System for aligning skid-mounted equipment on an agricultural product applicator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10743464-B2
Application number	US-201715684574-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 23, 2017
Priority date	Aug 23, 2017
Publication date	Aug 18, 2020
Grant date	Aug 18, 2020

Abstract

An equipment skid is aligned on the frame of an agricultural product applicator defining substantially mutually perpendicular fore-aft, transverse and vertical axes of the frame, by utilizing an alignment system having a vertically extending frame mounting surface defined by the frame, and a vertically extending skid mounting surface defined by the skid. The frame and skid mounting surfaces are adapted for mating connection with one another to substantially align the skid with the frame along a substantially vertical mounting plane. A pair of laterally-spaced, juxtaposed, vertically extending skid alignment features are defined by the frame mounting surface, and a skid-mounted alignment block extending from the skid mounting surface is adapted for insertion between and into operative engagement with the pair of skid alignment features for aligning the skid with the frame on the vertical mounting plane.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for aligning an equipment skid on a frame of an agricultural product applicator defining substantially mutually perpendicular fore-aft, transverse and vertical axes of the frame, the alignment system comprising:
a vertically extending frame mounting surface defined by the frame;
a pair of laterally-spaced, juxtaposed, vertically extending skid alignment features projecting from the frame mounting surface, the pair of skid alignment features defining an insertion cavity therebetween;
a vertically extending skid mounting surface defined by the skid;
a vertically extending skid-mounted alignment block extending from the skid mounting surface, the skid-mounted alignment block adapted for insertion into the insertion cavity between the pair of skid alignment features and into operative engagement with the pair of skid alignment features for aligning the skid with the frame;

wherein:
the skid-mounted alignment block is adapted to be brought into an alignment position by insertion into the insertion cavity between the pair of skid alignment features by horizontally moving at least one of the frame and the skid toward each other along an axis perpendicular to the frame mounting surface and the skid mounting surface and by vertically moving the skid mounting surface along a plane generally parallel to the frame mounting surface; and
the vertically extending frame mounting surface and the vertically extending skid mounting surface are in operative contact with the skid-mounted alignment block in the alignment position.

2. The alignment system of claim 1 , wherein the skid alignment features are facing edges of spaced, substantially parallel, vertically extending frame-mounted alignment bars fixedly attached to the frame and extending outward from the frame mounting surface.

3. The alignment system of claim 2 , further comprising:
a second pair of laterally-spaced, juxtaposed, vertically extending skid alignment features defined by the frame mounting surface; and
a second skid-mounted alignment block extending from the skid mounting surface and adapted for insertion between and engagement with the second pair of skid alignment features for aligning the skid with the frame along the vertically extending mounting plane.

4. The alignment system of claim 3 , wherein the second set of skid alignment features are facing edges of a second set of spaced, substantially parallel, vertically extending frame-mounted alignment bars fixedly attached to the frame and extending outward from the mounting surface of the frame.

5. A system for aligning an equipment skid on a frame of an agricultural product applicator defining substantially mutually perpendicular fore-aft, transverse and vertical axes of the frame, the alignment system comprising:
a vertically extending frame mounting surface defined by the frame;
a pair of laterally-spaced, juxtaposed, vertically extending skid alignment features projecting from the frame mounting surface, the pair of skid alignment features defining an insertion cavity therebetween;
a vertically extending skid mounting surface defined by the skid; and
a vertically extending skid-mounted alignment block extending from the skid mounting surface, the skid-mounted alignment block adapted for insertion into the insertion cavity between the pair of skid alignment features and into operative engagement with the pair of skid alignment features for aligning the skid with the frame;

wherein:
the skid-mounted alignment block is adapted to be inserted into the insertion cavity between the pair of skid alignment features by horizontally moving at least one of the frame and the skid toward each other along an axis perpendicular to the frame mounting surface and the skid mounting surface and by vertically moving the skid mounting surface along a plane generally parallel to the frame mounting surface; and
the frame and skid are further configured for mating contact along a substantially horizontally extending mounting surface of the frame defining and forming part of a substantially horizontally extending mounting plane, and the skid-mounted alignment block is brought into position between the alignment features of the vertically extending frame mounting surface by moving the skid parallel to the horizontal mounting plane as the vertically extending mounting surfaces of the frame and skid are brought into operative contact with one another.

6. A system for aligning an equipment skid on a frame of an agricultural product applicator defining substantially mutually perpendicular fore-aft, transverse and vertical axes of the frame, the alignment system comprising:
a vertically extending frame mounting surface defined by the frame;
a pair of laterally-spaced, juxtaposed, vertically extending skid alignment features projecting from the frame mounting surface, the pair of skid alignment features defining an insertion cavity therebetween;
a vertically extending skid mounting surface defined by the skid; and
a vertically extending skid-mounted alignment block extending from the skid mounting surface, the skid-mounted alignment block adapted for insertion into the insertion cavity between the pair of skid alignment features and into operative engagement with the pair of skid alignment features for aligning the skid with the frame;

wherein:
the skid-mounted alignment block is adapted to be inserted into the insertion cavity between the pair of skid alignment features by horizontally moving at least one of the frame and the skid toward each other along an axis perpendicular to the frame mounting surface and the skid mounting surface and by vertically moving the skid mounting surface along a plane generally parallel to the frame mounting surface;
the skid alignment features are facing edges of spaced, substantially parallel, vertically extending frame-mounted alignment bars fixedly attached to the frame and extending outward from the frame mounting surface; and
the frame and skid are further configured for mating contact along a substantially horizontally extending mounting surface of the frame defining and forming part of a substantially horizontally extending mounting plane, and the skid-mounted alignment block is brought into position between the alignment features of the vertically extending frame mounting surface by moving the skid parallel to the horizontal mounting plane as the vertically extending mounting surfaces of the frame and skid are brought into operative contact with one another.

7. A system for aligning an equipment skid on a frame of an agricultural product applicator defining substantially mutually perpendicular fore-aft, transverse and vertical axes of the frame, the alignment system comprising:
a vertically extending frame mounting surface defined by the frame;
a pair of laterally-spaced, juxtaposed, vertically extending skid alignment features projecting from the frame mounting surface, the pair of skid alignment features defining an insertion cavity therebetween;
a vertically extending skid mounting surface defined by the skid;
a vertically extending skid-mounted alignment block extending from the skid mounting surface, the skid-mounted alignment block adapted for insertion into the insertion cavity between the pair of skid alignment features and into operative engagement with the pair of skid alignment features for aligning the skid with the frame;
a second pair of laterally-spaced, juxtaposed, vertically extending skid alignment features defined by the frame mounting surface; and
a second skid-mounted alignment block extending from the skid mounting surface and adapted for insertion between and engagement with the second pair of skid alignment features for aligning the skid with the frame along th

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Roach William A
• Ruppert Rex L

Classifications

• B60P3/30 Primary

  Spraying vehicles (sprinkling-wagons for fertilising liquid A01C23/00; for destruction of noxious animals, vermin, or unwanted vegetation A01M; {vehicle-mounted spraying installations for de-icing aircraft B64F5/23;} for spraying asphalt, bitumen, tar, or the like E01C; for cleaning streets E01H) · CPC title

• A01M7/0082

  Undercarriages, frames, mountings, couplings, tanks · CPC title

• A01C23/008 Primary

  Tanks, chassis or related parts · CPC title

• A01C23/047

  Spraying of liquid fertilisers · CPC title

• B62D65/02

  Joining sub-units or components to, or positioning sub-units or components with respect to, body shell or other sub-units or components · CPC title