An apparatus, which may be a tillage apparatus may have a flexible frame. The frame may be made from transverse and longitudinal open members. The frame may support ground engagers and may be supported on wheel assemblies. The ground engagers may be connected to a spring trip mechanism. The ground engagers may be mounted to open members of the frame with a clamping style mechanism. The clamp mechanism may include wedge devices. The frame may be lowered and raised relative to wheels of the wheel assemblies with a lift mechanism. One row of ground engagers may be raised or lowered relative to the frame independent of another row of ground engagers. An anti-skid or skew control system may be employed in association with the independent height adjustment of one row of ground engagers. A system may be provided to maintain and control the height of a tow hitch forming part of the apparatus.

An agricultural implement includes a chassis and a shank carried by the chassis. The shank includes: a shank body configured to penetrate a soil top surface; a sensor attached to an outer surface of the shank body and defining a probing area; and a sensor shield carried by the shank body in front of the sensor, the sensor shield being configured to deflect oncoming soil flow away from the sensor without substantially disrupting soil flow into the probing area.

The present invention provides a ground engaging device (10, 10.100, 10.110 and 10.120) which includes a frame assembly (12) having at least one first frame arm (14), and at least one second frame arm (16), in this case only one second frame arm (16). The at least one first frame arm (14) is located in a forward position relative to the at least one second frame arm (16) relative to the forward direction of operation of the device (10). There is also present at least one gauge wheel (18) being mounted to the at least one first frame arm (14) for rotation with respect thereto. The present invention also provides an improved parallelogram linkage, and a planter, fertiliser, cultivator or trasher with such improvements.

An agricultural implement includes a frame and a ground engaging tool assembly having a shank rotatably coupled to the frame and a ground engaging tool coupled to the shank. In addition, the agricultural implement includes a monitoring system having a sensor mounted to one of the frame or the ground engaging tool assembly and directed toward a target. The target is the other of the frame or the ground engaging tool assembly, and the sensor is configured to emit an output signal toward the target and to receive a return signal indicative of a measured position of the ground engaging tool assembly relative to the frame. The monitoring system also includes a controller configured to determine that the ground engaging tool assembly is in a deflected position in response to determining that a difference between the measured position and a working position is greater than a threshold value.

The invention relates to a soil-working device having a support frame (11), on which harrow tines (17) are arranged, which are preloaded by means of spring systems (18), the preload being centrally adjustable by means of a hydraulic cylinder (21). The harrow tines (17) are designed as two-armed levers, and the entire adjustment mechanism consisting of hydraulic cylinder (21), transverse bar (22), longitudinal bars (23), levers (19), and spring systems (18) is arranged above the fulcrums of the harrow tines (17). Thus, nearly only the harrow times (17) are located in the space below the fulcrums of the harrow tines (17). In addition, the harrow tines (17) can be not only pressed downward but also raised by means of the adjustment mechanism.

Work machines, control systems for work machines, and methods of operating work machines are disclosed herein. A work machine includes a frame structure, a work implement, and a control system. The work implement is coupled to the frame structure and includes at least one ground engagement tool that is configured for movement in response to interaction with an underlying surface in use of the use work machine. The control system is coupled to the frame structure and includes a sensor mounted to the at least one ground engagement tool and a controller communicatively coupled to the sensor.

Work machines, control systems for work machines, and methods of operating work machines are disclosed herein. A work machine includes a frame structure, a work implement, and a control system. The work implement is coupled to the frame structure and includes at least one ground engagement tool that is configured for movement in response to interaction with an underlying surface in use of the use work machine. The control system is coupled to the frame structure and includes a sensor mounted to the at least one ground engagement tool and a controller communicatively coupled to the sensor.

A system for monitoring the operational status of ground-engaging tools of an agricultural implement. The system includes a frame and an assembly including an attachment structure configured to be coupled to the frame and a ground-engaging tool. The ground-engaging tool is pivotably coupled to the attachment structure. The system further includes a shear pin at least partially extending through both the attachment structure and ground-engaging tool to prevent pivoting of the ground-engaging tool about the pivot point when the shear pin is in an operable working condition. Additionally, the system includes an electrical connection through one or more components of the assembly or the shear pin and associated with the shear pin. The system further includes a controller electrically coupled to the electrical connection. The controller is configured to determine a change in the working condition of the shear pin based on an electrical property of the electrical connection.

In one aspect, a system for detecting tripping of ground engaging tools on an agricultural implement may include a ground engaging tool coupled to an implement frame. Furthermore, the system may include a motion sensor installed on the implement frame, with the motion sensor configured to capture data indicative of motion of the implement frame. Moreover, the system may include a controller configured to monitor the motion of the implement frame based on the data received from the motion sensor. In addition, the controller may be further configured to determine when the ground engaging tool has tripped based on the monitored motion.

An agricultural implement (1) for soil working, comprising a frame (10, 101, 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 10e), a number of ground-engaging tools (12, 13) carried by the frame, at least one rolling ground support (11a, 11b), the height position of which is adjustable relative to the frame, a height sensor (31) for contact-free measuring of the height position of the frame relative to a ground surface (G1), and a control unit (15), arranged to receive a signal from the height sensor (31) and to control the height position of the rolling ground support (11a, 11b). At least one of the tools (12, 13) is resilient relative to the frame (10, 101, 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 10e). A tool position sensor (32) is arranged to measure the orientation of the tool (12, 13), and the control unit (15) is arranged to receive a signal from the tool position sensor (32) and to calculate a work depth for said tool (12, 13) based on the signal from the height sensor (31) and based on the signal from the tool position sensor (32). Furthermore, a method of determining the work depth of a soil-working agricultural implement is shown.