AGE 222

Introduction to Farm Machinery

Dr. O. U. Dairo

Farm Machinery and Power

• Equipment in the farm are classified as farm power and
farm machinery
• Power provides pull/force required tom operate
implements… a prime mover only
– Provide either mobile or stationary operations
• Machinery are tools/implements attached to a power
source to manifest the effect of power generated.
Without machinery power is useless and without power
machinery are not able to perform their intended
functions
• Machinery and power are complementary and the
combination make up a farm equipment
• Tools….. Without frame and external power source
• Implements …. Several tools mounted on a frame and
driven by an external power source

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 Implement types

• Pulled….trailed
• Mounted
• Semi mounted
• Self-propelled

Operations of farm implements with tractor

•Process of attaching implement to tractor is called Coupling
•Through … the Hitch system or PTO drive system
•Hitch system
•Three point linkage at back of tractor … top link and two lower links
•Corresponding links are established on implement
•Types of hitch system
•One point or single hitch
•Two-point hitch and Three-point system

• Pto drive ( Power take off)

• Tractor provides an auxiliary rotary power
through a shaft to implements that require
a rotary movement.
• A pair of universal joints attached to a
long shaft is used … a pto drive
• Two standard drives for farm implements..
– 1000rpm and 540 rpm

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 Power Transmission
• Power from tractors to implements are
transmitted to various components called
machine elements
• Transmissions elements are used in determining
power transmission system of any machine or
equipment
• Power transmission methods
– Belt and pulley drive
– Shaft and universal joint drive (pto)
– Sprocket wheel and chain drive
– Gear drive
– Hydraulic system

Pulley and belt drives

• Simplest form of transmission, made up of a belt that forms a band around a set of
pulley or sheave
• Belt … a flexible material made from natural or artificial rubber, canvas or leather.
– Flat or vee shaped belt
– Flat belt…… rectangular, endless by metal fasteners
– Vee-shaped belt … trapezoidal, reduces slippage, standard sized.
– Positive drive belt… precision or timing belt … mesh into splines

• Pulley are cylindrical elements in form of wheels on which belt runs. Used on flat belt
– Crowning prevents slippage
• Sheaves are made of cast iron with grooves embedded along its circumference to
accept the shape of a vee - belt
– Used for vee -belts
• Arrangements
– Opened or closed (Cross)

• Belt speed ratio

• Belt length
• Driven power

• Belt maintenance

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 Shaft and universal joint ( pto drive)
• A shaft . Hollow or solid bar on which revolving elements are
mounted, subjected to all types of loading
• Axle is a solid or hollow bar carrying revolving elements but not
subjected to torsion loading
• A spindle is a short rotating shaft
• Shapes are dependent on uses and design but mostly cylindrical

Universal joints

• Used with a shaft to provide efficient power transmission at

bends or corners
• Commonly used are Cardan or Hooke joint
• Pto drives are used on mounted or trailed implements such as
harvester, sprayer, rotary or vibratory implements where
constant angular speed are required

Sprocket Wheel and Chain drive

• Chain drive consist of endless chain whose

links are designed to engage the tooth of a
heeled sprocket
• Chain
• Sprocket
• Lubrication is essential
• Avoid excessive tension
• No creep
• Distance not restricted

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 Gear Drives
• Gear is a solid cylindrical element with set of tooth around its
circumference
• Gear drive consist of two or more gears that engage each other with
the aim of transmitting motion without shock ,minimum wear and
noise.
• Gear drive is one of the most commonly used trans.. system
• Arrangement
– Simple or Compound
• Types
– Spur, helical, Bevel, worm
• Characteristics
– Transmits more efficiently
– Low power loss
– Higher cost
– Speed is inversely proportional to number of tooth on gear
– Speed Ratio in Toothed Gear
• Speed ratio for simple arrangement
• Speed ratio for compound arrangement

Other Elements
• Bearings
– Radial and thrust
– Plain or journal and Rolling contact
Lubrication necessary
effects of lubrication
reduces friction, acts as coolant, flushes out
dirt, prevents corrosion.
• Spring
– Designed to Provide large elastic deflection
under loading

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 Hydraulic system
• Method of transmitting motion through a
fluid medium from a power source to a
machine or component
• Allows transmission to a remote or
inaccessible sections of a machine
• Makes it easier to convert rotary motion to
other forms of motion
• Basic components are pump, actuator,
connector, valves, sump, fluid, filters, lines,
couplers.

Hydraulic components
• Pump … creates the flow of the fluid medium
• Converts power from the engine to fluid power
• Motor … converts fluid power into a rotary motion where required,
usually in a far place from power source.
• Actuators: devices that manifest the effect of the pump in the hydraulic
system
• They are usually hydraulic cylinders and hydraulic motors
• Valves …. To control actions performed by actuators
• Three groups … Directional ( Spool or Check)
• Pressure Valves ( Pressure control, pressure relief, by-pass, priority or
pressure sequence valve, reducing valve)
• Volume control valve

• Lines and Couplers

• Lines are flexible tubing or hoses made of steel , copper or synthetic
rubber. Have inner and outer cores resistant to oil.
• Inner core reinforced with steel/ layers of wire, or fabric braid to avoid
failure
• Strength of hose inversely proportional to diameter

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 Components Cont’d
• Couplers are used in joining hoses or connect hoses as
part of a main system or to a secondary system.
• Hydraulic fluid
• Moving component of the system that transmit power at
high pressure
• Also lubricate the system
• Viscosity is ability to resist flow
• Adequate viscosity to prevent leakages and reduced
efficiency

• Reservoir or Sump
• Storage for the moving fluid
• Incorporates cooler to remove heat generated by fluid
during movement in circuit

Tractor Implement Control Systems

• Nudging
• Implements control by hand lever at side of operator by
pushing forward and back to neutral position for lifting and
keeping in position.
• Auto-position
• Allows selection of predetermined position of implement by
positioning the hand lever control. The position is
maintained for the implement during operation regardless of
leakages or obstructions

• Auto-Draft
• Allows a selection of pre-determined draft or force required
by an implement by a position on the lever control. A
sensing device usually attached to the link system maintains
the draft regardless of obstruction by varying the depth of
penetration if used in tillage practices