Reducing wheel forces on a field surface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9930823-B2
Application number	US-201414549725-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 21, 2014
Priority date	Nov 21, 2014
Publication date	Apr 3, 2018
Grant date	Apr 3, 2018

Abstract

A system for reducing implement wheel forces on a field surface has an agricultural implement with a frame mounted on frame wheels and ground engaging tools mounted on the frame. When the ground engaging tools move down to penetrate the field surface they exert an upward tool force on the frame. Support arms are movably connected to the implement frame and a support wheel is rotatably mounted to each support arm. A support bias element exerts a support bias force on each support arm to force the support wheel against the field surface and to correspondingly force the implement frame upward, transferring a supported frame weight from the implement frame to the support wheels, such that an unsupported frame weight is carried on the frame wheels. A bias control varies the support bias forces to maintain the unsupported frame weight at a level greater than the upward tool force.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of reducing implement wheel forces on an agricultural field surface, the method comprising:
providing an agricultural implement comprising an implement frame mounted on a plurality of frame wheels for travel in an operating travel direction and a plurality of ground engaging tools mounted on the implement frame, and wherein the frame wheels support the implement frame and ground engaging tools in a desired orientation with respect to the field surface;
movably connecting a plurality of support arms to the implement frame and rotatably mounting a support wheel to a wheel end of each support arm;
towing the agricultural implement along the field surface with the ground engaging tools penetrating the field surface to a desired working depth, wherein the ground engaging tools exert an upward tool force on the implement frame that is less than a downward force exerted by a frame weight of the implement frame;
exerting a support bias force on each support arm to force the support wheel against the field surface and to correspondingly force the implement frame upward with respect to the support wheel to transfer a supported frame weight from the implement frame to the support wheels, such that an unsupported frame weight is carried on the frame wheels;
selecting the support bias forces such that the unsupported frame weight is greater than the upward tool force.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising selecting the support bias forces such that the portion of supported frame weight carried by each support wheel is about equal to the portion of unsupported frame weight carried by each frame wheel.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the support wheels are larger than the frame wheels and comprising selecting the support bias forces such that the portion of supported frame weight carried by each support wheel is greater than the portion of unsupported frame weight carried by each frame wheel.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the frame wheels and support wheels exert a downward wheel pressure on the field surface depending on a size of a corresponding frame wheel tire and support wheel tire, and comprising selecting the support bias forces such that the downward wheel pressure exerted by the frame wheels is about equal to the downward wheel pressure exerted by the support wheels.

5. The method of claim 1 comprising increasing the desired working depth such that the upward tool force increases, and decreasing the support bias forces.

6. The method of claim 1 comprising decreasing the desired working depth such that the upward tool force decreases, and increasing the support bias forces.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the agricultural implement comprises a plurality of first and second ground engaging tools mounted on the implement frame, and comprising towing the agricultural implement along the field surface with only the first ground engaging tools penetrating the field surface to a first desired working depth while exerting a first support bias force, then lowering the second ground engaging tools to penetrate the field surface to a second desired working depth and changing the first support bias force to a second support bias force that is different than the first support bias force.

8. The method of claim 1 comprising exerting the support bias forces on each support arm with a support hydraulic cylinder mounted at one end to the implement frame and mounted at an opposite end thereof to the support arm, and comprising selecting the support bias forces by selecting a pressure of hydraulic fluid in a first end of the support hydraulic cylinder.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the selected pressure of hydraulic fluid at each support hydraulic cylinder is substantially the same, and wherein a first support hydraulic cylinder has a first diameter and exerts a first support bias force on a first support arm, and a second support hydraulic cylinder has a second diameter greater than the first diameter and exerts a second support bias force on a second support arm that is greater than the first support bias force.

10. The method of claim 8 comprising moving each support arm to a transport position by directing pressurized hydraulic fluid into a second end of the support hydraulic cylinder to raise the support arm and mounted support wheel above the field surface.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein a first end of each support arm opposite the wheel end thereof is pivotally connected to the implement frame about a substantially horizontal arm pivot axis.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein front support arms extend forward from a front end of the implement frame and a front support wheel is pivotally mounted on the wheel end of each front support arm about a vertical caster axis.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the agricultural implement further comprises a cart connected to a rear end of the implement frame by one of the support arms such that the cart is pulled in the operating travel direction behind the implement frame, and wherein the corresponding support wheel is provided by front wheels of the cart.

14. A system for reducing implement wheel forces on an agricultural field surface, the system comprising:
an agricultural implement comprising an implement frame mounted on a plurality of frame wheels for travel in an operating travel direction and a plurality of ground engaging tools mounted on the implement frame, and wherein the frame wheels support the implement frame and ground engaging tools in a desired orientation with respect to the field surface;
a tool control operative to move the ground engaging tools down to penetrate the field surface to a desired working depth, and wherein when penetrating the field surface, the ground engaging tools exert an upward tool force on the implement frame;
a plurality of support arms movably connected to the implement frame and a support wheel rotatably mounted to a wheel end of each support arm;
a support bias element operative to exert a support bias force on each support arm to force the corresponding support wheel against the field surface and to correspondingly force the implement frame upward with respect to the support wheel to transfer a supported frame weight from the implement frame to the support wheels, such that an unsupported frame weight is carried on the frame wheels;
a bias control operative to vary the support bias forces; and
wherein the support bias forces are selected to maintain the unsupported frame weight at a level greater than the upward tool force.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the support bias forces are decreased when the upward tool force increases, and increased when the upward tool force decreases.

16. The system of claim 14 further comprising a force sensor operative to determine a portion of the unsupported frame weight being carried by one of the frame wheels, and a force indicator operative to indicate same to an operator.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the support bias elements are provided by support hydraulic cylinders, each support hydraulic cylinder mounted at one end to the implement frame and mounted at an opposite end thereof to the corresponding support arm, wherein an active support hydraulic source is operative to direct pressurized hydraulic fluid into a first port of each support hydraulic cylinder and allow the hydraulic fluid to flow into and out of the first port to allow the support hydraulic cylinder to extend and retract while exerting the support bias force, and wherein the support bias control is operative to vary a pressure of the hydraulic flui

Assignees

• Bourgault Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Jagow Scot
• Klenz Robert
• Arguin Aden

Classifications

• A01B63/145 Primary

  for controlling weight transfer between implements and tractor wheels · CPC title