Slip coupling for a work machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11486451-B2
Application number	US-201816492754-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 8, 2018
Priority date	Mar 10, 2017
Publication date	Nov 1, 2022
Grant date	Nov 1, 2022

Abstract

A slip coupling for a work machine includes a main clutch in the form of a friction-based and spring-operated slip clutch. The slip coupling further includes an auxiliary clutch configured to maintain a pre-set spring-induced clamping force on friction plates of the slip clutch, when the slip coupling rotates in a forward direction, and further configured to be able to increase the spring-induced clamping force, when the slip coupling rotates in a reverse rotational direction. The increase of the clamping force is enabled by the fact that one of two auxiliary clutch parts is axially movable when the slip coupling rotates in the reverse rotational direction, the axial movement actuating an increase in pre-tension of mechanical spring or springs of the slip clutch. A work machine such as a combine harvester equipped with the slip coupling is also described.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A slip coupling for rotatably connecting a first and second component of a work machine, the components being rotatable about a central rotation axis, the slip coupling comprising:
a main clutch in the form of a spring-operated slip clutch pre-tensioned by one or more mechanical springs; and
an auxiliary clutch comprising:
a plurality of axial tensioning rods;
an axially displaceable disc having threaded holes; and
a first and second clutch part configured to rotatably engage about the central rotation axis when the slip coupling rotates in a forward and reverse rotational direction, the first clutch part being axially movable and the second clutch part being axially stationary, wherein the first and second clutch parts are configured so that engagement of the clutch parts in the reverse direction enables an axial movement of the first clutch part with respect to the second clutch part, the axial movement acting to increase the pre-tension of the mechanical spring of the spring-operated slip clutch, wherein the spring-operated slip clutch comprises a package of friction plates comprising a first set of friction plates mounted on the first component and a second set of friction plates interspaced between the first set of friction plates, the second set of plates being connected to one or more radial extensions of the second component through the plurality of axial tensioning rods having threaded ends engaged in the threaded holes of the axially displaceable disc, wherein at least one axial spring is mounted between the axially displaceable disc and the package of friction plates so that a degree of engagement of the axial tensioning rods in the threaded holes determines a pre-tension of the at least one axial spring, and wherein the first clutch part is mounted relative to the axially displaceable disc in such a manner that an axial displacement of the first clutch part actuates the same axial displacement of the axially displaceable disc.

2. The slip coupling according to claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary clutch is a jaw clutch and wherein:
the first and second parts of the jaw clutch have interacting teeth and valleys, each tooth of one clutch part interlocking with a first sidewall of a valley of the other part when the slip coupling rotates in the forward rotational direction,
wherein the surface of the valleys of at least one of the first and second clutch parts is slanted in a manner to actuate the axial movement as a consequence of a rotation of one clutch part relative to the other, when the slip coupling rotates in the reverse rotational direction.

3. The slip coupling according to claim 2 , wherein the surface of the slanted valleys in at least one of the first and second clutch parts is delimited by the first sidewall that interlocks with the teeth of the other clutch part when the slip coupling rotates in the forward direction, and by a second sidewall, opposite the first sidewall, and wherein the axial movement is limited by the interlocking of the teeth of the other clutch part with the second sidewall of the slanted valleys, when the slip coupling rotates in the reverse direction.

4. The slip coupling according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second clutch parts of the auxiliary clutch have mutually corresponding threaded surfaces which are coaxial with the central rotation axis.

5. A work machine equipped with a slip coupling according to claim 1 .

6. The work machine according to claim 5 , wherein the work machine is a combine harvester or a forage harvester.

7. A slip coupling rotatably connecting a first and second component of a work machine, the components being rotatable about a central rotation axis, the slip coupling comprising:
a main clutch in the form of a spring-operated slip clutch pre-tensioned by one or more mechanical springs, and
an auxiliary clutch comprising:
a plurality of axial tensioning rods; and
a first and second clutch part configured to rotatably engage about the central rotation axis when the slip coupling rotates in a forward and reverse rotational direction, the first clutch part being axially movable and the second clutch part being axially stationary, wherein the first and second clutch parts are configured so that engagement of the first and second clutch parts in the reverse direction enables an axial movement of the first clutch part with respect to the second part, the axial movement acting to increase the pre-tension of the mechanical spring of the spring-operated slip clutch, wherein the spring-operated slip clutch comprises a package of friction plates comprising a first set of friction plates mounted on the first component and a second set of friction plates interspaced between the first set of friction plates, the second set of plates being connected to one or more radial extensions of the second component through the plurality of axial tensioning rods, the tensioning rods have threaded ends engaged in threaded holes of an axially displaceable disc, wherein at least one axial spring is mounted between the axially displaceable disc and the package of friction plates so that the degree of engagement of the axial tensioning rods in the threaded holes determines a pre-tension of the spring, and wherein the first clutch part of the auxiliary clutch is mounted relative to the axially displaceable disc in such a manner that an axial displacement of the first clutch part actuates the same axial displacement of the disc.

8. The slip coupling according to claim 7 , wherein the auxiliary clutch is a jaw clutch and wherein:
the first and second parts of the jaw clutch have interacting teeth and valleys, each tooth of one clutch part interlocking with a first sidewall of a valley of the other part when the slip coupling rotates in the forward rotational direction,
wherein the surface of the valleys of at least one of the first and second clutch parts is slanted in a manner to actuate the axial movement as a consequence of a rotation of one clutch part relative to the other, when the slip coupling rotates in the reverse rotational direction.

9. The slip coupling according to claim 8 , wherein the surface of the slanted valleys in at least one of the first and second clutch parts is delimited by the first sidewall that interlocks with the teeth of the other clutch part when the slip coupling rotates in the forward direction, and by a second sidewall, opposite the first sidewall, and wherein the axial movement is limited by the interlocking of the teeth of the other clutch part with the second sidewall of the slanted valleys, when the slip coupling rotates in the reverse direction.

10. The slip coupling according to claim 7 , wherein the axially stationary part of the auxiliary clutch is uniform with an axially stationary part of the first or second component.

11. The slip coupling according to claim 10 , wherein the first or second component comprises a rotatable element and an axle, the rotatable element being itself rotatable with respect to the axle, and wherein the axially stationary part of the auxiliary clutch is uniform with or attached to the rotatable element.

12. The slip coupling according to claim 11 , wherein the second clutch part is attached to the axially stationary part of the first or second component by a set of axial pins.

13. The slip coupling according to claim 12 , wherein the axial pins are configured as shear bolts which provide a safety in case of failure of the slip clutch.

14. A slip coupling rotatably connecting a first and second component of a work machine, the components being rotatable about a central rotation axis, the slip coupling com

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Reubens Sam
• Vandendriessche Jean-Pierre

Classifications

• F16D7/027 Primary

  with multiple lamellae · CPC title

• E03F3/02

  Arrangement of sewer pipe-lines or pipe-line systems · CPC title

• E03F3/04

  Pipes or fittings specially adapted to sewers (manufacture of concrete tubes B28; pipes or pipe fittings in general F16L) · CPC title

• E03F5/021

  Connection of sewer pipes to manhole shaft · CPC title

• F16D7/044

  the axially moving part being coaxial with the rotation, e.g. a gear with face teeth · CPC title