Safety guard for power take off

#This application claims priority to Australian Patent Application Serial Number 2005202533, filed Jun. 9, 2005.

#The present invention relates to a safety guard. The safety guard is especially suited for use with a power take off. However, it will be appreciated that the safety guard may also be used to cover any other rotating shaft or rotating joint. For convenience, the safety guard will be described with reference to its use with power take offs. However, it will be appreciated that the safety guard of the present invention should not be considered to be limited solely to use with power take offs.

#United States, European and Australian safety standards dictate that agricultural power take off shafts must be enclosed by an approved safety cover. Current Australian and United States standards allow for the safety cover to rotate with the shaft. However, the safety cover must stop rotating when it comes into contact with any object. This requirement is normally achieved by the use of a safety guard bearing between the safety guard and the power take off shaft.

#FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional side view of a safety guard in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

#FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional plan view of the safety guard shown in FIG. 1, with the safety guard being in the locked position;

#FIG. 3 shows the same view as FIG. 2 but with the safety guard in the unlocked position;

#The drawings attached to this specification have been provided for the purposes of illustrating embodiments of the present invention. It will be appreciated that the present invention should not be considered to be restricted solely to the embodiments as shown in the attached drawings.

#FIGS. 1 to 4 show various views of an embodiment of the present invention. Referring initially to FIG. 4, the safety guard 10 has a guard body 12. Guard body 12 is suitably manufactured from a rigid plastics material, such as polypropylene. The guard body 12 includes an enlarged portion 14 having an open mouth 16. The enlarged portion 14 is shaped such that it will fit over the yoke 18 of a power take off shaft. The guard body 12 also includes another portion 20 that fits over the shaft of the power take off. In this regard, it will be appreciated that the yoke 18 of the power take off shaft has an elongate shaft extending from end 22 of the yoke. The elongate shaft has been removed from FIG. 4 for clarity.

#The yoke 18 will typically include a groove 24 formed in an outer surface near the end 22. This is typical part of most power take off yokes currently available for purchase.