Earth working – With means to facilitate mounting of implement on motor vehicle – Implement has ground support
Patent
1995-09-20
1998-04-14
Melius, Terry Lee
Earth working
With means to facilitate mounting of implement on motor vehicle
Implement has ground support
172272, 280186, A01B 5906
Patent
active
057381763
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to a hitching system, of the kind used to hitch an accessory to a tractor.
The invention is particularly applicable to the case where the accessory is, for example, a grass mower, and the tractor is a lawn-and-garden tractor. The invention is particularly applicable when the tractor is powered by battery electricity, or has electric power on board, and when the accessory is also powered from batteries on the tractor.
Hitherto, for hitching accessories such as a grass mower, or a dump bucket, or a snow-blower, or a snow-plough, or a post-hole borer, from a lawn-and-garden tractor, the usual procedure was for the driver to get down from the tractor and make the necessary hitching connections. This could be quite a demanding task, because the accessory had to be man-handled into the correct position relative to the tractor.
The invention is concerned with automatic hitching; that is to say, in the invention, the aim is that the driver drives the tractor into position relative to the accessory, and then operates controls, from the driver's seat, to pick up the accessory, lock it to the tractor, and make the accessory ready for operative use. It is an aim of the invention that the driver of the tractor need not get out of his seat in order to hitch the accessory. Equally, it is an aim that the driver can un-hitch or release the accessory from the tractor, after use, without leaving his seat.
The accessory will often be kept in a suitable storage location, such as a garden-house or utility shed. The operations of hitching and un-hitching will take place in this shed, although occasionally, of course, the accessory will need to be hitch or un-hitched at some other location. An automatic hitching system should enable the accessory to be picked up while the accessory is against a wall of the shed; and it is an aim of the invention to reduce the need to provide access space all around the accessory.
GENERAL FEATURES OF THE INVENTION
The hitching system of the invention provides a pivoting arm, which can be raised or lowered by means of a power-operated variable-length strut. Preferably the pivoting arm is pivoted to the tractor. Preferably, the strut is of the kind that is powered by an electric motor. Preferably, there are two arms, arranged parallel to each other, and pivoted to the tractor about a common pivot axis.
Mounted at the ends of the arms is a cross-beam, which is pivotable with respect to the arms. Pegs are rigidly attached to the cross-beam. The pegs are disposed so as to engage complementary sockets mounted on the accessory.
The driver engages the pegs into the sockets by first positioning the tractor so that the pegs lie over the sockets, and then lowering the arms so that the pegs enter the sockets. The driver lowers the arms by activating the variable length strut.
As the pegs enter into, and become fully engaged into, the sockets, a latch automatically snags the pegs to the sockets. Once the latch is engaged, the driver may now raise the arms (by means of the variable length strut) and by doing so raise also the accessory.
The accessory may be mounted to the tractor, by virtue of the type of hitching system, with a degree of resilient suspension movement of the accessory. The suspension spring or springs may be arranged in compression, to urge the accessory downwards, whereby the reaction to the spring force acts to lift the tractor itself upwards; alternatively, and preferably, the spring may be arranged in tension, to lift the accessory upwards, whereby the reaction to the spring force acts to place (some of) the weight of the accessory onto the tractor.
In previous hitching systems, it has been known for accessories to be mounted in front of, behind, or underneath, the tractor. In the invention, it is preferred that the hitching system be associated with the front of the tractor. Hitching an accessory underneath the tractor is a disadvantage in that access space is required virtually all around the accessory; on the other hand, the underneath-arrangement does promote a
REFERENCES:
patent: 2602389 (1952-07-01), Markel
patent: 3512665 (1970-05-01), Westendorf
patent: 3659362 (1972-05-01), Bell
patent: 3760883 (1973-09-01), Birk
patent: 3887096 (1975-06-01), Wieland
patent: 4214840 (1980-07-01), Beales
patent: 4986722 (1991-01-01), Kaczmarczyk et al.
patent: 5179794 (1993-01-01), Ballinger
patent: 5333400 (1994-08-01), Sonerud
Melius Terry Lee
Novosad Christopher J.
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