Lock and lift mechanism for a foldable implement

An improved lock and lift mechanism for a foldable implement wherein the implement is provided with a main section and at least one wing pivotally mounted to the main section. The invention embodies mechanisms which permit the raising (folding) and lowering (unfolding) of the wing relative to the main section and further allow the locking and unlocking of the wing to the main section by a single operation, such as activating a fluid pressure cylinder. The lock and lift mechanism allows the wing to be secured in the lowered position without the necessity of maintaining pressure in the mechanism to keep the wing bar in the lowered position as the implement traverses the ground. The lock and lift mechanism employs registering passageways, one of which is provided on the main section transverse to the axis of the section and the other of which is provided on the wing. A pin is reciprocally mounted within the passageways and a linkage is provided to reciprocate the pin within the passageways so that the pin will lock the wing to the main section when the wing is in an extended position. A powered member is provided to move the pin through the rotatable bar attached to the wing and also elevate and lower the wing relative to the main section. The rotatable bar, after moving the pin through a limited distance, sufficient to retract it from the first passageway, engages a stop which permits the powered member to lift the wing section.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates generally to earth working implements. More 
particularly, the invention relates to a novel lock and lift mechanism for 
folding wing implements, such as disc harrows and the like. The novel lock 
and lift mechanism allows the wing constituents of the implement to be 
securely locked in an operative position without maintaining pressure in 
the mechanism as the implement traverses the ground. 
In the farm industry the trend toward more powerful tractors and the 
desirability to work larger areas of ground have resulted in the 
increasing of the weight and working width of implements, such as disc 
harrows and the like. Generally the working width of the implement has 
been increased by hinging, to a main implement section, a pair of 
extension implement wings which can be swung about the axis of a hinge to 
a folded position for transporting or storage of the implement and into a 
lowered or working position when desired. The use of such foldable wings 
has facilitated passage of the implements through gates and over roads as 
well as storage of the implement. However, one problem which has occurred 
in the use of such folding implements is that a means must be provided for 
maintaining the wings rigid with respect to the main implement section 
when the implement is in use so that the disc or other ground working 
tools of the wings penetrate the ground at the same depth as those of the 
central or main section. Thus, one of the principal considerations in the 
design of a folding frame implement is to provide a locking means for 
locking the extension wings in the rigid, working position. It is, of 
course, desirable that the locking means be both simple to operate and 
dependable in performance. 
Heretofore, numerous lock and lift mechanisms have been proposed by the 
prior art which would allow a wing to be lifted, lowered and rigidly 
secured or locked to the main section when in the lowered position and yet 
would allow the operator to lift the wing relative to the implement when 
transporting or storing the implement. Some of such mechanisms are shown 
in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,814,191; 3,692,121; 3,650,333; 3,693,724 and 
2,719,682. 
A need has long been recognized in the farm industry for a reliable and 
simple lock and lift mechanism for a foldable implement which is durable 
and allows the wings to be secured in place. 
Accordingly, the present invention provides an improved lock and lift 
mechanism for a foldable implement having a main section and a least one 
wing pivotally mounted to the main section for folding relative thereto. 
The mechanism allows the wing unit to be locked in a working position, 
unlocked, and raised for transporting of the unit by operation of a single 
power source. Further, according to the invention, an improved lock 
mechanism is provided which does not require pressure to be maintained on 
the wing sections when the sections are in an extended working position 
and yet while simple to construct is durable and reliable in service.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, there is 
shown a farm implement 10 having a front disc gang 12 and a rear disc gang 
14. Disc gangs 12 and 14 are substantial duplicates. For the sake of 
clarity, front disc gang 12 will be described in conjunction with the lock 
and lift mechanism of the invention. However, it is to be understood that 
identical parts as well as the operation of same are present on the rear 
disc gang as well as the front disc gang. Further, it should be noted that 
while the improved lock and lift mechanism of the present invention is 
depicted in conjunction with a disc harrow implement, such is not to be 
construed as limiting thereto but such lock and lift mechanism can be 
employed on any sectional agricultural implement. Further, the latch 
device described hereinafter can be readily used to lock any hinged joint. 
Front disc gang 12 and rear disc gang 14 are mounted on frame member 16 
carried by two or more supporting wheels 18, a cross bar 20 joining the 
forward ends of frame member 16 and having connected thereto a hitch 
structure 22 for attachment of the implement to a drawing vehicle such as 
a tractor, not shown. The drawing vehicle can be any suitable vehicle 
having a source of fluid under pressure and a valve means under control of 
the operator for directing the flow of the fluid. Front disc gang 12 
includes a main section 24 and an extension or wing 26 at each end 
thereof. 
Main section 24 comprises a main tool bar 28, such main tool bar being in 
the form of a rectangular-shaped beam, and each of the wings 26 comprises 
a wing tool bar 30. Main tool bar 28 and each of the wing tool bars 30 
carry a gang of ground working tools, such as disc 32, suspended from the 
respective tool bars by hangers 34. Hinge means 36 pivotally connect 
extension tool bars 30 to central tool bar 28 as shown. 
Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3 in conjunction with FIG. 1, main tool bar 28 
is pivotally connected to wing tool bar 30 by hinge means 36. Hinge means 
36, which will be discussed in considerable detail hereinafter, enables 
wing tool bar 30 to be securely affixed in a horizontal working position 
with central tool bar 28 by lock means 42 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. 
Unlocking of hinge means 36 allows wing tool bar 30 to be pulled up and 
over main tool bar 28 and thus frame member 16 to assist in the storage 
and transportation of implement 10. Hinge means 36 is pivotally secured to 
the end of piston rod 38 carried by fluid pressure cylinder 40. Cylinder 
40 is pivotally mounted to frame 16 of implement 10 by any suitable means. 
Fluid cylinder 40 is connected to and in fluid communication with the 
fluid source of the vehicle drawing the implement by any suitable means, 
such as hoses. Hinge means 36 is operatively connected to lock means 42 so 
that activation of hinge means 36 by fluid cylinder 40 results in 
activation of lock means 42. 
For example, upon activation of cylinder 40, piston rod 38 is caused to be 
extended thus lowering extension tool bar 30 through hinge means 36 into a 
working position. Thereafter, continued movement of the piston rod 38 
activates lock means 42 thereby locking and securing wing tool bar 30 in 
position. When desired, piston rod 38 can be caused to be retracted, thus 
unlocking lock means 42 so that wing 26 can be raised up and over main 
section 24 by continued retraction of piston rod 38. 
Referring now to FIGS. 4, 5, 6 and 7 in combination with FIG. 2, the 
improved hinge means 36 and lock means 42 of the present invention will be 
described in detail. Lock means 42 comprises first guide means 44 secured 
to wing tool bar 30, second guide means 46 secured to main tool bar 28, 
and pin means 48 reciprocally received within said guide means to secure 
same together when wing tool bar 30 and thus disc 32 of wing 26 is in an 
extended working position. 
First guide means 44 is a tubular housing member 50 having elongated 
passageway 52 therethrough. Tubular housing member 50 is secured to the 
side portions of extension tool bar 30 so that the longitudinal axis of 
passageway 52 is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of wing 
tool bar 30 and is therefore transverse to the axis of the main section 
24. Second guide means 46 is provided with housing member 54 secured near 
the end portion of main tool bar 28. Housing member 54 is provided with a 
passageway 56 therethrough and housing member 54 is positioned so that 
passageway 56 is aligned with elongated passageway 52 of tubular housing 
member 50 when wing tool bar 30 is in an extended or unfolded position. A 
plate member 58 is secured to the end portion of wing tool bar 30 and is 
provided with ear members 60 having apertures 62. Plate member 64 is 
secured to the end portion of central tool bar 28 and is provided with ear 
members 66 having apertures 68 therein. Apertures 62 of ear member 60 are 
aligned with elongated passageway 52 of tubular housing member 56 and 
apertures 68 of ear member 66 are aligned with an opening 56 of housing 
member 54 to provide an unrestricted passageway therethrough for receiving 
pin means 48 when wing tool bar 30 is in an extended, unfolded position. 
A pair of upwardly extending lugs 70 are secured near the end position of 
main tool bar 28. Lugs 70 are provided with aligned apertures in their 
upwardly extending end portions. Brace members 72 are each provided with 
an aperture in one end thereof. These apertures are aligned with the 
apertures of lugs 70 so that brace member 72 can be pivotally secured to 
the upwardly extending end portions of lugs 70 by any suitable means such 
as pin member 74. The other end portion of brace member 72 is rigidly 
affixed to wing tool bar 30 by any suitable means such as welding, bolting 
and the like. 
A second pair of lug members 76 are secured to extension tool bar 30 
proximate the point where brace member 72 is affixed thereto. Linkage 
members 78 are pivotally secured to lugs 76 at a position intermediate the 
end portions of linkage member 78 by pin 80. The lower extending end 
portions of linkage members 78 are pivotally secured to pin means 48 of 
lock means 42 by any suitable means known in the art, such as by bolt or 
pin 82. 
Guide means 84 is rigidly secured to wing tool bar 30 at a position between 
the area of attachment of brace member 72 and the end portion of wing tool 
bar 30 adjacent main tool bar 28. Guide means 84 is provided with upwardly 
extending housing member 86 having at its lower portion flanges 88. 
Flanges 88 can be secured to wing tool bar 30 by any suitable means such 
as welding. Housing member 86 is provided with a passageway 90, which 
extends along and is parallel to the longitudinal axis of wing tool bar 
30. 
Linkage means 92 is slidably positioned within passageway 90 of housing 
member 86. One end portion of linkage means 92 is pivotally secured to 
linkage member 78, the other end portion being pivotally secured to the 
outwardly extending end portion of piston rod 38 of cylinder 40. Linkage 
means 92 is depicted as a substantially T-shaped member wherein the 
centrally located leg member 94 is positioned through passageway 90 and 
upper cross support member 96 serves as a stop mechanism for lock means 
42, as will be discussed hereinafter. 
In order to assist in a full understanding of the improved lock and lift 
mechanism of the present invention, the operation of lowering the wing of 
an implement to its locked or unfolded position will be described with 
reference to all of the drawings. Thereafter, the operation will be 
reversed and the raising of the wing to its unlocked or folded position 
will be described. 
To lower wing 26 into a working position the operator activates fluid 
pressure cylinder 40 thereby causing piston rod 38 to extend. This 
extension results in an outward movement of linkage means 92 and thus an 
outward movement of wing tool bar 30. Movement is continued until wing 
tool bar 30 of wing 26 is aligned with main tool bar 28 of main section 
24. Such alignment is achieved when plate member 58 and plate member 64 of 
wing tool bar 30 and main tool bar 28, respectively, become adjacent. At 
this time, pin means 48 of lock means 42 has become aligned with opening 
56 of housing member 54. Continued extension of piston rod 38 causes pin 
means 48 to be slidably positioned within the passageway of housing member 
54, thereby securely locking wing 26 to main section 24. It should be 
noted that once pin means 48 has been positioned within housing member 54 
one does not need to maintain pressure on the cylinder to maintain wing 26 
in a locked, unfolded position. 
When it is desired to raise wing 26 for transporting or storage of 
implement 10, the operator activates cylinder 40 to retract piston rod 38. 
The initial inward movement of rod 38 results in inward movement of 
linkage means 92 and thus a withdrawal of pin means 48 from housing member 
54. After this initial movement, e.g., the unlocking movement, upper cross 
support member 96 of linkage means 92 is forced adjacent housing 86 so 
that continued retraction of piston rod 38 lifts wing 26 into the desired 
carrying position. 
While this invention has been explained in relation to certain specific 
embodiments, it is to be understood that various modifications thereof 
will now become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading of the 
above, and it is intended to cover such modifications as fall within the 
scope of the appended claims.