Hay making machine with improved shaft coupling

Abstract

A hay making machine including at least two working elements in the form of rotary rakes which are carried by intermediate frames. The intermediate frames are arranged on a support frame and supported on the ground by at least one land wheel. The intermediate frames are pivotally connected for following the contours of the ground as picked-up by the land wheels, and for pivoting about axes which extend in the direction of travel between a working position and a transportation position and vice versa. The intermediate frames also support the transmission members of the drive train, especially shafts and the power train, which are needed for conveying the drive energy to the rotary rakes rotating about vertical axes. Furthermore, the intermediate frames are connected together in the vicinity of the articulated connection between adjacent intermediate frames by coupling consisting of two coupling units that co-operate via meshing elements. By using finger-like and star-shaped coupling units, whose meshing elements have mutually perpendicular axes when the coupling is closed, the meshing elements of the one coupling unit are arranged in the interstices of the other coupling unit, resulting in the possibility of axial displacement of at least one of the coupling units. Furthermore, it follows that the spacing relative to one of the coupling units when the other coupling unit is tilted can be balanced out, thereby ensuring that the conveyance of energy is always properly effected even when using short meshing elements that are better able to withstand loads.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.