Automatic Coupler For Tractor PTO'S

Automatic Coupler For Tractor PTO'S POWER TAKE OFFS (PTO'S) Power Take Offs (PTO's) 3-6-17 New from Custom Made Equipment is a first-of-its kind automatic coupler for tractor pto's. Without leaving the seat of the tractor, the driver hooks or unhooks the pto shaft by simply moving the lever which controls the hydraulically-operated automatic coupler. "Works great for pto-driven silage wagons," says Charles Thor, inventor-manufacturer. "You don't have to be right on the money in backing up to the coupler. And you no longer have to carry a pipewrench along to align the pto so you can get the splines to match up. This coupling does it all automatically." The male portion of the automatic coupler mounts on the tractor's pto shaft. It's cone shaped to fit into a special female adapter mounted on the end of the wagon's pto shaft. The drive mechanism on the male end is made up of a roller chain sprocket. A random tooth or cog on the sprocket engages a pin on the female end as the two ends come together. (The cone itself merely serves as a guide to bring the two ends together and has nothing to do with driving the pto.) A coil spring on the wagon tongue holds the female coupler at the right height to align with the male coupler as the driver backs the tractor. When the wagon has been hitched to the tractor, the male coupler aligns with the female and is engaged by moving the tractor hydraulic lever. The cylinder telescopes a maximum of 12-in. A by-pass valve allows for variation in telescopic movement. Thor has developed and patented a 3-pt. hitch which, used in conjunction with the automatic pto, allows the driver to remain in the seat for the complete hookup of both the wagon tongue and the pto. Thor says the automatic pto coupler will transfer up to about 25 hp. "This is more than enough to handle pto driven silage wagons," he points out. "We could make it to handle up to 100 hp. or more but it probably wouldn't be feasible since you don't really need automatic pto coupling for bigger equipment, such as a grinder-mixer, which only has to be hooked up once each time it's used." The automatic coupler, once hooked up, will align itself and telescope for turns or uneven terrain, according to Thor. He has custom made units for interested farmers but would like to contact a manufacturer interested in producing the automatic pto coupler commercially. He figures it could be produced to sell for right at $350, plus $50 per additional wagon equipped with the female coupler. For more details, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Custom Made Equipment, Charles Thor, President, Box 654 Hutchinson, Minn. 55350 (ph 612 587-2380).

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