Patent ID: 7641415
Filing Date: 2010-01-05
Classification: A01B,F16D,Y10T

Abstract:
1. An automatic locking ball coupler of a power take off comprising: a ball keeper connected to the power take off and having a longitudinal axis and a plurality of circular openings in a cylindrical surface thereof; a plurality of locking balls received in the circular openings and movable radially to protrude inwardly through the circular openings; a ball collar having a cylindrical internal bore with the cylindrical ball keeper inside the bore, the ball collar having a plurality of internal circumferential rings and recesses between the rings; the ball collar biased to a coupled position in which the rings urge the locking balls to protrude inwardly through the circular openings to engage hemispherical pockets in an implement shaft, and wherein the ball collar can move against the bias in a first direction or in a second direction along the longitudinal axis to an uncoupled position in which the implement shaft urges the locking balls out into the recesses as the ball keeper moves axially over the implement shaft, preventing the locking balls from protruding inwardly through the circular openings; a control lever having a lower end connected to a pivoting linkage to swing the pivoting linkage fore and aft; and the pivoting linkage extending between a mounted pivot and a bearing collar connected to the ball collar, the pivoting linkage moving the bearing collar fore and aft to move the ball collar between the coupled position and the uncoupled position, the bearing collar being slidably mounted to the pivoting linkage so that it can move vertically with respect to the pivoting linkage.