Draft implement torque hinge

Claim 2

In combination, a draft implement frame including front and rear portions, an elongated tongue, coacting means supporting one end portion of said tongue from said front portion of said frame with said tongue projecting geNerally horizontally forwardly of said frame, said coacting means including means supporting said tongue from said frame for relative angular displacement of the tongue to raise and lower the front end thereof relative to the frame, said coacting means including means operative to apply increasing downward forces on the forward end of said tongue in response to increasing forward pulling force on said frame by said tongue, said coacting means defining a pair of front and rear pin and slot connections between said frame and tongue spaced longitudinally of the latter and in general horizontal alignment with each other, the slot portion of one of said pin and slot connections comprising an upstanding arcuate slot with its concave side opening toward the other slot and including a portion thereof opening in a slightly downwardly inclined direction in which the pin portion of said one pin and slot connection is disposed when said elongated is generally horizontally disposed, the slot portion of the other of said pin and slot connections comprising a substantially horizontally front to rear extending slot.

Claim 3

The combination of claim 1 wherein said one pin and slot connection comprises the front pin and slot connection.

Claim 4

The combination of claim 1 wherein the horizontal slot portion of the other of said pin and slot connection is disposed in a horizontal plane extending generally through the vertical mid-portion of the upstanding arcuate slot of said one pin and slot connection.

Claim 5

In combination, a draft implement frame including front and rear portions, an elongated tongue, coacting means supporting one end portion of said tongue from said front portion of said frame with said tongue projecting generally horizontally forwardly of said frame, said coacting means including means supporting said tongue from said frame for relative angular displacement of the tongue to raise and lower the front end thereof relative to the frame, said coacting means including means operative to apply increasing downward forces on the forward end of the tongue in response to increasing forward pulling force on said frame by said tongue, opposite side forward portions of said frame including upstanding parallel longitudinally extending anchor plate portions, said tongue including rearwardly divergent arms joined together at their forward ends, the rear ends of said arms including bifurcated portions receiving the corresponding plate portions between the furcations thereof, each of said plate portions and the corresponding furcations including coacting means defining a pair of front and rear pin and slot connections between said plate and the corresponding furcations spaced longitudinally of the plate and in generally horizontal alignment with each other, the slot portion of one of said pin and slot connections comprising an upstanding arcuate slot with its concave side opening toward the other slot and including a portion thereof opening in a slightly downwardly inclined direction in which the pin portion of said one pin and slot connection is disposed when said elongated tongue is generally horizontally disposed, the slot portion of the other of said pin and slot connections comprising a front to rear extending horizontal slot.

Claim 6

In combination, a draft implement frame including front and rear portions, an elongated tongue, coacting means supporting one end portion of said tongue from said front portion of said frame with said tongue projecting generally horizontally forwardly of said frame, said coacting means including means supporting said tongue from said frame for relative angular displacement of the tongue to raise and lower the front end thereof relative to the frame, said coacting means including means operative to apply increasing downward forces on the forward end of the tongue in response to increasing forward pulling force on said frame by said tongue, opposite side forward portions of said frame including upstanding parallel longitudinally extending anchor plate portions, said tongue including rearwardly divergent arms joined together at their forward ends, the rear ends of said arms including bifurcated portions receiving the corresponding plate portions between the furcations thereof, each of said plate portions and the corresponding furcations including coacting means defining a pair of front and rear pin and slot connections between said plate and the corresponding furcations spaced longitudinally of the plate and in generally horizontal alignment with each other, the slot portion of one of said pin and slot connections comprising an upstanding arcuate slot with its concave side opening toward the other slot and including a portion thereof opening in a slightly downwardly inclined direction in which the pin portion of said one pin and slot connection is disposed when said elongated tongue is generally horizontally disposed, the slot portion of the other of said pin and slot connections comprising a front to rear extending horizontal slot.

Claim 7

The combination of claim 4 wherein said one pin and slot connection comprises the forward pin and slot connection.

Claim 8

The combination of claim 1 wherein the pins of said pin and slot connections, when said tongue is generally horizontally disposed, are disposed generally centrally intermediate the opposite ends of said slots.