| SE466328B | 1992-02-03 | |||
| US3844358A | 1974-10-29 |
| 1. | A device for an agricultural soil compactor consisting of one or more roller sections arranged alongside each other at rightangles to the direction of travel in accordance with Fig. 1 and in which the roller sections in question (1 ) are connected to each other through their respective frame sections (2) by a pivoting mechanism supported on pivot axles (3). The invention is c h a r a c t e r i s e d i n t h a t the pivot axles (3) are aligned in the direction of travel such that the frame sections (2) and attached roller sections (1 ) pivot in the vertical plane and such that each frame section (2) incorporates at least one attachment point (5) to which is connected a power transmitting connecting element (4) extending past the adjacent frame section and attached roller section and connected to the next frame section corresponding to attachment point (5 * ),the attachment points being situated in relation to their respective adjoining pivoting axles (3) in such manner that they are maintained substantially parallel during the aforementioned swinging movement by the frame sections (2) and attached roller sections (1 ), which are joined by the connecting element. AMENDED CLAIMS [received by the International Bureau on 29 October 1992 (29.10.92) ; original claim 1 amended . (1 page )] 1 A device for folding a tractordrawn agricultural soil compactor from a working position to a road transport position in which the overall width is 5 less than in the working position, and for returning the unit to the working position. The compactor consists of four or more roller sections (1 ) according to Fig. 1, the sections being connected to each other through their respective frame sections (2) by a pivoting mechanism supported by pivot axles (3), such that the sections can be pivoted from the working position to the 10 transport position and vice versa. The invention is c h a r a c t e r i s e d i n t h a t the pivot axles (3) are aligned in the direction of travel such that the frame sections (2) and attached roller sections (1) pivot in the vertical plane and such that each frame section (2) incorporates at least one attachment point (5) to which is connected a power 5 transmitting connecting element (4) extending past the adjacent frame section and attached roller section and connected to the next frame section corresponding to attachment point (5 * },the attachment points being situated in relation to their respective adjoining pivoting axles (3) in such manner that they are maintained substantially parallel during the aforementioned swinging 0 movement by the frame sections (2) and attached roller sections (1 ), which are joined by the connecting element. |
The present invention concerns a device for reducing the width of a multi-roller soil compactor for agricultural use for safer transport by road.
Soil compactors of this type consisting of a number of roller sections arranged alongside each other at right-angles to the direction of travel and displaced with respect to each other in the direction of travel, and connected to each other by a pivoting mechanism to ensure that the roller sections follow the contours of the ground faithfully and to permit the unit to be partly folded for road transport by raising and swinging the outer ends inward towards the vertical centre plane of the unit, are already known. See, for example, Swedish patent application 8900159-8.
The main purpose of the present invention is to present a simple and inexpensive arrangement in which a small number of actuators (of the hydraulic ram type), preferably only one, can be used to fold up a number of roller sections simultaneously in the manner described.
The illustrations required to describe the invention are
Fig. 1 , which shows a soil compactor according to the invention in the working position.
Fig. 2, which shows the same soil compactor in the completely folded position for road transport.
Fig. 3, which shows the same soil compactor partly folded into the transport position.
The invention is described in further detail in the form of an example of its use in which the soil compactor according to Fig. 1 consists of four roller sections (1 ), each of which is attached to a corresponding frame section (2). The four frame sections are then interconnected by a pivoting mechanism supported on pivot axles (3) aligned in the direction of travel. Thus, the width of the unit can be reduced by folding the roller sections into the shape of an M as shown in Fig. 3. This is achieved by means of an hydraulic ram (7) in Fig. 3 which exerts a
pulling action on the two centre frame sections (2b) and (2c) whereby these, together with their attached roller sections (1 ), are pivoted about their common pivot axle (3) into the shape of a V. In a manner characteristic of the invention, a link rod (4) is then provided between the left-hand centre frame section (2b) 5 and the right-hand outer frame section (2d), and a further link rod (4 * )is provided between the right-hand centre frame section (2c) and the left-hand outer frame section (2a). The attachment points (5) at the outer ends of the link rods are pivoted and are located in relation to their respectively closest pivot axles (3) in such manner that an approximately simultaneous and practically G parallel swinging movement of the frame sections and attached roller sections, which are connected by means of the link rods, is achieved.
Transport wheels (6) are mounted at the outer ends of the outer frame sections in the same manner as described in Swedish patent application 8900159-8, the 5 wheels being lowered to the ground to lift the compactor into the transport position by means of the swinging movement already described. The unit is returned to the working position by releasing oil from the hydraulic ram, which unfolds the roller sections and allows them to descend to the ground under the force of gravity. The arrangement described above has been tested repeatedly in practice and has been found to function excellently.
The arrangement can be varied within the framework of the patent claims without departing from the concept of the invention. For example, a further roller section may be added at each side of the existing unit, in the case of a six- section roller of this type, the sections are arranged three by three in the manner characteristic of the invention.
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