GB2047063A

GB2047063A - Linkage for a number of farm implements

Info

Publication number: GB2047063A
Application number: GB8011675A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Hughes J W E
Current assignee: Hughes J W E
Priority date: 1979-04-10
Filing date: 1980-04-09
Publication date: 1980-11-26
Also published as: GB2047063B

Abstract

This invention is a linkage for enabling a number of rollers (13,14) to be towed by a single tractor, side rollers (14) being capable of being in an in-line position behind the central roller (13) for moving from field to field, or in a laterally extended working position with their inner ends in line with the outer ends of the central roller. In Figure 1, (not shown), a side roller (14) is pivotally connected on a frame (17) pivotally connected on the central roller frame (12) and moved between its two positions by an actuator (19). In Figure 2 a side roller (14) is towed by a link (21) whose angle with the roller frame (15) is adjusted by the actuator (19) so that the roller will assume one or other of its positions. The actuators can be operated from the towing tractor so that the user does not have to dismount, or can each be replaced by a pair of links of fixed length, either one of which can be used after manual adjustment of the angle. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Linkage for a number of farm implements This invention relates to a linkage or linkages for connecting a number of rollers or other farm implements to a tractor, and one object is to provide such a linkage which can be operated either manually, or from the towing tractor so that at least one side roller can be either in a substantially in-line position for moving from field to field, or in a laterally extended working position to give a wide area rolled or worked in one pass.

According to the invention, a trailer for a number of rollers, or other farm implements comprises at least one link having pivotal connections with vertical axes at both ends, one pivotal connection being for connection to a leading roller or implement and the other being to the trailing roller or implement, and means for varying and fixing the angle between the axis of the link and the axis of either the front or the rear roller or implement, whereby operation of these means while moving causes the trailer roller or implement to move from a laterally extended working position to a substantially in-line transport position or vice-versa.

The actuator can be operated from the hydraulic system of the towing tractor, even while the tractor is being driven.

Conveniently, side rollers, one at each side of a central roller have a width equal to only about a half the width of the central roller, so that in an in-line position they can be side by side behind the central roller, and the total width will not be much wider than that of the central roller; on the other hand in the working position, the width of the field treated in one pass of the three rollers will be about twice that of the central roller.

Then the link to each side roller can be moved between its two positions by an actuator pivotally connected between a frame for the central roller, and the link.

In other embodiments, each side roller is arranged to be towed by a link pivotally connected to the side roller frame, and either to the draw bar or to a frame for the central roller; then an actuator can be pivotally connected between the link and the side roller frame to set the angle between them.

Alternatively, the angle between the link and the side roller frame can be altered manually and locked in its new position by any convenient means.

Since the roller will set itself in a position so that its axis of rotation is transverse to the direction of movement, such adjustment of the angle will set the lateral position of the side roller.

It is contemplated that a set of rollers and a linkage as claimed, can be sold as a complete set but it is also possible to sell the linkage itself to a farmer who already has a set of rollers.

The farmer can easily fit the linkage to the frames of his own rollers after removing the draw bars usually fitted to the side rollers.

The invention may be carried into practice in various ways, and four embodiments will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, each of which is a diagrammatic plan view of a multi-roller farm implement arranged for towing a central roller, and a pair of side rollers, which can be in laterally-extended positions in relation to the central roller during working, but can be in line with the central rollerfor transportation from field to. field.

In the embodiment of Figure 1, a central roller 13 is towed by a tractor attached to its draw bar 11 and welded to the roller frame 12. There are two side rollers 14, each of which is approximately half as wide as the central roller 13, and is in a frame 15 pivotally mounted about a vertical axis 16 on an extension boom or frame 17 which is itself pivotally mounted about a vertical axis 18 at one front corner of the main frame 12. A hydraulic actuator 19 is coupled between the central roller frame 12 and each side boom or link 17.The actuators are connected to the hydraulics of the towing tractor and so are arranged to move the links 17 and the side rollers 14 between an operating position shown at the right in Figure 1, where the inner end of each roller 14 is approximately in line with the outer end of the roller 13, and a towing position shown at the left in the figure. In that position, the actuators are contracted and the roller 14 is behind the left-hand end of the central roller 13. The pivotal connections at 1.6 allow the roller to set itself so that its axis is always perpendicular to the direction of movement.

The actuators can be operated by a control on the towing tractor, so that the user does not have to dismount. In the in-line positions with the side rollers 14 side by side, the arrangement is compact and is not much wider than the width of the central roller 13 in its frame 12, yet when the frames 17 are extended the width which can be rolled is twice that of the central roller 13.

In the arrangement of Figure 2, the draw bar 11, the central roller 13 and its frame 12, are as in Figure 1, but the pivotal connections 12 to the side rollers 14 are at the rear corners of the frame 12, and they are pivotally connected to towing links 21 which are themselves pivotally connected at 22 to the side roller frames 15.

The actuators 19 are pivotally connected between a connection 23 about a third of the length of the link 21 from the pivot 22, and a pivot 24 near the front forner of the roller frames 15. The pivots 24 are shown near the inner corners of the roller frames but they could be just as well located near the outer corners of the rear roller frames.

Operation of an actuator 19 sets the angle between the link 21 and the front of the frame 15, and when that angle is obtuse, as shown at the right of Figure 2, since the roller 14 will always set itself with its axis perpendicular to the direction of movement, the roller 14 will be behind one end of the main roller 13.

When the actuator 19 is contracted the angle is acute, and the roller 14 takes up its extended or working position with its right hand end behind the left hand end of the roller 13.

Figure 3 shows an arrangement somewhat similar to Figure 2, except that the links 21 are pivotally connected at the front corners of the frame 12 and are not of the same length. The side rollers 25 are the same width as the central 13, and the links 21 are pivotally connected at their rear ends to the central points 26 of the roller frames 27. The pivotal joints 26 are likely in practice to be turntable arrangements with large bearing surfaces, and have been indicated in Figure 3 as circles.

As with Figure 2, the actuators 19 are connected between the links 21 and the frames 27 and operate to set the angle between those components. In solid lines in Figure 3, the rollers 25 are shown in the extended or working positions, whereas in chain lines, they are shown in the in-line positions one behind the other and both behind the central roller 13.

Finally, the arrangement of Figure 4 is rather similar to the arrangement of Figure 3, except that the links 21 are not pivotally connected to the central roller frame 12, but are pivotally connected to the draw bar 11 at 28 and extend over the central roller 13 and its frame 12. In that case it has been found to be convenient if the pivotal connection between the shorter link 21 and its roller frame 27 is at the inner end of the roller frame, rather than at the centre as with the longer link 21, and as shown at the right hand side of Figure 4.

The arrangement of Figure 2 is suitable for a customer having his own rollers 13 and 14 in their frames. Draw bars existing on the side roller frames 15 are removed, and he fits to each frame a specially-purchased linkage consisting of a link 21-, an actuator 19 and a transverse bar 41. The actuator is pivotally connected between plates welder respec timely to the link 21 and the bar 41, which is itself welded to the roller frame 15 through plates defining pivotal connections 22 and 24 for the link 21 and the actuator 19. A plate 42 has to be welded to the corner of the central roller frame to define the pivot point 18.

In this, as in all the embodiments, an actuator 19 can be replaced by a pair of links of fixed, but different lengths, corresponding to the two positions. The user, disconnects one said link, adjusts the angle manually, and replaces it by the second link.

Where, as in most cases, two actuators are used, one for each linkage, and they are operated from a common tractor control, there are preferably stops defining the limit positions of the actuators corresponding to the in-line and extended positions.

Claims

1. A linkage for drawing a roller or other farm implement behind another comprising at least one link having pivotal connections with vertical axes at both ends, one pivotal connection being for connection to a leading roller or implement and the other being to the trailing roller or implement, and means for varying and fixing the angle between the axis of the link and the axis of either the front or the rear roller or implement.

2. A linkage as claimed in Claim 1 in which the varying means comprises an actuator controllable from a towing tractor.

3. A linkage as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 in combination with a central implement and one or more side implements pivotally connected at the trailing end of one or more links, and in which the in-line position, the/or each side implement is in line with the central implement.

4. A linkage as claimed in Claim 3 in which there is a side implement mounted on a link at each side of the central implement, and the side implements are about half the width of the central implement and when in the in-line position are side by side behind the central implement.

5. A linkage as claimed in Claim 3, in which there is a side implement mounted on a link at each end of the central implement and in the in-line position the side implements are one behind the other behind the central implement.

6. A linkage as claimed in any of Claims 3-5 in which the links are pivotally connected to a frame for the central implement.

7. A linkage as claimed in Claim 6 including an actuator pivotally connected between a frame for each side implement and the frame for the central implement.

8. A linkage as claimed in any of Claims 1-5 in which the/or each link is pivotally connected to a draw bar for connection to a towing tractor.

9. A linkage as claimed in Claim 6 or Claim 8 in which there is an actuator pivotally connected between each link and the frame for a side implement pivotally connected at the trailing end of that link.

10. A linkage for drawing a number of rollers or other farm implements constructed and arranged substantially as herein specifically described with reference to any of the accompanying drawings.