Drive arrangement for powering the plunger of an agricultural baler

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016135374-A1
Application number	US-201615001816-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 20, 2016
Priority date	Dec 19, 2011
Publication date	May 19, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An agricultural baler including a base unit, a plurality of ground engaging devices and a transmission. The plurality of ground engaging devices support the base unit. The transmission is mounted on the base unit. The transmission includes an input shaft and an other shaft. The other shaft is separate from the input shaft. The other shaft is drivingly coupled to the input shaft. The other shaft is connected to a flywheel and/or a hydraulic pump. The other shaft is configured to operate at a different speed than the speed at which the input shaft operates.

First claim

1 . A method of powering an agricultural baler, the method comprising the steps of:
providing shaft torque to an input shaft of a transmission, the transmission being mounted on a base unit of the agricultural baler; and driving at least one of a flywheel and a hydraulic pump connected to an other shaft apart from the input shaft, the other shaft being drivingly coupled to the input shaft, the other shaft being configured to operate at a different speed than a speed at which the input shaft operates.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the flywheel is connected to the other shaft, the speed of the other shaft being higher than the input shaft.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the speed of the other shaft and the speed of the input shaft are related to each other by a fixed gearing ratio, the fixed gearing ratio being at least 2:1.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein an output shaft is drivingly connected to a plunger of the agricultural baler, the output shaft being drivingly coupled to the input shaft by way of a variable gearing ratio.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the input shaft, the other shaft and the output shaft each operate at different speeds from each other.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the other shaft and the input shaft have a fixed gearing ratio relationship therebetween.

7 . A method of powering an agricultural baler, the method comprising the steps of:
providing shaft torque to an input shaft of a transmission, the transmission being mounted on a base unit of the agricultural baler; driving at least one of a flywheel and a hydraulic pump connected to a fixed speed shaft drivingly coupled to the input shaft, the fixed speed shaft being configured to operate at a higher speed than a speed at which the input shaft operates; and driving a plunger mechanism connected to a variable speed shaft drivingly coupled to the input shaft, the variable speed shaft configured to operate at a different speed than the speed at which the fixed speed shaft operates.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein said speed of said fixed speed shaft and said speed of said input shaft are related to each other by a gearing ratio, said gearing ratio being greater than 1:1.

9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the speed of the fixed speed shaft and the speed of the input shaft are related to each other by a gearing ratio, the gearing ratio being at least 2:1.

10 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the input shaft, the fixed speed shaft and the variable speed shaft each operate at different speeds from each other.

11 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the fixed speed shaft and the input shaft have a fixed gearing ratio relationship therebetween.

12 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the speed of the input shaft and the speed of the variable speed shaft are related to each other by a variable gearing ratio, the variable gearing ratio having a plurality of gearing ratio selections.

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Roth Darin L

Classifications

• Y10T74/19

  Gearing · CPC title

• A01F15/085 Primary

  for round balers · CPC title

• A01F15/04

  Plunger presses · CPC title

• A01F15/0841 Primary

  Drives for balers · CPC title