Patent Abstract:
An implement and method of assembly, wherein the implement comprises a housing having a first-side portion and a second-side portion, at least one element having a weight, the element being attached to the second-side portion of the housing and the weight of the element creating a moment arm, a shaft positioned between the first-side portion and second-side portion of the housing and operably coupled to at least one of the element, and a counterweight attached to the first-side portion of the housing, the counterweight offsetting the moment arm created by the weight of the element.

Full Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0001]     This invention relates generally to an implement of a work machine, and, more particularly, to a landscape tiller of a work machine having a single direct drive motor.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     Work machines, such as skid steer loaders, tractors, wheel loaders, or backhoe loaders, or other similar work machines use implements, such as landscape tillers, to cultivate the ground, till the ground, level the ground, or other additional operations. When used to perform these sorts of operations, it is normally helpful to have the landscape tiller balanced. Most landscape tillers use two motors, each being positioned on one end of the tiller to offset the weight of each motor and help balance the tiller. Having two motors increases the cost of the tiller and the potential for malfunction. The use of a single motor large enough to drive the landscape tiller, however, can cause the landscape tiller to be off balance.  
         [0003]     One known tiller assembly design is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,467,550 B1 that issued to Firdaus on Oct. 22, 2002. It discloses a tiller assembly including a tine assembly that is rotatably connected to a tiller body. The tiller assembly includes a hydraulic system that is operatively connected to a hydraulic motor that drives the tine assembly. This design has only one hydraulic motor to drive the tine assembly, but due to the weight of the hydraulic motor, the tiller may become off balance and may not till level.  
         [0004]     The present disclosure is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems as set forth above.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     One embodiment disclosed herein is an implement comprising a housing having a first-side portion and a second-side portion, at least one element having a weight and being attached to the second-side portion of the housing, the weight of the element creating a moment arm, a shaft positioned between the first-side portion and second-side portion of the housing and operably coupled to at least one of the element, and a counterweight attached to the first-side portion of the housing to offset the moment arm created by the weight of the element.  
         [0006]     In another embodiment disclosed herein, a method comprises fabricating a housing having a first-side portion and a second-side portion, attaching a motor to the second-side portion of the housing, positioning a shaft between the first-side portion and the second-side portion of the housing and connecting it thereto, operably coupling the motor to the shaft, and attaching a counterweight to the first-side portion of the housing to offset the moment arm created by the weight of the motor. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]     For a better understanding of the present disclosure, reference may be made to the accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic front and side view of a landscape tiller operatively mounted to a skid steer loader;  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  is a diagrammatic view of the underside of the landscape tiller;  
         [0010]      FIG. 2   a  is a diagrammatic view of a side portion of the landscape tiller; and  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  is a diagrammatic side view of the side portion of the landscape tiller.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0012]     Referring to the drawings, depicted in  FIG. 1  is an implement, such as a landscape tiller  100 , operatively mounted in the conventional manner to a body portion  107  of a work machine  105 , such as, but not limited to, a skid steer loader, tractor, wheel loader, or backhoe loader. The work machine  105  includes a hydraulic system  110  including a source of pressurized fluid. The hydraulic system  110  includes a pair of hydraulic fittings  115  adapted to attach, in fluid communication, the landscape tiller  100  with the hydraulic system  110 . First and second level indicators  120 ,  125  are attached at opposite ends of the landscape tiller  100  so that the operator can visually determine the orientation of the landscape tiller  100 .  
         [0013]     As depicted in  FIG. 2 , with reference numbers of previous figures being used to identify similar components therein, the landscape tiller  100  includes a tiller mechanism  205  partially enclosed in a housing  210  having a first-side portion  215  and a second-side portion  220 . As depicted in  FIG. 2   a,  the housing  210  includes a first aperture  225  in the first-side portion  215  and a second aperture (not shown) in the second-side portion  220 .  
         [0014]     As further depicted in  FIG. 2 , the tiller mechanism  205  includes a shaft  245 , having a first end  250  and a second end  255 . The first end  250  is adjustably and rotatably attached to the first-side portion  215  of the housing  210 . The second end  255  is operably attached to a motor  260  (as more specifically described below), which may be a hydraulic motor, a gerotor type motor, an electric motor, a gasoline motor, or other types of motors. The tiller mechanism  205  further includes a plurality of plates  265  attached to the shaft  245  by welding or another suitable process. Removably attached to each plate  265  is a plurality of teeth  270 .  
         [0015]     As depicted in  FIG. 2 , the second-side portion  220  of the housing  210  has at least one element attached thereto such that the second-side portion  220  of the housing  210  is heavier than the first-side portion  215  of the housing  210  when nothing is attached thereto, and because of the weight of the at least one element, a moment arm is created. In this embodiment, the element includes the motor  260 , but alternatively, may include an additional motor, at least one pump, at least one controller, etc. The housing  201 , further, has a first skid  275  and second skid  280  attached thereto, by bolting or another suitable process, to the first-side portion  215  and second-side portion  220 , respectively. The first and second skids  275 ,  280  contact the ground when the landscape tiller  100  is in an operable condition. Mounted above the second skid  280  on the second-side portion  220  of the housing  210  is a motor mount  282 . The motor mount  282  is attached by bolting it thereto, or another suitable process. The motor  260  is attached to the motor mount  282  in a conventional manner at the second-side portion  220 . The motor  260  includes a splined coupling (not shown) that extends through the second aperture in the second-side portion  220  of the housing  210  and is rotatably attached to the shaft  245  in a conventional manner. A motor-shaft seal (not shown) is attached to the motor  260  so as to protect it against debris entering therein. Additionally, a shaft seal (not shown) located adjacent the motor-shaft seal is attached at the attachment location of the splined coupling of the motor  260  and the shaft  245 . Finally, first-end portions  294  of a pair of hydraulic hoses  292  are connected with the motor  260  and second-end portions  295  of the hydraulic hoses  292  are connected with the hydraulic fittings  115  of the hydraulic system  110 , as depicted in  FIG. 1 . When the hydraulic hoses  292  are connected with the motor  260  of the landscape tiller  260  and the hydraulic fittings  115  of the work machine  105 , the motor  260  is in fluid communication with the hydraulic system  110 .  
         [0016]     As depicted in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , with reference numbers of previous figures being used to identify similar components therein, a counterweight  297  is located at the first-side portion  215  of the housing  210  to offset the moment arm created by the weight at the second-side portion  220  of the housing  210 , including the weight of the motor  260 . The counterweight  297 , in this embodiment, is attached to the first-side portion  215  of the housing  210 , but may also be formed integrally with the housing  210 . The counterweight  297 , of this embodiment, includes a first plate  302  and a second plate  299 , each plate having an aperture (not shown). The first plate  302  is placed on an outside  301  of the first-side portion  215  of the housing  210  covering the first aperture  225  and the second plate  299  is placed on an inside  298  of the first-side portion  215  of the housing  210  covering the first aperture  225 . The first and second plates  302 ,  299  are bolted together in compressive engagement with the first-side portion  215  of the housing  210 ; the compressive forces holding the first and second plates  302 ,  299  in place.  
         [0017]     Finally, the shaft  245  is adjustably and rotatably attached to the first and second plates  302 ,  299  by extending the first end  250  of the shaft  245  through the apertures in the first and second plates  302 ,  299  creating a sealed rotatable attachment thereto. Then a plurality of floating bearings  303  are attached to the first end  250  of the shaft  245  and attached to the first plate  302 , further rotatably attaching the first end  250  of the shaft  245  to the first and second plates  302 ,  299 . Adjusting the location of the attachment of the counterweight  297  to the first-side portion  215  of the housing  210  permits the shaft  245  to align with the motor  260 . In particular, the shape of the first aperture  225  in the housing  210  permits the first and second plates  302 ,  299  to be adjusted by moving the first and second plates  302 ,  299  within the first aperture  225  until the floating bearings  303  align with the shaft  245  and the shaft  245  aligns with the motor  260 .  
       INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY  
       [0018]     Normally, the operator will activate the landscape tiller  100  in a conventional manner so that pressurized fluid is sent from the hydraulic system  110  through the hydraulic hoses  292  to the motor  260 . The pressurized fluid activates the motor  260  and the motor  260  rotates the shaft  245 . The shaft  245  may rotate in either a clockwise or a counter-clockwise direction as selected by the operator.  
         [0019]     The landscape tiller  100  normally needs to be substantially balanced. In the present embodiment, this is accomplished by having the counterweight  297  on the second-side portion  220  of the housing  210  being of substantially the same weight as that of the motor  260  so as to offset the moment arm created by the weight of the motor  260 . Additionally, the housing  210  may be formed with the counterweight  297  integral with the first-side portion  215  thereof so as to offset the moment arm created by the weight of the motor  260 . Finally, the counterweight  297  may also offset the moment arm created by not only the weight of the motor  260  but the weight of any other element that may be attached to the second-side portion  220  of the housing  210 , such as an additional motor, at least one pump, at least one controller, etc., where the weight of the counterweight  297  is substantially similar to the weight of all of the elements attached to the second-side portion  220  of the housing  210 . This will permit the landscape tiller  100  to operate in a relatively balanced position.  
         [0020]     Other aspects, objects and advantages of the invention could be obtained from a study of the drawings, the disclosure and the appended claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 4