FR3083664A1 - CHASSIS FOR AGRICULTURAL MACHINE WITH EASILY INTERCHANGEABLE TOOLS - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a chassis (10) for agricultural machinery, the chassis being intended to be coupled, by a first side (10a), to an agricultural machinery of the tractor type and comprising, on a second opposite side of said chassis, several door modules -tools (30) integral with the chassis, characterized in that each tool-holder module (30) comprises two parts: -a first part (32) permanently fixed to the chassis, and -a second part (34) provided with a tool which is removably installed on the first part, the second part being mechanically attached to the first part and locked to the latter.

Description

EASY INTERCHANGEABLE TOOLS FOR ENGI N AGRI COLE TOOLS

The present invention relates to a chassis for agricultural machinery which is intended to be coupled to an agricultural machinery of the tractor type.

One of the challenges in the production of vegetable foodstuffs is to limit the presence of undesirable plants in the crops to be harvested.

These plants, called weeds, compete with the crop, limit its development and completely destroy it or introduce unwanted toxic components into the crop.

To limit, even eradicate, the development of weeds, the solutions currently implemented are essentially chemical and result in the use of molecules which eliminate weeds or parasites, while preserving the culture in place.

These solutions have led to an unprecedented increase in global production of plant-based foods.

However, these solutions are increasingly criticized by a large part of the population who wish to limit the use of chemical substances in crops.

This phenomenon incites to rethink agricultural practices in this area.

Limiting, even eliminating, the use of chemical substances in the cultivation of food of plant origin, in addition to conventional agricultural operations for the production of such food (sowing, weeding ...), requires the use of several different tools to work the surface layer of the soil or to act on the weeds that develop above the soil.

To carry out these operations, and in particular the destruction of weeds, it is necessary to make repeated passages with the tools as close as possible to the plants to be preserved.

In view of these constraints, it appeared useful to design a chassis allowing to couple different types of tools and to make a tool change on the chassis to go from one operation to another with a different tool.

The present invention thus relates to a chassis for agricultural machinery, the chassis being intended to be coupled, by a first side, to an agricultural machine of the tractor type and comprising, on a second opposite side of said chassis, several integral tool-holder modules of the chassis, characterized in that each tool holder module comprises two parts:

- a first part permanently fixed to the chassis, and

- a second part provided with a tool which is removably installed on the first part, the second part being mechanically attached to the first part and locked to the latter.

The use of such a module allows, by equipping each second part of each module (or at least some second parts) with a tool to simply change tools by changing the second part of the module. Note that the interchangeable tool carried by the second part of the module can include one or more working parts or elements (ground or above ground).

Each tool, or more particularly the working part or parts of each tool, is or are positioned at the same distance (or substantially identical distance) from the portion of the second part of the module which interfaces with the first part of the module, this which thus guarantees a substantially constant positioning (constant geometry) relative to the agricultural machine, in particular its rear axle, towing the implement (s).

The second part of a module is in particular mechanically hooked to the first part without using a tool (for example such as pliers or screwdrivers to set up a plurality of fastening members), which simplifies the mounting operation and therefore installation. The second part and the first part comprise complementary complementary mounting or attachment elements or members integrated or attached to the part concerned and which cooperate with one another in order to carry out the mechanical attachment (mounting).

The only additional element used is the locking member (s) which serves or then serve to lock the second part in the service position on the first part.

Locking does not require any screwing or bolting operation (long and tedious operation especially when several tools are to be mounted on the chassis, sometimes replacing other tools already in place) in order to be able to quickly install in the service position each second part of a tool holder module on the first part of the module and quickly remove (uninstall) the second tooled part from the first part of the module. Locking involves, for example, a part which simply locks in the final position of use (service position) the second part which has been hooked to the first part.

According to other possible characteristics:

- The second part of the module is capable of being mechanically hooked to the first part without being locked there; this attachment or mechanical coupling thus allows the second part to be mechanically supported by the first part; it can be a temporary mounting position or a waiting position that does not correspond to the service position or final functional position of use in which the tool is in the operational position and the machine can tow the chassis with the tools thus positioned;

- the second part of the module comprises at least two mounting members:

a first mounting member which is able to cooperate mechanically with a first mounting area of the first part of the module in order to mechanically hook the second part to the first part, and a second mounting member which is able to cooperate mechanically with a second mounting area of the first part of the module; the second mounting member may not be used when the second part of the module is simply hooked to the first part without being locked there and the second mounting member does not mechanically cooperate with the second mounting area; it may for example be a mounting position separate from the service position if the second party can occupy two different positions;

- The chassis comprises at least one locking member which is capable of mechanically cooperating with the second mounting member in order to mechanically lock the second part to the first part; locking can thus take place when the second mounting member cooperates mechanically with the second mounting area of the first part (eg service position);

- Said at least one locking member comprises a removable part which, for locking, is capable of being force-fitted between the first part of the module and the second mounting member in order to prevent the latter from being withdrawn; unlocking can be achieved by forcing in reverse direction on the part (for example with a mass or a lever); locking and unlocking are particularly simple and rapid operations;

- The two mounting members comprise two horizontal axes arranged one above the other, the first mounting zone comprising a lower yoke open upwards and intended to receive the first lower axis, the second mounting zone comprising an upper yoke open horizontally towards the outside of the first part and intended to receive the second upper axis; in this arrangement the first axis is first engaged in the lower yoke to mechanically hang the second part there, then, by pivoting, the second upper axis is engaged in the open upper yoke; at least one locking member is then introduced behind the second axis, between the latter and a portion of the second part, in order to prevent the withdrawal of the second axis from the upper yoke; other similar arrangements are possible;

the second part of the module is capable of adopting two distinct positions, namely a first position in which the second part is mechanically hooked at a level of attachment to the first part of the module without being locked there and a second position wherein the second part is mechanically hooked to the first part of the module and is locked to the latter; the attachment zone corresponds for example to the first mounting zone of the first part with which the first mounting member cooperates;

- the second part of the module is able to pass from the first position to the second position by pivoting around the attachment zone.

Other characteristics and advantages will appear during the description which follows, given solely by way of nonlimiting example and made with reference to the drawings in the appended drawings, in which:

- Figure 1 is a general schematic side view showing a chassis including a tool holder module according to one embodiment of the invention;

- Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view from above of the chassis 10 of Figure 1 equipped with several different tools installed through several tool holder modules according to one embodiment of the invention;

- Figure 3 is an isolated schematic view of the tool holder module of Figure 1 in a non-final mounting position;

- Figure 4 is a schematic isolated perspective view from above of the tool holder module of Figure 3;

- Figure 5 illustrates in perspective the two parts of the tool holder module of the previous figures in a position apart from one another before the installation of a tool on the chassis;

- Figure 6 is a perspective view of the fixed part of the chassis with the fixed part of the module and the parallelogram;

- Figure 7 schematically illustrates the constant geometry provided by the chassis according to an embodiment of the invention for two separate operations using two different tools.

Figure 1 shows a frame 1 0 which is intended to be coupled, by a first side 10a (on the left of Figure 1) to an agricultural machine such as a tractor not shown in the figure.

The chassis or coupling element comprises for example a structure 12 which is intended to be coupled to the agricultural machine and on which is fixed an elongated beam 14 mounted transversely to the longitudinal direction A of movement of the chassis.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the beam 14 comprises several sections, a fixed central section 14a framed by two movable lateral sections 14b, 14c, which are able to be folded upwards each by means of a jack mechanism 16 of known type which is for example mounted on the central section 14a.

Returning to FIG. 1, a parallelogram 18 is formed of two pairs of two arms parallel to each other with each arm which is hingedly mounted at each of its two opposite ends and the arms arranged at the same dimension are linked together by horizontal reinforcement crosspieces. Only two arms 18a, 18b are shown in Figure 1 (the other two arms 18c, 18d are shown in Figure 6) and the axes a1, a2 and a3 of the horizontal reinforcing beams are shown in Figure 1. A different number sleepers can however be used.

The parallelogram 18 is integral with the chassis and, more particularly, with the beam 14, for example by means of a fixing plate 20 which is clamped on the beam.

The chassis comprises a jack 22 for retracting and adjusting the pressure on the ground which makes it possible to orient the arms of said parallelogram and thus to adjust its height / position relative to the ground. The cylinder acts for example on the reinforcement cross member a1. This cylinder is for example a double-acting cylinder which allows to modulate the pressure of the parallelogram and thus to adapt to the hardness of the soil (in case of drought the pressure must be increased). It will be noted that a damper 23, for example made of rubber or equivalent damping material, for example integral with the plate 20, makes it possible to damp the movement of raising the parallelogram 18 by means of the square or axis a1 abutting this damper.

In addition, a minimum force is to be applied to a gauge wheel (ex: wheel 42 in FIG. 1). The chassis can have one or more wheels (eg two wheels) per set which includes a parallelogram and a tool holder module depending on the configuration of the tool. For example, the set includes a wheel when the number of rows worked by the set is even and two wheels when the number of rows worked by the set is odd. It doesn't matter whether the tool is in the ground or above it.

The structure of the parallelogram 18 is shown in more detail in FIG. 2 which moreover shows, in the chassis 10, a plurality of parallelograms, for example identical, arranged in parallel with one another.

The chassis 10 of FIG. 2 comprises, on a side opposite to the side 10a coupled to the agricultural machine, several tool-holder modules 30 integral with said chassis and each carrying one or more tools. The tools illustrated in Figure 2 are not all identical from one module to another. However, all the modules have a common part (which does not include the tools) which will be described with reference to FIG. 1.

The module 30 of FIG. 1 generally comprises two parts, namely:

a first part 32 permanently fixed to the chassis, for example by means of an articulation link with one of the two opposite ends of each of the arms of the parallelogram 18,

- A second part 34 provided with a tool (here the tool is represented by a tool 36 which is a seed drill but the tool can be of a completely different type as evidenced by the various tools of FIG. 2) which is removably mounted on the first part 32.

In Figure 1, the second part 34 is mechanically attached to the first part 32 and mechanically locked to the latter by means of a removable locking member 38.

Figure 3 is an isolated side view of the single module 30 in the position mechanically attached to the first part.

Generally, in this first position (mounting position), the second part 34 is mechanically hooked to the first part 32, for example by a first mounting member, at a hooking zone Z1 of the first part without being locked.

Figure 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the module of Figure 3 in which, in general, the second part 34 is also mechanically attached to the first part 32, for example by a second mounting member, at a second attachment zone Z2 situated above the first zone Z1 and is mechanically locked to this first part, for example by means of the locking member 38 in FIG. 1.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the second part 34 is capable of passing from the first position in FIG. 3 to the second position in FIG. 4 by pivoting around the first attachment zone Z1.

The different Figures 1 to 4 illustrate a particular embodiment of a tool holder module according to the invention which will now be described.

However, other possible embodiments which implement the general teaching of the module described above are possible.

As shown more particularly in the figures, the second part 34 comprises two mounting members which here comprise two axes A1 and A2 arranged one above the other in FIGS. 1 and 4 (hooked and locked position).

The first part 32 comprises, for its part, at the two respective mounting zones Z1 and Z2 of complementary mounting elements for mechanically cooperating with the two mounting members A1 and A2.

The complementary mounting elements comprise, on the one hand, at the level of the zone Z1, a lower yoke C1 open vertically upwards to receive the first lower axis A1 and, on the other hand, at the level of the zone Z2, a upper yoke C2 open horizontally towards the outside of the first part (in the opposite direction of the portion of the first part which is connected to the parallelogram) to receive the second upper axis A2.

As shown in Figure 3, when the axis A1 is inserted from the top into the lower yoke C1 the second part 34 is mechanically suspended from the first part 32 by this mechanical attachment system.

In the embodiment shown, the second part 34 comprises a plate 34a on which the two axes A1 and A2 are mounted parallel to each other by means of two flanges (only the flange 34b is illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4) parallel and integral with an internal face of the plate oriented towards the first part 32. The plate 34 comprises, on a face opposite external to the face carrying the mounting pins, a possible example of mounting support 40 for one or more non-tools shown here.

In the embodiment shown, the first part 32 comprises two vertical sides spaced parallel to each other 32a and 32b which each include:

- at a first end oriented in the direction of the chassis (front of the tool-holder module), supports for axes S1 and S2 for an articulated connection with the arms of the parallelogram (not shown here) of the chassis arranged for example one at - above the other (Figure 3),

- At a second opposite end oriented away from the chassis (rear of the tool holder module) and in the direction of the second part 34, receiving elements forming yokes, arranged for example one above the other, for receive the axes A1 is A2.

It will be noted that the yoke elements C1 and C2 are, in this embodiment, each made in two parts, with a part integral with each of the two sides 32a and 32b. FIG. 5 represents the two parts 32 and 34 of the module moved apart from one another before the installation of the second part 34 on the first part 32.

The first part 32 may also comprise, at the first end of the two sides, a plate 32c perpendicular to the sides and close said first part on the side of the chassis. This plate 32c is configured to receive and removably fix thereon a wheel 42 with horizontal axis of rotation (the plane of the wheel extends substantially vertical) mounted on a support 44 (FIG. 1) and which makes it possible to adjust the height of the chassis by relative to the ground and therefore the depth at which the tools can work.

This wheel is for example mounted via a support on the plate 32c by means of a threaded rod t which cooperates with the upper edge 32d folded outwards. Other types of mounting of the wheel on the tool holder module can alternatively be envisaged.

Alternatively, this wheel can be removably mounted at the rear of the tool holder module.

Note that the two sides 32a and 32b can be connected to each other by a transverse reinforcement piece 32e. The two sides are perforated in their central portion for the purpose of stiffening. The reinforcement piece 32e thus connects between them two arms 32f and 32g at or near which the yoke elements C1 and C2 are located which will undergo mechanical stresses during the towing of the tools by the tractor.

As already mentioned above, a locking member 38 (other types of locking members with various shapes can alternatively be used and in particular more than one locking member can be used) is shown in FIG. locked position while the second part 34 is only mounted in its first hooked position and not in the second hooked position in which it can be locked. The position of the locking member of Figure 3 can also be a storage position so as not to lose it when the second part 34 is not locked and, for example, is being replaced or installation.

As shown more particularly in FIG. 4, the first part 32 of the module comprises, fixed between the two sides 32a and 32b, two retaining pieces P1 and P2 which locally close the space between the two sides at the height corresponding to the positioning of each of the pieces. These two parts are positioned closer to the second end of the sides oriented away from the chassis than the upper receiving element in the form of a clevis C2. These two parts P1 and P2 are further apart vertically from one another in order to allow, in the absence of a locking member, the passage of the axis A2 so that it is inserted in force into the reception element C2. In this configuration, when the axis A2 is mounted in the receiving element C2 (FIG. 4) the locking member 38 is inserted vertically between this axis and the two parts P1 and P2 so that this member serves as a mechanical stop for the axis and prevents the return to the position of FIG. 3. It will be noted that the configuration of the parts P1 and P2 is adapted to allow the locking member 38 to be kept in a fixed position and, for example, these parts are thus provided with a notch for receiving said member.

As shown in FIG. 4, the parts P1 and P2 for example each have a U shape, the opening of which is oriented towards the interior of the first part 32.

The locking member 38 has for example a wedge shape whose thinned part is inserted between the parts P1 and P2, on the one hand, and the axis A2, on the other hand, to ensure the locking of the parts 32 and 34. The thickened part of the corner makes it possible to vertically retain the latter by mechanical locking between the axis A2 and the parts P1 and P2. The thickened part of the corner can also be provided with a zone 38a forming a fastening finger to facilitate the gripping of this member and its vertical withdrawal in order to unlock the two parts 32 and 34.

To install a tool on a tool holder module according to an embodiment of the invention, it is sufficient, as illustrated in the successive figures 5, 3 and 4 or 1, to proceed as follows:

bring the second part 34 module opposite the open rear face of the first part 32, the second part being equipped with a specific tool (it will be noted that the tool can be removably mounted on the second part 34 or be in solidarity with it);

position the axis A1 above the reception element C1 and introduce it vertically into abutment at the bottom of this element, as illustrated in FIG. 3, in order to ensure the mechanical attachment of the second part 34 on the first part 32 (in this attachment position the second part 34 is generally inclined; if necessary, the parallelogram can be raised to the high position (for example at a height of about 80 cm via the jack 22) in order to be able to engage the second part in an inclined position on the first part if the height of the second part equipped with the tool does not allow it to be mounted in an inclined position; if necessary, this dimension can be increased by the height provided by the hydraulic lifting of the tractor);

-remove the locking member 38 and rotate the second part 34 around the axis A1 so as to bring the axis A2 into abutment at the bottom of the housing of the receiving element C2 and, then, insert the 'member 38 as explained above in connection with Figure 4 in order to obtain the locking of the second part 34 on the first part 32 of the module.

No additional mounting tool (such as pliers, wrench, screwdriver ...) is necessary to install an agricultural tool on the chassis and the same is true for uninstalling such a tool of the chassis and replace it with another. It is sufficient, for example, to release the member 38 with a light hammer blow or to use a lever to unlock. The installation and uninstallation operations are therefore particularly simple and rapid with the tool holder module according to the invention. The interchangeability of the tools is therefore particularly improved with the tool holder module according to the invention, which is particularly advantageous for changing the tools throughout the evolution of the cultivation from semi to harvest.

Examples of interchangeable tools include a row seed drill with discs, a seed drill, an organic fertilizer locator, a plow hoe, a gas burner for thermal destruction, a harrow harrow, a precision seed drill, a shredder located on the inter-row, a device for destroying weeds by electrocution, a device for destroying by laser, a device for incorporating fertilizers to avoid losses by evaporation, a device for treatment located on a row ... As shown in Figure 6, the plate 20 on which is fixed each chassis parallelogram is extended, for example above the shock absorber 23, by a support part 50 of different supplies and arrivals d 'energies, fluids and foodstuffs ... necessary for the various tools likely to come and interface on the chassis via the tool holder module. The support part 50 could however be separated from the plate 20 and / or be arranged differently in space. The support part 50 carries, for example, the inlets or connections for gas 52, for seed 54 (conduit for conveying granules, for example), for electricity 56 and 58 (electrical outlets or connections allowing for example to supply the burner, an electric motor such as that used on a blade cutting tool, etc.), liquid fertilizer 60. A connection 62 for the suction of a seed drill but may also be provided on the support part 50. Depending on the tool installed on the chassis, the necessary connection (s) or connections are made very simply thanks to this universal interface specific to each chassis.

In addition, the support part 50 also comprises a hydraulic block 64 comprising two high 64a and low 64b solenoid valves and on the right the equipment for supplying and controlling the jack 22. An individual control of each jack is necessary in order to be able, if necessary, actuate the actuator at the headland (for example following information received by a GPS sensor on the agricultural machine).

In the prior art, during a tool change, the assembly formed of parallelograms and of the different tools had to be translated along the transverse beam (beam 14 in FIG. 1) to change the width of the inter-row or to change tools. An assembly specific to each tool mounted on the transverse beam of the chassis was therefore present in the prior art.

The chassis comprising several assemblies each formed by a tool-holder module makes it possible to maintain a constant geometry between the agricultural machine, such as a tractor, which tows the chassis and the various tools (the working part or parts of the tools) allowing to carry out all cultivation operations (sowing, weeding, destruction of weeds ...). This makes it easier to guide, especially in curves. Furthermore, the geometry between the tractor and the working parts makes it possible to maintain the same impact on the positioning of the working parts, passage after passage, in the event of a change of direction of the tractor.

FIG. 7 very schematically illustrates the constant geometry obtained with the chassis according to the invention regardless of the tool installed on the chassis. In the example, the distance a between the rear axle of the tractor and the implement used for sowing (view on the left), more particularly a working part of the implement, is equal to the distance b between the rear axle of the tractor and the implement used for hoeing (work of the implement in the inter row on the right view).

The tool holder module allows relatively precise positioning (for example of the order of a centimeter) of a tool in the line spacing.

The fixed geometry of the tractor-chassis assembly fitted with tools makes it possible to limit or even eliminate the use of a trajectory correction system for the assembly.

The geometry of the assembly does not change or changes very little, the corrections are of small amplitude and can be carried out simply by replacing the conventional mechanical stabilizers of the tractor by a hydraulic jack which makes it possible to move the lower linkage arms of the hitch conventional automatically by slaving via GPS positioning information or via a ground guidance probe.

The different working tool (s) installed on the rear face of each of the tool-holder modules linked to the chassis follow the contours of the ground or ground by means of the gauge wheel (for example 42 in FIG. 1). These tools can be retracted hydraulically via the jack 22 up to a height of about 80 cm from the ground so as not to damage the crops during headland maneuvers.

More particularly, the tools can be retracted automatically at the headland, either from the driving position of the agricultural machine, or automatically by means of a positioning sensor of GPS type.

It is also possible to choose its inter row (note that the crops are sown in rows, the inter row corresponds to the distance between two sowing rows). Easily without any disassembly, by retracting the unused parallelograms on the chassis and thus, for example, choosing an inter row of 25 cm for straw cereals, 50 cm for sunflowers and 75 cm for corn.

Alternatively, a suitable rear part of the module (second part of the module equipped with a tool) can be used on a limited number of parallelograms on the chassis, for example with parallelograms arranged every 75 cm and tools that work three rows with 25 cm inter row, two rows at 50 cm inter row and one row at 75 cm. The rear tool carried by the second part of the tool holder module can thus be equipped with one, two or three working parts.

For low crops, the chassis comprising several assemblies each formed by a parallelogram and a tool holder module also makes it possible to use a parallelogram for several rows, thus limiting the number of parallelograms and therefore the economic cost of the assembly. .

Claims (9)

1. Chassis (10) for agricultural machine, the chassis being intended to be coupled, by a first side (10a), to an agricultural machine of the tractor type and comprising, on a second opposite side of said chassis, several tool-holder modules ( 30) integral with the chassis, characterized in that each tool-holder module comprises two parts: - a first part (32) permanently fixed to the chassis, and - A second part (34) provided with a tool which is removably installed on the first part, the second part being mechanically attached to the first part and locked to the latter. 2. Chassis according to claim 1, characterized in that the second part (34) of the module is capable of being mechanically hooked to the first part (32) without being locked there. 3. Chassis according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the second part (34) of the module comprises at least two mounting members: a first mounting member (A1) which is able to cooperate mechanically with a first mounting area (Zl) of the first part of the module in order to mechanically hook the second part to the first part, and - A second mounting member (A2) which is able to cooperate mechanically with a second mounting area (Z2) of the first part of the module. 4. Chassis according to claim 3, characterized in that it comprises at least one locking member (38) which is adapted to cooperate mechanically with the second mounting member (A2) in order to mechanically lock the second part (34) to the first part (32). 5. Chassis according to claim 4, characterized in that said at least one locking member (38) comprises a removable part which, for locking, is capable of being force-fitted between the first part (32) of the module and the second mounting member (A2) to prevent removal of the latter. 6. Chassis according to one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that the two mounting members (Al, A2) comprise two horizontal axes arranged one above the other, the first mounting area (Zl ) comprising a lower yoke (Cl) open upwards and intended for 5 receiving the first lower axis (A1), the second mounting zone (Z2) comprising an upper yoke (C2) open horizontally towards the outside of the first part and intended to receive the second upper axis (A2). 7. Chassis according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the second part (34) of the module is capable of adopting two distinct positions, 10 namely a first position in which the second part is mechanically hooked at a hooking zone (Zl) to the first part (32) of the module without being locked there and a second position in which the second part is hooked mechanically to the first part (32) of the module and is locked to the latter. 15 8. Chassis according to claim 7, characterized in that the second part (34) of the module is able to pass from the first position to the second position by pivoting around the attachment zone (Zl).