Agricultural vehicle equipped with a pivoting tool carrier with deformable parallelogram

Abstract

Agricultural vehicle equipped with a pivoting tool holder with a deformable parallelogram The invention relates to a self-propelled agricultural vehicle comprising a chassis (5) equipped with at least a first tool holder (15) comprising a support (18) pivotally mounted at the front of the chassis, along a vertical pivot axis (19) and provided with a parallelogram (30) deformable in a vertical plane, the deformable parallelogram supporting a mast (32) for supporting a removable connection system between the tool holder and a tool and being moved in the vertical plane by an actuator (31) to raise or lower the removable connection system. Figure for the abstract: Fig. 1.

Description

Title of the invention: Agricultural vehicle equipped with a pivoting tool holder with a deformable parallelogram Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of self-propelled agricultural vehicles in the general sense and more specifically aims at self-propelled vehicles for working the land.

[0002] The object of the invention finds a particularly advantageous application for work vehicles in connection with low, medium or even high row crops.

[0003] The subject of the invention thus relates to a self-propelled vehicle for working the earth using different tools designed to carry out the different works relating to soil development. Prior art

[0004] Generally speaking, a self-propelled agricultural vehicle comprises a chassis equipped with a front running gear and a rear running gear. The chassis supports a power unit, a driving position and at least one tool carrier on which is fixed, on request, a tool adapted to the work of the soil to be carried out. In practice, it appears difficult to change the tools equipping the tool carriers of such an agricultural vehicle. The attachment of the tools is done from the side and below the beam which connects the front running gear to the rear running gear.

[0005] Patent FR 3 028 711 provided a solution to enable the various earthworking tools to be changed easily and quickly. This patent describes a self-propelled agricultural vehicle comprising a chassis equipped with a front running gear and a rear running gear. The chassis supports a power unit, a driving position and at least one first tool carrier comprising an arm pivotally mounted at the front of the chassis, along a vertical pivot axis so as to follow an external lateral trajectory in a substantially horizontal plane along an external semi-circular stroke relative to the vehicle to position said tool carrier in a coupling position in front of the front running gear and in a working position in which the tool carrier is positioned in the working position, within the wheelbase and track width of the vehicle.The positioning of the tool carrier in front of the front running gear makes it easy to change the earth working tools. However, it has been found that under certain conditions of use of the tools and for certain types of tools, the tools do not work the earth correctly. Ground tracking is not optimal. Statement of the invention

[0006] The object of the invention aims to remedy the drawbacks of the state of the art by proposing a self-propelled agricultural vehicle designed to allow the different tools for working the land to be changed easily and quickly while allowing the tools to be positioned correctly whatever the profile of the land to be worked.

[0007] To achieve such an objective, the self-propelled agricultural vehicle according to the invention comprises a chassis equipped with a front running gear and a rear running gear, the chassis supporting a power unit, a driving position and at least a first tool carrier comprising a support pivotally mounted at the front of the chassis, along a vertical pivot axis so as to follow an external lateral trajectory in a substantially horizontal plane along an external semi-circular stroke relative to the vehicle to position said tool carrier in a coupling position in front of the front running gear and in a working position in which the tool carrier is positioned in the working position, within the wheelbase and track width of the vehicle, the support being provided with a removable connection system between the tool carrier and a tool, as well as a parallelogram deformable in a vertical plane,the deformable parallelogram supporting a support mast of the removable connection system and being moved in the vertical plane by an actuator to raise or lower the removable connection system.

[0008] The implementation of a parallelogram tool holder allows the tools to follow the ground. This parallelogram tool holder is pulled in the line of force.

[0009] According to an exemplary embodiment, the deformable parallelogram comprises an upper arm and a lower arm each having, on the one hand, a first end articulated to the support according to a pivot connection with a horizontal axis and, on the other hand, a second end articulated to the support mast according to a pivot connection with a horizontal axis, the actuator being mounted between the upper arm and the lower arm.

[0010] Typically, the actuator is a controlled cylinder.

[0011] Advantageously, the removable connection system comprises an interface support for a tool, mounted on the support mast according to a pivot connection and actuated in tilting by a control mechanism.

[0012] According to a preferred example of implementation, the chassis supports a first and a second tool holder, respectively called left and right, each comprising a support pivotally mounted at the front of the chassis, along a vertical pivot axis to move in a substantially horizontal plane and along a semi-circular stroke external to the vehicle to move from a working position to a coupling position and vice versa, each tool holder being positioned, in the working position, in the wheelbase and track width of the vehicle. Brief description of the drawings

[0013] Various other characteristics emerge from the description given below with reference to the appended drawings which show, by way of non-limiting examples, embodiments of the subject of the invention.

[0014] [Fig-1] [Fig.l] is a side view of an exemplary embodiment of a vehicle agricultural vehicle according to the invention, showing the left front tool carrier in the coupling position.

[0015] [Fig.2] [Fig.2] is a side view of an exemplary embodiment of a vehicle agricultural apparatus according to the invention, showing the left front tool carrier in the working position in the raised position.

[0016] [Fig.3] [Fig.3] is a side view of an exemplary embodiment of a vehicle agricultural machine according to the invention, showing the left front tool carrier in the working position in the lowered position.

[0017] [Fig.4] [Fig.4] is a top view of the agricultural vehicle shown in [Fig.l] showing the left front tool carrier in the hitching position and the right front tool carrier in the working position.

[0018] [Fig.5] [Fig.5] is a front view of the agricultural vehicle shown in [Fig.l] showing the left front tool carrier in the hitching position and the right front tool carrier in the working position. Description of the embodiments

[0019] As can be seen from the figures, the subject of the invention relates to a self-propelled agricultural vehicle 1 adapted for working the soil. According to an advantageous embodiment characteristic, the agricultural vehicle 1 is a straddle vehicle adapted for straddling at least one row of crops in rows of any type. According to the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, the agricultural vehicle 1 according to the invention comprises a power unit 2 and a driving position 3, located on either side of a row of crops spanned by the agricultural vehicle 1. The vehicle 1 comprises a chassis 5 supporting the power unit 2 and the driving position 3.

[0020] According to the preferred embodiment, the chassis 5 comprises a left half-chassis 6 and a right half-chassis 7 connected to each other by connecting crosspieces 9. The left and right sides are defined relative to the direction of travel of the agricultural vehicle, when moving forward. The left half-chassis 6 and the right half-chassis 7 extend at a distance from each other and on either side of a longitudinal plane of symmetry P of the agricultural vehicle 1.

[0021] In the example illustrated in the drawings of a straddle agricultural vehicle, the left half-chassis 6 is equipped with the driving position 3 while the right half-chassis 7 is adapted for mounting the engine unit 2. Of course, it can be provided to invert the position of the driving position 3 and the engine group 2 on the half-chassis 6, 7. Similarly, certain organs, equipment or elements of the driving position 3 and / or the engine group 2 can be located on both half-chassis 6, 7. It can be envisaged that the driving position 3 and / or the engine group 2 are mounted on the connecting crossmembers 9.

[0022] It should be noted that the connecting crosspieces 9 have, in the illustrated example, an inverted “U” shape to allow a row of crops to be spanned ([Fig.5]). These spanning connecting crosspieces 9 have dimensions adapted to the size of the crops. Of course, the connecting crosspieces 9 may have a different shape.

[0023] Each half-frame 6, 7 comprises a side member 11 extending from the front to the rear of the vehicle 1, symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal plane of symmetry P. The two side members 11 are connected together by connecting cross members 9 at the front, in the middle and at the rear of the vehicle. According to a preferred embodiment, each side member 11 comprises, from the front and the rear, a rectilinear segment parallel to the longitudinal plane of symmetry P. The front and rear rectilinear segments of each side member 11 are connected to each other by an oblique segment diverging towards the outside of the vehicle in the rear-front direction. Thus, the rectilinear segments of the side members extending at the rear of the vehicle are spaced apart by a smaller extent than the rectilinear segments of the side members placed at the front of the vehicle.

[0024] The chassis 5 is equipped with a front running gear 12 and a rear running gear 13. In the example illustrated, the left half-chassis 6 is equipped at the front with a front-left half-running gear 12g and at the rear with a rear-left half-running gear 13g. Similarly, the right half-chassis 7 is equipped at the front with a front-right half-running gear 12d and at the rear with a rear-right half-running gear 13d. The front-left half-undercarriage 12g and the front-right half-undercarriage 12d form the front undercarriage 12 of the vehicle 1 while the rear-left half-undercarriage 13g and the rear-right half-undercarriage 13d form the rear undercarriage 13 of the vehicle 1. In the example illustrated, the front undercarriage 13 is steered and is associated with controls of a type known per se.The front 12 and rear 13 running gears and the associated control members are not described in more detail because they are not specifically part of the subject of the invention and are well known to those skilled in the art.

[0025] The chassis 5 is equipped with at least a first tool holder 15 and in the example illustrated, a first and a second tool holder 15, respectively left and right. Indeed, the first and the second tool holder 15 are mounted respectively on the left 6 and right 7 half-chassis. Each tool holder 15 is intended to support a tool 16 taken from a range of tools, each adapted to a specific work function. of the ground. For example, the tools correspond to a mower, a soil activation claw, a plow, a digger or a stubble disc. In the example illustrated in the drawings, a tool 16 is represented only by a pole.

[0026] According to the invention, each tool holder 15 comprises a support 18 pivotally mounted at the front of the chassis 5 about a vertical pivot axis 19 so as to position said tool holder in working and coupling positions in which the tool is positioned respectively in the wheelbase of the vehicle 1 and in front of the front running gear 12. Thus, in the coupling position, each tool holder 15 is positioned in front of the front running gear and more precisely in front of the front right 12d or left 12g half-running gear.Furthermore, in the working position, each tool holder 15 is positioned in the wheelbase of the vehicle, that is to say in the space located between the front running gear 12 and the rear running gear 13 and more precisely between the front-left or right half-running gear and the rear half-running gear, respectively left or right.

[0027] In the example illustrated in Figures 1, 4 and 5, the left tool holder 15 is shown in the coupling position, that is to say it is positioned in front of the front running gear and more precisely in front of the front-left half-running gear 12g while the right tool holder 15 is shown in the working position since it is positioned in the wheelbase of the vehicle, that is to say in the space located between the front running gear 12 and the rear running gear 13 and more precisely between the front-right half-running gear 12d and the rear-right half-running gear 13d. It should be noted that in the working position, each tool holder 15 is positioned in the wheelbase of the vehicle but also in the track width of the vehicle.

[0028] Each support 18 is mounted so as to follow an external lateral trajectory of the order of 180° to move from the working position to the coupling position. When the tool holder 15 occupies its working and coupling positions, the support 18 extends parallel to the longitudinal plane of symmetry P. Thus, to move from one position to the other, the support 18 moves in a substantially horizontal plane along a semi-circular stroke external to the vehicle. In the exemplary embodiment, the movement of the tool holder 15 from one position to the other is carried out manually, but it is clear that such a movement can be mechanized using a motorized movement system. Of course, the terms vertical and horizontal are understood to mean when the vehicle is resting on a horizontal plane.

[0029] Advantageously, the chassis 5 comprises at the front, a lateral extension 22 to laterally offset towards the outside of the vehicle, the vertical pivot axis 19 and to delimit in the wheelbase of the vehicle and from the front running gear, a clearance 23 allowing the positioning of each tool holder 15 in its working position. In the example illustrated, each side member 11 is equipped at the front, of a lateral extension 22 arranged to guide in rotation, the vertical pivot axis 19 to form a pivot connection allowing a 180° rotation of the tool holder. For example, the upper end and the lower end of the vertical pivot axis 19 are mounted integral with two superimposed wings 18a extending horizontally from the support 18 which is in the form of an elongated flat element.

[0030] Each clearance 23 is thus delimited by a side member 11, a front-left 12g or right 12d half-undercarriage and the driving position 3 or respectively the engine group 2. It should be noted that the driving position 3 and the engine group 2 are arranged to be positioned at a distance from the front-left 12g and right 12d half-undercarriages to leave free spaces forming the clearances 23.

[0031] According to an alternative embodiment, each tool holder 15 comprises a system 26, 27 for locking the support 18 in the working position of the tool holder. This system 26, 27 makes it possible to ensure a complete removable connection between the support 18 and the chassis 5 when the tool holder 15 occupies its working position. This locking system 26, 27 can be produced in any suitable manner. In the illustrated embodiment, the locking system comprises a pin 26 fixed to the support 18 and intended to engage, at the end of the rotation stroke, in a sheath 27 carried by each side member 11 so that in the working position, the pin 26 and the sheath 27 are assembled by wedging.

[0032] According to another characteristic of the invention, the vehicle comprises, for each tool holder 15, a stop for the support in the coupling position of the tool holder, making it possible to maintain the tool holder in the coupling position in a fixed and stable position. Thus, the rotation of the support 18 is limited by the stop on which the support comes into contact at the end of its rotational travel. A blocking of the support 18 in the coupling position can be provided using any means.

[0033] According to the invention, the pivoting support 18 of each tool holder 15 is provided with a parallelogram 30 deformable in the vertical plane P, by an actuator 31 of any type known per se, such as a jack controlled by the driver's seat. The deformable parallelogram 30 supports a mast 32 for supporting a removable connection system 33 between the tool holder 15 and a tool 16. This deformable parallelogram 30 is configured to be moved in the vertical plane by the actuator 31 to raise or lower the removable connection system 33 and consequently, to position the tool 16 in a raised working position and a lowered working position.

[0034] For each tool holder 15, the deformable parallelogram 30 comprises an upper arm 35 having a first end articulated to the support 18 according to a pivot connection 36 with a horizontal axis and a second end opposite the first end, articulated to the support mast 32 according to a pivot connection 37 with a horizontal axis. Furthermore, each deformable parallelogram 30 comprises a lower arm 39 having a first end articulated to the support 18 according to a pivot connection 41 with a horizontal axis and a second end opposite the first end, articulated to the support mast 32 according to a pivot connection 42 with a horizontal axis. It should be noted that the mast 32 extends beyond the pivot connection 42 with the lower arm, by a part for mounting the removable connection system 33.

[0035] The actuator 31 is mounted between the upper arm 35 and the lower arm 39 to, depending on its retraction or extension, lower or raise the removable connection system 33 and consequently the tool 16. In the example illustrated in [Fig.2], the tool holder 15 occupies its working position but in a raised position with the actuator 31 which is in the extended position. By the retraction of the actuator 31, the tool holder 15 is moved to occupy a lowered position as illustrated in [Fig.3] allowing the tool 16 to be placed in its effective ground preparation working position.

[0036] It should be understood that when the tool holder 15 is in the working position (positioning within the wheelbase and track width of the vehicle), the actuator 31 of the parallelogram 30 makes it possible to position the tool 16 in a raised position for waiting to work and a lowered position for actual work. The implementation of a parallelogram 30 makes it possible to have precise and regular ground tracking. The traction force applied to the tool by the movement of the vehicle is in continuity with the lifting force. Such a parallelogram 30 eliminates a vertical force (lifting) in opposition to a horizontal force (traction).

[0037] According to another characteristic of the invention, the removable connection system 33 comprises an interface support 45 for a tool 16, mounted on the support mast 32 according to a pivot connection 46 and actuated in tilting by a control mechanism 47 ([Fig.2]). This interface support 45 is for example produced by a coupling hook intended to receive axes carried by a pole forming part of the tool 16.

Claims

Claims

1. Self-propelled agricultural vehicle comprising a chassis (5) equipped with a front running gear (12) and a rear running gear (13), the chassis supporting a power unit (2), a driving position (3) and at least a first tool carrier (15) comprising a support (18) pivotally mounted at the front of the chassis, along a vertical pivot axis (19) so as to follow an external lateral trajectory in a substantially horizontal plane along an external semi-circular stroke relative to the vehicle to position said tool carrier in a coupling position in front of the front running gear and in a working position in which the tool carrier (15) is positioned in the working position, within the wheelbase and track width of the vehicle, the support (18) being provided with a removable connection system (33) between the tool carrier and a tool,characterized in that the pivoting support (18) of the tool holder is provided with a parallelogram (30) deformable in a vertical plane, the deformable parallelogram supporting a mast (32) supporting the removable connection system and being moved in the vertical plane by an actuator (31) to raise or lower the removable connection system.,

2. Vehicle according to claim 1 characterized in that the deformable parallelogram (30) comprises an upper arm (35) and a lower arm (39) each having on the one hand, a first end articulated to the support (18) according to a pivot connection (36, 41) of horizontal axis and on the other hand, a second end articulated to the support mast (32) according to a pivot connection (37, 42) of horizontal axis, the actuator (31) being mounted between the upper arm and the lower arm.

3. Vehicle according to one of claims 1 or 2 characterized in that the actuator (31) is a controlled cylinder.

4. Vehicle according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the removable connection system (33) comprises an interface support (45) for a tool, mounted on the support mast (32) according to a pivot connection (46) and actuated in tilting by a control mechanism (47).

5. Vehicle according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the chassis supports a first and a second tool holder (15) respectively called left and right, each comprising a support (18) pivotally mounted at the front of the chassis, along a vertical pivot axis (19). to move in a substantially horizontal plane and along a semi-circular external stroke relative to the vehicle to move from a working position to a coupling position and vice versa, each tool holder (15) being positioned, in the working position, within the wheelbase and track width of the vehicle.

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