new tractor idea possibly....

[boggen]

superfly got me thinking on his "mini tracked" thread on project forum about various hydrualics. and started thinking about all the super sized tractors now a days. you have this huge honking engine, massive tires and amount of tires, and then this most likely bat wing or like implement behind the tractor for field work. and then you have width limits on road ways to deal with. and as more and more power happens with engines wider implements get made.

started looking at various hydrostatic transmissions, various types of hydraulic pumps. and no need for direct shaft to gear to pulleys needed between engine and wheels. but just some hoses or some paths for hyd oil to flow in either or direction.

i got looking at some zero turns and use of double hydrostatic transmissions, thought about "power trac" tractors along with articulated steering.

and started wondering why is there need for a typical "pulling rig" out in front, and then this huge implement in the rear. once you get into the larger class cat 2 to cat 3 implements most of them already have a full set of hydraulic cylinders to deal with fold-able wings, to deal with raising / lowering road gear. and possibly some other sort of hydraulics on the implement.

so started brain storming, of how to create a "powered implement" were you could interchange implements used. and then figure out how to make interchangeable implements, to use the same "engine / tires"

other words. engine, transmissions, tires, are all on implement. and there is no front "main machine"



after seeing tires turned 90 degrees ,thought well duh. lets move the hyd motor for each tire, directly into the rim of each tire. this allowing tires to pivot more without sticking out further into road way, or nocking into the main frame.



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showing say "plow, disc" in top diagrams then say... (plow, disc, harrow) in bottom diagram.
left side folded out, and right side folded up for say moving to another field on the road. *shrugs*

 

[boggen]

with implements folding up in the middle. and taking up all the middle space. been thinking about ok were to place an engine? and then were to place the person at?

thought about how long big cranes are drive, along with huge long pieces are driven on roads. and thought about placing engine and driver seat at far end.



doesn't really work. once implement is unfolded. that and engine and driver seat would always need to pointed inwards on the field. so you do not take out fence posts, not to mention teater totter effect and the one side would be extremely heavy.

so i thought what about playing reverse rolls. instead of treating the engine and driver seat like a tractor, what about treating it like an implement. with some small size tires on it. like implement wheels. so it could move between from one side to an end. to transfer between transport position and field work position.

 

[boggen]

cost of hyd hoses and pipes are rather expensive. and i keep looking at these beefy frame works for various implements. and thinking how could you turn these frame works into useable ways to run hyd oil to various tires, and cylinders and motors.

with todays age of "spray on rubbers and plastics" for truck beds, pools, ponds, etc... could someone spray the inside of a metal frame work. if needed at all. and turn the frame work into huge honking hoses and pipes to carrey hyd oil. and then use some small gauge 12v wire, and some eletrical valves. to adjust how much hyd oil went were?

and could we turn these large frames, into hyd oil coolers. by adding cool fins. or rather "heat sinks" to help allow heat to dissipate?



ya we are use to hyd oil coolers ((errr radiators be instead of antifreeze / water hyd oil goes through them. to cool hyd oil down)) and then the use the main fan blade on engine to help pull cooler air through the radiator and hyd oil cooler.

but is there truely a need for such a thing? implements have these massive frame works and huge amount of surface area on them. is there truly a need for forced air cooling in this sort of setup?

going with personal computers, you have multi ways to cool a computer cheap, a heat sink, or heat sink with fan, or heat sink that uses a water and a secondary radiator to cool the chips. and for some chips no need to deal with heat, due to the chips do not heat up enough to worry about.

looking at some gear boxes and hydrostatic transmissions, to small engines. nearly all of them have some of "fins" on them to help allow heat to be dissipated.

 

[boggen]

how would you turn a multi wheeled machine? there are already plenty of "sensors" out there on the market. more so for robots. and remote control cars, planes, tanks, boats, etc... along with many automation machines found in factories.

there are already vehicles out there with all the sensors and chips / software....

most of these 150HP plus tractors that are new, are already computerized. so it is not like it is a big jump between old iron to new computerized setup.

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would controlling say 50 to 100 foot long machine, down roads work? and then once out in the fields. unfolding everything and having 50 to 100 foot long machine, x 20 to 60 feet wide machine?

it is not like farmers do not already have multi things in tow.... tractor, some sort of liquid injector, and then 1 to 3 1000 gallon tanks being pulled behind the tractor. (at least around here)

 

[bcp]

If you have a wide(N-S) and narrow (E-W) powered implement, how about having your AG wheels at 90 degrees to the road wheels. Lower the ones needed.

Like some of the smaller railcar movers have each function at 90 degrees.

http://www.trainweb.org/tomfassett/pics/railcar_movers/3TM_Trackmobile_Phoenix1.jpg

Used 5TM Trackmobile :: Andress Engineering Associates

 

[boggen]

If you have a wide(N-S) and narrow (E-W) powered implement, how about having your AG wheels at 90 degrees to the road wheels. Lower the ones needed.

Like some of the smaller railcar movers have each function at 90 degrees.

http://www.trainweb.org/tomfassett/pics/railcar_movers/3TM_Trackmobile_Phoenix1.jpg

Used 5TM Trackmobile :: Andress Engineering Associates

makes sense. just keep on folding the implement up and then fold the AG tires right on up with the implement. then set down some small size wheels for "on the road driving"

just showing implement folded up along with AG tires folded up.


rubs chin, could you reduce the 24 to 40" plus diameter AG tires down to say 14 to 16" tires? and run more smaller AG tires?
goal being to obtain your traction at same time not compacting the dirt *shrugs*


getting back on track with implement tires for "on the road traveling"

 

[boggen]

if AG tires get folded up with implement. why not unfold / fold things up. so there could be a grain box in middle. and combine head out in front of the tires on one side?


if the engine and driver seat could move from side (when all completely unfolded in field) then move to other end when all folded up for ready for road travel) *shrugs*

 

[boggen]

i went to John Deere Home Page Redirect just to relook at the large 40 to 60 plus feet implements.

tractor with 12 wheels (3 left front, 3 right front, 3 left back, and 3 right back) then you have...
air seeder, (10 front, 10 rear)
pulled behind tank another set of 4 wheels.



a tracked, tractor. that might as well be any were from 8 to 12 wheeled tractor.
disc 14 wheels

 

[boggen]

i then remember being in highschool and going on field trip to a nearby caterpillar plant and remember seeing this huge honking engine blocks 24 plus feet in length. 12 plus feet in diameter.

i also been thinking about the various ways a hyd pump can be made, from gears, to a rollers, to pistons, to other.

so my question is along the lines of... could an engine be "split" into multi parts. along with hyd pumps being placed between the split up portions of the engine. so the engine itself is not a large "cubed" shape piece that fits between front tires and almost into the rear tires, but rather stretched out from 10 to 50 feet long.... and only a foot maybe little more in diameter (once everything is connected to the engine and hyd pumps)

i realize diesel engines rely on compression and heat to do there thing. but could individual pistons be spread out...

other words instead of having this big beefy shaft that would be needed to handle all the force being applied to it, and then being able to transfer that power through the shaft. could splitting the cylinders up and placing hyd pumps between the cylinders/pistons of the engine. allow for smaller shafts?

 

[boggen]

If you have a wide(N-S) and narrow (E-W) powered implement, how about having your AG wheels at 90 degrees to the road wheels. Lower the ones needed.

Like some of the smaller railcar movers have each function at 90 degrees.

http://www.trainweb.org/tomfassett/pics/railcar_movers/3TM_Trackmobile_Phoenix1.jpg

Used 5TM Trackmobile :: Andress Engineering Associates

ya got me thinking of "trains"

seeing any were from 1 to 3 1000 gallons liquid fertilizer tanks being pulled behind a pickup. to grain carts full of grain being pulled behind a tractor.

would it be possible. to say, make 20 foot long machine a couple feet wide, to deal with ag wheels, and transport wheels, and treat them like multi trailers behind a train or grain wagons. and then once pulled up into a field. have some sort of hyd cylinder pull each section together. to form any were from 20 foot to a couple hundered feet long machine / implement?

other words say below picture is just one 20 foot long machine / that can accept multi implements....

View attachment 279376

in below diagram 4 machines/implements get folded out and for 80 feet long machine / implment in the field.
in below diagram 4 machines/implements get folded UP and turn into wagons / trailers. and pulled with a pickup truck... *shrugs*
if one machine / implement breaks / goes down. stop pull it out, and continue going with the other machines / implements.
only limited by how many machines / implements you have that are in working order. or what would work in a given size field.

View attachment 279377