MXPA96002361A - Direction and suspension of rociad - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an agricultural sprinkler having a frame adapted for a forward movement on the ground where the crops to be sprayed are located, a suspension system comprising: a vertical codal axis having the upper ends and lower and a central portion, an axis having a codal stump mounted in the central part of the codal axis for an axial movement there, a contact wheel with the earth connected to the lower end of the codal axis, an upper frame that extends above the axis, and a spring located above the axis and held between the upper end of the codal axis and the upper assembly, the codal assembly moves axially on the trunnion and cushioning between the contact wheel with the earth and the frame when the codal axis moves axially in the mu

Description

DIRECTION AND SUSPENSION OF SPRAYING BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1) Field of the Invention: The present invention relates generally to agricultural sprinklers and, more specifically, to suspension and steering systems for such sprinklers. 2) Related Art: Auto-pulsed crop sprinklers such as the John Deere model 6500 sprayers are required to operate frequently on rough terrain surfaces and high mature crops. Several devices are used to help cushion the vehicle and the operator from the effects of rough surfaces, but most suffer from one or more disadvantages such as limited cushioning or bulkiness that leads to increased interference with the crop being sprayed. . A cushioned wheel arrangement, such as the front wheel suspension shown in the United States patent United States number 5,066,030 is available for relatively small sprinklers with a single steerable wheel.

However, such a suspension is not suitable for larger sprinklers or sprinklers that have two or more steerable wheels. Some self-propelled sprayers available have suspensions that are packed on the front axle, but lack a cushioned suspension or have a type of suspension arm on the back.

The steering arrangements for the sprinkler wheel assemblies that are damped include those with steering arms on the upper parts of the codal axles. Such upper-mounted arm arrangements suffers from the problem of undesired movement of the steerable wheels on rough terrain surfaces mentioned as steering with stops, when the steering arms move up and down with the codal axes.

Frequently, the sprinkler suspensions include codal axles with steel suspension springs immersed in oil, but these are drained, and covering the springs requires relatively large diameter supports both above and below the shaft. It continues to be a problem to provide adequate damping over a substantial range of vertical wheel movement without adversely affecting crop separation. Row spacings in row crop situations can vary from field to field so that the wheelwheel of the spray vehicle has to be adjusted accordingly. An adjustable shaft for a clamp is shown in the co-pending and commonly assigned application of the United States of America Series No. 08 / 372,751 entitled "Adjustable Shaft with Wedge Structure" filed on January 13, 1995 for a United States patent of North America Machines with transversely adjustable steerable wheels usually must have some kind of adjustable steering linkage to accommodate the wheel tread adjustment. Making the necessary articulation adjustments when the wheel tread is changed can be time consuming and inconvenient. Providing good visibility from the spray booth and maintaining a direct line of sight from the spray booth has also often been a problem.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved suspension for an agricultural crop sprayer. It is a further object to provide such improved suspension that overcomes most or all of the aforementioned problems.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved suspension for a harvest sprayer which is compact so that harvest interference is minimized. It is still another object of the invention to provide such a suspension which provides good cushioning without adversely affecting crop separation.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved suspension for a crop sprinkler which is particularly useful with steered wheels. It is yet another object to provide an improved suspension wherein the cushioning and steering components are advantageously located so that harvest interference is minimized. It is yet another object to provide such a suspension which eliminates steering problems with jerking.

It is a further object to provide an improved self-propelled agricultural harvesting sprayer that has a smoother displacement on rough terrain surfaces than most previously available sprays. It is a further object to provide such a sprayer having an improved steering system and improved crop separation. It is yet another object to provide such a sprayer having improved visibility.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide a sprinkler steering structure which accommodates rolling adjustments without requiring a steering joint adjustment. It is another object to provide the directional structure where the effects of shaking direction are eliminated.

It is yet another object to provide an improved sprinkler with a four-wheel independent post suspension providing better displacement and harvest separation characteristics than most previously available sprinklers. It is yet another object to provide such a sprayer which minimizes the number of different parts.

A harvest sprayer constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention includes an independent four-wheel mounting suspension with two or more of the wheels being steerable. A vertical post axis having the upper and lower ends and a central part is slidably received within a codal stump assembly located on the other end of a transversely adjustable shaft. An adjustable pressure air spring is supported above the shaft by a mounting to push the codal shaft down and provide damping to the wheel contacting the ground connected to the lower end of the shaft as the shaft moves axially in the stump . The air pressure is adjustable so that the suspension is in a nominal or half stroke position for a given load to minimize the contact of the shake and rebound stops at the opposite ends of the stroke of the codal axis. The variable spring rate provided by the air springs significantly improves the displacement of the sprinkler and its operation. The complete machine can also be lowered by reducing the air spring pressure. The compact suspension structure provides good crop separation.

The scissor structure having an upper link connected to the upper end of the codal axis and a lower link pivotally connected to the upper link provides direction to the steerable wheels or wheel orientation to non-steerable wheels while allowing the free axial movement of the codal axis. For steerable wheels, a steering assembly for rotating the codal axis through the scissor structure is located substantially completely above the axis for harvest separation. The axial movement of the codal axis is independent of the rotational movement to avoid an unwanted steerable direction when the vehicle is moving over rough terrain. The rolling adjustments are facilitated by the steering structure that moves with the extinction or retraction of an adjustable shaft. In the preferred embodiment, the series of connected steering cylinders extend between the adjustable shaft and the steering pivots connected to the lower joints of the scissor structure. In a second embodiment, a telescoping shaft connects a pair of steerable wheel assemblies operated by steering cylinders connected in parallel, located at each end of the shaft. On the suspensions for non-steerable wheels, the lower articulation of the scissor structure is connected to the pivot pin to maintain the codal axis in a pre-selected angular position where the wheels remain in a straight forward position as the axle moves codal vertically inside the stump. A two-wheel or four-wheel steering can be easily accommodated. Many of the components for steerable wheel assemblies are the same as for non-steerable wheel assemblies to minimize parts, simplify and accelerate construction and reduce costs. A centrally located cab and an inclined canopy provide good visibility and a direct view from the cab of all four wheels.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to one skilled in the art of reading the following detailed description with reference to the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a side view of a sprinkler constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a schematic view of the lower frame and of the steering and codal structure for the sprinkler of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side view of a steerable codal assembly for the sprinkler of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a top view of a codal assembly of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a side view of a front portion of a sprinkler showing an alternate embodiment of a steerable strut assembly.

Figure 6 is a top view of the portion of the sprinkler shown in Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a side view of the rear portion of the sprinkler shown in Figure 5 and showing an alternate embodiment of the non-steerable codal assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Description of the Preferred Modality.

Referring now to Figure 1, there is shown a self-propelled agricultural sprinkler of high separation 1 0 having a longitudinally extending main frame 12 supported to move forward on the ground by the front wheels 14 and the rear wheels 16 which are adjustable transversally to provide variable rolling settlements. A cab 20 is supported on the frame between the front and rear wheels 14 and 16 directly in front of a chemical solution tank 24 and behind a hood 26 that is angled downward in the forward direction on the engine compartment to a location generally aligned with the forward ends of the front wheels 14. A rear support 28 is connected to the front end of the frame 12.

The suspension and steering system indicated generally at point 30 of Figure 2 includes a four-wheel independent codal suspension having at least two steerable wheel-wheel assemblies 36 and 38 mounting the wheels 14 and sustained from a first structure of transversely adjustable telescopic shaft 40 at the front end of the frame 12. At the rear end of the frame 12 a second transversely adjustable telescopic shaft structure 42 supports the non-steerable wheel assemblies 46 and 48 by mounting the wheels 16 out of the boom support 28. Hydraulic drive motors 50 and 52 are connected to wheels 14 and 16 respectively, and a conventional controlled source of hydraulic fluid under pressure (not shown) on sprinkler 10 to provide vehicle drive.

The suspension system includes the substantially similar adjustable damping structures 60 and 62 supported above the pillar axes 66 and 68, respectively. The chuck shafts 66 supported within the pin stubs 70 on the opposite ends of the shaft axis adjustable structure 40, are rotatable and axially movable within the journals. The jaw shafts 68 are supported for axial movement within the axle shafts 72 located at the opposite ends of the rear adjustable shaft structure 42. The rotational control structures of scissor type coil axis 76 and 78 are connected between the upper ends of the respective trunnions 70 and 72 to orient the wheels 14 and 16 while permitting axial movement of the codal axes within the codal trunnions. The scissor structures 76 for the steerable wheels 14 have the lower ends connected to hydraulically controlled steering assemblies 82 and 84 supported on the end of the adjustable axle assembly. The steerable assemblies 82 and 84 can be moved with the ends of the axle structure 40 by adjusting the wheel tread to thereby retain the steering function as eliminating the need for separate adjustment or disassembly of the steering assemblies. The damping structures 60 and 62, the scissor structures 76 and 78, and the steering assemblies 82 and 84 are located substantially completely above the axle structures 40 and 42 so that the space between the axle structures and the ground is substantially unobstructed to a good separation of harvest.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-4, the preferred embodiment of the steerable ground wheel assembly 38 (the left front assembly) will be described in detail. The right front assembly 36 is generally constructed the same as the assembly 38 and will thus be described in full detail. The codal stump 70 is integrated with the outer end 40 'of the telescoping portion of the shaft structure 40 and includes a vertical cylindrical bore 90 which is angled outwardly in the downward direction. The codal axis 66 is slidably and rotatably received within the hole 90 and extends down below the bottom of the codal stump 70 to a connection at the point 94 (FIG. 3) with the hub and drive assembly for the wheel 14. A dust cover and / or seal structure generally indicated with the numeral 96 helps prevent dirt or dust from entering the lower end of the stump area. The upper end of the codal axis 66 projects up the trunnion 70 and above the spinal structure 40, and a dust cover and / or seal structure 98 protects against the entry of contaminants into the upper end of the trunnion 70. .

A flange 100 is connected to the upper end of the codal stump 70 and rotatably mounts a lower pivot clamp 102 to rotate about a vertical axis corresponding to the axis of the codal stump 70. On the radially opposite ends of the clamp 102, a pair of strips 106 extend upwards parallel to one another and the arrow shaft to a connection with a longitudinal extending plate or upper mount 110. The cushion structure 60 includes an inflatable air spring 115 having an upper part a stopper with the lower edge of the upper mount 110 and a lower part positioned against a bell-shaped piston 118. The bottom of the piston 118 is connected to the uppermost end of the codal axis 66 via the connection structure 120 in a manner that the spring 116 provides downward pressure on the shaft 66 which increases when the piston 118 is forced up by the movement of the codal axis 6 6 inside the stump 70.

The scissor structure 76 includes the upper and lower arms 124 and 126 having the outermost ends connected by a pivot 128. The arms 124 and 126 extend inward at an acute angle with respect to each other to vertically decentralize the pivotal connections in the points 134 and 136 with the connecting structure 120 and the lower pivot clamp 102, thereby constructing the structure 120 and the codal axis 66 to maintain a constant angular relationship with the lower pivot clamp 102 while allowing the Codal axis 66 moving up and down in the stump 70 to compress and relax the air spring 116 as the wheel 14 moves on the ground surface or the weight sustained by the wheel changes.

The lower pivot clamp 102 includes a radially inwardly directed steering ear 142 connected to the steering assembly 84. The steering assembly 84 includes an adjustable length steering cylinder 144 having a rod end 146 connected in a pivot to the steering ear 142 and a base end 148 pivotally connected at a fixed location relative to the codal stump 70. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, a steering bracket 154 has a leading end screwed into the point 156 to the stump 70 and an inner front end pivotally connected to the base end 148 of the cylinder 144. The cylinder 144 is connected in series by a first cable 160 to a matching cylinder 145 on the right side steering assembly 82 (Fig. 2). ) so that when retracting one of the cylinders the opposite cylinder will extend. A second cable 161 is connected to a steering valve (not shown) located near the bottom of the car 20 and operably connected to a steering wheel in the car. When the steering wheel moves to the right, the cylinder 144 extends and the cylinder 145 retracts to pivot the steering ears 142 and the pivot clamps 102 in the left-to-right direction as seen in Figures 2 and 4. The scissor structures 76 make the connecting structures 120 and codal axes 66 for ground wheel assemblies 36 t 38 rotate with clamps 102 to steer wheels 14. Steering ears 142 do not move up and down with codal axes 66 so that the effects of shaking direction are eliminated. The scissor structures 76 also eliminate any torsional forces in the spring and in the frame.

The rebound detections 166 depend on the bottom of the connecting structure 120 and make contact with the pads which in turn match the lower pivot clamp 102 to limit the downward movement of the codal axis 66 within the trunnion core. codal 70. A shake stop 168 supported on the upper part of the piston 118 limits upward movement of the coconut shaft 66. The stops 166 and 168 are made of an elastic material. A filling valve or air pipe 170 in the upper part of the air spring 116 is connected to an air pressure source to control the pressure in the spring and to provide a leveling load and control and a more even displacement when the Weight is supported by wheels 14 and 16 changes significantly. Preferably, the pressure in the air spring 116 is controlled so that the suspension is in a nominal or half stroke position under the static conditions to minimize the number of times the suspension makes contact with the bounce and bounce stops 168 and 166. The valve or pipe 170 may be connected to an automatic pressure control system which monitors the vehicle and the operating conditions and provides an optimum spring pressure to the conditions. The air springs 116 also facilitate the lowering of the height of the frame 12 above the ground. The rear non-steerable wheel assemblies 46 and 48 are substantially identical to the front wheel assemblies 36 and 38 with the exception of the area in the lower pivot connections of the scissor structure 78. The lower pivots 136 for the wheel assemblies do not steers 46 and 48 are connected to the axis adjacent the top of the codal stumps 72 at the non-rotating and fixed locations 172 (Figure 2) and keep the wheels 16 in a straight forward direction as the codal axes move 68 up and down in the trunnions 72 (see also the alternative mode of Figure 7). The similarities in the wheel assemblies 56 and 48 reduce the number of different parts needed to manufacture the sprinkler 10 and facilitate the different steering arrangements. For example, it is possible to easily convert the sprinkler 10 to a four-wheel steering vehicle by replacing the non-steerable wheel assemblies 46 and 48 with the steerable wheel assemblies 36 and 38. The front and rear crash assemblies 176 and 178 are held in relation to wheels 14 and 16.

Description of the Alternate Modality Referring now to Figures 5-7, an alternative embodiment of the invention will be described. The structure is similar in many respects to that described above for Figures 1-4, and the reference numbers for the corresponding components will be the same with the suffix "aM added." Reference can be made to the description given above for Figures 1 -4 for the description of the corresponding components and their operation.

A steerable wheel assembly 38a includes an ear 142a projecting to the left (outward) from the lower pivot clamp 102a. The right steerable wheel assembly (not shown) is similar in construction and has an ear that also projects to the left (inward). An address assembly 84a includes a telescoping transverse shaft 182 rotatably held near its ends by clamps 184 fixed to the shaft ends 40a '. When adjusting the wheel tread, the clamps 184 move with the ends 40a 'and the telescope shaft 182 to accommodate different gaps between the wheels 14a. Each end of the shaft 182 is connected to an arm 186 having the upper end connected in the form of a pivot at the point 188 to the forward end of a tie rod 190. The forward end of the rod 190 is connected at point 192 to the ear 142a. A steering cylinder 194 is connected between each of the shaft ends 40a 'and the arms 186. The steering cylinders 194 are connected in parallel to one another and to a conventional steering control (not shown) by the hydraulic lines 200. When the cylinders 194 are extended, the arms 186 and the tie rods 190 move forward to turn the wheels 14a to the right. By withdrawing the cylinders 194 the wheels 14a are turned to the left.

The upper mount 110a and the connecting structure 120a include the pairs projecting forward and backward from ears 206 and 208 and the shock absorbers 210 are connected between each of the pairs 206 and 208. The shock absorbers 210 are they extend virtually parallel to the strips 106a and help to dampen the oscillations of the codal axis.

The rear wheel assembly 48a (FIG. 7) is similar in construction to the front wheel assembly 38a. The scissor structure 78a is shown as being injected in the forward direction rather than in the rearward direction and the lower pivot connections 136 are located in the fixed non-rotating locations 32a to maintain the wheel 16 in the forward direction.

The steering, shock absorbing and damping components are virtually completely located above the shaft structure 40 and 42 to improve crop separation, reduce crop and component damage and easy access. The central location of the cab 20 (Figure 1) in combination with the inclined hood 26 provides excellent forward visibility and allows the operator to see all four wheels 14 and 16 from the cab.

Having described the preferred embodiment, it will be apparent that various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as described in the accompanying clauses.

Claims (24)

1. An agricultural sprayer that has a cutter adapted for a forward movement on the ground where the crops to be sprayed are located, a suspension system comprising: a vertical codal axis having the upper and lower ends and a central portion; an axis having a codal stump mounted in the central part of the codal axis for axial movement there; a contact wheel with the earth connected to the lower end of the codal axis; an upper frame that extends above the axis; Y a spring located above the axis and held between the upper end of the codal axis and the upper assembly, the codal assembly moves axially on the trunnion and cushioning between the contact wheel with the ground and the frame as the codal axis moves axialraente in the stump.

2. The invention as claimed in clause 1, characterized in that the codal stump rotatably assembles the codal axis to rotate about a vertical direction axis and further includes a scissor structure having an upper link connected to the upper end of the codal. codal axis to rotate with it and a lower link connected in a pivot and a steering set to rotate the codal axis while allowing axial movement of the codal axis relative to the spring, the axial movement being virtually independent of the rotation of the codal axis.

3. The invention as claimed in clause 2, characterized in that the steering assembly includes a steering arm connected to the lower articulation for rotating the lower and upper articulations, the scissor structure maintains a pre-selected rotation of the axle axis of rotation move the codal axis vertically in relation to the codal stump.

4. The structure as claimed in clause 3, characterized in that the steering arm and the scissor structure are located above the shaft to provide a separation between the ground and the shaft to accommodate the passage of the crops to be sprayed below the axis, the steering arm remains in a preselected vertical location in relation to the axis as the codal axis moves axially.

5. The invention as claimed in clause 1, characterized in that it includes a scissor structure located above the axis and having an upper link connected to the upper end of the codal axis and a lower link connected to the codal stump to maintain the Codal axis at an angular position preselected in relation to the codal stump while allowing axial movement of the codal axis relative to the stump.

6. The invention as claimed in clause 2, characterized in that the steering assembly comprises means for adjusting the axle in relation to the frame to adjust the wheel spacing of the vehicle while retaining the steering function without adjusting the assembly of the wheel. address.

7. The invention as claimed in clause 6, characterized in that the steering assembly includes a steering cylinder connected between the codal axis and the axis and that can be moved with the shaft when the wheel spacing is adjusted.

8. The invention as claimed in clause 2, characterized in that it comprises a second wheel and wherein the steering assembly includes a telescoping steering shaft that extends between the codal axis and the second wheel to facilitate adjustment between the distance between the wheel that makes contact with the earth and the second wheel.

9. The invention as claimed in clause 1, characterized in that the spring comprises a pneumatic spring compressed between the upper end of the codal axis and the upper mount and wherein the lower end and the codal axis are devoid of any cushion members , thereby substantially eliminating harmful contact between the crops being sprayed and the damping members.

10. The invention as claimed in clause 9, characterized in that it comprises a steering arm and means for connecting the steering arm to the codal axis for rotation of the unison steering arm with the codal axis while maintaining the steering arm to a preselected vertical location in relation to the axle as the codal axis moves vertically to thereby avoid steering effects with shaking on rough terrain.

11. The invention as claimed in clause 10, characterized in that the steering arm is located above the shaft outside of an interference relationship with the crop being sprayed.

12. The invention as claimed in clause 1, characterized in that it also comprises a lower frame, wherein the spring comprises a pneumatic spring held between the upper and lower frames and a joint that connects the upper and lower frames to avoid the forces of twisting in the spring.

13. In an agricultural sprayer having a longitudinally extending main frame adapted to move over a terrain where crops including tall stem crops are present, a suspension system comprising: a plurality of cushioned ground wheel assemblies, the ground wheel assemblies include a vertical stump connected to the frame, a codal arrow slidably received by the vertical stump for a vertical movement there, the codal arrow has a projecting upper end upwardly from the trunnion and a lower wheel support end, a ground wheel connected to the wheel support end, a damping member supported above the trunnion and providing a downward pressure on the codal arrow, the The shock absorber absorbs the blow when the ground wheel is moved over the rough terrain and the codal arrow rotational control structure connected between the trunnion and the upper end to maintain the ground wheel in a preselected steering orientation.

14. The invention as claimed in clause 13, characterized in that the rotational control structure includes a member of vertical variable height having one end connected in a vertical position preselected on the stump and an opposite end connected to the upper end of the arrow of codal and that can move vertically with the arrow of codal when absorbing the blow the damping member.

15. The invention as claimed in clause 14, characterized in that one end is connected to a rotating member to rotate in a generally vertical and fixed location relative to the vertical trunnion, the rotary member has a central rotational axis about the axis of the codal arrow and wherein the rotating member is connected to a steering control.

16. The invention as claimed in clause 14, characterized in that one end is connected to the trunnion and maintains the codal arrow at a preselected angular position in the trunnion while allowing vertical movement of the codal arrow in the trunnion.

17. The invention as claimed in clause 15, characterized in that the steering control includes a steering cylinder connected to the rotating member.

18. An agricultural sprinkler having a longitudinally extending frame adapted for forward movement on the ground, a steerable four-wheel suspension comprising: a first shaft structure connected to one end of the frame; a pair of steerable wheel assembly supported by the first axle structure, steerable wheel assemblies include a vertical stump connected to the first axle structure, a slide arrow slidably and rotatably received within the die and having an upper end and projecting above the stump and a lower end supporting a steerable earth wheel, a gas-filled cushion member and a steering member connected problably to the codal arrow and held virtually above the axle structure; a second axis structure offset in the longitudinal direction from the first axle structure; a second pair of wheel assemblies connected to the second axle structure including the independent axle suspension having the lower ends connected to the ground wheels, the damping members located virtually in full form above the second axle structure.

19. The invention as claimed in clause 18, characterized in that the first and second pairs of wheel assemblies have virtually similar damping structures, each with a damping member filled with gas and the second pair of wheel assemblies includes axles of codal.

20. The invention as claimed in clause 18, characterized in that the first and second pairs of wheel assemblies include a scissor structure connected to the corresponding codal arrows to orient the wheels in a preselected angular position, the scissor structure includes the horizontal pivot structure allowing vertical movement of the codal axes.

21. The invention as claimed in clause 20, characterized in that the scissor structure is located virtually completely above the first and second axis structure.

22. The invention as claimed in clause 22, characterized in that it comprises a steering structure mounted to rotate about a vertical axis in relation to the first axle structure and connected to the scissor structure to rotate the scissor structure to turn Codal axes and provide direction.

23. The invention as claimed in clause 18, characterized in that it comprises the upper and lower mounts holding the damping members virtually in full form above the axle structure.

24. The invention as claimed in clause 18, characterized in that it includes a cab held in the longitudinal direction in the middle between the first and second axle structures and providing a direct view of the first and second wheel assemblies from the cab, and a hood extending forward from the cab and extending downward in the forward direction to the forward position generally aligned with the forwardmost extremity of a pair of the wheel assemblies. SUMMARY An agricultural sprinkler suspension includes four generally identical independent codal suspension assemblies having a pneumatic spring supported above a codal axis which is received within a codal stump connected to an adjustable shaft. The upper connected scissor assembly maintains the wheel direction while facilitating vertical movement of the codal arrow within the trunnion. On non-steerable wheels, the lower end of the scissor assembly is connected to the trunnion to maintain a pre-selected wheel orientation. for steerable wheels, the lower end of the scissor assembly is connected to a hydraulic steering structure which allows the axle adjustments to vary the wheel tread. The similar construction of non-steerable and steerable wheel assemblies reduces the number of different parts required and facilitates the selective construction of sprinklers with either a two-wheel or four-wheel steering. A centrally located cab and a sloping roof structure provide good visibility and a direct view of all four wheels.