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US 8,997,594 B2Granted
Transmission gear ratio changing without disassembly for a work machine
AssigneeDeere & Company
InventorsHerbert Allen Larsen, Raymond Donald Meek, Roman Cisek
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A transmission (12) for a vehicle (10) includes a gear arrangement having a gear shaft (44) and a gear (48,66) mounted to the gear shaft (44). The gear (48,66) is axially movable and rotationally fixed relative to the gear shaft (44). A housing (28) includes an access opening (56) and an access cover (54) over the access opening (56). The access cover (54) rotatably carries one end of the gear shaft (44). The access opening (56) is sized and shaped to allow the gear (48,66) to be moved through and out of the housing (28).
Claims11
A transmission for a vehicle, comprising:
- a parallel shaft arrangement including a first gear shaft and a second gear shaft;
- a first gear removably mountable to and rotatable with the first gear shaft, the first gear having a first set of gear teeth meshable with a second gear of the second gear shaft;
- a replacement gear removably mountable to and rotatable with the first gear shaft, the replacement gear having a replacement set of gear teeth meshable with the second gear of the second gear shaft, the replacement set of gear teeth having a different number of gear teeth than the first set of gear teeth;
- first and second bearings associated with the first and second gear shafts;
- a gear housing containing the parallel shaft arrangement and having an end wall, the end wall having an access opening associated with the first gear shaft and a shaft opening carrying the second bearing which mounts the second gear shaft to be rotatable with respect to the gear housing and to extend through the end wall;
- and
- an access cover removably mounted to the end wall over the access opening and rotatably carrying the first bearing which mounts the first gear shaft to be rotatable with respect to the gear housing;
- wherein said access opening is configured so that the first gear and the replacement gear are movable through the access opening into and out of the gear housing when the access cover is in an uninstalled position;
- and
- wherein, when the first gear is mounted to the first gear shaft, the first gear meshes with the second gear to create a first gear ratio between the first and second gear shafts and, when the first gear is removed from the first gear shaft and the replacement gear is mounted to the first gear shaft, the replacement gear meshes with the second gear to create a second gear ratio between the first and second gear shafts.
7 more elements
A work machine, comprising:
- an engine;
- and
- a transmission coupled to the engine, the transmission including:
- a parallel shaft arrangement including a first gear shaft and a second gear shaft;
- a first gear removably mountable to and rotatable with the first gear shaft, the first gear having a first set of gear teeth meshable with a second gear of the second gear shaft;
- a replacement gear removably mountable to and rotatable with the first gear shaft, the replacement gear having a replacement set of gear teeth meshable with the second gear of the second gear shaft, the replacement set of gear teeth having a different number of gear teeth than the first set of gear teeth;
- first and second bearings associated with the first and second gear shafts;
- a gear housing containing the parallel shaft arrangement and having an end wall, the end wall having an access opening associated with the first gear shaft and a shaft opening carrying the second bearing which mounts the second gear shaft to be rotatable with respect to the gear housing and to extend through the end wall;
- and
- an access cover removably mounted to the end wall over the access opening and rotatably carrying the first bearing which mounts the first gear shaft to be rotatable with respect to the gear housing;
- wherein said access opening is configured so that the first gear and the replacement gear are movable through the access opening into and out of the gear housing when the access cover is in an uninstalled position;
- and
- wherein, when the first gear is mounted to the first gear shaft, the first gear meshes with the second gear to create a first gear ratio between the first and second gear shafts and, when the first gear is removed from the first gear shaft and the replacement gear is mounted to the first gear shaft, the replacement gear meshes with the second gear to create a second gear ratio between the first and second gear shafts.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.