Shank assembly for an agricultural implement with adjustable biasing forces and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018317370-A1
Application number	US-201715586372-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 4, 2017
Priority date	May 4, 2017
Publication date	Nov 8, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

In one aspect, a shank assembly for an agricultural implement may include a shank and a biasing element configured to exert a biasing force on the shank. The shank assembly may also include a reversible mounting plate defining a mounting aperture offset from a centerline of the reversible mounting plate such that a position of a second mounting location of the biasing element relative to a first mounting location of the biasing element differs depending on whether the reversible mounting plate is provided in a first orientation relative to the biasing element or a second orientation relative to the biasing element. The biasing element may exert a first biasing force on the shank when the reversible member is oriented in the first orientation and a second, different biasing force on the shank when the reversible member is oriented in the second orientation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A shank assembly for an agricultural implement, the shank assembly comprising:
a shank; a biasing element configured to exert a biasing force on the shank, the biasing element being compressed between a first mounting location for the biasing element and a second mounting location for the biasing element; a reversible mounting plate configured to be positioned relative to the biasing element in one of a first orientation or a second orientation, the reversible mounting plate defining a mounting aperture positioned at the second mounting location for the biasing element, the mounting aperture being offset from a centerline of the reversible mounting plate such that a position of the second mounting location relative to the first mounting location differs depending on whether the reversible mounting plate is provided in the first orientation or the second orientation relative to the biasing element; wherein the biasing element exerts a first biasing force on the shank when the reversible member is oriented in the first orientation and a second biasing force on the shank when the reversible member is oriented in the second orientation, the first biasing force being different than the second biasing force.

2 . The shank assembly of claim 1 , wherein the biasing element defines a first compressed length between the first and second mounting locations when the reversible member is oriented in the first orientation and a second compressed length between the first and second mounting locations when the reversible member is oriented in the second orientation, the first compressed length being different than the second compressed length.

3 . The shank assembly of claim 1 , wherein the biasing element comprises a first spring.

4 . The shank assembly of claim 3 , wherein the biasing element comprises a second spring positioned concentrically within the first spring.

5 . The shank assembly of claim 4 , wherein the first spring has a spring constant that differs from a spring constant of the second spring.

6 . The shank assembly of claim 1 , wherein the reversible mounting plate corresponds to a first reversible mounting plate and the mounting aperture corresponds to a first mounting aperture, the reversible mounting plate further comprising a second reversible mounting plate spaced apart from the first reversible plate, the second reversible mounting plate defining a second mounting aperture configured to be aligned with the first mounting aperture at the second mounting location.

7 . The shank assembly of claim 1 , wherein the reversible mounting plate is coupled to a portion of the shank.

8 . The shank assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first mounting location is defined by at least one mounting plate configured to be coupled to a frame a the agricultural implement.

9 . The shank assembly of claim 8 , wherein the shank is pivotably coupled to the at least one mounting plate.

10 . An agricultural implement, comprising:
a frame; a shank configured to be pivotable to the frame; a biasing element configured to exert a biasing force on the shank, the biasing element being compressed between a first mounting location for the biasing element and a second mounting location for the biasing element; a reversible mounting plate configured to be positioned relative to the biasing element in one of a first orientation or a second orientation, the reversible mounting plate defining a mounting aperture positioned at the second mounting location for the biasing element, the mounting aperture being offset from a centerline of the reversible mounting plate such that a position of the second mounting location relative to the first mounting location differs depending on whether the reversible mounting plate is provided in the first orientation or the second orientation relative to the biasing element; wherein the biasing element exerts a first biasing force on the shank when the reversible member is oriented in the first orientation and a second biasing three on the shank when the reversible member is oriented in the second orientation, the first biasing force being different than the second biasing force.

11 . A method for adjusting a biasing force on a shank of a shank assembly configured to be provided in operative association with an agricultural implement, the shank being pivotably coupled to a frame of the implement, the shank assembly further including a biasing element configured to exert a biasing force on the shank, the biasing element being compressed between a first mounting location for the biasing element and a second mounting location for the biasing element, the method comprising:
removing a reversible mounting plate of the shank assembly that was initially oriented at a first orientation relative to the biasing element, the reversible mounting plate defining a mounting aperture positioned at the second mounting location for the biasing element, the mounting aperture being offset from a centerline of the reversible mounting plate such that a position of the second mounting location relative to the first mounting location differs depending on whether the reversible mounting plate is provided in the first orientation or a second orientation relative to the biasing element, the biasing element configured to exert a first biasing force on the shank when the reversible member is oriented in the first orientation; adjusting the orientation of the reversible mounting plate from the first orientation to the second orientation; and reinstalling the reversible mounting plate relative to the biasing element such that the reversible mounting plate is oriented at the second orientation and the biasing element exerts a second biasing force on the shank, the second biasing force being different than the first biasing force.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the biasing element defines a first compressed length between the first and second mounting locations when the reversible member is oriented in the first orientation and a second compressed length between the first and second mounting locations when the reversible member is oriented in the second orientation, the first compressed length being different than the second compressed length.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the biasing element comprises a first spring.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the biasing element comprises a second spring positioned concentrically within the first spring.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the first spring has a spring constant that differs from a spring constant of the second spring.

16 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the reversible mounting plate corresponds to a first reversible mounting plate and the mounting aperture corresponds to a first mounting aperture, the reversible mounting plate further comprising a second reversible mounting plate spaced apart from the first reversible plate, the second reversible mounting plate defining a second mounting aperture configured to be aligned with the first mounting aperture at the second mounting location.

17 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the reversible mounting plate is coupled to a portion of the shank.

18 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the first mounting location is defined by at least one mounting plate configured to be coupled to a frame of the agricultural implement.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the shank is pivotably coupled to the at least one mounting plate.

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Kovach Michael G

Classifications

• A01B61/04

  of the connection between tools and carrier beam or frame · CPC title

• A01B35/24

  Spring tools · CPC title

• A01B23/02 Primary

  Teeth; Fixing the teeth · CPC title

• A01B63/008 Primary

  Vertical adjustment of tools (A01B63/10 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A01B63/24

  Tools or tool-holders adjustable relatively to the frame · CPC title