AN AGRICULTURAL TRACTOR HAVING AN IMPLEMENT LINKAGE

Abstract

An agricultural tractor having an implement hitch or linkage arranged to receive linkage balls of different types. The tractor is provided with at least one linkage ball holder which can be used to store unused linkage balls on the tractor. The linkage ball holder is at least partly formed from a resiliently deformable material, such that a linkage ball can easily be retained within the holder without the need for additional mechanical locking parts.

Claims

1. An agricultural tractor comprising: an implement linkage configured to engage a linkage ball; at least one linkage ball; at least one linkage ball holder at least partly formed from a resiliently deformable material, and configured to clasp a portion of the at least one linkage ball surface and hold the ball in place when the ball is not otherwise engaged with the implement linkage.

2. The tractor of claim 1, wherein the resiliently deformable material comprises rubber, plastic or spring steel.

3. The tractor of claim 1, wherein the linkage ball holder is further configured to be at least partially deformable and allow the linkage ball to be inserted into or removed from the holder.

4. The tractor of claim 1, wherein the linkage ball holder comprises a tulip-shaped cup comprising a base portion and a plurality of fingers depending therefrom, the base portion and the fingers defining an internal space, wherein the at least one linkage ball can be releasably held.

5. The tractor of claim 4, wherein at least one of the fingers is formed from a resiliently deformable material.

6. The tractor of claim 4, wherein at least one of the fingers is biased towards the interior of the internal space, and configured such that said at least one finger may snugly retain the portion of the linkage ball in the internal space.

7. The tractor of claim 1, wherein the at least one linkage ball holder is configured for mounting to a structural frame of the tractor.

8. The tractor of claim 1, wherein the at least one linkage ball holder is configured for mounting to a pivot pin of the implement linkage of the tractor.

9. The tractor of claim 1, wherein the linkage ball holder further comprises a base portion and a bolt hole in the base portion.

10. The tractor of claim 9, wherein the linkage ball holder is bolted to a portion of the tractor using a bolt or screw extending through the bolt hole, and received in a corresponding bolt hole in the said portion of the tractor.

11. A linkage ball storage system for attachment to an agricultural tractor comprising the linkage ball holder of claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0025] FIG. 1 is a side view of an agricultural tractor having a linkage ball holder according to the invention;

[0026] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a rear implement hitch of the tractor of FIG. 1;

[0027] FIGS. 3-5 are enlarged views of a portion of the tractor of FIG. 1, illustrating a first embodiment of the linkage ball holder;

[0028] FIGS. 6-7 are enlarged views of the first embodiment of linkage ball holder; and

[0029] FIGS. 8-11 show alternative embodiments of the linkage ball holder.

[0030] The drawings are provided by way of reference only, and will be acknowledged as not to scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0031] With reference to FIG. 1, an agricultural vehicle according to the invention in the form of an agricultural tractor is indicated at 10. The tractor 10 comprises front wheels 12 and rear wheels 14, a forward engine compartment 16 and a cab section 18. The tractor 10 is provided with a rear three-point linkage partly indicated at 20, which can be used for the mounting of suitable three-point linkage implements to the tractor 10.

[0032] Within the cab 18, an operator station 22 is provided, where the operator can access operator controls including an operator terminal 24. The tractor 10 is provided with at least one electronic control unit (ECU) 26. The ECU 26 is configured to interface with the operator controls 24 and with the various systems and sensors provided about the tractor 10, to provide for monitoring and control of tractor operation. The operator controls 24 and ECU 26 allow the operator to actuate different elements of the tractor 10, e.g. hydraulic circuits, lifting systems, HVAC operation, and/or to control the acceleration and steering of the tractor 10.

[0033] FIG. 2 provides an enlarged view of the rear section of the tractor 10, showing the rear three-point linkage 20 in more detail.

[0034] As will be generally understood, the rear three-point linkage 20 comprises a top link 28 and a pair of bottom links 30 arranged as the lift arms of the three-point linkage 20. The bottom lift links 30 can be manipulated using respective lifting cylinders 32. The free ends of the links 28,30 are provided with hook connectors 34 which can connect directly with an implement or which can be arranged to receive a linkage coupling ball. The linkage balls (see 36, FIGS. 3 & 5) are provided with through bores 38 to receive implement coupling pins, to allow the implements to be attached to the tractor 10 via the linkage 20. The tractor 10 may be provided with an array of linkage balls 36 of different configurations and dimensions, to allow the coupling of the linkage 20 with different types of implements.

[0035] To provide a safe and secure storage location for unused linkage balls 36, the tractor 10 comprises at least one linkage ball holder 40, as shown in FIGS. 3-7. The linkage ball holder 40 is configured to releasably hold a linkage ball 36 in place on the tractor 10.

[0036] With reference to the enlarged views provided in FIGS. 6 and 7, the linkage ball holder 40 of the illustrated embodiment comprises a generally tulip-shaped cup element having a base portion 42 and a plurality of fingers 44 depending therefrom, the base portion 42 and the fingers 44 defining an internal space 46, wherein a linkage ball 36 can be releasably held within the internal space 46. A bolt hole 48 is provided in a base portion 42 of the linkage ball holder 40, allowing the linkage ball holder 40 to be bolted or screwed onto a portion of the tractor 10 using a suitable bolt or screw 50 which can be received in a corresponding aperture on the tractor structure (see FIG. 4). The assembly may be provided with an additional washer element 52 with the bolt or screw 50, as appropriate.

[0037] At least a portion of the linkage ball holder 40 is formed from a resiliently deformable material, such that at least a portion of the fingers 44 can deform to allow a linkage ball 36 to be easily inserted into or removed from the internal space 46. The deformable material can include a plastics or rubber material, or a deformable metal, e.g. spring steel. The fingers 44 are arranged to at least partially envelop the internal space 46, such that when a linkage ball 36 is positioned within the internal space 46, the fingers 44 clasp about a portion of the surface of the linkage ball 36 to hold the ball 36 in place. It will be understood that the flexibility of the fingers 44 is selected to allow for the ball 36 to be easily inserted into or removed from the ball holder 40 without considerable effort, while also providing sufficient resilience to retain the ball 36 in place during tractor operations, e.g. during tractor transport.

[0038] The linkage ball holder 40 provides a relatively simple, low-cost solution for the storage of unused linkage balls 36 on a tractor 10. In addition, the design of the ball holder 40 means that the holder 40 can be easily located as any position on the tractor 10 having a suitable mounting location.

[0039] With reference to FIGS. 3-5, the linkage ball holder 40 is illustrated as mounted as part of the rear hitch linkage 20, in particular by mounting to a pivot pin 54 used to couple different linkage components indicated at A, B, and C of FIGS. 3-5. The pivot pin 54 is provided with a through bore 56 arranged to receive the bolt or screw 50 to attach the linkage ball holder 40 in place. By mounting the linkage ball holder 40 in the vicinity of the rear hitch linkage 20, accordingly the linkage ball 36 may be easily accessed by a tractor operator when adjusting the associated hitch linkage 20.

[0040] The tractor 10 may be provided with an array of linkage ball holders 40 to provide storage for multiple linkage balls 36 on the tractor 10. In addition, it will be understood that the linkage ball holder 40 is preferably dimensioned to accommodate linkage balls 36 of different sizes or categories, e.g. categories 2, 3, and 3-2. In one embodiment, a ball holder 40 is dimensioned to hold category 3 and category 3-2 linkage balls, with a separate ball holder 40 dimensioned to hold category 2 linkage balls. In an alternative embodiment, a single ball holder 40 may be provided wherein the fingers 44 of the ball holder 40 are biased toward the interior of the internal space 46, such that the ball holder 40 will snugly retain any dimension of linkage ball 36 inserted therein.

[0041] The linkage ball holder 40 may be provided on a front and/or rear linkage of a tractor 10. The tractor 10 may be provided with separate linkage ball holders 40 for the front and rear hitch linkages of a tractor.

[0042] It will be understood that while the embodiment of linkage ball holder 40 illustrated in FIGS. 3-7 comprises four fingers 44 arranged to form a tulip-shaped cup element, it will be understood that other constructions of ball holder may be provided, having any number of fingers. In addition, it will be understood that the entire linkage ball holder 40 may be formed from the resiliently deformable material, or only a portion of the ball holder 40, e.g. only the fingers 44, is formed from such a material.

[0043] FIGS. 8-9 show a first alternative embodiment of the linkage ball holder 40 in which each of the four fingers 44 is in the form of a resilient tine of e.g. sprung steel radially spaced about, and extending forwardly from, the base 42, with respective pairs of tines being joined at their distal ends by a cross member 58 of the same material. The fingers or tines 44 and cross members 58 thereby provide two spaced apart loops of resilient material defining the internal space 46 therebetween.

[0044] FIGS. 10-11 show a further alternative embodiment of the linkage ball holder 40. It is substantially the same as the embodiment of FIGS. 8-9 but has six fingers 44 (and three cross members 58) providing three spaced apart loops of resilient material defining the internal space 46 therebetween.

[0045] It will further be understood that the linkage ball holder 40 may be provided as a kit for installation or retrofitting to an existing tractor 10. The ball holder 40 may be provided along with a suitable screw or bolt 50, washer 52, and/or pivot pin 54 having receiving bore 56.

[0046] As a result of providing a tractor with a linkage ball holder which is resiliently deformable to allow easy retention of unused linkage balls, the tractor operator can easily and reliably store such balls without the need for multi-step storage operations or additional locking components which may be displaced. In addition, the simplicity of construction of the linkage ball holder allows for the holder to be located at any suitable position on the tractor, providing for greater flexibility of use of the linkage ball holder system.

[0047] The invention is not limited to the embodiment described herein, and may be modified or adapted without departing from the scope of the present invention.