Tillage apparatuses and related methods
An apparatus, which may be a tillage apparatus, may have a flexible frame. The frame may be made from open members. The frame may support ground engagers and may be supported on wheel assemblies. The ground engagers may be connected to a spring trip mechanism. The ground engagers may be mounted to open members of the frame with a clamping style mechanism. The clamp mechanism may include wedge devices. The frame may be lowered and raised relative to wheels of the wheel assemblies with a lift mechanism. One row of ground engagers may be raised or lowered relative to the frame independent of another row of ground engagers. An anti-skid or skew control system may be employed in association with the independent height adjustment of one row of ground engagers. A system may maintain and control the height of a tow hitch forming part of the apparatus.
1 . A method for correcting a direction of travel of a tillage apparatus moving across a ground surface, the tillage apparatus having a front row of ground engagers and a rear row of ground engagers engaging the ground surface, the front row of ground engagers being supported by a plurality of front wheeled support units each mounted for rotation, the method comprising:
receiving at a controller, at least one rotation signal representing a rotation of one of the front wheeled support units;
causing the controller to determine whether the rotation of the front wheeled support unit is indicative of a deviation in the direction of travel of the tillage apparatus with respect to a desired direction of travel; and
in response to a determination by the controller that there is a deviation in the direction of travel, causing the controller to generate control signals to increase or decrease engagement of the front row of ground engagers with respect to the rear row of ground engagers to produce a side force operable to counteract the deviation in the direction of travel.
2 . The method of claim 1 wherein said receiving the at least one rotation signal comprises receiving rotation signals representing respective rotations of at least two of the front wheeled support units and wherein causing the controller to generate control signals comprises causing the controller to produce control signals to increase or decrease engagement of the front row of ground engagers with respect to the rear row of ground engagers in proportion to an average of the respective rotations of the at least two front wheeled support units.
3 . The method of claim 1 wherein causing the controller to generate control signals comprises causing the controller to generate control signals for controlling a hydraulic valve configured to control flow of hydraulic fluid to a hydraulic cylinder, the hydraulic cylinder being configured to increase or decrease engagement of the front row of ground engagers with respect to the rear row of ground engagers in response to hydraulic fluid pressure.
4 . The method of claim 1 wherein the tillage apparatus is coupled to a propulsion unit and wherein causing the controller to generate control signals comprises causing the controller to commence generating the control signals in response to receiving a command signal from the propulsion unit.
5 . The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the at least one rotation signal comprises receiving rotation signals representing respective rotations of at least two of the front wheeled support units and wherein causing the controller to determine whether the rotation of the front wheeled support unit is indicative of a deviation in the direction of travel comprises:
in response to a determination by the controller that the respective rotations of the at least two front wheeled support units differ by more than the threshold difference indicative of the tillage apparatus going through a turn, causing the controller to inhibit generation of the control signals.
6 . The method of claim 1 wherein causing the controller to generate control signals comprises causing the controller to generate control signals based on an amplification factor, the amplification factor being selected to provide a sufficiently quick response for counteracting the deviation in the direction of travel while preventing overcorrection.
7 . An apparatus for correcting a direction of travel of a tillage apparatus moving across a ground surface, the tillage apparatus having a front row of ground engagers and a rear row of ground engagers engaging the ground surface, the front row of ground engagers being supported by a plurality of front wheeled support units each mounted for rotation, the apparatus comprising:
a controller;
at least one rotation sensor operably configured to produce a rotation signal representing a rotation of one of the front wheeled support units;
wherein the controller is operably configured to determine whether the rotation of the front wheeled support unit is indicative of a deviation in the direction of travel of the tillage apparatus with respect to a desired direction of travel; and
wherein the controller is operably configured to, in response to a determination that there is a deviation in the direction of travel, generate control signals to increase or decrease engagement of the front row of ground engagers with respect to the rear row of ground engagers to produce a side force operable to counteract the deviation in the direction of travel.
8 . The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the at least one rotation sensor comprises at least two rotation sensors operably configured to produce rotation signals representing respective rotations of at least two of the front wheeled support units and wherein the controller is operably configured to generate control signals by to increase or decrease engagement of the front row of ground engagers with respect to the rear row of ground engagers in proportion to an average of the respective rotations of the at least two front wheeled support units.
9 . The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the controller is operably configured to generate control signals for controlling a hydraulic valve configured to control flow of hydraulic fluid to a hydraulic cylinder, the hydraulic cylinder being configured to increase or decrease engagement of the front row of ground engagers with respect to the rear row of ground engagers in response to hydraulic fluid pressure.
10 . The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the tillage apparatus is coupled to a propulsion unit and wherein the controller is operably configured to generate control signals in response to receiving a command signal from the propulsion unit.
11 . The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the at least one rotation sensor comprises at least two rotation sensors operably configured to produce rotation signals representing respective rotations of at least two of the front wheeled support units and wherein the controller is operably configured to determine whether the rotation of the front wheeled support unit is indicative of a deviation in the direction of travel by:
determining that the respective rotations of the at least two front wheeled support units differ by more than the threshold difference indicative of the tillage apparatus going through a turn; and
inhibiting generation of the control signals.
12 . The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the controller is operably configured to generate control signals based on an amplification factor, the amplification factor being selected to provide a sufficiently quick response for counteracting the deviation in the direction of travel while preventing overcorrection.
13 . The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the controller comprises a processor circuit comprising a microprocessor and an interface, the interface having an input for receiving the rotation signal and an output for producing the control signal.
14 . The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the tillage apparatus is coupled to a propulsion unit and wherein the control system includes a controller having an input port for receiving frame height command signals from the propulsion unit, the controller being operably configured to generate frame height control signals for controlling the frame height in response to the frame height command signals and wherein the controller is further operably configured to generate hitch point plate height control signals for controlling the actuator to cause the height of the hitch point plate to be raised or lowered in response to changes in the frame height command signals.
15 . The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the control system for controlling the height of the frame comprises at least one hydraulic cylinder, the hydraulic cylinder being supplied with a pressurized hydraulic fluid supply via a hydraulic valve and wherein the actuator comprises a hydraulic cylinder coupled to the hydraulic fluid supply and configured cause raising or lowering of the hitch point plate corresponding to the height of the frame.