Deere & Company

Lee R Rients

Christopher A Bering

Benjamin J Heimbuch

Peter Alan Kosmicki

Kendall Lee Giesmann

Charles Nicholas Warren

Jason D Wellman

Brian J Potter

One or more techniques and/or systems are disclosed for adjusting the downward vertical force applied to the vehicle frame. In this way, an operator can adjust or distribute a vertical downward force that an attached implement applies to the frame of a vehicle towing the implement. A front end of a vertical load member can be pivotably coupled to the vehicle frame at a point in front of the rear axle of the vehicle, and a rear end of the vertical load member can be coupled to a hitch attachment assembly, coupled with a towed implement, at a rear end of the vertical load member. An actuator can be pivotably coupled with the vertical load member rearward of the vehicle axle, and to the vehicle frame. The vertical load member can be raised and lowered using the actuator, which raises and lowers the hitch assembly at the rear, and pivots the vertical load member at the front.

Implement hitch with variable vertical load

A fender mounting assembly is provided for a vehicle steerable wheel. The fender mounting assembly includes a base mounted on the axle and a support pivotally coupled to the base about a pivot axis which is aligned with the kingpin axis. A bumper arm projects from the support. A stop support with a curved arm is fixable at different positions on the axle, and a stop member is fixable at different positions on the arm. The stop member is engagable with the bumper arm to limit pivoting of the fender. The base has a cylindrical pivot pin which is aligned with the kingpin axis. The support has a bearing housing which receives an annular bearing, and the annular bearing receives the pivot pin. A torsion spring is coupled between the base and the support. The fender mounting assembly allows the fender to rotate relative to the wheel. The fender pivot axis is coincident with the kingpin axis and includes stops which can be set in a range of positions to prevent unwanted fender rotation.

Fender mounting assembly

A vehicle front drive assembly includes a housing supporting a plurality of belt driven pulleys, including an input pulley driven by an engine of the vehicle, a first driveshaft, a front PTO drive, and a second driveshaft. The first driveshaft can be connected directly between the engine and the input pulley. The front PTO drive has a housing rotatably supporting an input member, an auxiliary drive member and a PTO driveshaft, and enclosing a PTO transmission. A second driveshaft can be coupled between the engine and the auxiliary drive member. The first driveshaft is removable from the assembly when the second driveshaft and the front PTO drive are connected between the engine and the input pulley. The second driveshaft and the front PTO drive are removable from the assembly when the first driveshaft is connected between the engine and the input pulley.

Front drive assembly

Growing community of inventors

Parkersburg, IA, United States of America

Lee R Rients