NZ765343B2 - Agricultural machine provided with a simplified safety system enabling a tool or group of tools connected to a hitching support by a support arm to carry out a safety movement - Google Patents

Abstract

agricultural machine of a mounted or drawn type, for moving over a ground during work in a direction of forward travel, comprising: a hitching support, at least one tool or group of tools having, in a work position, an extension transverse to the direction of forward travel and projecting laterally with respect to the hitching support, said tool or group of tools being able to be transferred about a transfer axis alternately between the work position and at least one raised position, at least one mounting arm which is connected to the hitching support, via a first articulation and a second articulation, this second articulation being offset forward, in the direction of forward travel, with respect to the first articulation, at least in the work position and to the tool or group of tools at an assembly site that is offset toward the opposite end of the arm to the first and second articulations or situated at that end, a safety device by means of which the tool or the group of tools can perform a safety movement under the effect of sufficient pressure exerted on the tool or the group of tools in an opposite direction to the direction of forward travel, this safety movement comprising at least a first phase of movement of which one component is a rotation toward the rear, this being with respect to the direction of forward travel and with respect to the hitching support, wherein: the first and second articulations together define the transfer axis, said at least first phase of safety movement takes place about the first articulation or about the second articulation, and the safety device comprises at least one guide device able and intended to allow a variation in a first distance between the second articulation and the assembly site when the rearward rotation takes place about the first articulation, or a variation in a second distance between the first articulation and the assembly site when the rotation toward the rear takes place about the second articulation. A simpler and less bulky solution for achieving a safety movement in Agricultural machines.

Claims (14)

1. An agricultural machine of a mounted or drawn type, for 5 moving over a ground during work in a direction of forward travel, comprising: - a hitching support, - at least one tool or group of tools having, in a work position, an extension transverse to the direction of forward travel and projecting 10 laterally with respect to the hitching support, said tool or group of tools being able to be transferred about a transfer axis alternately between the work position and at least one raised position, - at least one mounting arm which is connected to the hitching support, via a first articulation and a second articulation, this second 15 articulation being offset forward, in the direction of forward travel, with respect to the first articulation, at least in the work position and to the tool or group of tools at an assembly site that is offset toward the opposite end of the arm to the first and second articulations or situated at that end, - a safety device by means of which the tool or the group of 20 tools can perform a safety movement under the effect of sufficient pressure exerted on the tool or the group of tools in an opposite direction to the direction of forward travel, this safety movement comprising at least a first phase of movement of which one component is a rotation toward the rear, this being with respect to the direction of forward travel and with respect to 25 the hitching support, wherein: the first and second articulations together define the transfer axis, said at least first phase of safety movement takes place about 30 the first articulation or about the second articulation, and the safety device comprises at least one guide device able and intended to allow a variation in a first distance between the second articulation and the assembly site when the rearward rotation takes place about the first articulation, or a variation in a second distance between the 35 first articulation and the assembly site when the rotation toward the rear takes place about the second articulation.

2. The machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support arm is assembled directly with the hitching support via the first and second articulations.

3. The machine as claimed in either one of claims 1 and 2, 5 wherein each of the first and second articulations is configured to allow at least a limited rotation about an axis substantially parallel to the plane of the ground and substantially parallel to the direction of forward travel and at least a limited rotation about an axis substantially perpendicular to the plane of the ground. 10

4. The machine as claimed in either one of claims 1 and 3, wherein the guide device is incorporated into the mounting arm and is configured to allow said mounting arm a limited change in shape.

5. The machine as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the guide device is incorporated into the structure of the mounting arm and 15 is configured to perform, during the rotation toward the rear, either a deployment movement resulting in a lengthening of the first distance between the second articulation and the assembly site, when said rotation takes place about the first articulation, or a folding movement resulting in a shortening of the second distance between the first articulation and the 20 assembly site, when said rotation takes place about the second articulation.

6. The machine as claimed in claim 5, wherein the guide device is designed and arranged to perform, under the effect of the pressure of an obstacle, a forced and directed deformation of the mounting arm comprising a change to one of the first and second distances and a change in the form 25 of a torsion with angular rotation about the axes defining these two distances.

7. The machine as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the guide device is mounted between and connects to one another a rigid first constituent part of the mounting arm, which is connected to the 30 hitching support by one of the first and second articulations, and a second rigid constituent part thereof, which is connected to the hitching support by the other of the first and second articulations and comprising the assembly site.

8. The machine as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein 35 the guide device advantageously comprises a link connected to each of the two constituent parts of the mounting arm by a respective pivot connection, the axes of these two pivot connections being mutually parallel.

9. The machine as claimed in claim 8, wherein the parallel axes of the two pivot connections are, when the tool or group of tools is/are in 5 the work position, inclined with respect to be vertical to the ground, in the direction of the hitching support.

10. The machine as claimed in claim 9, wherein the angle of inclination with respect to the vertical of the axes of pivoting of the connections is comprised between 10° and 40°, and preferably between 20° 10 and 30° approximately.

11. The machine as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the mounting arm has an A-shaped tubular structure with a front branch and a rear branch which are rigidly connected to one another, the free ends of said branches being connected to the hitching support by the 15 first and second articulations respectively, and said branches being assembled at the vertex of the direction of forward travel, which advantageously comprises the assembly site, and in that the guide device is integrated into one of the two branches of the mounting arm.

12. The machine as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11, 20 wherein it comprises a cylinder supplying a resistive force, of predetermined intensity, opposing the rearward rotation of the support arm and of the tool or group of tools.

13. The machine as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the safety device also comprises a lifting means designed and 25 arranged to exert an upwardly directed force allowing the tool or the group of tools to be moved automatically and progressively away from the ground in a second phase of the safety movement that is consecutive to the end of the first phase, should the sufficient pressure persist.

14. The machine as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13, 30 wherein the tool or group of tools is a mowing means, for example a mowing bar with rotary disks or drums fitted with cutting members.