Hydraulic cleaning fan drive for combine harvester utilizing swing-arm actuated pump

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12453310-B2
Application number	US-202318104373-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 1, 2023
Priority date	Feb 1, 2023
Publication date	Oct 28, 2025
Grant date	Oct 28, 2025

Abstract

An assembly for selectively activating a cleaning fan of a combine harvester. The assembly includes a hydraulic pump for distributing power to the cleaning fan. The hydraulic pump is movably connected to a fixed point, and is configured to move between first and second positions. The hydraulic pump has an input portion for receiving power and a pressurized fluid port for distributing fluid to power the cleaning fan. A drive belt is wound about the input portion of the hydraulic pump and a drive pulley of the combine harvester. An actuator is provided for selectively moving the hydraulic pump between the first position, in which the drive belt is maintained in a state of tension such that the drive pulley can drive the cleaning fan, and the second position, in which the drive belt is maintained in a relaxed state such that the drive pulley cannot drive the cleaning fan.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An assembly for selectively activating a cleaning fan of a cleaning system of a combine harvester, said assembly comprising:
a hydraulic pump for either directly or indirectly powering the cleaning fan, the hydraulic pump being movably connected to a fixed point and moveable between a first position and a second position, the hydraulic pump having an input portion for receiving power and a pressurized fluid port for distributing fluid to power the cleaning fan; a drive belt wound about the input portion of the hydraulic pump as well as a drive pulley of the combine harvester; and an actuator for selectively moving the hydraulic pump between the first position and the second position, wherein, in the first position of the hydraulic pump, the hydraulic pump is positioned such that the belt is maintained in a state of tension on the input portion of the hydraulic pump as well as the drive pulley, and in the state of tension of the drive belt, the drive belt is configured to transfer power from the drive pulley to the input portion of the hydraulic pump, which activates the hydraulic pump to cause rotation of the cleaning fan, and wherein, in the second position of the hydraulic pump, the hydraulic pump is positioned such that the belt is maintained in a relaxed state on the input portion of the hydraulic pump and/or the drive pulley, and in the relaxed state of the drive belt, the drive belt is not configured to transfer power from the drive pulley to the input portion of the hydraulic pump.

2 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the hydraulic pump is rotatably connected to the fixed point.

3 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the actuator is either a hydraulic actuator or an electric linear actuator.

4 . The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a hydraulic motor that is fluidly connected to the pressurized fluid port of the hydraulic pump, wherein an output shaft of the hydraulic motor is non-rotatably connected to an input shaft of the cleaning fan for rotating the input shaft.

5 . The assembly of claim 4 , wherein the hydraulic motor is fluidly connected to the pressurized fluid port of the hydraulic pump by flexible fluid lines.

6 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein a tension in the belt is greater in the state of tension than in the relaxed state.

7 . The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising belt guides for guiding the belt away from the drive pulley in the relaxed state.

8 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein an axis of rotation of the drive pulley remains stationary in both the first position and the second position of the hydraulic pump.

9 . The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a computer-controlled pump for controlling the actuator to selectively move the hydraulic pump between the first position and the second position.

10 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the actuator includes a cylinder having a hollow interior region and a piston that is at least partially positioned within the hollow interior region, wherein the cylinder is rotatably connected to a fixed point on the combine harvester, and an end of the piston that extends outside of the cylinder is rotatably connected to the hydraulic pump.

11 . The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising the drive pulley, wherein the drive pulley is configured to receive power from an engine of the combine harvester.

12 . An agricultural vehicle comprising the assembly of claim 1 .

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Ohms Travis
• Murray Craig
• Wickizer John Bradley

Classifications

• A01D69/00

  Driving mechanisms or parts thereof for harvesters or mowers (driving mechanisms for the cutters of mowers or harvesters A01D34/00) · CPC title

• A01F12/56

  Driving mechanisms for the threshing parts · CPC title

• A01F12/444 Primary

  Fanning means · CPC title

• A01D41/1276 Primary

  for cleaning mechanisms · CPC title

• A01D41/00

  Combines, i.e. harvesters or mowers combined with threshing devices · CPC title