US3797766A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Forage harvester cutterhead
Assignee: Deere and Co
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Filing: 1972-09-29
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Granted: 1974-03-19
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Expires: 1992-09-29
Abstract
Abstract A forage harvester has a reel-type cutterhead having an axial shaft with a pair of disk-like radial members mounted on the shaft. A plurality of longitudinally extending, parallel, equiangularly spaced knives have flat generally radially extending inner portions and forwardly inclined outer portions with cutting edges at their outer ends generating a cylinder as the cutterhead rotates. Each knife is mounted on the cutterhead by means of a pair of support elements respectively attached to the respective radial members, each support element having a flat, generally radial seat against which the knife is clamped by a bolt extending through the knife and through a radial slot in the support element. Each knife is adjustable in a radial direction by loosening a nut on the bolt and sliding the bolt and the knife attached thereto along the support element slot, the adjustment being accomplished by rotating a cam mounted on the head of the bolt in engagement with an abutment on the support element. A radially extending set screw in the support element is engageable with the bolt to lock the bolt in the selected position.
Inventors
- 👤 J Hennen
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 16:11
CPC Classifications
A; A01; A01F; A01F29/00; A01F29/09; A01F29/095; A01D; A01D34/00; A01D34/01; A01D34/412; A01D34/42; A01D34/52; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T83/00; Y10T83/485; Y10T83/494; Y10T83/501; Y10T83/929; Y10T83/9372; Y10T83/9406; Y10T83/9457; Y10T83/9464; Y10T83/9469; Y10T83/9471
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
175 words
A reel-type cutterhead for a harvesting machine comprising: an axial shaft; a pair of radial members mounted on the shaft; a plurality of knife support elements mounted on each radial member, each support element including a seat, an abutment, and an approximately radially extending slot; a plurality of generally longitudinally extending parallel knives having cutting edges at the cutterhead periphery generating a cylinder as the cutterhead rotates, each knife being mounted on the seats of a pair of support elements respectively attached to the separate radial members; a pair of bolts respectively extending through each knife and through the slots in the respective support elements; nut means respectively threaded on the bolts to releasably clamp the knife against the support element seats; and cam means operatively associated with each bolt for shifting the bolt along its respective slot in a generally radial direction to adjust the bolt and the knife connected thereto in response to adjustment of the cam means when the nut means are loosened to unclamp the knife from the support element seats.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
175 words
A reel-type cutterhead for a harvesting machine comprising: an axial shaft; a pair of radial members mounted on the shaft; a plurality of knife support elements mounted on each radial member, each support element including a seat, an abutment, and an approximately radially extending slot; a plurality of generally longitudinally extending parallel knives having cutting edges at the cutterhead periphery generating a cylinder as the cutterhead rotates, each knife being mounted on the seats of a pair of support elements respectively attached to the separate radial members; a pair of bolts respectively extending through each knife and through the slots in the respective support elements; nut means respectively threaded on the bolts to releasably clamp the knife against the support element seats; and cam means operatively associated with each bolt for shifting the bolt along its respective slot in a generally radial direction to adjust the bolt and the knife connected thereto in response to adjustment of the cam means when the nut means are loosened to unclamp the knife from the support element seats.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
The invention defined in claim 1 and including a locking screw mounted in each support element and engageable with the respective bolts to lock the bolts in the selected position.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
The invention defined in claim 1 wherein the cam means are coaxially connected to and rotatable with the respective bolts.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
51 words
The invention defined in claim 1 wherein each knife includes a flat, generally radially extending inner portion which seats against the support element seats and an inclined outer portion extending outwardly and in the direction of normal rotation from the inner portion and having said cutting edge on its leading edge.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
206 words
A reel-type cutterhead for harvesting machine comprising: an axial shaft; a pair of radial members attached to the shaft; a plurality of knife support elements attached to each radial member at equiangular intervals, each support element having an abutment, an approximately radially extending seat, and an approximately radially extending slot; a plurality of generally parallel and longitudinally extending knives, each knife having a flat generally radially extending inner portion engaging the seats of a pair of support elements on different radial members and being radially adjustable thereon, and an outer portion inclined in the direction of cutterhead rotation with the cutting edge at the outer periphery generating a cylinder as the cutterhead rotates; a pair of bolts respectively extending through the flat inner portion of each knife and through the slots in the respective support elements; a nut threadable on each bolt for releasably clamping the knife to the associated support element; and an adjustable cam operatively associated with each bolt and engageable with the associated support element abutment to radially shift the bolt along the slot and the knife carried thereby along the support element seat in response to adjustment of the cam when the nut is loosened to unclamp the knife on the seat.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
206 words
A reel-type cutterhead for harvesting machine comprising: an axial shaft; a pair of radial members attached to the shaft; a plurality of knife support elements attached to each radial member at equiangular intervals, each support element having an abutment, an approximately radially extending seat, and an approximately radially extending slot; a plurality of generally parallel and longitudinally extending knives, each knife having a flat generally radially extending inner portion engaging the seats of a pair of support elements on different radial members and being radially adjustable thereon, and an outer portion inclined in the direction of cutterhead rotation with the cutting edge at the outer periphery generating a cylinder as the cutterhead rotates; a pair of bolts respectively extending through the flat inner portion of each knife and through the slots in the respective support elements; a nut threadable on each bolt for releasably clamping the knife to the associated support element; and an adjustable cam operatively associated with each bolt and engageable with the associated support element abutment to radially shift the bolt along the slot and the knife carried thereby along the support element seat in response to adjustment of the cam when the nut is loosened to unclamp the knife on the seat.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
48 words
The invention defined in claim 5 wherein the cam is mounted on the head end of the bolt adjacent the flat inner portion of the knife and rotates with the bolt to radially adjust the bolt and the knife carried thereby in response to rotation of the bolt.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
32 words
The invention defined in claim 6 and including a locking screw extending through each support element into the slot and engageable with the bolt to lock the bolt in the selected position.
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) | 1977-03-18 | 1977-09-17 | 1978-03-19 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-03-18 | 1981-09-17 | 1982-03-19 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-03-18 | 1985-09-17 | 1986-03-19 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |