Drive means for a crop harvesting machine

Abstract

A crop harvesting machine includes a mobile frame, a header movably suspended from the frame, a pair of upper and lower conditioner rolls rotatably mounted on the frame rearwardly of the header, and drive means for operating the conditioner rolls and the cutterbar and reel of the header. The drive means includes a gearbox assembly mounted on the frame and having rotary input drive transmission means and a transversely extending rotary output shaft drivingly coupled to the input means. An upper telescopible shaft articulately intercouples one end of the output shaft with the upper roll for rotatably driving the latter which accommodating movement thereof relative to the lower roll. Gear means is drivingly coupled between an opposite end of the output shaft and lower transversely extending shaft means which, in turn, is drivingly intercoupled to the lower roll, such that the lower roll is rotatably driven in a direction opposite to that of the upper roll. Drive mechanism for operating the cutterbar and reel, being located on the side of the header adjacent the gearbox assembly, is intercoupled to the opposite end of the gearbox assembly output shaft by drive transmission means which includes a forward telescopible shaft which provides rotary power to the header drive mechanism while accommodating movement of the header relative to the mobile frame.