IP Library Granted Patent US 10,070,574
Granted Patent B2
US 10,070,574 · App. 15/087,168 · Granted Sep 11, 2018

Agricultural tillage implement fold/raise and lower control

Inventors: Mark J. Wileniec (Saskatoon, CA); Kena Shah (Woodridge, IL); James W. Henry (Saskatoon, CA)
Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
A01B73/046A01B63/22A01B73/048A01B21/083A01B73/02
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,070,574
App. No.
15/087,168
Granted
Sep 11, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

An agricultural tillage implement with a hydraulic system having a left wing hydraulic subsystem supplying hydraulic pressure and flow to an outer left wing hydraulic circuit for actuating the actuator of an outer left wing wheel assembly, and a right hydraulic subsystem supplying hydraulic pressure and flow to an outer right wing hydraulic circuit for actuating an actuator of an outer right wing wheel assembly; the hydraulic system additionally having at least one hydraulic flow divider dividing hydraulic flow and pressure between the outer left wing hydraulic circuit and the outer right wing hydraulic circuit, the at least one hydraulic flow divider being configured to coordinate the motion of the outer left wing and the outer right wing wheel assemblies.

Claims (28)

1. An agricultural tillage implement, comprising:

a main section including a pull hitch extending in a travel direction;

a plurality of foldable wing sections coupled with the main section, the plurality of foldable wing sections including an outer left wing section and an outer right wing section;

a plurality of ground engaging tilling elements coupled to one of the main section and to the plurality of foldable wing sections;

a plurality of wheel assemblies, each wheel assembly including an actuator, the plurality of wheel assemblies including a first plurality of wheel assemblies associated with the main section and a second plurality of wheel assemblies associated with the plurality of wing sections, the actuator of the wheel assembly of each wing section being individually adjustable to thereby provide depth control of the tilling elements when the tillage implement is in an operational mode, the second plurality of wheel assemblies including an outer left wing wheel assembly and an outer right wing wheel assembly; and

a hydraulic system having a left wing hydraulic subsystem supplying hydraulic pressure and flow to an outer left wing hydraulic circuit for actuating the actuator of the outer left wing wheel assembly, and a right wing hydraulic subsystem supplying hydraulic pressure and flow to an outer right wing hydraulic circuit for actuating the actuator of the outer right wing wheel assembly; the hydraulic system additionally having at least one hydraulic proportional flow divider dividing hydraulic flow and pressure between the outer left wing hydraulic circuit and the outer right wing hydraulic circuit, the at least one hydraulic proportional flow divider being configured to coordinate the motion of the outer left wing wheel assembly and the outer right wing wheel assembly.

2. The agricultural tillage implement of claim 1 , wherein the second plurality of wheel assemblies including an intermediate left wing wheel assembly and an intermediate right wing wheel assembly, the left wing hydraulic subsystem further includes an intermediate left wing hydraulic circuit supplying hydraulic pressure and flow for actuating the actuator of the intermediate left wing wheel assembly, and the right wing hydraulic subsystem having an intermediate right hydraulic circuit supplying hydraulic pressure and flow for actuating the actuator of the intermediate right wing wheel assembly; the hydraulic proportional flow divider dividing hydraulic flow and pressure between the intermediate left wing hydraulic circuit and the intermediate right wing hydraulic circuit, the at least one hydraulic proportional flow divider being configured to coordinate the motion of the intermediate left wing wheel assembly and the intermediate right wing wheel assembly.

3. The agricultural tillage implement of claim 2 , wherein the hydraulic system is configured to sequentially actuate the outer wing hydraulic circuits then the intermediate wing hydraulic circuits when transitioning from an operational mode to a transport mode.

4. The agricultural tillage implement of claim 2 , wherein the second plurality of wheel assemblies including an inner left wing wheel assembly and an inner right wing wheel assembly, the left wing hydraulic subsystem further includes an inner left wing hydraulic circuit supplying hydraulic pressure and flow for actuating the actuator of the inner left wing wheel assembly, the right wing hydraulic subsystem including an inner right hydraulic circuit supplying hydraulic pressure and flow for actuating the actuator of the inner right wing wheel assembly; the hydraulic proportional flow divider dividing hydraulic flow and pressure between the inner left wing hydraulic circuit and the inner right wing hydraulic circuit, the at least one hydraulic proportional flow divider being configured to coordinate the motion of the inner left wing wheel assembly and the inner right wing wheel assembly.

5. The agricultural tillage implement of claim 4 , wherein the hydraulic system is configured to sequentially actuate the outer wing hydraulic circuits then the intermediate wing hydraulic circuits then the inner wing hydraulic circuits when transitioning from an operational mode to a transport mode.

6. The agricultural tillage implement of claim 4 , wherein the hydraulic system is configured to sequentially actuate the inner wing hydraulic circuits then the intermediate wing hydraulic circuits then the outer wing hydraulic circuits when transitioning the implement from a transport mode to an operational mode.

7. The agricultural tillage implement of claim 4 , wherein the hydraulic system further includes at least one hydraulic connection between the outer wing hydraulic circuits and the inner wing hydraulic circuits.

8. The agricultural tillage implement of claim 4 , wherein the hydraulic system further includes at least one hydraulic connection between the intermediate wing hydraulic circuits and the inner wing hydraulic circuits.

9. The agricultural tillage implement of claim 4 , wherein the hydraulic system further includes at least one hydraulic connection between the intermediate wing hydraulic circuits and the outer wing hydraulic circuits.

10. The agricultural tillage implement of claim 4 , wherein the hydraulic proportional flow divider is configured to divide the hydraulic fluid flow for each of the outer wing hydraulic circuits, the intermediate wing hydraulic circuits and the inner wing hydraulic circuits.

11. A hydraulic system for use with an agricultural tillage implement having a main section including a pull hitch extending in a travel direction, a plurality of foldable wing sections coupled with the main section, the plurality of foldable wing sections including an outer left wing section and an outer right wing section, a plurality of ground engaging tilling elements coupled to the main section and to the plurality of foldable wing sections, and a plurality of wheel assemblies, each wheel assembly including an actuator, the plurality of wheel assemblies including a first plurality of wheel assemblies associated with the main section and a second plurality of wheel assemblies associated with the plurality of wing sections, the second plurality of wheel assemblies including an outer left wing wheel assembly and an outer right wing wheel assembly, the hydraulic system comprising:

a left wing hydraulic subsystem supplying hydraulic pressure and flow to an outer left wing hydraulic circuit for actuating the actuator of the outer left wing wheel assembly;

a right wing hydraulic subsystem supplying hydraulic pressure and flow to an outer right wing hydraulic circuit for actuating the actuator of the outer right wing wheel assembly; and

at least one hydraulic proportional flow divider dividing hydraulic flow and pressure between the outer left wing hydraulic circuit and the outer right wing hydraulic circuit, the at least one hydraulic proportional flow divider being configured to coordinate the motion of the outer left wing wheel assembly and the outer right wing wheel assembly.

12. The hydraulic system of claim 11 , wherein the second plurality of wheel assemblies include an intermediate left wing wheel assembly and an intermediate right wing wheel assembly, the left wing hydraulic subsystem having an intermediate left wing hydraulic circuit supplying hydraulic pressure and flow to actuate the actuator of the intermediate left wing wheel assembly, the right wing hydraulic subsystem having an intermediate right hydraulic circuit supplying hydraulic pressure and flow to actuate the actuator of the intermediate right wing wheel assembly, the hydraulic proportional flow divider dividing hydraulic flow and pressure between the intermediate left wing hydraulic circuit and the intermediate right wing hydraulic circuit, the at least one hydraulic proportional flow divider being configured to coordinate the motion of the intermediate left wing wheel assembly and the intermediate right wing wheel assembly.

13. The hydraulic system of claim 12 , wherein the hydraulic system is configured to sequentially actuate the outer wing hydraulic circuits then the intermediate wing hydraulic circuits when transitioning the implement from an operational mode to a transport mode.

14. The hydraulic system of claim 12 , wherein the second plurality of wheel assemblies include an intermediate left wing wheel assembly and an intermediate right wing wheel assembly, the left wing hydraulic subsystem having an inner left wing hydraulic circuit supplying hydraulic pressure and flow for actuating the actuator of the inner left wing wheel assembly, the right hydraulic subsystem having an inner right wing hydraulic circuit for actuating the actuator of the inner right wing wheel assembly, the hydraulic proportional flow divider dividing hydraulic flow and pressure between the inner left wing hydraulic circuit and the inner right wing hydraulic circuit, the hydraulic proportional flow divider being configured to coordinate the motion of the inner left wing section and the inner right wing section.

15. The hydraulic system of claim 14 , wherein the hydraulic system is configured to sequentially actuate the outer wing hydraulic circuits then the intermediate wing hydraulic circuits then the inner wing hydraulic circuits when transitioning the implement from an operational mode to a transport mode.

16. The hydraulic system of claim 14 , wherein the hydraulic system is configured to sequentially actuate the inner wing hydraulic circuits then the intermediate wing hydraulic circuits then the outer wing hydraulic circuits when transitioning the implement from a transport mode to an operational mode.

17. The hydraulic system of claim 14 , wherein the hydraulic system is configured to have at least one hydraulic connection between the outer wing hydraulic circuits and the inner wing hydraulic circuits.

18. The hydraulic system of claim 14 , further comprising at least one hydraulic connection between the intermediate wing hydraulic circuits and the inner wing hydraulic circuits.

19. The hydraulic system of claim 14 , further comprising at least one hydraulic connection between the intermediate wing hydraulic circuits and the outer wing hydraulic circuits.

20. The hydraulic system of claim 14 , wherein the hydraulic proportional flow divider is configured to divide the hydraulic fluid flow for each of the outer wing hydraulic circuits, the intermediate wing hydraulic circuits and the inner wing hydraulic circuits.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 9, 2018
From: CNH INDUSTRIAL AMERICA LLC
To: BLUE LEAF I.P., INC.
Reel/Frame 047494/0078 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 31, 2016
From: WILENIEC, MARK J.; SHAH, KENA; HENRY, JAMES W.
To: CNH INDUSTRIAL AMERICA LLC
Reel/Frame 038162/0967 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation In Part 14558498 · Dec 2, 2014
Related Publication 20160212929A1 · Jul 28, 2016