EARTH GRADING MACHINE WITH ONE OR MORE ROLLERS

• US 20130233581A1
• Filed: 02/27/2013
• Published: 09/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Otico
• Original Assignee: Otico
• Inventors: VALIER, Carlo
• Granted Patent: US 8,887,825 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 172/260.5
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 29/04 with non-smooth surface formed of rotatably-mounted rings or discs or with projections or ribs on the roller body; Land packers
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 29/06 with special additional arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 73/00 Means or arrangements to facilitate transportation of agricultural machines or implements, e.g. folding frames to reduce overall width arrangements of lifting devices for soil working implements A01B63/00; carriers for harvesters or mowers A01D75/002; arrangements or carriers for haymakers A01D78/1007, A01D80/005; vehicles adapted for load transportation or to transport, to carry or to comprise special loads or objects B60P; motor vehicles, trailers B62D

Abstract

The invention relates to a ground shaping machine, particularly an agricultural machine, comprising a frame (3), at least one roller (11) fitted with a flexible tire (13), a first bearing (37) and a second bearing (37) whereby the roller (11) can rotate about a substantially horizontal axis (XX) in the working position, the first bearing (37) and the second bearing (37) being positioned one at each end of the roller (11). The frame (3) has a first support (7) and a second support (9), the first support (7) at least being connected to the first bearing (37) through suspension means including a mechanism with an upper arm (101) and a lower arm (121), both substantially horizontal and perpendicular to the axis (XX) of rotation of the roller (4), each of the upper (101) and lower (121) arms being connected by a joint (103, 105, 123, 125) to the first support (7) on the one hand, and to the first bearing (37) on the other hand, the mechanism forming a deformable quadrilateral, while the suspension means also have a substantially vertical resilient return member (141) connected by a joint (143, 145) to the first support (7) on the one hand and to the first bearing (37) on the other hand.

Claims

1. A ground shaping machine, particularly an agricultural machine, comprising

a frame (3),

at least one roller (11) fitted with a flexible tire (13),

a first bearing (37) and a second bearing (37) whereby the roller (11) can rotate about a substantially horizontal axis (XX) in the working position, the first (37) and the second (37) bearing being positioned one at each end of the roller (11),

characterized in that the frame (3) includes a first support (7) and a second support (9), the first support (7) at least being connected to the first bearing (37) through suspension means including

a mechanism with an upper arm (101) and a lower arm (121), both substantially horizontal and perpendicular to the axis (XX) of rotation of the roller (11), each of the upper (101) and lower (121) arms being connected by a joint (103, 105, 123, 125) to the first support (7) on the one hand, and to the first bearing (37) on the other hand, the mechanism forming a deformable quadrilateral, and

a substantially vertical resilient return member (141) connected by a joint (143, 145) to the first support (7) on the one hand, and to the first bearing (37) on the other hand.

2. A machine according to claim 1, wherein the suspension means further comprise a supplementary arm (161) connected by a joint (163, 165) to the first support (7) or to the second support (9) on the one hand, and to the first bearing (37) or to the second bearing (37) respectively, in a direction substantially parallel to the axis (XX) of rotation of the roller (11).

3. A machine according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising a substantially vertical damping member connected to the first support (7) on the one hand, and to the first bearing (37) on the other hand.

4. A machine according to claim 3, wherein the resilient return means (141) and the damping member are combined with each other.

5. A machine according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the joints (103, 105, 123, 125) of the upper arm (101) and lower arm (121) are ball joints.

6. A machine according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the roller (11) comprises a tube (15) supporting the flexible tire (13), the suspension means being housed, in a rest position, substantially within the tube (15).

7. A machine according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the roller (11) comprises a tube (15) supporting the flexible tire (13), the tube (15) being at least partially closed at one or both of its ends by a dome-shaped end shield (25), the open space facing towards the outside of the tube (15) forming a housing for the first bearing (37) and the suspension means.

8. A machine according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the first support (7) and the second support (9) are substantially flat plates.

9. A machine according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the first support (7) comprises a pin (73) and the first bearing (37) comprises a housing (71), or vice versa, the pin (73) and the housing (71) being arranged with respect to each other so as to interact by forming a stop and limit the extent of the displacement of the first bearing (37) with respect to the frame (3).

10. A machine according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the second support (9) is connected to the second bearing (37) through supplementary suspension means.

11. A machine according to claim 10, wherein the supplementary suspension means conform to the suspension means according to any of the preceding claims.

12. A machine comprising two assemblies, each of the assemblies being formed by a machine according to any of the preceding claims, the frames (3) being common and mirror images of each other about a substantially vertical plane.

13. A machine according to any of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the bearings (37) forms a casing which houses at least one braking means (190) for exerting a resistant torque in a controlled manner between the bearing (37) and the roller (11).

14. A machine according to any of the preceding claims, having a transportation position and a working position and comprising a means for neutralizing the suspension means such that the movements of the bearings (37) with respect to the frame (3) can be blocked, the neutralization means being activatable in the working position.

15. A machine according to any of claims 11 to 14, comprising at least two damping members (151, 153) connected, respectively, to the first support (7) on the one hand and to the first bearing (37) on the other hand, and to the second support (9) on the one hand and to the second bearing (37) on the other hand, each of the damping members (151, 153) comprising a hydraulic actuator connected to a respective hydropneumatic accumulator (173) which is independent of the other accumulator.

16. A machine according to any of claims 11 to 14, comprising at least two damping members (151, 153) connected, respectively, to the first support (7) on the one hand and to the first bearing (37) on the other hand, and to the second support (9) on the one hand and to the second bearing (37) on the other hand, each of the damping members (151, 153) comprising a hydraulic actuator whose respective chamber (171) is connected to a common hydropneumatic accumulator (173).

17. A machine according to claim 16, wherein each of the damping members (151, 153) is connected to the common accumulator (173) through a double-acting piston, the double-acting pistons being controlled by each other in such a way that their strokes are proportional.