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:
Feb. 10, 2004
Filed:
Jan. 24, 2002
William Paul Wohlford, Bettendorf, IA (US);
Gary Raymond Dustin, Albia, IA (US);
Michael Joseph Verhulst, Ottuma, IA (US);
Michael James Mellin, Ottumwa, IA (US);
Deere & Company, Moline, IL (US);
Abstract
A rotary cutterbar includes a gear case containing a series-parallel set of gears including idler gears and pinion gears for driving the cutting discs of the cutter units. The gear case includes top and bottom walls and the idler gears are each received on a hub including an enlarged upper end located in a hole provided in the top wall and a threaded lower end screwed into a hole provided in the bottom wall. The hubs each have a plastic outer shell encasing a metal insert extending axially within the shell, with the shell forming the sole contact between each hub and the gear case whereby vibrations and shock loads respectively due to gear tooth contact and a cutter knife contacting an obstacle are absorbed by the shell to lessen the transmission of noise and the magnitude of the impact force. O-ring grooves are provided in the plastic shell and receive o-rings for preventing leakage from the gear case through the holes in the top and bottom walls. The top end of the metal insert is provided with an internal socket and an external hexagonal surface, with the socket being provided for receiving a complementary shaped wrench which is used for installing the hub by screwing it into the threaded hole and with the exterior surface providing a non-rotational surface to assist in maintaining good physical retention of the insert within the plastic shell.