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:
Dec. 30, 2003
Filed:
Aug. 31, 2001
Ronald Leo Sheedy, Eldridge, IA (US);
Fredrick Samuel Ward, Moline, IL (US);
Keith Thomas Dennehy, Winona, MN (US);
Kyle John Tingle, Colona, IL (US);
Deere & Company, Moline, IL (US);
Abstract
Intake fingers and finger assemblies for use with intake portions of harvesting assemblies, on harvesting machines such as combines, haybines, bailers, corn pickers, and the like. The fingers and finger assemblies cooperate with crop-gathering augers, and crankshafts inside the augers, in feeding cut crop material toward discharge portions of such harvesting assemblies. The fingers extend and retract through apertures in the auger cylinder according to an eccentric mounting of the finger crankshaft inside the auger cylinder. A respective finger comprises a reinforced polyester or polyurethane shaft, and a polyurethane sleeve overlying a crop-engaging end portion of the finger, such as along 50% to 80% of the length of the shaft. The shaft is reinforced with fiberglass or other fiber, the composition of the sleeve comprises polyester-based thermoplastic polyurethane, and the sleeve has a hardness of about Shore D-45 to about Shore D-70.