Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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ABSTRAGT
DEVICE FOR ROTA'I'INiG A PULLEY OR THE LIKE
This invention is in the fieid of machines that use rotating shafts, pulleys,
and lilne parts,
for example combines used in agricultwre for harvesting crops, and in
particular devices
to apply torque to manually rotate such parts when required.
BACKG RQUND
Machinery used in various industries commonly comprises one or often a large
number of
rotatin.g pulleys, sprockets, and the like mounted on shafts and connected by
belts and
chai.ns to drive the various rotating parts of the machine. The parts
coDamnoniy are
required to rotate at different speeds, and require varying amounts of power.
Some of the
shafts may be required to rotate in one direction, and others in the opposite
dirxtion
Often one pulley will be driven in one direction from the back of a beit
driven by a pulley
rotating in the opposite dicection.
For example agricultutal combines typically include a large number of rotating
parta,
such as threshing cylinders and rotors, beaters, augeis, chain conveyors,
knives, and reels.
While recently more shafts are driven hydraulically, a pulley or sprocket is
eommonly
mounted on the rotating part and driven by a chain or belt as is appropriate.
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A typical combine thbreshing cylinder is mounted on a shaft and a pt-liey or
sprocket on
one end of the shaft is driven by suitable belts or chains. The outer surface
of the
cylinder rotates in close proximity to a concave grate located generaf3y under
the cylinder
to separate grain from the heads of crop plants. In some combines a rotating
beater and
beater grate is located just behind the cylinder to agitate the crop materisi
and fmther
assist in romoving the grain.
A common problem with combines is that crop material will sonzetimes jam
betweeas the
cylmder and the concave grate, and sometimes a(so between the beater and the
beater
grate, causing the cylinder or beater to stop rotating. The jammed crop
material must be
cleared from the area between the cylinder or beater and the grate before
harvosting can
proceed. To dear the crop materiat , where possible the gre-te is moved
downward to
inGrease the clearance between the cylinder or beater and grate to the maximum
clearance
available. Where the beater is jammed, the cylinder is rotated in a reverse
direction to
first move any material backwards out of the cylinder into the feeder, and
then the beater
is rotated in a reverse direction to move the jammed material backwards into
the cylinder.
Reversing a belt-driven jammed part, such as a cylinder or beater on a
combine, generally
requires that a force be exerted directly on the driving pulley or the
rotating shaft itself.
In a chain driven part, the chain links bear directly on the sprocket teeth,
and so turnin,g
one shaft in reverse can cause another oonnected shaft to turn in reverse as
well. Behs
drive by friction between the pulley and the belt, and so aae subject to
slipping, especialiy
when significant forces are required, such as in raversing a jammed beater.
Al.so with
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belt driven parts, applying a force in a reverse rotational direction can
reduce tension of
the belt on some puIleys and further reduce friction and inmease slippage.
While some pulleys have a hub shaped such th.at same may be engaged by a
wrench or
the like, often there is no available engagenumt location available on the
pulley.
Accessing a pattscular pulley or sMft to engage a wrtnch or bar to exert the
rovetsing
force is particularly problematic in some machines. For example the 9000
series John
Deere MaximizerTm combines have a beater behind the cylinder driven by a belt
pulley
tha can not be aocessed or engaged with uonventional tools. Access is blocked
by a
separate feeder drive belt that passes over the face of the puAey, and further
there is no
available location to engage the puiley with a wrench or the like. When the
beater gets
plugged, there is no way to engage it to exert a force to turn it in reverse.
Unplugging the
beater involves crawling into the rear end of the combine to accxss the beater
and pull out
the jammed material. Also in this particular combine it is a sigOcant task to
lower the
beater grate to aid in removing jammed materiaL
It is contemplated th.at belt driven rotating patts on other ttwhinea present
sintilar
problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present inventiou to provide a belt pulley engaging
device that
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overcomes problems in the prior art.
The pulley engaging device of the present invention is configured for use with
a pulley
that includes a series of face apeituies spaced around its outer facx. Such
putleys are
commonly used on agricultural oombines for instance. The device inafudes a
plate
member with a plurality of legs extending perpendicular from a rear surface of
the plate
member. The plate member and legs are configured to cotrespond to the face
apertures
on the faoe of a partioalar pailey such that the legs extend into tfie face
apertures when
the plate member is oriented substantially parallel to the face of the pulley.
Notches are
defined in the legs such that when the plate tnember is rotated in the desired
direction, the
legs move so tthat the not ches engage edges of the face apertares to rednee
the risk that
the legs will slip out of engagement with the pulley. The legs extend a
sufficient distance
from the rear surface of the plate member to extend over any obstmctions that
may be
present adjacent to the face of the palley and thus allow the front face of
the plate
member to be located at a position where same can be accessed and engaged by a
tool
and such that a rotational force can be exerted on the plate member and
thnnugh the legs
to the pulley to urge the pulley to rotate in the desired direction.
Convenientty a conventional square or hexagonal nut is welded to the front
face of the
plate member to provide a location for engagement by a wrench. It is
contemplated that
the legs could have an adjustable leagth and be adjustably attached to the
plate member
so tiw one devioe could be nsed for a variety of pulleys and access ]ocations.
It is also
contemplated however that the most economical application of the present
invention will
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be to provide a plate member with fixed legs configured to provide access and
engagoment for a particular paiiey on a particular machine.
Thus for reversiqg the beater on the 9000 series John Deere MaximizerTM
combines, the
plate member and legs ace configured such that the plate member is located
outboard of
the feeder drive belt and parallel to the beater pulley, and accessible by a
wrendt. The
legs extend over the feeder drive belt and engage the facx apertures in the
beater pulIey.
In use the beater pulley can be rotated only a partial tnrn unt91 one or more
of the legs
bear against the feeder drive belt. The legs of the device are then disengaged
from the
face apertures and replaced in otber face apertures that wiII allow for a
further partial turn
to be accomplished. This process is repeated until the jammed material has
been froed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING3
While the invention is claimed in the oancluding portions hereof, prefeaed
embodimtrns
are provided in the accompanying detailed description which may be best
uadmtood in
conjunction with the accompamying diagrams where like patts in eaeh of the
several
diagrams are labaled with like munbexs. and where:
Fig. I is a perspective view of an embodiment of the belt pulley engaging
device of the
invention;
Fig. 2 is a front view of a pnlley in which the device of Fig. 1 cati be
engaged;
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Fig. 3 is a side view of the device of Fig. 1 engaged in the pulley of Fig. 2;
Fig. 4 is a schematic sectional view of a leg of the device of Fig. 1 engaged
in a face
aperture of the pulley of Fig. 2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE II.LUSTRAM EMBODIlVIENTS
Fig.l illustrates a pulley engaging device 1 of the present invention
configured for use
with a pulley 3 such as illustrated in Fig. 2. The pulley 3 includes a seties
of face
apertures 5 spaced substantially equaily around its outer face.
The device 1 includes a plate member 7 with a pleuality of legs 9 extending
perpendicular
from the rear surface of the plate member 7. The plate member 7 and legs 9 are
configured to correspond to the face aperiures 5 on the face of the pulley 3.
The legs 9
extend into the face apertures 5 when the plate member 7 is oriented
substaniiaiIy parallel
to the face of the puIley 3, as illustrated in F'tg. 3.
As 'sllusttated in Fig. 4, notches 11 are defined in the iegs 9 such thai wheo
t?ze plate
member 7 is rotated in the desired direction R, the legs 9 move so that tlu
aotches 11
engage edges 13 of the face apertunes 5 to reduce the risk that the legs 9
will slip out of
engagement with the pulley 3.
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The legs 9 extend a sufficient distance from the rear surfaoe of the plate
member 7 to
extend ovet any obstructions that may be pmaent adjacent to the face of the
puiley 3.
Such obstructions are accommodated in an open space 15 between the plate
mcmbcr 7
and the pulley 3. TKus tbe front face of the plate member 7 can be located at
a position
where same can be aocessed and engaged by a tool and such that a rotational
force in
direction R can be exerted on the plate member 7 and through the legs 9 to the
pulley 3 to
urge the pulley 3 to rotate in the desired diuection R. In the illustrated
embodiment a
hexagonal nut 17 is welded to the front face of the plate member 7 to provide
a location
for engagement by a wrench.
It is contemplated that the legs 9 could have an adjustable length and be
adjustably
attached to the plate member 7 so that one device could be used for a variety
of pulleys
and access locations. It is also contemplated however that the most economical
application of the present invvention will be to provide a plate member 7 with
fixed legs 9
configured to provide access and engagement for a particular pwlley 3 on a
particular
machitu.
The foregoing is c:onsidered as illustrative only of the principles of the
invention.
Further, since numerous changes and modifications will readily occur to those
skilled in
the a-t. it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact eonsftuction
and operation
shown and described, and accordingly, all such suita6le changes or
modifications in
snuctare or operation which may be resotted to are intent3ed to fa!! within
the scope of
the claimed invention.
