Reversible power takeoff driven post hole digger
OwnerJames B Sumnerinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A reversible post hole digger apparatus powered by a power takeoff shaft includes a transmission providing a reverse gear and a forward gear in a single housing. The apparatus has a power head disposed between a shaft connected to the power takeoff and an output shaft driving an auger. A gear box within the power head contains a main shaft which carries forward and reverse pinion gears at opposite ends and has a central portion with an external spline connector. The pinion gears are activated by a central spline-containing slide. Movement of the slide, carried out by means of a shift lever engaging a fork with a rack and pinion device, provides connection to forward, reverse and neutral positions on the shaft. Upper and lower ring gears drive an output shaft in a selected direction.
Claims20
A reversible-auger post hole digger apparatus driven by a power takeoff comprising:
- a housing;
- a main input shaft rotatably positioned within and across said housing;
- a pair of pinion gears carried by opposite ends of said main input shaft;
- a central portion of said shaft being provided with an external engageable component;
- a slide disposed on said shaft between said pinion gears and including an internal engaging component adapted for engaging either one of said pinion gears or said central portion of said shaft in order to obtain a selected forward, reverse or neutral position;
- a mechanism for moving said slide to one of said selected forward, reverse or neutral position;
- a pair of ring gears mounted at upper and lower positions and engaged with said pair of pinion gears;
- an output shaft driven by one ring gear of the pair of ring gears in both forward and reverse directions and extending from said housing, and
- an auger connected to said output shaft.
A reversible post hole digger driven by a powered shaft, said reversible post hole digger comprising:
- a housing;
- an input power shaft connectable to and driven by said powered shaft, said input power shaft extending across an interior of said housing and supported for rotation by said housing, with a central portion of said input power shaft within said housing being an externally splined central region;
- a pair of pinion gears supported for rotation on said input power shaft and within said housing, one pinion gear of said pair of pinion gears carried on one side of said splined central region and the other pinion gear of said pair of pinion gears carried on the other side of said splined central region, each pinion gear of said pair of pinion gears configured having an externally splined region adjacent said externally splined central region of said input power shaft;
- a slide having internal splines and mounted for movement along said splined central region of said input power shaft and said splined region of a respective pinion gear of said pair of pinion gears, said slide being of a length so as to bridge said splined central region and said splined region of one pinion gear or the other pinion gear of said pair of pinion gears,
- a mechanism for moving said slide to a position bridging said splined region of a respective pinion gear of said pair of pinion gears or to position said slide at said splined central region of said main input shaft;
- a first ring gear supported for rotation in said housing above said pair of pinion gears and in continuous geared engagement with both of said pair of pinion gears, and a second ring gear supported for rotation by said housing below said pair of pinion gears and in continuous geared engagement with both of said pair of pinion gears, said second ring gear connected to an output shaft,
- a posthole auger connected to said output shaft.
A post hole digger couplable to a three point hitch of a tractor, and operated by a power take off shaft from said tractor, said post hole digger comprising:
- a housing,
- a power input shaft having a splined central region and coupled to said power takeoff shaft, said power input shaft supported for rotation at opposed sides of said housing,
- a first pinion gear supported for rotation on said power input shaft on one side of said splined central region,
- a second pinion gear supported for rotation on said power input shaft on the opposite side of said splined central region, said first and second pinion gears each having a splined region adjacent said splined central region,
- a first ring gear supported for driven rotation by one of said first pinion gear and said second pinion gear, said first ring gear in permanent geared engagement with both said first pinion gear and said second pinion gear,
- a second ring gear supported for driven rotation by one of said first pinion gear and said second pinion gear, said second pinion gear in permanent geared engagement with said first pinion gear and said second pinion gear,
- an internally splined, generally tubular slide mounted for sliding engagement with said splined central region and said splined region of each of said first pinion gear and said second pinion gear,
- a selecting mechanism for moving said slide to bridge said splined central region with said splined region of one of said first pinion gear and said second pinion gear wherein when said first pinion gear is bridged with said splined central region said post hole digger operates in a forward direction and when said second pinion gear is bridged with said splined central region said post hole digger operates in a reverse direction,
- a post hole digging auger coupled to said second ring gear.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.