Tractor Hitch Pivot Pin Extension for Coupling Ball Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for storing coupling balls on agricultural tractors are inconvenient, requiring operators to frequently move between the hitch and a toolbox to retrieve or replace balls, leading to potential misplacement and confusion due to varying ball sizes.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of pivot pin extensions with stops on the hitch's linkage system to support and retain coupling balls, ensuring they are always available and easily accessible, with options for multiple ball sizes and protection from dirt.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If coupling balls are stored in a toolbox near the cab entrance, then they are protected from environmental factors, but the operator has to frequently move between the hitch and the toolbox to retrieve or replace balls, leading to loss of time and potential misplacement
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling ball storage is moved from a distant location (toolbox near cab entrance) to an integrated location on the hitch assembly itself. The storage recess is positioned in close proximity to the coupling sockets, eliminating the need for operators to travel between locations. This spatial reorganization resolves the contradiction by placing the storage function in a different dimension relative to the operating position.
Solution Approach 2:
The storage function for coupling balls is merged with the hitch assembly structure itself. The recess is formed as an integral part of the hitch body, combining the storage function with the support structure. This merging eliminates the separate toolbox location and integrates storage directly at the point of use, resolving the time loss contradiction while maintaining protection through the recess design.
2Device complexity
If coupling balls are stored in a separate toolbox, then the hitch structure remains simple, but the operator experiences confusion due to varying ball sizes and potential misplacement
Solution Approach 1:
The storage recess is designed with specific local characteristics to accommodate different coupling ball sizes. The recess geometry and positioning allow multiple balls of varying diameters to be stored in an organized manner directly on the hitch. This local quality enhancement resolves the contradiction by providing size-specific storage zones without complicating the overall hitch structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The storage recess can be designed to accommodate different sized coupling balls through segmentation of the storage space or through the natural geometry of the recess. This allows operators to easily distinguish and select the appropriate ball size for each socket, eliminating confusion while maintaining structural simplicity through the use of a single integrated storage feature.
3Ease of operation
If coupling balls are left on the hitch arms, then they are immediately accessible, but they cannot be retained securely and may be misplaced or damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling balls are stored within a recess that is nested into the hitch assembly structure. This nesting provides secure retention by enclosing the balls within the recess boundaries, preventing them from falling off or being misplaced. The recess acts as a protective container that maintains immediate accessibility while ensuring secure storage.
Solution Approach 2:
The recess serves as an intermediary structure between the coupling balls and the external environment. It provides a protected interface that allows balls to be easily accessed while preventing them from being damaged or misplaced. The recess geometry and positioning act as a mediator that balances accessibility with secure retention.
Data Source
AI summary
An implement hitch is disclosed for a tractor having arms for attachment to an implement, wherein the arms have part-spherical sockets at their free ends for receiving coupling balls (100) which during operation receive coupling pins on the implement to be connected by means of the hitch to the tractor. The hitch has lifting arms (52) that are each movable by a respective hydraulic cylinder and are connected to the associated hydraulic cylinder by a linkage that incorporates at least one pivot pin (74). In the invention, at least one of the pivot pins (74) has a projecting extension (94) dimensioned to fit within the through bore of a coupling ball (100) and a stop (800,96) is provided on the extension (94) to prevent a coupling ball (100) supported by the pivot pin (74) from sliding off the extension (94).