Patent GB-1515269-A (GB)
Title: Rotary mowers
IPC: A01D34/66
Filed: 1975-04-17
Abstract: 1515269 Rotary mowers CLAYSON NV 17 April 1975 [24 April 1974] 15801/75 Divided out of 1515268 Heading A1F A rotary mower 1, as described in the Specification 1515268 comprises cutter units 10 mounted for rotation on a chassis 2 comprising a transverse upper beam 3 at least one lower support 5, and at least one rearwardly and downwardly extending arm 4 connected at respective ends to the transverse upper beam 3 and the lower support 5 or a corresponding one of the lower supports 5. Between the supports 5 extends a secondary transverse beam 6 having an upturned forward edge 15. The cutter units 10 are mounted in bearings 8 on the supports 5 and bearings 9 on the upper transverse beam 3 and each comprises a shaft 11, a cylindrical body portion 14 and a flange 13 to the underside of which are pivotally attached knives 17. Below each flange 13 and positioned forwardly of the shaft 11 is a freely-rotatable mud shield 22 mounted in a bearing 21 which is secured to one of the supports 5 by means of a bearing seat 20. The mower is suspended from the three point linkage 30 of a tractor and is moveable, about the axis of the arm 32 of a pivot crank 31, from an inoperative transport position wherein it extends behind the tractor to a working position wherein it extends transversely of the direction of tractor travel 69. Drive for the cutter units 10 is derived from the tractor PTO via the V- pulleys 54 and 56. The shaft 50 of the V- pulley 54 rotates within a hollow shaft 46 and, by means of the bevel gears 53 and 62 situated inside a gearbox 49, drive is transmitted to the cutter units 10 by a belt drive. As seen in Figure 4, a crop conditioner 80 may be located behind the cutter units 10 and comprises a framework 81, having side walls 82 and transverse beams 83 and 84, secured to the chassis 2 by mounting brackets 85, 86. Upper and lower conditioning rolls 87, 88 having cooperating rubber ribs 89 are rotatable about shafts 109 and 90 respectively. The conditioning rolls 87, 88 are rotated in opposite directions, the drive for the roll 88 being obtained from the gearbox 49 via a bevel gear 96 and the chain and sprocket system of Figure 5 (not shown) and transmitted to the roll 87 by gears 98, 100, 103 and 108. The shaft 109 of roll 87 extends through elongate holes (not shown) in the side walls 82 enabling vertical adjustment of the roll 87. Springs 110 extend between one of a number of pairs of corresponding holes 112 in the crank arms 106 and adjustable supports 111. This arrangement permits the force exerted by the upper conditioner roll 87 on the crop to be adjusted so that such force is reduced as the quantity passing through the conditioner 80 increases. In the embodiment of Figure 7 (not shown) the conditioner means (115) is of the impact or beater type comprising a single rotor (116) with a plurality of flails (117), those (121) operating between adjacent cutter units 10 being longer than those (122) operating directly behind the cutter units 10. A shield or guide (118) serves to guide cut crop rearwardly of the machine. In the embodiment of Figure 8 (not shown) the conditioner (128) comprises two transversely-spaced, vertically extending beaters (130) located behind respective cutter units 10 and driven in opposite directions. Each beater rotates in the same direction as its corresponding cutter unit 10 and comprises a shaft (131) bearing rake turns (132) extending radially outwardly therefrom. Reference is also made to Specification 1515270.