Abstract: A slip clutch and cutter blade apparatus for cane stalk harvesters provides a machine frame with a cutting mechanism in the form of cutter shafts powered by hydraulic motors. The cutter shafts have a plurality of knives thereon that pinch the cane therebetween as the shafts rotate to chop the cane wholestalks into billets. A flywheel is mounted on a flywheel shaft. A gearbox interfaces the flywheel and cutter blades. A flywheel clutch is used as a overload protection device for the chopper system. If overloading occurs, the flywheel slips and therefore limits the torque. The flywheel is placed on the bushing and clamped between the friction linings with the aid of the thrust plate, the cup springs, brake plate, brake plate cover, and bolts. The more the cup springs are compressed by the bolts; the higher the torque at which the flywheel slips.

Abstract: An operator presence mechanism for a walk-behind reel mower having a drive lever control engagable for initiating forward travel of the mower, the drive lever being shiftable to intermediate positions for inching the mower forward, the drive lever being biased to return to a non-driven position when an operator releases the lever from the intermediate positions. A locking linkage is provided for generally locking the drive lever in its fully engaged position and which allows the drive lever to shift back to its non-driven position when an operator releases the drive lever in the intermediate positions. An operator presence lever is operatively coupled with the drive lever for returning the drive lever to the non-driven position when the operator presence lever is disengaged. A lockout linkage is coupled between the drive lever and the operator presence lever for preventing the drive lever from being engaged without the operator presence lever being engaged.

Abstract: A walk behind lawn mower operating system. The system comprises a handlebar onto which control bails with ends are pivotally attached, with the control bails being operatively connected to propulsion and blade brake systems, respectively. The control bails are arranged on the handlebar such that they pivot away from the handlebar in opposite directions. The control bails' cross-sectional dimensions are essentially identical. Each of the control bail's movement is limited by a bail pivot stop. Each bail pivot stop is removably attached to a control bail end so that it pivots with the control bail and restricts the pivoting movement by impinging upon the handlebar with an integrally formed stop. In the preferred embodiment, where the control bails pivot away from the handlebar in opposite directions, the control bail stops are located at either side of the handlebar.

Abstract: A walk-behind power driven lawn mower having a transverse handlebar rearwardly of the mower, a pair of hand operated control levers located forwardly of and adjacent to the handlebar and extending generally parallel thereto for establishing the drive and applying the brakes to a pair of driven wheels of the lawn mower. A park brake lever is mounted between said control levers for simultaneously applying the brakes to the driven wheels through a connection between the park brake lever and the control levers. A releasable latch mechanism releasably holds the park brake lever in the braking position. Another control lever in the form of a bail is mounted to be pivoted rearwardly relative to the handlebar for engaging idler pulleys when the transmission is shifted to provide reverse movement. Each drive to the wheels includes a drive pulley and belt and another idler pulley for engaging the belt to establish drive when the transmission is shifted for forward movement.

Abstract: An engine-transaxle-belt drive configuration is provided for a lawn and garden rear engine vehicle. The transaxle housing has been adapted to receive the engine drive pulley and electric clutch in order to lower the engine mounting and vehicle center of gravity. A releasable fastening structure is provided to facilitate clutch movement and removal of the transmission and implement drive belts.

Abstract: A mowing device includes an elongated frame having a plurality of reel mowers mounted thereto. A drive pulley and a driven pulley are rotatably mounted to the frame and have a pulley belt trained there around. Interconnecting the driven pulley with the reel mower is a linking shaft having universal joints at its opposite ends. One of the universal joints is connected to the driven pulley, and the other of the universal joints is connected to the shaft of the reel mower. The two universal joints and the linking shaft permit the reel mower to float upon the terrain being mowed without interfering with the alignment of the drive pulley and the driven pulley.

Abstract: A mower-conditioner drive system includes a main support casting having an outwardly projecting stub shaft and an inwardly projecting pivot pin mounted to an upright wall section at one end of a header frame. A slip clutch is received on the stub shaft and includes a main drive plate coupled to one shaft of an angle gear box and includes inner and outer pressure plates connected for being frictionally driven by the drive plate, the inner pressure plate having a main drive spur gear integral therewith and the outer pressure plate having a drive sheave integral therewith. The main drive spur gear forms part of a drive train for driving either a pair of conditioner rolls or for driving an impeller conditioner while the drive sheave is coupled by a belt for driving either a sickle-type cutterbar or a rotary type cutterbar.

Abstract: The present invention is a clutch assembly used to engage a shaft. It includes a pulley adapted to be driven by a belt, pressure plates disposed on both sides of the pulley for engaging and rotating with the pulley, friction surfaces for selectively coupling the pulley to the pressure plates, and a cam mechanism coupled to the pressure plates for axially pressing one pressure plate into the friction surfaces to engage the pulley. The cam mechanism comprises a rotatable center cam plate bordered by an upper and a lower cam plate, with a plurality of balls disposed between each adjacent plate for axially moving the center cam plate when it rotates. The center cam plate presses the pressure plate by virtue of its axial movement into engagement with the pulley.

Abstract: A feeder house for an agricultural combine is provided with a driving element that can be reciprocated along the main drive shaft of the feeder house to selectively engage a main driven sheave or a second driven sheave in response to its positioning by the operator. The driving element is provided with internal splines for operatively coupling the output of the main driven sheave to the feeder house drive shaft and is also provided with an outwardly extending gear that is used to engage a cooperating tooth assembly on the second driven sheave for reversing the feeder house drive shaft. The main driven sheave is free to rotate on the feeder house main drive shaft when not being engaged by the driving element. Similarly, the second driven sheave is free to rotate on an axle when not being engaged by the gear extending from the driving element.

Abstract: A main drive for crop cutting, conveying and/or processing components of a self-propelled harvester includes an input shaft which extends crosswise to and is coupled for being driven by a longitudinally extending engine output shaft. The input shaft carries a spring-released, hydraulically-engageable disc clutch, which, when engaged, transfers power from the clutch to a multi-grooved belt drive sheave which is coupled to respective driven sheaves of the crop cutting, conveying and/or processing components by a drive belt. The clutch is mounted on the shaft outboard of the drive sheave and the shaft is provided with a fluid passage that extends inwardly from its outboard end and is coupled in fluid communication with the clutch piston. A slip fitting is releasably coupled to the outboard end of the shaft and is adapted for being coupled to a conduit for conveying fluid to or returning fluid from the clutch piston.

Abstract: Improvements are described for power mowers comprising a prime mover, a rotatable drive shaft driven by the prime mover and rotatable grass cutting means adapted to be driven by power from said drife shaft. The improvements involve including in the mowers (a) a centrifugal clutch interposed between the drive shaft and the cutting means, (b) apparatus enabling the prime mover to operate at a rate of speed at least high enough for the clutch to engage, and alternatively at a rate of speed low enough for the clutch to disengage, and apparatus including a pulley and at least one stationary belt frictionally engageable therewith for stopping rotation of the cutting means concurrently with the disengagement of the clutch.

Abstract: In a combine harvester, a supplementary header drive is provided for driving the header components in reverse as needed, for example, for clearing blockages of crop material in a platform auger or in the feederhouse conveyor. The drive is powered by a hydraulic motor and selectively connected to the header drive system by a hydraulically actuated clutch. Clutch and motor are connected in parallel to the hydraulic power source and components are designed and sized so that the hydraulically actuated clutch engages before the hydraulic motor begins to rotate.

Abstract: A roll assembly for a husking machine of the type using cooperating roll assemblies to exert a husking or stripping action on a food article being processed. A cutter element is carried in a recessed manner within aligned recesses in roll segment lands. The cutter element may be detachable or cast in place within the roll segment. The roll segments may be of resilient or non-resilient material with their cooperating roll segments being of like or unlike material.

Abstract: A mower embodies a translatable main frame connectable to a towing vehicle having a power take-off unit connectable to a transmission carried by the main frame. At least one translatable wing frame is hingedly connected to an adjacent side of the main frame and is adapted to pivot selectively to a lower operative position and to an upper inoperative position. Depending cutter carrying shafts are supported for rotation on the main frame and the wing frame and are connected in driving relation with the transmission. An extensible drive shaft is operatively connected at one end to the depending shaft on the wing frame and a clutch operatively connects the other end of the extensible drive shaft to the transmission. An extensible clutch rod operatively connects the wing frame to a clutch actuator to move the clutch to an engaged position while the wing frame is in a lower operative position and to move the clutch to a disengaged position upon movement of the wing frame to an upper inoperative position.

Abstract: A lawn mower in conjunction with a small tractor, and including a main mower deck disposed forwardly of the tractor and a pair of laterally extending wing mower decks disposed at respectively opposite sides of the tractor, all of the decks carrying mower blades, and a single power source operable to drive all of the blades of all of the decks. The wing decks may each be raised to an inoperative position closely adjacent the sides of the tractor, and in so doing the power drive to the blades of that wing is disconnected, so that the mower may be used with only the main deck in operation if so desired.

Abstract: A control mechanism for a combine harvester is disclosed wherein the engagement and disengagement of both the main drive and the auxiliary drive reversing mechanism can be controlled from a single lever. The control lever is pivotally mounted for rotational movement about a pair of perpendicularly disposed pivot axes, one of the pivot axes being rotatable about the other axis. A pair of clutch dogs corresponding respectively to the main drive and drive reverser are engageable with the control lever and separated by a plate-like barrier to prevent a disengagement of one clutch dog and the engagement of the other clutch dog except when the control lever is in a position to effect disengagement of both drive mechanisms. An overcenter linkage is provided with the drive reverser clutch dog to hold the control lever in an engaged position without further input from the operator.

Abstract: A self-propelled combine (11) includes a drive train driven by the engine (16) which includes a transverse power shaft (47) by which a header (24), a threshing rotor (34), a bin unloading mechanism (88), the change speed transmission (76) and the cleaning mechanism are driven. The power transmitting components of the shaft assembly, including a double electric clutch (44), are carried by the end portions (46, 161) of the transverse shaft (47) at the laterally outer sides of the side walls (51, 52) on which the shaft (47) is supported. The double electric clutch (44) includes air circulating means (101, 102 and 93-98) and is removable from the shaft (47) upon removal of a cap screw (118).

Abstract: A combine (11) is provided with a feed reverser mechanism (81) to drive a pair of feeder conveyors (23, 24) and a header conveyor auger (46) in reverse when the operator detects a jammed condition in the feeder conveyors or auger. The reversing mechanism (81) includes a hydraulic drive motor (92), a wrap spring clutch (93) and a hydraulic actuator (142), which automatically increases the tension on a drive belt (68) when the conveyors (23, 24) and auger (46) are driven in a reverse direction by the hydraulic motor (92). A pump relief valve (191) prevents delivery of excessive torque to the conveyors (23, 24) and auger (46) during a feed reversing operation.

Abstract: A roll baling machine including a floor roller, a bale forming apron, and drive apparatus connected between the floor roller and the bale forming apron. The drive apparatus causes rotation of the floor roller in response to movement of the apron in a normal direction during bale formation. The drive apparatus includes a clutch mechanism which drivingly disconnects the floor roller from the apron in response to movement of the apron in reverse direction such as when a bale is discharged from the machine.

Abstract: A lawn mower engine having a lightweight top rotor of low polar inertia drives a rotary blade through a clutch-flywheel rotor having sufficient inertia to provide the major flywheel effect for the engine. Clutch faces at the rotor periphery engage a surrounding blade-carrier drum and have a maximum torque arm for positively driving the blade. The faces are preferably on centrifugal shoes which slip at load-reduced speed so as to maintain engine operation, and release at idling speed to allow engine starting with the blade stopped. A brake band or ring about the drum is spring-pressed ON to stop the blade when a deadman control is released. The preferred clutch-flywheel rotor is made of two heavy circular plates (e.g., 1/4".times.6") riveted together against spacer slugs and a shouldered hub. Wide clutch shoes are mounted on such rotor by end tangs and springs between the plates. The top rotor plate substantially closes the top of the drum. Access and hub openings in the two plates provide rotor spacer slugs.

Abstract: A combined engine flywheel and centrifugal clutch driver for a rotary lawn mower blade. Two heavy circular plates, as a quarter-inch steel plate, of large diameter, e.g., six inches, are riveted together against three peripherally spaced pairs of spacer slugs stamped from the same material, and against a central shouldered hub. This forms a rotor of sufficient rotational inertia when mounted on the depending shaft of a mower engine to provide the principal flywheel effect for an engine having a relatively lightweight magneto and fan rotor at its top end.

Abstract: A reversibly mountable clutch control handle for a walk-behind lawn mower which may be pivotally mounted on the collapsible handle of the lawn mower in either one of two alternative mounting positions, whichever best suits the convenience and comfort of the operator, and in which the mower handle, the clutch control handle, and the control linkage associated with the clutch control handle are all collapsible to a folded position for storage or shipment in either of the mounting positions of the clutch control handle. The mower handle includes two laterally spaced legs lying in a common plane and connected at their upper end by a cross bar.