Front folding arrangement for agricultural tillage implement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9554497-B2
Application number	US-201414528356-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2014
Priority date	Dec 11, 2013
Publication date	Jan 31, 2017
Grant date	Jan 31, 2017

Abstract

An agricultural tillage implement including a main frame section having a pull hitch tube extending in a travel direction, which may be a telescoping pull hitch tube, and a tool bar coupled with and extending transverse to the pull hitch tube, and a plurality of pivotally coupled wing sections coupled with the main frame section. Each of the plurality of wing sections have at least one pivotal wing front shank frame. A main shank frame straddles the pull hitch tube. The main shank frame, the pivotal wing front shank frames, and the wing sections articulate from an operating configuration to a transport configuration.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An agricultural tillage implement, comprising:
a main frame section including a pull hitch tube extending in a travel direction;
a main shank frame pivotally coupled with said main frame section, said main shank frame operable to pivot up and over said main frame section when in a transport configuration, and operable to pivot down and forward of said main frame section in said travel direction when in an operating configuration; and
at least one wing section pivotally coupled with said main frame section about at least one generally vertical axis, said at least one wing section operable to pivot forward in said travel direction about said at least one generally vertical axis to a position adjacent to and generally parallel with said pull hitch tube when in said transport configuration, said at least one wing section operable to pivot outward about said at least one generally vertical axis to a position perpendicular to said pull hitch tube when in said operating configuration.

2. The agricultural tillage implement of claim 1 , wherein:
said main frame section further comprises a tool bar attached to and extending transverse to said pull hitch tube; and
said main shank frame being pivotally coupled to said tool bar of said main frame section.

3. An agricultural tillage implement,
comprising:
a main frame section including a pull hitch tube extending in a travel direction, said main frame section having a tool bar attached to and extending transverse to said pull hitch tube;
a main shank frame pivotally coupled with said main frame section, said main shank frame operable to pivot up and over said main frame section when in a transport configuration, and operable to pivot down and forward of said main frame section when in an operating configuration,
said main shank frame being pivotally coupled to said tool bar of said main frame section;
at least one wing section pivotally coupled with said main frame section about at least one generally vertical axis, said at least one wing section operable to pivot forward about said at least one generally vertical axis to a position adjacent to and generally parallel with said pull hitch tube when in said transport configuration, said at least one wing section operable to pivot outward about said at least one generally vertical axis to a position perpendicular to said pull hitch tube when in said operating configuration, wherein:
said main shank frame further comprises a left main shank sub-frame and a right main shank sub-frame, said main shank frame straddling said pull hitch tube when in said operating configuration, such that said left main shank sub-frame is beneath and to the left of said pull hitch tube and said right main shank sub-frame is beneath and to the right of said pull hitch tube.

4. The agricultural tillage implement of claim 3 , wherein:
said at least one wing section further comprises at least one segmented wing section, said at least one segmented wing section allowing vertical articulation; and
said tool bar further comprises a segmented tool bar, said segmented tool bar allowing vertical articulation, said segmented tool bar extending at least to an outermost wing section segment.

5. The agricultural tillage implement of claim 4 , further comprising:
at least one wing front shank frame pivotally attached to said at least one segmented wing section, said at least one wing front shank frame operable to pivot to a generally vertical position when in said transport configuration and operable to pivot to a generally horizontal position when in said operating configuration.

6. The agricultural tillage implement of claim 5 , wherein:
said at least one segmented wing section further comprises a left inner wing section segment, a left middle wing section segment, a left outer wing section segment, a right inner wing section segment, a right middle wing section segment, and a right outer wing section segment; and
said at least one wing front shank frame further comprises a left inner wing front shank frame, a left middle wing front shank frame, a left outer wing front shank frame, a right inner wing front shank frame, a right middle wing front shank frame, and a right outer wing front shank frame.

7. The agricultural tillage implement of claim 4 , further comprising:
at least one wing section rear auxiliary implement pivotally coupled with said at least one segmented wing section, said at least one wing section rear auxiliary implement operable to pivot to a generally vertical position when in said transport configuration and operable to pivot to a generally horizontal position when in said operating configuration.

8. The agricultural tillage implement of claim 4 , further comprising:
at least one diagonally angled draft tube extending from said at least one segmented wing section to a forward end of said pull hitch tube;
said at least one segmented wing section being pivotally coupled with said main frame section about said at least one generally vertical axis at a rearward end of said pull hitch tube; and
said pull hitch tube further comprising a telescoping pull hitch tube, said telescoping pull hitch tube and said at least one diagonally angled draft tube cooperating to pivot said at least one segmented wing section forward about said at least one generally vertical axis to said position adjacent to and generally parallel with said telescoping pull hitch tube upon extension, and said telescoping pull hitch tube and said at least one diagonally angled draft tube cooperating to pivot said at least one segmented wing section outward about said at least one generally vertical axis to said position perpendicular to said telescoping pull hitch tithe upon contraction.

9. A series of at least two coupled wing section segments for an agricultural tillage implement, said series of at least two coupled wing section segments comprising:
at least one inner wing section segment being pivotally connected about at least one generally vertical axis to a main frame section of the agricultural tillage implement and about at least one inner longitudinal axis, said at least one inner wing section segment being operable to pivot forward about said at least one generally vertical axis to a position adjacent to and generally parallel with said main frame section when in a transport configuration, and being operable to pivot outward about said at least one generally vertical axis to a position perpendicular to said main frame section when in an operating configuration, and being further operable to pivot vertically about said at least one inner longitudinal axis, said at least one inner wing section including at least one segmented toolbar inner segment;
at least one additional wing section segment pivotally connected about at least one additional generally longitudinal axis to said at least one inner wing section segment, said at least one additional wing section segment being operable to pivot vertically about its connection to said at least one inner wing section segment, said at least one additional wing section segment including at least one segmented toolbar segment;
at least one inner wing front shank frame pivotally connected to said at least one inner wing section segment, said at least one inner wing front shank frame being operable to pivot to a generally vertical position when in said transport configuration, and being operable to pivot to a generally horizontal working position forward of said at least one inner wing section segment in a travel direction when in said operating configuration; and
at least one additional wing front shank frame pivotally connected to said at least one additional wing section segment, said at least one additional wing front

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Sudbrink Matthew R
• Knobloch Dean A

Classifications

• A01B73/065 Primary

  to a position essentially forward of the axis, in relation to the direction of travel · CPC title

• A01B29/048 Primary

  Bar cage rollers · CPC title

• A01B73/044

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