Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 4
Claim 1
Independent Claim
278 words
A forage harvester feed roll assembly comprising, in combination: a spaced pair of fixed main frames, a spaced pair of support frames individually located outboard of said main frames, front, intermediate and rear feed rolls respectively having front, intermediate and rear shafts journaled in said support frames, said main frames having stop formations to define lower-limit positions for said front and intermediate feed rolls, a first torsion bar journaled in the main frames at points above the support frames, a second torsion bar bridging and rigidly secured between the support frames at points above and between said front and intermediate feed rolls, and duplicate means, one on each side, for urging the ends of the feed rolls toward the lower-limit positions while permitting independent upward displacement of the ends of the rolls with resultant restoring forces exerted by said torsion bars, each of said duplicate means comprising: a first linkage between the rear of said associated support frame and one end of said first torsion bar, so arranged that relative upward movement of said rear turns said end, a second linkage comprIsing an arm on and rigid with said end of said first torsion bar, a first spring means between the associated main frame and said arm for transmitting spring force through said first linkage to urge the rear of said associated support frame downwardly, a second spring means between the associated main frame and a surface of the associated support frame located between front and intermediate feed rolls for urging the front of said associated support frame downwardly, and slide-and-race means formed to confine limited displacements of said rear of said associated support frame to the vertical.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
278 words
A forage harvester feed roll assembly comprising, in combination: a spaced pair of fixed main frames, a spaced pair of support frames individually located outboard of said main frames, front, intermediate and rear feed rolls respectively having front, intermediate and rear shafts journaled in said support frames, said main frames having stop formations to define lower-limit positions for said front and intermediate feed rolls, a first torsion bar journaled in the main frames at points above the support frames, a second torsion bar bridging and rigidly secured between the support frames at points above and between said front and intermediate feed rolls, and duplicate means, one on each side, for urging the ends of the feed rolls toward the lower-limit positions while permitting independent upward displacement of the ends of the rolls with resultant restoring forces exerted by said torsion bars, each of said duplicate means comprising: a first linkage between the rear of said associated support frame and one end of said first torsion bar, so arranged that relative upward movement of said rear turns said end, a second linkage comprIsing an arm on and rigid with said end of said first torsion bar, a first spring means between the associated main frame and said arm for transmitting spring force through said first linkage to urge the rear of said associated support frame downwardly, a second spring means between the associated main frame and a surface of the associated support frame located between front and intermediate feed rolls for urging the front of said associated support frame downwardly, and slide-and-race means formed to confine limited displacements of said rear of said associated support frame to the vertical.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
186 words
A forage harvester feed roll assembly comprising: a pair of fixed main frames, a pair of support frames, front, intermediate and rear feed rolls journaled on and extending between said support frames, means for guiding the rears of the support frames and the rear feed roller for limited vertical displacement, a first torsion bar journaled in said main frames and positioned generally parallel to and above the rear feed rolls, dual linkages connecting the rears of said support frames to the ends of said torsion bar so that upward movement of one end of a rear feed roll turns the associated end of said torsion bar, dual spring means independently operating through said linkages to urge the rear ends of said support frames downwardly, a second torsion bar positioned parallel to the axis of said feed rolls and rigidly connected between said support frames at a point above and between the front and intermediate feed rolls, and second dual spring means independently urging the fronts of said support frames downwardly, said main frames being formed to limit downward displacement of the front and intermediate feed rolls.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
186 words
A forage harvester feed roll assembly comprising: a pair of fixed main frames, a pair of support frames, front, intermediate and rear feed rolls journaled on and extending between said support frames, means for guiding the rears of the support frames and the rear feed roller for limited vertical displacement, a first torsion bar journaled in said main frames and positioned generally parallel to and above the rear feed rolls, dual linkages connecting the rears of said support frames to the ends of said torsion bar so that upward movement of one end of a rear feed roll turns the associated end of said torsion bar, dual spring means independently operating through said linkages to urge the rear ends of said support frames downwardly, a second torsion bar positioned parallel to the axis of said feed rolls and rigidly connected between said support frames at a point above and between the front and intermediate feed rolls, and second dual spring means independently urging the fronts of said support frames downwardly, said main frames being formed to limit downward displacement of the front and intermediate feed rolls.