Power shaft and drive for a farm grinder-mixer implement

Claim 2

In a grinder-mixer implement having a main frame; a material reducing unit on the frame; and a material-mixing mechanism on the frame, wherein the improvement comprises: a fore-and-aft extensible and retractable main drive shaft on the frame; a power shaft continuing rearwardly from a forward end adjacent the rear end of the main drive shaft; a rotary drive member rotatably supported on the power shaft and having an axially extending collar; a universal joint having first and second articulately interconnected parts with the first part being fixed to rotate with the main shaft and the second part being fixed to rotate with the power shaft and having a hub portion slidable axially thereon between coupled and uncoupled positions with said collar; first drive means extending between the rotary drive member and the material-reducing unit; and second drive means extending between the power shaft and the mixing mechanism.

Claim 3

The invention as set forth in claim 1 in which the collar has an internal noncircular surface and the hub portion has an external noncircular surface complementary to the internal surface and insertable within the collar.

Claim 4

The invention as set forth in claim 1 in which the first and second parts are yokes 90* offset from one another and interconnected by a spider, and said hub of the second part is square in cross section and said collar has four equal internal sides and is coupled to the hub by sliding over the hub.

Claim 5

The improvement as set forth in claim 1 further characterized by lock means between the second part and power shaft for retaining the second part in both the coupled and uncoupled positions.

Claim 6

A power train for a Farm implement having a main frame and two drivable portions thereon, said power train comprising a fore-and-aft extending main drive shaft; a power shaft journaled on the frame and continuing rearwardly from a forward end adjacent the rear end of the main drive shaft; a rotary drive member rotatably supported on the power shaft and having an axially extending collar projecting toward the forward end; a universal joint having first and second articulately interconnected parts with the first part being fixed to rotate with the main shaft and the second part being fixed to rotate with the power shaft and having a hub portion slidable axially thereon to couple and uncouple internally with said collar; first drive means extending between the rotary drive member and the implement for driving one drivable portion thereof; and second drive means extending between the power shaft and the implement for driving the other drivable portion thereof.

Claim 7

A power train for a Farm implement having a main frame and two drivable portions thereon, said power train comprising a fore-and-aft extending main drive shaft; a power shaft journaled on the frame and continuing rearwardly from a forward end adjacent the rear end of the main drive shaft; a rotary drive member rotatably supported on the power shaft and having an axially extending collar projecting toward the forward end; a universal joint having first and second articulately interconnected parts with the first part being fixed to rotate with the main shaft and the second part being fixed to rotate with the power shaft and having a hub portion slidable axially thereon to couple and uncouple internally with said collar; first drive means extending between the rotary drive member and the implement for driving one drivable portion thereof; and second drive means extending between the power shaft and the implement for driving the other drivable portion thereof.

Claim 8

The structure as set forth in claim 5 in which the hub has a locking pin and said power shaft has a pair of axially spaced pin-receiving recesses therein receiving the pin to lock the hub selectively in its coupled or uncoupled relation to said collar.

Claim 9

The structure as set forth in claim 5 in which the hub is square in cross-section and said collar has an internal square opening for receiving the hub.

Claim 10

The structure as set forth in claim 6 in which the hub is a part of a yoke of the universal joint that is coupled by said first part with the drive shaft to rotate therewith.