Deere + Company

Anthony Scott Royer

James Thomas Noonan

David Alan Payne

Brian Thomas Mosdal

Paul David Parker

David Lee Steinlage

Garrett Lee Goins

Richard Joseph Connell

Mark Donald Beeck

James Franklin Bierl

Francis Joseph Kelly

An agricultural disk gang includes an elongated disk gang bolt having a threaded end with an externally threaded surface. A plurality of cultivating disks are supported on the disk gang bolt. A nut is threadably engaged with the externally threaded surface. The nut has a first side facing the disks and a second side facing away from the disks. The nut is disposed to axially compress the disks together on the disk gang bolt when tightened. A tensioning structure is mounted on the disk gang bolt outside of the nut. The tensioning structure has a plurality of threaded through holes. A plurality of threaded fasteners are threadably engaged with the threaded through holes and are disposed to axially compress the disks when the plurality of threaded fasteners are tightened, thereby permitting the nut to be further tightened.

Disk gang bolt tensioning structure

A lock for an implement turnbuckle includes an apertured plate attached directly to the turnbuckle. The plate receives the pin or linkage connecting structure that attaches to the threaded eyebolt of the turnbuckle. The mounting end of the plate opposite the slot is secured against a flat on the internally threaded member of the turnbuckle by a U-bolt. The plate prevents relative rotation between the eyebolt and an internally threaded member receiving the eyebolt to thereby maintain the desired turnbuckle length adjustment.

Turnbuckle lock

A hose clamp retainer assembly for an implement includes a retainer welded to the implement and having an apertured wall leading into a cavity. A bolt having a headed end is slidably received within through the apertured wall for support within the cavity. A hose clamp received by the bolt includes a projecting portion abutting the second wall and preventing the headed end from sliding out of the cavity through the apertured wall. The bolt can be easily replaced if damaged.

Frame mounted hose clamp

A depth control system particularly useful for single point depth control on an agricultural implement includes a valve and actuator mounted directly to the pivotal connection areas of a hydraulic cylinder that controls height. Cylinder motion directly controls valve actuation independently of complicated linkages to reduce the size and cost of the system and substantially overcome hysteresis problems.

Directly actuated depth control

A tower and wheel arm assembly for an implement frame includes a pair of identical single piece pivot castings which are selectively connectible at different locations along the frame and provide both wheel arm pivoting and a cylinder anchor tower pivoting. The wheel arm axle extends between the castings pivots within cylindrical cavities located in the castings. External cylindrical surfaces concentric with the cavities rotatably support a pair of tower plates which include circular openings received over the external cylindrical surfaces. Casting symmetry allows the same part to be used interchangeably for either the right-hand or left-hand support.

Tower and wheel arm assembly

A transverse rank particularly useful with implement split frame construction includes first and second transversely extending tubular members welded to the fore-and-aft tubes on first and second halves of the frame. The locations of the first and second tubular members on the respective fore-and-aft tubes are staggered. The members are sufficiently long so that they overlap and abut when the frame halves are assembled. The rear face of the forwardmost member abuts the forward face of the rearmost member, and the two tubular members are bolted together at the overlapping portions.

Staggered frame element with overlap

A rockshaft is mounted over the front rank of the implement frame and is operated by cylinders located at opposite ends of the rockshaft connected to lift arms extending radially adjacent bearing mounts. Fore-and-aft extending links aligned with the lift arms and mounts operate lift wheel assemblies. A hitch arm connected near the center of the rockshaft is directly connected to a hitch turnbuckle for level lift operation. An aligned arrangement of cylinders, cylinder brackets, links and arms provides minimal torsional loading, particularly when the rockshaft is rotated to fully raise the implement frame for transport and is in the most susceptible shock loading condition. Moment arms are controlled to minimize rockshaft torsional loading during highest stress conditions. The front-mounted rockshaft provides simplicity and advantageous weight distribution.

Implement lift and level system with a front mounted direct coupled rockshaft

Lift wheel structure for an implement includes four bar linkage having a curved lower link connected to the frame closely adjacent a first tool-carrying rank. A caster wheel is supported at the forward end of the linkage for castering in an accommodation area defined by the curved lower link. Plates are bolted to the sides of the lower link and extend along sides of an upper link to a connection with a lift cylinder directly above the upper link. The link and the cylinder closely overlie the frame to limit interference with other components mounted above the frame and to facilitate compact folding of implement sections. Loads, including cylinder lift loads, are transmitted primarily through the lower link. A protected transducer assembly is connected between the lower link and the frame to maximize and linearize transducer response in the depth control range. The lift wheel structure can by mounted at different locations on the frame to accommodate different tool configurations and provide the desired automatic depth control and leveling functions. In one embodiment a tension link connects a forward four bar linkage wheel structure with a rear single pivot lift wheel structure such that level lift is provided.

Agricultural implement lift wheel structure

A hitch link structure includes two hitch tubes angled with respect to each other and having forward ends connected by upper and lower hitch plates welded to the tubes. The plates include weld cutouts designed so the same plates can be used with a variety of different hitch tube angles, depending on the width of the mainframe hitch mount-up. Three apertures in the forward end of each of the plates receive bolts which connect the selected hitch link to the plates. The apertures also act as weld fixturing locators to speed hitch construction. The weld cutouts, in generally a half moon configuration, facilitate low cost fillet welds at easily accessible locations regardless of hitch tube angle and facilitate fillet weld connections in relatively lowly stressed areas. The lower plate is apertured to define an intermediate support hole for the safety chain, and the central bolt connecting the hitch link also attaches to the safety chain so the chain is accommodated without additional parts.

Growing community of inventors

Adel, IA, United States of America

Anthony Scott Royer