US1983860A - Draft connection for implements - Google Patents

Description

Dec. l1, 1934. R G. E TOURNEAU- 1,983,860

DRAFT CONNECTION .FOR IMPLEMENTS Original' Filed Nov. 29, 1932 INVENTOR R. GCLeTbLb/neaw ATTO RN EY Patented Dec. 11, 1934 UNITEosTATEs DRAFT CONNECTION FOR IMPLEIHENIIS` Robert G. Le Tourneau, Stockton, Calif.

Original application' November 29, 1932, Serial No. 644,783. Divided and this application September l, 1933,]Serial No. 687,812

1 Claim.

This invention relates to draft connections for ground working implements and is a divisional application of my co-pending application, Serial No. 644,783, filed November 29, 1932. 5 The device 'of this present. invention is particularly suitable for heavy duty work such as on large rollers, Scrapers and the like, where the drawbar strain is considerable andwhere the parts, if not enclosed, are subject to the abrasive action of dirt.

The object of this invention `is toimount the draft eye on the tongue of the implement in such a, manner that the desired free swivel movement of the eye is obtained, while at. the .5 same time a close t of the eye-spindle in its bearings is mounted without any tendency to binding, and without the danger of the bearing surfaces becoming clogged with dirt etc.

A .further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device andyet one which will be exceedingly effective `for the purpose for which it is designed.-

'Ihese objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts 55 as will fully appear by'a perusalv of the following specification and claim. In the drawing similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views: m Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an implement having my improved draft device applied to the tongue of the same.

Fig. 2 is afragmentary longitudinal section of the tongue showing the mounting of the swivel draft member 'in connection therewith..

Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal horizontal section of the device on the line 44 of Fig. 2.-

: Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawing, the imple-V ment herewith shown comprises a roller 1 mounted in a frame 2 from which a rigid tongue 3 projects forwardly. .The form` and construction of the implementhowever, except the tongue, has no bearing on this invention. 'Ihe tongue is a hollow beam preferably of rectangular cross section initially open at its forward end and built up in the same way as 0 on all the implements. manufactured .by me. At its forward end this tongue is provided with a pair of axially alined longitudinally spaced bushings 4 which are removably tted into cross blocks 5 welded inside the tongue. These bush- 5 ings form the bearings for the spindle 6 of the ,swivel draft eye '7 by which connection with a tractor is made. This eye is lpreferably a flat member rigid with and wider than the spindle so that it cannot be retracted into the tongue, said spindle being turnable in the bushings. In this manner it will be seen that the desired freedom of swivel action is had with the possibility of a relatively close running fit being maintained between the bushings and spindle and yet without any danger of the bearing surfaces becoming clogged with dirt.

The spindle projects beyond the innermost bushing and is threaded along such projecting portion,.as shown at 8. This portion is engaged by a collar which is in the form of a nut 9 split radially on one side, the split portions being drawn together by a bolt 10 therethrough. In this manner a much more secure' grip on the shaft mayy be obtained than is possible with the use of an ordinary collar and cross pin, while .it may be removed or installed with greater ease.

The nut bears against the adjacent end of the adjacent bushing 4, which is provided at said end with an outwardly projecting ange 11. This flange not only increases the thrust bearing area with the nut but prevents possible forward dislodgment of the bushing with a pull on the draft eye. The forward bushing is similarly provided with a ange on its forward end which bears against the adjacent end of the corresponding block and limits the inward movement of said bushing. At the same time the bushings are definitely held in place and `yet can be easily removed, when the spindle is withdrawn, by merely pulling them out of their blocks.

An opening 12 is provided in the tongue in the longitudinal plane of the collar and on the same side as the bolt 10, so that the latter may be manipulated when necessary. This opening is of sufficient size to permit the with` drawal of either theadjacent bushing or the Said openingA is normally closed by a removable cover plate 13, held in place by a bolt 14 extending from side to side of the tongue lback of the spindle.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred 'construction of the de- `vice, still in vpractice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a 5 by Letters Patent is: f

A draft 'connection comprising a hollow solidfaced beam forming a tongue, longitudinally spaced bearing blocks secured within the beam and forming a closed chamber therebetween,

10 one such block being at theouter end of the beam, bushings removably mountedy in the blocks, one bushing being removable from the outer block from the outer end thereof and the other bushing beingremovable from the inner block from the inner end thereof, a draft spindle turnably mounted in and extending beyond the bushings, a thrust nut on the inner end of the spindle engaging the adjacent bushing, said beam having an opening adjacent but beyond the inner block of sumcient size to receive the nut and adjacent bushing.

ROBERT G. LE TOURNEAU.

Images