Patent GB-1239681-A (GB)
IPC: A01F29/14
Filed: 1969-01-06
Abstract: 1,239,681. Forage harvesters. SPERRY RAND CORP. 6 Jan., 1969 [4 March, 1968], No. 761/69. Heading A1F. [Also in Divisions A4, B8 and F2]  A forage harvester comprises a rotary cutter 19, Fig. 2, and feed means for delivering material to thecutter, the feed means being driven through a friction clutch 47, Fig. 3, and a reversible gear unit 39. A crop pickup unit 11 (or alternatively, a row crop attachment or a sickle bar) is pivoted at 12 on a framework 13 and comprises a rotary pickup reel 21, with radial fingers 22 which pass between a plurality of laterally spaced stripping members 23, and downstream thereof a rotary  auger 24 mounted for pivotal movement within the unit 11 about a shaft 26, which feeds the material to first upper and lower feed conveyer rolls 14, (15), Fig. 1 (not shown), and second upper and lower feed rolls 16, (17) the rolls being journalled in a housing 18. The rolls feed the material to the cutter 19, which is also journalled, in the frame 18 and which comminutes and discharges the material through a spout (20). The assembly is a mounted on a wheeled frame 10 which may be drawn by a tractor providing the drive for the harvester via a shaft 30. This shaft is connected via a universal joint 31 to a right-angled gearbox 32, the output shaft 33 of which drives the shaft 34 of the cutter 19 continuously via a universally jointed shaft 35 and coupling 36. The shaft 33 drives the input shaft 38 of a friction clutch 47 and epicyclic gear unit 39 in a housing 40 via a pulley and belt. A control lever 55 is moved clockwise as seen in Figs. 1, 4 (not shown) to drive the feed system in the forward direction. The control lever 55 is secured on one end of a pivot shaft 56 near the opposite end of which is an arm 57, Fig. 3, carrying a roller 58 which is engageable with the free end of a cam lever 59. An intermediate cam  portion (64), Fig. 5 (not shown) of lever 59 engages a collar 65 which bears against the pressure plate 51 of the multiplate clutch 47. The feed system is driven via the output shaft 83 of the clutch/gearbox unit. The shaft 83 has a gear 82 driven through an idler 81 by a pinion 67 mounted on an axially extended hub 80 of an annulus gear 46 of the epicyclic gear unit. In the forward drive position the clutch is engaged and the input shaft 38, which has a sun gear 41 directly spliced to it, is frictionally locked by the clutch to a planet gear carrier 44, and the annulus 46 thus rotates with the sun gear 41. If the feed system becomes clogged it may be driven in reverse at a lower speed by moving the lever 55 anticlockwise as seen in Figs. 1, 4 through a neutral position, in which the clutch is released, into a position in which the clutch is released and a friction brake band 70 is applied to the planet carrier 44. The brake band 70 is normally held released by a limiting rod (74) with a biasing spring (77), Fig. 4 (not shown). The brake band 70 is applied by an eccentric 71 secured to the shaft 56 of the lever 55. The planet carrier is thus held stationary and the annulus 46 rotates counter to the sun gear to drive the feed system in reverse at a slower speed. The infeed rolls 14-17, auger 24 and pickup reel 21 are driven from the clutch/gearbox output shaft 83 via a system of gears and sprockets and chains. When the sickle bar is used it is driven by a belt 111 on a pulley 110 locked to a sprocket 112 driven by a chain 114 from a drive sprocket 115 mounted on the hub 80 of the annulus 46.