Agricultural implement mounting

• US 9,554,499 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2014
• Issued: 01/31/2017
• 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: Mller, Thomas, Pichlmaier, Benno, Kreitmayr, Jakob
• Primary Examiner(s): Do, Truc M
• Application Number:
  US14/576,987
• Publication Number:
  US 20150201546A1
• Time in Patent Office: 774 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 which is moveable relative to a rear axle of the vehicle. A system for controlling movement of the connection hitch is coupled with position sensors such as a GPS receiver. During turning maneuvers, 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 which is moveable relative to an axis defined by a rear axle of the agricultural vehicle;

a hitch control system controlling movement of the implement connection hitch; and

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

wherein the hitch control system is arranged to;

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

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

move the implement connection hitch rearwards away from the rear axle of the agricultural vehicle and laterally parallel to the axis defined by the rear axle until the implement connection hitch reaches a second operating position offset rearwards and laterally from a first operating position of the implement connection hitch such as to reduce a turning circle of the agricultural vehicle and attached implement during traversal of the second curved path;

wherein at an end of the second curved path, the hitch control system is rearranged to;

move the implement connection hitch relative to the rear axle of the agricultural vehicle until the implement connection hitch reaches a third operating position, offset from the first and second operating positions of the implement connection hitch.

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

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

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

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

6. The agricultural vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the position determining system comprises a GPS receiver.

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

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

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

traversing a first, straight, path whilst operating the agricultural vehicle and attached implement;

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

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

traversing the second, curved path,

and moving the implement connection hitch relative to the rear axle of the agricultural vehicle until the implement connection hitch reaches a third operating position offset from the first and second operating positions of the implement connection hitch, at an end of the second curved path.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the second operating position of the implement connection hitch is determined at least partly by an identity of the attached implement.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein each of the first and third hitch operating positions comprises a predetermined lateral offset from a front to rear centreline of the agricultural vehicle, with the first and third hitch operating positions being disposed on opposite sides of the front to rear centreline of the agricultural vehicle.

11. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the agricultural vehicle further comprises a vehicle cab, wherein the step of attaching said implement to the implement connection hitch at a first operating position of the implement connection hitch comprises:

actuating a control in the vehicle cab and thereby causing a mechanism of the agricultural vehicle to move the implement connection hitch rearward from the agricultural 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 implement connection hitch; and

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

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the said position at a distance from the rear axle is the first operating position of the implement connection hitch and is further determined by an axle loading of a front axle, the rear axle, or the combined axle loading of the front and rear axles of the agricultural vehicle.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein an identity of the attached implement is signaled to the agricultural vehicle by an ISOBUS connection between the attached implement and the agricultural vehicle.

14. The method according to claim 9, wherein an identity of the attached implement is input to the agricultural vehicle by an operator in a cab of the agricultural vehicle.

15. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the second curved path is a headland turn.