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BR-102022016638-B1 - Steering system for self-unloading hopper and useful beam for the hopper's front axle.

BR102022016638B1BR 102022016638 B1BR102022016638 B1BR 102022016638B1BR-102022016638-B1

Abstract

STEERING SYSTEM FOR SELF-UNLOADING HOPPER AND WORK BEAM FOR THE FRONT AXLE OF THE HOPPER It presents a steering system for a self-unloading hopper that includes a front axle (24) and steering rods (26) controlled by a drawbar (11) articulated on a main beam (28) that integrates the front axle. The main beam of the axle is made of tubular profiles and comprises two beam arms (33) joined at their two ends forming a structural frame (34). The steering system is attached to the chassis by means of a bolt (39) at two collinear anchor points (38) located in the longitudinal median plane of the hopper, allowing the axle to oscillate relative to the chassis in case of wading. Each anchor point is located on a respective arm of the frame, so that the distance (Xa) separating both anchor points is greater than the width (Xv) of the main beam. This distance between the anchor points to the chassis is approximately 40% of the length (Yv) of the main beam. The anchor point (44) of the drawbar is located at the intersection of the longitudinal and transverse median planes of the axle and at a lower level relative to the frame, to counterbalance the rolling force (...).

Inventors

  • CARLOS OSCAR MAINERO

Assignees

  • CARLOS MAINERO & CIA S.A.I.C.F.I

Dates

Publication Date
20260317
Application Date
20220819
Priority Date
20210823

Claims (20)

  1. 1. STEERING SYSTEM FOR SELF-UNLOADING HOPPER OR SIMILAR TOWED VEHICLE, comprising a chassis (37), a transverse axle (24) with a hub (32) for at least one wheel (22) articulated at each end of the axle and a drawbar (11) for towing that is angularly movable relative to the axle; the steering system includes a steering bar (26) that articulately joins the wheel hubs with the drawbar so as to transmit the angle of rotation of the drawbar to the wheel hubs; characterized in that the steering system includes a steering bar (26) that articulately joins the wheel hubs with the drawbar so as to transmit the angle of rotation of the drawbar to the wheel hubs and because said axle is joined to the chassis at two anchor points (38) separated by a distance (xa).
  2. 2. STEERING SYSTEM, according to claim 1, characterized in that the distance between the two axle anchor points with the chassis is in the longitudinal horizontal direction of advance (X) of the hopper or similar vehicle.
  3. 3. STEERING SYSTEM, according to claim 2, characterized in that said axle comprises a main beam (28) transverse to said longitudinal direction with two ends rotatably joined to the respective half-shafts (31) with the wheel hubs, said main beam including at least one beam arm (33) that projects a longitudinal extension at least equal to said distance between the anchor points and at least one of these axle anchor points to the chassis, and said distance between both anchor points is greater than the width (xv) of the main axle beam.
  4. 4. STEERING SYSTEM, according to claim 3, characterized in that said beam comprises two beam arms (33) joined at their two ends forming a structural frame (34), each beam arm having one of said anchor points.
  5. 5. STEERING SYSTEM, according to claim 4, characterized in that each of said anchor points has a screw (39) oriented in the longitudinal horizontal direction joining the main beam frame to the chassis.
  6. 6. STEERING SYSTEM, according to claim 5, characterized in that the bolts that join the frame to the chassis are longitudinally collinear, allowing rotation of the axle relative to the chassis in case of wading.
  7. 7. STEERING SYSTEM, according to claim 4, characterized in that the beam frame is joined to the chassis at two anchor points by the same bolt (39), which is oriented in the longitudinal horizontal direction to allow oscillation of the axle relative to the chassis in case of wading.
  8. 8. STEERING SYSTEM, according to any one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that the beam frame is made of tubular profiles (33, 36).
  9. 9. STEERING SYSTEM, according to any one of claims 4 to 8, characterized in that said main beam comprises a third beam arm (42) that extends transversely within the perimeter of said beam frame and has an anchor point (44) for the drawbar to the axle.
  10. 10. STEERING SYSTEM, according to any one of claims 3 to 9, characterized in that the distance (xa) between the anchor points is greater than 25% of the length (yv) of the main beam.
  11. 11. STEERING SYSTEM, according to claim 10, characterized in that the distance (xa) between the anchor points is approximately 40% of the length (yv) of the main beam.
  12. 12. STEERING SYSTEM, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the anchor point of the drawbar to the axle is located at the intersection of the longitudinal and transverse median planes of the axle and under the axle to counterbalance the rolling effort of the wheels with the inertia of the weight of the hopper or vehicle and its load.
  13. 13. STEERING SYSTEM, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the said distance (xa) between the two axle anchor points to the chassis is greater than the vertical distance (za) between the drawbar anchor point to the axle and the horizontal plane defined by the two axle anchor points to the chassis.
  14. 14. STEERING SYSTEM, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the hubs at the ends of the axle are linked to the steering rod by means of a spindle or coupling.
  15. 15. A BEAM USEFUL FOR THE FRONT AXLE OF A SELF-UNLOADING HOPPER, according to any of the preceding claims, and which includes two ends for rotational articulation (29) to the respective half-shafts (31) with hubs (32) for wheels (22) of the hopper, wherein said beam opens in the middle into (a) two beam arms (33) coplanar with the main beam and joined together forming a polygonal structural frame (34) at its two ends where they are joined solidly to the remainder of the main beam; characterized in that said structural frame has two anchor points for the chassis separated from each other by a distance (xa) greater than the width of the main beam and the third beam arm having a beam section (43) out of the plane of the main beam provided with an anchor point (44) for a drawbar (11); said structural frame including a third beam arm (42) that extends within the perimeter of said beam frame.
  16. 16. BEAM, according to claim 15, characterized in that said structural frame is octagonal, where each arm includes a central section in a direction parallel to the main beam, each provided with one of the anchoring points to the hopper chassis.
  17. 17. BEAM, according to claim 16, characterized in that the length (yv) of the beam is about 2.4 meters and the width (xa) of the octagonal structural frame, measured in a direction normal to the length of the beam, is about 96 centimeters.
  18. 18. BEAM, according to any one of claims 15 to 17, characterized in that the distance (xa) between said anchor points in the polygonal structural frame is greater than 25% of the length (yv) of the beam.
  19. 19. BEAM, according to claim 18, characterized in that the distance (xa) between the anchor points is approximately 40% of the length (yv) of the beam.
  20. 20. BEAM, according to any one of claims 15 to 19, characterized in that the beam frame is made of tubular profiles.

Description

Technical Field of the Invention [001] The present invention relates to the field of agricultural machinery, to which self-unloading hoppers belong, understood as trailer-type vehicles with a built-in hopper, used to accompany a combine harvester and then transfer the harvested grains to trucks, trailers, train wagons, silos, bagging machines or other means of transport or storage. The invention relates particularly to the steering mechanism that allows the front axle of the hopper to turn, copying the turning radius of the tractor pulling its bar. Background of the Technique [002] Self-unloading hoppers have been actively used in agriculture over the last 30 years, due to interest in increasing the efficiency of combine harvesters by reducing downtime for unloading harvested grain. Since then, they have been improved in terms of greater load capacity, shorter unloading time, less soil compaction, etc., which has led to the parallel emergence of hoppers with two or more axles, due to the increase in size and the need to reduce soil compaction. [003] In general, multi-axle hoppers have at least one steerable axle; that is, one that is capable of steering or allowing a certain turning radius to the implement. Since then, various steering systems have emerged, among which we can say that there are: front, rear and a combination of both, either on separate axles or in tandem. The front axle steering systems in self-unloading hoppers with two or more axles can be divided into two large families: “fifth axle” (or “fifth wheel”) or with a steering system. [004] Within the “Fifth Axle” system, the rotating ring system stands out for its great robustness, a direct consequence of the structure that the ring itself implies for its mounting on the implement, which is generally a quadrant where the ring system is anchored and where said quadrant is linked to the chassis by means of two bolts located in the longitudinal plane of the implement that allow the rotational movement of the front gear train in the vertical plane (wading). US patents 2,719,727, 2,734,754 and 7,810,823 represent antecedents of this type of steering mechanism. In the Argentine national market, the “Magnum” hoppers, manufactured by Ascanelli, with a turning angle not exceeding 18°, are known. [005] Another fundamental advantage of this system is that the fastening between the chassis and the hopper by means of two screws in the longitudinal plane gives it enormous resistance, minimizing, in turn, wear over time and eliminating vibrations and instabilities resulting from this wear. Another advantage is the low maintenance that this system requires in daily use, requiring only lubrication of the slewing ring (4 to 8 points of lubricant every 200 hours), which is usually a ball bearing, reducing wear and, consequently, maintenance or replacement of parts. [006] Their disadvantages are generally a wide turning radius for self-unloading hoppers, due to the fact that the rotation of the central axle that joins the wheels is limited by the width of the chassis and, as the tires used for these hoppers are of large diameter and width to favor flotation or reduce the compaction they generate in the soil, it is not possible for the wheel to hide under the hopper or the chassis to allow a reduced turning radius. [007] Another limitation is that, when the front axle is fully rotated, the wading or oscillation angle in the vertical plane is reduced, as it must be limited to prevent the tire from colliding with the hopper or chassis when passing through a ditch, puddle, or hill, if turning. The wading angle will always be maximum while the front axle is at 90° in relation to the longitudinal axis of the implement, because, when rotating, the separation of the tire in relation to the chassis or hopper will always be reduced, regardless of the shape of the hopper. [008] Another disadvantage is the loss of balance of the assembly when turning (US patent no. 2,719,727) due to the fact that the tires on the inside of the rotation move closer together and the outside tires move away from each other, the rectangular base formed by the four wheels deforms into a trapezoid, where the effective width of the front axle is reduced, thus losing the stability of the hopper due to the reduction in the base area, added to the traction of the drawbar which helps to tip it over by pulling to the side during rotation - an effect that is amplified if it is loaded. The situation is further aggravated if the inside front wheel of the turn is passing through a puddle or depression at that moment, as the wheel becomes overloaded when trying to brake (getting stuck or stopping inside the puddle) and the inertia of the hopper mass plus the load tries to follow its direction and sense, while the drawbar is exerting a horizontal force that favors the tipping of the hopper. [009] On the other hand, the advantages of the steering system are a greater angle of rotation for this type of impleme