Flexible frames for wide swath agricultural implements

摘要

A wide swath agricultural implement is provided with a plurality of frame sections arranged side by side with respect to travel direction and which are coupled together so that they can be folded into a narrower unit for non-operational transport and also can flex about coupling axes generally parallel to travel direction and pitch about axes normal to travel direction in order to follow the contours of undulating ground. The couplings include fore and aft links with one end of the fore link hinged to the one section which pulls the other for pivotal movement about an axis parallel to travel direction and with the other end connected to the adjacent pulled section for limited universal and swivelling movement. Preferably the fore link is of triangular configuration in plan view with the apex at the latter connection and the side opposite the apex arranged parallel to the hinge axis. One end of the aft link is hinged to the pulled section for pivotal movement about an axis parallel to and alignable with the hinge axis of the fore link while the other end of the aft link is pivotally connected to the pulling section for limited universal and swivelling movement. The aft link is connected to portions of the sections which overlap transversely of travel direction so that in operation the aft link is in tension.