Power steering mechanism for cotton pickers

Claim 2

In a vehicle having a main frame structure, an operator's platform mounted forwardly on said frame structure and including an operator controlled steering wheel, a pair of laterally spaced front driving wheels supporting the forward portion of said main frame structure, a rear guide wheel assembly having a vertical pivot shaft pivotally mounted to a transversely central rearward portion of said main frame structure, and hydrostatic steering means for controlling the position of said guide wheel assembly relative to said frame structure, the improvement wherein said steering means comprises an actuating arm mounted on said pivot shaft for rotation therewith and extending radially therefrom to a bifurcated end, a double acting hydraulic cylinder assembly having a cylindrical housing, said housing having trunnions mounted intermediate the ends thereof on opposite sides thereof in axial alignment, said housing being pivotally mounted on a vertical axis by said trunnions between the bifurcated ends of said actuating arm, said cylinder assembly having a piston slideably mounted in said housing and a rod attached to said piston and extending from both sides thereof to ends external of said housing, one of said external ends of said rod being pivotally attached to said frame structure and the other end being free, said cylinder assembly further including end caps disposed in either end of said housing in sealing relationship with said rod, and a hydrostatic pump attached to and controlled by said operator controlled steering wheel, said hydrostatic pump being hydraulically connected to said hydraulic cylinder assembly and said cylinder assembly being mechanically independent of said pump and said steering wheel.

Claim 3

In a vehicle having a main frame, an operator's platform mounted forwardly on said frame and including an operator controlled steering wheel, a pair of laterally spaced front driving wheels supporting the forward portion of said main frame, a rear guide wheel assembly having a vertical pivot shaft pivotally mounted to a transversely central rearward portion of said main frame, and a hydrostatic steering means for controlling the position of said guide wheel assembly relative to said frame, the improvement wherein said steering means comprises a double acting hydraulic cylinder assembly having having a cylindrical housing, said cylinder assembly having a piston slideably mounted in said housing and a rod attached to said piston and extending from both sides thereof to ends external of said housing, one of the external ends of said rod being pivotally attached to said frame structure and the other end being free, an actuating arm having a first end pivotally mounted to the medial portion of said cylindrical housing on a vertical axis intersecting said rod, the other end of said actuating arm being attached to said pivot shaft, and a hydrostatic pump attached to and controlled by said operator controlled steering wheel, said hydrostatic pump being operatively hydraulically connected to said hydraulic cylinder assembly and said cylinder assembly being mechanically independent of said pump and said steering wheel.

Claim 4

In a vehicle having a main frame, an operator's platform mounted forwardly on said frame and including an operator controlled steering wheel, a pair of laterally spaced front driving wheels supporting the forward portion of said main frame, a rear guide wheel assembly having a vertical pivot shaft pivotally mounted to a transversely central rearward portion of said main frame, and a hydrostatic steering means for controlling the position of said guide wheel assembly relative to said frame, the improvement wherein said steering means comprises a double acting hydraulic cylinder assembly having having a cylindrical housing, said cylinder assembly having a piston slideably mounted in said housing and a rod attached to said piston and extending from both sides thereof to ends external of said housing, one of the external ends of said rod being pivotally attached to said frame structure and the other end being free, an actuating arm having a first end pivotally mounted to the medial portion of said cylindrical housing on a vertical axis intersecting said rod, the other end of said actuating arm being attached to said pivot shaft, and a hydrostatic pump attached to and controlled by said operator controlled steering wheel, said hydrostatic pump being operatively hydraulically connected to said hydraulic cylinder assembly and said cylinder assembly being mechanically independent of said pump and said steering wheel.

Claim 5

In a vehicle having a main frame structure, a pair of laterally spaced front driving wheels supporting the forward portion of said main frame structure, a rear guide wheel assembly having a vertical pivot shaft pivotally mounted to a transversely central rearward portion of said main frame structure, and hydrostatic steering means for controlling the position of said guide wheel assembly relative to said frame the improvement wherein said steering means comprises an actuating arm mounted on said pivot shaft for rotation therewith and extending radially therefrom to a distal end, a double acting hydraulic cylinder assembly having a cylindrical housing pivotally mounted on a vertical axis to said actuating arm adjacent said distal end thereof, said cylindrical assembly having a piston slideably mounted in said housing and a rod attached to said piston and extending from both sides thereof to ends external of said housing, one of said external ends of said rod being pivotally attached to said frame structure and the other end being free, said rod further comprising radial passages located adjacent the respective sides of said piston and communicating with the interior portion of said cylindrical housing, axial passages communicating with said radial passages and extending therefrom to the respective ends of said rod external of said housing, and hydraulic fittings disposed adjacent the ends of said rod and communicating with said axial passages, and hydraulic means associated with an operator controlled steering wheel for supplying fluid to and controlling said hydraulic cylinder, said hydraulic means for supplying fluid to said cylinder including flexible hoses connected respectively to said hydraulic fittings.

Claim 6

In a vehicle having a main frame structure, a pair of laterally spaced front driving wheels supporting the forward portion of said main frame structure, a rear guide wheel assembly having a vertical pivot shaft pivotally mounted to a transversely central rearward portion of said main frame structure, and hydrostatic steering means for controlling the position of said guide wheel assembly relative to said frame the improvement wherein said steering means comprises an actuating arm mounted on said pivot shaft for rotation therewith and extending radially therefrom to a distal end, a double acting hydraulic cylinder assembly having a cylindrical housing pivotally mounted on a vertical axis to said actuating arm adjacent said distal end thereof, said cylindrical assembly having a piston slideably mounted in said housing and a rod attached to said piston and extending from both sides thereof to ends external of said housing, one of said external ends of said rod being pivotally attached to said frame structure and the other end being free, said rod further comprising radial passages located adjacent the respective sides of said piston and communicating with the interior portion of said cylindrical housing, axial passages communicating with said radial passages and extending therefrom to the respective ends of said rod external of said housing, and hydraulic fittings disposed adjacent the ends of said rod and communicating with said axial passages, and hydraulic means associated with an operator controlled steering wheel for supplying fluid to and controlling said hydraulic cylinder, said hydraulic means for supplying fluid to said cylinder including flexible hoses connected respectively to said hydraulic fittings.