Patents Examined by Joel F Mitchell
  • Patent number: 8387714
    Abstract: A rear implement mounting frame construction for a tractor is disclosed. The construction comprises a pair of mounting frames attached respectively to right and left sides of a tractor body. Each of these mounting frames comprises a plate member having a plate thickness oriented along the right/left direction. Each mounting frame also includes a case mounting portion that is connected to a rear axle case of the tractor body and a vertical connecting portion formed rearwardly of the case mounting portion which connects a rear implement. A bent portion formed between the case mounting portion and the vertical connecting portion causes the vertical connecting portion to be disposed closer to the tractor body than the case mounting portion. A right/left distance between the vertical connecting portions is set smaller than a right/left distance between the case mounting portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Kubota Corporation
    Inventors: Akiyoshi Uchijima, Koji Saito
  • Patent number: 8392075
    Abstract: A power machine includes a carrier comprising a supporting frame, an operator compartment and a joystick controller disposed in the operator compartment and configured to generate movement signals in response to operator movement of the joystick controller. An attachment is detachably coupled to the power machine. A carrier control unit is disposed on the carrier and configured to receive the movement signals from the joystick controller. An attachment control unit is disposed on the attachment and configured to control movement of the attachment. A network is coupled to the carrier control unit and to the attachment control unit and is configured to carry instructions from the carrier control unit to the attachment control unit. A state selection input is disposed in the operator compartment to select one of at least two operational states including a carrier state and an attachment state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Clark Equipment Company
    Inventors: Spencer L. Mindeman, Doran D. Hirschkorn, Christopher W. Lougheed, Phillip D. Bogner, Alvin A. Liebel
  • Patent number: 8387716
    Abstract: A joint device of an agricultural machine has at least one tool-bearing beam (2a-c, 3a-c) for soil tillage tools (4, 5, 38, 39), such as seed coulters and cultivator tines, whereby a portion (10) of the beam end, at least on one side of the machine, is detachably fastened by means of a bolt/nut connection (13, 18, 23) arranged within the tool-bearing beam. A threaded body (18, 50) in the bolt/nut connection is fixed, preferably plug welded, in the main part of the beam (2a-c, 3a-c).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Vaderstad-Verken Aktiebolag
    Inventors: Morgan Collin, Johan Mattsson
  • Patent number: 8386136
    Abstract: In the construction vehicle, a controller is configured to implement a pump displacement rapid change suppression control for controlling the displacement of a travel hydraulic pump so that travel circuit oil pressure reaches a maximum value equal to or less than a cutoff pressure value when the vehicle has stopped regardless of engine speed, and the displacement of the travel hydraulic pump gradually increases as the travel circuit oil pressure decreases from the maximum value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Shirao, Masanori Ikari
  • Patent number: 8364354
    Abstract: A construction vehicle is provided having a manual mode in which an operator provides manual inputs to control the movement of a blade to a location and an automatic mode in which a control moves the blade to a predetermined location. The speed of the movement of the blade in the automatic mode is scaled down from the speed of the blade in the manual mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventor: Jason Michael Pline
  • Patent number: 8347976
    Abstract: A hitch device for a working vehicle for coupling a working device to the working vehicle has a lifting shaft unit supported in the frame structure of the working vehicle, and a coupling structure that is operatively connected therewith. The lifting shaft unit includes a lifting shaft, at least one lifting arm that is fixedly connected with the lifting shaft, and at least one reciprocating cylinder, which is hingedly connected with the lifting arm. The coupling structure includes first, upper coupling elements, which are located on the frame structure, second, lower coupling elements, which are hingedly connected to the frame structure, and connecting elements that are hingedly located on lifting arms of the lifting shaft. At least one of the connecting elements is rigid. In this manner, it is ensured that the load on the coupling elements that form the hitch device is balanced, even when a load is introduced asymmetrically.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH
    Inventors: Gerd Bernhardt, Sergiy Fedotov
  • Patent number: 8347974
    Abstract: A safety locking device 18 for a quick hitch/coupler 10 of an earth working machine. The safety locking device 18 has a locking element 21 which is biased into a locking position to automatically lock a front pin of an implement when it is engaged in the hook 14 of the coupler 10. The safety locking device 18 has an hydraulic operable mechanism to move the locking element 21 to an unlocking position. The hydraulic supply to the safety locking device 18 is independent of the hydraulic supply to a locking mechanism 16 of the coupler 10.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Inventors: Matthew James Calvert, David Aperahama Calvert
  • Patent number: 8352131
    Abstract: A pitch plow and a method of controlling an elevation of a cutting edge of a pitch plow having a frame and a shank that is pivotally mounted to the frame, with the shank defining a cutting edge includes a control system that controls an elevation of the cutting edge. The control system includes a hydraulic control between the shank and the frame to pivotally adjust the shank and an electronic control to control the hydraulic actuator. The electronic control includes a processor and first and second sensors. The processor produces an output that adjusts the hydraulic control in a manner that controls the elevation of the cutting edge. The first sensor may measure GNS location and provides a GNS location input to the processor. The second sensor may measure orientation of said shank and provides a shank orientation input to the processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: AG Leader Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: James D. Yegerlehner, Dennis E. Bell
  • Patent number: 8342253
    Abstract: A method of soil preparation simultaneously ploughs soil and tills soil ploughed in a previous pass. An apparatus for tilling soil provides tilling members mounted for deployment on either side of a tractor. The tilling members on one side of the tractor may be brought into engagement with the soil while tilling members on the other side of the tractor are lifted away from the soil. The tilling members are located to coincide with an adjacent strip of land ploughed in a previous pass of the tractor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Inventor: Henry Carl Gisler
  • Patent number: 8333250
    Abstract: A steering wheel assembly for a construction vehicle, such as a motor grader, is provided. The steering wheel assembly includes a chamfer or defines a space for viewing a portion of a grader blade of the motor grader.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventors: Anthony Jon Knepper, Joshua Dean Graeve, Jed Douglas Polzin, Michael Eugene Kennedy, Darrel Jeffrey Rowan
  • Patent number: 8301346
    Abstract: A traveling system for construction equipment is provided, which can secure an initial traveling manipulability regardless of a low-speed traveling or a high-speed traveling. If the high-speed traveling is selected and the traveling is manipulated, the inclination angle of a swash plate of a hydraulic pump is variably controlled, so that the discharge flow rate of the hydraulic pump exceeds a predetermined flow rate in comparison to the low-speed traveling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Volvo Construction Equipment Holding Sweden AB
    Inventor: Jae Hoon Lee
  • Patent number: 8291997
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide an innovative arrangement to control the height of ground engaging tools located on agricultural implements via gauge wheel assemblies, particularly for supporting and adjusting the height of winged extensions of the implement frame. The gauge wheel assemblies may provide an adjustment assembly in the form of a screw jack, which can be coupled to a support bracket that is attached to the implement frame and also coupled to a support tube that is coupled to a gauge wheel via pivot assembly and a bracket. The bracket and support tube may be coupled at discrete positions according to the height adjustment of the screw jack via pins and holes in the bracket and tube. When coupled, the pins and holes of the support bracket and tube may reduce the load of the winged extensions on the screw jack mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: CNH America LLC
    Inventors: Michael G Kovach, Greg S Smart
  • Patent number: 8291999
    Abstract: Mounting arrangement includes a drawbar assembly universally coupled to a longitudinally extending front frame portion of a machine proximal to a front wheel and a distance rearward from the wheel. An implement mounting bracket pivotably coupled to the assembly defines an articulation axis. First and second hydraulic actuators advance respective power links coupled to the mounting bracket to rotate the mounting bracket about the articulation axis. Respective idler links limit the movement of the actuators and power links.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Howson, Thomas E. Oertley, Christopher A. Junck, Chris Zach
  • Patent number: 8286721
    Abstract: A power hoe is provided, which includes an electric motor operating tools for work in the ground and at least one battery intended to power the motor and having a set of functionalities. The power hoe is able to operate in at least two operating modes selected according to at least one information item representative of a level of charge remaining in the battery or batteries. These operating modes include, at least: a normal operating mode, in which all of the functionalities of the equipment are available, including a functionality allowing the motor to be supplied with additional power for a limited period of time; and a downgraded operating mode in which at least the functionality allowing the motor to be supplied with additional power is disabled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Pubert Henri SAS
    Inventors: Nicolas Gerbaud, Peter Vion, Guillaume Fanjas, Didier Grare, Frédéric Meniere, Franck Albin
  • Patent number: 8285458
    Abstract: A method is provided for determining a current operating mode of a machine. The method includes receiving data relating to a plurality of machine parameters and performing initial comparisons between the received data and previously stored reference data for each machine parameter. The method also includes determining an operating mode indicated by each initial comparison. The method further includes selecting a current operating mode from the operating modes indicated by the initial comparisons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Mintah, Jeffrey Lee Kuehn, Qiaoyan Huang
  • Patent number: 8272451
    Abstract: A blade apparatus for a work vehicle comprises a blade and first and second link anchors mounted to the blade. Each link anchor comprises a plurality of mounting points for adjusting the pitch of the blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventor: Steven Jay Ditzler
  • Patent number: 8267186
    Abstract: A folding tool bar apparatus for an implement such as a rake, the toolbar having a frame with ground engaging wheels. The folding tool bar apparatus is adapted to be operatively attached to a prime mover for towing from place to place. First and second tool bars are pivotally attached to linkage members. A tongue member that sides along its longitudinal axis with respect to the frame pulls front ends of the tool bars toward the tongue member during movement to the transport position thereof and away from the tongue member during movement towards the working position thereof. The rear end of the tongue member is behind the frame in the working position thereof, making the folding tool bar apparatus shorter than conventional folding tool bars in the working position thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Forage Innovations B.V.
    Inventors: Michael Kindley, Michael Vaske, Rustin V. Bentzinger
  • Patent number: 8261845
    Abstract: A tillage machine has an undercarriage that utilizes a triple axle walking beam wheel assembly for each load-supporting wheel assembly of the center section of the machine. Hydraulically powered lift arms are connected with the wheel assemblies to raise and lower the chassis of the machine as the wheel arms are swung downwardly and upwardly relative to the chassis. Each wheel assembly includes a primary walking beam pivoted to the lower end of the wheel arm, and a secondary walking beam pivoted to the rear end of the primary beam. A single front wheel is disposed at the front end of the primary beam, while a pair of wheels are disposed on the secondary beam on opposite fore-and-aft sides of the pivot connection with the primary beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: AGCO Corporation
    Inventor: Nelson J. Palen
  • Patent number: 8235133
    Abstract: An agricultural implement includes a hitch boom to which a pair of wing booms is pivotably connected. The wing booms are designed to fold forward from an extended position to a transport position. The wing booms are supported above a surface by wheels that provide the aforementioned support when the wing booms are in an extended position as well as the transport position. Maintaining surface contact of the wheels in both positions reduces the load placed on the hitch to which the hitch boom is coupled as well as the hitch boom itself. Multi-link draft links are connected between the hitch boom and the wing booms to provide support for the wing booms when the wing booms are in the extended position. The relative length of the draft links dictates how far the hitch telescopes when the wing booms are folded to the stowed or transport position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: CNH Canada, Ltd.
    Inventor: Terrance A. Friggstad
  • Patent number: 8235132
    Abstract: Plows and methods of fabricating plows are provided. The plow includes an elongated frame. One or more shear assemblies are affixed to the frame in a spaced relationship along a length of the frame, wherein each of the one or more shear assemblies includes a shearing blade disposed at a distal end of the shear assembly and configured to operate below the surface of the soil to sever the roots of planted vegetation as the plow is pulled through a field. One or more cylinder assemblies are rotatably affixed to the frame and positioned parallel to the one or more shear assemblies and configured to rotate as the plow is pulled through a field. The one or more cylinder assemblies include a plurality of radially extending cylinder blades configured to mulch the soil and press the severed vegetation into the soil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Mod-Track Corporation
    Inventor: Tommy H. Condrey