POWER TAKE-OFF APPARATUS FOR TRACTOR

Abstract: The invention concerns a power take-off apparatus for a tractor. The power take-off apparatus comprises a power take-off (PTO) shaft (1) on which have been disposed two gear wheels (4,5) arranged to be freely rotatable and which operate independent of the speed of rotation of the tractor's traction wheels. The first gear wheel (4) has been arranged to rotate within a high speed range and the second gear wheel (5), within a low speed range. The PTO apparatus furthermore comprises two shaft pins (2,3) alternatively attachable to the PTO shaft (1), of which the first shaft pin (2) is intended for the high speed range and the second shaft pin (3), for the low speed range. When said second shaft pin (3) is attached to the PTO shaft (1), the shift sleeve (12) can be optionally coupled with said second gear wheel (5), but it is prevented from becoming coupled with said first gear wheel (4). When said first shaft pin (2) is connected to the PTO shaft (1), the shift sleeve (12) can be optionally coupled with the first or second gear wheel (4 or 5). On the PTO shaft (1) has furthermore been disposed a third gear wheel (25) arranged to be freely rotatable and arranged to operate at a speed dependent on the speed of rotation of the tractor's traction wheels. The shift sleeve (12) can be optionally coupled with said third gear wheel (25) independent of which one of the shaft pins (2 or 3) has been attached to the PTO shaft (1).

Description: The present invention generally concerns a power take-off (PTO) apparatus, more specifically a PTO apparatus as stated in the preamble of appended claims 1 and 3. A PTO apparatus of this type is disclosed in FR-A-2 415 023. Commonly, in prior art, tractors are provided, for working implements, appliances or equivalent to be connected to the tractors, with one or several PTO shafts over which the required power is transmitted to the implement or appliance attached to the tractor. The PTO shaft, or shafts, may be connected to the gearbox of the tractor over a suitable reduction gear so that the PTO shaft can be made to rotate at an expedient speed, or in an expedient speed range, which may be independent of the speed of rotation of the tractor's traction wheels or dependent thereon. One of the conventional PTO shaft designs is the kind in which the tractor is provided with one PTO shaft which can be connected over a reduction gear to rotate with a given speed of rotation which is dependent on the engine speed. It is simple to arrange with such a PTO shaft by the aid of suitable coupling members, a drive by which the PTO shaft can be rotated at a speed which is dependent on the speed of rotation of the tractor's traction wheels. The PTO shaft is in that instance optionally connectable to rotate either at a speed independent of the speed of rotation of the traction wheels or at a speed dependent thereon. Another conventional PTO arrangement is that in which the tractor is provided with two PTO shafts which are connectable to rotate at speeds which are independent of the speed of rotation of the traction wheels, but different from each other. One of the PTO shafts is then connectable to rotate in the so-called low speed range and the other, in the so-called high speed range. The shaft pins of said PTO shafts, from which the power is transferred to the working implements or equivalent, have then been shaped to be different, e.g. in the way that the diameters of said shaft pins are different and/or that the shaft pins have been provided with different splining. By such arrangements one achieves prevention of any working implement intended to be operated from the low speed shaft pin being connected to the high speed shaft pin. One more PTO design of prior art is that in which the tractor is provided with one PTO shaft which can be connected to rotate in two different speed ranges. To the PTO shaft must then for each speed range be connected a shaft pin of which the diameter and/or splining differs from that of the shaft pin assigned to the other speed range. The PTO shaft is part of a PTO gear transmission provided with a gear shift mechanism by means of which the PTO shaft can be connected to rotate either in the lower or the higher speed range. This shift mechanism is connected to a selector lever which is operated from the driver's cab of the tractor. It is however a notable drawback of such arrangements that the tractor driver may, if he so wishes, connect the lower speed range shaft pin to rotate at a speed which is in the higher speed range. If in such a case to the shaft pin has been attached a working implement which is only meant to be operated within the lower speed range, it is possible that said implement suffers damage because it is operated at an excessive speed of rotation. The object of the present invention is to provide a power take-off apparatus for a tractor by which are avoided the drawbacks associated with the designs known in the state of art which have just been described, and by which is achieved a remarkable improvement over any design of prior art. According to the invention, this obeject is achieved by means of a PTO apparatus of the type described by way of introduction, which further has the features stated in the characterising clause of appended claim 1. In an advantageous embodiment of the invention defined in appended claim 3, there has furthermore on the PTO shaft been disposed a third gear wheel arranged to be freely rotatable and which has been arranged to operate at a speed of rotation dependent on the speed of rotation of the tractor's traction wheels. The shift sleeve is then optionally connectable to said third gear wheel independent of which one of the shaft pins is attached to the PTO shaft. Further embodiments of the invention are defined in appended claims 2 and 4. The significant advantage of the design according to the invention over means of prior art is that when the lower speed range shaft pin is attached to the PTO shaft the PTO shaft cannot be connected to rotate within the higher speed range. Hereby one avoids any damage to the implements that are connected to the PTO shaft. Another significant advantage is that one and the same PTO shaft is connectable to rotate either at a speed independent of the speed of rotation of the traction wheels or at a speed dependent thereon. Next, the invention is more closely described with the aid of an embodiment example, reference being made to the figure of the attached drawing. In the figure, the power take-off shaft has been indicated with the reference numeral 1. The PTO shaft 1 has been arranged inside a gear shifting box, the housing of a reduction gear transmission or equivalent, wherein it has been rotatably carried by bearings 30 and 31. On the PTO shaft have been disposed, in the embodiment of Fig. 1, three gear wheels 4,5,25, to be freely rotatable, these gear wheels having been arranged to be alternatively coupled with the PTO shaft 1. Of said gear wheels, the first and second gear wheels 4 and 5 have been arranged to operate within speed ranges which are independent of the speed of rotation of the tractor's traction wheels and are mutually different, while the third gear wheel 25 has been arranged to rotate at a speed which is dependent on the speed of rotation of the tractor's traction wheels. In the embodiment of the figure, the first gear wheel 4 is the high speed range gear wheel, and the second gear wheel 5 is the gear wheel for the low speed range. On the PTO shaft 1 has been non-rotatably disposed a sleeve 10, upon which has been disposed an axially movable shift sleeve 12. The sleeve 10 is provided with coupling teeth 11, and the shift sleeve 12 is similarly provided with shift sleeve coupling teeth 15, said tooth sets 11 and 15 permitting axial movement of the shift sleeve 12 but preventing the shift sleeve 12 from rotating in relation to the sleeve 10. The gear wheels 4, 5 and 25 are each provided with coupling teeth so that the shift sleeve 12 is alternatively connectable either to cooperate with the coupling teeth 6 of the first gear wheel, with the coupling teeth 7 of the second gear wheel or with the coupling teeth 26 of the third gear wheel. To the PTO shaft 1 can be rigidly affixed two shaft pins: the first shaft pin 2, for the higher speed range, or the second shaft pin 3, for the low speed range. The first and second shaft pins 2 and 3 differ either regarding their splining and/or, as shown in the figure, regarding their diameter. In the PTO shaft 1 has been provided an axial bore 14, in this bore being disposed an axially displaceable rod 15, loaded with a spring 16 towards said shaft pins 2 or 3, respectively. In said first shaft pin 2 has been provided an axial recess 8, the rod 15 being arranged under effect of the spring 16 to enter this recess when said first shaft pin 2 has been attached to the PTO shaft 1. In said second shaft pin 3 no such recess has been provided: when the second shaft pin 3 has been attached to the PTO shaft 1, the rod 15 will rest, urged by the spring 16, against the end face 9 of the fixing flange of the second shaft pin 3. In the PTO shaft 1 has been provided at least one radially displaceable, radially extending pin 18, which in the situation depicted in the figure extends through the sleeve 10 so that it is in contact at one end with the rod 15 and at the opposite end, with the shift sleeve 12. In the shift sleeve 12 has been formed, for the pin 18, an axial groove 22, which enables the shift sleeve to be axially displaced in the situation depicted in the figure. Furthermore, a radially inwardly directed guide rim 23 has been formed in the groove 22. In the situation depicted in the figure, to the PTO shaft 1 has been attached the second shaft pin 3, which is intended for the low speed range. The rod 15 has then been urged by the spring 16 against the end face 9, of the fixing flange. In the situation depicted in the figure, the shift sleeve 12 is furthermore in the disengaged position, in which no one of the gear wheels 4,5,25 is coupled with the PTO shaft 1. It is possible, in the situation depicted in the figure, to move the shift sleeve 12 in the figure from the left toward the third gear wheel 25, which rotates at a speed dependent on the speed of rotation of the tractor's traction wheels. Thus, the shift sleeve can be moved to become coupled with the coupling teeth 26 on the third gear wheel, whereby the PTO shaft 1 and the second shaft pin 3 thereto attached will rotate at a speed dependent on the speed of the traction wheels. It is possible, on the other hand, to move the shift sleeve 12 from the disengaged position of the figure to the right, towards the first and second gear wheels 4 and 5. As was already observed, the first gear wheel 4 is intended for the high speed range and the second gear wheel 5, for the low speed range. When the shift sleeve 12 is moved to the right from the situation of the figure, the coupling teeth 13 on the shift sleeve will at first engage with the coupling teeth 7 of the second gear wheel 5, causing the PTO shaft 1 and the second shaft pin 3 thereto attached to rotate at the speed determined by the second gear wheel 5. From engagement with the coupling teeth 7 of the second gear wheel 5, the shift sleeve 12 can be moved further to the right in the figure, towards the first and second gear wheels 4 and ,5; hereby the shift sleeve moves into a disengaged position in which it is not coupled with any one of the gear wheels 4,5,25. As can be seen in the figure, there is an axial gap between the coupling teeth 6 of the first gear wheel and the coupling teeth 7 of the second gear wheel, into which the coupling teeth 13 of the shift sleeve may move in the disengaged position just described. From this disengaged position, the shift sleeve 12 cannot be moved further towards said first and second gear wheels, to become engaged with the coupling teeth 6 of the first gear wheel, because in said disengaged position the radial pin 18 lies against the guide rim 23 of the groove 22, whereby this rim prevents any movement of the shift sleeve into engagement with the coupling teeth 6 of the first gear wheel. It is thus understood that the PTO shaft cannot be connected to rotate within the high speed range when to the PTO shaft 1 has been attached the low speed range, second shaft pin 3. On the rod 15 has been provided a notch 17, or a diminished portion, as can be seen in the figure. When the first shaft pin 2 has been attached to the PTO shaft 1, this shaft pin being intended for the high speed range, the rod 15 is pushed by action of the spring 16 into the axial recess 8 provided in said first shaft pin 2. When the rod 15 is pushed into said axial recess 8, the notch 17 provided on the rod has moved into position in register with the radial pin 18. The shift sleeve 12 can now be moved to be coupled either with the coupling teeth 7 of the second gear whel 5 or with the coupling teeth 26 of the third gear wheel 25, as was already observed in the foregoing. It is thus understood that the PTO shaft 1 can be connected to rotate either at a speed dependent on the speed of rotation of the traction wheels or at a low speed independent thereof. In addition, the shift sleeve 12 may be moved axially to become engaged with the coupling teeth 6 of the first gear wheel. This has been rendered possible by means of the feature that, after the shift sleeve 12 has first been moved to become coupled with the coupling teeth 7 of the second gear wheel 5 and thence further to the right into the disengaged position, the shift sleeve can be moved from said disengaged position even further to the right because then the radial pin 18 will move inward, positively controlled by the guide rim 23 in the groove 22, radially inward and into the notch 17 provided on the rod 15. It is thus understood that when the first shaft pin 2, intended for the high speed range, has been attached to the PTO shaft 1 the PTO shaft 1 and the first shaft pin 2 thereto attached can be connected to rotate either at the speed in the high speed range determined by the first gear wheel 4 or at the low speed range speed determined by the second gear wheel 5, or at the speed determined by the third gear wheel 25 and which is dependent on the speed of the traction wheels. There has furthermore been provided a radial hole passing through the PTO shaft 1 and the sleeve 10, and in this hole has been disposed a radial pin 19 and a radial spring 20, these elements urging a ball 21 against the inner surface of the shift sleeve 12. In the shift sleeve 12, recesses have been provided for the ball 21, which the ball 21 may enter. This design is in itself of conventional type, and it is merely intended to keep the shift sleeve 12 in correct position axially when it is in the disengaged position or coupled to one of the tooth sets 6,7,26 of the first, second or third gear wheel 4, 5 or 25, respectively. The power take-off apparatus may according to the invention also be implemented in such a way that the third gear wheel 25 on the PTO shaft 1 is omitted. The PTO shaft may then be connected to rotate either within the high speed range determined by the first gear wheel 4 or within the low speed range determined by the second gear wheel 5, while in an embodiment of this type the PTO shaft 1 cannot be connected to rotate at a speed dependent on the speed of rotation of the tractor's traction wheels. In this case the so-called driving power take-off is lacking in the PTO apparatus.

Claims: A power take-off apparatus for a tractor, comprising a power take-off (PTO) shaft (1) provided in a gearbox, a reduction gear housing or equivalent, on which shaft there have been disposed at least two gear wheels (4, 5) arranged to be freely rotatable, whereof the first and second gear wheels (4, 5) have been arranged to operate within different speed ranges independent of the speed of rotation of the tractor's traction wheels in such way that the first gear wheel (4) is the gear wheel for the high speed range and the second gear wheel (5) is the gear wheel for the low speed range, two shaft pins (2, 3) belonging to said PTO apparatus which are alternatively connectible to the PTO shaft (1) and which differ at least regarding their longitudinal splining and/or their diameter and of which the first shaft pin (2) is intended for the high speed range and the second shaft pin (3) for the low speed range, and a sleeve (10) belonging to said PTO apparatus, which is non-rotatably connected to the PTO shaft (1) and upon which there has been disposed a shift sleeve (12) non-rotatable in relation to the sleeve (10) and movable in axial direction, a central axial bore (14) being provided in the PTO shaft (1), in which bore there has been disposed an axially movable rod (15) which is loaded by a spring (16) towards the shaft pin (2 or 3) coupled with the PTO shaft (1), and when said second shaft pin (3) is coupled with the PTO shaft (1), the rod (15) is displaced, against the force of the spring (16), so that the shift sleeve (12) is prevented from becoming coupled with said first gear wheel (4), wherein in the PTO shaft (1) there has been provided at least one radial pin (18) extending from the axial bore (14) through the sleeve (10) and movable in radial direction in such manner that said pin (18), when said second shaft pin (3) is coupled with the PTO shaft (1), is displaced into such a position that the shift sleeve (12) can be optionally coupled at least with said second gear wheel (5) but is prevented from becoming coupled with said first gear wheel (4), and wherein in the rod (15) there has been provided a notch (17) or a diminished portion for the pin (18), characterised in that the pin (18) is positively guided at one end by the rod (15) and at the opposite end by the shift sleeve (12), and that in the shift sleeve (12) there has been provided for said radial pin (18) an inside axial groove (22) having a radially inwards extending guide rim (23), so that when said first shaft pin (2) is coupled with the PTO shaft (1), the radial pin (18) has been arranged to move under positive control by said guide rim (23) into said notch (17) so that the shift sleeve (12) can be optionally coupled at least with the first or second gear wheel (4 or 5). PTO apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first shaft pin (2) is provided with an axial recess (8) into which the rod (15) can be pushed in order to bring said notch (17) into register with the pin (18) in axial direction. A power take-off apparatus for a tractor, comprising a power take-off (PTO) shaft (1) provided in a gearbox, a reduction gear housing or equivalent, on which shaft there have been disposed gear wheels (4, 5) arranged to be freely rotatable and to operate within different speed ranges independent of the speed of rotation of the tractor's traction wheels in such way that the first gear wheel (4) is the gear wheel for the high speed range and the second gear wheel (5) is the gear wheel for the low speed range, two shaft pins (2, 3) belonging to said PTO apparatus which are alternatively connectible to the PTO shaft (1), of which the first shaft pin (2) is intended for the high speed range and the second shaft pin (3) for the low speed range, a sleeve (10) belonging to said PTO apparatus, which is non-rotatably connected to the PTO shaft (1) and upon which there has been disposed a shift sleeve (12) non-rotatable in relation to the sleeve (10) and movable in axial direction, a central axial bore (14) being provided in the PTO shaft (1), in which bore there has been disposed an axially movable rod (15) which is loaded by a spring (16) towards the shaft pin (2 or 3) coupled with the PTO shaft (1), and when said second shaft pin (3) is coupled with the PTO shaft (1), the rod (15) is displaced, against the force of the spring (16), so that the shift sleeve (12) can be coupled at least with said second gear wheel (5) but is prevented from becoming coupled with said first gear wheel (4), and when said first shaft pin (2) is coupled with the PTO shaft (1), the shift sleeve (12) can be optionally coupled at least with the first or the second gear wheel (4 or 5), characterised in that on the PTO shaft (1) there has furthermore been disposed a third gear wheel (25) which is arranged to be freely rotatable and to operate at a speed dependent on the speed of rotation of the tractor's traction wheels. PTO apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the shift sleeve (12) is optionally connectible to said third gear wheel (25) independent of which one of the shaft pins (2 or 3) is coupled with the PTO shaft (1).

Inventors: NILSSON, LARS, VILEN, BENGT, Vilén, Bengt
Applicants: VALMET OY
Application year: 1987
Main classification: B60K17
IPC codes: B60K17