Remote leveling of tillage implements

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9572296-B2
Application number	US-201414566102-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 10, 2014
Priority date	Dec 11, 2013
Publication date	Feb 21, 2017
Grant date	Feb 21, 2017

Abstract

An agricultural implement for supporting a plurality of gangs of disk blades extending generally laterally relative to a forward travel direction. The implement has carrier frames pivotally connected to wheel assemblies for controlling the height of the carrier frames relative to the ground through hydraulic actuators acting on the wheel assemblies. The hydraulic control unit enables independent and individual control of each actuator. An electronic control unit (ECU) receives displacement signals from the actuators and stores the signals when the agricultural implement is on a reference surface for synchronized set points. Thereafter any deviation from the synchronized set point is corrected.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An agricultural implement spanning a lateral distance relative to a forward direction, said implement comprising:
a plurality of carrier frames, each for supporting a plurality of soil engaging tools;
at least one supporting element carried by each carrier frame for variably positioning the carrier frame relative to the soil;
an actuator having a base and a variably extending elongated element connected between said each supporting element and said respective carrier frame for varying the position of said respective carrier frame relative to the soil;
a sensor determining the displacement of the respective carrier frame relative to the soil at said at least one supporting element;
an actuator control unit for each actuator to move said actuator independently in response to a signal input; and
an electronic control unit (ECU) establishing a desired synchronized reference signal and comparing it to the signal from each said sensor to send a resultant signal to said actuator control unit for individually varying the position of each elongated element to reach the synchronized reference signal.

2. The agricultural implement of claim 1 , in which the sensor determines the displacement of the elongated element relative to the base of each of said actuator.

3. The agricultural implement of claim 1 , in which each actuator is hydraulic.

4. The agricultural implement of claim 3 , wherein each actuator has a piston and a rod extending from the piston to provide the variably extending elongated element, said each actuator being hydraulically connected to said actuator control unit.

5. The agricultural implement of claim 4 , further comprising a hydraulic pump for pressurizing hydraulic fluid and delivering it to said actuator control unit.

6. The agricultural implement of claim 5 , in which the ECU controls said actuator control units.

7. The agricultural implement of claim 4 , in which the displacement sensor connects between actuator body and said rod to provide said displacement readings.

8. The agricultural implement of claim 1 , in which the variable positioning components are wheel assemblies pivotally connected to said carrier frames for varying the distance of said carrier frames relative to the soil.

9. The agricultural implement of claim 1 , in which there is a pivotal connection between the plurality of carrier frames.

10. The agricultural implement of claim 9 , having a center section with a pair of wheels supporting said carrier frame and at least one pair of outer carrier frames each being supported by a wheel assembly.

11. The agricultural implement of claim 1 , in which the tools are gangs of disk blades for tilling the soil.

12. The agricultural implement of claim 1 , in which the ECU controls the rate of displacement for each individual actuator.

13. The agricultural implement of claim 1 , in which the desired synchronized reference signal is established using a flat reference plane on which the agricultural implement is placed.

14. The agricultural implement of claim 3 , wherein at least a portion of the actuators are hydraulically connected in series but able to be independently controlled.

15. A method of leveling an agricultural implement relative to the soil, said agricultural implement including a plurality of articulated carrier frames, each for supporting a plurality of soil engaging tools, at least one supporting element carried by the carrier for variably positioning the carrier frame relative to the soil and an actuator for each supporting element, the actuator having a base and variably elongated element connected between the supporting elements and the carrier frame for setting the position of the carrier frame relative to the soil, the method comprising the steps of:
determining a synchronized set point for displacement of each carrier frame relative to the soil at said supporting element;
individually determining the displacement of the elongated element relative to the base of said sensor;
comparing the synchronized set point and the actual displacement of said actuator to apply individually a correcting signal to level said carrier frame.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein said reference plane where each of the tools touch is a flat reference surface.

17. The method of claim 15 , in which the actuators are hydraulic and all air is expelled from the actuator control system and actuator before taking the step of determining the synchronized reference plane.

18. The method of claim 15 , in which the agricultural implement has a center section and at least a pair of carrier frames pivotally connected to the center section.

19. The method of claim 15 , in which the variable positioning of the carrier frames is through wheel assemblies pivotally connected to said carrier frame and acted on by said actuators to variably position the carrier frames.

20. The method of claim 19 , in which the actuators are hydraulic.

Assignees

• Cnh Ind Canada Ltd

Inventors

• Henry James W
• Meiners Tracey D

Classifications

• A01B63/22 Primary

  operated by hydraulic or pneumatic means · CPC title