阅读说明：本技术 具有反向蜗杆驱动器的进给室齿轮箱和配备其的联合收割机 (Feed chamber gearbox with inverted worm drive and combine harvester equipped therewith ) 是由 哈维尔·约瑟·佩雷斯·拉米雷斯 普拉福拉·S·贝德赫 佩德罗·冈萨雷斯-莫哈诺 丹尼尔·维加拉 于 2020-03-17 设计创作，主要内容包括：提供了安装在联合收割机上的进给室齿轮箱。在实施例中,所述进给室齿轮箱包括齿轮箱壳体、可围绕输出轴线旋转的输出轴和主驱动输入部。当所述进给室齿轮箱安装在所述联合收割机上时,所述主驱动输入部机械地连结到所述联合收割机的发动机。当所述进给室齿轮箱安装在所述联合收割机上时,反向驱动输入部机械地连结到所述联合收割机的反向马达。所述进给室齿轮箱进一步包括：选择器机构,所述选择器机构在所述齿轮箱壳体内并且可在主驱动位置与反向驱动位置之间移动；主齿轮系,当所述选择器机构处于所述主驱动位置中时,所述主齿轮系将旋转从所述主驱动输入部传递到所述输出轴；和反向蜗杆驱动器,当所述选择器机构处于所述反向驱动位置中时,所述反向蜗杆驱动器将旋转从所述反向驱动输入部传递到所述输出轴。(A feed chamber gearbox mounted on a combine harvester is provided. In an embodiment, the feed chamber gearbox includes a gearbox housing, an output shaft rotatable about an output axis, and a main drive input. The main drive input is mechanically linked to an engine of the combine when the intake chamber gearbox is mounted on the combine. A reverse drive input is mechanically linked to a reverse motor of the combine when the feedwell gearbox is mounted on the combine. The feed chamber gearbox further comprises: a selector mechanism within the gearbox housing and movable between a primary drive position and a reverse drive position; a main gear train that transmits rotation from the main drive input to the output shaft when the selector mechanism is in the main drive position; and a reverse worm drive that transmits rotation from the reverse drive input to the output shaft when the selector mechanism is in the reverse drive position.)

1. A feed chamber gearbox for mounting on a combine harvester including an engine and a counter motor, the feed chamber gearbox comprising:

a gearbox housing;

an output shaft mounted to the gearbox housing for rotation about an output axis;

a main drive input rotatably mounted to the gearbox housing and mechanically linked to the engine when the feed chamber gearbox is mounted on the combine;

a reverse drive input rotatably mounted to the gearbox housing and mechanically linked to the reverse motor when the feed chamber gearbox is mounted on the combine;

a selector mechanism located within the gearbox housing and movable between a primary drive position and a reverse drive position;

a main gear train that transmits rotation from the main drive input to the output shaft when the selector mechanism is in the main drive position; and

a reverse worm drive that transmits rotation from the reverse drive input to the output shaft when the selector mechanism is in the reverse drive position.

2. The feed chamber gearbox of claim 1, wherein said main gear train provides a first speed reduction magnitude when transmitting rotation from said main drive input to said output shaft; and wherein the reverse worm drive provides a second speed reduction magnitude when transmitting rotation from the reverse drive input to the output shaft, the second speed reduction magnitude being greater than the first speed reduction magnitude.

3. The feed chamber gearbox of claim 1, wherein said primary gear train includes a planet carrier assembly member including planet gears supported by a carrier, said planet carrier assembly member being rotatable relative to said gearbox housing about said output axis.

4. The feed chamber gearbox of claim 3, wherein said primary gear train further comprises:

a sun gear engaging the planet gears and being rotatable relative to the gearbox housing about the output axis; and

a ring gear surrounding the sun gear, engaging the planet gears and rotationally fixed relative to the gearbox housing.

5. The feed chamber gearbox of claim 4, wherein when said feed chamber gearbox is mounted on said combine, rotation is transferred from said sun gear, through said planet carrier assembly member, and to said output shaft, said engine drives rotation of said main drive input, and said selector mechanism is in said main drive position.

6. The feed chamber gearbox of claim 4, further comprising: a gerotor located within the gearbox housing and mechanically coupled to the planet carrier assembly member, the gerotor urging a flow of lubricant into the gearbox housing when driven by rotation of the planet carrier assembly member.

7. The feed chamber gearbox of claim 4, wherein the primary drive input includes an outer pulley housing coupled in rotationally fixed relation to the sun gear, the primary gear train being at least partially nested in the outer pulley housing.

8. The feed chamber gearbox of claim 3, wherein said reversing worm drive comprises:

a worm; and

a worm gear engaged by the worm and rotatable about the output axis;

wherein when the feed chamber gearbox is mounted on the combine harvester, rotation is transferred from the worm, through the worm gear, and to the output shaft, the counter motor drives rotation of the counter drive input, and the selector mechanism is in the counter drive position.

9. The feed chamber gearbox of claim 8, wherein the reverse drive input comprises a shaft projecting from the gearbox housing and coupled to the worm in rotationally fixed relation.

10. The feed chamber gearbox of claim 1, further comprising: an indexing ring coupled to the output shaft for common rotation therewith;

wherein the selector mechanism further comprises a selector collar engaging the indexing ring and slidable relative to the indexing ring between:

a first position in which the selector collar mechanically couples a first rotatable member included in the primary gear train to the indexing ring; and

a second position in which the selector collar mechanically couples a second rotatable member included in the reverse worm drive to the indexing ring.

11. The feed chamber gearbox of claim 10, wherein the first and second rotatable members comprise a bracket and a worm gear, respectively.

12. A feed chamber gearbox for mounting on a combine harvester, the feed chamber gearbox comprising:

a gearbox housing;

an output shaft mounted to the gearbox housing for rotation about an output axis;

a planetary gear train housed in the gearbox housing, the planetary gear train comprising:

a ring gear coupled to the gearbox housing in a rotationally fixed relationship therewith;

a sun gear located within the gearbox housing, coaxial with the ring gear, and rotatable about the output axis; and

a planet carrier assembly member located within the gearbox housing, coaxial with the ring gear and the sun gear, and rotatable about the output axis; a reverse worm drive, the reverse worm drive comprising:

a worm housed in the gearbox housing; and

a worm gear engaged by the worm and rotatable about the output axis; and

a selector mechanism controllable to (i) selectively mechanically couple the planet carrier assembly member to the output shaft when the feed chamber gearbox is operating in a first mode, and (ii) selectively mechanically couple the worm gear to the output shaft when the feed chamber gearbox is operating in a second mode.

13. The feed chamber gearbox of claim 12, further comprising: a gerotor located within the gearbox housing and mechanically coupled to the planet carrier assembly member, the gerotor configured to be driven by rotation of the planet carrier assembly member to urge a flow of lubricant into the gearbox housing.

14. The feed chamber gearbox of claim 12 wherein said reversing worm drive provides a rotational speed reduction that is at least twice the rotational speed reduction provided by said planetary gear train.

15. A combine harvester, comprising:

an engine;

a reverse motor; and

a feed chamber gearbox, the feed chamber gearbox comprising:

a gearbox housing;

an output shaft rotatably mounted to the gearbox housing;

a main drive input rotatably mounted to the gearbox housing and mechanically linked to the engine;

a reverse drive input rotatably mounted to the gearbox housing and mechanically linked to the reverse motor;

a selector mechanism located within the gearbox housing and movable between a primary drive position and a reverse drive position;

a main gear train that transmits rotation from the main drive input to the output shaft when the selector mechanism is in the main drive position; and

a reverse worm drive that transmits rotation from the reverse drive input to the output shaft when the selector mechanism is in the reverse drive position.

16. A combine harvester according to claim 15, wherein the counter motor comprises a hydraulic motor having a motor output shaft mechanically linked to the counter worm drive.

17. The combine harvester of claim 16, further comprising:

a controller; and

a proportional control valve operatively coupled to the controller and hydraulically coupled to the hydraulic motor, the controller operable in a mode in which the controller commands the proportional control valve to repeatedly switch between driving the motor output shaft in a first rotational direction and driving the motor output shaft in a second rotational direction when the selector mechanism is in the reverse drive position.

18. A combine harvester according to claim 16, wherein the primary gear train comprises:

a planet carrier assembly member including a planet gear supported by a carrier, the planet carrier assembly member being rotatable relative to the gearbox housing about the output axis;

a sun gear engaging the planet gears and being rotatable relative to the gearbox housing about the output axis; and

a ring gear surrounding the sun gear, engaging the planet gears and rotationally fixed relative to the gearbox housing.

19. A combine harvester according to claim 18, wherein the counter worm drive comprises:

a worm housed in the gearbox housing; and

a worm gear engaged by the worm and rotatable about the output axis.

20. A combine harvester according to claim 19, wherein when in the main drive position, the selector mechanism rotationally couples the planet carrier assembly member to the output shaft while rotationally uncoupling the worm gear from the output shaft; and is

Wherein when in the reverse drive position, the selector mechanism rotationally couples the worm gear to the output shaft while rotationally decouples the planet carrier assembly member from the output shaft.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a feed chamber gearbox housing an inverted worm drive, and to a combine harvester equipped with such a feed chamber gearbox.

Background

Combine harvesters (also known as "agricultural combines") greatly improve the efficiency of harvesting, threshing, cleaning and collecting corn, canola, soybean, wheat, oats, sunflower and other crops for distribution to consumers. According to a common design, a combine harvester comprises a feeding chamber to which different types of harvesting headers or more simply "headers" can be attached. The header may have a relatively wide laterally elongated form factor to allow cutting and ingestion of a wide row of crop as the harvester travels across the field in the forward direction. The header may also include laterally extending augers and other transport mechanisms that uptake the harvested crop and direct the crop toward an opening in a rear middle region of the header. The infeed compartment receives harvested crop plants through this opening and conveys the crop deeper into the combine for further processing. To provide this function, the feed chamber may also house a conveyor belt mounted in a tunnel-like feed chamber frame. Additionally, the feed chamber may include a modular gearbox (herein "feed chamber gearbox") mounted to a side of the feed chamber frame. The feedwell gearbox serves as a transmission and rotational speed reducer that connects the combine engine to the feedwell conveyor belt and, in many cases, to one or more driven components of the header, such as the screw conveyor mentioned above. The feedwell gearbox also advantageously provides a so-called "reverse" functionality that enables the feedwell and the driven components of the header to be temporarily driven in a reverse direction to help clear any blockages or obstructions in the grain flow that may occur during operation of the combine.

Disclosure of Invention

A feed chamber gearbox is provided for mounting on a combine harvester including an engine and a counter motor. In an embodiment, the feed chamber gearbox includes a gearbox housing, an output shaft mounted to the gearbox housing for rotation about an output axis, and a main drive input. The main drive input is rotatably mounted to the gearbox housing and mechanically linked to the engine of the combine harvester when the intake chamber gearbox is mounted on the combine harvester. A reverse drive input is further rotatably mounted to the gearbox housing and mechanically linked to the reverse motor, which is also contemplated when the feedwell gearbox is mounted on the combine. The feed chamber gearbox includes: a shifter or selector mechanism within the gearbox housing and movable between a primary drive position and a reverse drive position; a main gear train that transmits rotation from the main drive input to the output shaft when the selector mechanism is in the main drive position; and a reverse worm drive that transmits rotation from the reverse drive input to the output shaft when the selector mechanism is moved into the reverse drive position.

In other embodiments, the feed chamber gearbox comprises: a gearbox housing; an output shaft mounted to the gearbox housing for rotation about an output axis; and a planetary gear train accommodated in the gear case housing. The planetary gear train, in turn, includes a ring gear, a sun gear, and a planet carrier assembly member. The ring gear is coupled to the gearbox housing in a rotationally fixed relationship. The sun gear is located within the gearbox housing coaxially with the ring gear and is rotatable about the output axis. Finally, the planet carrier assembly member is disposed within the gearbox housing coaxially with the ring gear and the sun gear and is rotatable about the output axis. The feed chamber gearbox further houses a reverse worm drive comprising a worm and a worm gear. The worm gear engages the worm and is likewise rotatable about the output axis. A selector mechanism is disposed within the gearbox housing and is controllable to selectively mechanically couple (i) the planet carrier assembly member to the output shaft when the feed chamber gearbox is operating in a first mode, and (ii) the worm gear to the output shaft when the feed chamber gearbox is operating in a second mode.

Further disclosed is a combine harvester equipped with a feed chamber gear box. In various embodiments, the combine harvester includes an engine, a counter motor, and a feed chamber gearbox. The feed chamber gearbox includes: a gearbox housing; an output shaft rotatably mounted to the gearbox housing; a main drive input rotatably mounted to the gearbox housing and mechanically linked to the engine; and a reverse drive input. The reverse drive input is rotatably mounted to the gearbox housing and mechanically linked to the reverse motor. A selector mechanism further disposed within the gearbox housing is movable between a primary drive position and a reverse drive position. A main gear drive or master gear train transfers rotation from the main drive input to the output shaft when the selector mechanism is in the main drive position, and a reverse worm drive transfers rotation from the reverse drive input to the output shaft when the selector mechanism is in the reverse drive position.

The details of one or more embodiments are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features and advantages will become apparent from the description, the drawings, and the claims.

Drawings

At least one example of the disclosure will be described below in conjunction with the following figures:

fig. 1 is a side view of a combine harvester including a detachable header, a feedwell, and a feedwell gearbox housing an inverted worm drive (shown in fig. 2-8, 11, and 12), as illustrated in accordance with examples of the present disclosure;

fig. 2 is a schematic view of a header, a feedwell gearbox, and various components for supporting the function of the feedwell gearbox as further included in the exemplary combine shown in fig. 1;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are front and rear isometric views, respectively, of a feed chamber gearbox as illustrated according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 5-7 are isometric views of the exemplary feed chamber gearbox shown in FIGS. 2-4 as depicted at various stages of assembly to reveal the reversing worm drive, the main (planetary) gear train, the hydraulically actuated selector mechanism, and other components inside the gearbox housing;

FIG. 8 is an isometric view of an inverted worm drive, a main (planetary) gear train, a hydraulically actuated selector mechanism, and a carrier driven gear rotor usefully included in an exemplary feed chamber gearbox;

FIG. 9 is an isometric cross-sectional view of a hydraulic actuator suitably included in a selector mechanism (partially shown) of a feed chamber gearbox in an embodiment;

FIG. 10 is a front view of an index ring assembly further suitably included in a selector mechanism (partially shown) of a feed chamber gearbox in an embodiment; and

fig. 11 and 12 are cross-sectional views of an exemplary feed chamber gearbox depicted in forward and reverse drive modes, respectively, and including dashed lines illustrating power transfer through the feed chamber gearbox.

Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements. For simplicity and clarity of illustration, descriptions and details of well-known features and techniques may be omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the illustrative and non-limiting embodiments of the invention described in the detailed description that follows. It will be further understood that, unless otherwise indicated, features or elements shown in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

Detailed Description

Embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated in the drawings of the drawings that are briefly described above. Various modifications to the exemplary embodiments may be contemplated by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention, as set forth in the following claims.

SUMMARY

As mentioned above, combine harvester feeding chambers are typically equipped with a modular gearbox capable of operating in forward and reverse drive modes. When placed in the reverse drive mode, the feedchamber gearbox facilitates driving the feedchamber and header in a reverse direction, for example, helping to clear jams that interfere with proper crop uptake into the harvester. Various feed chamber gearbox designs are conventionally known and commercially available. By way of example, one known feed chamber gearbox design features a double planetary gear train or system for shifting between a forward drive mode and a reverse drive mode as a function of commands received via an operator input control. In particular, a selector mechanism located within the gearbox housing may be used to alter whether a first rotatable component (e.g., a sun gear) or a second rotatable component (e.g., a ring gear) of a dual planetary system is used as the mechanical output of the system at a given point in time. The direction of rotation of the feed chamber gearbox output (e.g., output shaft) may be changed by a position selector mechanism in response to control commands provided by an operator of the combine while the sun and ring gears are rotating in opposite directions. Thus, such a design allows the feed chamber gearbox to be freely switched between a forward drive mode and a reverse drive mode, while a single mechanical input of the feed chamber gearbox is driven in a specific rotational direction by the engine of the combine harvester. Further description of a feed chamber gearbox housing such a double planetary gear train can be found in the following references: united states patent No. 6,722,112B2 entitled "reverse CONTROL for combine harvester" and issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on 20/4/2004.

Feed chamber gearboxes and other conventional feed chamber gearboxes that house a dual planetary gear system can operate reliably over extended periods of time while providing reverse functionality in the manner previously described. Nevertheless, conventional feed chamber gearboxes are limited in certain respects. For example, in the case of many conventional feed chamber gearboxes, mechanical constraints preclude high speed switching between forward and reverse drive modes. Thus, when switching from forward drive mode to reverse drive mode, it may be necessary to slow (if not stop completely) the rotation of the mechanical input of the feed chamber gearbox, and vice versa. Thus, significant delays or "dead time" may occur when switching between forward and reverse drive modes, while the gearbox is typically not capable of oscillating rapidly between forward and reverse drive of the feed chamber and the driven components of the header. This can reduce the efficiency of the feed chamber gearbox in clearing jams in crop ingestion when the gearbox is operating in reverse mode, resulting in increased harvester down time. Conventional feed chamber gearboxes are limited in other respects. For example, existing feed chamber gearboxes may rely on relatively complex electrical feedback systems to ensure proper angular alignment between rotating components when switching between forward and reverse drive modes. Not only does this further contribute to the delay in mode switching, but such an electrical feedback system introduces additional complexity, part count and manufacturing cost to the gearbox. Another disadvantage is that conventional feed chamber gearboxes typically provide limited operator control over speed variations when placed in a reverse drive mode.

Accordingly, there is a continuing industry need for a feed chamber gearbox that overcomes the above-described deficiencies while enabling fast switching between forward and reverse drive modes. To meet this need, the following provides a feed chamber gearbox that is capable of quickly switching between forward and reverse drive modes, while having reduced complexity, manufacturing costs, and parts count. Additionally, the embodiments of the feed chamber described below may allow for enhanced control of the rotational speed of the feed chamber gearbox when operating in a reverse drive mode. Generally, such benefits are achieved through a unique reverse worm drive and main (e.g., planetary) gear train architecture, as combined with other components (e.g., a fast-switching indexing ring and associated shifter or selector mechanism) that enable efficient switching between forward and reverse drive modes. Further, in various embodiments, a dedicated motor (herein, "reversing motor") may be utilized to drive the reversing worm drive to allow an operator to quickly engage the reversing worm drive while further providing greater speed control in the reverse drive mode. In embodiments where the counter motor takes the form of a hydraulic motor, which may be driven using a proportional control valve scheme, the ability to switch quickly between speed and possible rotational direction in the counter drive mode may be further enhanced. Further, the reverse worm drive may be selected to provide a relatively high mechanical speed reduction (e.g., a speed reduction in excess of that provided by the main gear train) to minimize the size of the reverse motor while meeting torque requirements. Still further benefits provided by embodiments of the feed chamber gearbox may include an improved lubrication scheme including, for example, a carrier driven gear rotor further housed within the gearbox housing. The end result is a structurally robust, relatively low part count, feed chamber gearbox that can provide optimized reverse functionality to increase the efficiency of the gearbox in assisting in removing blockages or obstructions in the crop stream as such blockages can occur in continued combine operation.

Additional description of an exemplary feed chamber gearbox housing an inverted worm drive will now be set forth in connection with fig. 1-12. Although an exemplary feedwell gearbox is described in the context of a particular type of combine, as schematically illustrated in fig. 1 and 2, it will be appreciated that embodiments of the feedwell gearbox may be utilized on various other types of combines, with the combine described below merely as one suitable example. Furthermore, the term "combine harvester" as appearing herein is defined to encompass any agricultural machine utilized in crop harvesting and includes a feedwell to which a header (or other crop uptake device) is attachable, wherein the feedwell and/or header houses at least one component driven through a feedwell gearbox.

Exemplary combine harvester and feed chamber gearbox housing a reversing worm drive

Fig. 1 and 2 schematically depict an advancing portion of a combine harvester 20, the combine harvester 20 including a feeding compartment 22, a feeding compartment gear box 24 (fig. 2) mounted to the feeding compartment 22, as illustrated according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. An exemplary header 26 is attached to a forward end of the feedwell gearbox 24 for crop ingestion purposes. The header 26 is removable from the feedwell gearbox 24 and, more generally, from the combine 20 and is interchangeable with various other types of headers as needed to harvest a particular type of crop. In the illustrated example, the header 26 takes the form of a picker header and includes a header pan or frame 28. As seen in the fore-aft direction, the pickup conveyor belt 30, the transfer conveyor belt 32, and the screw conveyor 34 are rotatably mounted to the header frame 28 in tandem. As shown in fig. 2, the belts 30, 32 may extend around and be supported by a plurality of rollers 36, where selected rollers may be driven by one or more motors, not shown, further mounted to the header frame 28. Comparatively, the screw conveyor 34 may be mounted to a screw shaft 38, the screw shaft 38 extending between opposite sidewalls of the header frame 28 and being driven by the feed chamber gearbox 24 during operation of the combine harvester 20. In the illustrated example, the screw shaft 38 is mechanically coupled to the feed chamber gearbox output by a pulley and shaft coupling 40. In other embodiments, the particular manner in which the screw conveyor 34 is coupled to the mechanical output of the feed chamber gearbox 24 may be different.

The feeding chamber 22 includes a box-like housing or frame 42 that may be open along longitudinally opposite ends to form a channel through which the harvested crop passes. A feed chamber conveyor belt 44 is located within the feed chamber frame 42 and is supported by a plurality of rollers 46 (fig. 2), one or more of which may be driven by the feed chamber gear box 24. Likewise, a variety of different mechanical couplings may be utilized to transfer rotation from the mechanical output of the feed chamber gearbox 24 to one or more driven rollers 46, as determined by the particular design of the feed chamber 22. In the example of fig. 1 and 2, in particular, a second pulley and shaft coupling 48 is provided for this purpose and mechanically couples the output of the feed chamber gearbox 24 to a pulley disposed about the projecting end of one of the rollers 46. Although in the illustrated example, the auger conveyor 34 of the header 26 and the conveyor belt 44 of the feedwell 22 are depicted as being driven by separate pulley and shaft couplings 40, 48, in other embodiments of the combine 20, the driven components of the header 26 and the feedwell 22 may be driven by the same coupling or linking system. Generally, then, the particular manner in which the driven components housed in the feedwell 22 and/or header 26 are mechanically linked to the output or outputs of the feedwell gearbox 24 is not necessary and may vary from embodiment to embodiment, as may the type of component or components located in the feedwell 22 and/or header 26 that are driven by the gearbox 24.

As just described, during operation of the combine harvester 20, certain driven components of the header 26 (e.g., the screw conveyor 34) and the feed chamber 22 (e.g., the conveyor belt 44) are mechanically powered by the feed chamber gear box 24. The mechanical power input applied to the intake chamber gearbox 24 to drive these components may be provided by different engines or motors on the combine 20. For example, and as schematically indicated in fig. 2, the feed chamber gearbox 24 may include a first mechanical input (herein, "main drive input") mechanically linked to a main engine 50 of the combine 20 (e.g., an internal combustion engine of the harvester). Additionally, the feed chamber gearbox 24 may include a second mechanical input (herein, "back drive input") mechanically linked to a second motor or engine 52 (herein, "back motor 52"), the second motor or engine 52 being separate and distinct from the main engine 50. The counter motor 52 may be a small motor of various types, including electric, pneumatic, and hydraulic, relative to the main engine 50 of the combine 20. In the illustrated embodiment, and as indicated by the symbol 54 in fig. 2, the counter motor 52 takes the form of a hydraulic motor, and is therefore referred to hereinafter as "hydraulic counter motor 52". The use of a hydraulic motor for the reverse motor 52 may provide particular benefits, particularly when paired with a proportional valve control scheme that enables rapid control of the motor 52, and thus the feed chamber gearbox 24, when operating in the reverse drive mode, as discussed further below.

When in the form of a hydraulic motor, the reverse motor 52 may be driven or powered by a hydraulic control system 56, the hydraulic control system 56 housing at least one proportional control valve 58, the proportional control valve 58 regulating the flow of hydraulic fluid to the motor 52. In such embodiments, one or more proportional control valves 58 are fluidly coupled to the reverse motor 52 via appropriate flow lines (as generally represented by line 60 in fig. 2). As is typical of such control systems, the hydraulic control system 56 may also include various other components 62, the various other components 62 including valve actuators, pumps, reservoirs, filters, and the like. Additionally, and as indicated by line 64 in fig. 2, one or more additional hydraulic flow lines may be present and extend from the hydraulic control system 56 to one or more ports of the feed chamber gearbox 24. The flow line(s) 64 may enable fluid control of hydraulic actuators housed within a selector mechanism used to shift or switch the gearbox 24 between forward and reverse drive modes, as described more fully below in connection with fig. 3-12, with particular attention to fig. 9, 11 and 12. In other embodiments, the feed chamber gearbox 24 may be switched between two or more operating modes (forward and reverse drive modes described below) using different types of selector mechanisms (manual, electric, hydraulic, and/or pneumatic in nature), in which case the flow line(s) 64 may be omitted. In addition, various other flow lines may be fluidly connected to the feed chamber gearbox 24, for example, lubricant conduits, but are not shown in the schematic diagram of fig. 2 for clarity; however, examples of such lubricant flow lines are shown and described below in connection with fig. 3 and 4.

The operation of the hydraulic control system 56 is controlled via at least one controller positioned in signal communication with the hydraulic control system 56 using any suitable mechanical, hydraulic, and/or electrical (wired or wireless) connection architecture. For example, and with continued reference to fig. 2, operation of the hydraulic control system 56 may be controlled via an Engine Control Unit (ECU)66 on the combine harvester 20; for example, appropriate control outputs of ECU 66 may be electrically coupled to one or more actuators that position control valve(s) 58 within hydraulic control system 56, as indicated by dashed line 68. The ECU 66 may also control various other functions of the main engine 50 and/or other devices on the harvester 20; however, this is an aid to the present disclosure. During operation, the ECU 66 may issue commands to the hydraulic control system 56 to selectively position the selector mechanism within the feed chamber gearbox 24 and control the reverse motor 52, as further described herein. The ECU 66 may issue such commands in response to operator inputs received via one or more operator input devices 70, 72 coupled to the ECU 66 via signal lines 74, 76, respectively. As shown in fig. 1, the operator input devices 70, 72 may be located within an operator compartment or station 51 of the combine harvester 20 and manually controlled by an operator driving the combine harvester 20. The particular form taken by the operator input device(s) 70, 72 will vary and may include physical and/or virtual (e.g., graphical user interfaces) forms. In the illustrated example, the operator input devices 70, 72 are generally depicted as including: a physical button input 72, the physical button input 72 may be used to activate a reverse drive mode of the feed chamber gearbox 24; and a rotatable lever or switch 70, the rotatable lever or switch 70 can be used to control the speed of the reversing motor 52 when the feed chamber gearbox 24 is placed in the reverse drive mode.

Depending on the particular mode that the gearbox 24 is placed in at a given point in time, one or more mechanical outputs of the feed chamber gearbox 24 may be selectively driven by the main engine 50 or the counter motor 52. As described above, the feed chamber gearbox 24 includes a main drive input and a reverse drive input that are mechanically linked in some manner to the main engine 50 and the reverse motor 52, respectively. In the illustrated embodiment, and by way of non-limiting example only, the primary drive input of the feed chamber gearbox 24 is in the form of a outer pulley housing 78, the outer pulley housing 78 being rotatably coupled to and disposed about a stationary housing of the gearbox 24, as further described below. When in the form of such an outer pulley housing, the primary drive input 78 (alternatively referred to as the "outer pulley housing 78") may be mechanically linked to an output shaft of the primary engine 50 by at least one pulley 80 and a belt 82 (fig. 2). In comparison, the reverse drive input of the feed chamber gearbox 24 may take the form of a reverse input shaft 84, the reverse input shaft 84 projecting at an angle from the side of the housing of the feed chamber gearbox 24. When the intake chamber gearbox 24 is mounted on the combine harvester 20, the reverse input shaft 84 is mechanically connected to the output, not shown, of the reverse motor 52, either directly or indirectly through any number of intermediate motion transfer components.

As indicated previously, the feed chamber gearbox 24 is operable in at least two operating modes, as selected using the operator input devices 70, 72: a default or forward drive mode and a reverse drive mode. In the forward drive mode, the feedwell gearbox 24 mechanically couples the combine engine 50 to one or more mechanical outputs of the gearbox 24, and thus to the feedwell conveyor belt 44 and driven components (e.g., transfer augers 34) of the header 26 (when present). Simultaneously, the feed chamber gearbox 24 mechanically disconnects the reverse motor 52 from one or more mechanical outputs of the gearbox 24. In this manner, the main engine 50 can drive the feed compartment conveyor belt 44 and transfer auger 34 in a forward direction as the combine harvester 20 is driven over the field by an operator sitting in the operator station 51 (fig. 1). When the combine harvester 20 is driven in this manner, and referring briefly again to fig. 1, crop plants are cut and brought into the mouth or forward opening of the header 26 via the pickup conveyor belt 30. The severed crop is then delivered to the feed chamber 22 via a transfer conveyor belt 32 and augers 34 within the header 26. The crop then travels through the tubular frame 42 of the feeder house 22 under the action of the feeder house conveyor belt 44. Immediately after the intake chamber 22, the rotary drum conveyor 86 then delivers the freshly harvested crop into a threshing and separator section 88 for further processing by the harvester 20. Crop plants are threshed, separated, and transported through further portions of the combine harvester 20 for further processing and cleaning. The grain or other crop material extracted from the harvested crop plants is then delivered to a storage (grain) bin 90 for collection and temporary storage.

In the manner described above, the combine harvester 20 can collect crop plants that are cut and ingested through the header 26 and the intake chamber 22 as the harvester 20 is driven in the forward direction. Occasionally, however, it may be desirable to drive the feedwell 22 and header 26 in a reverse direction, for example, to help clear any blockages that may occur and interrupt crop uptake into the harvester 20. Thus, when such a need arises, the operator may utilize controls 70, 72 to shift or switch the feed chamber gearbox 24 into a reverse drive mode; although in other embodiments it is not excluded that a certain degree of automation may be applied when switching the gearbox 24 into the reverse drive mode. When switched into the reverse drive mode, the feed chamber gearbox 24 mechanically couples the reverse motor 52 to a mechanical output of the feed chamber gearbox, for example, an output shaft 104 described below, while disconnecting the combine engine 50 therefrom; although the combine engine 50 may continue to drive the rotation of the primary drive input (e.g., outer pulley housing 78) of the gear box 24. In one control scheme, the feed chamber gearbox 24 is placed in a reverse drive mode via transmission of an appropriate pressure signal through flow line(s) 64 to the feed chamber gearbox 24, where the pressure signal then causes a selector mechanism within the feed chamber gearbox 24 to effect the desired change in mode. Likewise, such pressure signals may be controlled by the ECU 66 in response to operator input commands received via the operator input devices 70, 72; for example, the pressure within one or more flow lines 64 may be altered in a manner that causes the hydraulic actuator to select a desired operating mode of the feed chamber gearbox 24.

Notably, the feed chamber gearbox 24 is capable of being rapidly switched between a forward drive mode and a reverse drive mode for reasons described below. Further, when placed in the reverse drive mode, the mechanical output(s) of the feed chamber gearbox 24 are driven by the reverse drive motor 52, which may allow for a high degree of responsiveness and possible bi-directional speed variation of the mechanical output(s) of the gearbox 24 to optimize the efficiency of loosening and removing crop jams. This may be particularly true when the reverse drive motor 52 takes the form of a hydraulic motor drive implemented with a proportional control valve system, as generally shown in fig. 2. Advantageously, imparting such capability to back-drive the motor 52 (e.g., rapid ramping up and down of rotational speed and the ability to reverse the direction of rotation to allow rapid oscillation) may improve the effectiveness and efficiency of resolving blockages in the crop stream. This, in turn, may reduce the downtime of the combine harvester 20 and improve the overall efficiency of the combine harvester 20 during use. This is highly desirable. One manner in which the feed chamber gearbox 24 may be quickly switched between forward and reverse drive modes of operation, and an exemplary internal gear architecture of the gearbox 24, will now be described more fully below in connection with fig. 3-12.

Proceeding to fig. 3 and 4, an example of a feed chamber gearbox 24 is shown with the following reference numerals inherited from the previous figures: reference numeral "78" designates an outer pulley housing 78 that serves as the primary mechanical input of the exemplary gearbox 24 in the illustrated embodiment, and reference numeral "84" designates an input shaft that serves as the reverse drive input of the gearbox 24. In addition to these components, the feed chamber gearbox 24 further includes gearbox housings 92, 94, the gearbox housings 92, 94 housing the reversing worm drive, the primary (e.g., planetary) gear train, the selector mechanism, and various other components, as shown and described in detail below in connection with fig. 5-12. Note that the gearbox housing configuration will vary between embodiments, in this example the gearbox housings 92, 94 are assembled from two main components or fittings: (i) a base housing piece 92, and (ii) a housing cover 94. The housing cover 94 is nested within the outer pulley housing 78, with the outer pulley housing 78 extending around the cover 94 or surrounding the cover 94. However, cover 94 may be visible through a plurality of windows 98 provided in pulley housing 78. The outer pulley housing 78 is rotatable relative to the gearbox housings 92, 94 about an output axis, which is represented in FIG. 3 by the double arrow 100. In comparison, the gearbox housings 92, 94 may be attached to the feed chamber frame 42 and remain stationary relative to the feed chamber frame 42 when the feed chamber gearbox 24 is mounted on the combine 20 (fig. 1 and 2).

When the feed chamber gearbox 24 is mounted on the combine harvester 20, a flexible link, such as a belt 82 (fig. 2), is disposed about the outer periphery of the outer pulley housing 78 and is used to transfer rotation from the main engine 50 (fig. 2) to the pulley housing 78. When so driven, the outer pulley housing 78 rotates about the output axis 100 at a relatively high speed ratio relative to the gearbox housings 92, 94. The feedwell gearbox 24 acts as a mechanical reducer that converts this high speed rotation to a lower speed rotation with higher torque to be better suited to driving the feedwell conveyor belt 44 (fig. 1 and 2) and the driven components of the header 26. In this regard, rotation of the outer pulley shell 78 may be further transferred to an inner hub member 96, the inner hub member 96 being disposed or nested within the housing cover 94 and best shown in fig. 11 and 12 (described below). As shown in fig. 3, the inner hub member 96 is rotationally attached to the outer pulley housing 78 by a plurality of bolts 102. Rotation is then transferred from the rotating inner hub 96 to a rotating member included in the primary (planetary) gear train, such as a sun gear as described below.

With continued reference to fig. 3 and 4, the output shaft 104 is rotatably mounted to the gearbox housings 92, 94 for rotation about the output axis 100; for example, the output shaft 104 may be centrally mounted with respect to the gearbox housing 92, 94 and have a longitudinal axis that is coaxial with the output axis 100, as shown. The output shaft 104 may take a variety of different forms so long as an external mechanical connection can be made to at least one end portion of the output shaft 104. In the illustrated embodiment, the output shaft 104 includes an externally splined end portion 106, the externally splined end portion 106 protruding from an opening in the gearbox housing 92, 94 for mechanical connection to the feed chamber 22 and/or the driven components of the header 26. Additionally, and as best shown in FIG. 4, the output shaft 104 may include an internally splined open end portion 108. The splined shaft end portion 108 is accessible through an opening in a tubular boss 110 projecting from base housing member 92. Because the output shaft 104 is a rigid body, the end portions 106, 108 will rotate together so that provision is made for two coupling points for ease of mechanical attachment, rather than providing any change in output speed. Thus, in various embodiments, one end of the output shaft 104 may be mechanically coupled to a driven feedwell component (e.g., the feedwell conveyor belt 44 shown in fig. 1 and 2), while the other end of the output shaft is mechanically coupled to a driven component of the header 26 (e.g., the screw conveyor 34). In an alternative embodiment, both the driven component of the header 26 (if present) and the driven component of the feedwell 24 may be mechanically linked to the same end portion of the output shaft 104, or alternatively, to another component that serves as the mechanical output of the feedwell gearbox 24.

Support arms 114 extend from the gearbox housings 92, 94 proximate the counter input shaft 84. When the intake chamber gearbox 24 is mounted on the combine harvester 20, the support arm 114 may support the counter motor 52 (fig. 2) and/or components used to mechanically connect the output of the counter motor 52 to the outer (e.g., splined) end of the counter input shaft 84. When the intake chamber gearbox 24 is mounted on the combine harvester 20, a number of other mechanical and/or fluid connections may further be made. For example, and as best shown in fig. 4, these connections may include fluid connections to lubricant ports 120, 122 via respective lubricant flow lines 116, 118. In one configuration, the hydraulic port 120 may serve as an inlet port that draws oil (or another lubricant) into the feed chamber gearbox 24 under the influence of a pump (e.g., a gerotor housed within the gearbox housing 92, 94; e.g., the gerotor 132 shown in fig. 5-8 and described below). In contrast, the hydraulic port 122 may serve as an outlet through which oil is drawn from the feed chamber gearbox 24, filtered, or otherwise conditioned, and then returned via the inlet port 120. The feed chamber gearbox 24 may further include a hydraulic control port 124, the hydraulic control port 124 may receive pressurized hydraulic fluid to effect control of a hydraulically actuated selector mechanism 126 (shown in fig. 5, 6, 8, and 9, and also described below) further disposed within the feed chamber gearbox 24.

Turning next to fig. 5-8, the internal components of the exemplary feed chamber gearbox 24 are variously depicted, with the feed chamber gearbox 24 shown in different stages of assembly in fig. 5-7, and with the gearbox housings 92, 94, the inner rotary hub piece 96, and the outer pulley housing 78 hidden from view in fig. 8. Generally, in the illustrated example, the feed chamber gearbox 24 may be described as including at least five internal subsystems or components: (i) a main gear train or drive 128; (ii) a reverse worm drive 130; (iii) an internal lubrication pump (here, the gear rotor 132); (iv) the previously mentioned selector mechanism 126, among other components, includes a hydraulic actuator 134; (v) the indexing ring assembly 136. These subsystems or components housed in the gearbox housings 92, 94, respectively, are described in turn below.

First with respect to the main gear train 128, this gear train takes the form of a single planetary gear system in the illustrated embodiment, and is therefore referred to hereinafter as the "main planetary gear train 128", or more simply the "planetary gear train 128". Although an embodiment is illustrated, the primary gear train 128 need not be implemented as a single planetary gear system across all embodiments of the feed chamber gearbox 24, and may instead take various other forms, so long as the primary gear train 128 includes at least two meshing gears and provides a mechanical connection between the outer pulley housing 78 and the output shaft 104 of the feed chamber gearbox 24. In one embodiment, the primary planetary gear train 128 includes a ring gear 138, a sun gear 140, and planet carrier assemblies 142, 144. The planet carrier assembly member 142, 144 in turn comprises a rotatable carrier 142 supporting a plurality of planet gears 144; for example, the carrier 142 may support three angularly spaced planet gears 144, the planet gears 144 being rotatably mounted to the carrier 142 by pins 112 identified in fig. 6 and 8. The planet gears 144 engage or mesh with both the internally toothed periphery of the ring gear 138 and the externally toothed periphery of the sun gear in a typical manner. Further, the sun gear 140 and the ring gear 138 are disposed in a concentric relationship, with the ring gear 138 surrounding (circling) the sun gear 140. Additionally, in the present example, the sun gear 140, the ring gear 138, and the planet carrier assemblies 142, 144 are coaxial with the output axis 100. The primary planetary gear train 128 is also at least partially nested within the outer pulley housing 78 to impart a relatively compact form factor to the feed chamber gearbox 24.

The ring gear 138 of the primary planetary gear train 128 is rotationally fixed relative to the gearbox housings 92, 94 and therefore does not rotate with the sun gear 140 and planet carrier assemblies 142, 144 as the primary planetary gear train 128 is driven through the outer pulley outer housing 78 and the rotating inner hub member 96. Any suitable mechanical coupling or anti-rotation feature may be utilized to prevent rotation of the ring gear 138 when driving the primary planetary gear train 128. For example, the ring gear 138 may be captured between the base housing piece 92 and the housing cover 94, with rotation of the ring gear 138 prevented by bolts, alignment pins, or other fasteners 146 (several of which are identified in fig. 5-7). In this case, when the feed chamber gearbox 24 is assembled, the fasteners 146 may extend through the ring gear 138, the base housing member 92, and the housing cover 94.

In contrast to the stationary ring gear 138, the sun gear 140 and planet carrier assemblies 142, 144 rotate about the output axis 100 as the primary planetary gear train 128 is driven through the outer pulley housing 78 and the inner hub member 96. Rotation of the sun gear 140, planet carrier assemblies 142, 144, inner hub member 96 and output shaft 104 about the output axis 100 is facilitated by various rolling element (e.g., ball and roller) bearings 156 distributed throughout the feed chamber gearbox 24. Similarly, rotation of the reverse input shaft 84 and the worm 158, described below, included in the reverse worm drive 130 may be facilitated by any number of rolling element bearings. For example, as best shown in fig. 5, two ball bearings 160 may be fitted around the counter input shaft 84 adjacent opposite ends of the worm 158.

In addition to worm 158 and ball bearing 160, reverse worm drive 130 further includes a worm gear 162 positioned in meshing engagement with worm 158, worm 158 being mounted in rotationally fixed relation to reverse input shaft 84. The worm gear 162 includes a splined portion 164, the splined portion 164 being selectively rotationally coupled to and rotationally decoupled from the splined intermediate portion 148 of the output shaft 104 via the indexing ring 152 (included in the indexing ring assembly 136) and the splined selector collar 154 (included in the selector mechanism 126). The internally splined selector collar 154 is engaged by a selector fork 166, which selector fork 166 can slide along an axis of translation parallel to the output axis 100, as guided by linear guide pins 168. Thus, the selector collar 154 may be moved between: (i) a first position (herein, "forward drive position") in which the selector collar 154 mechanically couples a first rotatable member (i.e., the carrier 142) included in the main gear train 128 to the indexing ring 152; and (ii) a second position (herein, "reverse drive position"), in which the selector collar 154 mechanically couples the second rotatable member (i.e., the worm gear 162) included in the reverse worm drive 130 to the indexing ring 152. In the illustrated example, movement of the internally splined selector collar 154 and selector fork 166 is controlled via the hydraulic actuator 134. In alternative embodiments, different types of hydraulic, electric, or pneumatic actuators may be integrated into the feed chamber gearbox 24, used to position the selector collar 154, and thereby select the operating mode of the feed chamber gearbox 24 as desired.

In the present example of the feed chamber gearbox 24, movement of the internally splined selector collar 154 and selector fork 166 is controlled via a hydraulic actuator 134 forming part of the selector mechanism 126. Describing the actuator 134 in more detail and referring now also to fig. 9, in one possible configuration, the hydraulic actuator 134 may include a hydraulically actuated piston 170, at least one mechanical spring 172, a hydraulic chamber 174, and a cap member 176. A spring 172 is disposed within the hydraulic chamber 174 and seats against a cap member 176. The spring 172 is selected to exert a desired resilient biasing force on the hydraulically actuated piston 170, thereby urging the piston 170 to a position corresponding to the forward drive position of the internally splined selector collar 154. Accordingly, the hydraulically actuated piston 170 and selector collar 154 may generally reside in a forward drive position such that the feed chamber gearbox 24 operates in a forward drive mode by default and transitions to a reverse drive mode when the pressure within the hydraulic chamber 174 varies. In this regard, when the hydraulic pressure within the hydraulic chamber 174 changes appropriately due to changes in the pressure of the hydraulic fluid supplied through the hydraulic control port 124 (fig. 4), the hydraulic piston 170 slides along the translation axis (parallel to the output axis 100 in the illustrated example) into a position corresponding to the reverse drive position of the selector collar 154; for example, to the left in the orientation shown in fig. 9. Likewise, such pressure changes may be effected by hydraulic control system 56 (FIG. 2) by positioning the valve elements in response to operator commands received via operator input devices 70, 72.

Referring now to fig. 10 in conjunction with fig. 3 through 9, the example index ring assembly 136 includes the previously mentioned splined index ring 152 and a plurality of spring biased pins 178. The cap of the spring biased pin 178 is biased against the inner peripheral cam surface 180 of the indexing ring 152. For example, as best shown in fig. 10, the inner peripheral cam surface 180 of the indexing ring 152 may include a valley 182, with the head of the spring-biased pin 178 engaging into the valley 182. The opposite end of the spring biased pin 178 may be received in the splined output shaft 104. Thus, the pins 178 are biased to extend into the deepest recesses of the valleys 182 to urge the indexing ring 152 to a neutral rotational position relative to the output shaft 104. Simultaneously, the splined output shaft 104 includes an externally toothed peripheral portion (identified by reference numeral "183" in fig. 7) wherein the teeth or projections are received within corresponding grooves defined by the inner peripheral cam surface 180 of the indexing ring 152. As shown in fig. 7, the protrusions of the toothed outer peripheral portion 183 of the output shaft 104 are given a width smaller than the width of the grooves provided in the inner periphery of the indexing ring 152 to allow the indexing ring 152 to rotate in a limited angular range in either rotational direction relative to the output shaft 104, after which the protrusions come into contact with the inner periphery of the indexing ring 152 defining the inner peripheral cam surface 180. Thus, co-rotation of the indexing ring 152 and the output shaft 104 about the output axis 100 in a common rotational direction is ensured, while initial limited angular movement of the indexing ring 152 relative to the output shaft 104 is permitted to accommodate slight angular misalignment between the ring 152 and the selector collar 154. Such a configuration thus facilitates rapid switching of the feed chamber gearbox 24 between forward and reverse drive modes without requiring any electrical feedback system.

Fig. 11 and 12 are cross-sectional views of an exemplary feed chamber gear box 24 shown in a forward drive mode and a reverse drive mode, respectively. Referring first to FIG. 11, the feed chamber gearbox 24 is shown in a forward drive mode, wherein dashed lines 184 represent power flow transmission through rotating components of the gearbox 24. Here, an internally splined selector collar 154 is positioned to mechanically couple the indexing ring 152 to a splined tubular extension 150 that protrudes from the body of the carrier 142 toward the ring 152. When a rotational input is applied to pulley housing 78 by the action of main engine 50 of combine 20 (indicated by arrow 186 in fig. 11), inner hub member 96 rotates with pulley housing 78 about output axis 100. Sun gear 140, splined to inner hub member 96, also rotates with pulley housing 78 and inner hub member 96.

Rotation of the sun gear 140 drives rotation of the planet gears 144 (and more generally the planet carrier assemblies 142, 144), again noting that the outer ring gear 138 is rotationally fixed to the gearbox housings 92, 94 and remains stationary. When the selector collar 154 is currently in the forward drive position (rightmost position in fig. 11), rotation of the planet carrier assembly member 142, 144 is transferred via the splined portion 150 of the carrier 142, through the splined selector collar 154, through the indexing ring 152, and to the splined intermediate portion 148 of the output shaft 104. When the feed chamber gearbox 24 is placed in the forward drive mode, the rotational output of the feed chamber gearbox 24 (represented by arrow 188) is driven through the main drive input (here, the outer pulley housing 78) of the feed chamber gearbox 24. Typically, then, when the feed chamber gearbox 24 is mounted on the combine 20, rotation is transmitted from the sun gear 140 through the planet carrier assemblies 142, 144 and to the output shaft 104, the engine 50 drives rotation of the main drive input of the gearbox 24 (here, the outer pulley housing 78 coupled to the sun gear 140 in a rotationally fixed relationship), and the selector mechanism 126 is in the main drive position.

When it is desired to transition the feed chamber gearbox 24 to the reverse drive mode, the pressure within the hydraulic chamber 174 of the hydraulic actuator 134 (fig. 9) is varied by the hydraulic control system 56 (fig. 2), as indicated by operator commands received via the operator input devices 70, 72 (fig. 2). As previously described, this change in pressure within the hydraulic chamber 174 causes the hydraulic piston 170, the selector fork 166, and the selector collar 154 to translate into the reverse drive position; i.e. to the left in fig. 11 and 12, as indicated by arrow 190. In this manner, the selector mechanism 126 (which includes the hydraulic actuator 134 and the selector collar 154) is commanded to move from the primary drive position (fig. 11) into the reverse drive position (fig. 12). Substantially simultaneously, or following movement of the selector mechanism 126 into the reverse drive position, the hydraulic control system 56 may also command the hydraulic control system 56 to circulate hydraulic fluid through the hydraulic reversing motor 52 to initiate rotation of the reversing input shaft 84 (if not already rotating), and thereby drive the output shaft 104 via the reversing worm drive 130. Specifically, and as represented by arrow 192 in fig. 12, when the feed chamber gearbox 24 is operating in the reverse drive mode, the reverse motor 52 applies a rotational input to the reverse worm drive 130 via the reverse input shaft 84.

As further indicated by power flow line 196 in fig. 12, rotation is transferred through worm 158 to worm gear 162, from splined portion 164 of worm gear 162 through selector collar 154 and indexing ring 152 and to output shaft 104. Arrow 194 further represents the rotational output of the feed chamber gearbox 24 when operating in the reverse drive mode and driven by the hydraulic reversing motor 52. More generally, when the feed chamber gearbox 24 is mounted on the combine 20, rotation is transferred from the worm 158 through the worm gear 162 and to the output shaft 104, the counter motor 52 drives rotation of the counter drive input (here, the counter input shaft 84), and the selector mechanism 126 is in the counter drive position. Notably, when the feed chamber gearbox 24 is operating in the reverse drive mode, the outer belt pulley housing 78 may continue to rotate under the influence of the engine 50 of the harvester 20; however, rotation of outer pulley housing 78 and corresponding rotation of inner hub member 96, sun gear 140 and planet carrier assemblies 142, 144 are not transmitted to output shaft 104 because shaft 104 is now rotationally decoupled from splined tubular extension or portion 150 of carrier 142 by selector collar 154 when in the reverse drive position. More briefly, when in the reverse drive position, the selector mechanism 126 rotationally couples the worm gear 162 to the output shaft 104 while rotationally decouples the planet carrier assembly members 142, 144 therefrom. Conversely, when in the main drive position, the selector mechanism 126 rotationally couples the planet carrier assembly member 142, 144 to the output shaft 104 while rotationally decouples the worm gear 162 therefrom.

In the manner described above, a quick switch between the forward drive mode and the reverse drive mode of the feed chamber gearbox 24 is achieved. Further, when the reverse worm drive 130 is driven by a dedicated motor (i.e., the reverse motor 52 shown in fig. 2), the direction in which the input of the reverse worm drive 130 rotates may be rapidly changed or oscillated, particularly, the reverse motor 52 takes the form of a hydraulic motor controlled with one or more proportional control valves 58 (fig. 2). Thus, when the feed chamber gearbox 24 is placed in a reverse drive control, a highly responsive bidirectional speed control is achieved to maximize the efficiency with which the gearbox 24 can remove blockages that interrupt crop flow during operation of the combine 20. An operator of the combine 20 may utilize an input device 70 (e.g., a joystick or multi-position switch) to control the speed of the counter motor 52 and thereby quickly eliminate any such blockage in most cases. As another option, the ECU 66 (FIG. 2) may store one or more pre-programmed purge routines or schedules in computer-readable memory. When executed via the operator input controls 70, 72, the clearing routine may cause the ECU 66 to command the reverse motor 52 to quickly ramp up, ramp down, and reverse the speed of the reverse motor 52, such as being optimized to quickly clear crop intake blockages. In such embodiments, the operator may select a pre-programmed purge routine for execution using any suitable physical or virtual interface (e.g., any of the operator input controls 70, 72 shown in fig. 2). As a more specific but non-limiting example, the ECU 66 may be operable in a rapid jam removal mode in which the ECU 66 commands the proportional control valve(s) 58 to repeatedly switch or oscillate between driving the output shaft of the reversing motor 52 in the first rotational direction and in the second rotational direction while the selector mechanism 126 resides in the reverse drive position shown in fig. 12.

In various embodiments, the opposing worm drive 130 is advantageously selected to provide a relatively large mechanical (rotational speed) reduction; for example, the magnitude of the rotational speed reduction exceeds, and may be at least twice, the magnitude of the rotational speed reduction provided by the primary planetary gear train 128. For example, in one embodiment, the reverse worm drive 130 may be selected to provide a torque equal to or exceeding about 8: the speed of 1 is reduced by an amount to convert the low torque, high speed input provided by the counter motor 52 into a high torque, low speed output optimized for driving the feed chamber 24 and/or header 26 (fig. 1 and 2) in a counter drive mode. In comparison, in an embodiment, the magnitude of the rotational speed reduction provided by the primary planetary gear train 128 may be about 4: 1. by selecting the reverse worm drive 130 to provide a large magnitude of rotational speed reduction, particularly when in the form of a hydraulic motor, the size of the reverse motor 52 can be minimized. In other embodiments, the reverse worm drive 130 may provide a magnitude of speed reduction that is less than or equal to the magnitude of speed reduction provided by the primary planetary gear train 128.

By actively lubricating the internal components of the gearbox 24, particularly the rotating components associated with the primary planetary gear train 128, reliable operation of the feed chamber gearbox 24 may be optimized. In this regard, and as previously indicated, embodiments of the feed chamber gearbox 24 further include an internal lubricant pump for drawing lubricant into the gearbox housing 92, 94 in the form of the gear rotor 132. By way of example, and referring briefly again to fig. 8, the gerotor 132 may include an input gear 198, the input gear 198 protruding from a gerotor housing 200 and engaging a toothed outer peripheral portion 202 of the carrier 142. Lubricant ports 204 may be provided in the gerotor housing 200 for receiving oil or another liquid lubricant. Such a structural configuration enables the rotor within the gear rotor housing 200 to be rotationally driven by rotation of the carrier 142 and more generally by rotation of the primary planetary gear train 128. Further, in at least some embodiments, the rotation of the planet carrier assembly member 142, 144 can be driven by the main engine 50 of the combine harvester 20 regardless of the particular mode in which the feed chamber gearbox 24 is placed. Thus, in such embodiments, the gear rotor 132 may likewise remain mechanically linked to the engine 50 and continuously driven by the engine 50 to ensure uninterrupted lubricant flow into the gearbox housings 92, 94. Therefore, low-friction rotation of the rotary member accommodated in the feed chamber gear box 24 can be promoted to extend the overall service life of the gear box 24.

Enumerated examples of a feed chamber gearbox and a combine harvester equipped with said feed chamber gearbox

For ease of reference, the following examples of a feed chamber gearbox and associated combine harvester are further provided and numbered.

1. A feed chamber gearbox is provided for mounting on a combine harvester including an engine and a counter motor. In an embodiment, the feed chamber gearbox comprises: a gearbox housing; an output shaft mounted to the gearbox housing for rotation about an output axis; a main drive input rotatably mounted to the gearbox housing and mechanically linked to the engine when the feedwell gearbox is mounted on the combine; and a counter drive input rotatably mounted to the gearbox housing and mechanically linked to the counter motor when the feedwell gearbox is mounted on the combine. A selector mechanism is disposed within the gearbox housing and is movable between a primary drive position and a reverse drive position. A main gear train or drive transfers rotation from the main drive input to the output shaft when the selector mechanism is in the main drive position, and a reverse worm drive transfers rotation from the reverse drive input to the output shaft when the selector mechanism is in the reverse drive position.

2. The feed chamber gearbox of example 1, wherein the primary gear train provides a first speed reduction amplitude when transmitting rotation from the primary drive input to the output shaft. Additionally, the reverse worm drive provides a second speed reduction magnitude when transmitting rotation from the reverse drive input to the output shaft, the second speed reduction magnitude being greater than the first speed reduction magnitude.

3. The feed chamber gearbox of example 1, wherein the primary gear train includes a planet carrier assembly member having planet gears supported by a carrier, the planet carrier assembly member further being rotatable relative to the gearbox housing about the output axis.

4. The feed chamber gearbox of example 3, wherein the primary gear train further comprises: (i) a sun gear engaging the planet gears and being rotatable relative to the gearbox housing about the output axis; and (ii) a ring gear surrounding the sun gear, engaging the planet gears and being rotationally fixed relative to the gearbox housing.

5. The feed chamber gearbox of example 4, wherein when the feed chamber gearbox is mounted on the combine, rotation is transferred from the sun gear to the planet carrier assembly and to the output shaft, the engine drives rotation of the main drive input, and the selector mechanism is in the main drive position.

6. The feed chamber gearbox of example 4, further comprising a gear rotor within the gearbox housing and mechanically coupled to the planet carrier assembly member. The gerotor, when driven by rotation of the planet carrier assembly member, causes a flow of lubricant into the gearbox housing.

7. The feed chamber gearbox of example 4, wherein the primary drive input includes an outer pulley housing coupled in rotationally fixed relation to the sun gear, the primary gear train being at least partially nested in the outer pulley housing.

8. The feed chamber gearbox of example 3, wherein the reversing worm drive comprises: a worm; and a worm gear engaged by the worm and rotatable about the output axis. When the feed chamber gearbox is mounted on the combine harvester, rotation is transferred from the worm through the worm gear and to the output shaft, the counter motor drives rotation of the counter drive input, and the selector mechanism is in the counter drive position.

9. The feed chamber gearbox of example 8, wherein the reverse drive input comprises a shaft protruding from the gearbox housing and coupled to the worm in a rotationally fixed relationship.

10. The feed chamber gearbox of example 1, wherein the selector mechanism comprises: an indexing ring coupled to the output shaft for common rotation therewith; and a selector collar engaging the indexing ring. The selector collar is slidable relative to the indexing ring between: (i) a first position wherein the selector collar mechanically couples a first rotatable member included in the primary gear train to the indexing ring; and (ii) a second position wherein the selector collar mechanically couples a second rotatable member included in the reverse worm drive to the indexing ring.

11. The feed chamber gearbox of example 10, wherein the first and second rotatable members comprise a bracket and a worm gear, respectively.

12. A feed chamber gearbox for mounting on a combine harvester, the feed chamber gearbox comprising: a gearbox housing; an output shaft mounted to the gearbox housing for rotation about an output axis; and a planetary gear train accommodated in the gear case housing. The planetary gear train further comprises: a ring gear coupled to the gearbox housing in a rotationally fixed relationship therewith; a sun gear within the gearbox housing, coaxial with the ring gear, and rotatable about the output axis; and a planet carrier assembly member within the gearbox housing, coaxial with the ring gear and the sun gear, and rotatable about the output axis. The feed chamber gearbox further includes an inverted worm drive having: a worm housed in the gearbox housing; and a worm gear engaged by the worm and rotatable about the output axis. A selector mechanism is controllable to selectively mechanically couple (i) the planet carrier assembly member to the output shaft when the feed chamber gearbox is operating in the first mode, and (ii) the worm gear to the output shaft when the feed chamber gearbox is operating in the second mode.

13. The feed chamber gearbox of example 12, further comprising a gear rotor within the gearbox housing and mechanically coupled to the planet carrier assembly member, the gear rotor configured to be driven by rotation of the planet carrier assembly member to urge a flow of lubricant into the gearbox housing.

14. The feed chamber gearbox of example 12, wherein the counter worm drive provides a rotational speed reduction that is at least twice as great as the rotational speed reduction provided by the planetary gear train.

15. Embodiments of a combine harvester equipped with a feed chamber gearbox are further provided. In an embodiment, the combine harvester includes an engine, a counter motor, and a feed chamber gearbox. The feed chamber gearbox in turn comprises: an output shaft rotatably mounted to the gearbox housing; a main drive input rotatably mounted to the gearbox housing and mechanically linked to the engine; a reverse drive input rotatably mounted to the gearbox housing and mechanically linked to the reverse motor; a selector mechanism within the gearbox housing and movable between a primary drive position and a reverse drive position; a main gear train that transmits rotation from the main drive input to the output shaft when the selector mechanism is in a main drive position; and a reverse worm drive that transmits rotation from the reverse drive input to the output shaft when the selector mechanism is in the reverse drive position.

Conclusion

Accordingly, a feed chamber gearbox has been provided that is capable of rapidly switching between forward and reverse drive modes while having reduced complexity, manufacturing costs and part count. Embodiments of the feed chamber gearbox include a reverse worm drive and other components to enable a dedicated motor (the "reverse motor" described above) to drive rotation of the gearbox output (e.g., a centrally mounted output shaft) when the feed chamber gearbox is operating in a reverse drive mode. Thus, when the feed chamber gearbox is operated in reverse mode, better operator control of speed variation may be achieved, while a relatively large rotational speed reduction may be provided by the reverse worm drive (e.g., the rotational speed reduction exceeds and may be at least twice as great as the rotational speed reduction provided by the main gear train) to minimize the reverse motor size. Further, a quick switch between forward and reverse drive modes may be achieved with a selector mechanism that allows for quick switching between modes without requiring excessive slowing or rotational stop of the main drive input of the feed chamber gearbox (e.g., the outer pulley housing in the exemplary embodiments described above). Embodiments of the feed chamber gearbox may also include other unique and useful features, such as a gear rotor driven by a carrier of a planetary gear system that serves as the main (e.g., planetary) gear train of the feed chamber gearbox.

As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless expressly stated otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising," when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

The description of the present disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the disclosure in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosure. The embodiments specifically referenced herein were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the disclosure and its practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the disclosure and to recognize various alternatives, modifications, and variations to the described example(s). Accordingly, various examples and embodiments other than those explicitly described are within the scope of the following claims.