A road drag implement includes a frame, a hitch assembly, rear wheels and a two grading blades. The frame is supported by the rear wheels and the hitch assembly. The rear wheels and the hitch assembly have articulating support structures that are able to be controllably positioned between a raised transport positions and lowered working positions. A first blade assembly and a second blade assembly are pivotably mounted to the frame. The first blade assembly is in a forward position on the right side of the frame and the second blade assembly is behind the first blade assembly on the left side of the frame. Actuators connect between the frame and each respective blade assembly which are able rotate the blade assemblies between a first retracted position for transport and a second extended position for road work.

A circle drive for rotating a blade on a draft frame of a motor grader includes a circle gear mounting the blade, a worm wheel, a torque dividing arrangement, and a single input provided on a first shaft. The torque dividing arrangement includes a set of shafts positioned about the worm wheel, a torque dividing gear set, and a set of worm gears meshed with the worm wheel. The worm wheel is operatively coupled to drive the circle gear. The set of worm gears includes a first worm gear on a first shaft and a second worm gear on a second shaft. The single input is configured to provide a driving torque that drives the set of worm gears such that the set of worm gears divides the driving torque. The driving torque is capable of driving the worm wheel for driving the circle gear and rotating the blade.

A motor grader includes an operation apparatus, a front frame, a draw bar swingably attached to the front frame, a first actuator attached to the draw bar, the first actuator moving the draw bar in a lateral direction with respect to the front frame, a second actuator attached to the draw bar, the second actuator moving the draw bar in a direction toward the front frame and a direction away from the front frame, and a controller that causes the first actuator and the second actuator to operate. The controller causes the first actuator and the second actuator to operate based on an operation signal received from the operation apparatus such that a position of the draw bar with respect to the front frame comes closer to a neutral position of the draw bar with respect to the front frame.

A hydraulic system for operating a circle drive gear of a grading machine includes a pump configured to output pressurized fluid, a directional control valve fluidly coupled to the pump, a bidirectional hydraulic motor located downstream of the directional control valve and fluidly coupled to the directional control valve via hydraulic lines. The hydraulic motor has an output shaft that is configured to be rotationally driven by pressurized fluid output by the pump. Dual counterbalance valves may be disposed within the hydraulic circuit of the directional control valve and hydraulic motor such that any gearbox driven by the hydraulic motor is protected from external opposing forces. Accordingly, motion in the circle drive system is hydraulically locked at the beginning and release of a circle rotation command with the help of fluid pressure in the hydraulic lines.

Disclosed is a ground modifying apparatus of a type sometimes known as levellers, typically as used on tractors and skid-steer vehicles. In current practice these are used for preparing, levelling, and contouring the ground. Such device includes at least an accessory body portion supporting a ground modifying accessory or includes a way to attach the same. The apparatus includes a travelling carriage assembly pivotably attached by a carriage pivot, about a rotational axis substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the apparatus. The carriage pivot is positioned lower than the center of gravity of the travelling carriage assembly.

A motor grader having ride control for dampening machine bounce using a DCM assembly rotatably coupled to and suspended from a frame of the motor grader is disclosed. Each lift cylinder for the DCM may have an associated ride control circuit with an accumulator, a ride control conduit fluidly connected to a carry end of the lift cylinder and having a flow restriction element, and a ride control accumulator valve fluidly connected to the accumulator and the ride control conduit and operable to either block or allow fluid communication between the carry end and the accumulator through the flow restriction element. Each rid control circuit may also include a head end valve fluidly connected to between the head end of the lift cylinder and a low pressure fluid reservoir and operable to block or allow fluid communication between the head end and the low pressure fluid reservoir.

A grading implement features a frame with at least one movable section carried by a main frame section. Each movable section is movable relative thereto between a storage position and a working position reaching further laterally outward from the main section to increase a working width of the implement. An underside of each movable section features a respective blade adjustably mounted thereto for selective adjustment between different relative blade positions relative to the movable section. One embodiment features outboard blades on two movable sections, inboard blades on another two movable sections, and a rear blade mounted centrally on the main section behind the inboard and outboard blades. A dust suppression system features spray nozzles distributed across the main frame section behind the blades, and storage tanks mounted atop the main section so that weight of the dust suppression agent provides extra downforce to the blades.

A closed loop feedback circle drive system utilized onboard a motor grader includes an operator input device, a blade, and a multi-speed hydraulic motor having a motor output shaft. The motor output shaft is mechanically linked to blade such that motor output shaft rotation drives rotation of the blade about a blade rotation axis. A controller is operably coupled to the operator input device and to the multi-speed hydraulic motor. The controller is configured to: (i) receive blade rotation commands via the operator input device to rotate the blade about the rotation axis in a commanded manner; and (ii) control the multi-speed hydraulic motor to implement the blade rotation commands, while repeatedly adjusting the rotational speed of the motor output shaft to reduce variations in a rotational velocity of the blade due to changes in blade loading conditions occurring during motor grader operation.

A work vehicle is capable of readily knowing an amount of soil built up on a front surface of a blade. A motor grader includes a vehicular body frame, a blade, and an image pick-up apparatus. The blade is arranged between a front end of the vehicular body frame and a rear end of the vehicular body frame. The blade is supported on the vehicular body frame. The image pick-up apparatus is arranged in front of the blade. At least a part of the blade is included within an angle of view of the image pick-up apparatus. A revolving operation of the blade is automatically controlled based on the amount of soil built up on the front surface of the blade.

A scraper vehicle is described that can contribute, with a relatively simple and low-cost configuration, to shortening of a construction period, reduction of construction cost, and the like without travel being disabled easily. The scraper vehicle includes an auxiliary drive system that supplies, in excavation by the scraper, a driving force to at least part of traveling wheels of the scraper vehicle. The driving force is supplied constantly or in accordance with a travel resistance of the scraper vehicle.