Hydro-mechanical variable speed feeder/header drive for an agricultural combine

A feeder and header for an agricultural combine, comprising:

• elements rotatable for harvesting and gathering crops from a field as the combine is moved thereover and elements rotatable for conveying the crops to a threshing apparatus of the combine;
• and
• a planetary gear set having a rotatable output including an output shaft connected in rotatably driving relation to the rotatable elements, the planetary gear set including a first rotatable input and a second rotatable input, the first rotatable input being connected in rotatably driven relation to a variable speed motor, and the second rotatable input being connected in rotatably driven relation to a rotatable output of a selectably engageable forward clutch and to a selectably engageable brake, the forward clutch including a rotatable input connected in rotatably driven relation to a second motor rotatable at a substantially constant speed, such that the forward clutch can be engaged while the brake is disengaged for rotating the rotatable elements in directions for harvesting and gathering crops from a field as the combine is moved thereover and for conveying the crops to the threshing apparatus at rotational speeds which are variable by varying the rotational speed of the variable speed motor, and such that the forward clutch can be disengaged and the brake engaged for rotating at least the elements for conveying the crops in a direction away from the threshing apparatus by the rotation of the variable speed motor.

A variable speed feeder and header for an agricultural combine, comprising:

• a header including elements rotatable for harvesting and gathering crops from a field as the combine is moved thereover;
• a feeder positioned for receiving the harvested and gathered crops from the header and including elements rotatable for conveying the crops to a threshing apparatus of the combine;
• and
• a planetary gear set including an output connected by a shaft in rotatably driving relation to the rotatable elements of the feeder and the header, a first rotatable input connected in rotatably driven relation to a first motor, and a second rotatable input connected in rotatably driven relation to a rotatable output of a forward clutch and to a rotatable input of a reverse clutch selectably engageable with a fixed output thereof, the forward clutch including an input selectably engageable with the output thereof and connected in rotatably driven relation to a second motor, such that the input and the output of the forward clutch can be engaged while the input and the output of the reverse clutch are disengaged for rotating the rotatable elements of the feeder and the header in a first direction at a rotational speed variable by varying the rotational speed of the first motor, and such that the input and output of the forward clutch can be disengaged and the input and output of the brake engaged for rotating the rotatable elements of the feeder and the header in a second direction opposite the first direction by the rotation of the first motor.