The steering of trailed implements for tractor path tracking

Abstract

In contour farming operations, it is important that the path of an implement precisely follows the path of the tractor that pulls it. An alternative implement positioning method is proposed that avoids the use of steered coulters or wheels: unequal drag forces from differential dig depths of the implement's wings linearly slews the rig, changing its path. The experimental rig, an AFM-880 cultivator, has a span of 10m and a drawbar length of 5m. It was found that position could be arbitrarilly set versus the nominal center by as much as 48 cm if the wing heights were caused to differ by 30 cm. The calibrated simulation of the uncontrolled, natural path of a trailed rig on a sinusoidal path was compared with the path generated when the rig was actively steered differentially, showing a significant reduction in path undercut, a prerequisite to garnering the full benefits of controlled traffi