Means for controlling discharge door movement

Claim 2

In an agricultural machine having a mobile frame, a crop-receiving container on the frame and including a discharge opening, a door hinged at its lower portion to the container and movable between open and closed positions as respects said opening; the improvement residing in means for controlling movement of the door between its open and closed position, comprising: a swingable bell crank having a pair of arms carried by the container for movement between first and second positions; a guide carried by the container above the door hinge; a cable trained over the guide and connected between one bell crank arm and the door for incurring opening of the door as the member moves toward its first position and closing of the door as the member returns toward its second position; and means movable by the other bell crank arm for engaging the cable to increase the tensioning force transferred to the cable by the bell crank as the bell crank moves.

Claim 3

The invention defined in claim 1 wherein the means movable includes an arcuate part carried by the other bell crank arm, said part bowed away from the cable.

Claim 4

The invention defined in claim 2 further characterized by the provision of a yieldable arcuate part having two ends with one end only fixed to the bell crank arm.

Claim 5

The invention defined in claim 3 wherein a lost motion connection secures the other end of the arcuate part to the bell crank arm.

Claim 6

In an agricultural machine having a mobile frame, a crop-receiving container on the frame and including a discharge opening, a door hinged at its lower position to the container and movable between open and closed positions as respects said opening; the improvement residing in means for controlling movement of the door between its open and closed position comprising: a swingable bell crank having a pair of arms carried by the container for movement between first and second positions; a guide carried by the container above the door hinge; a cable trained over the guide and connected between one bell crank arm and the door for incurring opening of the door as the member moves toward its first position and closing of the door as the member returns towards its second position; and means including a shock absorbing element carried by and movable with the other bell crank arm for engaging the cable to increase the tensioning force transferred to the cable by the bell crank as said bell crank moves.

Claim 7

In an agricultural machine having a mobile frame, a crop-receiving container on the frame and including a discharge opening, a door hinged at its lower position to the container and movable between open and closed positions as respects said opening; the improvement residing in means for controlling movement of the door between its open and closed position comprising: a swingable bell crank having a pair of arms carried by the container for movement between first and second positions; a guide carried by the container above the door hinge; a cable trained over the guide and connected between one bell crank arm and the door for incurring opening of the door as the member moves toward its first position and closing of the door as the member returns towards its second position; and means including a shock absorbing element carried by and movable with the other bell crank arm for engaging the cable to increase the tensioning force transferred to the cable by the bell crank as said bell crank moves.

Claim 8

The invention defined in claim 5 wherein the shock absorbing element includes an arcuate portion bowed away from the flexible element.

Claim 9

The invention defined in claim 6 further characterized by the provision of a yieldable arcuate part having two ends with one end only fixed to the bell crank arm.

Claim 10

The invention defined in claim 7 wherein a lost motion connection secures the other end of the arcuate part to the bell crank arm.

Claim 11

In an agricultural machine having a mobile frame, a crop-receiving container carried by the frame and including a discharge opening, a door hinged at its lower portion to the container and movable between open and closed positions as respects said opening; the improvement residing in means for controlling movement of the door between its open and closed position, comprising: a flexible element connected at one end to an upper portion of the door; a movable member on the container and connected to the other end of the flexible element for relaxing said flexible element as the door moves to its open position and for tensioning said element to move the door to its closed position; and an arcuate part for applying additional tensioning to the flexible element, carried by said member and movable therewith, fixed at its one end, having a lost motion connection at its other end and being of resilient material so as to yield upon engagement with the flexible element, and bowed away from the flexible element so as to apply additional tensioning to said element to assure door closing as the member moves the flexible element and the door towards a closed position.

Claim 12

In an agricultural machine having a mobile frame, a crop-receiving container carried by the frame and including a discharge opening, a door hinged at its lower portion to the container and movable between open and closed positions as respects said opening; the improvement residing in means for controlling movement of the door between its open and closed position, comprising: a flexible element connected at one end to an upper portion of the door; a movable member on the container and connected to the other end of the flexible element for relaxing said flexible element as the door moves to its open position and for tensioning said element to move the door to its closed position; and an arcuate part for applying additional tensioning to the flexible element, carried by said member and movable therewith, fixed at its one end, having a lost motion connection at its other end and being of resilient material so as to yield upon engagement with the flexible element, and bowed away from the flexible element so as to apply additional tensioning to said element to assure door closing as the member moves the flexible element and the door towards a closed position.

Claim 13

The invention defined in claim 9 wherein the movable member is a bell crank having two arms, one arm connected to the flexible element, and the other arm carrying the arcuate part.

Claim 14

The invention defined in claim 9 wherein the flexible element is a cable, the movable member is a bell crank having a first and second arm and the invention is further provided with a guide carried by the container over which the cable is trained and interconnects one bell crank arm and the door for incurring opening and closing of said door.