Belt Drive System

Abstract

A belt drive system for a vehicle, such as a combine harvester. The belt drive system uses a driven pulley which is selectively engageable with a driven shaft to supply rotation to the shaft. The pulley is mounted on a fixed, i.e. non-rotating, housing using suitable bearings, such that the bearings of the pulley continue to rotate and are dynamically loaded for all rotation conditions of the driven pulley, i.e. whether the pulley is engaged with the shaft or not. This prevents damage to the bearings due to false brinelling.

1 . A belt drive system for a vehicle, the belt drive system comprising:
 at least one driven pulley;   an output shaft rotatable about an axis;   a shift collar provided on said output shaft to selectively engage with said at least one driven pulley to drive said output shaft;   a fixed housing, wherein the fixed housing comprises a first fixed end and a second free end, the first fixed end arranged to be secured to a fixed frame of a vehicle, wherein said shaft extends through the fixed housing and projects from said second free end of the fixed housing, and wherein said at least one driven pulley is rotatably provided on said fixed housing.   
     
     
         2 . The belt drive system of  claim 5 , wherein the fixed housing comprises a flared section at said first fixed end, arranged to be mounted to a fixed frame. 
     
     
         3 . The belt drive system of  claim 5 , wherein said at least one driven pulley is provided on said fixed housing at said second free end of said housing 
     
     
         4 . The belt drive system of  claim 1 , wherein the shift collar comprises a detent mechanism to selectively hold the shift collar in place on the driven shaft. 
     
     
         5 . The belt drive system of  claim 1 , wherein the belt drive system comprises:
 a first driven pulley; and   a second driven pulley, said first driven pulley rotatably provided on said fixed housing using first bearings, said second driven pulley rotatably provided on said first driven pulley using second bearings, wherein said shift collar is selectively engageable with said first driven pulley or said second driven pulley to engage said first driven pulley or said second driven pulley with the shaft.   
     
     
         6 . The belt drive system of any one of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one driven pulley is rotatably provided on said fixed housing using bearings. 
     
     
         7 . The belt drive system of  claim 1 , wherein the shift collar is moveable on the driven shaft between at least one engaged position wherein the shift collar is engaged with said at least one driven pulley, and a neutral position, wherein the shift collar is not engaged with said at least one driven pulley. 
     
     
         8 . The belt drive system of  claim 1 , wherein the driven shaft and the shift collar comprise elements cooperatively engageable to connect the shift collar to the driven shaft, for cooperative rotation of the driven shaft and the shift collar. 
     
     
         9 . The belt drive system of  claim 1 , wherein the driven shaft and the at least driven one pulley comprise elements cooperatively engageable to connect the at least one driven pulley to the shift collar, for rotation of the shift collar with the at least driven one pulley. 
     
     
         10 . The belt drive system of  claim 9 , wherein the shift collar comprises external splines arranged to couple with engagement splines provided on the at least one driven pulley.