Windrower drive means

Claim 2

In a windrower having a fore- and-aft frame section adapted at its forward end for connection to a draft vehicle; a transverse frame section connected at one end to the rear portion of said fore- and-aft frame section for pivotal movement about a first transverse axis; a harvesting platform extending forwardly from said transverse frame section and having power-operated means thereon, the combination therewith of drive means for transmitting power to said power-operated means, said drive means comprising: a fore- and-aft shaft rotatably supported on said fore- and-aft frame section, said shaft being adapted at its forward end for driving connection with a power source on the draft vehicle; a transverse countershaft supported on said transverse frame section for rotation about a second transverse axis parallel to and spaced from said first transverse axis; means drivingly connecting said transverse counter shaft with said power-operated means on said platform; a drive sheave on said fore- and-aft shaft; a driven sheave on said transverse countershaft; idler sheave means normally disposed in transverse and fore- and-aft alignment, respectively, with said drive and driven sheaves; endless flexible means drivingly connecting said idler sheave means and said drive and driven sheaves; a foreand-aft extending support, said idler sheave means being rotatably mounted on the forward end of said support; means mounting the rearward end of said support on said transverse frame section for pivotal movement about said second transverse axis; and a link pivotally connected at opposite ends to said support and said fore- and-aft frame section, respectively.

Claim 3

The invention defined in claim 1 wherein the distance between the ends of said link is substantially equal to the distance between said first and second transverse axes.

Claim 4

The invention defined in claim 1 wherein said idler sheave means is adjustably mounted on said support.

Claim 5

The invention defined in claim 3 wherein said idler sheave means is adjustably mounted on said support for movement along a line bisecting the 90* angle formed by the transverse and longitudinal lines passing through said drive and driven sheaves, respectively.

Claim 6

A crop harvesting machine having a transversely extending forward harvesting platform; cutting means extending along the forward edge of said platform; a pair of arms pivotally mounted on the machine and extending forwardly on opposite sides of said platform; a transversely extending reel having a shaft rotatably supported on the forward ends of said arms above said cutting means; a driven sheave On one end of said shaft; a drive sheave on the machine in fore- and-aft alignment with said driven sheave; and endless flexible drive means connecting said drive and driven sheaves, wherein the improvement comprises: a support pivotally mounted on one of said arms; means rotatably mounting said reel shaft on said support; stop means on said arm; and means normally biasing said support against said stop means, said biasing means permitting movement of said support away from said stop means in response to abnormally high tension in said endless flexible drive means.

Claim 7

A crop harvesting machine having a transversely extending forward harvesting platform; cutting means extending along the forward edge of said platform; a pair of arms pivotally mounted on the machine and extending forwardly on opposite sides of said platform; a transversely extending reel having a shaft rotatably supported on the forward ends of said arms above said cutting means; a driven sheave On one end of said shaft; a drive sheave on the machine in fore- and-aft alignment with said driven sheave; and endless flexible drive means connecting said drive and driven sheaves, wherein the improvement comprises: a support pivotally mounted on one of said arms; means rotatably mounting said reel shaft on said support; stop means on said arm; and means normally biasing said support against said stop means, said biasing means permitting movement of said support away from said stop means in response to abnormally high tension in said endless flexible drive means.

Claim 8

A crop harvesting machine having a transversely extending forward harvesting platform; cutting means extending along the forward edge of said platform; a pair of arms pivotally mounted on the machine and extending forwardly on opposite sides of said platform; a transversely extending reel having a shaft rotatably supported on the forward ends of said arms above said cutting means; a driven sheave on one end of said shaft; a drive sheave on the machine in fore- and-aft alignment with said driven sheave; an endless flexible drive means connecting said drive and driven sheaves, wherein the improvement comprises: a support having first and second ends; means pivotally mounting said first end on one of said arms; means rotatably mounting said reel shaft on said second end; and means normally biasing said second end downwardly against said arm at a point forwardly of said first end, said biasing means permitting movement of said second end way from said arm in response to abnormally high tension in said endless flexible drive means.

Claim 9

A crop harvesting machine having a transversely extending forward harvesting platform; cutting means extending along the forward edge of said platform; a pair of arms pivotally mounted on the machine and extending forwardly on opposite sides of said platform; a transversely extending reel having a shaft rotatably supported on the forward ends of said arms above said cutting means; a driven sheave on one end of said shaft; a drive sheave on the machine in fore- and-aft alignment with said driven sheave; an endless flexible drive means connecting said drive and driven sheaves, wherein the improvement comprises: a support having first and second ends; means pivotally mounting said first end on one of said arms; means rotatably mounting said reel shaft on said second end; and means normally biasing said second end downwardly against said arm at a point forwardly of said first end, said biasing means permitting movement of said second end way from said arm in response to abnormally high tension in said endless flexible drive means.

Claim 10

The invention defined in claim 6 wherein said means biasing said second end of said support downwardly against said arm comprises a rod fixed to the second end of said support and extending through an aperture in said arm; a retainer member on the outer end of said rod; and a coil spring received on said rod and acting between said retainer member and said arm.

Claim 11

The invention defined in claim 7 wherein said retainer member is adjustably positioned on said rod to regulate the biasing force of said spring.

Claim 12

In a crop harvesting machine having a fore-and-aft frame section adapted at its forward end for connection to a draft vehicle; a transverse frame section connected at one end to the rear portion of said fore- and-aft frame section for pivotal movement about a first transverse axis; a harvesting platform connected to and extending forwardly from said transverse frame section, said platform being moveable vertically in response to rotation of said transverse frame section about said first transverse axis, and power-operated means on said harvesting platform, the combination therewith of drive means for transmitting power from a power source on the draft vehicle to said power-operated means, said drive means comprising: a fore-and-aft shaft rotatably supported on said fore- and-aft frame section and adapted at its forward end for driving connection with a power source on the draft vehicle; a drive sheave on said fore- and-aft shaft; a driven sheave supported on said transverse frame section for rotation about a second transverse axis parallel to and spaced from said first transverse axis, said driven sheave being moveable fore and aft relative to said drive sheave in response to rotation of said transverse frame section about said first transverse axis; means drivingly connecting said driven sheave with said power-operated means on said platform; idler sheave means normally disposed in transverse and fore- and-aft alignment with said drive and driven sheaves, respectively; endless flexible means drivingly connecting said idler sheave means and said drive and driven sheaves; and means mounting said idler sheave means on said transverse frame section, said mounting means being operative to maintain a substantially constant fore- and-aft distance between said idler sheave means and said driven sheave as said transverse frame section is rotated about said first transverse axIs.

Claim 13

In a crop harvesting machine having a fore-and-aft frame section adapted at its forward end for connection to a draft vehicle; a transverse frame section connected at one end to the rear portion of said fore- and-aft frame section for pivotal movement about a first transverse axis; a harvesting platform connected to and extending forwardly from said transverse frame section, said platform being moveable vertically in response to rotation of said transverse frame section about said first transverse axis, and power-operated means on said harvesting platform, the combination therewith of drive means for transmitting power from a power source on the draft vehicle to said power-operated means, said drive means comprising: a fore-and-aft shaft rotatably supported on said fore- and-aft frame section and adapted at its forward end for driving connection with a power source on the draft vehicle; a drive sheave on said fore- and-aft shaft; a driven sheave supported on said transverse frame section for rotation about a second transverse axis parallel to and spaced from said first transverse axis, said driven sheave being moveable fore and aft relative to said drive sheave in response to rotation of said transverse frame section about said first transverse axis; means drivingly connecting said driven sheave with said power-operated means on said platform; idler sheave means normally disposed in transverse and fore- and-aft alignment with said drive and driven sheaves, respectively; endless flexible means drivingly connecting said idler sheave means and said drive and driven sheaves; and means mounting said idler sheave means on said transverse frame section, said mounting means being operative to maintain a substantially constant fore- and-aft distance between said idler sheave means and said driven sheave as said transverse frame section is rotated about said first transverse axIs.

Claim 14

The invention defined in claim 9 wherein said means mounting said idler sheave means on said transverse frame section comprises: a fore- and-aft extending support mounted at one end on said transverse frame section for movement about said second transverse axis and having said idler sheave means rotatably supported at its outer end, and link means pivotally connected at opposite ends to said support and said fore- and-aft frame section, respectively.

Claim 15

The invention defined in claim 10 wherein the distance between the ends of said link is substantially equal to the distance between said first and second transverse axes.

Claim 16

The invention defined in claim 10 further including a pair of fore- and-aft extending reel support arms mounted on said transverse frame section for pivotal movement about said second transverse axis; a harvesting reel extending transversely above said cutting means and including a shaft rotatably supported on the outer ends of said reel support arms; a reel drive sheave on one end of said reel shaft; and means including endless flexible drive means drivingly connecting said driven sheave with said reel drive sheave.