Agricultural machine with a two stage lift actuator for pivoting a crop processing member

• US 7,926,247 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2007
• Issued: 04/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lely Patent N.V. (Lely)
• Original Assignee: Maasland N.V.
• Inventors: Van Den Engel, Alfonsus Jacobus
• Primary Examiner(s): Will; Thomas B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Misa; Joan D
• Application Number:
  US11/802,163
• Publication Number:
  US 20070266688A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,429 Days
• Field of Search: 56/119, 56/159, 56D/IG.11, 56/149, 56/155, 56/157, 563/70, 563/71, 172/413, 92/66, 921/52, 911/67.R
• US Class Current: 56/15.9
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 63/32 operated by hydraulic or pneumatic means without automatic control
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 73/02 Folding frames
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 78/1007 Arrangements to facilitate transportation specially adapted therefor A01D78/1021 takes precedence; for other agricultural machines or implements A01B73/00; carriers A01D80/005

Abstract

An agricultural machine for crop processing, the agricultural machine being provided with a drawbar that is connectable to a pulling vehicle, at least one crop processing member that is pivotably fastened to the drawbar, and a hydraulic lift cylinder for pivoting the crop processing member upwards relative to the drawbar, one side of the lift cylinder being fastened to the crop processing member and its other side to the drawbar, the lift cylinder comprising a first cylinder housing connected to the crop processing member, a second cylinder housing connected to the drawbar and a common piston rod connecting the two cylinder housings and being slidably included therein, the active internal surface of the first cylinder housing being larger than the active internal surface of the second cylinder housing.

Claims

1. An agricultural machine for crop processing, the agricultural machine comprising:

a drawbar connectable to a pulling vehicle;

at least one crop processing member, pivotably fastened to the drawbar; and

a lift actuator for pivoting the crop processing member upwards relative to the drawbar, the lift actuator comprising a first and a second cylinder housing with respective first and second pistons slideably engaged therein and a piston rod, wherein the cylinder housings receive a substantially equal hydraulic pressure and an internal diameter of the first cylinder housing is larger than an internal diameter of the second cylinder housing;

wherein the first cylinder housing is connected to the crop processing member and configured to partially pivot the crop processing member upwards into a headland position, the second cylinder housing is connected to the drawbar and is configured to further pivot the crop processing member upwards from the headland position into a transport position, and the piston rod is a common piston rod of the first and the second piston.

2. The agricultural machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the common piston rod is hollow and is in fluid communication with an interior of the first and the second cylinder housings, such as to equalize the hydraulic pressures in the first and the second cylinder housing.

3. The agricultural machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second pistons are of substantially equal surface area and wherein the first piston is connected to a piston rod with a first cross-sectional area and the second piston is connected to a piston rod with a second cross-sectional area that is not equal to the first cross-sectional area.

4. The agricultural machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the agricultural machine is provided with a plurality of motor driven crop processing members rotating about generally vertical axes and arranged in a row extending transverse to a normal direction of travel of the machine, the plurality of crop processing members being pivotably connected with the drawbar via the lift actuator.

5. The agricultural machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein the plurality of motor driven crop processing members are arranged in a number of rows and the rows are pivotable with respect to one another via at least one further actuator.

6. An agricultural machine for crop processing, the agricultural machine comprising:

a drawbar having a first portion for connection to a pulling vehicle and having a second portion;

at least one crop processing member, pivotably fastened to the second portion of the drawbar; and

a two stage lift actuator for pivoting the crop processing member upwards relative to the drawbar to a first headland position in which the crop processing member is partially raised and to a second transport position in which the crop processing member is fully raised;

wherein the lift actuator comprises first and second cylinder sections operating in parallel between the crop processing member and the drawbar and a piston rod, and wherein the cylinder sections receive a substantially equal hydraulic pressure and an internal diameter of the first cylinder section is greater than an internal diameter of the second cylinder section and wherein the first cylinder section is connected to the crop processing member and is configured to lift the crop processing members into the headland position, the second cylinder section is connected to the drawbar and is configured to lift the crop processing members into the transport position, and the piston rod is a common piston rod of the first and the second cylinder sections.

7. The agricultural machine as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a pulling vehicle connected to the first portion of the drawbar.

8. The agricultural machine as claimed in claim 6, wherein the agricultural machine is provided with a plurality of motor driven crop processing members rotating about generally vertical axes and arranged in a row extending transverse to a normal direction of travel of the machine, the plurality of crop processing members being pivotably connected with the drawbar via the lift actuator.

9. The agricultural machine as claimed in claim 6, comprising a plurality of motor driven crop processing members arranged in a number of rows and the rows are pivotable with respect to one another via at least one further actuator.