Patent ID: 8770309

Claim:
An agricultural tool bar assembly for mounting to a movable frame, which comprises: (a) a central section having opposite ends that carry pivotal wings, each wing comprising an inner pivot that pivotally joins an inner wing section to one end of the central section and an outer pivot that pivotally joins an outer wing section of the wing to the inner wing section; (b) the tool bar assembly having a substantially horizontal deployed position in which the central and wing sections thereof are aligned end-to-end with one another and extend laterally relative to the frame across a working width that is substantially wider than a maximum width of the frame, wherein the tool bar assembly has a plurality of agricultural tools laterally spaced apart across the working width thereof with the agricultural tools engaging the ground in the deployed position; (c) the tool bar assembly further having a transport/storage position in which the agricultural tools are raised out of contact with the ground, wherein each of the wings in the transport/storage position is folded lengthwise by pivoting the outer wing section substantially 180° about the outer pivot until the outer wing section at least partially overlies the inner wing section and each wing is inwardly swung to be located proximate to one side of the frame by pivoting the inner wing section substantially 90° about the inner pivot relative to the central section; (d) wherein the inner and outer pivots are substantially horizontal in the deployed position of the tool bar assembly with the inner and outer wing sections being independently pivotal from each other about the inner and outer pivots to permit independent ground following action of the wing sections in the deployed position; (e) wherein the inner and outer pivots are substantially vertical in the transport/storage position of the tool bar assembly to permit placement of the lengthwise folded and inwardly swung wings proximate to the sides of the frame; and (f) a tilting mount for attaching the central section to the frame, the mount being configured for tilting the central section relative to the frame about a substantially lateral and horizontal pivot axis to change the orientation of the inner and outer pivots from the substantially horizontal orientation in the deployed position to the substantially vertical orientation in the transport/storage position.