US3729143A — Forage harvester cutting reel and gauge pins for …

Claim 1

Independent Claim 226 words

A forage harvester reel comprising a rotatably mounted shaft, a plurality of pairs of closely spaced apart disc-like supporting means having a generally circular outer periphery, said supporting means being axially spaced on an extending normal to said shaft and fixedly attached thereto, a plurality of cutting blades with each having a cutting edge, a plurality of discrete mounting blocks for each supporting means with a mounting block for one supporting means being separate from the mounting blocks of the other supporting means, each mounting block having a smooth end surface, first fastening means detachably securing said cutting blades to the respective end surfaces of said mounting blocks with said cutting blades extending generally transverse to the respective mounting blocks and said fastening means and said cutting blades providing for rearward displacement of said blades relative to the mounting block on application of excessive force thereto, second fastening means detachably securing said mounting blocks between pairs of respective supporting means with the smooth end surface extending outwardly of the generally circular outer periphery of said disc-like supporting means and with the mounting blocks being tilted from the radial opposite to the direction of rotation to position the respective cutting edges at the cutting periphery of the reel and to provide clearance to the rear of each cutting blade for rearward dislodgement on application of excessive force.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 226 words

A forage harvester reel comprising a rotatably mounted shaft, a plurality of pairs of closely spaced apart disc-like supporting means having a generally circular outer periphery, said supporting means being axially spaced on an extending normal to said shaft and fixedly attached thereto, a plurality of cutting blades with each having a cutting edge, a plurality of discrete mounting blocks for each supporting means with a mounting block for one supporting means being separate from the mounting blocks of the other supporting means, each mounting block having a smooth end surface, first fastening means detachably securing said cutting blades to the respective end surfaces of said mounting blocks with said cutting blades extending generally transverse to the respective mounting blocks and said fastening means and said cutting blades providing for rearward displacement of said blades relative to the mounting block on application of excessive force thereto, second fastening means detachably securing said mounting blocks between pairs of respective supporting means with the smooth end surface extending outwardly of the generally circular outer periphery of said disc-like supporting means and with the mounting blocks being tilted from the radial opposite to the direction of rotation to position the respective cutting edges at the cutting periphery of the reel and to provide clearance to the rear of each cutting blade for rearward dislodgement on application of excessive force.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 37 words

A forage harvester reel as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first fastening means on each mounting block has less shear strength than said second fastening means securing said mounting block to said respective supporting means.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 28 words

A forage harvester reel as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cutting blades are spiral in shape and said end surfaces are contoured to the spiral configuration.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 83 words

A forage harvester reel as set forth in claim 1 wherein said support means comprise six support plates in three pair with the two support plates in each pair spaced the width of said mounting blocks attached thereto, each plate having two rows of circular concentric rows of holes and said fastening means including bolts extending thrOugh said holes for securing the mounting blocks thereto in different number of sets of mounting blocks for forming the reel with different number of cutting blades.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 83 words

A forage harvester reel as set forth in claim 1 wherein there is provided vertical side walls at each end of said reel, respectively, opposed guide pins and means for retractably mounting said opposed guide pins on the opposite side of said walls from said reel and spaced from the shaft approximately the same distance as the cutting periphery of said blades and positionable to overlap with the ends of said blades for initially and uniformly setting said blades on the mounting blocks.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 141 words

A forage harvester reel as set forth in claim 5 wherein said mounting means for said guide pins comprises U-shaped bracket perpendicular to the respective side walls having respective base portion spaced from said respective side wall, said base portions having square shaped openings aligned with corresponding square shaped openings in said side wall, said guide pins having corresponding square shapes and slideably mounted in said respective openings, pinned washers between said respective base portions and said wall, helical springs about said respective guide pins and between said respective side walls and said respective pinned washers to urge said guide pins to retracted, exterior, nonguiding positions and bores in said guide pins to receive retention members fitting in said bores on the inner side of said base portion facing said side walls to hold said guide pins in the guiding position.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 81 words

In a forage harvester having a rotatably mounted reel with cutting blades extending longitudinally thereon and side walls at opposite ends of said reel, blade positioning means comprising a pair of opposed bracket means mounted on the sides of said walls opposite to said reel, pin means mounted in said respective bracket means and extendible through said respective side walls in reciprocal relation therewith and adjacent to the edges of said cutting blades to position said cutting blades on the reel.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 81 words

In a forage harvester having a rotatably mounted reel with cutting blades extending longitudinally thereon and side walls at opposite ends of said reel, blade positioning means comprising a pair of opposed bracket means mounted on the sides of said walls opposite to said reel, pin means mounted in said respective bracket means and extendible through said respective side walls in reciprocal relation therewith and adjacent to the edges of said cutting blades to position said cutting blades on the reel.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 33 words

In a forage harvester as set forth in claim 7 wherein retention means are provided on said bracket means and said pin means to hold said pins in an inserted blade setting position.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 19 words

In a forage harvester as set forth in claim 7 wherein said first and second pin means are aligned.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 20 words

In a forage harvester as set forth in claim 7 wherein said first and second pin means are circumferentially offset.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 47 words

In a forage harvester as set forth in claim 10 wherein said cutting blades have spiral configurations and said pin means are offset so that the opposite ends of a given blade are positionable in relation to said first and second pin means in a single position.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 47 words

In a forage harvester as set forth in claim 7 wherein said first and second bracket means have portions spaced from said respective side walls and said portions and side walls have openings with said pin means extending therethrough for guiding said pins in the reciprocal relation.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1976-04-23	1976-10-23	1977-04-24	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1980-04-23	1980-10-23	1981-04-24	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1984-04-23	1984-10-23	1985-04-24	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Forage harvester cutting reel and gauge pins for positioning the cutting blades thereon

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