192 clutches and power-stop control – Stop mechanism – Overload release
Patent
1984-10-23
1987-01-13
Bonck, Rodney H.
192 clutches and power-stop control
Stop mechanism
Overload release
1921165, F16P 700
Patent
active
046357815
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to protection apparatus and in particular to protection apparatus associated with universal drive shafts such as power take-off shafts of tractors or other prime movers or universal drive shafts or so called propellor shafts of vehicles such as motor cars or trucks or other machinery.
Universal drive shafts have many applications in trnasmitting motive power from a drive unit such as an internal combustion engine to a driven unit such as a gear box or agricultural or mining implement. In most instances, the drive shaft is provided with a pair of universal joints at its opposite ends adjacent the drive and driven unit respectively. In one particular arrangement, for example, as used in tractors or other prime movers, a power take off unit is provided at the rear of the prime mover and a universal drive shaft extends between the power take off unit and machinery to be driven, for example a hay baler, irrigator, sprayer, pump, header, auger, feed mixer, slasher, mower, post hole digger, cultivator, welder or cane haul out trailers with a draw-bar hitch. In some instances, the machinery which is driven by the drive shaft is mounted to the prime mover three point linkage and can be raised or lowered as desired, in which case the universal drive shaft will pivot through a range of vertical angles. If, however, the apparatus is lowered or raised to such an extent that the universal drive shaft is pivoted beyond a certain safety angle, damage can be caused to the universal joints or in some instances to the drive mechanism of the prime mover. In other circumstances, the machinery is trailed from a prime mover, in which case the drive shaft is again pivoted through a range of horizontal angles and similar problems to the above again arise. Similarly in the case where an implement is supported by a three point linkage, breakage of one of the links can cause the implement to skew to one side causing the drive shaft to pivot beyond a safe angle.
In further circumstances, the breakage of say the rear universal joint can result in the drive shaft whipping around and causing damage say to the prime mover or machinery chassis or gear box.
If say, the front universal joint fails, the drive shaft may drop to the ground or roadway causing damage to the rear universal joint, prime mover differential or trailed machinery. Where motor cars or trucks are involved, the drive shaft can dig into the ground or roadway causing either damage to the vehicle or in some cases the vehicle to overturn and perhaps injury to the occupants.
Similar problems to the above can arise if breakage occurs in the drive shaft itself, say due to metal fatigue. In each of the above cases the damage caused can result in expensive repairs as well as a loss of machine or vehicle working time.
The present invention aims to overcome or at least alleviate some of the above disadvantages by providing protection apparatus adapted to be associated with the universal drive shaft of a prime mover or other vehicle and to sense say breakage of the drive shaft or its associated universal joint or movement of the drive shaft beyond a predetermined angle so that damage to the prime mover or vehicle or associated machinery can be reduced or eliminated. Other advantages of the sensing and protection apparatus will become apparent from the following description.
With the foregoing and other objects in view this invention resides broadly in protection apparatus for a universal drive shaft said apparatus including sensing means adapted to be mounted adjacent said drive shaft, said sensing means being actuated in response to a predetermined degree of movement of said drive shaft beyond its normal driving attitude and means operatively associated with said sensing means and responsive to actuation of said sensing means for removing drive from said drive shaft.
In a further aspect, the sensing means is associated with a warning device so that said predetermined degree of movement of said drive shaft beyond its normal attitude can be visually or audibly i
REFERENCES:
patent: 2913977 (1959-11-01), Claas et al.
patent: 2984090 (1961-05-01), Bennett
patent: 3761911 (1973-09-01), Hiltz et al.
patent: 4307799 (1981-12-01), Zouzoulas
patent: 4485832 (1984-12-01), Plemmons et al.
Bonck Rodney H.
Fallow Charles W.
Hoffman Martin P.
Towner Alan G.
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