Adjustable joint for example for a grain unloading system of a combine harvester
AssigneeAGCO Corporation
InventorsNathan K. Ensminger, Dino Rey Valdez, Bernard Dean Regier, Bryan S. Claerhout
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An adjustable joint is to be provided along a tube, such as a grain unloading tube of a combine harvester. A bearing system is provided between the facing end of first and second tubes. allowing a controllable bend to be provided between the first tube and the second tube. The bearing system is actuated to control the bend. The bearing system has first and second first tubular wedges which face each other at the sloped ends, and bearings around the outside ends and the facing ends. A relative rotation angle is set between the first and second tubular wedges to set the degree of bend.
Claims13
An adjustable joint to be provided between first and second tubes, comprising:
- a first end for connecting to the first tube;
- a second end for connecting to the second tube;
- a bearing system between the first end and the second end, allowing a controllable bend to be provided between the first tube and the second tube;
- and
- an actuator system for controlling the bearing system to control the bend,
- wherein the bearing system comprises:
- a first tubular wedge having a first outside end lying in a plane parallel to the first end and a first inside end lying in a plane offset from parallel to the first end;
- a second tubular wedge having a second outside end lying in a plane parallel to the second end and a second inside end lying in a plane parallel to the first inside end, the first and second inside ends facing each other;
- and
- bearings around the first and second outside ends including a first bearing ring around the first outside end, a second bearing ring around the second outside end, and a middle bearing ring around one or both of the first and second inside ends of the tubular wedges,
- and wherein the actuator system is for setting a relative rotation angle between the first and second tubular wedges.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.