Elastomeric hinge for a swingable agricultural machine element

• US 3,881,303 A
• Filed: 07/12/1973
• Issued: 05/06/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bobby Gene Sawyer, Jerry Lee Krafka, Ralph August Gerhardt
• Original Assignee: Bobby Gene Sawyer, Jerry Lee Krafka, Ralph August Gerhardt
• Inventors: Gerhardt, Ralph August, Krafka, Jerry Lee, Sawyer, Bobby Gene
• Primary Examiner(s): Mancene, Louis G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Eskovitz, J. N.
• Application Number:
  US05/378,729
• Time in Patent Office: 663 Days
• Field of Search: 56/192,DIG.1,14.9,15.3,1 16/150
• US Class Current: 56/192
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 75/00 Accessories for harvesters or mowers

Abstract

A mower-conditioner has an elongated stationary member and an elongated shield or cover swingably mounted on the stationary member by means of an elongated, normally flat, flexible element, made of reinforced elastomeric material, such as a section of tire carcass or rubber belting, which extends the length of the swingable member and functions as a hinge that biases the swingable member toward a position wherein the flexible element is flat, the flexible element bending to permit the swinging movement of the cover or shield. The swingable member is provided with an elongated slot extending along the edge of the swingable member adjacent the stationary member, one longitudinal edge of the flexible element being disposed in the slot, which is crimped to a lesser thickness than the flexible element to attach the flexible element to the swingable member.

Claims

1. In an agricultural machine having an elongated sttationary member and an elongated swingable member having a longitudinal edge disposed adjacent to the stationary member, the combination therewith of improved hinge means connecting the swingable member to the stationary member for swinging about said edge and comprising:

at least one elongated, normally flat, flexible element primarily made of elastomeric material;

means connecting the flexible element to the stationary member substantially along the length of the element adjacent one longitudinal edge with the portion of one side of the element adjacent said edge flat against the stationary element;

an elongated slot extending longitudinally along the longitudinal edge of the swingable member, the other longitudinal edge of the flexible element being tightly received in the slot to clamp the swingable member to the resilient element, whereby the flexible element bends about a longitudinal axis between its opposite edges to permit the swingable member to swing relative to the stationary member about said axis.

2. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein the flexible element is made of tire carcass.

3. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein the flexible element is made of rubber belting.

4. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein the swingable member comprises a cover that is open when the flexible element is in its flat, normal condition, and having latch means for retaining the cover in a closed condition against the bias of the deformed flexible member.

5. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein the swingable member comprises an elongated deflector shield generally vertically depending from the fixed member when the flexible element is in its normal, flat condition and swingable to alternate positions when the flexible element is flexed, and means for retaining the swingable member in its alternate positions against the bias of the deformed flexible element.

6. The invention defined in claim 5 wherein the deflector shield is located in the crop discharge trajectory in a harvesting machine, the crop successively engaging the fixed member, the flexible element and deflector shield when the shield is in its vertical position.

7. In a harvesting machine having a frame and a drive means mounted on the frame, the combination therewith of an improved hinge means for pivotally mounting a cover adjacent the drive means for swinging between an open position wherein its provides access to the drive means and a closed position wherein it shields the drive means, said cover including an elongated edge, said hinge comprising:

at least one elongated, normally flat, flexible element, primarily made of elastomeric material and normally having a generally rectangular cross section;

means connecting one longitudinal edge of the flexible element to the frame; and

means connecting the opposite longitudinal edge of the flexible element to the cover, the flexible element bending between its opposite edges as the cover swings between its alternate positions.

8. The invention defined in claim 7 wherein the means connecting the flexible element to the cover includes an eLongated slot extending longitudinally along the edge of the cover, the longitudinal edge of the flexible element being disposed in the slot and the slot being squeezed to clamp the edge of the flexible element in the slot.

9. The invention defined in claim 7 wherein the flexible element is made of reinforced rubber.

10. The invention defined in claim 9 wherein the cover is in its open position when the flexible element is in its flat condition, the flexible element being resiliently deformed when the cover is in its closed position so that the flexible element exerts a biasing force tending to swing the cover to its open condition.