Rotary cutter with reversible counterrotation gearbox
AssigneeAllied Products Corporation
InventorsJackie L. Harrington, Fred W. Lurwig
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A rotary cutter apparatus is provided for shredding vegetation in order to generally reduce the size of cut vegetation and more evenly distribute the vegetation once thus cut. Counterrotating, coaxial blade assemblies are provided. A multiple gear drive shaft has one drive gear for engaging and driving one blade assembly and another drive gear for engaging and driving the other blade assembly. The multiple gear drive shaft also has an interchangeability characteristic which determines the respective rotational directions of the counterrotating blade assemblies. Enhanced gear and bearing lubrication is also achieved.
Claims25
A rotary cutter apparatus with dual counterrotating blade assemblies for cutting and shredding vegetation, the rotary cutter apparatus comprising:
- a deck assembly associated with at least one ground engagement member and an assembly for transporting the rotary cutter apparatus across a field of vegetation to be cut and shred;
- an upper blade assembly rotatably mounted along said deck assembly so as to engage and cut vegetation over which said rotary cutter apparatus moves and which passes generally under said deck assembly;
- a lower blade assembly rotatably mounted along said deck assembly so as to engage and cut vegetation over which said rotary cutter apparatus moves and which passes generally under said deck assembly, said lower blade assembly being below said upper blade assembly;
- a blade gearbox and drive assembly secured to said deck assembly, said blade gearbox and drive assembly simultaneously driving both said upper blade assembly and said lower blade assembly;
- said blade gearbox and drive assembly including a rotatably mounted driven output shaft in driving engagement with said lower blade assembly and a rotatably mounted driven output tube in driving engagement with said upper blade assembly, said output shaft passing through said output tube, and said blade assemblies being driven respectively by said output shaft and output tube in counterrotation with respect to each other;
- said blade gearbox and drive assembly include a driven gear for the upper blade assembly and a driven gear for the lower blade assembly;
- a multiple gear drive shaft having a first drive gear for engaging and driving said driven gear for the upper blade assembly and a second gear for engaging and driving said driven gear for the lower blade assembly;
- and
- said multiple gear drive shaft also has a first location and a second location therealong, said multiple gear drive shaft having an interchangeability characteristic such that said first location accommodates either said first drive gear or said second drive gear and such that said second location accommodates either said first drive gear or said second drive gear, whichever one is not accommodated by said first location, and said interchangeability characteristic determines the respective directions of counterrotation of said upper and lower blade assemblies.
A rotary cutter apparatus with dual counterrotating blade assemblies for cutting and shredding vegetation, the rotary cutter apparatus comprising:
- a deck assembly associated with at least one ground engagement member and an assembly for transporting the rotary cutter apparatus;
- an upper blade assembly rotatably mounted along said deck assembly so as to engage and cut vegetation over which said rotary cutter apparatus moves and which passes generally under said deck assembly;
- a lower blade assembly rotatably mounted along said deck assembly so as to engage and cut vegetation over which said rotary cutter apparatus moves and which passes generally under said deck assembly, said lower blade assembly being below said upper blade assembly;
- a blade gearbox and drive assembly secured to said deck assembly, said blade gearbox and drive assembly simultaneously driving both said upper blade assembly and said lower blade assembly;
- said blade gearbox and drive assembly including a driven gear for the upper blade assembly and a driven gear for the lower blade assembly;
- a multiple gear drive shaft having a first drive gear for engaging and driving said driven gear for the upper blade assembly and a second gear for engaging and driving said driven gear for the lower blade assembly;
- and
- said multiple gear drive shaft also has a first location and a second location therealong, said multiple gear drive shaft having an interchangeability characteristic such that said first location accommodates either said first drive gear or said second drive gear and such that said second location accommodates either said first drive gear or said second drive gear, whichever one is not accommodated by said first location, and said interchangeability characteristic determines the respective directions of counterrotation of said upper and lower blade assemblies.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.