OPERATING A ROTARY MOWER USING GEARBOX TEMPERATURE

• US 20090188224A1
• Filed: 01/29/2008
• Published: 07/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Highline Manufacturing Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Highline Manufacturing Ltd.
• Inventors: Assie, Don, Wilson, Cam, Neudorf, Blake
• Application Number:
  US12/021,973
• Publication Number:
  US 20090188224A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 56/7
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 75/182 Avoiding overload

Abstract

With a rotary mower having a driveline including a plurality of gearboxes, a method of operating the rotary mower includes providing a sensor operative to measure a temperature of each gearbox in the driveline; monitoring the temperature in each gear box; and operating the mower to maintain the temperature of each gearbox at a level below a maximum acceptable temperature.

Claims

1. A method of operating a rotary mower, the rotary mower comprising a driveline including a main drive shaft connecting a tractor power take off to a middle gearbox, wherein the middle gearbox drives a middle blade and the middle gearbox drives right and left gearboxes and the middle gearbox is rated to transfer a total power requirement therethrough, and the right and left gearboxes are rated to transfer a partial power requirement therethrough, and wherein the partial power requirement is less than one half of the total power requirement, the method comprising:

providing a sensor operative to measure a temperature of each gearbox in the driveline;

monitoring the temperature in each gearbox; and

operating the mower to maintain the temperature of each gearbox at a level below a maximum acceptable temperature.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing an alarm operative to alert an operator that the temperature of a gearbox exceeds the maximum acceptable temperature.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein operating the mower to maintain the temperature of each gearbox at a level below a maximum acceptable temperature comprises, when the temperature of a gearbox exceeds the maximum acceptable temperature, one of reducing a travel speed of the mower and increasing a cutting height of the mower.

4. (canceled)

5. (canceled)

6. A method of operating a rotary mower, the rotary mower comprising a main drive shaft connecting a tractor power take off to a middle gearbox, wherein the middle gearbox drives a middle blade and the middle gearbox drives right and left gearboxes and the middle gearbox is rated to transfer a total power requirement therethrough, and the right and left gearboxes are rated to transfer a partial power requirement therethrough, and wherein the partial power requirement is less than one half of the total power requirement, the method comprising:

providing a sensor operative to measure a temperature of each gearbox;

monitoring the temperature in each gear box; and

one of reducing a travel speed of the mower and increasing a cutting height of the mower when the temperature in one of the gearboxes increases to a maximum acceptable temperature.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising providing an alarm operative to alert an operator that the temperature of a gearbox exceeds the maximum acceptable temperature.