US3739559A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Transmission for forage harvesters and the like
Assignee: Hay and Forage Industries
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Filing: 1972-02-04
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Granted: 1973-06-19
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Expires: 1992-02-04
Abstract
Abstract A transmission on a forage harvester permits the gathering chains, sickle, and feed rolls thereof to be selectively shifted into forward, neutral, or reverse drive conditions without affecting the operation of the power source, chopper, and blower of the harvester. Components of the transmission are operably coupled in such a manner that the rotative speeds of the feed rolls may be varied relative to the chopper without correspondingly varying the speeds of operation of the sickle and gathering chains, and rockable shifter mechanism journaling the input shaft of the transmission is geometrically arranged such that the transmission tends to remain in its forward drive condition.
Inventors
- 👤 W Long
- 👤 F Fell
- 👤 B Wells
- 👤 J Prichard
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 21:10
CPC Classifications
A; A01; A01F; A01F29/00; A01F29/09; A01F29/14; A01D; A01D69/00; A01D69/06; F; F16; F16H; F16H3/00; F16H2712/00; F16H2712/06; F16H2712/08
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 5
Claim 1
Independent Claim
248 words
In an agricultural implement having power means, the combination of: a rotatable chopper adapted to be operably coupled with said power means for rotation thereby; a sickle reciprocable across the path of travel of the implement forwardly of the chopper for severing a standing crop as the implement is advanced; gathering means extending fore and aft of the implement for conveying the severed crop from the sickle rearwardly toward said chopper; a pair of opposed, oppositely rotatable feed rolls disposed between said chopper and the gathering means for receiving the severed crop from the latter and propelling the same into the chopper; and a transmission interposed between said power means and the sickle, gathering means, and feed rolls and including: a first output shaft adapted to be drivingly coupled with said power means, said shaft being operably coupled with said sickle and said gathering means for driving the same; a second output shaft drivingly coupled with said feed rolls; and variable speed control apparatus operably interconnecting said shafts for driving the feed rolls at any one of a number of preselected speeds relative to the chopper without varying the speeds of operation of said sickle and said gathering means, said apparatus including a component on each of said shafts rotatable therewith and flexible drive means entrained about the components, said components each having a pair of side-by-side tracks of differing diameters adapted for selective, operable engagement with said flexible means when the latter is entrained about the components.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
248 words
In an agricultural implement having power means, the combination of: a rotatable chopper adapted to be operably coupled with said power means for rotation thereby; a sickle reciprocable across the path of travel of the implement forwardly of the chopper for severing a standing crop as the implement is advanced; gathering means extending fore and aft of the implement for conveying the severed crop from the sickle rearwardly toward said chopper; a pair of opposed, oppositely rotatable feed rolls disposed between said chopper and the gathering means for receiving the severed crop from the latter and propelling the same into the chopper; and a transmission interposed between said power means and the sickle, gathering means, and feed rolls and including: a first output shaft adapted to be drivingly coupled with said power means, said shaft being operably coupled with said sickle and said gathering means for driving the same; a second output shaft drivingly coupled with said feed rolls; and variable speed control apparatus operably interconnecting said shafts for driving the feed rolls at any one of a number of preselected speeds relative to the chopper without varying the speeds of operation of said sickle and said gathering means, said apparatus including a component on each of said shafts rotatable therewith and flexible drive means entrained about the components, said components each having a pair of side-by-side tracks of differing diameters adapted for selective, operable engagement with said flexible means when the latter is entrained about the components.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
An implement as claimed in claim 1, said components being releasably secured to said shafts to permit interchanging and reversing thereof.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
180 words
In a forage harvester having a crop cutter, a chopper, rolls for feeding the crop to the chopper, gathering means for advancing the cut crop to the rolls, and a power shaft coupled with said chopper, a transmission for controlling the operation of the cutter, rolls, and gathering chains independently of said chopper including: an input shaft coupled with said power shaft; a pair of separate, essentially side-by-side drive train assemblies, each including its own pair of laterally spaced apart output shafts, one of said output shafts of one assembly being coupled with said cutter and the gathering means, both of said output shafts of the other assembly being coupled with said feed rolls; a control unit for selectively coupling said one assembly with said input shaft to drive the one assembly in forward, neutral, and reverse directions; and means intercoupling the other shaft of said one assembly with one of the shafts of said other assembly for transmitting driving power to the feed rolls from said input shaft via said one assembly, said intercoupling means, and said other assembly.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
180 words
In a forage harvester having a crop cutter, a chopper, rolls for feeding the crop to the chopper, gathering means for advancing the cut crop to the rolls, and a power shaft coupled with said chopper, a transmission for controlling the operation of the cutter, rolls, and gathering chains independently of said chopper including: an input shaft coupled with said power shaft; a pair of separate, essentially side-by-side drive train assemblies, each including its own pair of laterally spaced apart output shafts, one of said output shafts of one assembly being coupled with said cutter and the gathering means, both of said output shafts of the other assembly being coupled with said feed rolls; a control unit for selectively coupling said one assembly with said input shaft to drive the one assembly in forward, neutral, and reverse directions; and means intercoupling the other shaft of said one assembly with one of the shafts of said other assembly for transmitting driving power to the feed rolls from said input shaft via said one assembly, said intercoupling means, and said other assembly.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-06-18 | 1976-12-18 | 1977-06-19 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-06-18 | 1980-12-18 | 1981-06-19 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-06-18 | 1984-12-18 | 1985-06-19 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |