Harvesting machine

Claim 2

A crop harvesting machine comprising: a longitudinally extending mobile frame; a crop material processing unit mounted forwardly on the frame and including a transverse drive shaft; a blower unit mounted on the frame and including a fan rotatable about an axis generally parallel with and spaced rearwardly from the processing unit drive shaft, said blower unit being operative to receive processed crop material from the processing unit and discharge it to a remote location; an engine mounted on the frame and having a driven output shaft; transverse shaft means drivingly connected to the engine output shaft and having a common rotational axis with said blower unit fan, said fan being connected to and driven by said shaft means; and longitudinally extending endless flexible means drivingly connecting said shaft means with the processing unit drive shaft.

Claim 3

The invention defined in claim 1 wherein said transverse shaft means extends into said blower unit and comprises the rotary support means of said blower unit fan.

Claim 4

The invention defined in claim 2 wherein said transverse shaft means extends through said blower unit, the portion of said shaft on one side of said blower unit is drivingly connected to the engine output shaft, and said endless flexible means drivingly connects the portion of said shaft on the other side of said blower unit with the processing unit drive shaft.

Claim 5

The invention defined in claim 1 including means for selectively disengaging said transverse shaft means from the engine output shaft.

Claim 6

The invention defined in claim 1 wherein the processing unit drive shaft includes a portion extending transversely on one side of the processing unit, and including a pair of longitudinally aligned circular drive elements respectively on the transverse shaft means and the processing unit drive shaft portion extending transversely from the processing unit, said circular drive elements being drivingly connected by said endless flexible

Claim 7

The invention defined in claim 5 wherein said blower unit includes transversely spaced inner and outer side portions, adjacent to and remote from, respectively, the engine output shaft, said transverse shaft means extends through said blower unit, and the circular drive element on said transverse shaft means is disposed outwardly from the outer side portion of the blower unit.

Claim 8

The invention defined in claim 5 further including conveyor means for conveying processed crop material from the processing unit to the blower unit, wherein the processing unit drive shaft includes a portion extending transversely on the other side of the processing unit, and including means drivingly connecting said conveyor means with the processing unit drive shaft portion extending transversely on the other side of the processing unit.

Claim 9

The invention defined in claim 5 further including crop feed means mounted forwardly of the processing unit for feeding crop material rearwardly thereto, wherein the processing unit drive shaft includes a portion extending transversely on the other side of the processing unit, and including means drivingly connecting said crop feed means with the processing unit drive shaft portion extending transversely on the other side of the processing unit.

Claim 10

The invention defined in claim 8 further including change speed transmiSsion means drivingly interconnecting the processing unit drive shaft with the crop feed means.

Claim 11

The invention defined in claim 5 further including header unit means mounted forwardly of the processing unit for gathering crop material from the ground and delivering it rearwardly to the processing unit, wherein the processing unit drive shaft includes a portion extending transversely on the other side of the processing unit, and including means drivingly connecting said header unit means with the processing unit drive shaft portion extending transversely on the other side of the processing unit.

Claim 12

The invention defined in claim 10 further including change speed transmission means drivingly interconnecting the processing unit drive shaft with the header unit means.

Claim 13

The invention defined in claim 1 wherein the engine output shaft is drivingly connected at its outer end to a propulsion unit, and said transverse shaft means is drivingly connected to the engine output shaft between said engine and said propulsion unit.

Claim 14

The invention defined in claim 12 wherein the engine output shaft comprises a pair of concentric, inner and outer shaft members, the inner member being drivingly connected to the propulsion unit and the outer member being selectively engageable and disengageable with the inner member and drivingly connected to the transverse shaft means.

Claim 15

A self-propelled forage harvester comprising: a longitudinally extending mobile frame; a cutterhead unit mounted forwardly on the frame and including a transverse drive shaft, said cutterhead unit being operative to reduce crop material fed thereto as the harvester is advanced forwardly; a longitudinally extending engine mounted rearwardly on the frame generally in longitudinal alignment with the cutterhead unit and including a forwardly extending output shaft; a blower unit mounted on the frame longitudinally between the engine and cutterhead unit and transversely toward one side of the frame, said blower unit including a fan rotatable about an axis generally parallel with the cutterhead shaft and being operative to receive reduced crop material from the cutterhead unit and discharge it to a remote location; conveyor means extending longitudinally between said cutterhead unit and said blower unit, said conveyor unit being operative to convey processed crop material from the former to the latter; power shaft means extending transversely through the blower unit and having a common rotational axis with the blower unit fan, said fan being connected to and driven by said power shaft means; means drivingly connecting the transversely inner end of the power shaft means with the engine output shaft; a pair of longitudinally aligned circular drive elements respectively on the transversely outer end of the power shaft means and the cutterhead unit drive shaft; and longitudinally extending endless flexible means drivingly connecting said circular drive elements.

Claim 16

A self-propelled forage harvester comprising: a longitudinally extending mobile frame; a cutterhead unit mounted forwardly on the frame and including a transverse drive shaft, said cutterhead unit being operative to reduce crop material fed thereto as the harvester is advanced forwardly; a longitudinally extending engine mounted rearwardly on the frame generally in longitudinal alignment with the cutterhead unit and including a forwardly extending output shaft; a blower unit mounted on the frame longitudinally between the engine and cutterhead unit and transversely toward one side of the frame, said blower unit including a fan rotatable about an axis generally parallel with the cutterhead shaft and being operative to receive reduced crop material from the cutterhead unit and discharge it to a remote location; conveyor means extending longitudinally between said cutterhead unit and said blower unit, said conveyor unit being operative to convey processed crop material from the former to the latter; power shaft means extending transversely through the blower unit and having a common rotational axis with the blower unit fan, said fan being connected to and driven by said power shaft means; means drivingly connecting the transversely inner end of the power shaft means with the engine output shaft; a pair of longitudinally aligned circular drive elements respectively on the transversely outer end of the power shaft means and the cutterhead unit drive shaft; and longitudinally extending endless flexible means drivingly connecting said circular drive elements.

Claim 17

The invention defined in claim 14 wherein said engine output shaft extends forwardly to a propulsion unit, and wherein said means drivingly connecting the inner end of the power shaft means with the engine output shaft comprises: a hollow shaft concentric with and enclosing a portion of the engine output shaft between the engine and propulsion units; clutch means for selectively engaging and disengaging said hollow shaft with the engine output shaft; and means drivingly connecting the inner end of the shaft means with said hollow shaft member.

Claim 18

A crop harvesting machine comprising: a longitudinally extending mobile frame; a crop material processing unit mounted forwardly on the frame; a blower unit mounted on the frame rearwardly from the processing unit and including a fan rotatable about an axis, said blower unit being operative to receive processed crop material from the processing unit and discharge it to a remote location; an engine mounted on the frame and having a driven output shaft; power shaft means extending through the blower unit and Having a common rotational axis with the blower unit fan, said fan being connected to and driven by said power shaft means; means drivingly connecting the end of said power shaft means on one side of the blower unit with the engine output shaft; and means drivingly connecting the end of said power shaft means on the other side of said blower unit with the material processing unit.

Claim 19

A crop harvesting machine comprising: a longitudinally extending mobile frame; a crop material processing unit mounted forwardly on the frame; a blower unit mounted on the frame rearwardly from the processing unit and including a fan rotatable about an axis, said blower unit being operative to receive processed crop material from the processing unit and discharge it to a remote location; an engine mounted on the frame and having a driven output shaft; power shaft means extending through the blower unit and Having a common rotational axis with the blower unit fan, said fan being connected to and driven by said power shaft means; means drivingly connecting the end of said power shaft means on one side of the blower unit with the engine output shaft; and means drivingly connecting the end of said power shaft means on the other side of said blower unit with the material processing unit.