Patent ID: 7497459

Claim:
A pin latching mechanism on a feeder of an agricultural combine, comprising: a latch pin, and structure supporting the latch pin for movement in a latching direction, and in an unlatching direction opposite the latching direction; an actuator supported so as to be movable between a latching position and an unlatching position; an elongate cable having one end portion connected to the latch pin and an opposite end portion connected to the actuator, an intermediate portion of the cable being disposed between the latch pin and the actuator being contained and movable longitudinally within a sheath, the sheath having retainers mounted around the ends of the sheath; a first biasing element disposed and supported for yieldably exerting a first biasing force in the latching direction against the latch pin and against the cable for applying a tensile loading condition on the cable, and such that, when the latch pin is freely movable in the latching direction, movement of the actuator toward the latching position will allow the first biasing element to move the cable to move the latch pin in the latching direction while maintaining the tensile loading condition on the cable, and such that when the latch pin is freely movable in the unlatching direction, movement of the actuator toward the unlatching position will move the cable to move the latch pin in the unlatching direction; and a second biasing element disposed between a first and second leg of a bracket and supported in cooperation with the sheath such that if the latch pin is displaced in the latching direction and restrained against movement in the unlatching direction, movement of the actuator to the unlatching position will cause the second biasing element to yieldably exert a second biasing force in the unlatching direction against the sheath, the cable and the latch pin, wherein the first leg retains the second biasing element against movement toward the actuator and the second leg has openings large enough for passage of the sheath therethrough but not large enough allow the passage of the retainer therethrough, such that the second biasing member is compressed between the first and second legs to store sufficient energy for holding the retainer against the second leg during movements of the actuator between the unlatching and latching positions.