AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENT MOUNTING

• US 20150201546A1
• Filed: 12/19/2014
• Published: 07/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AGCO International GmbH (AGCO International Holdings BV)
• Original Assignee: AGCO International GmbH (AGCO International Holdings BV)
• Inventors: PICHLMAIER, Benno, Mller, Thomas, Kreitmayr, Jakob
• Granted Patent: US 9,554,499 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 59/002 Details, component parts
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 59/042 having pulling means arranged on the rear part of the tractor
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 69/003 Steering or guiding of machines or implements pushed or pulled by or mounted on agricultural vehicles such as tractors, e.g. by lateral shifting of the towing connection
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 69/004 automatic

Abstract

An agricultural vehicle has an implement connection hitch including means for controllably moving the same relative to a rear axle of the vehicle. A control system controlling movement of the connection hitch is coupled with position determining means such as a GPS receiver and determines a location for the vehicle. During turning manoeuvres, the control system moves the hitch relative to the rear axle of the vehicle until it reaches an offset position such as to reduce the turning circle of the vehicle and a connected implement. The extent of offset may be determined automatically by the control system on identification of a connected implement.

Claims

1. An agricultural vehicle comprising:

an implement connection hitch including means for controllably moving the same relative to a rear axle of the vehicle;

a control system controlling movement of the connection hitch;

position determining means coupled with the control system and operable to determine a location for the vehicle;

wherein the control system is arranged to;

maintain a first operating position of the hitch relatively close to the rear axle whilst the vehicle traverses a first, substantially straight, path whilst operating an attached implement;

identify by reference to the position determining means the start of a second, curved, path to be traversed by vehicle and implement; and

move the hitch rearwards away from the rear axle of the vehicle and laterally parallel to the axis of the rear axle until it reaches a second operating position offset rearwards and laterally from the first such as to reduce the turning circle of the combined vehicle and implement during traversal of the second path.

2. An agricultural vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control system is configured to determine the second operating position at least partly by reference to data identifying the implement.

3. An agricultural vehicle as claimed in claim 2, further comprising an ISOBUS connection to the control system, wherein the control system is arranged to receive data identifying a connected implement via the ISOBUS connection.

4. An agricultural vehicle as claimed in claim 3, wherein the ISOBUS connection is a wireless connection.

5. An agricultural vehicle as claimed in claim 2, wherein the cab further contains user operable input means by operation of which an operator of the vehicle may input the identity of a connected implement to the control system.

6. An agricultural vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the position determining means is a GPS receiver.

7. An agricultural vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control system is configured to determine the first operating position at least partly by reference to data identifying an axle loading of a front axle and/or the rear axle of the vehicle.

8. In an agricultural vehicle having an implement connection hitch moveably mounted adjacent a rear axle of the vehicle, a method of operating an implement coupled to the hitch comprising:

attaching said implement to the hitch at a first operating position of the hitch relatively close to the rear axle;

traversing a first, substantially straight, path whilst operating the implement;

identifying the start of a second, curved, path to be traversed by vehicle and implement;

moving the hitch rearwards of the vehicle away from the said rear axle and laterally parallel to the axis of the rear axle of the vehicle until it reaches a predetermined distance offset from the front to rear centreline of the vehicle until it reaches a second operating position rearwards and laterally offset from the first such as to reduce the turning circle of the combined vehicle and implement; and

traversing the second path.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the second operating position is determined at least partly by the identity of the implement.

10. A method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising moving the hitch relative to the rear axle of the vehicle until it reaches a third operating position offset from the first and second operating positions at the end of the second path.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein each of the first and third operating positions comprises a predetermined lateral offset from a front to rear centreline of the vehicle, with the first and third operating positions being disposed on opposite sides of the centreline.

12. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the step of attaching said implement to the hitch at a first operating position of the hitch comprises:

actuating a control in the vehicle cab and thereby causing a mechanism of the vehicle to move the hitch rearward from the vehicle until it reaches a distance from the rear axle at which it is visible to an operator in the vehicle cab;

attaching the implement to the hitch; and

retracting the hitch and implement toward the rear axle and under control of the vehicle to a position at a distance from the rear axle determined at least partly by the identity of the implement.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the said position at a distance from the rear axle is the first operating position and is further determined by an axle loading of a front axle and/or the rear axle of the vehicle.

14. A method according to claim 9, wherein the identity of the implement is signalled to the vehicle by an ISOBUS connection between implement and vehicle.

15. A method according to claim 9, wherein the identity of the implement is input to the vehicle by an operator in a cab of the vehicle.

16. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the second path is a headland turn.