Controlled towing hitch

Abstract

This utility model relates to agricultural engineering, specifically to lifting or adjusting devices and accessories for agricultural machinery and implements, the position of which is controlled automatically. The controlled towing hitch comprises inner and outer frames, mounted so as to allow transverse sliding relative to one another, and lower mounted rods. The novel feature is that the inner frame is made of sheet metal in the form of a flat trapezoidal plate with stiffening ribs attached along its perimeter and is equipped with a pointer. The outer frame has a scale and is connected to the inner frame at the top and bottom by calibrated guides through plain bearings. The displacement of the outer frame relative to the inner frame is achieved by two oppositely directed, single-acting hydraulic cylinders connected to the frames.The proposed controlled towing hitch will improve performance, extend service life, improve maintainability of the device, and expand the range of agricultural implements aggregated with tractors of classes 1.4-3.

Description

[0001] The utility model relates to agricultural engineering, including lifting or adjusting devices and fittings for agricultural machinery and implements, the position of which is controlled automatically.

[0002] A device for controlling a tillage implement is known, mounted on a mulching device (http: / / www.wifo.nl / en / products / forklift-attachments / other-forklift-attachments / three-point-linkage-side-shift), comprising an inner and outer frame mounted with the possibility of transverse sliding relative to each other, and lower hinged rods.

[0003] The disadvantage of this device is its increased weight, use only with trailed agricultural implements, and the inability to hang a cultivator frame beam with sections, which reduces the range of agricultural implements that can be aggregated.

[0004] Also known is a device for lateral displacement of the frame of a row-crop cultivator for inter-row cultivation with a precision guidance system (application for an invention of the Russian Federation, publication date unknown), containing a mechanical frame displacement unit consisting of a front carriage rigidly connected to the tractor, and a rear carriage rigidly connected to the frame of the cultivator, made with the possibility of horizontal movement of the carriages relative to each other on combined bearings installed in the rear carriage along guides installed in the front carriage, and driven by a hydraulic drive including first and second hydraulic cylinders connected by hydraulic lines to a control hydraulic distributor.

[0005] The disadvantage of this device is the complexity of the design, high metal consumption, the use of complex combined roller bearings, which increases the cost of production and maintenance, as well as the lack of the ability for the operator to visually control the position of the outer frame.

[0006] The closest in technical essence to the declared device is the hydromechanical tracking hitch selected as a prototype (RU 191647 U1, publication date 08 / 15 / 2019), containing an internal and external frame installed with the possibility of transverse sliding relative to each other, and lower hinged rods.

[0007] The disadvantages of the prototype are:

[0008] the presence of one double-acting hydraulic cylinder, which leads to a decrease in the speed of displacement of the outer frame of the device when the hydraulic cylinder rod is retracted;

[0009] absence of plain bearings at the junction of the inner frame with the round guides, which leads to premature wear of these joints;

[0010] The internal frame is made of profile pipes, which limits the useful space for placing hydraulic fittings and sensors, making installation and maintenance difficult.

[0011] The technical objective of the proposed utility model is to increase the speed of the device, increase its service life, improve maintainability and expand the range of agricultural implements aggregated with tractors of classes 1.4-3.

[0012] The stated technical problem is achieved in that in a controlled towing hitch, containing an inner and outer frame, installed with the possibility of transverse sliding relative to each other, and lower hanging rods, according to the utility model, the inner frame is made of sheet metal in the form of a flat trapezoidal plate with stiffening ribs attached along its perimeter and is equipped with an arrow-pointer, the outer frame has a scale and is connected to the inner frame in the upper and lower parts by calibrated guides through plain bearings, wherein the displacement of the outer frame relative to the inner one is carried out by two oppositely directed single-acting hydraulic cylinders connected to the frames.

[0013] The utility model is illustrated by drawings.

[0014] In Fig. 1 - controlled towing hitch, view from the tractor side; in Fig. 2 - the same, view from the implement side; in Fig. 3 - the same, view from the implement side - from the side with hooks; in Fig. 4 - the same, view from the implement side - from the side with a modified SA-1 hitch.

[0015] The controlled towing hitch (Fig. 1, 2) comprises an inner frame 1 made of sheet metal in the form of a flat trapezoidal plate, along the contour of which stiffening ribs 2 are welded, providing the necessary load-bearing capacity of the structure. The outer frame 3 is installed with the possibility of transverse sliding relative to the inner frame 1. The inner frame 1 and the outer frame 3 are connected to each other in the upper 4 and lower 5 parts by calibrated guides through plain bearings 6 mounted on the inner frame 1. The displacement of the outer frame 3 relative to the inner frame 1 is carried out by two oppositely directed single-acting hydraulic cylinders 7 connecting frames 1 and 3.

[0016] The inner frame 1 has rigidly connected lower 8 and upper 9 linkages for attachment to the tractor's lower links. An arrow indicator 10 is mounted at the top of the inner frame 1, and the outer frame 3 has a scale 11 at the top, allowing the operator to visually monitor the offset of the outer frame 3 relative to the inner frame 1.

[0017] The upper link 12 is height-adjustable and connects to the agricultural implement. The outer frame 3 has removable lower linkages 13, whose adjustable width allows for a wider range of agricultural implements to be attached. Supports 14 allow for servicing the unit during storage.

[0018] The design of the inner frame 1 as a flat trapezoidal plate with stiffening ribs 2 provides free space within the frame dimensions for accommodating the hydraulic cylinders 7, linear potentiometer 15, and hydraulic distributor 16 with electronic control unit (ECU) 17 of the machine vision system, which increases the compactness of the device and simplifies installation and maintenance. The use of plain bearings 6 in combination with calibrated guides 4 and 5 ensures smooth operation, reduced wear, and a longer service life compared to known designs using sliding friction without bearings or complex combined roller bearings.The use of two oppositely directed single-acting hydraulic cylinders 7 allows for active displacement of the outer frame 3 in both directions without the delays typical of a double-acting hydraulic cylinder when retracting the rod, which increases the speed of the automatic positioning system.

[0019] To aggregate the cultivator sections (Fig. 3), hooks 18 are installed on the device, securing the beam (not shown in the Fig.), on which the cultivator sections are installed (not shown in the Fig.).

[0020] For the aggregation of plows (Fig. 4), the installation of a modified SA-1 automatic coupling 19 is provided, in which the lower fastenings are made in the form of fastening plates 20, and the upper rod is made in the form of a fork 21 with an opening for connection with the upper earring 12 by means of a pin.

[0021] The controlled towing hitch operates as follows.

[0022] When the tractor-trailer unit with the mounted controlled towing hitch moves, the vision camera (not shown in the figure) supplies data to the vision system's ECU 17 regarding the implement's displacement from the processing line. ECU 17 processes the data and sends a signal to the hydraulic distributor 16, which directs oil to one of the two single-acting hydraulic cylinders 7, causing the outer frame 3 to shift relative to the inner frame 1 to the left or right. Linear potentiometer 15, pivotally connected to the device's frames, records the displacement of the outer frame 3 and transmits a signal to ECU 17. The movable outer frame 3 shifts relative to the fixed inner frame 1, thereby returning the agricultural implement to the designated processing line. The cycle is repeated.

[0023] Using a controlled towing hitch will allow you to adjust the trajectory of an agricultural implement relative to a given line of travel, increasing the speed of the device without reducing its service life, and expanding the range of implements and tractors that can be aggregated.

Claims

A controlled towing hitch comprising an inner and outer frame mounted with the possibility of transverse sliding relative to each other, wherein the outer frame comprises lower suspended rods, characterized in that the inner frame is made of sheet metal in the form of a flat trapezoidal plate with stiffening ribs attached along its perimeter and is provided with an arrow-pointer, the outer frame has a scale and is connected to the inner frame in the upper and lower parts by calibrated guides through plain bearings, wherein the displacement of the outer frame relative to the inner frame is carried out by two oppositely directed single-acting hydraulic cylinders connected to the frames.

Images