Tillage implement with adjustable gang angle

摘要

A tillage implement has gang assemblies of rotatable tillage tools that can be angle-adjusted from the seat of the towing tractor using hydraulic actuators. The tillage tools may comprise generally flat, wavy coulter blades or the like so that the machine may be set up for vertical tillage with the coulters aligned at a zero degree angle with the path of travel of the implement or for residue management operations with the coulters maintained at an oblique angle of up to ten degrees relative to the path of travel. A six degree angle is preferred for the residue management position. A master-slave hydraulic flow arrangement for the actuators assures simultaneous actuation, while mechanical synchronizing apparatus between the two front gang assemblies on the center frame section of the machine assures synchronized movement of those assemblies. Mechanical motion-transmitting mechanism transmits the hydraulically powered adjusting movement of the front gang assemblies to the rear gang assemblies.

主权项

1. A tillage implement comprising:
a mobile frame; a first pair of elongated, non-overlapping, generally end-to-end gang assemblies supported by the frame, each of said gang assemblies including a plurality of rotatable tillage tools mounted in such a manner that their axes of rotation extend generally transverse to the path of travel of the frame, said gang assemblies being horizontally adjustable in mutually opposite directions relative to said frame about respective upright pivot axes for adjusting the angles between the path of travel of the frame and said axes of rotation of the tools; a pair of hydraulic actuators operably coupled with respective ones of said gang assemblies in a manner for effecting said angular adjustment of both gang assemblies simultaneously; and synchronizing apparatus operably interconnecting said gang assemblies for synchronizing the gang assemblies during said simultaneous angular adjustment by said pair of hydraulic actuators such that both gang assemblies are angularly adjusted by the same amount but in opposite directions, said synchronizing apparatus comprising a pair of intermeshing gear segments at opposed, proximal ends of the pair of gang assemblies.