US3777833A — Steering mechanism for hydrostatically driven agr…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 406 words

A self-propelled agricultural machine comprising a mobile frame mounted on a pair of spaced drive wheels, a header suspended on said frame and extending across said machine in front of said frame and spaced wheels, a control platform on siad frame between said wheels and immediately behind said header, two hydrostatic motors drivingly connected to said respective wheels and two axial aligned and spaced pumps extending between said wheels and underneath said control platform, said pumps being hydraulically connected to said respective motors, a power source on said frame drivingly connected to said spaced pumps, said pumps having pintle arms pivotally mounted thereon and extending toward one another in overlapping relation with one arm above the other, a steering shaft extending through said control platform and having a U-shaped control member mounted on the lower end of said steering shaft underneath said control platform, said U-shaped control member having an upper and lower leg extending toward said pintle arm, means pivotally mounting said shaft above said platform to swing about a horizontal axis and rotatably mounted to turn about a vertical axis in a fore-and-aft plane, said legs having, respectively, downwardly extending ball pivots on opposite sides of the fore-and-aft planes when the rod is in the straight forward position and moving in the same circular path on rotation of said steering shaft, said pintle arms extending, respectively, across the fore-andaft planes and having ball pivots, respectively, on the opposite sides of and equal distances from the fore-and-aft plane and said pumps pivotally supporting said respective arms, two links extending across one another, one link being connected to said ball pivot on the lower leg and to said ball pivot on the lower arm on the opposite side of the fore-and-aft plane from said ball pivot on said lower leg, the other link connected to said ball pivot on the upper leg to said ball pivot on the upper arm on the opposite side of the fore-and-aft plane from said ball pivot on said upper arm, a steering wheel coupled to said steering shaft for turning said shaft, said links and arms having relative lengths that on rotation of said steering shaft by said steering wheel said ball pivots on said U-shaped control member are on the same side of the foreand-aft plane and move said pintle arms in the rearward direction for differentially decreasing the speed of the wheels on the turning of the machine.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 406 words

A self-propelled agricultural machine comprising a mobile frame mounted on a pair of spaced drive wheels, a header suspended on said frame and extending across said machine in front of said frame and spaced wheels, a control platform on siad frame between said wheels and immediately behind said header, two hydrostatic motors drivingly connected to said respective wheels and two axial aligned and spaced pumps extending between said wheels and underneath said control platform, said pumps being hydraulically connected to said respective motors, a power source on said frame drivingly connected to said spaced pumps, said pumps having pintle arms pivotally mounted thereon and extending toward one another in overlapping relation with one arm above the other, a steering shaft extending through said control platform and having a U-shaped control member mounted on the lower end of said steering shaft underneath said control platform, said U-shaped control member having an upper and lower leg extending toward said pintle arm, means pivotally mounting said shaft above said platform to swing about a horizontal axis and rotatably mounted to turn about a vertical axis in a fore-and-aft plane, said legs having, respectively, downwardly extending ball pivots on opposite sides of the fore-and-aft planes when the rod is in the straight forward position and moving in the same circular path on rotation of said steering shaft, said pintle arms extending, respectively, across the fore-andaft planes and having ball pivots, respectively, on the opposite sides of and equal distances from the fore-and-aft plane and said pumps pivotally supporting said respective arms, two links extending across one another, one link being connected to said ball pivot on the lower leg and to said ball pivot on the lower arm on the opposite side of the fore-and-aft plane from said ball pivot on said lower leg, the other link connected to said ball pivot on the upper leg to said ball pivot on the upper arm on the opposite side of the fore-and-aft plane from said ball pivot on said upper arm, a steering wheel coupled to said steering shaft for turning said shaft, said links and arms having relative lengths that on rotation of said steering shaft by said steering wheel said ball pivots on said U-shaped control member are on the same side of the foreand-aft plane and move said pintle arms in the rearward direction for differentially decreasing the speed of the wheels on the turning of the machine.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 329 words

A self-propelled agricultural machine comprising a mobile frame mounted on a pair of spaced drive wheels, a control platform on said frame, two hydrostatic motors drivingly connected to said respective wheels and two axially aligned and spaced pumps, said pumps being hydraulically connected to said respective motors, a power source on said frame drivingly connected thereto, said pumps having pintle arms pivotally mounted thereon and extending toward one another, a steering shaft having a steering wheel coupled to said shaft above said platform and having a control member, said control member having two pivotal means and said pintle arms each having pivotal means, link means for connecting the control member pivotal means with said respective pintle arm pivotal means for actuation of said arms on rotation of said steering shafts, means pivotally mounting said shaft above said platform to swing about a horizontal axis and rotatably mounted to turn about a vertical axis means for independently moving said control member over a range of forward and reverse speeds, a steering wheel coupled to said steering shaft above said platform for rotating said shaft and pivotal means of the control member over an arc which passes through either side of planes which pass through the center of the pivotal connections of the control member, and the respective pintle arm pivotal connections of each link means, said trailing link initially moving at an angle in the nature of a right angle to the plane which passes through the center of the control member and the links associated pintle arm pivotal connection over range of speeds and arcs of turning of said steering shafts so the pivotal means of said control member initially maintains the speed of its associated wheel but which is capable of turning to the other side of said plane upon further turning of the steering shaft thereby moving the trailing pivotal means rearwardly to follow the leading pivotal means which differentially decreases the speed of the associated wheel.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 329 words

A self-propelled agricultural machine comprising a mobile frame mounted on a pair of spaced drive wheels, a control platform on said frame, two hydrostatic motors drivingly connected to said respective wheels and two axially aligned and spaced pumps, said pumps being hydraulically connected to said respective motors, a power source on said frame drivingly connected thereto, said pumps having pintle arms pivotally mounted thereon and extending toward one another, a steering shaft having a steering wheel coupled to said shaft above said platform and having a control member, said control member having two pivotal means and said pintle arms each having pivotal means, link means for connecting the control member pivotal means with said respective pintle arm pivotal means for actuation of said arms on rotation of said steering shafts, means pivotally mounting said shaft above said platform to swing about a horizontal axis and rotatably mounted to turn about a vertical axis means for independently moving said control member over a range of forward and reverse speeds, a steering wheel coupled to said steering shaft above said platform for rotating said shaft and pivotal means of the control member over an arc which passes through either side of planes which pass through the center of the pivotal connections of the control member, and the respective pintle arm pivotal connections of each link means, said trailing link initially moving at an angle in the nature of a right angle to the plane which passes through the center of the control member and the links associated pintle arm pivotal connection over range of speeds and arcs of turning of said steering shafts so the pivotal means of said control member initially maintains the speed of its associated wheel but which is capable of turning to the other side of said plane upon further turning of the steering shaft thereby moving the trailing pivotal means rearwardly to follow the leading pivotal means which differentially decreases the speed of the associated wheel.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 174 words

A self-propelled agricultUral machine comprising a mobile frame mounted on a pair of spaced drive wheels, a control platform on said frame, two hydrostatic motors drivingly connected to said respective wheels and two axially aligned and spaced pumps, said pumps being hydraulically connected to said respective motors, a power source on said frame drivingly connected to said spaced pumps, said pumps having pintle arms pivotally mounted thereon, a steering shaft having a steering wheel coupled to said shaft and having a control member said member having two pivotal means and said pintle arms each having pivotal means, link means for connecting the control member pivotal means with the pintle arms pivotal means for actuation of said arms on rotation of said steering shafts, said control member pivotal means turning in an arc with the leading pivotal means initially reducing the speed of the associated wheel and the trailing pivotal means initially maintaining the speed of assocaited wheel and on further turning said leading and trailing pivotal means differentially reducing the speed of both wheels.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 174 words

A self-propelled agricultUral machine comprising a mobile frame mounted on a pair of spaced drive wheels, a control platform on said frame, two hydrostatic motors drivingly connected to said respective wheels and two axially aligned and spaced pumps, said pumps being hydraulically connected to said respective motors, a power source on said frame drivingly connected to said spaced pumps, said pumps having pintle arms pivotally mounted thereon, a steering shaft having a steering wheel coupled to said shaft and having a control member said member having two pivotal means and said pintle arms each having pivotal means, link means for connecting the control member pivotal means with the pintle arms pivotal means for actuation of said arms on rotation of said steering shafts, said control member pivotal means turning in an arc with the leading pivotal means initially reducing the speed of the associated wheel and the trailing pivotal means initially maintaining the speed of assocaited wheel and on further turning said leading and trailing pivotal means differentially reducing the speed of both wheels.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 58 words

A self-propelled agricultural machine as set forth in claim 3 wherein said steering shaft has a tiltable portion and a universal joint connecting said shaft and portion so that on said shaft and portion being at an angle to one another said tiltable portion rotates through a greater angle from the straight forward position than said steering shaft.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 24 words

A self-propelled agricultural machine as set forth in claim 3 wherein said steering shaft has means resisting rotation in either direction, of said shaft.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 48 words

A self-propelled agriculture vehicle as set forth in claim 3 wherein said trailing links respectively, directly and pivotally connected to said pintle arm moves at a right angle to the plane which passes through the center of the control member and the links associated pintle arm pivotal connection.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 84 words

A self-propelled agricultural machine as set forth in claim 3 wherein said pintle arms extend towards one another in overlapping relation to extend across a fore-and-aft plane through said steering shaft with said pivotal means of said pintle arms being on the portion extending through said plane and said control member pivotal means being on opposite sides of the fore-and-aft plane and said links being, respectively, connected to said pivotal means on opposite sides of the fore-and-aft plane in the straight forward speed position.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 44 words

A self-propelled agricultural machine as set forth in claim 7 wherein said control member is U-shape and has upper and lower legs with said respective pivotal means mounted on said legs, respectively, and on opposite sides of a fore-and-aft plane through said steering shaft.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1976-12-10	1977-06-11	1977-12-11	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1980-12-10	1981-06-11	1981-12-11	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1984-12-10	1985-06-11	1985-12-11	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Steering mechanism for hydrostatically driven agriculture machines

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