A device for controlling the attitude of an implement drawn by an agricultural machine

Abstract: The device (4) is mounted in an agricultural machine (1) comprising two links (12) for drawing an implement (3), a lifter member (2) and a central control unit (6) for controlling the member (2). The device (4) comprises: two horizontal bars (33) carried in the form of brackets from the chassis of the machine (1); and four resistive elements (53) deposited on flat faces of the bars (33) symmetrically with respect to a neutral axis (N) defined in this latter, made of a material having an electrical resistance proportional to the deformations to which they are subject and connected in a Wheatstone bridge circuit in such a way that this arrangement generates an electrical signal proportional to the imbalance of the bridge caused by the deformations to which the elements (53) are subjected, and which are transmitted from the traction force on the implement (3).

Description: The present invention relates to an agricultural machine with a device for controlling the attitude of an implement drawn by said agricultural machine. Devices of the above-indicated type allow the attitude of the implement to be automatically controlled on the basis of the detection of the force which acts on the tool attachment so as to optimise the performance of the agricultural machine, that is to distribute the power of the machine correctly between the function of drawing or supporting the implement and the function of positioning the implement at a predetermined depth in furrow being worked. At the present such devices have an electrical circuit constituted by four resistive elements fixed to a portion of a bar forming part of the tool attachment. These resistive elements are made of a material which has an electrical resistance value proportional to the expansion and contraction to which the elements themselves are subjected. These are connected in a Wheatstone bridge circuit in such a way that the mechanical stress due to the implement causes imbalance of the bridge circuit to generate an electrical signal proportional to this imbalance and therefore to the mechanical stress. The electrical signal is then sent, via a signal amplifier circuit, to a central processing unit which forms part of a control system able to command raising and lowering of the implement, that is to say its attitude in relation to the desired working depth, the hardness of the ground and the power of the machine. The above-described devices have various disadvantages. In particular it is to be noted that the said bar is normally made of hardened steel so that significant difficulties must be overcome for the deposition of the resistive element in that the working stages for hardening the bar are contradictory with any further surface treatment such as the deposition of the resistive elements. Relative sliding can occur between the bar and the supports of the resistive elements, which causes the phenomenon of mechanical hysteresis and therefore a spurious electrical signal. It is to be noted that the resistive elements are deposited two on one face and two on the opposite face of the bar. This involves the production of several housing seats for the resistive elements the assembly of which takes place manually since there are no machine tools which can succeed in performing this assembly operation. Consequently errors in positioning the resistive elements can arise which cause errors in the electrical signal, which must therefore be compensated after assembly with a variation in the gain of the said amplification circuit. Moreover, again after assembly has been completed, balancing of the Wheatstone bridge must be effected. Such devices are therefore difficult to assemble and once mounted must in general be recalibrated and adjusted, which involves high costs and extended times. Finally, it is to be noted that the electrical connections between the various resistive elements and between these and the amplification circuit are made with flying conductors, which involves a reduced protection of these, a lower durability due to wear (possible mechanical stresses and contacts with dust, oil and anything else which succeeds in entering into the protective casing) to which these are subject, the need for soldering to be effected during assembly, and in general a reduced reliability of the whole electrical installation. U.S. Patent Number 4,858,475, which discloses the features of the preamble of claim 1, relates to a device for measuring strain in a structure and includes: a tongue-and-clevis coupling; a pin inserted, with an interference fit, into the bores of the arms of said clevis; a plug inserted, with an interference fit, into a bore of said pin; two opposed parallel flat side surfaces defined on said plug; and at least one strain gauge element deposited on each of said flat side surfaces. The constructive form of the device illustrated in U.S. Patent Number 4,858,475 presents numerous problems. In particular this device can be utilised only in a tongue-and-clevis coupling, since it doesn't present a correct working in a cantilever beam coupling. The tongue-and-clevis coupling involves a perfect symmetry of the geometry of the device and an extremely precise assembly. Consequently errors in positioning of said plug into said pin and of the strain gauge elements on the plug cause errors in the electrical signal, which must therefore be compensated after assembly with a variation in the gain of an amplification circuit. The tongue-and-clevis coupling involves a lower sensibility of the device to slight variations of the shear strain. The coupling with an interference fit causes the phenomenon of mechanical hysteresis and a spurious electrical signal. Said plug is a solid stainless steel body, which involves difficult operations for the deposition of said elements, an elevated number of processings on this plug, an elevated thermic inertia of the plug, a problem to produce the parallelism between the two flat surfaces, and a complicated assembly. The strain gauge elements are deposited manually and this involves errors in positioning and in electrical signal. Said device presents the strain gauge elements deposited on the two opposed surfaces and the amplification circuit mounted on a second body. The electrical connections between the elements and between these and the amplification circuit are made with flying conductors, which involves the above-mentioned problems. Furthermore in this device, to define a linear signal, on said plug in proximity to the arms of the clevis, an annular grooves have been formed. In said device, after assembly has been completed, balancing of the Wheatstone bridge must be effected and this device, one mounted, for the said fit interference must in general be recalibrated and adjusted. In the U.S. Patent Number 4,858,475 more geometries of the strain gauge elements are illustrated, but most of this geometries doesn't permit the measure of shearing stress. In a figure of the the U.S. Patent Number 4,858,475 is illustrated a geometry with four elements deposited on each of flat side surfaces of said plug. This geometry permits the measure with extremely feeble signal of shearing stress, since the shear strain is an infinitesimal component of the total strain. In fact to mechanically amplify this shearing stress, by the bores, the concentrations of load have been formed. The object of the present invention is that of providing an agricultural machine with a device for controlling the attitude of an implement drawn by said agricultural machine, which will be free from the above-specified disadvantages. According to the present invention there is provided an agricultural machine comprising a chassis and a device for controlling the attitude of an implement which can be drawn by said agricultural machine, the agricultural machine including two mechanical connecting links fixed to a rear part of its chassis, which connecting links are arranged to be coupled to said implement, a member for raising and lowering the said connecting links, and a central electronic processing unit for controlling the said member, said device including: two horizontal bars carried as brackets from the said rear parts of the said chassis, each having a horizontal flat face; two mechanical connection couplings between the said bars and said links; four resistive elements deposited in a coplanar manner on the said flat face of each of the said bars with a symmetrical arrangement with respect to a neutral axis orthogonal to the direction of traction and defined by the longitudinal axis of said bars, preferably made of material of thick film type, having electrical resistance values proportional to the deformation to which it is subjected, and connected in a Wheatstone bridge circuit arrangement in such a way that this circuit generates an electrical signal, which can then be sent to the central processing unit, proportional to the imbalance of the said bridge caused by deformation to which the said elements are subjected and which are transmitted by the force of traction of the said implement; characterised by the fact that the said device includes a flat plate fixed to the said flat face of the said bar, and an electrical circuit made with a printed circuit technique on the said plate and including a resistive block constituted by the said resistive elements and an amplifier block for amplification of the said electrical signal. For a better understanding of the present invention a referred embodiment will now be described, purely by way of non-limitative example, with reference to the attached drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a partial perspective view of an agricultural machine provided with a drawn implement and in which there is installed a device formed according to the principles of the present invention; Figure 2 is a partially sectioned rear view partly in elevation of the device of the invention fitted to the machine of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a plan view in section of a portion of the device of Figure 2; and Figure 4 is a side view of one element of the portion of Figure 3. As illustrated in Figure 1 an agricultural machine is generally indicated with the reference numeral 1, and is provided with a device 2 of known type for raising and lowering an implement 3 which is illustrated only partly. The machine 1 is further provided with a device 4 for controlling the attitude of the implement 3 which can be drawn or carried by the machine 1. The device 4 comprises an electric circuit (Figure 3) adapted to generate an electrical signal corresponding to the force exerted by the implement 3 on the machine 1 and to direct this electrical signal to the central electronic processor 6 which, if the said force exceeds a predetermined threshold value, is adapted to control the raising of the implement 3 by means of the device 2. The device 2 essentially comprises a rotating bar 7, two arms 8 angularly fixed to the bar 7, two substantially vertical links 11 pivoted at their upper ends to a respective arm 8 and pivoted at their lower end to an intermediate portion of an associated substantially horizontal link 12 extending from the implement 3, and a member (normally of hydraulic type and not illustrated since it is of known type) controlled by the central processor 6 and adapted to control the rotation in one direction or the other of the bar 7. With reference to Figures 1 and 2, from the rear part 13 of the chassis of the machine 1 there project two plates 14, preferably made of cast iron and each of which supports an associated portion 15 of the device 4. The plates 14 are disposed in vertical planes parallel to one another. As illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 each portion 15 comprises an internally hollow cylindrical pin 16 a central part of which is housed, by means of the interposition of a reinforcing bush 17, within a through hole 18 formed in the corresponding plate 14. The pin 16 has two lateral parts outside the hole 18 which will be termed respectively the internal and the external part. The internal lateral part extends towards the mid-line of the machine 1 within a sleeve 21 which has a flange 22 fixed by screws 23 to the plate 14. The outer lateral part extends exteriorly of the machine 1 and fitted to it, by an annular projection 24 formed in the bush 17 and a shoulder ring 25, is a swivel ball 26 which engages in a spherical hole 27 formed at one end of the link 12. The pin 16 and the sleeve 21 are joined fixedly together by means of a peg 28 which engages a diametral hole 31 formed at the free end of the internal lateral part of the pin 16 and a diametral hole 32 formed in the sleeve 21. With reference to Figures 3 and 4, within the pin 16 is housed a bar 33 preferably made of aluminium alloy. The bar 33 has an intermediate portion constituted by a flat plate 34 defined on a horizontal plane, that is parallel to the ground. The plate 34 has a width substantially equal to the internal diameter of the pin 16 and in particular has its lateral edges rounded to form as great as possible contact surface with the internal surface of the pin 16. On the upper face of the plate 34 there is fixed, by adhesive, a flat small plate 35 of aluminium oxide (alumina) on which the electronic circuit 5 is formed by printed circuit technique. In this respect an associated projection 39 extends upwardly from sections of two lateral edges of the plate 34, which projections define, internally a seat for the plate 35, and externally follow the rounding of the lateral edges. From the central region of the lower face of the plate 34 extends a reinforcing rib 40 which comes into contact with the internal surface of the pin 16 and which also has a rounded edge. The plate 34 has a longitudinal extent such as to bring it into correspondence with the space defined by the bush 17 and a region of the sleeve 21. The bar 33 includes a second intermediate portion constituted by a plate 36 coplanar with the plate 34 but of smaller width. The plate 36 has a longitudinal extent such as to lie in correspondence with the space defined by the swivel ball26. The bar 33 finally includes two substantially cylindrical end portions 37 and 38. The portion 37 lies in correspondence with the peg 28 and has at its head a through slot 41 to allow the passage of this peg 28. The portion 38 lies in correspondence with the annulus 25 and has a diametral through hole 42 traversed by a threaded bolt 43 which also traverses a diametral hole formed in the pin 16 and a diametral hole formed in the annulus 25. At the two ends of the bolt 43 are screwed respective fixing nuts 44. The bar 33 is fixed by adhesive to the pin 16 and in particular the adhesive is distributed along the whole of the contact surfaces described above, between the bar 34 and the pin 16. As illustrated in Figure 3, the electronic circuit 5 includes a resistive block 51 which lies in correspondence with the annular projection 24 of the bush 17 and an amplifier block 52 adapted to amplify the electrical signal generated by the resistive block 51 and to direct the amplified signal to the central processing unit 6. The amplifier block 52 is schematically indicated with an ideogram in that it is a common amplifier of known type. The resistive block 51 comprises four extensible resistive elements 53 of the thick film type made of a material having an electrical resistance value proportional to the expansion or contraction to which this material is subjected. Indicating the central longitudinal axis of the plate 34 orthogonal to the direction of traction with the reference N, it is to be noted that the resistive elements 53 are deposited on the plate 35 in a symmetrical manner with respect to this neutral axis N and thus two elements 53 lie on one side and the other two on the opposite side. It is further to be noted that in this example the four resistive elements 53 overall assume a "herringbone" disposition and in particular the longitudinal axis of the elements 53 define an angle of 45° with respect to the axis N. More precisely the longitudinal axes of the elements 53 converge on the axis N towards the outer lateral part of the pin 16. The circuit arrangement in which the elements 53 are connected is that known as a Wheatstone bridge which, as is known, has a four sided network each side of which provides a resistance. This circuit arrangement is widely known; if all the resistances have the same value the bridge is balanced and therefore does not generate any electrical signal, whilst if the resistances have different values the bridge becomes unbalanced and generates an electrical signal proportional to the imbalance. In use, when the implement 3 transmits a component of the force of traction via the link 12 to the pin 16, this latter flexes and causes an equal flexure of the bar 33. The deflection of this causes expansion of the elements 53 disposed, with respect to the neutral axis N, on the side closest to the chassis of the machine 1 and contraction of the elements 53 opposite thereto. All this causes an imbalance of the Wheatstone bridge proportional to the traction force exerted by the implement and this imbalances causes generation of an electrical signal of proportional value, which after having been amplified is compared in the central processor unit 6 with a predetermined threshold value in such a way that, on the basis of this comparison, it can control the device 2 for raising the implement 3. The stress transmitted to the elements 53 can be decomposed into components of bending, shear, tension and torsion. It will be evident that the arrangement of the elements 53 on the same horizontal plane and at 45° with respect to the neutral axis N makes it possible simultaneously to measure the components of flexure and shear which have a different value for the elements 53. The tension and torsion components for the arrangement of the elements 53 are equal for all of these and therefore the bridge compensates and thereby eliminates them. It can therefore be stated that the stresses to which the elements 53 are subjected, and which are usable for computation of the imbalance of the bridge are: Sa = ( cos α . Kb . Y + Ks ) . Feq Sb = - ( cos β . Kb . Y + Ks ) . Feq Sc = ( cos α . Kb . X + Ks ) . Feq Sd = - ( cos β . Kb . X + Ks ) . Feq where Sa represents the value of the stress applied to the element 53a; Sb represents the value of the stress applied to the element 53b; Sc represents the value of the stress applied to the element 53c; Sd represent the value of the stress applied to the element 53d; α represents the angle between the longitudinal axis of the elements 53a and 53c and the neutral axis N; β represents the angle between the longitudinal axis of the elements 53b and 53d and the neutral axis N; Feq represents the force equivalent due to the deformation of the pin 16 in the contact zone between this and the end portion 38, and which is along the middle axis of the end portion 38, horizontal and orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the bar 33; Y represents the distance between the barycentre of the elements 53a and 53b and the network along which Feq is applied; X represents the distance between the barycentre of the elements 53c and 53d and the network along which Feq is applied; Kb represents a coefficient relating to the flexural deformation of the elements 53 and is a function of the mechanical geometry of the various parts of the portion 15 of the device 4, the geometry of the arrangement of the elements 53, the coefficient of elasticity of the bar 33 and the plate 35, and the coefficient of proportionality between the deformation and electrical resistance of the elements 53; and Ks represents a coefficient relating to the deformation in sheet of the elements 53 and is a function of the same order of magnitude as the coefficient Kb. From what has been described the numerous advantages achieved with the arrangement of the present invention will be evident. In particular the device 4 has the member on which stress transmitted from the implement 3 is applied and which carries the plate 35, which works as a bracket and which therefore permits a greater precision for the detection of the flexing stress. This member (bar 33) is made in aluminium alloy and therefore can be produced by die casting with evident reduction in costs, also bearing in mind that this does not necessitate particular finishing operations or working. Moreover, relative sliding or friction between the various parts thereof are avoided by the conformation of the device 4 and therefore mechanical hysteresis phenomena are absent. The electrical circuit 5 is made on a flat plate, which permits the disposition of the elements 55 on the same flat face and a rapid and simplified assembly of the plate 35 which can be achieved by automatic machines. This assembly has the above-listed advantages in that the plate 35 is carried by a flat plate in which, by means of the projections 39, there are defined very precise references which delimit the housing seats for the plate 35. A correct positioning of the plate 35 and, above all, a precise positioning of the elements 53 with respect to the neutral axis N is therefore achieved. Errors in the electrical signal are therefore avoided and consequently after assembly has been completed, it is not necessary to vary the gain of the amplifier circuit to compensate such errors in the signals. The formation of the circuit 5 on the plate 35 permits the production of this utilising current techniques for production of electronic boards which as is known provide for a precise production by means of automatic machines in relatively short times on an industrial scale and with very much reduced cost. It is to be underlined that the balancing of the Wheatstone bridge and possible adjustments or calibrations of the amplifier circuit are achieved on the plate 35 before it is mounted on the bar 33 and in particular during construction thereof. Consequently after assembly of the plate 35 onto the bar 33 it is not necessary, as was necessary in prior art devices, to perform operations for testing the correct functioning of the circuit 5. It is also to be noted that both the resistive block 51 and the amplification block 52 are made on the same plate and therefore the electrical connections are defined by electrically conductive tracks and not by flying wires. Naturally an electrical connection cable to the central processing unit 6 will however still be required. The extreme closeness between the two blocks 51 and 52 allows amplifications with high gain without creating appreciable distortions in the signal. Such distortions are inhibited also by the fact that the circuit 5 is within a consistent metallic mass which acts as a screen and therefore helps to prevent the circuit 5 from being subjected to perturbations caused by spurious signals of electro magnetic origin. Finally, as already noted, the arrangement of the elements 53 permits the imbalance of the Wheatstone bridge to be solely by bending and sheer deformations without having to take into account possible components of tension and torsion. Finally it is clear that the device 4 described and illustrated here can have modifications and variations introduced thereto without departing from the teachings of the invention as defined in the claims.

Claims: An agricultural machine comprising a chassis and a device (4) for controlling the attitude of an implement (3) which can be drawn by said agricultural machine (1), the agricultural machine including two mechanical connecting links (12) fixed to a rear part (13) of its chassis, which connecting links (12) are arranged to be coupled to said implement (3), a member (2) for raising and lowering the said connecting links (12), and a central electronic processing unit (6) for controlling the said member (2), said device (4) including: two horizontal bars (33) carried as brackets from the said rear parts (13)) of the said chassis, each having a horizontal flat face (34); two mechanical connection couplings (26) between the said bars (33) and said links (12); four resistive elements (53) deposited in a coplanar manner on the said flat face of each of the said bars (33) with a symmetrical arrangement with respect to a neutral axis (N) orthogonal to the direction of traction and defined by the longitudinal axis of said bars (33), preferably made of material of thick film type, having electrical resistance values proportional to the deformation to which it is subjected, and connected in a Wheatstone bridge circuit arrangement in such a way that this circuit generates an electrical signal, which can then be sent to the central processing unit (6), proportional to the imbalance of the said bridge caused by deformation to which the said elements (53) are subjected and which are transmitted by the force of traction of the said implement (3); characterised by the fact that the said device (4) includes a flat plate (35) fixed to the said flat face of the said bar (33), and an electrical circuit (5) made with a printed circuit technique on the said plate (35) and including a resistive block (51) constituted by the said resistive elements (53) and an amplifier block (52) for amplification of the said electrical signal. An agricultural machine according to Claim 1, characterised by the fact that the said resistive elements (53) assume an overall arrangement with respect to the said neutral axis (N) of the "herringbone" type defining with their longitudinal axes an angle of 45° with respect to the said neutral axis (N); the said electrical signal generated by the said circuit arrangement being therefore dependent on the bending and shear deformation to which the said elements (53) are subjected. An agricultural machine according to Claim 1 and/or Claim 2, characterised by the fact that the said bar (33) is made of aluminium alloy and the said plate (35), fixedly joined to this latter by adhesive, is made of aluminium oxide; the said bar (33) being preferably made by die casting. An agricultural machine according to any preceding Claim, characterised by the fact that on the said flat face of the said bar (33) there are formed points of reference (39) which delimit and define with precision a seat for fixing the said plate (35). An agricultural machine according to any preceding Claim, characterised by the fact that the said device (4) includes an internally hollow cylindrical pin (16) for housing a corresponding said bar (33); adhesive being deposited along the contact surfaces between the said hollow pin (16) and the said bar (33). An agricultural machine according to Claim 5, characterised by the fact that the said hollow pin (16) has a central part housed, with the interposition of a reinforcing bush (17), within a through hole (18) formed in a plate (14) extending from the said chassis; an internal lateral part which extends towards the centre line of said machine (1) and which lies within the sleeve (21), fixed by screws (23) to the said plate (14); and an outer lateral part which extends towards the outside of the said machine (1) and on which, by means of an annular projection (24) formed in the said bush (17) and a shoulder ring (25), there is fitted a swivel ball (26) which engages a hole (27) of spherical shape formed at one end of the said link (12); the said hollow pin (16) and the said sleeve (21) being fixed together by means of a peg (28) which engages a diametral hole (31) formed at the free end of the said internal lateral part of the said hollow pin (16) and a diametral hole (32) formed in the said sleeve (21). An agricultural machine according to Claim 6, characterised by the fact that the said bar (33) comprises: a first substantially cylindrical end portion (37) lying in correspondence with the said peg (28); a first intermediate portion constituted by a flat plate (34) the upper face of which constitutes the said support face for the said elements (53), having a width substantially equal to the internal diameter of the said hollow pin (16) and located within the space defined by the said bush (17); a second intermediate portion constituted by a second plate (36) of smaller width than of the said first plate (34) and located within the space defined by the said swivel ball (26); and a second substantially cylindrical end portion (38) located within the said space defined by the said shoulder ring (25).

Inventors: CEVOLINI ALFREDO, SEDONI CARLO, CEVOLINI, ALFREDO, SEDONI, CARLO
Applicants: FIATGEOTECH, FIATGEOTECH - TECNOLOGIE PER LA TERRA S.P.A.
Application year: 1990
Main classification: A01B63
IPC codes: G01L5, B62D49, A01B63