Agricultural implement with wing lift

A mechanism including a linear hydraulic motor for displacing the wing of an agricultural field implement through 180 degrees about a horizontal axis so that it lies inverted on the body of this implement. A special feature of the mechanism is that the arrangement of the line of action of the hydraulic motor is never such, when in compression, as to lift a guiding roller for a wing actuating link off the upper surface of a cooperative short horizontal flat track. From the time the roller first engages the track to the time the roller has been displaced to the far side of the track, the force acting on the roller is directed downwardly. The roller is mounted on a pivoted arm and during this time, the pivot axis of the arm moves steadily upwardly.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to the field of agricultural implements, and 
particularly to such implements which are designed for being drawn by a 
large tractor and working a wide strip of land. Such implements must also 
be transported along public roads, and, if unmodified, would be so wide 
that such transport would be forbidden. Accordingly, it is known to 
construct these implements, by hinging or other means, to enable the width 
to be considerably reduced. An accepted way of doing this has been to 
divide the implement into a central body and terminal wings, the latter 
being hinged to the former so that they can be raised to a vertical 
position, thus reducing the implement width. This accomplishes the desired 
change in crosswise dimensions, but is not a very desirable arrangment 
from the point of view of stability. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention comprises an implement having wings movable between 
first positions in which they comprise outward extensions of the central 
body, through substantially 180.degree. to second positions, in which they 
lie inverted on a central body, the movement being accomplished by a 
simple linear hydraulic motor acting through a movable link with 
cooperating stop, roller, and track means which take into account the fact 
that the weight of the wing acts at different times on opposite sides of 
the pivotal axis, and hence requires sometimes compressional and sometimes 
tensional force from the motor. 
Various advantages and features of novelty which characterize my invention 
are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and 
forming a part hereof. However, for a better understanding of the 
invention, its advantages, and objects attained by its use, reference 
should be had to the drawing which forms a further part hereof, and to the 
accompanying descriptive matter, in which there is illustrated and 
described a preferred embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
As shown in the drawing, a farm implement such as a field cultivator is 
shown at 10 to comprise a central body 11 and a wing 12. Body 11 comprises 
a frame 13 adapted to carry cultivator teeth or other appropriate tools, 
not shown, and is carried on wheels such as wheel 14 adjustably mounted 
for raising or lowering by any conventional manual or power means also not 
shown. Implement 10 is designed for being drawn behind a farm tractor by 
means of a draw bar 15. Wing 12 comprises a frame 16 which may also 
include a retractable wheel if desired: the wing is connected to body 11 
by hinges 17 and 20, and is adapted to carry tools like body 11. It is 
understood that a wing may be hinged to body 11 at each end of frame 13. 
It is further to be understood that the total width of frame 13, transverse 
to draw bar 15, may be 20 feet or more, and that each of the wings may be 
of up to half that dimension. In field use, the wings lie in a first 
position as horizontal extensions of the body: for transportation on 
roadways, the wings are hinged through substantially 180.degree. to lie 
inverted on top of the body at its two ends, being received in suitable 
brackets carried by the frame of the body, such as bracket 21. 
Hinge 17 is of relatively straightforward construction, but hinge 20 is 
more intricate: the hinges are arranged to have a common horizontal axis 
indicated on FIG. 2 by the reference numeral 22. As shown in FIGS. 3-6, 
hinge 20 comprises a first hinge member 23 and a second hinge member 24. 
Although each member is composed of slightly spaced parallel plates, they 
may be considered in effect as flat members interconnected for relative 
pivotal movement through substantially 180.degree. about a pin 25 lying on 
axis 22. For convenience, the plates may be welded to rectangular tubular 
members 26 and 27 for clamping or other securement to frames 16 and 13, 
respectively, at adjacent corners thereof. Reinforcing plates 30 and 31 
may be provided if additional ruggedness is desired, and may be used in 
mounting members 26 and 27. 
Much of the complexity of hinge 20 is due to the incorporation therein of 
elements for hydraulically displacing wing 12 between its first and second 
positions. These elements include a linear hydraulic motor 32, track means 
33, roller means 34, stop means 35, and a link 36: these elements will now 
be described in detail. 
Motor 32 comprises a cylinder 40 which has hydraulic connections 41 and 42 
and is pivoted on a pin 43 at one end to the end of member 26 for movement 
about an axis parallel to axis 22. An actuator 44 extends from the end of 
cylinder 42 for reversible linear movement, and its outer end is pivotally 
connected to one end of link 36 by a pin 45 and a clevis 46, for movement 
about an axis parallel to axis 22. The other end of link 36 is pivoted to 
member 23 by a pin 47 for rotation about an axis parallel to but displaced 
from axis 22. 
Stop means 35 is welded or otherwise secured between the plates of member 
23, and is bored to pass pin 25. At a point in its rotation about pin 47, 
link 36 engages stop means 35 laterally at a location between pins 45 and 
47. Stop means 35 preferably has at least one flat surface for direct 
impingement with an appreciable area of link 36. 
Roller means 34 comprises a pair of rollers 50 and 51 mounted for rotation 
about the axis of pin 45 and for movement with the end of link 36. The 
rollers are positioned axially outside of clevis 46. It will be 
understood, as shown in FIG. 3, that for motion of actuator 44 in the 
direction of arrow 52 the axis of roller means 34 initially follows the 
path indicated by arrow 53: when link 36 engages stop means 35 the path 
changes to that shown by arrow 54, link 36, hinge member 23, and wing 12 
all pivoting about the axis 22 of pin 25. 
Track means 33 comprises a pair of tracks 55 and 56 which are formed as 
parts of or secured to hinge member 24. They are positioned for engagement 
by rollers 50, 51, respectively, and extend horizontally. With continued 
movement of actuator 44 in the direction of arrow 52, the rollers engage 
the tracks, and the path of the axis of the roller means changes to that 
shown by arrow 57. Rotation of hinge member 23 and wing 12 continues, but 
link 36 and stop means 35 move apart. This progression is illustrated in 
FIG. 6, where it is to be particularly noted that whenever rollers 50, 51 
engage tracks 55 and 56, the line of action 58 of actuator 44 always 
passes between pins 25 and 47. 
Hinge 17 may be made up of hinge members like members 23 and 24 except that 
track means 33 and the holes for pin 47 may be omitted. 
The operation of my invention will now be clear. For road transportation, 
wings 12 lie inverted on body 11, resting on brackets 21: actuator 44 is 
withdrawn into cylinder 40 and roller means 34 is in engagement with track 
means 33 near the inward ends thereof. This is a stable, well supported 
position for the wings, and road transportation can be carried out at 
acceptable speed, the wheels 14 being lowered to raise the working tools 
above the road surface. See the solid showing of FIG. 6. 
When the implement is brought onto a field to be worked, the wheels are 
lifted to the desired height, to permit tool operation. Hydraulic fluid is 
supplied to cylinder 40 and actuator 44 moves generally outward. Rollers 
50, 51 move outward along tracks 55 and 56, and link 36 acts against pin 
47 to rotate hinge member 23 and wing 12 closkwise about pin 25 to about 
the position showing in phantom in FIG. 6. When the weight of the wing 
moves past vertical, the force exerted on actuator 44 changes from one of 
compression to one of tension: at this point link 36 laterally engages 
stop means 35 so that the link acts as a lever of the second class, and 
further actuator motion allows the wing to complete its inversion (see 
FIG. 3) until it lies as an extension of body 11. Actuator operation is 
continued until the link 36 moves at least slightly away from stop means 
35, to allow some movement between the wing and the body, whereby to 
accommodate changes in terrain. When the field work is completed, motor 40 
is hydraulically energized to draw actuator 44 generally inward. Link 36 
drawn into engagement with stop means 35 and the link, hinge member 23, 
and wing 12 all rotate counterclockwise about pin 25. At the point where 
the weight of the wing passes the vertical, rollers 50, 51 engage tracks 
55, 56, the force on actuator 44 changes from tension to compression, and 
further hydraulic allows the rollers to move inward along the tracks to 
permit the hinge member and wing to pivot until wing inversion is 
completed: during this motion, displacement again occurs between stop 
means 35 and link 36. Now the wheels may be lowered and the implement by 
transported by road. Note that an appreciable sliding movement of link 36 
on stop means 35 takes place in either of these operations. 
While members 32-36 have been shown as integrated with hinge members 23 and 
24 for convenience of manufacture, it will be appreciated that they can be 
mounted on frames 13 and 16 independently of the hinge members if this is 
thought desirable. 
From the foregoing, it will be evident that I have invented an improved 
agricultural implement having new and more satisfactory apparatus for 
enabling the width of the implement to be shortened for road 
transportation and increased for efficient land working, including a new 
and improved mechanism for pivotally interconnecting portions of the 
implement to accomplish the desired result. 
Numerous characteristics and advantages of my invention have been set forth 
in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and 
function of the invention, and the novel features thereof are pointed out 
in the appended claims. The disclosure, however, is illustrative only, and 
changes may be made in detail, expecially in matters of shape, size, and 
arrangement of parts, within the principle of the invention, to the full 
extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the 
appended claims are expressed.