Corn head row unit gearbox lubrication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9863516-B2
Application number	US-201514874212-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 2, 2015
Priority date	Oct 2, 2015
Publication date	Jan 9, 2018
Grant date	Jan 9, 2018

Abstract

A corn head row unit gearbox includes an input shaft, that rotates about a first axis of rotation and that drives a set of bevel gears. The bevel gears transfer rotation of the input shaft into rotation of a set of gathering chain output shafts about a second axis of rotation, generally transverse to the first axis of rotation. The gathering chain drive shafts each rotate within a bushing mounted within a frame structure of the gearbox. The frame structure defines a bore that communicates with a bevel gear cavity, in which at least one of the sets of bevel gears rotates, and an interior of the bushings mounted on the gathering chain drive shafts. Rotation of the bevel gears carries lubricant to an inlet aperture on the bore and drives the lubricant through the bore into the bushings.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A harvester row unit gear box, comprising:
a structural housing;
an input shaft, rotatably mounted to the structural housing, and rotatable about a first axis of rotation;
a first bushing mounted to the structural housing and having an inner surface with a first bushing aperture between a first axial end of the first bushing and a second axial end of the first bushing;
a first gathering chain drive shaft rotatably mounted within the first bushing and rotatable about a second axis of rotation generally transverse to the first axis of rotation, rotation of the first gathering chain drive shaft driving a first gathering chain; and
a gear train, mounted within a gear train containment area defined by the structural housing, that links the input shall to the first gathering chain drive shaft transferring rotation of the input shaft about the first axis of rotation into rotation of the first gathering chain drive shaft about the second axis of rotation, the structural housing defining a first bore, generally aligned with the first bushing aperture in the first bushing providing fluid communication between the gear train containment area and the inner surface of the first bushing; wherein the gear train includes a first gear that rotates within the gear train containment area and wherein the structural housing further comprises a structural wall that forms a part of the gear train containment area and that defines a first wall aperture in fluid communication with the first bore.

2. The harvester row gear box of claim 1 wherein the first gear has a set of gear teeth that rotate within the gear train containment area proximate the first wall aperture in the structural wall.

3. The harvester row gear box of claim 2 wherein the structural wall includes a first lubricant deflector extending into the gear train containment area toward the teeth of the first gear, to deflect lubricant carried by the teeth into the first bore through the first wall aperture.

4. The harvester row unit gear box of claim 3 wherein the first wall aperture has a front side in a direction of rotation of the first gear and a rear side in the direction of rotation of the first gear and wherein the first lubricant deflector is positioned along the rear side of the first wall aperture.

5. The harvester row unit gear box of claim 4 and further comprising:
a first snap roller drive shaft, wherein the first gear drives rotation of the snap roller drive shaft.

6. The harvester row unit gear box of claim 1 wherein the structural housing defines a first lubricant reservoir along a length of the first bore.

7. The harvester row unit gear box of claim 6 wherein the gear box is movable between shipping position or a storage position and an operating position, and wherein the first lubricant reservoir is positioned to store lubricant when the gearbox is in at least one of the shipping or storage positions.

8. The harvester row unit gear box of claim 1 wherein the first bore has an elongate portion and an end generally aligned with the first bushing aperture, wherein the end of the first bore is enlarged relative to the elongate portion of the first bore.

9. The harvester row unit gear box of claim 1 and further comprising:
a second bushing mounted to the structural housing and having an inner surface with a second bushing aperture between a first axial end of the second bushing and a second axial end of the second bushing; and
a second gathering chain drive shaft rotatably mounted within the second bushing and rotatable about a third axis of rotation generally transverse to the first axis of rotation, to drive a second gathering chain wherein the gear train links the input shaft to the second gathering chain drive shaft to transfer rotation of the input shaft about the first axis of rotation into rotation of the second gathering chain drive shaft about the third axis of rotation, the structural housing defining a second bore, generally aligned with the second bushing aperture in the second bushing to provide fluid communication between the gear train containment area and the inner surface of the second bushing.

10. The harvester row unit gear box of claim 9 wherein the gear train includes a second gear that rotates within the gear train containment area and wherein the structural wall defines a second wall aperture in fluid communication with the second bore, and wherein the gear has a set of teeth that rotate within the gear train containment area proximate the second wall aperture in the structural wall and wherein the structural wall comprises:
a second lubricant deflector extending into the gear train containment area toward the teeth of the second gear, to deflect lubricant carried by the teeth into the second bore through the second wall aperture.

11. The harvester row unit gear box of claim 10 wherein the structural housing defines a second lubricant reservoir along a length of the second bore, wherein the gear box is movable between shipping or storage positions and an operating position, and wherein the second lubricant reservoir is positioned to store lubricant when the gearbox is in at least one of the shipping or storage positions.

12. The harvester row unit gear box of claim 11 wherein the second bore has an elongate portion and an end generally aligned with the second bushing aperture, wherein the end of the second bore is enlarged relative to the elongate portion of the second bore.

13. A corn head row unit gear box, comprising:
a structural housing;
an input shaft, rotatably mounted to the structural housing, and rotatable about a first axis of rotation;
a first bushing and a second bushing, each mounted to the structural housing and each having first and second axial ends and an inner surface with a bushing aperture between the first and second axial ends;
a first gathering chain drive shaft rotatable mounted within the first bushing and rotatable about a second axis of rotation generally transverse to the first axis of rotation, rotation of the first gathering chain drive shaft driving a first gathering chain;
a second gathering chain drive shaft rotatably mounted within the second bushing and rotatable about a third axis of rotation generally transverse to the first axis of rotation, rotation of the second gathering chain drive shaft drive a second gathering chain;
a gear train, mounted within a gear train containment area defined by the structural housing, that links the input shaft to the first gathering chain drive shaft and the second gathering chain drive shaft, transferring rotation of the input shaft about the first axis of rotation into rotation of the first gathering chain drive shaft about the second axis of rotation and into rotation of the second gathering chain drive shaft about the third axis of rotation, the structural housing defining a first bore, generally aligned with the first bushing aperture in the first bushing, providing fluid communication between the gear train containment area and the inner surface of the first bushing and a second bore, generally aligned with the second bushing aperture in the second bushing, providing fluid communication between the gear train containment area and the inner surface of the second bushing; and
wherein the corn head row unit gear box is movable between shipping or storage positions and an operating position and wherein, when in the operating position, the gear train containment area has an upper portion and a lower portion and wherein the structural housing defines a first opening in the upper portion of the gear box containment area communicating with the first bore and a second opening in the

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Perez Javier J
• Bernklau Nathaniel R
• Bomleny Duane M
• Cabezas Sara
• Vandeven Michael L
• Sanz Guillermo G
• Ruperez Ruben R
• Badhe Prafulla S

Classifications

• F16H57/0495

  with fixed gear ratio · CPC title

• F16H37/065 Primary

  with a plurality of driving or driven shafts (F16H37/0806 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A01D69/06

  Gearings · CPC title

• F16H2057/0093

  Means or measures for transport, shipping or packaging · CPC title

• A01D2101/00

  Lawn-mowers · CPC title