Tillage implement with gauge wheels having hydraulic down-pressure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11464153-B2
Application number	US-201816772087-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 5, 2018
Priority date	Dec 21, 2017
Publication date	Oct 11, 2022
Grant date	Oct 11, 2022

Abstract

A tillage implement has a frame with a center section and first and second outer wing sections hingedly attached to respective outer ends of the center section. Controlling a pressure in a secondary side of a hydraulic circuit enables adjustment of the downward pressure precharge provided by hydraulic cylinders based on a desired stiffness of the implement. Flow from a hydraulic supply through a pressure-reducing valve puts the downward pressure precharge on gauge wheels. Once this desired downward pressure precharge has been achieved, flow from the hydraulic supply is shut off and a check valve holds the pressure such that the hydraulic cylinders hold the gauge wheels in the desired position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A tillage implement, comprising:
a frame having a center section and first and second outer wing sections hingedly attached to outer ends of the center section such that the first and second wing sections can be operably raised and lowered between a field-working position and a transport position, wherein the center section and the first and second outer wing sections carry tillage tools for working the soil as the tillage implement is advanced across a field;
a first vertically adjustable stabilizer-wheel assembly connected to an outer front portion of the first outer wing section, the stabilizer-wheel assembly including a first gauge wheel;
a second vertically adjustable stabilizer-wheel assembly connected to an outer front portion of the second outer wing section, the stabilizer-wheel assembly including a second gauge wheel;
a gauge-wheel pressure system configured to act upon the first and second stabilizer-wheel assemblies, wherein the gauge-wheel pressure system includes a first hydraulic cylinder connected to the first gauge wheel and a second hydraulic cylinder connected to the second gauge wheel, each hydraulic cylinder connecting with its respective gauge wheel through a linkage such that each hydraulic cylinder provides a downward pressure precharge on its respective gauge wheel; and
a hydraulic circuit associated with the gauge-wheel pressure system, the hydraulic circuit including:
a hydraulic supply in a primary side of the hydraulic circuit, wherein the gauge-wheel pressure system includes a pressure-reducing valve configured to regulate a pressure in a secondary side of the hydraulic circuit;
a check valve configured to isolate the pressure-reducing valve and hydraulic circuit from the hydraulic supply; and
a pressure gauge configured to measure the pressure in the secondary side of the circuit and convey the measured pressure to an operator of the tillage implement;

wherein controlling the pressure in the secondary side of the hydraulic circuit enables the operator to adjust the downward pressure precharge provided by the first and second hydraulic cylinders based on a desired stiffness of the implement, and wherein the pressure-reducing valve is configured such that flow from the hydraulic supply through the pressure-reducing valve applies the downward pressure precharge on the gauge wheels, and once the downward pressure precharge has been achieved, flow from the hydraulic supply can be terminated while the check valve holds the pressure such that the first and second hydraulic cylinders hold their respective gauge wheels in a preselected position.

2. The tillage implement of claim 1 , further comprising frame-supporting wheels, the frame-supporting wheels being mounted to wheel-mounting spars which are rigidly attached to a rock shaft, wherein the rock shaft is mounted to the frame for rotational movement relative to the frame controlled by a depth-control system, and wherein the depth-control system includes an actuator configured to rotate the rock shaft and move the frame relative to the frame-supporting wheels upwardly or downwardly to raise or lower a working depth of the tillage tools.

3. The tillage implement of claim 2 , wherein the pressure-reducing valve is configured such that flow from the hydraulic supply through the pressure-reducing valve can be terminated once the tillage tools are at the working depth set by the depth-control system, and wherein the check valve keeps the downward pressure precharge on the gauge wheels, such that the first and second cylinders hold their respective gauge wheels in the desired position.

4. The tillage implement of claim 3 , wherein the pressure-reducing valve, comprises a pilot-operated, sliding spool, screw-in cartridge style, hydraulic pressure-reducing valve.

5. The tillage implement of claim 1 , wherein the hydraulic cylinders are arranged in series such that the second hydraulic cylinder is a slave cylinder to a master cylinder, wherein the master cylinder is the first hydraulic cylinder.

6. The tillage implement of claim 1 , wherein the pressure gauge comprises a transducer and wherein the pressure-reducing valve is electronically controlled such that the pressure in the secondary side is selectively controllable from a cab of a vehicle towing the tillage implement during operations based on conditions encountered by the tillage implement.

7. The tillage implement of claim 1 , wherein the hydraulic circuit contains a pilot-operated check valve configured to isolate the pressure-reducing valve and the hydraulic circuit from the hydraulic supply.

8. The tillage implement of claim 1 , wherein the hydraulic supply is provided by a towing vehicle.

9. A system comprising a vehicle towing the tillage implement of claim 8 , wherein a valve in a hydraulic system of the vehicle is operable to isolate the gauge-wheel pressure system.

10. A tillage implement, comprising:
a frame;
a gang assembly carrying a plurality of tillage tools, the gang assembly including a rotating shaft supported on a support bar, wherein the support bar is mounted to a rock shaft, the rock shaft supported for rotational movement relative to the frame;
a first stabilizer-wheel assembly connected to a first outer front portion of the frame, the stabilizer-wheel assembly including a first gauge wheel connected to the frame by a first linkage;
a second stabilizer-wheel assembly connected to a second outer front portion of the frame, the stabilizer-wheel assembly including a second gauge wheel connected to the frame by a second linkage;
a gauge-wheel pressure system configured to act upon the first and second stabilizer-wheel assemblies, the gauge-wheel pressure system comprising a first hydraulic cylinder configured to move the first linkage relative to the frame and a second hydraulic cylinder configured to move the second linkage relative to the frame; and
a hydraulic circuit associated with the gauge-wheel pressure system, the hydraulic circuit comprising a primary side and a secondary side, the hydraulic circuit including:
a hydraulic supply in the primary side;
a pressure-reducing valve configured to regulate a pressure in the secondary side of the hydraulic circuit;
a check valve configured to isolate the pressure-reducing valve and the secondary side from the hydraulic supply; and
a pressure gauge configured to measure the pressure in the secondary side and convey the measured pressure to an operator of the tillage implement;
wherein the pressure-reducing valve is configured such that flow from the hydraulic supply through the pressure-reducing valve applies the downward pressure precharge on the first and second gauge wheels, and wherein when flow from the hydraulic supply is shut off, the check valve holds the pressure in the secondary side such that the first and second hydraulic cylinders hold the first and second gauge wheels in preselected positions relative to the frame.

11. The tillage implement of claim 10 , wherein the frame comprises a plurality of sections hingedly connected such that at least one of the sections can be operably raised to a transport position and lowered to a field-working position.

12. The tillage implement of claim 11 , wherein the first stabilizer-wheel assembly is connected to a first section of the frame, and wherein the second stabilizer-wheel assembly is connected to a second section of the frame.

13. The tillage implement of claim 10 , further comprising a plurality of frame-supporting wheels mounted to wheel-mounting spars rigidly attached to the rock shaft.

14. The tillage implement of claim 13 , wherein the rock shaf

Assignees

• Agco Corp

Inventors

• Brinker Jarret Lee
• Hughes Jeffrey Scott

Classifications

• A01B73/044

  the axis being oriented in a longitudinal direction (A01B73/042 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F15B2211/50

  Pressure control · CPC title

• F15B19/00

  Testing; {Calibrating; Fault detection or monitoring; Simulation or modelling of} fluid-pressure systems or apparatus not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• A01B63/22 Primary

  operated by hydraulic or pneumatic means · CPC title

• A01B5/04

  drawn by tractors · CPC title