Agricultural implement, in particular a mowing machine

• US 6,470,658 B1
• Filed: 10/24/2000
• Issued: 10/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Wübbels, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): BINDA, GREGORY JOHN
• Application Number:
  US09/695,336
• Time in Patent Office: 735 Days
• Field of Search: 464/17, 464/42-48, 56/113, 56/114, 56/115, 56/117, 56/135, 56/138, 192/113.1
• US Class Current: 56/11.7
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 69/08 Clutches
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2300/0214 Oil or fluid cooling
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 43/215 with flat friction surfaces, e.g. discs
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 7/02 of the friction type

Abstract

A self-propelled forage harvester has a relatively wide mowing implement attached to its forward end and including right and left hand rotary mowing and drawing in drums together with right and left hand rotary conveying drums. A drive transmission for driving these drums includes a pair of identical slip clutches having respective first sections defined in principal part by a fluid tight cylindrical container having opposite end plates and through the respective centers of which a drive element extends, with the drive element of one clutch being coupled to the drive element of the other clutch by a central drive shaft assembly. The clutches include respective second sections which are in the form of a housing which has a ring-like hub at one end adapted for being coupled to an associated right-angle transmission unit that is in turn coupled for driving the mowing and drawing in drums at that side. The first and second sections of each clutch are drivingly interconnected by a pair of friction disks mounted for rotation with the second section and respectively biased into friction locked engagement with the opposite end plates forming part of the container by a spring assembly mounted in an end of the housing remote from the ring-like hub.

Claims

1. In an agricultural implement including at least one rotary driven tool, a drive coupled to said rotary driven tool including a slip clutch, the improvement comprising:

said slip clutch including first and second sections arranged concentrically to and adapted for rotation about an axis;

said first section including a fluid tight container adapted for containing a liquid coolant and having at least one end plate;

a friction disk mounted to said second section for rotation therewith and for movement toward and away from said at least one end plate;

a biasing arrangement mounted to said second section for rotation with said friction disc and being mounted for yieldably frictionally locking said friction disk in engagement with said at least one end plate with a predetermined axial force,

whereby when said clutch is overloaded said friction disk and said at least one end plate will rotate relative to each other and will generate heat that is dissipated by said liquid coolant.

2. The agricultural implement defined in claim 1 wherein said second section includes a wall spaced radially outward from, and extending about, said fluid tight container to thereby form an annular space between said fluid tight container and said wall so as to aid in heat dissipation.

3. The agricultural implement defined in claim 2 wherein the mounting of said friction disk to said second section includes a disk-like backing plate fixed to said friction disk and having axially extending tabs at its periphery;

and said wall being provided with axial slots receiving said tabs for permitting the backing plate, and hence said friction disk, to move axially but not rotationally relative to said wall.

4. The agricultural implement defined in claim 1 wherein said fluid tight container has opposite ends defining said at least one end plate and a second end plate and said second section having a second friction disc mounted thereto for rotation therewith while fixing it axially at a location engaged with said second end plate;

and said first section being mounted for axial movement toward and away from said second section, whereby said biasing arrangement also maintains a locking engagement of said second friction disc with said second end plate with a predetermined axial force.

5. The agricultural implement defined in claim 4 wherein said second section includes a hub at one end which defines an annular surface facing toward said second end plate;

said mounting of said at least one and second friction disks respectively including first and second disk-like backing plates each being provided with axially extending tabs at its respective periphery;

said second section having a wall spaced radially outward from, and extending about, said fluid tight container so as to define an annular space between said wall and said container; and

said wall being provided with axially extending slots receiving said tabs for axial movement therein but so as to prevent relative rotational movement of said backing plates.

6. The agricultural implement as defined in claim 5 wherein said second friction disk and said second backing plate are sandwiched between said second endplate and said hub.

7. The agricultural implement as defined in claim 1 and including a second rotary driven tool adapted for being driven separately from said first-named rotary driven tool;

a second drive coupled for driving said second rotary driven tool and including a second slip clutch identical in construction to said first-mentioned slip clutch; and

a drive shaft arrangement extending axially through said first-named and second slip clutches and including respective drive connections with said first clutch sections of said first-named and second slip clutches, with said first clutch sections respectively being coupled for driving said second clutch sections of said first-named and second slip clutches through said at least one friction disk of each clutch.

8. The agricultural implement as defined in claim 7 wherein said first-named and second slip clutches are arranged in symmetrical fashion relative to a vertical center plane extending therebetween in perpendicular relationship to the axis of rotation of the clutches;

said second section of each of said clutches having a hub formed at one end;

the drive for the first-named rotary driven tool including a first angle drive having an input shaft arranged concentric to said drive shaft arrangement and coupled to said first angle drive; and

the drive for said second rotary driven tool including a second angle drive having an input shaft arranged concentric to said drive shaft arrangement and