The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 24, 1978
Filed:
Apr. 15, 1977
John D Conrad, Ogallala, NE (US);
Other;
Abstract
A brake assembly for a center pivot irrigation system is provided which prevents the drive towers of the system from rolling out of alignment. The assembly includes a signalling system which is mounted on the drive tower and which is connected to a swivel joint on the irrigation pipe so that predetermined misalignment is sensed thereby. The signalling apparatus is connected to a brake assembly mounted on the drive tower. The brake assembly generally comprises a housing which is rigidly mounted on the drive tower and which has an output shaft rotatably mounted therein. The output shaft is connected to at least one of the drive wheels of the tower. A clutch disc is mounted on the output shaft for rotation therewith within the housing and is adapted to frictionally engage a wall of the housing whereby rotation of the output shaft will be prevented. A pressure plate assembly is mounted in the housing and normally urges the clutch disc into frictional engagement with the housing wall. An actuator arm assembly is movably mounted in the housing for urging the pressure plate assembly out of engagement with the clutch disc. The actuator arm assembly is moved by an actuator which is operatively connected to the signalling system whereby the clutch disc will be moved into frictional engagement with the housing wall when predetermined misalignment of the tower is sensed by the signalling system.