EP2615902A1 - Disc cutter assembly, particularly for farming machines such as mowers, mower conditioners or the like, with high safety of operation - Google Patents

Disc cutter assembly, particularly for farming machines such as mowers, mower conditioners or the like, with high safety of operation

Info

Publication number
EP2615902A1
EP2615902A1 EP11749858.4A EP11749858A EP2615902A1 EP 2615902 A1 EP2615902 A1 EP 2615902A1 EP 11749858 A EP11749858 A EP 11749858A EP 2615902 A1 EP2615902 A1 EP 2615902A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
flange
axis
disc
cutter assembly
corresponding shaft
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP11749858.4A
Other languages
German (de)
French (fr)
Inventor
Alan Castellucci
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Feraboli SpA
Original Assignee
Feraboli SpA
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Feraboli SpA filed Critical Feraboli SpA
Publication of EP2615902A1 publication Critical patent/EP2615902A1/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
    • A01D—HARVESTING; MOWING
    • A01D34/00—Mowers; Mowing apparatus of harvesters
    • A01D34/01—Mowers; Mowing apparatus of harvesters characterised by features relating to the type of cutting apparatus
    • A01D34/412—Mowers; Mowing apparatus of harvesters characterised by features relating to the type of cutting apparatus having rotating cutters
    • A01D34/63—Mowers; Mowing apparatus of harvesters characterised by features relating to the type of cutting apparatus having rotating cutters having cutters rotating about a vertical axis
    • A01D34/64—Mowers; Mowing apparatus of harvesters characterised by features relating to the type of cutting apparatus having rotating cutters having cutters rotating about a vertical axis mounted on a vehicle, e.g. a tractor, or drawn by an animal or a vehicle
    • A01D34/66—Mowers; Mowing apparatus of harvesters characterised by features relating to the type of cutting apparatus having rotating cutters having cutters rotating about a vertical axis mounted on a vehicle, e.g. a tractor, or drawn by an animal or a vehicle with two or more cutters
    • A01D34/664—Disc cutter bars
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
    • A01D—HARVESTING; MOWING
    • A01D34/00—Mowers; Mowing apparatus of harvesters
    • A01D34/01—Mowers; Mowing apparatus of harvesters characterised by features relating to the type of cutting apparatus
    • A01D34/412—Mowers; Mowing apparatus of harvesters characterised by features relating to the type of cutting apparatus having rotating cutters
    • A01D34/63—Mowers; Mowing apparatus of harvesters characterised by features relating to the type of cutting apparatus having rotating cutters having cutters rotating about a vertical axis
    • A01D34/82—Other details
    • A01D34/828—Safety devices

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a disc cutter assembly, particularly for farming machines such as mowers, mower conditioners or the like, with high safety of operation.
  • Disc cutter assemblies are known which are mounted generally on farming machines such as mowers, mower conditioners or similar farming machines.
  • Such cutter assemblies generally comprise a supporting bar designed to be arranged horizontally at a preset distance from the ground on which the product to be mowed grows.
  • a plurality of shafts protrude from one side of the supporting bar, i.e., from the side intended to be directed upward when the cutter assembly is in use, and have mutually parallel axes, each of which supports a disc which is integral with the corresponding shaft in the rotation about is own axis and usually carries two blades, which are articulated to peripheral regions of the disc and by centrifugal effect, during the rotation of the corresponding disc, arrange themselves radially with respect to the corresponding disc.
  • the several shafts are mutually connected in rotation about the corresponding axes by means of a cascade arrangement of gears, which are accommodated in the supporting bar and transmit the rotary motion from a main shaft, arranged proximate to a longitudinal end of the supporting bar, to the several shafts that carry the discs on which the blades are mounted.
  • the main shaft is connected to a motor drive, which is usually constituted by the engine of the farming machine if the machine is of the self-propelled type or by the tractor engine or the like if the farming machine is of the towed type.
  • a blade In using such cutter assemblies, a blade might strike the ground or a stone or another unexpected obstacle. If the impacted obstacle is such as to cause a sudden braking of the blade or even to halt it, the impact inevitably breaks at least some of the mutually meshed gears that transmit motion from the main shaft to the blades.
  • Another solution entails connecting the disc to the corresponding shaft by means of a radial pin designed to shear when sudden braking or halting of the disc occurs because of a collision of the blades against an obstacle, so as to uncouple the disc from the rotation of the shaft.
  • the disc is fixed to a ring coupled to a threaded region of the shaft so that when the radial pin breaks, since the shaft turns relative to the ring and therefore to the disc, the ring moves along the axis of the shaft until the ring is in a non-threaded region of the shaft, at which the ring is completely disengaged from the shaft as regards rotation about the axis of said shaft, which can thus turn freely although the blade or blades have been stopped by the obstacle.
  • the movement of the ring along the shaft is limited by a safety ring applied to the shaft itself.
  • the aim of the present invention is to solve the problems cited above, by providing a disc cutter assembly, particularly for farming machines such as mowers, mower conditioners or the like, that is designed so that an accidental impact of the blades against an obstacle causes limited damage, which can be repaired easily and quickly even by the user without requiring the use of special tools and without forcing to send the machine to a shop.
  • an object of the invention is to provide a disc cutter assembly that requires reduced machine downtimes in order to restore the operation of the cutter assembly in case of breakages caused by accidental collisions of the blades against obstacles.
  • Another object of the invention is to provide a disc cutter assembly that offers adequate assurances of safety for the user and for any people that might be in the vicinity of the machine provided with the cutter assembly according to the invention.
  • a further object of the invention is to provide a disc cutter assembly that can be manufactured at competitive costs.
  • a disc cutter assembly particularly for farming machines such as mowers, mower conditioners or the like, comprising a supporting bar which supports, so that it can rotate about corresponding axes which are substantially mutually parallel, a plurality of shafts, which protrude from one side of said supporting bar, each one supporting a disc provided with at least one cutting blade, each one of said shafts being connected to a kinematic transmission, which is accommodated in said supporting bar and mutually connects the several shafts in rotation about the respective axes, characterized in that at least some of said shafts are connected to the corresponding disc by means of a first flange, which lies around the corresponding shaft and is jointly connected thereto in rotation about its own axis, and by means of a second flange, which faces said first flange and is jointly connected to the corresponding disc in rotation about said axis of the corresponding shaft, said second flange being supported so that it can rotate about said axis with respect to the
  • Figure 1 is a top plan view of the cutter assembly according to the invention.
  • Figure 2 is a front elevation view of the cutter assembly according to the invention.
  • Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the cutter assembly
  • Figure 4 is an enlarged-scale sectional view of Figure 1 , taken along the line IV-IV;
  • Figure 5 is an enlarged-scale sectional view of Figure 1 , taken along the line V-V;
  • Figure 6 is an enlarged-scale sectional view of Figure 1 , taken along the line VI-VI;
  • Figure 7 is an enlarged-scale sectional view of Figure 1 , taken along the line VII-VII, with some elements omitted for the sake of simplicity;
  • Figure 8 is an enlarged-scale sectional view of Figure 1 , taken along the line VIII- VIII;
  • Figure 9 is a sectional view, taken in a manner similar to Figure 4, of an embodiment of the cutter assembly according to the invention.
  • the disc cutter assembly generally designated by the reference numeral 1, comprises a supporting bar 2 which supports, so that it can rotate about corresponding axes 3 which are substantially mutually parallel, a plurality of shafts 4, which protrude from one side of the supporting bar 2, each one supporting a disc 5 provided with at least one cutting blade 6a, 6b.
  • the supporting bar 2 has a box-like structure that defines, inside it, a compartment 7 which accommodates a kinematic transmission 8 that mutually connects the several shafts 4 in rotation about the corresponding axes 3.
  • the supporting bar 2 is designed to be supported, in a per se known manner, by the farming machine on which the disc cutter assembly 1 is mounted, so as to be arranged, in the conditions of use, substantially horizontally, parallel to the ground on which the product to be mowed grows.
  • Each shaft 4 protrudes with one of its portions from the upper face of the supporting bar 2 and the corresponding disc 5 is mounted on this portion.
  • each bearing holder 10 is mounted at each one of the holes 9 and is fixed to the supporting bar 2 by means of nuts 10a, which screw onto corresponding screws 10b that protrude from the upper face of the supporting bar around the corresponding hole 9.
  • each bearing holder 10 there is a corresponding bearing 1 1 , which supports the corresponding shaft 4, which in this manner is supported, so that it can rotate about its own axis 3, by the supporting bar 2.
  • the bearing 1 1 can be constituted, in a per se known manner, by a ball bearing, with one or more sets of balls, according to the requirements.
  • each shaft 4 is jointly connected in rotation about its own axis 3 to a gear 12, which is part of the kinematic transmission 8. More particularly, the kinematic transmission 8 comprises, in a per se known manner, a cascade arrangement of gears composed of a plurality of gears 12, each of which is jointly connected in rotation about the corresponding axis 3, to a corresponding shaft 4, and a plurality of intermediate gears, which are interposed between the gears 12 and have the function of mutually connecting the several shafts 4 in the rotation about the corresponding axes 3 in relation to the supporting bar 2.
  • Figure 5 shows one of the intermediate gears 13, which is supported by a bush 14, which by means of a screw 14a and a ring 14b is locked inside a hole 15 defined in the supporting bar 2.
  • the bush 14 supports the corresponding intermediate gear 13 by means of the interposition of a bearing 16, so that each intermediate gear 13 is supported by the supporting bar 2 so that it can rotate about the corresponding axis 13a, which is parallel to the axes 3 of the shaft
  • Each disc 5 is provided preferably with two cutting blades 6a, 6b. More particularly, each disc 5 has, in plan view, a substantially elliptical shape, and the blades 6a, 6b are connected, by means of one of their end portions, to peripheral regions of the disc 5 that are arranged along the major axis of the ellipse. Each blade 6a, 6b is connected to the corresponding disc 5 by means of a screw 17 and a nut 18 and can rotate freely about the screw 17, the axis 17a of which is parallel to the axis 3 of the corresponding shaft 4, so that the blades 6a, 6b, during the rotation of the disc 5, due to centrifugal force, arrange themselves radially with respect to the axis 3.
  • Each disc 5 is offset, in a per se known manner, with the major axis of its ellipse with respect to the major axis of the ellipse of the disc 5 or of the two contiguous discs 5 at an angle of substantially 90° about the axis 3 of the corresponding shaft 4, so that the blades 6a, 6b, carried by adjacent discs 5, follow paths that intersect each other without mutual interference of the blades 6a, 6b of contiguous discs 5.
  • At least some of the shafts 4 are connected to the corresponding disc 5 by means of a first flange 21 , which lies around the corresponding shaft 4 and is jointly connected thereto in rotation about its own axis 3, and by means of a second flange 22, which faces the first flange 21 and is jointly connected to the corresponding disc 5 in rotation about the axis 3 of the corresponding shaft 4.
  • This second flange 22 is supported so that it can rotate about the axis 3 with respect to the corresponding shaft 4.
  • the first flange 21 and the second flange 22 are mutually connected in rotation about the axis 3 by means of at least one bolt 23a, 23 b, which is spaced from the axis 3 and can be sheared if the torque transmitted from the first flange 21 to the second flange 22 exceeds a certain value, so as to disengage the corresponding disc 5 from the corresponding shaft 4 in rotation about the axis 3.
  • the bolt 23a, 23b is arranged so that its axis is parallel to the axis 3 and is composed of a screw 31a, 31b and a nut 32a, 32b with an optional corresponding locking nut or with another unscrewing prevention system of a known type,
  • two bolts 23a, 23b are provided, which are arranged so that their axes 24a, 24b lie on a diametrical plane of the corresponding shaft 4. More particularly, the second flange 22, with the disc cutting assembly in the condition of use, is superimposed on the first flange 21 , and the bolts 23a, 23b are inserted through through holes that are defined in the flanges 21 , 22 and are mutually aligned.
  • the size of the bolts 23a, 23b, as well as their distance from the axis 3 and their tightening, are calculated so that the bolts 23a, 23b are sheared when the torque transmitted from the first flange 21 to the second flange 22 exceeds a certain value that is significantly higher than the value of the torque that is transmitted from the first flange 21 to the second flange 22 in usual working conditions, as will become better apparent hereinafter.
  • the shaft 4 is provided monolithically with the corresponding gear 12 and the first flange 21 is arranged around the corresponding shaft 4 and is connected thereto by means of a coupling with a slotted profile 41 so as to be jointly connected to the corresponding shaft 4 in the rotation about its axis 3 in relation to the supporting bar 2.
  • the first flange 21 is locked axially along the corresponding shaft 4 between the bearing 1 1 and a shoulder defined by a washer 25 locked by a nut 26 that is screwed onto the axial end of the shaft 4 that faces upward when the disc cutter assembly is in use.
  • the second flange 22 is supported, so that it can rotate about the axis 3, by the first flange 21 , by means of the interposition of a bearing 27 arranged between two cylindrical portions of the flanges 21 and 22 that are coaxial to the shaft 4 and face each other.
  • the gear 12 is connected to the corresponding shaft 4 by means of a coupling with a slotted profile 42 and is axially locked along the shaft 4 between the bearing 1 1 and a nut 28 that is screwed onto the end of the shaft 4 that faces downward when the disc cutter assembly is in use.
  • the first flange 21 is provided monolithically with the shaft 4, while the second flange 22 is supported, so that it can rotate about the axis 3, by the shaft 4 by means of the interposition of a bearing 29.
  • means are providing for delimiting the axial sliding of the second flange 22 with respect to the corresponding shaft 4.
  • Such means for delimiting axial sliding in the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 8, are constituted by a first axial shoulder 21a defined by the first flange 21 and by a second axial shoulder 30a, which is arranged opposite with respect to the first axial shoulder 21a and is defined by a safety ring 30 that is applied to the first flange 21.
  • the means for delimiting axial sliding are constituted by a first axial shoulder 21a defined by the first flange 21 and by a second axial shoulder 30a, which is arranged opposite with respect to the first axial shoulder 21 a and is defined by a safety ring 30 that is applied to the corresponding shaft 4 with the interposition of the bearing 29 arranged between the first flange 21 and the second axial shoulder 30a.
  • the actuation of the several shafts 4, and therefore of the corresponding discs 5 that are mounted on the shafts 4, is performed by connecting the shaft 4 arranged at one end of the supporting bar 2 to a power unit, for example by means of a cardan shaft 33, as shown in Figures 6 and 7.
  • the power unit may be constituted by the engine of a farming machine on which the disc cutter assembly is mounted, in the case of a self- propelled farming machine, or by the engine of the tractor or the like, in the case of a farming machine of the towed or carried type.
  • connection of the shaft 4 to the disc 5 by means of a first flange 21 and a second flange 22, mutually connected by at least one bolt 23a, 23b that can be sheared if a preset torque is exceeded, as described above, might affect all the shafts 4 carried by the supporting bar 2, or only some of the shafts 4, according to the requirements.
  • the shaft 4, which is arranged at one end of the supporting bar 2 and is connected to the engine can be connected directly to the corresponding disc 5 by means of a single flange 40, i.e., without the first flange 21 and without the second flange 22.
  • the screws 35 engage in threaded seats 38 defined in the second flange 22.
  • the lid 36 is absent and there is instead a frustum-shaped cover 34, which is fixed to the upper face of the disc 5 and is designed to protect the cardan shaft 33 depending on whether said shaft must be mounted at one longitudinal end or at the other longitudinal end of the supporting bar 2.
  • the supporting bar 2 is arranged parallel to the ground on which the product to be mowed grows.
  • the actuation, with a rotary motion, of the shaft 4 that is arranged at one end of the supporting bar 2 and is connected to the engine by means of the cardan shaft 33 causes, by means of the kinematic transmission 8, the rotation about the corresponding axes 3 of all the shafts 4 and therefore of the corresponding discs 5.
  • the torque transmitted from the shaft 4 to the corresponding disc 5 through the first flange 21 and the second flange 22, on the shafts 4 where said flanges are mounted is the torque required to cut the product and is lower than the torque that would be necessary to shear the bolt or bolts 23a, 23b that mutually connect the first flange 21 and the second flange 22.
  • the user can proceed, by means of easily available tools, such as for example adjustable wrenches, with the disassembly of the disc 5 affected by the impact and then replace the bolts 23 a, 23 b that have been sheared.
  • This intervention even if the user is not particularly expert, takes a a few minutes.
  • the farming machine provided with the disc supporting assembly according to the invention can be used again.
  • the disk cutter assembly according to the invention fully achieves the intended aim, since in case of an accidental impact of the blades against an obstacle it limits the damage to components of the cutter assembly that can be replaced easily and quickly by the user without requiring the use of special tools and without requiring to send the machine to a repair shop. In this manner, downtimes are reduced to few minutes.
  • the materials used, as well as the dimensions, may be any according to requirements and to the state of the art.

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  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Environmental Sciences (AREA)
  • Harvester Elements (AREA)
  • Threshing Machine Elements (AREA)

Abstract

A disc cutter assembly, particularly for farming machines such as mowers, mower conditioners or the like, with high safety of operation comprising a supporting bar (2) which supports, so that it can rotate about corresponding axes (3) which are substantially mutually parallel, a plurality of shafts (4), which protrude from one side of the supporting bar (2), each one supporting a disc (5) provided with at least one cutting blade (6a, 6b), each one of the shafts (4) being connected to a kinematic transmission (8), which is accommodated in the supporting bar (2) and mutually connects the several shafts (4) in rotation about the respective axes (3), at least some of the shafts (4) being connected to the corresponding disc (5) by means of a first flange (21), which lies around the corresponding shaft (4) and is jointly connected thereto in rotation about its own axis (3), and by means of a second flange (22), which faces the first flange (21) and is jointly connected to the corresponding disc (5) in rotation about the axis (3) of the corresponding shaft (4), the second flange (22) being supported so that it can rotate about the axis (3) with respect to the corresponding shaft (4), the first flange (21 ) and the second flange (22) being connected in rotation about the axis (3) by means of at least one bolt (23 a, 23b) which is spaced from the axis (3) and can be sheared if the torque transmitted from the first flange (21 ) to the second flange (22) exceeds a certain value, in order to disengage the disc (5) from the corresponding shaft (4) in rotation about the axis (3).

Description

DISC CUTTER ASSEMBLY, PARTICULARLY FOR FARMING MACHINES SUCH AS MOWERS, MOWER CONDITIONERS OR THE LIKE, WITH HIGH SAFETY OF OPERATION
Technical Field
The present invention relates to a disc cutter assembly, particularly for farming machines such as mowers, mower conditioners or the like, with high safety of operation.
Backgorund Art
Disc cutter assemblies are known which are mounted generally on farming machines such as mowers, mower conditioners or similar farming machines. Such cutter assemblies generally comprise a supporting bar designed to be arranged horizontally at a preset distance from the ground on which the product to be mowed grows. A plurality of shafts protrude from one side of the supporting bar, i.e., from the side intended to be directed upward when the cutter assembly is in use, and have mutually parallel axes, each of which supports a disc which is integral with the corresponding shaft in the rotation about is own axis and usually carries two blades, which are articulated to peripheral regions of the disc and by centrifugal effect, during the rotation of the corresponding disc, arrange themselves radially with respect to the corresponding disc.
The several shafts are mutually connected in rotation about the corresponding axes by means of a cascade arrangement of gears, which are accommodated in the supporting bar and transmit the rotary motion from a main shaft, arranged proximate to a longitudinal end of the supporting bar, to the several shafts that carry the discs on which the blades are mounted. The main shaft is connected to a motor drive, which is usually constituted by the engine of the farming machine if the machine is of the self-propelled type or by the tractor engine or the like if the farming machine is of the towed type.
In using such cutter assemblies, a blade might strike the ground or a stone or another unexpected obstacle. If the impacted obstacle is such as to cause a sudden braking of the blade or even to halt it, the impact inevitably breaks at least some of the mutually meshed gears that transmit motion from the main shaft to the blades.
The breaking of the gear transmission renders the farming machine unusable and makes it necessary to send it to specialized repair shops in order to repair it, with downtimes that often are not compatible with the user's needs.
In order to obviate this drawback, a solution has been proposed which provides the shafts that carry the discs on which the blades are mounted with a circumferential slot that constitutes a frangible region at which the breakage of the shaft is localized when one of the blades that it supports is suddenly braked or halted following an impact against an obstacle. This solution indeed simplifies and therefore shortens the repairing intervention because it limits the breakage to a single shaft, but it suffers the drawback of exposing the user to risks for his safety because the breaking of the shaft may cause the separation of the disc that carries the blades, which due to its inertia caused by the high rotation rate keeps rotating after the breaking of the corresponding shaft and can be propelled violently even several meters away from the cutter assembly. In order to solve this problem, the use of an auxiliary shaft has been provided which runs axially through the shaft that supports the disc and mutually couples the two stumps of the shaft even in case of breakage at the frangible region. Although this solution is safer than the solution described previously, it still suffers the drawback that it still requires sending the machine to a specialized shop in order to replace the broken and/or damaged parts.
Another solution entails connecting the disc to the corresponding shaft by means of a radial pin designed to shear when sudden braking or halting of the disc occurs because of a collision of the blades against an obstacle, so as to uncouple the disc from the rotation of the shaft. Moreover, the disc is fixed to a ring coupled to a threaded region of the shaft so that when the radial pin breaks, since the shaft turns relative to the ring and therefore to the disc, the ring moves along the axis of the shaft until the ring is in a non-threaded region of the shaft, at which the ring is completely disengaged from the shaft as regards rotation about the axis of said shaft, which can thus turn freely although the blade or blades have been stopped by the obstacle. The movement of the ring along the shaft is limited by a safety ring applied to the shaft itself.
This solution, although it offers adequate safety assurances for the operator and protects the gears from breaking, suffers the drawback that after a few breakages of the pin the replacement of the shaft is required, because the threaded region at which the ring is coupled becomes worn. This replacement intervention must be performed in a specialized shop and therefore renders the machine unusable for a certain period of time.
It should be noted that the fact of not being able to use the machine for one or more days, in the agricultural field, is a significant problem because the cutting of agricultural products, such as for example forage, must be performed in limited periods, which moreover must combine with favorable weather conditions.
Disclosure of the Invention
The aim of the present invention is to solve the problems cited above, by providing a disc cutter assembly, particularly for farming machines such as mowers, mower conditioners or the like, that is designed so that an accidental impact of the blades against an obstacle causes limited damage, which can be repaired easily and quickly even by the user without requiring the use of special tools and without forcing to send the machine to a shop.
Within this aim, an object of the invention is to provide a disc cutter assembly that requires reduced machine downtimes in order to restore the operation of the cutter assembly in case of breakages caused by accidental collisions of the blades against obstacles. Another object of the invention is to provide a disc cutter assembly that offers adequate assurances of safety for the user and for any people that might be in the vicinity of the machine provided with the cutter assembly according to the invention.
A further object of the invention is to provide a disc cutter assembly that can be manufactured at competitive costs.
This aim and these and other objects that will become better apparent hereinafter are achieved by a disc cutter assembly, particularly for farming machines such as mowers, mower conditioners or the like, comprising a supporting bar which supports, so that it can rotate about corresponding axes which are substantially mutually parallel, a plurality of shafts, which protrude from one side of said supporting bar, each one supporting a disc provided with at least one cutting blade, each one of said shafts being connected to a kinematic transmission, which is accommodated in said supporting bar and mutually connects the several shafts in rotation about the respective axes, characterized in that at least some of said shafts are connected to the corresponding disc by means of a first flange, which lies around the corresponding shaft and is jointly connected thereto in rotation about its own axis, and by means of a second flange, which faces said first flange and is jointly connected to the corresponding disc in rotation about said axis of the corresponding shaft, said second flange being supported so that it can rotate about said axis with respect to the corresponding shaft, said first flange and said second flange being connected in rotation about said axis by means of at least one bolt which is spaced from said axis and can be sheared if the torque transmitted from said first flange to said second flange exceeds a certain value, in order to disengage said disc from the corresponding shaft in rotation about said axis- Brief description of the drawings
Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become better apparent from the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of the disc cutter assembly according to the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 is a top plan view of the cutter assembly according to the invention;
Figure 2 is a front elevation view of the cutter assembly according to the invention;
Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the cutter assembly;
Figure 4 is an enlarged-scale sectional view of Figure 1 , taken along the line IV-IV;
Figure 5 is an enlarged-scale sectional view of Figure 1 , taken along the line V-V;
Figure 6 is an enlarged-scale sectional view of Figure 1 , taken along the line VI-VI;
Figure 7 is an enlarged-scale sectional view of Figure 1 , taken along the line VII-VII, with some elements omitted for the sake of simplicity;
Figure 8 is an enlarged-scale sectional view of Figure 1 , taken along the line VIII- VIII;
Figure 9 is a sectional view, taken in a manner similar to Figure 4, of an embodiment of the cutter assembly according to the invention.
Ways of carrying out the Invention
With reference to the figures, the disc cutter assembly according to the invention, generally designated by the reference numeral 1, comprises a supporting bar 2 which supports, so that it can rotate about corresponding axes 3 which are substantially mutually parallel, a plurality of shafts 4, which protrude from one side of the supporting bar 2, each one supporting a disc 5 provided with at least one cutting blade 6a, 6b.
More particularly, the supporting bar 2 has a box-like structure that defines, inside it, a compartment 7 which accommodates a kinematic transmission 8 that mutually connects the several shafts 4 in rotation about the corresponding axes 3.
The supporting bar 2 is designed to be supported, in a per se known manner, by the farming machine on which the disc cutter assembly 1 is mounted, so as to be arranged, in the conditions of use, substantially horizontally, parallel to the ground on which the product to be mowed grows.
Each shaft 4 protrudes with one of its portions from the upper face of the supporting bar 2 and the corresponding disc 5 is mounted on this portion.
In the upper face of the supporting bar 2 a plurality of holes 9 is provided, through which the shafts 4 protrude from the supporting bar 2. A corresponding bearing holder 10 is mounted at each one of the holes 9 and is fixed to the supporting bar 2 by means of nuts 10a, which screw onto corresponding screws 10b that protrude from the upper face of the supporting bar around the corresponding hole 9. In each bearing holder 10 there is a corresponding bearing 1 1 , which supports the corresponding shaft 4, which in this manner is supported, so that it can rotate about its own axis 3, by the supporting bar 2. The bearing 1 1 can be constituted, in a per se known manner, by a ball bearing, with one or more sets of balls, according to the requirements.
Each shaft 4 is jointly connected in rotation about its own axis 3 to a gear 12, which is part of the kinematic transmission 8. More particularly, the kinematic transmission 8 comprises, in a per se known manner, a cascade arrangement of gears composed of a plurality of gears 12, each of which is jointly connected in rotation about the corresponding axis 3, to a corresponding shaft 4, and a plurality of intermediate gears, which are interposed between the gears 12 and have the function of mutually connecting the several shafts 4 in the rotation about the corresponding axes 3 in relation to the supporting bar 2. Figure 5 shows one of the intermediate gears 13, which is supported by a bush 14, which by means of a screw 14a and a ring 14b is locked inside a hole 15 defined in the supporting bar 2. The bush 14 supports the corresponding intermediate gear 13 by means of the interposition of a bearing 16, so that each intermediate gear 13 is supported by the supporting bar 2 so that it can rotate about the corresponding axis 13a, which is parallel to the axes 3 of the shafts 4.
Each disc 5 is provided preferably with two cutting blades 6a, 6b. More particularly, each disc 5 has, in plan view, a substantially elliptical shape, and the blades 6a, 6b are connected, by means of one of their end portions, to peripheral regions of the disc 5 that are arranged along the major axis of the ellipse. Each blade 6a, 6b is connected to the corresponding disc 5 by means of a screw 17 and a nut 18 and can rotate freely about the screw 17, the axis 17a of which is parallel to the axis 3 of the corresponding shaft 4, so that the blades 6a, 6b, during the rotation of the disc 5, due to centrifugal force, arrange themselves radially with respect to the axis 3. Each disc 5 is offset, in a per se known manner, with the major axis of its ellipse with respect to the major axis of the ellipse of the disc 5 or of the two contiguous discs 5 at an angle of substantially 90° about the axis 3 of the corresponding shaft 4, so that the blades 6a, 6b, carried by adjacent discs 5, follow paths that intersect each other without mutual interference of the blades 6a, 6b of contiguous discs 5.
According to the invention, at least some of the shafts 4 are connected to the corresponding disc 5 by means of a first flange 21 , which lies around the corresponding shaft 4 and is jointly connected thereto in rotation about its own axis 3, and by means of a second flange 22, which faces the first flange 21 and is jointly connected to the corresponding disc 5 in rotation about the axis 3 of the corresponding shaft 4. This second flange 22 is supported so that it can rotate about the axis 3 with respect to the corresponding shaft 4. The first flange 21 and the second flange 22 are mutually connected in rotation about the axis 3 by means of at least one bolt 23a, 23 b, which is spaced from the axis 3 and can be sheared if the torque transmitted from the first flange 21 to the second flange 22 exceeds a certain value, so as to disengage the corresponding disc 5 from the corresponding shaft 4 in rotation about the axis 3.
Preferably, the bolt 23a, 23b is arranged so that its axis is parallel to the axis 3 and is composed of a screw 31a, 31b and a nut 32a, 32b with an optional corresponding locking nut or with another unscrewing prevention system of a known type,
Conveniently, as shown in Figures 1 to 8, in order to balance the forces transmitted from the first flange 21 to the second flange 22, two bolts 23a, 23b are provided, which are arranged so that their axes 24a, 24b lie on a diametrical plane of the corresponding shaft 4. More particularly, the second flange 22, with the disc cutting assembly in the condition of use, is superimposed on the first flange 21 , and the bolts 23a, 23b are inserted through through holes that are defined in the flanges 21 , 22 and are mutually aligned. The size of the bolts 23a, 23b, as well as their distance from the axis 3 and their tightening, are calculated so that the bolts 23a, 23b are sheared when the torque transmitted from the first flange 21 to the second flange 22 exceeds a certain value that is significantly higher than the value of the torque that is transmitted from the first flange 21 to the second flange 22 in usual working conditions, as will become better apparent hereinafter.
In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 8, the shaft 4 is provided monolithically with the corresponding gear 12 and the first flange 21 is arranged around the corresponding shaft 4 and is connected thereto by means of a coupling with a slotted profile 41 so as to be jointly connected to the corresponding shaft 4 in the rotation about its axis 3 in relation to the supporting bar 2. The first flange 21 is locked axially along the corresponding shaft 4 between the bearing 1 1 and a shoulder defined by a washer 25 locked by a nut 26 that is screwed onto the axial end of the shaft 4 that faces upward when the disc cutter assembly is in use.
In this embodiment, the second flange 22 is supported, so that it can rotate about the axis 3, by the first flange 21 , by means of the interposition of a bearing 27 arranged between two cylindrical portions of the flanges 21 and 22 that are coaxial to the shaft 4 and face each other.
In the embodiment shown in Figure 9, the gear 12 is connected to the corresponding shaft 4 by means of a coupling with a slotted profile 42 and is axially locked along the shaft 4 between the bearing 1 1 and a nut 28 that is screwed onto the end of the shaft 4 that faces downward when the disc cutter assembly is in use. In this embodiment, the first flange 21 is provided monolithically with the shaft 4, while the second flange 22 is supported, so that it can rotate about the axis 3, by the shaft 4 by means of the interposition of a bearing 29.
Advantageously, means are providing for delimiting the axial sliding of the second flange 22 with respect to the corresponding shaft 4. Such means for delimiting axial sliding, in the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 8, are constituted by a first axial shoulder 21a defined by the first flange 21 and by a second axial shoulder 30a, which is arranged opposite with respect to the first axial shoulder 21a and is defined by a safety ring 30 that is applied to the first flange 21. In the embodiment shown in Figure 9, the means for delimiting axial sliding are constituted by a first axial shoulder 21a defined by the first flange 21 and by a second axial shoulder 30a, which is arranged opposite with respect to the first axial shoulder 21 a and is defined by a safety ring 30 that is applied to the corresponding shaft 4 with the interposition of the bearing 29 arranged between the first flange 21 and the second axial shoulder 30a.
The actuation of the several shafts 4, and therefore of the corresponding discs 5 that are mounted on the shafts 4, is performed by connecting the shaft 4 arranged at one end of the supporting bar 2 to a power unit, for example by means of a cardan shaft 33, as shown in Figures 6 and 7. The power unit may be constituted by the engine of a farming machine on which the disc cutter assembly is mounted, in the case of a self- propelled farming machine, or by the engine of the tractor or the like, in the case of a farming machine of the towed or carried type.
It should be noted that the connection of the shaft 4 to the disc 5 by means of a first flange 21 and a second flange 22, mutually connected by at least one bolt 23a, 23b that can be sheared if a preset torque is exceeded, as described above, might affect all the shafts 4 carried by the supporting bar 2, or only some of the shafts 4, according to the requirements. In particular, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, the shaft 4, which is arranged at one end of the supporting bar 2 and is connected to the engine, can be connected directly to the corresponding disc 5 by means of a single flange 40, i.e., without the first flange 21 and without the second flange 22.
Both in the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 8 and in the embodiment shown in Figure 9, each disc 5, except for the discs 5 mounted on the shafts 4 that are arranged at the longitudinal ends of the supporting bar 2, is fixed to the second flange 22 by means of screws 35 that pass through a lid 36 and a ring 37, which rest against the face of the disc 5 that faces upward when the cutter assembly is in use. The screws 35 engage in threaded seats 38 defined in the second flange 22.
For the discs 5 arranged at the longitudinal ends of the supporting bar 2, the lid 36 is absent and there is instead a frustum-shaped cover 34, which is fixed to the upper face of the disc 5 and is designed to protect the cardan shaft 33 depending on whether said shaft must be mounted at one longitudinal end or at the other longitudinal end of the supporting bar 2.
Operation of the disc cutter assembly according to the invention is as follows.
In conditions of use, the supporting bar 2 is arranged parallel to the ground on which the product to be mowed grows. The actuation, with a rotary motion, of the shaft 4 that is arranged at one end of the supporting bar 2 and is connected to the engine by means of the cardan shaft 33 causes, by means of the kinematic transmission 8, the rotation about the corresponding axes 3 of all the shafts 4 and therefore of the corresponding discs 5. The blades 6a, 6b, carried by each disc 5, due to centrifugal force, arrange themselves radially with respect to the axis 3 of the corresponding shaft 4, performing the cutting action.
In normal conditions, the torque transmitted from the shaft 4 to the corresponding disc 5 through the first flange 21 and the second flange 22, on the shafts 4 where said flanges are mounted, is the torque required to cut the product and is lower than the torque that would be necessary to shear the bolt or bolts 23a, 23b that mutually connect the first flange 21 and the second flange 22.
If the blades 6a, 6b, during their rotation, encounter such an obstacle as to cause a sudden braking or even halting of the rotation of the corresponding disc 5, the torque transmitted from the first flange 21 to the second flange 22, as a consequence of the braking or halting of the second flange 22 that is jointly connected, in rotation about the axis 3, to the corresponding disc 5, causes the shearing of the bolt or bolts 23 a, 23b, disengaging, in rotation about the axis 3, the first flange 21 from the second flange 22 and therefore disengaging, in rotation about the axis 3, the disc 5 from the corresponding shaft 4.
In this manner, the integrity of the gears that compose the kinematic transmission 8 is preserved.
In order to restore the operation of the disc cutter assembly according to the invention, the user can proceed, by means of easily available tools, such as for example adjustable wrenches, with the disassembly of the disc 5 affected by the impact and then replace the bolts 23 a, 23 b that have been sheared. This intervention, even if the user is not particularly expert, takes a a few minutes.
Once the disc 5 has been reassembled again, the farming machine provided with the disc supporting assembly according to the invention can be used again.
In practice, it has been found that the disk cutter assembly according to the invention fully achieves the intended aim, since in case of an accidental impact of the blades against an obstacle it limits the damage to components of the cutter assembly that can be replaced easily and quickly by the user without requiring the use of special tools and without requiring to send the machine to a repair shop. In this manner, downtimes are reduced to few minutes.
The disc cutter assembly thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims; all the details may further be replaced with other technically equivalent elements.
In practice, the materials used, as well as the dimensions, may be any according to requirements and to the state of the art.
The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. MI2010A001660 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.
Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly, such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims

1. A disc cutter assembly, particularly for farming machines such as mowers, mower conditioners or the like, comprising a supporting bar (2) which supports, so that it can rotate about corresponding axes (3) which are substantially mutually parallel, a plurality of shafts (4), which protrude from one side of said supporting bar (2), each one supporting a disc (5) provided with at least one cutting blade (6a, 6b), each one of said shafts (4) being connected to a kinematic transmission (8), which is accommodated in said supporting bar (2) and mutually connects the several shafts (4) in rotation about the respective axes (3), characterized in that at least some of said shafts (4) are connected to the corresponding disc (5) by means of a first flange (21), which lies around the corresponding shaft (4) and is jointly connected thereto in rotation about its own axis (3), and by means of a second flange (22), which faces said first flange (21) and is jointly connected to the corresponding disc (5) in rotation about said axis (3) of the corresponding shaft (4), said second flange (22) being supported so that it can rotate about said axis (3) with respect to the corresponding shaft (4), said first flange (21) and said second flange (22) being connected in rotation about said axis (3) by means of at least one bolt (23a, 23b) which is spaced from said axis (3) and can be sheared if the torque transmitted from said first flange (21) to said second flange (22) exceeds a certain value, in order to disengage said disc (5) from the corresponding shaft (4) in rotation about said axis (3).
2. The disc cutter assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that said at least one bolt (23a, 23b) is arranged so that its axis (24a, 24b) is parallel to said axis (3).
3. The disc cutter assembly according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that said at least one bolt (23a, 23b) comprises at least two bolts (23a, 23b), which are arranged so that their axes (24a, 24b) lie on a diametrical plane of the corresponding shaft (4).
4. The disc cutter assembly according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said first flange (21) is connected to the corresponding shaft (4) by means of a coupling with a slotted profile (41).
5. The disc cutter assembly according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said first flange (21) is provided monolithically with the corresponding shaft (4).
6. The disc cutter assembly according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said second flange (22) is supported so that it can rotate about said axis (3) with respect to the corresponding shaft (4) by means of a bearing (27), which is interposed between said first flange (21) and said second flange (22).
7. The disc cutter assembly according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said second flange (22) is supported so that it can rotate about said axis (3) with respect to the corresponding shaft (4) by means of a bearing (29), which is interposed between said second flange (22) and the corresponding shaft (4).
8. The disc cutter assembly according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises means for delimiting the axial sliding of said second flange (22) with respect to the corresponding shaft (4).
9. The disc cutter assembly according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said means for delimiting axial sliding comprise a first axial shoulder (21 a), which is defined by said first flange (21), and a second axial shoulder (30a), which is opposite with respect to said first axial shoulder and is defined by a safety ring (30), which is applied to said first flange (21) or to the corresponding shaft (4).
10. The disc cutter assembly according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said at least one blade (6a, 6b) is connected, by means of an end portion, to a peripheral region of the corresponding disc (5) and can rotate with respect to the corresponding disc (5) about an axis (17a) which is substantially parallel to said axis (3) of the corresponding shaft (4).
1 1. The disc cutter assembly according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said kinematic transmission (8) comprises a cascade arrangement of gears (12, 13) accommodated in said supporting bar (2).
EP11749858.4A 2010-09-13 2011-09-02 Disc cutter assembly, particularly for farming machines such as mowers, mower conditioners or the like, with high safety of operation Withdrawn EP2615902A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
ITMI2010A001660A IT1401699B1 (en) 2010-09-13 2010-09-13 MOWER WITH DISC MOWERS, PARTICULARLY FOR AGRICULTURAL MACHINES OF THE MOWERS, MOWERS OR SIMILAR TYPE, WITH HIGH SAFETY OF USE.
PCT/EP2011/065189 WO2012034872A1 (en) 2010-09-13 2011-09-02 Disc cutter assembly, particularly for farming machines such as mowers, mower conditioners or the like, with high safety of operation

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EP2615902A1 true EP2615902A1 (en) 2013-07-24

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IT1401699B1 (en) 2010-09-13 2013-08-02 Feraboli S P A MOWER WITH DISC MOWERS, PARTICULARLY FOR AGRICULTURAL MACHINES OF THE MOWERS, MOWERS OR SIMILAR TYPE, WITH HIGH SAFETY OF USE.
FR3058024B1 (en) * 2016-10-28 2019-06-07 Kuhn Sa AGRICULTURAL MACHINE WITH SKATES EQUIPPED WITH INTERCHANGEABLE LINERS
IT201700063327A1 (en) * 2017-06-09 2018-12-09 Comer Ind Spa PERFECT MOWING DISC BAR.
US20220039321A1 (en) * 2020-08-06 2022-02-10 Echo Incorporated Apparatus for cutting vegetation
US20230247938A1 (en) * 2022-02-09 2023-08-10 Deere & Company Rotary mower system and method of attaching a knife to a mower disc thereof
US20240099188A1 (en) * 2022-09-26 2024-03-28 Deere & Company Rotary cutter-bar with blade sensor

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WO2012034872A1 (en) 2012-03-22
IT1401699B1 (en) 2013-08-02

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