No Electronics Shaft Stoppage Monitor

No Electronics Shaft Stoppage Monitor COMBINES Accessories 11-5-36 "About four years ago, within the span of two weeks during harvest, I burned out two belts on my combine due to shaft stoppage. Since these belts cost about $40 each, I decided to buy a shaft monitor. The only one I could find had integrated electronic circuits and was very expensive at around $260 per monitored shaft. The problem with integrated circuits is that it takes a specialist to fix them. I decided to make my own monitor," says Ralph S. Sweany, Crothersville, Ind., who now manufactures and sells his home-built monitor. Sweany 's monitor eliminates the need for integrated circuits. The sensor mounts next to the shaft and a small rubber "drive belt" runs off the shaft. As long as the shaft turns, the sensor switch remains open. If the shaft stops, the switch closes and an audible alarm goes off in the cab. "Installation of the sensor requires no modification of the machine. You simply remove one bearing flange nut on the shaft to be monitored, put the sensor assembly in place, wrapping the 0-ring belt around the shaft to be monitored, and then retighten the flange nut. The warning assembly mounts in the cab. To wire the monitor, you run one wire from the sensor to the warning assembly and run a second wire from the warning assembly to the machine ignition switch. You can monitor up to four shafts with each warning assembly," says Sweany. A kit that includes everything needed to monitor one shaft sells for $88. Sensors for each additional shaft cost $45 each. For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Ralph Sweany, Rt. 2, Box 616, Crothersville, Ind. 47229 (ph 812 793-2055).

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