Tractor power-takeoff engagement limit

Abstract: An interlock mechanism (50) for use on a tractor (10) to limit the engagement of the tractor power-takeoff (20) only when the tractor engine (15) is running at or below a predetermined speed of operation is disclosed wherein an interlock clip (50) interconnects the control levers (31 resp. 40) for the engine throttle (16) and the power-takeoff engagement control (20) such that the power-takeoff control lever (40) is locked against moving into an ON position whenever the throttle control lever (31) has been moved to a predetermined position. The clip (50) includes a first member (52) having a cam surface (53) thereon engageable with the throttle control lever (31) and a second member (54) movable into the path of movement of the PTO control lever (40) whenever the first member (52) is moved into a lockout position by the throttle control lever (31). The clip (50) also includes a spring (55) to permit yielding movement of the first and second members (52, 54) under conditions where the PTO control lever (40) is moved into the ON position and the throttle (16) is subsequently moved into the predetermined position.

Description: The present invention relates generally to tractor controls preventing engagement of a power-takeoff assembly when the engine speed exceeds a predetermined amount and, more particularly, to an interlock between the engine throttle and the power-takeoff engagement control to restrict engagement of the tractor power-takeoff. An inherent problem with typical tractor power-takeoff drives on agricultural tractors is that the PTO clutch is vulnerable to operator abuse either by engaging the clutch to start the power-takeoff with the engine running at maximum speed and/or by the engagement of the clutch with a stalled output receiving the rotational power from the PTO. Current PTO control designs therefore require the provision of a clutch with sufficient capacity to dissipate peak energies associated with a full stall and with full speed PTO clutch engagement. This requirement necessitates the specification of a clutch in the power-takeoff design which is much larger and more expensive than that required for normal, low-speed and/or moderate load, PTO engagements and continued operations. In US-A-4.103.652, a vehicle transmission already has been disclosed comprising a power-takeoff device and employing a governor or regulator means for regulating the engine speed during the use of the power-takeoff device. The regulator means is operatively connected to the engine throttle on the one hand and the power-takeoff device on the other hand and is operable to prevent overspeeding of some driven item of auxiliary equipment, such as a hydraulic pump, when the load thereon decreases. The arrangement suffers from the disadvantage however that the power-takeoff device is engageable under all operating conditions of the auxiliary equipment and of the engine. It would be desirable to provide a means for limiting the engagement of the tractor power-takeoff so that the PTO clutch can only be engaged at times when the engine speed is at a reasonable level, thereby eliminating the need to an oversized clutch in the power-takeoff driveline. Since the energy absorbed by the PTO clutch is proportional to the square of the rotational input speed, limiting the input speed at which the clutch is to be engaged to two-thirds of the rated engine speed would result in the energy requirements of the PTO clutch to be reduced by a factor of greater than fifty percent. It therefore is the objective of the present invention to provide a tractor control interlock preventing the engagement of the tractor power-takeoff when the speed of operation of the engine is greater than a reasonable, predetermined amount. According to the invention, a tractor is provided comprising: a frame; an engine supported by the frame to provide operative power to the tractor and comprising a throttle operatively associated therewith to vary, upon movement thereof, the speed of operation of the engine; a power-takeoff means selectively operatively engageable with the engine for the selective provision of rotational power to an output shaft; a control mechanism operatively connected to the throttle and the power-takeoff means to permit the remote operative control thereof; and means operatively associated with said throttle and said power-takeoff means for linking the operations thereof with one another. Said tractor is characterized in that the linking means comprises an interlock means operable to prevent an operative engagement of the power-takeoff means with the engine for the delivery of rotational power from said engine to said output shaft whenever the engine is operating at a speed of operation greater than a predetermined speed of operation. Preferably, the interlock means comprises an interlock clip which interconnects the control levers for the engine throttle and the power-takeoff engagement control such that the power-takeoff control lever is locked against moving into an ON position whenever the throttle control lever has been moved to a predetermined position. The interlock clip includes a first member having a cam surface thereon engageable with the throttle control lever and a second member movable into the path of movement of the PTO control lever whenever the first member is moved into a lockout position by the throttle control lever. The clip also includes a spring to permit yielding movement of the first and second members under conditions where the PTO control lever is moved into the ON position and the throttle is subsequently moved into the predetermined position. In general, allowing engagement of the tractor power-takeoff only when the tractor engine is running at or below a predetermined speed of operation is advantageous in that the clutch size required for power-takeoff drives can be optimized and in that any given power-takeoff clutch design can be utilized with a greater power-takeoff power level. A tractor in accordance with the present invention will now be described in greater detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which : Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a tractor incorporating the principles of the instant invention; Figure 2 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of the control mechanism in the operator's cab taken along lines 2-2 of Figure 1 to show a front elevational view of the throttle control lever and the adjacent PTO engagement control lever; Figure 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the control mechanism taken along the lines 3-3 of Figure 2 and showing different positions of the throttle control lever and the PTO engagement control lever. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the control mechanism taken along lines 4-4 of Figure 3 to provide a top-plan view of the interlock clip interengaging the throttle control lever and the PTO engagement control lever; Figure 5 is a view similar to that of Figure 4 except that the throttle control lever has been moved into the SLOW position; Figure 6 is a view similar to those of Figures 4 and 5 with the throttle control lever being moved into the SLOW position and the PTO engagement control lever being moved to the OFF position; and Figure 7 is a view similar to those of Figures 4 to 6 with the throttle control lever moved to the predetermined position effecting a movement of the interlock clip to restrain movement of the PTO engagement control lever from the OFF position. Referring to the drawings and, particularly, to Figure 1, a side elevational view of a tractor incorporating the principles of the instant invention can be seen. The tractor 10 includes an operator's cab 11 mounted on a frame 12 moveably supported over the ground G by wheels 13. The tractor 10 further includes an engine 15 mounted on the frame 12 to provide operative power for the tractor 10. The engine 15 is provided with a conventional throttle 16 movable to vary the speed of operation of the engine 15 in a known manner. The rotational output of the engine 15 is transferred to a transmission 18 by a shaft 17 where driving power is transferred to the wheels 13 by drive shafts 19a, 19b, and to a power-takeoff assembly 20 via a drive shaft 21. The power-takeoff assembly 20 shown in Figure 1 incorporates a transfer box 22 having an output shaft 23 positioned for conventional engagement with an implement to be detachably connected to the hitch 29 in a known and conventional manner. As one skilled in the art will readily realize, the output shaft 23 provides rotational power to the implement (not shown) when connected thereto. The power-takeoff assembly 20 is also provided with an engagement control 25 movably operable to turn the power-takeoff assembly 20 on and off. Referring now to Figures 1 to 3, the control mechanism 30 positioned in the operator's cab 11 to permit the remote control of both the throttle 16 of the engine 15 and the engagement control 25 of the power-takeoff assembly 20, can best be seen. The control mechanism 30 includes a throttle control lever 31 movable within a slot 36 formed in a control panel 35 between a SLOW or idle position 32, shown in phantom in Figure 3, and a FAST or high-speed position 33, also shown in phantom in Figure 3, wherein the control lever 31 is positioned at the opposing end of the slot from the SLOW position 32. At a preselected position 34, the throttle control lever 31 moves the throttle 16 to a position wherein the engine 15 is operated at a predetermined speed of operation above which it is not desirable to permit the power-takeoff assembly 20 to be engaged. The control lever 31 is connected to a pivot plate 38 having a cable 39 attached thereto and interconnected with the throttle 16 to effect movement thereof. The control mechanism 30 also includes a PTO control lever 40 connected to a pivot plate 48 having a cable 49 attached thereto and extending for connection with the engagement control 25 to effect movement thereof to turn the power-takeoff assembly on or off. The PTO control lever 40 is movable within a slot 46 formed in the control panel 35 between an OFF position 41, shown in phantom in Figure 3, and an ON position 43, shown in solid lines in Figure 3. The movement of the PTO control lever 40 from the OFF position 41 to the ON position 43 effects engagement of the power-takeoff assembly 20 to permit the transfer of rotational power from engine 15 through the transmission 18 to the implement (not shown) operatively connected to the output shaft 23. Referring now to Figures 2 to 7, it can be seen that the control mechanism 30 is also provided with an interlock clip 50 positioned between the throttle control lever 31 and the PTO control lever 40 for engagement therewith. The interlock clip 50 includes a first member 52 and a second member 54 pivotally supported from the control panel 35 by a pivot bolt 51. The first member 52 has a spring 55 affixed thereto and engageable with the second member 54 to urge a pivotal movement of the second member 54 away from the first member 52. A limit pin 57 affixed to the first member 52 and movable within a slot 58 formed in the second member 54 limits the extent of movement of the second member 54 relative to the first member 52. The spring 55 is collapsible to permit a movement of the second member 54 toward the first member 52. A second spring 59 is mounted on the control panel 35 for engagement with the first member 52 to urge the first member 52 toward engagement with the throttle control lever 31. The spring 59 is yieldable to permit movement of the first member 52 away from the throttle control lever 31. For compactness, the second member 54 is constructed to be retractable within the body of the first member 52 when the second member 54 is rotated toward the first member 52. The first member 52 is provided with a cam surface 53 engageable with the throttle control lever 31 to effect pivotal movement of the first member 52 about its pivot 51 away from the throttle control lever 31 as will be described in greater detail below. The second member 54 is constructed such that the positioning thereof into the path of movement of the PTO control lever 40, when the PTO control lever 40 is in the OFF position 41, will prevent movement of the PTO control lever 40 out of said OFF position 41 as the PTO control lever 40 will engage a stop 56 on the second member 54 by making such attempt. The operation of the interlock clip 50 to limit the engagement of the power-takeoff assembly 20 can best be seen in Figures 3 to 7. Referring first to Figure 6, it can be seen that the positioning of the throttle control lever 31 in its SLOW position 32 permits the first member 52 of the interlock clip 50 to be urged into engagement therewith by the second spring 59. The spring 55 urges the second member 54 away from the first member 52 to the extent permitted by the limit pin 57. However, the PTO control lever 40 is movable within the slot 46 without engagement with the stop 56 of the second member 54 allowing the PTO control lever 40 to be moved from the OFF position 41 to the ON position 43 for engagement of the power-takeoff assembly 20. Accordingly, the positioning of the throttle control lever 31 at or near the SLOW position 32 slows the speed of operation of the engine 15 to an acceptable level for efficient engagement of the power-takeoff assembly 20 without requiring an oversized PTO clutch (not shown). As a result, the movement of the PTO control lever 40 is unrestricted by the interlock clip 50 when the throttle control lever 31 is at or near the SLOW position 32. As can be seen comparing Figures 5 and 6, the PTO control lever 40 is free to move within the slot 46. The movement of the throttle control lever 31 to the preset position 34 corresponds to a predetermined speed of operation of the engine 15, due to a corresponding movement of the throttle 16, at a speed of operation deemed unacceptable for the efficient engagement of the power-takeoff assembly 20. The movement of the throttle control lever 31 from the SLOW position 32 to the preset position 34 causes the throttle control lever 31 to engage the cam surface 53 on the first member 52, and effect a subsequent pivotal movement of the first member 52 away from the throttle control lever 31 into a lockout position, compressing the second spring 59. If the PTO control lever 40 is in its OFF position 41 when the throttle control lever 31 is moved to its preset position 34, as depicted in Figure 7, the spring 55 transfers the pivotal movement induced into the first member 52 by the throttle control lever 31 to the second member 54 which positions the second member 54 into a lockout position within the path of movement of the PTO control lever 40. Any subsequent attempts to move the PTO control lever 40 from the OFF position 41 to the ON position 43 will cause the PTO control lever 40 to engage with the stop 56 on the second member 54 and prevent the movement of the PTO control lever 40 from the off position 41. Accordingly, the interlock clip 50 will prevent a subsequent engagement of the power-takeoff assembly 20 after the throttle 16 has been moved to cause an operation of the engine 15 at a speed of operation greater than a predetermined limit. Under conditions where the PTO control lever 40 has been previously moved from the OFF position 41 into the ON position 43 prior to the movement of the throttle control lever 31 to the preset position 34, as depicted in Figures 3 and 4, the second member 54 will impact into the PTO control lever 40 and effect a collapsing of the spring 55 when the first member 52 is pivotally moved away from the throttle control lever 31, collapsing the second spring 59. Accordingly, the interlock clip 50 does not prevent a continued operation of the power-takeoff assembly 20 when the throttle 16 is moved to operate the engine 15 at a speed of operation greater than the predetermined limit. However, once the throttle control lever 31 has been moved to the preset position 34 or any position between the preset position 34 and the FAST position 33, a movement of the PTO control lever 41 from the ON position 43 to the OFF position 41 will permit the second member 54 to pivotally move relative to the first member 52, as urged by the spring 55, and place the stop 56 into the path of movement of the PTO control lever 40, thereby preventing a re-engagement of the power-takeoff assembly 20 until the throttle control lever 31 has been returned to a position between the preset position 34 and the SLOW position 32, whereupon the second member 54 will be rotated out of the path of movement of the PTO control lever 40 as depicted in Figure 6. In operation, the operator of the tractor 10 pulling an implement (not shown) detachably connected to the hitch 29 and operably connected to the output shaft 53 of the power-takeoff assembly 20 can effect a transfer of rotational power from the engine 15 to the implement (not shown) by throttling the engine 15 down to an acceptable level, as shown in Figure 6, and then moving the PTO lever 40 from the OFF position 41 into the ON position 43, as shown in Figure 5, thereby moving the engagement control 25 to engage the power-takeoff assembly 20 for the transfer of rotational power from the engine 15 to the attached implement (not shown). Once the PTO control lever 40 has been moved into the ON position 43 and the implement (not shown) is being operated, the subsequent moving of the throttle control lever 31 to the preset position 34 or beyond to the FAST position 33 will not affect the operation of the power-takeoff assembly 20, as shown in Figure 4. However, the movement of the PTO control lever 40 from the ON position 43 back to the OFF position 41, while the throttle control lever 31 is between the preset position 34 and the FAST position 33, permits the second member 54 to be pivotally moved into the path of movement of the PTO control lever 40 in its slot 46, as shown in Figure 7. Accordingly, any re-engagement of the power-takeoff assembly 20 will require a movement of the throttle control lever 31 back to the SLOW position 32 as shown in Figure 6, whereupon the PTO control lever 40 can be moved back to the ON position 43. By limiting the speed of operation of the engine 15 for engagement of the power-takeoff assembly 20, the power-takeoff assembly 20 can be designed with a clutch (not shown) to more efficiently handle the engagement of the power-takeoff assembly 20. One skilled in the art will readily realize that an electronic control could be provided to monitor the actual engine speed and permit engagement of the PTO clutch only when the engine speed is below a preset value. Such an electronic device, would be the equivalent of the mechanical interlock described above. By way of specific example, the throttle control lever 31 at the SLOW position 32 would idle an engine having a maximum rated engine speed of 2150 RPM at the FAST position 33. The throttle control lever 31 would first engage the cam surface 53 of the first member 52 when the engine is operated at about 1000 RPM. At the preset position 34, where the throttle control lever 31 has pivotally moved the first member into a lockout position compressing the spring 59, the predetermined speed of operation of the engine is about 1300 RPM above which engagement of the PTO clutch is undesirable. While the preferred structures, in which the principles of the present invention have been incorporated, are described above and are shown in the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the particular details as described above and shown in said drawings, but that, in fact, widely different means may be employed in the practice of the broader aspects of the invention.

Claims: A tractor (10) comprising : a frame (12); an engine (15) supported by the frame (12) to provide operative power to the tractor (10) and comprising a throttle (16) operatively associated therewith to vary, upon movement thereof, the speed of operation of the engine (15); a power-takeoff means (20) selectively operatively engageable with the engine (15) for the selective provision of rotational power to an output shaft (23); a control mechanism (30) operatively connected to the throttle (16) and the power-takeoff means (20) to permit the remote operative control thereof; and means (50) operatively associated with said throttle (16) and said power-takeoff means (20) for linking the operations thereof with one another; and the tractor (10) being characterized in that the linking means (50) comprises an interlock means (50) operable to prevent an operative engagement of the power-takeoff means (20) with the engine (15) for the delivery of rotational power from said engine (15) to said output shaft (23) whenever the engine (15) is operating at a speed of operation greater than a predetermined speed of operation. A tractor (10) according to claim 1 wherein the throttle (16) is movable through a predetermined position located between a SLOW position in which the engine (15) operates at a slow speed of operation and a FAST position in which the engine operates at a fast speed of operation, characterized in that the interlock means (50) prevents engagement of the power-takeoff means (20) when the throttle (16) is positioned between said predetermined position and said FAST position. A tractor (10) according to claim 2 wherein the control mechanism (30) further comprises : a throttle control lever (31) operatively connected to the engine throttle (16) to effect movement thereof for varying the speed of operation of the engine (15); the throttle control lever (31) being movable from a SLOW position (32) in which the engine (15) is operated at the slow speed to a FAST position (33) in which the engine (15) is operated at the fast speed, through a preset position (34) corresponding to said predetermined speed of operation of the engine (15) inbetween the slow and fast speeds; a PTO control lever (40) operatively connected to the power-takeoff means (20) to control the selective engagement thereof with the engine (15); the PTO control lever (40) being movable between an OFF position (41) in which the power-takeoff means (20) is disengaged and an ON position (43) in which the power-takeoff means (20) is operatively connected with the engine (15); and characterized in that the interlock means (50) is supported by the frame (12) for engagement with both the throttle control lever (31) and the PTO control lever (40) in a manner such that the PTO control lever (40) is restrained from moving from the OFF position (41) to the ON position (43) when the throttle control lever (31) has moved to a position between said preset position (34) and said FAST position (33). A tractor (10) according to claim 3 characterized in that the interlock means (50) on the one hand permits unrestricted movement of the throttle control lever (31) irrespective of the position of the PTO control lever (40), and on the other hand also permits unrestricted movement of the PTO control lever (40) from the ON position (43) to the OFF position (41) irrespective of the position of the throttle control lever (31). A tractor (10) according to claim 3 or 4 characterized in that : the interlock means (50) comprises a pivotally mounted clip (50) having a first member (52) engageable with the throttle control lever (31) and a second member (54) engageable with the PTO control lever (40); and said first member (52) is pivotally movable into a lockout position when the throttle control lever (31) is moved to said preset position (34); the movement of the first member (52) into said lockout position effecting a corresponding pivotal movement of the second member (54) into a lockout position which restrains movement of the PTO control lever (40) from the OFF position. A tractor (10) according to claim 5 characterized in that the first member (52) is cooperable with a biasing means (59) for urging the first member toward engagement with the throttle control lever (31). A tractor (10) according to claim 5 or 6 characterized in that the clip (50) further includes : a spring (55) interengaging the first and second members (52, 54) to urge pivotal movement thereof in opposing directions; and a limit means (57, 58) restricting the amount of movement of the second member (54) relative to the first member (52). A tractor (10) according to any of the claims 5 to 7 characterized in that the first member (52) includes a cam surface (53) engageable with the throttle control lever (31) to effect pivotal movement of the first member (52) to its lockout position by the movement of the throttle control lever (31) from the SLOW position (32) toward the FAST position (33) when reaching the preset position (34); said pivotal movement of the first member (52) to its lockout position having as a result that : when the PTO control lever (40) is in the OFF position (41), a corresponding movement of the second member (54) into its lockout position is effected; and when the PTO control lever (40) is in the ON position (43), the second member (54) is locked from moving into its lockout position by the PTO control lever (40), whereby the spring (55) yields to permit relative movement between the first and second member (52 and 54). A tractor (10) according to claim 8 characterized in that the spring (55) causes the second member (54) to move into its lockout position when the PTO control lever (40) is moved from the ON position (43) to the OFF position (41) after the first member (52) has been moved into its lockout position. A tractor (10) according to any of the claims 5 to 9 characterized in that the clip (50) is detachably supported from the frame (12) by a bolt (51) serving as the pivot axis for the pivotal movement of the first and second members (52 and 54).

Inventors: OLESKI MARK B, SCHOTT ALLAN N, OLESKI, MARK B., SCHOTT, ALLAN N
Applicants: FORD NEW HOLLAND LTD, NEW HOLLAND FORD LIMITED
Application year: 1990
Main classification: B60K17
IPC codes: B62D53, F16H61, B60K17