Haymaking machine with a coupling device comprising an improved return device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9615498-B2
Application number	US-201414762558-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 4, 2014
Priority date	Feb 7, 2013
Publication date	Apr 11, 2017
Grant date	Apr 11, 2017

Abstract

A haymaking machine includes a chassis supported directly or indirectly on the ground by wheels and a working device connected to the chassis. The chassis includes a coupling device to which two hitching pieces are articulated each bearing a hitching pin for the hitching to the respective lower arms of a tractor. Each hitching piece cooperates with a respective return device. Each return device storing energy when the corresponding hitching pin moves, relative to the coupling device, upward from a first position. Each return device is able to release that energy to the corresponding hitching pin by returning the hitching pin toward the first position. Each return device stores energy when the corresponding hitching pin moves, relative to the coupling device, downward from a second position, and each return device can release that energy to the corresponding hitching pin by returning the hitching pin toward the second position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A haymaking machine, comprising
a chassis supported on the ground by wheels and at least one working device connected to the chassis, the chassis including a coupling device to which a first hitching piece and a second hitching piece are articulated, each of the first and second hitching pieces bearing a hitching pin for hitching to respective first and second lower arms of a tractor,
wherein the first and second hitching pieces respectively cooperate with a first return device and a second return device,
wherein each of the first and second return devices stores energy when the corresponding hitching pin moves, relative to the coupling device, upward from a first position, and each of the first and second return devices being able to release that energy to the corresponding hitching pin by returning the hitching pin toward the first position, and
wherein each of the first and second return devices stores energy when the corresponding hitching pin moves, relative to the coupling device, downward from a second position, and each of the first and second return devices can release that energy to the corresponding hitching pin by returning the hitching pin toward the second position.

2. The haymaking machine according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second hitching piece is articulated to the coupling device by a substantially horizontal pin substantially perpendicular to a direction of advance of the machine.

3. The haymaking machine according to claim 1 , wherein the first return device acts independently of the second return device.

4. The haymaking machine according to claim 1 , wherein the first return device interacts with the second return device.

5. The haymaking machine according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second return devices includes a first return means, each of the first return means stores energy when the corresponding hitching pin moves, relative to the coupling device, upward from the first position, and each of the first return means can release that energy to the corresponding hitching pin by returning the hitching pin toward the first position.

6. The haymaking machine according to claim 5 , wherein at least one of the first return means stores energy when the corresponding hitching pin moves, relative to the coupling device, downward from the second position, and each of the first return means can release that energy to the corresponding hitching pin by returning the hitching pin toward the second position.

7. The haymaking machine according to claim 5 , wherein at least one of the first and second return devices includes a second return means, said second return means stores energy when the corresponding hitching pin moves, relative to the coupling device, downward from the second position, and said second return means can release that energy to the corresponding hitching pin by returning the hitching pin toward the second position.

8. The haymaking machine according to claim 1 , wherein the first position and the second position of each hitching pin are coincident.

9. The haymaking machine according to claim 5 , wherein each of the first return means includes a first elastically deformable element.

10. The haymaking machine according to claim 7 , wherein the second return means includes a second elastically deformable element.

11. The haymaking machine according to claim 9 , wherein at least one first elastically deformable element includes a first compression element acting between a corresponding support of the coupling device and a corresponding hitching pin.

12. The haymaking machine according to claim 9 , wherein at least one first elastically deformable element includes a torsion bar connected to the coupling device and to the corresponding hitching pin.

13. The haymaking machine according to claim 10 , wherein the second elastically deformable element includes a second compression element acting between a corresponding support of the coupling device and a corresponding hitching pin.

14. The haymaking machine according to claim 9 , wherein each of the first elastically deformable elements includes a pad of elastomer material.

15. The haymaking machine according to claim 9 , wherein at least one of the first and second return devices includes at least one rod positioned parallel to the corresponding first elastically deformable element, one end of the rod is connected to the corresponding hitching piece, and the first elastically deformable element acts between a corresponding support of the coupling device and another end of the rod away from the corresponding hitching pin.

16. The haymaking machine according to claim 15 , wherein the at least one rod passes through the corresponding first elastically deformable element.

17. The haymaking machine according to claim 15 , wherein the at least one rod is articulated to the corresponding hitching piece.

18. The haymaking machine according to claim 7 , wherein the second return means has a lower stiffness than that of the first return means.

19. The haymaking machine according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second hitching pieces is connected to a stop, and a distortion of each of the first and second return devices, when the corresponding hitching pin moves, relative to the coupling device, downward from the second position, is limited by said stop bearing against a support of the coupling device.

20. The haymaking machine according to claim 10 , wherein the second elastically deformable element includes a pad of elastomer material.

Assignees

• Kuhn Sa

Inventors

• Speich Cedric
• Schott Mathieu

Classifications

• A01D67/005 Primary

  Arrangements of coupling devices · CPC title

• A01B61/02 Primary

  of the coupling devices between tractor and machine · CPC title

• A01B59/06

  for machines mounted on tractors · CPC title