said unitary flex hinge structures provides a dual pivotal function and in a first aspect comprises a side fold hinge having an upper hinge mount including an upper collar that defines an upper aperture, a lower hinge mount including a lower collar that defines a lower aperture, and a cylinder lug mounting plate, the upper hinge mount and the lower hinge mount being directly attached to and vertically separated by said cylinder lug mounting plate and being mounted to pivot about a generally vertical axis defined by a hinge pin disposed on said center section and in a second aspect is connected to the first end of a corresponding one of said main wing sections by a generally horizontal pivotal connection with said corresponding one of said main wing sections, each of said unitary flex hinge structures further comprising a down pressure lug plate having a vertically extending edge that is adjacent said upper collar, said vertically extending edge being in substantial vertical alignment with said cylinder lug mounting plate, said upper hinge mount being mounted to said down pressure lug plate;
- (d) a latch mechanism including a latch member disposed to operate between the center section and the first end of each connected main wing section for selectively securing each of said pair of main wing sections in parallel relation to said center section, said latch mechanism including an alignment arrangement including opposed guiding wear plates;
- and
- (e) a plurality of actuator devices for selectively pivoting each of said flex hinge structures generally horizontally to rearwardly-fold and unfold each main wing section, pivoting each main wing section generally vertically, and operating each latch member, said plurality of actuator devices including a pair of force-applying linear actuators, each connected to a respective one of said down pressure lug plates and a respective leveraging structure on said corresponding one of said main wing sections, each force-applying linear actuator being configured to pivot said corresponding one of said main wing sections about said generally horizontal axis and to selectively raise or apply an amount of down force to said corresponding one of said main wing sections, each of said force-applying linear actuators being configured to exert a force that is coplanar with a mid plane of said down pressure lug plate, said mid plane coinciding with said generally vertical axis of said hinge pin.
3 more elements
A multi-row agriculture implement system comprising:
- (a) a towed trailer carriage assembly adapted to be pivotally attached to a prime mover and further comprising a rolling carrier frame for carrying an application storage reservoir and supporting a rearward-folding toolbar, said frame comprising a transport rack support assembly behind the storage reservoir;
- (b) said rearward-folding toolbar carried by said carriage assembly, further comprising:
- (i) an independent center section adapted to be pivotally secured to said carrier frame through parallel link arrangements;
- (ii) a pair of main wing sections extending out from and flanking said center section, each main wing section having a first end connected to said center section and a second end;
- (iii) a pair of unitary flex hinge structures, one connecting the first end of each main wing section to an associated end of said center section, wherein each of said unitary flex hinge structures provides a dual pivotal function and in a first aspect comprises a side fold hinge having an upper hinge mount including an upper collar that defines an upper aperture and a lower hinge mount including a lower collar that defines a lower aperture, and a cylinder lug mounting plate, the upper hinge mount and the lower hinge mount being directly attached to and vertically separated by said cylinder lug mounting plate and being mounted to pivot about a generally vertical axis defined by a hinge pin disposed on said center section and in a second aspect is connected to the first end of a corresponding one of said pair of main wing sections by a generally horizontal pivotal connection with said corresponding one of said main wing sections, each of said unitary flex hinge structures further comprising a down pressure lug plate having a vertically extending edge that is adjacent said upper collar, said vertically extending edge being in substantial vertical alignment with said cylinder lug mounting plate, said upper hinge mount being mounted to said down pressure lug plate;
- (iv) a latch mechanism including a latch member disposed to operate between the center section and the first end of each connected main wing sections for selectively securing each of said pair of main wing sections in parallel relation to said center section, said latch mechanism including an alignment arrangement including guiding wear plates;
- and
- (v) a plurality of actuator devices for selectively pivoting each of said flex hinge structures generally horizontally to rearwardly-fold and unfold each main wing section, pivoting each main wing section generally vertically, and operating each latch member, said plurality of actuator devices including a pair of force-applying linear actuators, each connected to a respective one of said down pressure lug plates and a respective leveraging structure on said corresponding one of said main wing sections, each force-applying linear actuator being configured to pivot said corresponding one of said main wing sections about said generally horizontal axis and to selectively raise or apply an amount of down force to said corresponding one of said main wing sections, each of said force-applying linear actuators being configured to exert a force that is coplanar with a mid plane of said down pressure lug plate, said mid plane coinciding with said generally vertical axis of said hinge pin.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.