HITCH ADAPTER

Abstract: A hitch adapter (42) is attached to the tongue (22) of an implement (20) having components adapted for being driven by a tractor power take-off shaft (18) and is constructed to permit the implement (20) to be semi-integrally mounted, either to a tractor (10) having a hitch arrangement consist­ ing only of a three-point hitch (12) or to a tractor (10) having a hitch arrangement in which a quick coupler (58) is carried by its three-point hitch (12) without necessi­ tating a change in the length of a drive shaft (40) inter­ connecting the tractor power take-off shaft (18) with an input shaft (38) of a transmission assembly (34) carried by the implement tongue (72). The hitch adapter (42) has alternative connecting means (70, 72, 74, 82, 84) at different positions thereon en­ abling this to be done so that by choosing the appropri­ ately positioned connecting means (70, 72, 74, 82, 84) the hitch adapter (42), and hence the implement (20), will al­ ways be at the same spacing from the tractor (10).

Description: The present invention relates to a hitch adapter for the optional connection either directly to tractor three-point hitch links or to a quick coupler carried by the three-point hitch links comprising a mast structure defined by upper end portions, a pair of divergent central portions and spaced lower end portions parallel to the upper end portions wherein the upper end portions contain a connecting means and wherein the lower end portions contain aligned forward and rearward connecting means. This implement hitch (US-A-3 151 883) is intended for the connection of an implement to a tractor that can be provided with a variety of hitch systems including a three-point hitch or a three-point hitch together with a so called quick coupler. If the implement is not powered variations in the distance between the towing tractor and the implement which are the result of using or not using a quick coupler are not critical. However, when the implement needs to be powered by a power shaft coupled to a tractor power take-off shaft it is necessary to use different length power shafts to go from a tractor with a quick coupler (or long three-points hitch links) to a tractor without a quick coupler. To cope with this problem some manufactures of PTO-driven implements recommend for the use without a quick coupler to cut the power shaft to fit a particular standard sized tractor hitch arrangement. However, once the power shaft has been cut, it cannot be used to connect the implement to a tractor hitch operating with a quick coupler or a longer standard sized hitch arrangement. The object of the present invention is to overcome or reduce the problem with a reasonably simple apparatus. According to the invention the connecting means of the upper end portions and the rearward connecting means of the lower end portions are located in a transverse and upright plane, a central member arranged to be positionable between a first position and a second out-of-the-way position is connected in the first position to the connecting means of the upper end portions such that a portion of the central member is projecting forwardly and further means are provided to connect the forwardly projecting portion of the central member in the first position to the upper three-point hitch link. By this arrangement the hitch adapter connected to an implement remains always in its relative position to a tractor no matter whether the hitch structure of the tractor makes use of a quick coupler or not, as the lower end portions have sets of forward and rearward connection means in the form of pin receiving holes, of which appropriate ones may be respectively selected for attachment directly to lower three-point hitch links or to a quick coupler. The central member is projecting forwardly in its first position for an attachment directly to the three-point hitch upper link. The second position of the central member is an out-of-the-way position in which the central member projects rearwardly or is removed completely for permitting attachment of the upper end portions of the hitch adapter to the upper hook of the quick coupler. Thus the forwardly and rearwardly located attachment points maintain constant the spacing of the hitch adapter from the tractor (no matter whether a quick coupler is mounted on the three-point hitch or not) and a single shaft can be used. An embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a left side elevational view showing a three-point hitch connected directly to a hitch adapter to which a PTO-driven implement is coupled. Fig. 2 is a rear view of the hitch adapter shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a top view of the hitch adapter shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a view like Fig. 1 but showing a channel member of the hitch adapter rotated to a rearwardly extending out-of-the-way position and the hitch adapter coupled to a quick coupler carried by the tractor three-point hitch. Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a rear portion of a tractor 10 equipped with a three-point hitch 12, including a central upper link 14 and a pair of laterally spaced lower links 16, and with a power take-off shaft 18. Also shown is a forward end portion of an agricultural implement 20 semi-integrally mounted on the tractor and including components (not shown) adapted for being driven by the tractor PTO shaft 18. Specifically, the implement 20 includes a forwardly extending tongue 22 defined by a box beam 24 having a hitch member 26 depending therefrom and including, at its bottom end, a forwardly extending hitch structure 28 carrying a ball connector 30. An upper gearbox or housing 32 of a transmission assembly 34 is fixed to the forward end of the box beam 24 and supports a lower gearbox or housing 36 for rotation about an upright axis Y which passes through the ball connector 30 and is vertical when the implement tongue 22 is held in an elevated, normal working position by the three-point hitch 12. An input shaft 38 of the transmission assembly 34 is supported in the lower gearbox 36 and is coupled to the tractor power take-off shaft 18 by a telescopic drive or power shaft 40 having universal joints at its opposite ends for permitting relative movement between the tractor 10 and implement 20. A hitch adapter 42 includes a fore-and-aft extending drawbar 44 secured to a central portion of a bowed, downwardly and rearwardly extending cross member 45 and being located approximately at the same level as a tractor drawbar 46 when the tongue 22 is in its normal working position and including an upright stud 48 received in the ball connector 30. A storage stand 49 in the form of a bent plate is fixed to the bottom of the drawbar 44 and serves as a down stop, for preventing the three-point hitch 12 from being lowered to the extent that the U-joints embodied in the drive shaft 40 operate at undesirable angles, and serves to support the implement on the ground when the tractor hitch arrangement is disconnected from the hitch adapter 42. Fixed to the top of the drawbar 44 and to the rear of the cross member 45 and forming part of a steering assembly 50 is a guide member 52 having a cylindrical guide surface 54 arranged concentrically about an axis X passing through the ball connector 30 and intersecting the axis Y. The steering assembly 50 further includes a pair of steering arms 56 formed of angle members and fixed to opposite sides of the lower gearbox 36 so as to depend therefrom in vertical relationship to the axis X and with opposite inner faces thereof engaged with diametrically opposite surface portions of the cylindrical guide surface 54. Thus, it will be appreciated that the steering assembly 50 acts in response to turning movement of the hitch adapter 42 about the axis Y to turn correspondingly the lower gearbox 36 to maintain a desired parallel relationship between the input shaft 38 and PTO shaft 18 but does not act to effect any movement of the gearbox 36 when the tractor 10 rolls about the ball connector 30 relative to the implement 20. The hitch adapter 42 is specially constructed so that the implement 20 may be coupled to tractors equipped with hitch arrangements including three-point hitch links of various lengths used either alone, as shown in Figs. 1-3, or together with a quick coupler 58, as shown in Fig. 4, without requiring different lengths of drive shafts 40 to be used with different hitch arrangements. Referring first to the hitch arrangement shown in Figs. 1-3, the hitch adapter 42 includes an upright mast structure defined by right and left legs 60 and 62 having central, downwardly diverging portions extending between and joined to parallel, spaced upper end portions 64 and parallel, spaced lower end portions 66, each defining a downwardly opening channel. The upper end of the hitch adapter 42 is defined by a forwardly projecting central member in the form of an inverted, U-shaped channel member 68 which is substantially square in side view and includes in its pair of arms a set of three mounting holes 70 arranged at consecutive corners of the member 68 such that lines connecting the holes form a right, isosceles triangle. The channel member 68 is received between the leg upper end portions 64 and is fixed thereto by upper and lower fastener or connecting means 72 and 74 respectively received in the rearmost pair of the sets of holes 70 and in alternative upper sets of quick hitch mounting holes provided in the leg upper end portions in axial alignment with the rearmost pair of the sets of holes 70. The upper three-point hitch link 14 has its rear end received between forward portions of opposite sides of the channel member 68 and contains a hole which receives a fastener means in the form of a pin 80 located in a set of upper link mounting holes 82 provided in the channel member. The lower pair of links 16 have their respective rear ends located beside the channels defined by the leg lower end portions 66 and each contains a hole which receives a pin 84 located in a set of lower link mounting holes or connecting means located in the portions 66 in a forward, vertical transverse plane A extending through the set of upper link mounting holes 82. A lower set of conneting means in the form of of quick hitch mounting holes 88 is located in each of the leg lower portions 66 behind the lower link mounting holes in a rear, vertical transverse plane B extending through the alternative upper sets of quick hitch mounting holes 70 containing the fastener means 72 and 74. Referring now to the hitch arrangement shown in Fig. 4, it can be seen that the hitch adapter 42 is coupled to the quick coupler 58. The quick coupler 58 is shown somewhat schematically but is of a construction similar to that disclosed in US-A-4,415,175, for example. Thus, the quick coupler 58 includes an inverted, U-shaped framework defined by an upper cross member 90 having legs 92 joined to opposite ends thereof. Located centrally between opposite ends of the cross member 90 and extending rearwardly therefrom is an upwardly opening, upper hook 94. Each of the legs 92 has a lower end defined by a rearwardly extending, upwardly opening hook 96. The hooks 94 and 96 have respective pin receptacles located in the rear vertical transverse plane B. Provided in the U-shaped framework and in the forward vertical transverse plane A at respective locations ahead of the upper hook 94 and pair of lower hooks 96 is a set of upper link mounting holes, receiving the pin 80 and connecting the upper link 14 to the quick coupler, and a pair of lower link mounting holes, receiving the pins 84 and connecting the lower links 16 to the quick coupler. The quick coupler 58 shown in Fig. 4 is a standard size, such as a category II quick coupler, for example, and the upper hook 94 thereof extends between the adapter legs 60 and 62 and is engaged with the lower fastener means 74, which in this case would be a pin. However, if a quick coupler of a different standard size, such as a category III N quick coupler were used, for example, the upper hook of the quick coupler would be engaged with the upper fastener means 72, which in this case would be in the form of a pin while the lower fastener means 74 would be in the form of a pair of bolt assemblies that are spaced to permit the upper hook to move therebetween toward and away from engagement with the upper fastener means 72. The lower hooks 96 of the quick coupler are in latched engagement with pins 98 received in the quick hitch mounting holes 88. The hitch adapter 42 can be converted from its configuration (Fig. 1) for attachment directly to three-point hitch links to a configuration (Fig. 4) for attachment to a quick coupler by removing the upper fastener means 72, loosening the lower fastener means 74, if necessary, and pivoting the channel member 68 ninety degrees clockwise or rearwardly to an out-of-the-way position wherein the unused hole 70 in Fig. 1 is matched with the upper set of holes contained in the leg upper end portions 68. The upper fastener means 72 is then replaced. Complete removal of the channel member 68 is an alternative to the above conversion procedure; however, such removal might result in the channel member 68 becoming misplaced or otherwise not readily available for use should it be desired to reconnect the hitch adapter for direct connection to three-point hitch links. Additionally, it is to be noted that the mounting holes provided in the hitch adapter 42 in the rearward vertical plane B may be used to mount the hitch adapter to a three-point hitch having longer links than the links 14 and 16 without varying the spacing between the tractor power take-off shaft 18 and the implement transmission input shaft 38. Thus, it will be appreciated that the hitch adapter 42 may be used with various combinations of tractor hitch arrangements without necessitating any change in the length of the drive shaft or line 40.

Claims: A hitch adapter for the optional connection either directly to tractor three-point hitch links (14, 16) or to a quick coupler (58) carried by the three-point hitch links (14, 16) comprising a mast structure defined by upper end portions (64), a pair of divergent central portions and spaced lower end portions (66) parallel to the upper end portions (64) wherein the upper end portions (64) contain a connecting means (72, 74) and wherein the lower end portions (66) contain aligned forward and rearward connecting means (88) characterised in that the connecting means (72, 74) of the upper end portions (64) and the rearward connecting means (88) of the lower end portions (66) being located in a transverse and upright plane (B); a central member (68) arranged to be positionable between a first position and a second out-of-the-way position and connected in the first position to the connecting means (72, 74) of the upper end portions (64) such that a portion of the central member (68) is projecting forwardly; and further means for connecting the forwardly projecting portion of the central member (68) in the first position to the upper three-point hitch link (14). A hitch adapter according to claim 1 characterised in that the upper central member (68) is swingable between the said positions. A hitch adapter according to claim 1 or 2 characterised in that the upper central member comprises a U-shaped channel (68). A hitch adapter according to claim 3 characterised in that the U-shaped channel (68) extends rearwardly from the upper end portions (64) when in the second position. A hitch adapter according to any preceding claim characterised in that the upper end portions (64) contain upper and lower sets of mounting holes located in said upright plane (B), the channel member (68) has a pair of arms, said pair of arms has first, second, third and fourth sets of aligned mounting holes (70, 82) and that the channel member (68) is connectable to the upper end portions (64) by fastener means (72, 74) in said first and second positions wherein, when in the first position, said first and second sets of aligned mounting holes (70) are respectively aligned with said upper and lower sets of mounting holes and upper and lower fastener means (72, 74) extend through these aligned holes (70) and wherein, when in the second position, said first and third sets of aligned mounting holes (70) are respectively aligned with said lower and upper sets of mounting holes and said upper and lower fastener means (72, 74) extend through these aligned holes. A hitch adapter according to claim 5 characterised in that, when in the first position, the fourth set of aligned holes (82) of the channel member (68) is arranged to be located forwardly of said upper end portions (64), a fastener means (80) extends through this set of aligned holes (82) for a connection to the upper three-point hitch link (14) and that the fourth set of aligned holes (82) is located in a second transverse upright plane (A) passing through the forward connection means of the lower end portions (66). A hitch adapter according to claim 5 characterised in that, when in the first position, the third set of aligned holes (70) of the channel member (68) is arranged to be located forwardly of said first transverse upright plane (B) passing through the rearward connection means (88) of the lower end portions (66) and that, when in the second position, the second and fourth sets of aligned holes (70, 82) are located rearwardly of said first plane (B). A hitch adapter according to claims 5 characterised in that the U-shaped channel member (68) is substantially square in side view with a first side of the square being located adjacent respective back edges of the said upper end portions (64) when in the first position, and with a second side, contiguous with the first side, being located adjacent respective forward edges of the said upper end portions (64) when in the second position. A hitch adapter according to claim 5 characterised in that the first, second and third sets of holes (70) are arranged in a pattern forming a right isosceles triangle. A hitch adapter according to claim 9 characterised in that the first, second and third sets of holes (70) are located adjacent consecutive corners of the U-shaped channel member (68).

Inventors: RICHARDSON, CRAIG ALLEN, STEPHENSON, ROGER DALE, WALTERS, JAMES C.
Applicants: DEERE & COMPANY
Application year: 1988
Main classification: A01B59
IPC codes: B60K17, A01B71