Tilting implements and constructions for hillside implements such as hillside combine harvesters

• US 20060220331A1
• Filed: 02/02/2006
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hillco Technologies Incorporated, Rahco AG Systems LLC
• Original Assignee: Rahco AG Systems LLC
• Inventors: Schafer, Scott D., Solbrack, Dennis R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,748,203 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/6.154
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 75/285 with arrangements for holding the harvesting or mowing apparatus in a horizontal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 21/007 means for adjusting the wheel inclination
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/322 with a single pivot point and a straight axle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/422 Driving wheels or live axles
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/40 Type of actuator
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/602 Single transverse beam
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2300/08 Agricultural vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2300/45 Rolling frame vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/0194 transversal with regard to vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2800/912 Attitude Control; levelling control
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 9/02 the axle or housing being pivotally mounted on the vehicle , e.g. the pivotal axis being parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle B60G9/003 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 57/024 specially adapted for moving on inclined or vertical surfaces endless-track vehicles for ascending or descending stairs B62D55/075; hand-carts with provision for travelling up or down stairs B62B5/02
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49716 Converting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

An implement for negotiating sloped hillsides having a front carriage with a rigid axle that stays oriented to the slope of the ground being traversed. The front axle and drive assembly has two opposing tilt connections which allow hydraulic or other operators on the opposite side of the implement to extend and tilt the implement body to maintain a level condition. This arrangement keeps the center of gravity lower and positions the points of load application to the axle assembly nearer the ends of the axle and adjacent to the wheels and tires or other ground contacting drive. The operator on one side is contracted when the opposing operator is to be extended. One operator is used to tilt in one direction and the opposing tilt operator is used to tilt in the opposite direction.

Claims

1. An apparatus forming a hillside vehicle with a body capable of lateral leveling in response to variations in ground slope, comprising:

a carriage assembly having at least one ground contact adapted to allow movement of the carriage over ground;

a body at least partly supported upon the carriage and accommodating lateral tilt adjustment of the body relative to the carriage;

at least one port leveling actuator connected between the carriage assembly and the body for extending and contracting to level the body upon the port side thereof;

at least one starboard leveling actuator connected between the carriage assembly and the body for extending and contracting to level the body upon the starboard side thereof;

at least one port tilt connection for helping to support the body upon the carriage assembly when the at least one port leveling actuator adjusts the level of the port side of the body relative to the carriage assembly;

at least one starboard tilt connection for helping to support the body upon the carriage assembly when the at least one starboard leveling actuator adjusts the level of the starboard side of the body relative to the carriage assembly;

said at least one port and said at least one starboard tilt connections being controllably detachable to allow distension of the body and resting of the body relative to the carriage assembly upon one side with the opposing side of the body extended or distended respectively to level the body relative to the carriage assembly.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the carriage assembly has tires for contacting the ground.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the carriage assembly has plural tires at each side for contacting the ground.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said at least one port and starboard leveling actuators are hydraulic operators.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one port and starboard carriage tilt connections are pivotal connections.

6. An apparatus forming a hillside combine harvester with a body capable of lateral leveling in response to variations in ground slope, comprising:

a front carriage assembly having opposing ground contacts adjacent opposing sides of the front carriage to allow overland movement thereon;

a combine body at least partly supported upon the front carriage to allow lateral tilt adjustment thereon;

at least one port leveling actuator connected between a port side of the front carriage and a port side of the combine body for controlled operation to extend and contract to effect tilting of the body about an opposing starboard tilt support connection which is detachable;

at least one starboard leveling actuator connected between a starboard side of the front carriage and a starboard side of the combine body for controlled operation to extend and contract to effect tilting of the body about an opposing port tilt support connection which is detachable;

a header tilt adjustment connection for supporting the header and for allowing header tilt relative to the ground;

a header adjustment actuator for adjustably tilting the header relative to the ground.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the at least one leveling actuator is a hydraulic operator.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the opposing port and starboard tilt connections are pivotal connections which may be detached.

9. An apparatus forming a hillside leveling vehicle which may adjust laterally to compensate for varying slopes of ground, comprising:

a carriage for contacting the ground and following varying slopes thereof, said carriage being adapted to allow movement of the carriage overland;

at least one body which is at least partly supported upon said carriage and adapted to allow lateral tilt adjustment of the body relative to the carriage;

at least one leveler which is operable to move said at least one body relative to said carriage to provide lateral tilt adjustment;

at least one support feature on said carriage for helping to support said at least one body upon the carriage;

at least one rest connected to said at least one body so as to allow said at least one body to be at least partly supported upon said support feature and said carriage, said at least one rest being detachable from said at least one support feature when said at least one leveler is operated to move the at least one body to separate at least part of the at least one body from said carriage.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the at least one leveler are hydraulic cylinders with a cylinder shaft which is extendable and retractable by hydraulic pressure.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the at least one support feature is a pivot attached to the front of the carriage.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the at least one rest are part of supports connected to opposing sides of the body.

13. An apparatus forming a retrofit hillside vehicle having a body, comprising:

a carriage assembly having at least one ground contact adapted to allow movement of the carriage over ground;

body supports for mounting on opposing sides of the body;

at least one port leveling actuator connected between the carriage assembly and at least one body support for extending and contracting to level the body relative to the port side thereof;

at least one starboard leveling actuator connected between the carriage assembly and at least one body support for extending and contracting to level the body relative to the starboard side thereof;

at least one detachable port tilt connection for helping support the body upon the carriage assembly;

at least one detachable starboard tilt connection for helping to support the body upon the carriage assembly;

said at least one port and said at least one starboard tilt connections being controllably detachable to allow distension of the body and resting of the body relative to the carriage assembly upon one side with the opposing side of the body extended or distended respectively to level the body relative to the carriage assembly.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the carriage assembly has tires for contacting the ground.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the carriage assembly has plural tires at each side for contacting the ground.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said at least one port and starboard leveling actuators are hydraulic operators.

17. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the at least one port and starboard carriage tilt connections are pivotal connections.

18. A method of adjusting lateral body tilt of a hillside vehicle, comprising:

attaching one end of a first at least one leveler actuator on the port half of at least one body of a hillside vehicle and attaching the other end of the first at least one leveler actuator on the port half of at least one carriage of the hillside vehicle supporting at least part of the at least one body;

attaching one end of a second at least one leveler actuator on the starboard half of the at least one body corresponding to the at least one body of the hillside vehicle to which the first at least one actuator is attached and attaching the other end of the second at least one leveler actuator on the starboard half of the at least one carriage of the hillside vehicle corresponding to the at least one carriage of the hillside vehicle to which the first at least one leveler is attached;

determining the approximate gravitational level lateral position of the at least one body of the hillside vehicle;

referencing the approximate gravitational level lateral position of the at least one body of the hillside vehicle as the standard against which changes in the lateral tilt of the at least one body of the hillside vehicle will be determined;

sensing changes from the lateral tilt of the at least one body of the hillside vehicle;

raising the at least one leveler actuator on the downslope half of the at least one body of the hillside vehicle to raise the body on the downslope side of the hillside vehicle, and pivoting the at least one body on the uphill slope side of the carriage of the hillside vehicle supporting at least part of the at least one body, to return the at least one body approximately to its referenced level lateral position; and

lowering the at least one leveler actuator on the uphill slope half of the at least one body of the hillside vehicle to lower the at least one body on the uphill slope side of the hillside vehicle, and pivoting the at least one body on the downhill side of the carriage of the hillside vehicle supporting at least part of the at least one body, to return the at least one body approximately to its referenced lateral level position.

19. A method of retro-fitting combine harvesters with lateral body tilt adjustment, comprising:

attaching at least one support member to the port half of the combine harvester body;

attaching at least one support member to the starboard half of the combine harvester body;

attaching at least one tilt pivot to the port half of a carriage of the combine harvester;

attaching at least one tilt pivot to the starboard half of the carriage of the combine harvester;

connecting a first end of a first at least one actuator adjacent to the at least one port half support member on the body;

connecting a second end of the first at least one actuator adjacent to the at least one port half tilt pivot on the carriage;

connecting a first end of a second at least one actuator adjacent to the at least one starboard half support member on the body;

connecting a second end of the second at least one actuator adjacent to the at least one starboard half tilt pivot on the carriage;

attaching at least one leveling sensor to the body for sensing lateral body tilt;

connecting the at least one leveling sensor to at least one control for controlling the first and second at least one actuator;

connecting the at least one control to the first and second at least one actuator; and

connecting the first and second at least one actuator to their motivating power source.