Multi-functional agricultural walk-type tractor

Abstract

A multi-functional agricultural walk-type tractor comprises an internal combustion engine (1) and a reduction gearbox (2) which are kinematically connected to one another, a wheel drive mechanism, and a steering post (3). The multi-functional agricultural walk-type tractor further comprises a power take-off. The steering post (3) is secured in the upper part of the reduction gearbox (2). Arranged on the steering post (3) are handles (4) and controls for a throttle, for a clutch, for a wheel lock and for gear shift mechanisms. Rotatably mounted on the lower part of the steering post (3) is a supporting and swiveling sleeve (8) having a lower lug (10) and an upper lug (11) for coupling to lugs on a trailer segment (12). Said trailer segment (12) has an adapter (17) coupled thereto in such a way that the multi-functional agricultural walk-type tractor, in combination with the adapter (17), is capable of rotating in a horizontal plane and tilting in a vertical plane by angles of not less than 5° from its horizontal position.

Description

[0001] MULTIFUNCTIONAL AGRICULTURAL CULTIVATION TRACTOR

[0002] The invention relates to agricultural engineering, namely to the design of compact universal units intended for performing agricultural work, in particular for soil cultivation and cargo transportation, as well as the mechanization of other economic processes.

[0003] There are a large number of different walk-behind tractors, ranging from small and light motor cultivators for inter-row soil cultivation (RU2375859) to medium and heavy powerful walk-behind tractors that are capable of performing a wide range of soil cultivation operations when growing various crops (US11554819, US20040031629A1), as well as transport, harvesting, haymaking work, driving stationary and mobile active devices, etc. (UA78388).

[0004] Structurally, each walk-behind tractor has an engine, transmission system, controls, working elements, and may also have a frame, wheels, drive pulley or power take-off shaft and other auxiliary devices. Medium and heavy walk-behind tractors, especially if they are used in transport, usually have a wheel drive that ensures the movement of the walk-behind tractors themselves and the tools aggregated with them. To perform individual soil cultivation operations, the necessary tool is usually rigidly installed on the towing device of the walk-behind tractors, which is switched to the working mode when the walk-behind tractor is tilted forward or backward relative to the axis of the wheels. That is, through the handles and steering column, the operator changes the angle of the walk-behind tractor and, accordingly, ensures the immersion of the tools aggregated on it to the required depth in the soil or their lifting.Some implements, such as plows and cultivators, are self-deepening and can work independently at the required depth thanks to adjustable support wheels, but many other implements (such as a milling cutter) require constant action and control of the processing depth from the operator. Considering the low power of most walk-behind tractors and their small working width, processing even a small area requires significant physical effort from the operator to cover long distances when following the unit, as well as to control the quality (depth) of the operations.

[0005] The so-called adapters, which when aggregated with walk-behind tractors form practically 3- or 4-wheeled vehicles (RU216243, RU2173038, RU2719078), allow operators to reduce the running load. The most common such adapter is a cargo trailer with a seat for the operator, which, together with the walk-behind tractor, essentially forms a mini-tractor, the change in the direction of movement of which (turn) is carried out by bending the frame in the horizontal plane (similar to tractors with a breaking frame).

[0006] There are also other adapters, for example for the heavy-duty walk-behind tractor Motor Sich, which is produced in Ukraine at the Zaporizhia plant Motor Sich and is a prototype, several versions of front (module Titan-2, BUM-5 (Bagi), Khore Motore, etc.) and rear (AU-1 TM "Volodar", BUM-4, AD-4 "Long", YAAD TM "Yarilo", AM TM "ARA", AM "Bulat" short, AM "But", etc.) adapters have been created, which, when aggregated with a walk-behind tractor, also form a 4-wheel minitractor (or motor tractor), which makes turns by mechanically turning the front or rear wheels, respectively, with the steering column rods or with the help of hydraulics (UA147341).

[0007] All these and other adapters have seats and significantly facilitate the work of operators. However, when aggregated, they rigidly fix the walk-behind tractor and make it impossible to tilt it forward or backward relative to the wheel axis. Thus, in an aggregate with the specified adapters, the walk-behind tractor loses the ability to deepen and lift the working bodies of soil-cultivating implements rigidly fixed to it by changing the angle of inclination of the body. As a result, adapters have to be equipped with other types of attachment of working implements (see the above adapter models), which are driven either mechanically through a system of levers, or electricity or hydraulics (UA147341). This significantly complicates the design of such units and increases their cost.

[0008] To perform certain jobs that require placing implements in front of the walk-behind tractor, such as mowing, throwing or raking snow, cleaning, etc., many walk-behind tractors, including the prototype Motor Sich walk-behind tractor, can be used in the unfolded position with the steering column turned 180°. The operation of turning the steering column is quite labor-intensive and includes preliminary unlocking of the gearbox control rods, unlocking the steering column, directly turning it and fixing it in a new position, as well as subsequent adjustment and fixation of the speed change rods and differential lock. However, when aggregating with known adapters, in most cases it is simply impossible to perform such actions, and accordingly it is impossible to perform mowing, snow removal and other operations with front-mounted implements with a walk-behind tractor with an adapter.The only exceptions are some very expensive front-mounted adapters made by hobbyists and some specialized machines (US4192525, US20040031629).

[0009] The invention is based on the task of expanding the capabilities of the walk-behind tractor operator, as well as facilitating and simplifying his work.

[0010] The stated problem is solved in that a multifunctional agricultural walk-behind tractor, including an internal combustion engine and a gearbox, kinematically connected to each other, a wheel drive mechanism, a power take-off shaft or a drive pulley, a steering column fixed in the upper part of the gearbox or frame, on which the controls for the throttle valve, clutch, wheel lock and gear shift mechanisms are located, has in the lower part of the steering column a support-swivel sleeve with a lower eye, to which the lower opening of the trailer segment is attached by means of a horizontal kingpin for connecting an adapter in such a way that the walk-behind tractor can rotate 360° in a horizontal plane relative to the axis of the steering column and tilt back and forth in a vertical plane at an angle of at least 5° from the horizontal position.Due to this, the operator, sitting on the adapter seat and controlling the walk-behind tractor in the normal mode via the steering wheel and the controls for the throttle, clutch, wheel lock and gear shift mechanisms, has the ability to change the angle of the walk-behind tractor body backwards or forwards by moving the steering column towards himself or away from himself, thus ensuring the deepening of the soil-cultivating implements rigidly mounted on the walk-behind tractor coupling device to the required depth or to raise them.

[0011] To improve operator comfort and reduce the transmission of vibration and shock loads from the walk-behind tractor to the adapter frame, the support-swivel sleeve is installed at the bottom of the steering column on shock absorbers and is locked at the top with a nut that limits its upward movement. Higher on the steering column is the mount for the steering handles, which increase the shoulder and accordingly reduce the effort required to tilt the walk-behind tractor forward - backward and turn right - left. At the same time, the steering handles can be set to the optimal position for each operator and each operation using adjustable fasteners.

[0012] To simplify and facilitate the operator's control of the horizontal tilt angle of the walk-behind tractor to the support-swivel sleeve installed on the lower part of the steering column, the base of the triangular rod is inserted and fixed with the lower and upper horizontal kingpins, which is placed in the cavity of the trailer segment formed by two identical pieces of sheet metal with a series of symmetrical holes connected through metal spacers of the same thickness. By installing pins in the holes of the trailer segment, the operator has the ability to limit the movement of the triangular rod of the support-swivel sleeve in it and, accordingly, set the range of horizontal tilt angles of the walk-behind tractor or can generally fix the tilt of the walk-behind tractor relative to the adapter in the desired position by fixing the rod in the trailer segment.

[0013] When performing work that requires repeated lowering and raising of the working bodies of the aggregated implements, the angle of the walk-behind tractor can be easily fixed with the help of another upper rod, which is connected at one end to the locking nut rotating around the steering column, and on the opposite side the rod is fixed with a clamping lock in the trailer segment. By loosening the clamping force of the rod lock with a hand or foot through the pedal mechanism, the operator can move the steering column towards himself or away from himself and thus deepen or raise the working bodies, respectively, and also fix them in the desired position by fixing the rod with a locking lock.

[0014] To be able to aggregate implements that should be located in front of the unit's movement, such as mowers, blades, snowplows, brushes, etc., it is enough to simply turn the walk-behind tractor 180° in a horizontal plane so that the engine is under the operator's seat and install the desired implement on the towing device. Its transfer from transport mode to working mode and vice versa is also carried out by the operator by moving the steering column towards or away from himself and, if necessary, fixed in the desired position with rods. In order for the throttle and clutch control cables not to interfere when turning the walk-behind tractor 180°, they must be laid through the steering column.

[0015] When using the walk-behind tractor for transporting loads, as well as for working with implements that are installed behind the walk-behind tractor and do not require significant deepening (e.g. tooth harrows, rakes, etc.), the upper rod and the triangular rod are removed, and the trailer segment is raised and fixed to the support-swivel sleeve using two horizontal kingpins installed in the lower and upper ears of the sleeve, respectively. For transport work, the trailer drawbar with the loop installed in the vertical position is inserted into the trailer segment and the loop is fixed using the third horizontal kingpin. In this case, the tilts of the walk-behind tractor in the horizontal plane are blocked by fixing the trailer drawbar using the lower and upper pins inserted into the corresponding holes of the trailer segment.To perform operations with tools that are mounted behind the walk-behind tractor and do not require significant deepening, the lower and upper pins are installed in holes further away from the drawbar axis, thus increasing the amplitude of possible forward and rear tilts of the walk-behind tractor relative to the horizontal position.

[0016] The essence of the invention is shown in Fig. 1, which shows the proposed walk-behind tractor coupled with a simple adapter and a working implement, which is placed behind the walk-behind tractor and requires significant immersion in the soil (single-body plow), Fig. 2, which shows a walk-behind tractor aggregated with an adapter with an implement placed in front of the unit (segment mower), and also in Fig. 3, which shows the layout of a walk-behind tractor with a cargo trailer and an implement located behind the walk-behind tractor and not requiring deep immersion in the soil (tooth harrow). For better information content, the left wheel of the walk-behind tractor is not shown in the figures, and the newly developed components are shown in section. The proposed invention in the simplest case is implemented as follows, shown in Fig. 1.A typical walk-behind tractor from the Zaporizhia Motor Sich plant with an internal combustion engine 1, which is attached and kinematically connected to the gearbox 2 via a clutch mechanism, has a reinforced vertical steering column 3 with steering handles 4, on which the throttle and clutch controls are located. The gear shifting and differential locking mechanisms 5 are located in the upper part of the steering column 3, and its bottom is firmly secured in the upper reinforced cover of the gearbox 2, on which lies the support-shock-absorbing washer 6 and the spring shock absorber 7 installed on it, absorbing vertical vibrations of the support-swivel sleeve 8, which is also mounted on the steering column 3 and is locked from above by a swivel nut 9 to prevent significant movement. The support-swivel sleeve 8 has a lower eye 10 and an upper eye I located above it, to which the lower and upper openings of the trailer segment 12 can be attached, respectively, using horizontal kingpins.Also, between the lower 10 and upper 11 ears of the pivot sleeve 8, the base of the triangular rod 13 can be installed and fixed with kingpins, which is placed inside the trailer segment 12 and is used to adjust the tilt angles of the walk-behind tractor body by blocking its movement with horizontal pins inserted by the operator into the holes of the trailer segment 12.

[0017] In its simplest form, the trailer segment 12 is made of two identically shaped pieces of thick sheet metal with a series of symmetrical holes connected to each other by metal spacers 14 of the same width. Thus, the trailer segment 12 is a rigid metal hollow structure, which on one side is connected by means of a horizontal kingpin to the lower eye 10 of the support-swivel sleeve 8, and on the other side has an upper bushing 15 for fixing with a washer and nut with the possibility of twisting the drawbar 16 of the adapter 17.

[0018] Thus, the operator, sitting on the seat 18 of the adapter 17, holds the steering handles 4 with his hands and controls the walk-behind tractor through the throttle and clutch control mechanisms located on them, as well as the gear shifting and differential locking mechanisms 5, which are brought out to the upper end of the steering column 3. A working implement, for example a single-body plow 20, is rigidly mounted on the towing device 19 of the walk-behind tractor. When moving to the area being processed, it is necessary that the plow 20 is above the ground surface and does not touch it. Therefore, the steering column 3 must be in a vertical position or with a slight forward tilt throughout the entire movement, for which the triangular rod 13 is fixed in the desired position by installing horizontal pins in the holes of the trailer segment 12 above and below the rod 13.

[0019] Upon arrival at the area to be processed, the unit is adjusted, in particular, the depth to which plowing will be performed is set. For this purpose, the first test furrow is made, deepening the plough 20 to the required depth by moving the steering column 3 toward you, and in the working position with the deepened plough 20 in the trailed segment 12, a horizontal pin is installed so that it touches the lower side of the rod 13 and thus limits the possibility of lowering the plough 20 to a greater depth. Then, pushing the steering column 3 away from you, the plough 20 is raised to the transport position and an upper limiting pin is installed on top of the rod 13 in the trailed segment 12, which will limit the maximum forward tilt of the walk-behind tractor. In this way, the range of possible tilt angles of the walk-behind tractor is set when performing this plowing operation.When directly performing plowing, the operator at the beginning of a new run pulls the steering column 3 towards himself until the triangular rod 13 stops in the lower limiting pin, setting the plough 20 immersion depth, and then tightening the lock 21 fixes the tilt angle of the walk-behind tractor in this position with the rod 22, which ensures subsequent plowing to a specified depth automatically without additional effort and control. At the end of the run, the operator loosens the lock 21 and moving the steering column 3 away from himself tilts the walk-behind tractor forward and removes the plough 20 from the soil. After turning, the operator drives into a new run and repeats the operations.

[0020] When it is necessary to use working implements that should be placed in front relative to the movement of the unit, the walk-behind tractor is simply turned 180° in the horizontal plane, as shown in Fig. 2, and the required implement, for example, a segment mower 25, is rigidly installed on its towing device 19. Control of such implements during operation, in particular their transfer to the working or transport position, is carried out similarly by changing the tilt angle of the walk-behind tractor when moving the steering column 3 and, if necessary, fixing it in the installed position with the help of rods 13 and 22. In this case, the throttle and clutch control cables 23 from the steering handles 4 must be passed through the steering column 3 and the support-shock-absorbing washer 6, and the steering handles 4 can be turned and set in a convenient position with the lock 24.

[0021] Fig. 3 shows how to work with implements that are installed behind the walk-behind tractor and do not require deep recessing (lowering), for example, a tooth harrow 26, or when transporting cargo with a trailer 27, the upper rod 22 and the triangular rod 13 are removed, and the trailer segment 12 is raised and fixed to the support-swivel sleeve 8 with the help of two horizontal kingpins installed respectively in the lower 10 and upper 11 ears of the sleeve 8. After this, in another opening of the trailer segment 12, with the help of a third horizontal kingpin 28, the loop of the drawbar 16 of the cargo trailer 27 or another adapter is fixed. During transportation, the drawbar 16 is fixed motionless with two pins, which are installed under and above it in the openings of the trailer segment 12.To perform tillage work or other operations with implements that are mounted behind the walk-behind tractor and do not require significant deepening, the lower and upper pins are installed in holes that are more distant from the drawbar axis, thus increasing the amplitude of possible tilts of the walk-behind tractor back and forth relative to the horizontal position. In some cases, the loop of the drawbar 16 of the adapter can be fixed with a horizontal kingpin in other holes, for example, in the hole of the lock 21 of the upper rod 22 located higher in the trailer segment 12. In this way, it becomes possible to turn the walk-behind tractor by 180°, as shown in Fig. 2. However, in this case, reducing the lever arm requires significantly more effort from the operator when moving the steering column 3 to tilt the walk-behind tractor forward and backward.

[0022] If it is necessary to use the walk-behind tractor for soil cultivation in the traditional mode (without an adapter), the kingpin 28 is removed accordingly and the walk-behind tractor is disconnected from the trailer 27 or adapter. Then, using the handle fastening mechanism 24, the steering handles 4 are installed in the desired position and fixed. For ease of use, the steering handles 4 can be made telescopic, with the ability to rotate relative to the steering column 3 and the ability to be installed at an angle convenient for the operator.

[0023] The proposed invention can be implemented using existing technologies and means of production.

Claims

CLAUSES OF THE INVENTION 1. A multifunctional agricultural walk-behind tractor comprising an internal combustion engine and a gearbox that are kinematically connected to each other, a wheel drive mechanism, a power take-off shaft or a drive pulley, a steering column fixed to the upper part of the gearbox or frame, on which the controls for the throttle valve, clutch, wheel lock and gear shift mechanisms are located, characterized in that a pivot sleeve with a lower eye is mounted with the possibility of rotation on the lower part of the steering column, to which the lower opening of the trailer segment for connecting an adapter is connected by means of a horizontal kingpin so that the walk-behind tractor aggregated with the adapter can rotate 360° in a horizontal plane relative to the axis of the steering column and tilt forward and backward in a vertical plane at angles of at least 5° from the horizontal position.

2. A walk-behind tractor according to paragraph 1, characterized in that the steering column is made in the form of a reinforced round metal tube, which is firmly and immovably fixed at one end in the upper part of the gearbox or frame strictly vertically, the support-pivot sleeve is installed in the lower part of the steering column on shock absorbers and locked from above with a nut, above which the fastening of the steering handles with a mechanism for adjusting their tilt is located, and the trailer segment is formed by two identical pieces of sheet metal with a series of symmetrical holes connected through metal spacers of the same thickness.

3. A walk-behind tractor according to paragraph 2, characterized in that rods passing through the trailer segment are attached to the support-pivot sleeve and the nut that locks it, and their movement in it can be limited by pins or clamps for the purpose of fixing the forward or backward tilt angle of the walk-behind tractor aggregated with the adapter, as well as for limiting the possibility of such tilts in a certain angular range.

4. A walk-behind tractor according to paragraph 2, characterized in that the pivot bearing sleeve installed in the lower part of the steering column has another upper eye above the lower eye, to which the upper opening of the towing segment is fixedly secured with an additional horizontal kingpin, and in the side walls of the towing segment, in addition to the openings for securing the lower and upper eyes of the pivot bearing sleeve, there is one or more openings for securing the loop of the adapter drawbar with a horizontal kingpin, as well as a series of openings of smaller diameter for installing horizontal pins in order to limit the range of angles of inclination of the drawbar.

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