Load controlling hitch assembly for hydraulic depth-controlled, trailing implements

Claim 1

A HITCH ASSEMBLY FOR CONNECTING AN IMPLEMENT TO A TOWING TRACTOR OF THE TYPE HAVING A PAIR OF LIFT LINKS MOVABLE IN A VERTICAL PLANE BY HYDRAULICALLY POWERED LIFT ARMS, AND ASSEMBLY COMPRISING AN UPSTANDING AFRAME ASSEMBLY ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO THE IMPLEMENT ADJACENT THE FORWARD END THEREOF FOR OSCILLATION ABOUT A TRANSVERSE AXIS, AXLE MEANS EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY AND ADAPTEP TO BE MOUNTED ADJACENT THE REAR OF THE IMPLEMENT, AND OFFSET ARM ON THE AXLE MEANS, LINK MEANS PIVOTALLY INTERCONNECTING THE UPPER END OF THE A-FRAME ASSEMBLY AND OFFSET ARM, AUXILIARY WHEELS SUPPORTED FROM SAID AXLE MEANS IN OFFSET RELATION WHEREBY OSCILLATION OF THE A-FRAME ASSEMBLY WILL CAUSE ELEVATIONAL CHANGES IN THE AUXILIARY WHEELS FOR RAISING AND LOWERING THE IMPLEMENT FROM THE GROUND SURFACE, A TOP LINK MEMBER CONNECTED TO THE UPPER END PORTION OF THE A-FRAME ASSEMBLY AND EXTENDING TO AND ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO THE TRACTOR AT A POINT SPACED FROM THE LIFT LINKS REARWARDLY OF THE LIFT ARMS, SAID LIFT LINKS ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED WITH THE IMPLEMENT FOR ELEVATING THE FORWARD END THEREOF WHEREBY THE TOP LINK WILL BE TENSIONED AND CAUSE THE A-FRAME ASSEMBLY TO PIVOT FORWARDLY FOR SWINGING THE AUXILIARY WHEELS DOWNWARDLY TO ELEVATE THE REAR PORTION OF THE IMPLEMENT FOR ENABLING THE IMPLEMENT OF THE TRANSPORTED WITH ONLY A PORTION OF THE WEIGHT THEREOF SUPPORTED BY THE TRACTOR, SAID TENSIONED TOP LINK EXERTING AN UPWARD FORCE ON THE TRACTOR REARWARDLY OF THE LIFT ARMS FOR COUNTERACTING A PORTION OF THE DOWNWARD FORCE EXERTED ON THE TRACTOR BY THE LIFT ARMS, A PULL BAR VERTICALLY DISPOSED AND ADAPTED TO BE PIVOTALLY CONNECTED INTERMEDIATE ITS ENDS TO THE TRACTOR FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT IN A VERTICAL PLANE, THE UPPER END OF THE PULL BAR BEING CONNECTED WITH A HYDRAULIC DEPTH CONTROL VALVE ON THE TRACTOR, THE LOWER END OF SAID PULL BAR HAVING A HITCH PIN THEREON, A DRAFT LINK ASSEMBLY DETACHABLY CONNECTED TO THE HITCH PIN AND ADAPTED TO CONNECTED TO THE IMPLEMENT FRAME FOR IMPARTING DRAFT FORCES TO THE FRAME.