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US 2006/0230734 A1Published application
Twin belt mule drive
AssigneeDeere & Company, a Delaware corporation
InventorRob Wouw
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A twin belt mule drive for a mower deck has a pair of belts that transmit power from a drive shaft or PTO to driven sheaves for three rotary cutting blades. The drive shaft or PTO has two drive sheaves. The belts are twisted by two pairs of guide sheaves on horizontal shafts below the drive sheaves. The first belt transmits power to at least one of the driven sheaves, and the second belt transmits power to at least one other driven sheave that is not engaged by the first belt.
Claims20
An apparatus comprising:
- a mower deck having three rotary cutting blades mounted to the lower ends of three vertical spindles;
- a first drive sheave and a second drive sheave mounted to a horizontal drive shaft;
- a first guide sheave and a second guide sheave mounted to a horizontal shaft transverse to the horizontal drive shaft, each guide sheave rotating independently of the other;
- three driven sheaves mounted to the vertical spindles;
- a first endless belt engaging the first drive sheave, the first guide sheave, and at least one of the driven sheaves;
- and
- a second endless belt engaging the second drive sheave, the second guide sheave, and at least one of the driven sheaves not engaged by the first endless belt.
4 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- a mower deck having first, second and third vertical spindles extending therethrough and a cutting blade mounted to each spindle;
- first and second endless belts, each belt engaging a separate drive sheave mounted to a drive shaft and engaging two guide sheaves mounted to shafts transverse to the drive shaft;
- the first endless belt engaging a first driven sheave mounted to the first vertical spindle, the second endless belt engaging a second driven sheave mounted to the second vertical spindle, and at least one of the first and second endless belts engaging a third driven sheave mounted to the third vertical spindle.
A mule drive for a mower deck comprising:
- a pair of drive sheaves positioned on a horizontal PTO shaft behind the mower deck, the pair of drive sheaves including a first larger diameter drive sheave and a second smaller diameter drive sheave;
- two pairs of guide sheaves positioned on horizontal shafts transverse to the horizontal PTO shaft and below the drive sheaves;
- a plurality of spindles extending through the mower deck, each spindle having a cutting blade mounted to a lower end thereof and a driven sheave mounted to an upper end thereof;
- a first endless belt engaging the smaller diameter drive sheave, two of the guide sheaves, and at least one of the driven sheaves;
- and
- a second endless belt engaging the larger diameter drive sheave, two of the guide sheaves, and at least two of the driven sheaves.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.