Hitch assembly for a tractor

Abstract

A hitch assembly for a work vehicle, such as an agricultural tractor, includes a pair of mounting brackets, a rocker pivotally mounted on the brackets, a pair of draft links secured to the brackets, a pair of actuators coupled between the brackets and the rocker and a pair of lift links coupled between the rocker and the draft links. The mounting brackets are generally C-shaped unitary structures that include a rocker support, an actuator support and a draft link support, preferably all lying within a common plane, permitting forces to be transmitted to the bracket and to the vehicle with a minimum of lateral bending stress. The brackets are preferably identical to one another and include mounting pads on both sides, permitting the brackets to be interchangeably mounted on either the left or the right side of the vehicle. The assembly may be easily mounted to the vehicle by attaching the brackets in appropriate corresponding locations on the vehicle and subsequently mounting the other components on the brackets. The use of self-similar, interchangeable mounting brackets reduces the number of different parts in the assembly and facilitates mounting. Because two separate brackets, each bracket is typically lighter and more manageable than are mounting structures in conventional hitches.