Abstract:
A universal joint shaft protection arrangement has a protection device ( 3 ) with at least one protection cone ( 11 ) and a projection pot ( 6 ). The protection pot ( 6 ) is attached to a stationary component. The protection cone ( 11 ) at least partially accommodates the protection pot in an axially overlapping manner. At least one driver ( 25, 25′ ) is retained at the outside on the protection cone ( 11 ). The at least one driver ( 25, 25′ ) radially engages a first recess ( 27, 27′ ) in the protection cone ( 11 ) and a second recess ( 28, 28′ ) in the protection pot ( 6 ) to support the protection cone ( 11 ) and the protection pot ( 6 ) in a circumferential direction against one another. The second recess ( 28, 28′ ) is formed as a slot in the protection pot ( 6 ).

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to German Patent Application No. 102015106697.1, filed Apr. 29, 2015. The entire disclosure of the above application is incorporated herein by reference. 
       FIELD 
       [0002]    The disclosure relates to a protection arrangement for a universal joint shaft. The protection arrangement has a protection device that extends along a longitudinal axis. The protection arrangement rotatingly accommodates a universal joint shaft. The protection arrangement has at least one protection cone and a protection pot. The protection pot is to be attached to a stationary component. The protection cone accommodates the protection pot, at least partially, in an axially overlapping manner. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Protection arrangements are preferably used in connection with universal joint shafts that drive aggregates in agricultural implements. The universal joint shafts transmit torque from a main power train to an auxiliary drive or to individual aggregates. Universal joint shafts are also used to drive agricultural implements. The joint shaft is arranged between a tractor power take-off shaft and an implement drive input trunnion. Universal joint shafts comprise two universal joints and a connection shaft. The connection shaft connects the two universal joints. The connection shaft is telescopic along a longitudinal axis. The protection arrangement serves as a contact protection device for the universal shaft. The protection arrangement is accommodated in a supported manner on the universal shaft. The protection arrangement generally includes, for each universal joint, a protection cone and protection tube elements. The tube elements and cone are displaceable relative to each other along the longitudinal axis. One protection cone and a protection tube element are rotatably and axially non-displaceably retained by a bearing on one universal joint. 
         [0004]    The protection device is retained, by being for example, connected via a chain to a fixing point of the implement. This is shown in DE 10 2010 000 900 A1. The universal joint shaft is rotatably supported, via bearings, in the protection arrangement. Thus, the protection device rotates with the shaft, especially in well known mountings, by slide bearings due to the drag torques. This is prevented by the use of the chain. In this case, the protection device can only rotate with the universal shaft until the chain is tensioned. Thus, further rotation of the protection device is prevented. 
         [0005]    EP 0 908 083 B1 describes a protection arrangement of the above named type. In this case, one of the two protection cones, of the protection device, is fixingly connected at one axial end to a sleeve. This serves to stiffen the protection cone since the protection cone is formed as an elastic boot. The sleeve is connected, via screws, to a cone-like portion of the protection cone. The sleeve can be pushed axially outside onto the protection pot. The sleeve has circumferentially distributed inwardly projecting key projections to ensure a relatively non-rotating connection of the sleeve and thus of the protection cone and of the protection pot. Circumferentially distributed grooves, to engage the key projections, are correspondingly formed in the protection pot. The key projections and the grooves extend parallel to a longitudinal axis. Thus, the sleeve can be axially pushed onto the protection pot and carry out axial movements, relative to the protection pot, following articulation of the joint and deformation of the protection cone. 
         [0006]    EP 0 173 898 B1 illustrated a protection device for a drive shaft of a front-wheel drive of an agricultural tractor. The protection device includes a protection tube that extends coaxially to the drive shaft and accommodates a cylindrical bearing sleeve that is supported on the shaft. The bearing sleeve is screwed onto a portion of the gearbox housing. The protection tube has at one end, facing the bearing sleeve, an open semi-circular alignment opening. The opening comes to rest in the area of a threaded bore of the bearing sleeve. A holding element, with a retaining disc, is screwed into the threaded bore to retain the protection tube axially and tangentially. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0007]    It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a protection arrangement with a simple construction that is secured against rotation. 
         [0008]    The object is achieved by a protection arrangement for a universal joint shaft that includes the following: 
         [0009]    A protection device extends along a longitudinal axis. The protection device rotatingly accommodates a universal joint shaft and has at least one protection cone. 
         [0010]    A protection pot is formed to attach to a stationary component. 
         [0011]    The protection cone accommodates the protection pot, at least partially, in an axially overlapping manner. 
         [0012]    The protection arrangement has at least one driver. The driver is retained at the outside on the protection cone. 
         [0013]    The at least one driver radially engages in a first recess in the protection cone and in a second recess in the protection pot. The at least one driver supports the protection cone and the protection pot in a circumferential direction against one another. The second recess is formed as a slot in the protection pot. 
         [0014]    An advantage of this embodiment is that the protection arrangement has few components and is designed in a simple manner. Furthermore, common tools can be used to produce the individual components of the protection arrangement. Subsequent alterations can be simply carried out in further production steps, as for example, forming the driver recesses. Further, replacement of currently used protection arrangements is also possible with the present embodiment. 
         [0015]    The first recess is formed in the protection cone as a bore. The bore can be simply produced in the protection cone without the need to alter tools, for example injection molding tools, to produce the protection cone. Furthermore, corresponding bores can also be produced, in a retrofitting manner, in currently used protection cones. 
         [0016]    The second recess is formed as a slot. The second recess can easily be produced in existing designs or can be added to currently used protection pots. Such slots are often already present in protection pots to operate the locking means of the joint fork of the universal shaft. The locking means connects the universal shaft to a drive trunnion or power take-off shaft. 
         [0017]    The protection pot has a circumferentially extending wall with an edge formed on an axial end of the protection pot. The slot extends axially starting from the edge. Thus, during the assembly of the protection device on the protection pot, the drivers can be axially inserted into the slot. In this case, there is no axial support of the protection device relative to the protection pot, but only a support in the circumferential direction against rotation of the protection device relative to the protection pot. 
         [0018]    The slot radially extends through the wall. Alternatively, it is also possible, that the slot does not fully cross the wall and is formed as a groove in an outer circumferential face of the wall. 
         [0019]    The at least one driver is part of a driving ring retained on the protection cone. The driving ring can be formed as a closed ring with at least one radially projecting one driver. The driving ring can also have a C-like slot. Thus, the driving ring can be pushed in a radial direction along the longitudinal axis onto the protection cone. With this design, the ring should extend across more than 180 degrees around the circumference. Thus, the driving ring is securely held on the protection cone. 
         [0020]    The protection cone is formed at least partially as a convoluted boot. In this case the driving ring can be accommodated between two axially adjacent folds of the boot. Thus, the driving ring is secured on the cone in an axial direction in the first recess as well as by the two folds. The driving ring is retained in the circumferential direction by the at least one driver engaged in the first recess of the protection cone. Thus, the driving ring can be pre-assembled on the protection cone during production. 
         [0021]    Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. The description and specific examples in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. 
     
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
         [0022]    The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. 
           [0023]      FIG. 1  is an elevation view of a protection arrangement on a tractor with an attached implement driven, via a universal joint shaft. 
           [0024]      FIG. 2  is a partial longitudinal sectional view of the protection arrangement and the universal joint shaft of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0025]      FIG. 3  is a partial longitudinal sectional view of the protection arrangement without the universal joint shaft of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0026]      FIG. 4  is an exploded perspective view of components of the protection arrangement. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0027]    Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
         [0028]      FIG. 1  illustrates a tractor  1  with an attached implement  2 . The implement  2  is driven by a universal joint shaft  5 , with a protection device  3 , via the power take-off shaft  4  of the tractor  1 . The universal joint shaft  5  is pushed onto the power take-off shaft  4  and is connected to it. On the side of the implement, the universal joint shaft  5  is also, drive-wise, connected to a driving element of a gearbox  7 . 
         [0029]    The protection device  3  has a protection tube  8  with a first protection tube element  9  and a second protection tube element  10 . The protection tube  8  telescopically extends along a longitudinal axis L. The first protection tube element  9  is connected to an implement-sided protection cone  11 . The second protection cone element  10  is connected to a tractor-sided protection cone  12 . The two protection cones  11 ,  12  enclose, respectively, one universal joint of the universal joint shaft  5 . 
         [0030]    As described in the following, the protection device  3  is rotatably supported on the universal joint shaft  5 . The first protection tube element  9  does not rotate with the universal joint shaft  5 . The implement-sided protection cone  11  is non-rotatably connected to a protection pot  6 . The protection pot  6  is attached on the gearbox  7 . Alternatively or additionally, the tractor-sided protection cone  12  can be non-rotationally supported, via a protection pot, on a component of the tractor  1 . When the two protection tube elements  9 ,  10  are not non-rotationally connected to each other, the support of the tractor-side protection cone  12  and of the implement-side protection cone  11  is necessary relative to the stationary components of the tractor  1  or the implement  2 . 
         [0031]      FIG. 2  shows a longitudinal sectional view of the universal joint shaft  5  with a protection device  3  in the area of the implement-side protection cone  11 . The first protection tube element  9  is connected, via an adaptor ring  29 , to a slide ring  13 . The slide ring  13  is rotationally supported by an engagement in a recess  30  in an inner yoke  15  connected to a tube  14  of the universal joint shaft  5 . The inner yoke  15  is drive-wise connected, via a cross kit  16 , to an outer yoke  17  of the universal joint shaft  5 , in a generally known manner. The outer yoke  17  is connected non-rotationally, via a locking mechanism  31 , to a drive shaft  18 , for example, of a gearbox  7  and to a housing part. 
         [0032]    The implement-side protection cone  11  is connected non-rotationally to the slide ring  13 . During rotation of the universal joint shaft  5 , the first protection tube element  9  would also rotate due to drag torques generated via the slide ring  13  onto the protection device  3 . In order to prevent a rotation of the protection tube element  9  the implement-side protection cone  11  is connected non-rotationally to the protection pot  6 . The protection pot  6  is formed such that it can be connected, non-rotationally, to a housing of the gearbox  7 . The protection pot  6  has, as visible in  FIG. 3 , a wall  19 , circumferentially extending coaxially to the longitudinal axis L. The wall  19  is cylindrically formed in the present case. The wall  9  can, however, have also a conical or other shape. The protection pot  6  has an attachment flange  20  with attachment bores  21  at an implemented-side end. The protection pot  6 , via the flange  20  and bores  21 , is connected to a housing of the gearbox  7  or a different housing part. The attachment flange  20  forms a central through opening  22 . The drive shaft  18  of the gearbox  7  is passed through the opening  22 . 
         [0033]    On the end, facing away from the attachment flange  20 , the wall  19  forms an edge  23 . The edge  23  forms an opening where the outer yoke  11  of the universal joint shaft  5  can be inserted. 
         [0034]    A driving ring  24  is provided for the non-rotational connection.  FIG. 4  illustrates an exploded representation of the implement-side protection cone  11 , the driving ring  24  and the protection pot  6 . It is obvious that the driving ring  24  is closed around the circumference and has two radially inwardly projecting drivers  25 ,  25 ′. 
         [0035]    The implement-side protection cone  11  is formed in the shape of a convoluted boot with multitude folds  26 ,  26 ′ arranged axially next to each other. The folds  26 ,  26 ′ are arranged circumferentially around the longitudinal axis L. The driving ring  24  is accommodated between two directly neighboring or adjacent folds  26 ,  26 ′. Thus, the driving ring  24  is held axially between the two folds  26 ,  26 ′. 
         [0036]    First recesses  27 ,  27 ′ are provided in the implement-side protection cone  11 . The recesses  27 ,  27 ′ extend radially through the implement-side protection cone  11 . The first recesses  27 ,  27 ′ are formed as bores and are arranged between the two folds  26 ,  26 ′. The driving ring  24  is accommodated between the two folds  26 ,  26 ′. The drivers  25 ,  25 ′ project radially inwards, in this case, from the outside through one of the recesses  27 ,  27 ′, respectively. 
         [0037]    Two second recesses  28 ,  28 ′ are provided in the protection pot  6 . The second recesses  28 ,  28 ′ are formed as slots in the wall  19 . The slots extend axially from the edge  23  of the wall  19  toward the flange  20 . In the mounted condition, the drivers  25 ,  25 ′ project radially inward into the second recesses  28 ,  28 ′. Thus, the drivers  25 ,  25 ′ are supported in the circumferential direction on the protection pot  6 . Furthermore, the implement-side protection cone  11  is supported in a circumferential direction on the drivers  25 ,  25 ′. Thus, the implement-side protection cone  11  and, thus, the entire protection device  3  is supported in a non-rotational manner relative to the protection pot  6 . Drag torques, which are introduced by the universal joint shaft  5  via the slide ring  13  into the protection device  3 , are thus supported via the drivers  25 ,  25 ′ and the protection pot  6 . 
         [0038]    The second recesses  28 ,  28 ′ extend from the edge  23  of the wall  19  in an axial direction. The protection cone  11 , with the assembled driving ring  24 , can simply be pushed onto the protection pot  6 . The drivers  25 ,  25 ′ axially enter into the slot-like second recesses  28 ,  28 ′. Thus, the protection cone  11  protects the assembly of the universal joint shafts on the gearbox  7  or on a housing. 
         [0039]    The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.