U.S. patent number RE40,604 [Application Number 10/765,030] was granted by the patent office on 2008-12-16 for rotary mower conditioner having improved cut crop flow.
This patent grant is currently assigned to AGCO Corporation. Invention is credited to Cecil L. Case, Kurt Graber, Michael L. O'Halloran, Martin E. Pruitt.
United States Patent |
RE40,604 |
Pruitt , et al. |
December 16, 2008 |
Rotary mower conditioner having improved cut crop flow
Abstract
A mower conditioner includes a rotary style cutter bed and a
pair of laterally extending crop conditioning rolls spaced
rearwardly from the cutter bed. Crop flow is improved in the
machine by a laterally extending conveying roller located between
the cutter bed and the nip defined by the conditioning rolls. In
particular, the conveying outer roller serves to lift cut crop up
from the cutter bed and convey the crop rearwardly to the nip. This
ensures that the cut crop moves in a steady stream from the cutter
bed to the conditioning rolls, and thereby reduces the risk of cut
crop being thrown forwardly by the cutters. A downwardly open area
is preferably defined between the conveying roller and the cutter
bed to provide a space through which dirt and debris can drop out
of the machine. The conveying roller preferably has a rotational
axis that is lower than the rotational axis of the lower
conditioning roll and generally vertically aligned with the
substantially planar cutting zone defined by the cutter bed.
Inventors: |
Pruitt; Martin E. (Hesston,
KS), Graber; Kurt (Moundridge, KS), Case; Cecil L.
(Newton, KS), O'Halloran; Michael L. (Hesston, KS) |
Assignee: |
AGCO Corporation (Duluth,
GA)
|
Family
ID: |
22546562 |
Appl.
No.: |
10/765,030 |
Filed: |
January 26, 2004 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
Reissue of: |
09153290 |
Sep 15, 1998 |
06158201 |
Dec 12, 2000 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
56/6; 56/13.9;
56/157; 56/16.4R |
Current CPC
Class: |
A01D
43/10 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A01D
75/30 (20060101); A01D 34/44 (20060101); A01D
34/66 (20060101); A01D 43/00 (20060101); A01D
61/00 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;56/6,13.5,13.9,15.1,15.2,15.6,16.4R,255,295,157,192,DIG.1,DIG.6,DIG.9,DIG.11 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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2166671 |
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2166671 |
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324170 |
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DE |
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32 24 170 |
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3224851 |
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Jan 1985 |
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DE |
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3501 133 |
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3501133 |
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Jul 1986 |
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DE |
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001661 |
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May 1979 |
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EP |
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0 116 661 |
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Aug 1984 |
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EP |
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0277343 |
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0 358 045 |
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EP |
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0358045 |
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Mar 1990 |
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EP |
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Other References
Brochure, KRONE AM Disc Mowers, coded VDV 10-3.88. cited by other
.
Brochure, KRONE High Performance Disc Mower AMG 282, coded Nie
20-5.88. cited by other .
Brochure, Deutz-Fahr Rotary Mowers, Coded 9147810 Printed in West
Germany 8708. cited by other .
Brochure, KRONE Die Krone-Frontescheibenmaher AFL 242 Z und 282 Z;
AFL 243 RS und 283 RS, Coded Nie AFL 20-11.93. cited by other .
Brochure, Niemeyer, Forage Harvesting with Niemeyer--1992, Coded FU
N02/92G-90363. cited by other.
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Primary Examiner: Will; Thomas B.
Assistant Examiner: Torres; Alicia
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Hovey Williams LLP
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A crop harvesting header configured for attachment to the mobile
frame of a harvesting machine, said header comprising: a crop
cutting assembly comprising a series of rotary cutters that are
rotatable about individual, upright axes and .Iadd.have knives
.Iaddend.that cooperatively define a laterally extending
.Iadd.generally planar .Iaddend.cutting zone along which crop
material is severed from the ground by the cutting assembly; a pair
of laterally extending crop conditioning rolls cooperatively
defining a nip therebetween that is spaced upwardly and rearwardly
from the cutting zone,.[.; and.]. .Iadd.said pair of conditioning
rolls including a lower conditioning roll having a lower, forward
peripheral portion that moves forwardly and upwardly generally
toward the rotary cutters during rotation of the lower conditioning
roll; and .Iaddend. a driveable crop conveying element having at
least a portion thereof that moves upwardly and rearwardly between
the cutting zone and the nip to convey crop cut by the cutting
assembly toward the nip when the element is driven.Iadd., said
conveying element comprising a laterally extending, rotatable
conveying roller having an upper forward peripheral portion that
moves rearwardly and upwardly generally away from the rotary
cutters during rotation of the conveying roller and a lower,
forward peripheral portion that moves forwardly and upwardly
generally toward the rotary cutters during rotation of the
conveying roller, said upper forward peripheral portion of the
conveying roller being disposed in front of the lower forward
peripheral portion of the lower conditioning roll, and most of the
lower, forward peripheral portion of the conveying roller being
disposed below the plane of said cutting zone.Iaddend..
2. A crop harvesting header as claimed in claim 1; header framework
defining a laterally extending discharge opening spaced rearwardly
from the cutting zone, with the opening being configured to receive
cut crop from the series of cutters, said cutting assembly
projecting beyond the ends of the discharge opening to present a
pair of outboard cutter sections; and a pair of crop conveying
assemblies, each disposed over a respective one of the outboard
cutter sections for conveying crop cut by the respective one of the
outboard cutter sections rearwardly and inwardly to the discharge
opening.
3. A crop harvesting header as claimed in claim 2, each of said
crop conveying assemblies including a plurality of laterally spaced
impeller .[.cages.]. .Iadd.devices .Iaddend.rotatable about
individual, upright axes, each of said impeller .[.cages.].
.Iadd.devices .Iaddend.presenting a front moveable boundary that is
spaced forwardly of the adjacent inwardly spaced impeller
.[.cage.]. .Iadd.device.Iaddend..
4. A crop harvesting header as claimed in claim 3, each outboard
cutter section including a first cutter and an inwardly spaced
second cutter, said plurality of impeller .[.cages.]. .Iadd.devices
.Iaddend.including a first impeller .[.cage.]. .Iadd.device
.Iaddend.mounted to the first cutter for rotational movement
therewith, a second impeller .[.cage.]. .Iadd.device
.Iaddend.mounted to the second cutter for rotational movement
therewith, and an intermediate impeller .[.cage.]. .Iadd.device
.Iaddend.suspended from the header framework between the first and
second impeller .[.cages.]. .Iadd.devices.Iaddend..
5. A crop harvesting header as claimed in claim 1, .[.said crop
cutting assembly and said conveying element defining a downwardly
open area therebetween..]. .Iadd.said conveying roller having an
outermost diameter that is smaller than the outermost diameter of
the lower conditioning roll. .Iaddend.
6. A crop harvesting header as claimed in claim .[.1.].
.Iadd.4.Iaddend., .[.said conveying element comprising a laterally
extending, rotatable conveying roller having an outer periphery
defining the upwardly and rearwardly moveable portion of the
conveying element.]. .Iadd.each of said impeller devices comprising
a cage.Iaddend..
7. A crop harvesting header as claimed in claim .[.6.].
.Iadd.1.Iaddend., .[.said conveying roller and said cutting
assembly presenting a downwardly open area therebetween..].
.Iadd.said conveying roller comprising a single roller,
unaccompanied by an upper roller forming a nip therewith.
.Iaddend.
8. A crop harvesting header as claimed in claim .[.6.].
.Iadd.1.Iaddend., .[.said conveying roller including at least one
helical rib extending along the roller periphery and having
opposite inclination on either side of the midpoint of the
conveying roller..]. .Iadd.said series of cutters including
multiple pairs of oppositely rotating cutters. .Iaddend.
.[.9. A crop harvesting header as claimed in claim 6, said
conveying roller having a relatively smaller diameter than the
conditioning rolls..].
.[.10. A crop harvesting header as claimed in claim 9, said
conditioning rolls being in a stacked relationship to present an
upper conditioning roll and a lower conditioning roll; said lower
conditioning roll being rotatable about a lower conditioning roll
axis, said conveying roller being rotatable about a conveying
roller axis that is lower than the lower conditioning roll
axis..].
11. A crop harvesting header as claimed in claim .[.10.].
.Iadd.1.Iaddend., said .[.cutting zone being substantially planar
and generally vertically aligned with the conveying roller axis.].
.Iadd.conveying roller being rotatable about a conveying roller
axis that is generally vertically aligned with the plane of said
cutting zone.Iaddend..
12. In a crop harvesting machine having a mobile frame, the
improvement comprising: a crop cutting assembly comprising a series
of rotary cutters that are rotatable about individual, upright axes
and .Iadd.have knives .Iaddend.that cooperatively define a
laterally extending .Iadd.generally planar .Iaddend.cutting zone
along which crop material is severed from the ground by the cutting
assembly; a pair of laterally extending crop conditioning rolls
cooperatively defining a nip therebetween that is spaced upwardly
and rearwardly from the cutting zone.[.; and.]. .Iadd., said pair
of conditioning rolls including a lower conditioning roll having a
lower, forward peripheral portion that moves forwardly and upwardly
generally toward the rotary cutters during rotation of the lower
conditioning roll; and .Iaddend. a driveable crop conveying element
having at least a portion thereof that moves upwardly and
rearwardly between the cutting .[.Zone.]. .Iadd.zone .Iaddend.and
the nip to convey crop cut by the cutting assembly toward the nip
when the element is driven.Iadd., said conveying element comprising
a laterally extending, rotatable conveying roller having an upper
forward peripheral portion that moves rearwardly and upwardly
generally away from the rotary cutters during rotation of the
conveying roller and a lower, forward peripheral portion that moves
forwardly and upwardly generally toward the rotary cutters during
rotation of the conveying roller, said upper forward peripheral
portion of the conveying roller being disposed in front of the
lower forward peripheral portion of the lower conditioning roll,
and most of the lower, forward peripheral portion of the conveying
roller being disposed below the plane of said cutting
zone.Iaddend..
13. In a crop harvesting machine as claimed in claim 12, framework
defining a laterally extending discharge opening spaced rearwardly
from the cutting zone, with the opening being configured to receive
cut crop from the series of cutters, said cutting assembly
projecting beyond the ends of the discharge opening to present a
pair of outboard cutter sections; and a pair of crop conveying
assemblies, each disposed over a respective one of the outboard
cutter sections for conveying crop cut by the respective one of the
outboard cutter sections respectively inwardly to the discharge
opening.
14. In a crop harvesting machine as claimed in claim 13, each of
said crop conveying assemblies including a plurality of laterally
spaced impeller .[.cages.]. .Iadd.devices .Iaddend.rotatable about
individual, upright axes, each of said impeller .[.cages.].
.Iadd.devices .Iaddend.presenting a front moveable boundary that is
spaced forwardly of the adjacent inwardly spaced impeller
.[.cage.]. .Iadd.device.Iaddend..
15. In a crop harvesting machine as claimed in claim 14, each
outboard cutter section including a first cutter and an inwardly
spaced second cutter, said plurality of impeller .[.cages.].
.Iadd.devices .Iaddend.including a first impeller .[.cage.].
.Iadd.device .Iaddend.mounted to the first cutter for rotational
movement therewith, a second impeller .[.cage.]. .Iadd.device
.Iaddend.mounted to the second cutter for rotational movement
therewith, and an intermediate impeller .[.cage.]. .Iadd.device
.Iaddend.suspended from the framework between the first and second
impeller .[.cages.]. .Iadd.devices.Iaddend..
16. In a crop harvesting machine as claimed in claim 12, .[.said
crop cutting assembly and said conveying element defining a
downwardly open area therebetween..]. .Iadd.said conveying roller
having an outermost diameter that is smaller than the outermost
diameter of the lower conditioning roll. .Iaddend.
17. In a crop harvesting machine as claimed in claim .[.12.].
.Iadd.14.Iaddend., .[.said conveying element comprising a laterally
extending, rotatable conveying roller having an outer periphery
defining the upwardly and rearwardly moveable portion of the
conveying element..]. .Iadd.each of said impeller devices
comprising a cage. .Iaddend.
18. In a crop harvesting machine as claimed in claim .[.17.].
.Iadd.12.Iaddend., .[.said conveying roller and said cutting
assembly presenting a downwardly open area therebetween..].
.Iadd.said conveying roller comprising a single roller,
unaccompanied by an upper roller forming a nip therewith.
.Iaddend.
19. In a crop harvesting machine as claimed in claim .[.17.].
.Iadd.12.Iaddend., .[.said conveying roller including at least one
helical rib extending along the roller periphery and having
opposite inclination on either side of the midpoint of the
conveying roller..]. .Iadd.said series of cutters including
multiple pairs of oppositely rotating cutters. .Iaddend.
.[.20. In a crop harvesting machine as claimed in claim 17, said
conveying roller having a relatively smaller diameter than the
conditioning rolls..].
.[.21. In a crop harvesting machine as claimed in claim 20, said
conditioning rolls being in a stacked relationship to present an
upper conditioning roll and a lower conditioning roll, said lower
conditioning roll being rotatable about a lower conditioning roll
axis, said conveying roller being rotatable about a conveying
roller axis that is lower than the lower conditioning roll
axis..].
.[.22. In a crop harvesting machine as claimed in claim 21, said
zone being substantially planar and generally vertically aligned
with the conveying roller axis..].
23. A crop harvesting machine comprising: a mobile frame; and a
harvesting header supported on the frame for harvesting crop as the
frame moves across a field, said header including a cutter bed
extending across the path of travel of the frame and including a
series of rotary cutters .Iadd.that are .Iaddend.rotatable about
individual, upright axes .Iadd.and that have knives that
cooperatively define a laterally extending generally planar cutting
zone along which crop material is severed from the ground by the
cutter bed.Iaddend., header framework defining a laterally
extending discharge opening spaced rearwardly from the cutter bed,
with the opening being configured to receive cut crop from the
series of cutters, a pair of crop conditioning rolls spanning the
discharge opening and defining a nip therebetween that is spaced
upwardly and rearwardly from the other bed, .[.and.]. .Iadd.said
pair of conditioning rolls including a lower conditioning roll
having a lower, forward peripheral portion that moves forwardly and
upwardly generally toward the rotary cutters during rotation of the
lower conditioning roll, and .Iaddend. a laterally extending crop
conveying roller located between the cutter bed and the nip, said
conveying roller being rotatable in a direction to move crop from
the cutter bed toward the nip.Iadd., said conveying roller having
an upper forward peripheral portion that moves rearwardly and
upwardly generally away from the rotary cutters during rotation of
the conveying roller and a lower, forward peripheral portion that
moves forwardly and upwardly generally toward the rotary cutters
during rotation of the conveying roller, said upper forward
peripheral portion of the conveying roller being disposed in front
of the lower forward peripheral portion of the lower conditioning
roll, and most of the lower, forward peripheral portion of the
conveying roller being disposed below the plane of said cutting
zone.Iaddend..
24. A crop harvesting machine as claimed in claim 23, said frame
carrying a power source for propelling the frame across the
field.
25. A crop harvesting machine as claimed in claim 23, said series
of rotary cutters including two sets of outboard cutters, with each
of the sets being located adjacent an end of the cutter bed and
substantially outboard of the discharge opening; and a pair of crop
conveying assemblies, each disposed over a respective one of the
sets of outboard cutters for conveying crop cut by the respective
one of the sets of outboard cutters rearwardly and inwardly to the
discharge opening.
26. A crop harvesting machine as claimed in claim 25, each of said
crop conveying assemblies including a plurality of laterally spaced
impeller .[.cages.]. .Iadd.devices .Iaddend.rotatable about
individual, upright axes, each of said impeller .[.cages.].
.Iadd.devices .Iaddend.presenting a front moveable boundary that is
spaced forwardly of the adjacent inwardly spaced impeller
.[.cage.]. .Iadd.device.Iaddend..
27. A crop harvesting machine as claimed in claim 26, each set of
outboard cutters including a first cutter and an inwardly spaced
second cutter, said plurality of impeller .[.cages.]. .Iadd.devices
.Iaddend.including a first impeller .[.cage.]. .Iadd.device
.Iaddend.mounted to the first cutter for rotational movement
therewith, a second impeller .[.cage.]. .Iadd.device
.Iaddend.mounted to the second cutter for rotational movement
therewith, and an intermediate impeller .[.cage.]. .Iadd.device
.Iaddend.suspended from the framework between the first and second
impeller .[.cages.]. .Iadd.devices.Iaddend..
28. A crop harvesting machine as claimed in claim .[.23.].
.Iadd.27.Iaddend., .[.said cutter bed and said conveying roller
defining a downwardly open area therebetween..]. .Iadd.each of said
impeller devices comprising a cage. .Iaddend.
29. A crop harvesting machine as claimed in claim .[.23.].
.Iadd.25.Iaddend., .[.said conveying roller including at least one
helical rib extending along the roller periphery and having
opposite inclination on either side of the midpoint of the
conveying roller..]. .Iadd.said series of rotary cutters including
multiple pairs of oppositely rotating cutters disposed in forward
alignment with said discharge opening. .Iaddend.
30. A crop harvesting machine as claimed in claim 23, said
conveying roller having .[.a relatively smaller diameter than the
conditioning rolls..]. .Iadd.an outermost diameter that is smaller
than the outermost diameter of the lower conditioning roll.
.Iaddend.
31. A crop harvesting machine as claimed in claim 30, .[.said
conditioning rolls being in a stacked relationship to present an
upper conditioning roll and a lower conditioning roll, said lower
conditioning roll being rotatable about a lower conditioning roll
axis,.]. said conveying roller being rotatable about a conveying
roller axis that is .[.lower than the lower conditioning roll
axis..]. .Iadd.generally vertically aligned with the plane of said
cutting zone. .Iaddend.
32. A crop harvesting machine as claimed in claim .[.31.].
.Iadd.23.Iaddend., .[.said cutter bed defining a substantially
planar cutting zone,.]. said .Iadd.conveying roller having a
.Iaddend.conveying roller axis .[.being.]. .Iadd.that is
.Iaddend.generally vertically aligned with the .Iadd.plane of the
.Iaddend.cutting zone.
.Iadd.33. A crop harvesting machine comprising: a mobile frame; and
a harvesting header supported on the frame for harvesting crop as
the frame moves across a field, said header including a cutter bed
extending across the path of travel of the frame and including a
series of rotary cutters rotatable about individual, upright axes,
said cutters having knives that cooperatively define a laterally
extending generally planar cutting zone along which crop material
is severed from the ground by the cutter bed, header framework
defining a laterally extending discharge opening spaced rearwardly
from the cutter bed, with the opening being configured to receive
cut crop from the series of cutters, a pair of transversely
extending, oppositely rotating crop conditioning rolls disposed
within and spanning the discharge opening and defining a nip
therebetween that is spaced upwardly and rearwardly from the cutter
bed, said pair of conditioning rolls including a lower conditioning
roll having a lower, forward peripheral portion that moves
forwardly and upwardly generally toward the rotary cutters during
rotation of the lower conditioning roll, said discharge opening
having a pair of opposite ends, said series of cutters including
multiple pairs of oppositely rotating cutters positioned to direct
severed material into the discharge opening, said cutter bed
projecting laterally outwardly beyond opposite ends of the
discharge opening to present two sets of outboard cutters at
opposite ends of the cutter bed that are disposed outboard of the
discharge opening with the outboard cutters of each set rotating in
the same direction generally inwardly toward the discharge opening,
a pair of crop conveying assemblies at opposite ends of the cutter
bed for assisting in directing crop severed by the outboard cutters
laterally inwardly generally toward the discharge opening, each of
said crop conveying assemblies comprising a plurality of laterally
spaced impeller devices disposed higher than the outboard cutters
and rotatable inwardly about individual, upright axes, a laterally
extending crop conveying roller located between the cutter bed and
the nip, said conveying roller being rotatable in a direction to
move crop from the cutter bed toward the nip, said conveying roller
being disposed within said discharge opening and spanning the same,
said conveying roller having an upper forward peripheral portion
that moves rearwardly and upwardly generally away from the rotary
cutters during rotation of the conveying roller and a lower,
forward peripheral portion that moves forwardly and upwardly
generally toward the rotary cutters during rotation of the
conveying roller, said upper forward peripheral portion of the
conveying roller being disposed in front of the lower forward
peripheral portion of the lower conditioning roll, and most of the
lower, forward peripheral portion of the conveying roller being
disposed below the plane of said cutting zone. .Iaddend.
.Iadd.34. A crop harvesting machine as claimed in claim 33, said
conveying roller having an outermost diameter that is smaller than
the outermost diameter of the lower conditioning roll.
.Iaddend.
.Iadd.35. A crop harvesting machine as claimed in claim 33, said
conveying roller being rotatable about a conveying roller axis that
is generally vertically aligned with the plane of said cutting
zone. .Iaddend.
.Iadd.36. A crop harvesting machine as claimed in claim 33, each
plurality of impeller devices including an outer impeller device
having a front inwardly movable boundary and an inner impeller
device having a front inwardly movable boundary, the inwardly
movable boundary of each outer impeller device being spaced
forwardly of the inwardly movable boundary of the corresponding
inner impeller device. .Iaddend.
.Iadd.37. A crop harvesting machine as claimed in claim 36, each
plurality of impeller devices further including an intermediate
impeller device disposed generally between said outer impeller
device and said inner impeller device, each intermediate impeller
device having a front inwardly movable boundary, the inwardly
movable boundary of each outer impeller device being spaced
forwardly of the inwardly movable boundary of the corresponding
intermediate impeller device. .Iaddend.
.Iadd.38. A crop harvesting machine as claimed in claim 36, each
set of outboard cutters including an outer cutter and an inner
cutter, said plurality of impeller devices including an outer
impeller device rotatable about the same axis of rotation as the
corresponding outer cutter and an inner impeller device rotatable
about the same axis of rotation as the corresponding inner cutter.
.Iaddend.
.Iadd.39. A crop harvesting machine as claimed in claim 36, at
least some of said impeller devices being generally cylindrical and
comprising cages having a plurality of circumferentially spaced
uprights. .Iaddend.
.Iadd.40. A crop harvesting header configured for attachment to the
mobile frame of a harvesting machine, said header comprising: a
crop cutting assembly comprising a series of rotary cutters that
are rotatable about individual, upright axes and have knives that
cooperatively define a laterally extending generally planar cutting
zone along which crop material is severed from the ground by the
cutting assembly; a pair of laterally extending crop conditioning
rolls cooperatively defining a nip therebetween that is spaced
upwardly and rearwardly from the cutting zone, said pair of
conditioning rolls including a lower conditioning roll having a
lower, forward peripheral portion that moves forwardly and upwardly
generally toward the rotary cutters during rotation of the lower
conditioning roll; and a driveable crop conveying element having at
least a portion thereof that moves upwardly and rearwardly between
the cutting zone and the nip to convey crop cut by the cutting
assembly toward the nip when the element is driven, said conveying
element comprising a laterally extending, rotatable conveying
roller having an upper forward peripheral portion that moves
rearwardly and upwardly generally away from the rotary cutters
during rotation of the conveying roller, said upper forward
peripheral portion of the conveying roller being disposed in front
of the lower forward peripheral portion of the lower conditioning
roll and generally below the axis of rotation of the lower
conditioning roll, said conveying roller projecting downwardly
below the plane of said cutting zone. .Iaddend.
.Iadd.41. A crop harvesting header as claimed in claim 40, said
conveying roller comprising a single roller, unaccompanied by an
upper roller forming a nip therewith. .Iaddend.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to crop harvesting
equipment. More particularly, the present invention concerns a
mower/conditioner having structure for conveying cut crop from the
cutter bed to the conditioning rolls, so as to improve crop flow
through the machine.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
Those ordinarily skilled in the art will appreciate that smooth,
even crop flow through the mower/conditioner is critical to proper,
trouble-free harvesting operations. However, it has been determined
that there is often a problem with crop flow in machines utilizing
a pair of laterally extending crop conditioning rolls.
Specifically, it is believed that the crop material has difficulty
in moving from the cutter to the upwardly and rearwardly spaced nip
defined between the conditioning rolls. This is particularly
troublesome in machines utilizing a rotary style cutter bed,
wherein crop material not adequately transferred to the nip is
likely to be carried forwardly by the rotary cutters and ejected
out the front of the machine. It will be appreciated that material
thrown forward of the machine will have a tendency to known down
standing crop, which is further detrimental to harvesting
operations. In addition, crop material failing to move directly
from the cutter bed to the conditioning rolls must recycle through
the cutter bed and is consequently overly shredded/comminuted.
These problems are magnified in machines having wide cutter beds
with at least one cutter located outboard of the ends of the
conditioning rolls, whereby crop material must also be gathered
inwardly after severance before being directed through the shorter
conditioning rolls.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Responsive to these and other problems, an important object of the
present invention is to provide a mower/conditioner having,
unimpeded even cut crop flow therethrough. In particular, an
important object of the present invention is to provide a machine
having laterally extending crop conditioning rolls with structure
for conveying cut crop from the crop cutting assembly to the
conditioning rolls, so as to improve crop flow through the machine.
Another important object of the present invention is to provide a
mower/conditioner having a rotary style cutter bed with a conveying
element for transferring crop material cut by the rotary cutters
upwardly and rearwardly to the nip defined between the crop
conditioning rolls. It is also an object of the present invention
to provide a mower/conditioner having a cutters located outboard of
the crop conditioning rolls with structure for improving crop flow
between the outboard cutters and the crop conditioning rolls.
In accordance with these and other objects evident from the
following description of the preferred embodiment, the present
invention concerns a harvesting machine including a crop cutting
assembly defining a cutting zone, and a pair of laterally extending
crop conditioning rolls defining a nip therebetween that is spaced
upwardly and rearwardly from the cutting zone. Crop flow is
improved in the machine by a conveying element having at least a
portion thereof that is moveable upwardly and rearwardly between
the cutting zone and the nip, so as to ensure smooth, even crop
flow from the cutting assembly to the conditioning rolls. The
conveying element preferably comprises a laterally extending,
rotatable roller having an outer periphery that defines the
upwardly and rearwardly moveable portion of the conveying element.
The preferred embodiment includes a downwardly open area defined
between the conveying roller and the cutting assembly to provide a
space through which dirt and debris can drop out of the
machine.
Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will be
apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred
embodiments and the accompanying drawing figures.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES
Preferred embodiments of the invention are described in detail
below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a self-propelled mower conditioner
constructed in accordance with the principles of the present
invention;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged front elevational view of the harvesting
header shown in FIG. 1, with parts being broken away to illustrate
the cutter bed, the crop conditioning rolls, the crop conveying
roller, and the impeller cages for facilitating crop flow from the
outboard cutters to the conditioning rolls;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged top plan view of the harvesting header shown
in FIG. 1, with parts being broken away to illustrate the cutter
bed, the crop conditioning rolls and the laterally extending crop
conveying roller operable to convey crop from the cutter bed
upwardly and rearwardly to the nip defined by the crop conditioning
rolls;
FIG. 4A is an enlarged, fragmentary top plan view of the right side
of the harvesting header, particularly illustrating the three
rightwardmost cutters;
FIG. 4B is an enlarged, fragmentary top plan view of the left side
of the harvesting header, particularly illustrating the three
leftwardmost cutters;
FIG. 5A is an enlarged, fragmentary front elevational view of the
right side of the harvesting header, particularly illustrating the
three rightwardmost cutters;
FIG. 5B is an enlarged, fragmentary front elevational view of the
left side of the harvesting header, particularly illustrating the
three leftwardmost cutters;
FIG. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary vertical sectional view of the
harvesting header, particularly illustrating the location of the
conveying roller and the relative locations of the impeller
cages;
FIG. 7 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the harvesting
header similar to FIG. 6, but further illustrating the crop path
through the header;
FIG. 8 is a fragmentary, vertical sectional view of a prior art
harvesting header, particularly illustrating what is believed to be
the crop path through the header and the tendency of rejected crop
material to be thrown forwardly by the cutters;
FIG. 9 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the intermediate
impeller cage suspended from the header framework; and
FIG. 10 is an enlarged perspective view of the right outermost
cutter and the lifter that is attached to the carrier plate of the
cutter.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Turning initially to FIG. 1, the harvester selected for
illustration comprises a self-propelled mower/conditioner 10
including a chassis or frame 12 supported by front drive wheels
14,16 and rear caster wheels 18 (only the left rear wheel being
shown in the drawing figures) for movement across a field to be
harvested. The frame 12 carries a cab 20, within which an operator
controls operation of the mower/conditioner 10, and a rearwardly
spaced compartment 22 housing a power source (not shown) such as an
internal combustion engine.
The mower/conditioner 10 further includes a harvesting header 24
attached to the front end of the frame 12. Such attachment of the
header 24 to the frame 12 is achieved in the traditional manner,
with a pair of laterally spaced apart, lower arms (not shown)
pivotally connected between the frame 12 and the side mounts 25
(only one side mount being shown in FIG. 6 and 7) of the header 24,
and with a central link 26 pivotally connected between the frame 12
and the central mounts 28 and 30 of the header 24. The link 26 may
take the form of a double-acting hydraulic cylinder, with extension
and retraction of the cylinder being controlled by the operator in
the cab 20 to remotely control the tilt angle of the header.
The header 24 is preferably configured as a modular unit and
consequently may be disconnected from the lower arms and central
link 26 for removal from the frame 12. Accordingly, the frame 12 is
not dedicated only to those harvesting operations provided by the
header 24, but may carry other modular headers designed to perform
different harvesting operations. Similarly, the header 24 may be
removed from the frame 12 and installed on other variously
constructed mobile frames, such as pull-type implement. In this
respect, it will be appreciated that the principles of the present
invention are equally applicable to pull-type harvesting machines
and machines dedicated only to mowing and conditioning crop.
The header 24 has framework of its own which can be described as
having a generally open, box-like construction in a rectangular
configuration. Such framework is broadly denoted by the numeral 32
in FIGS. 2-3 and includes a pair of tubular cross beams 34 and 36
(see FIG. 6) supported at opposite ends by side planes 38 and 40.
As perhaps best shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, the central mounts 28,30
project upwardly and rearwardly from the cross beams 34,36. A pair
of shield supports 42 and 44 (see FIGS. 3, 4A-4B and 5A-5B) are
fixed relative to the side plates 38 and 40 to project rearwardly
therefrom. The shield supports 42,44 converge rearwardly (see FIG.
3) and support the windrow forming shields, generally denoted by
the reference numeral 46 in FIG. 1. A pair of laterally extending,
upright outboard plates 48 and 50 project outwardly beyond the
cross beams 34 and 36, with the inner ends of the outboard plates
48 and 50 defining therebetween the front boundary of a discharge
opening 52 through which cut crop passes as it moves rearwardly in
the headset 24. It will be noted that the inner ends of the
outboard plates 48 and 50 present small rearwardly turned flanges
54 and 56 (see FIGS. 4A-4B and 5A-5B), respectively. The flanges
54,56 serve as a guide for cut crop as it moves through the
discharge opening 52, and prevent crop from backflowing behind the
outboard plates 48,50. Projecting forwardly from each of the
outboard plates 48 and 50 is a horizontal partition wall 58 and 60,
respectively, with each outboard plate and the associated partition
wall defining a downwardly and forwardly open area. In the usual
manner, gauge wheel assemblies 62 and 64 are attached to the
framework 32 adjacent opposite ends thereof.
A laterally extending crop cutting assembly preferably in the form
of a low profile, rotary style cutter bed 66 is located adjacent
the front of the header framework 32 for severing crop from the
ground as the harvester 10 moves across a field. The illustrated
cutter board 66 includes a series of ten rotary cutters 68 spaced
across the path of travel of the harvester 10 and each being
rotatable about its own upright axis (see FIG. 3). For the sake of
convenience, the ten cutters 68 will be denoted by the letters
68a-68j, beginning with the leftmost cutter in the series as viewed
from the rear of the machine. The cutters 68a-68j are rotatably
supported on an elongated, flat gear case 70 extending the full
length of the cutter bed 66. The gear case 70 is hollow, as shown
in FIG. 6, and contains a train of flat spur gears (not shown) that
are operably engaged with one another and thus serve to distribute
driving power between one another, although other forms of power
distribution means may be used within the case 70 (e.g., shafts and
bevel gears, belts and pulleys, or chains and sprockets).
It will be appreciated that the cutters 68a-68j are nearly
identical in construction. For the sake of brevity, only one of the
cutters will be described in detail herein with the understanding
that the remaining cutters are similarly constructed. As perhaps
best shown in FIG. 10, each of the cutters 68a-68j includes a
generally elliptical, metal knife carrier 72, and a pair of free
swinging knives 74 at opposites ends of the carrier 72, as well
understood by those of ordinary skill in the art. As perhaps best
shown in FIG. 3, each of the cutters 68a-68j is ninety degrees out
of phase with respect to the adjacent cutters, inasmuch as the
circular paths of travel of the knives of adjacent cutters overlap
one another and must be appropriately out of phase in order to
avoid striking each other. Due to the positive mechanical drive
connection between the cutters 68a-68j through the spur gears in
the case 70, the cutters always remain properly in phase with one
another.
As shown in FIG. 6, the gear case 70 is carried by a shelf-type
cradle 78 that extends along the length of the header 24. The upper
face of the cradle 78 is provided with a long recess or socket
across the front of the machine that matingly receives the gear
case 70. Front notches 80 in the leading edge of the cradle 78 (see
FIGS. 4A-4B) are positioned between adjacent cutters to improve the
serving action against those portions of standing crop materials
located generally between adjacent cutters instead of directly in
front of them.
Those ordinarily skilled in the art will appreciate that the
cutting action provided by the cutter bed 66 is not necessarily
consistent from one plant to another, as the machine 10 moves
across the field. For example, severance of the crop may occur
directly in front of one of the cutters 68a-68j or within one of
the front notches 88. Nonetheless, the rotating knives 74 of the
cutters 68a-68j cooperatively present a substantially planar
cutting zone, within which crop is severed from the ground.
It will be noted that the cutter bed 66 projects laterally
outwardly beyond both ends of the discharge opening 52 to present
left and light outboard cutter sections comprising cutters 68a,68b
and 68i,68j, respectively. The spur gears in the case 70 are
intermeshed in such a manner that the cutters 68a,68b and 68i,68j
of each outboard section rotate in the same direction, as indicated
by the arrows in FIG. 3. It will also be appreciated that the spur
gears are arranged in such a manner that the inner cutters 68b-68i
(excluding the outermost cutters 68a and 69j) are divided into
cooperating pairs, with the two cutters of each pair rotating in
opposite directions. In other words, the cutters 68b and 68c rotate
toward one another across the front of the cutter bed 66, as do the
cutters 68d and 68e, the cutters 68f and 68g, and the cutters 68h
and 68i. The illustrated cutter bed 66 is of the same general
arrangement as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,463,852, entitled
WIDE CUT HARVESTER HAVING ROTARY CUTTER BED, issued Nov. 7, 1995,
assigned of record to the assignee of the present invention, which
is hereby incorporated by reference herein as is necessary for a
full and complete understanding of the present invention. However,
it will be apparent that the illustrated cutter bed 66 has several
unique features which are not disclosed in the '852 parent, as will
subsequently be described.
Each of the outboard cutter sections 68a,68b and 68i,68j is
associated with an improved overhead crop conveying assembly for
facilitating movement of crop cut by the outboard cutter section
inwardly and rearwardly to the discharge opening 52. Turning
initially to the left outboard cutter section (see FIGS. 4B and
5B), an impeller cage 82 is fixed to the outermost cutter 68a for
rotational movement therewith about a common axis. The impeller
cage 82 is of the same general construction as the impeller cages
disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,421,45, entitled CUT CROP IMPELLER
CAGE FOR ROTARY TYPE CUTTER BEDS, issued Jun. 6, 1995, assigned of
record to the assignee of the present invention, which is hereby
incorporated by reference herein as is necessary for a full and
complete understanding of the present invention. It will be noted
that a crop lifter 84 is fixed between the metal knife carrier of
the outer cutter 68a and the impeller cage 82. As perhaps best
shown in FIG. 10, the lifter 84 has a generally elliptical shape
and is divided into two halves 84a and 84b. The lifter 84 is
provided with slotted openings 86 and 88 extending inwardly from
opposite ends thereof. The openings 86,88 facilitate knife
replacement by providing access to the underlying knife mounting
structure. As perhaps best shown in FIG. 5B, the lifter 84 provides
the cutter 68a with a relatively greater profile than that provided
only by the knife carrier 72. It will be appreciated that this
serves to elevate crop cut by the cutter 68a up over the adjacent,
inwardly spaced cutter 68b and into engagement with the overhead
crop conveying structure.
An impeller cage 90 is similarly mounted to the cutter 68b for
rotational movement therewith about a common axis. However, the
impeller cage 90 is relatively shorter and smaller in overall
diameter than the cage 82. In particular, the impeller cage 90
includes only one level of spacers 92 secured between an upper disk
94 and a lower impeller plate 96. The impeller plate is of the same
construction as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,345,752 entitled
IMPELLER PLATES FOR ROTARY CUTTING UNITS OF A CROP HARVESTER,
issued Sep. 13, 1994, assigned of record to the assignee of the
present invention, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein
as is necessary for a full and complete understanding of the
present invention. It will be appreciated that the overall diameter
of the impeller cage 90 is a dimension defined by each pair of
spacers spaced in radially opposite directions from the rotational
axis of the cage 90. Because the impeller cages 82 and 90 are
rotatable about axis spaced along the same transverse axis, the
front boundary of the inner cage 90 is spaced rearwardly from the
front boundary of the outer cage 82.
An intermediate impeller cage 98 is located between the outer and
inner cages 82 and 90 and is suspended from the partition wall 58.
As perhaps best shown in FIG. 9, the intermediate impeller cage 98
includes a mounting plate 99 fastened to the underside of the
partition wall 58 and a center tubular support 100 fixed to the
mounting plate 99. The attachment of the support 100 to the plate
99 is strengthened by a frusto-conically shaped brace 101. A shaft
102 is journaled for rotational movement within the stationary
support 100 by a pair of upper and lower bearing assemblies 104 and
106. Fixed to the lower end of the rotatable shaft 102 is a
circular plate 108. A set of six cylindrical spacers 110 is fixed
between the plate 108 and an intermediate, annular-shaped disk 112,
while a second set of six cylindrical spacers 114 is fixed between
the intermediate disk 112 and an upwardly spaced, annular-shaped
upper disk 116. The spacers 110,114 and disks 112,116 are secured
in the illustrated configuration by bolts 118 threaded into the
plate 108. A relatively thin, circular cover 120 projects outwardly
from the support 100 just above the disk 116 to overlie the open
space defined between the support 100 and disk 116. This reduces
the risk of crop and debris accumulation between the support 100
and disk 116. For purposes which will subsequently be described, a
double-belt sheave 122 is secured to the upper end of the shaft
102, with removal of the sheave 122 from the shaft 102 being
prevented by a bolt and washer assembly 124 threadably coupled to
the upper end of the shaft 102.
The impeller cage 98 rotates about an axis defined by the upright
shaft 102, with the spacers 110,114 and disks 112, 116 moving
through a circular path as the shaft rotates. As perhaps best shown
in FIG. 5B, the intermediate impeller cage 98 has generally the
same height and overall diameter as the outer impeller cage 82.
However, as shown in FIG. 4B, the rotational axis of the
intermediate cage 98 is not located along the same transverse axis
as the rotational axes of the outer and inner cages 82 and 90, but
rather is spaced slightly behind such transverse axis. Accordingly,
the front boundary of the intermediate cage 98 is spaced rearwardly
from the front boundary of the outer cage 82, however forwardly
from the front boundary of the relatively smaller inner cage 90. As
will subsequently be described, the intermediate impeller cage 98
is driven in the same rotational direction as the outer and inner
cages 82,90.
It is believed that the illustrated arrangement of the cages
82,90,98 facilitates flow of crop materials cut outboard of the
left end of the discharge opening 52. In particular, crop material
engaged by the outer cage 82 is moved laterally inwardly across the
front of the header and then passed slightly rearwardly to the
intermediate cage 98. The intermediate cage 98 likewise conveys the
crop material inwardly across the front of the header and
rearwardly to the inner cage 90. The inner cage 90 in turn moves
the crop material inwardly across the front of the header and then
rearwardly to the discharge opening 52. Thus, the cages 82,98,90
cooperatively impart a rearwardly and inwardly directed converging
influence on the cut crop as a result of the lateral and
progressively rearward spacing of the cages. As previously noted,
the lifter 84 associated with the outer cutter 68a serves to lift
crop above the adjacent, inwardly spaced cutter 68b and into
engagement with the cages 82,98,90. This prevents crop cut by the
outer cutter 68a from being further shredded/comminuted by the
adjacent, inwardly spaced cutter 68b.
The right outward cutter section (see FIGS. 4A and 5A) is similarly
associated with an overhead conveying assembly for facilitating
movement of crop cut by the outboard section inwardly and
rearwardly to the discharge opening 52. The overhead conveying
assembly for the right outboard cutter section is similar in
construction to the overhead conveying assembly previously
described for the left outboard cutter section. Thus, it shall be
sufficient to explain that the right overhead conveying assembly
includes an impeller cage 126 fixed to the outer cutter 68j, with a
crop lifter 128 being positioned between the impeller cage 126 and
knife carrier of the cutter 68j for rotational movement therewith.
A relatively smaller impeller cage 130 is fixed to the adjacent,
inwardly spaced cutter 68j, along with an impeller plate 132. An
intermediate impeller cage 134 is suspended from the partition wall
60 between the outer and inner cages 126,130. The progressively
rearward spacing of the front boundaries of the impeller cages
126,134,130 is perhaps best shown i FIG. 6.
In the illustrated embodiment, driving power is provided to the
various driven components of the header 24 by a pair of hydraulic
motors 136 and 138. As perhaps best shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the
left motor 134 is supported on a gearbox 140 mounted to a front,
laterally extending plate (not shown) of the header framework 32,
while the right motor 138 is supported on a drive housing 142
similarly fastened to the front plate. The left outer cutter 68a is
drivingly connected to the motor 136 by a double U-joint assembly
144 contained in the impeller cage 82 and attached to the output
shaft 146 of the gearbox 140 within a sleeve 148 fixed to the
partition wall 58 (see FIG. 5B). It will be noted that the output
shaft 146 carries a double-belt sheave 150, with a pair of belts
152 entraining the sheaves 122,150 to drive the intermediate
impeller cage 98 in the same direction as the outer cutter 68a and
associated impeller cage 82. As shown in FIG. 5A, the right outer
cutter 68j is similarly connected to the motor 138 by a double
U-joint assembly 154 contained within the impeller cage 126 and
attached to the output shaft 156 of the drive housing 142 within a
sleeve 158 fixed to the partition wall 60. The output shaft 156
likewise carries a double-belt sheave 160 entrained by a pair of
belts 162. The belts 162 wrap around the driven sheave 164 fixed to
the intermediate impeller cage 134 so as to drive the cage 134 in
the same direction as the outer cutter 68j and the associated
impeller cage 126.
With the end cutters 68a and 68j being drivingly connected to the
remaining cutters 68b and 68i via the spur gears in the gear case
70, driving power is supplied to the entire cutter bed 66 by the
hydraulic motors 134,136. As shown in FIG. 1, the hydraulic motors
134 and 136 are connected to the hydraulic drive and control
circuit (not shown) of the mower/conditioner by respective conduits
166 and 168. In the usual manner, each conduit includes a supply
line and a return line. Preferably, the hydraulic motors 134,136
are fluidly intercommunicated so as to share the load of driving
the cutters 68a-68j. In addition, the preferred hydraulic drive and
control circuit is designed to drive the cutter bed 66 in such a
manner that the speed of the cutters 68a-68j remain substantially
constant even if the speed of the engine (not shown) driving the
hydraulic pump (also not shown) for the bed 66 lugs down such as
when heavy crop conditions are encountered. Such an arrangement is
disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,430,997, entitled HARVESTER WITH
HYDRAULICALLY DRIVEN, FLOW-COMPENSATED ROTARY CUTTER BED, issued
Jul. 11, 1995, assigned of record to the assignee of the present
invention, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein as is
necessary for a full and complete understanding of the present
invention.
As perhaps best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a pair of laterally
extending crop conditioning rolls 170 and 172 are rotatably mounted
on the supports 42 and 44 to span the discharge opening 52. In the
illustrated embodiment, the conditioning rolls 170,172 comprise
cylindrical metal bodies having intermeshing helical, metal ribs
extending along the length of the bodies, although other
conditioning roll designs (e.g., rubber-coated rolls) may be
utilized. The conditioning rolls 170,172 are arranged in a stacked
relationship for rotation about respective, vertically spaced
transverse axes, with the upper roll 170 being driven in a
counterclockwise direction and the lower roll 172 being driven in a
clockwise direction, as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 6. In
addition, the rolls 170,172 are yieldably biased toward one another
to prevent a bitting nip 174 therebetween that receives cut crop
from the cutter bed 66 and propels the same rearwardly toward the
windrow forming shields 46. The nip 174 is spaced upwardly and
rearwardly from the cutter bed 66. It may also be said that the nip
174 is spaced upwardly and rearwardly from the generally planar
cutting zone defined by the knives 74 of the rotary cutters
68a-68j.
An adjustable swath board 176 is swingably mounted between the side
plates 38,40 for permitting the operator to control the direction
of crop material discharged by the conditioning rolls 170,172. In
the illustrated orientation, the swath board 176 has a negligible
effect on crop flow from the conditioning rolls 170 and 172, such
that the crop is formed into a windrow by the forming shields 46.
However, if the swath board 176 is swung to a generally vertical
orientation (not shown), the conditioned crop is directed
immediately down to the ground without being guided by the forming
shields 46 so as to form a wide swath.
As shown in FIGS. 4B and 5B, a belt and sheave drive 178 is
connected between the horizontal output shaft (not shown) of the
gearbox 140 and a spur gear transmission (also not shown) contained
with an upright case 180. In the usual manner, the conditioning
rolls 170 and 172 are drivingly connected to the transmission by
respective drive shafts 182 and 184, each of which has U-joint
assemblies at opposite ends thereof. The illustrated drive shaft
182 for the upper conditioning roll 170 is actually connected to
the driven sheave (not shown) of the belt and sheave drive 178.
Accordingly, because the motors 136,138 share the load of powering
the header components, as previously noted, the conditioning rolls
170,172 are driven by both motors 136, 138.
As previously indicated, one problem often associated with
conventional mower/conditioner designs is impeded or uneven crop
flow from the cutter to the conditioning rolls. The present
invention specifically addresses this problem by providing
structure for ensuring smooth, even crop flow from the cutter bed
66 to the upwardly and rearwardly spaced nip 174 defined between
the conditioning rolls 170,172. In addition, the crop conditioning
rolls 170,172 have been moved rearwardly with respect to their
traditional location relative to the cutter, as will subsequently
be described.
Turning first to the crop conveying structure, the illustrated
embodiment includes a laterally extending, rotatable roller 186
located generally between the cutter bed 66 and the lower
conditioning roll 172. The illustrated conveying roller 186
comprises a tubular, cylindrically-shaped body 188 carried by a
pair of stub shafts 190 and 192 (see FIGS. 4A and 4B) projecting
from the ends of the body 188. As perhaps best shown in FIGS. 3 and
6, the conveying roller 186 includes four helical ribs 193, each
extending along the length of the body 188 and having opposite
inclination on either side of the midpoint of the roller 186. In
the illustrated embodiment, the body 188 and ribs 193 are formed of
metal, and the ribs 193 comprise cylindrical rods welded to the
body 188, although other suitable materials and means for attaching
the ribs 193 to the body 188 may be utilized. The ribs 193 enhance
the aggressiveness of the roller periphery to further influence
movement of crop material between the cutter bed 66 and the nip
174.
Similar to the conditioning rolls 170 and 172, the stub shafts 190
and 192 are journaled for rotational movement on the supports 42
and 44 by suitable bearing assemblies. Additionally, the conveying
roller is drivingly connected to the spur gear transmission housed
within the case 180 by a drive shaft 194 (see particularly FIG.
4B). The drive shaft includes U-joint assemblies 196 and 198 at its
opposite ends, with the outer U-joint assembly 196 being connected
to an output shaft (not shown) of the transmission housed within
the case 180, and the inner U-joint assembly 198 being connected to
the stub shaft 190. In this respect, the conveying roller 186 is
driven in a clockwise direction, when viewing FIG. 6, about a
rotational axis defined by the stub shafts 190,192. As perhaps best
shown in FIGS. 4A-4B and 6, guide plates 200 and 202 are secured to
the supports 40 and 42 to project rearwardly from the flanges 54
and 56, respectively. The guide plates 200 and 202 are located
generally between the conveying roller 186 and the upper
conditioning roll 170 and are spaced from the respective supports
40 and 42. The plates 200 and 202 guide crop rearwardly from the
cutter bed 66 to the conditioning rolls 170,172 and reduce the risk
of crop material and trash accumulation at the ends of the roll
186.
As perhaps best shown in FIG. 6, the conveying roller 186 presents
a diameter that is less than the diameter of each of the
conditioning rolls 170 and 172. In addition, the conveying roller
186 is located within the header 24 to span the discharge opening
52 between the cutter bed 66 and the lower conditioning roll 172.
That is to say, the conveying roller 186 has substantially the same
length as the conditioning rolls 170,172. The rotational axis of
the conveying roller 186 is spaced below the rotational axis of the
lower conditioning roll 172 and is generally vertically aligned
with the planar cutting zone defined by the knives 74. Thus, the
upper front quadrant of the conveying roller 186 presents an
upwardly and rearwardly moving surface extending between the cutter
bed 66 and the nip 174.
As shown in FIG. 7, crop material thrown rearwardly by the cutter
bed 66 first encounters the conveying roller 186, which in turn
lifts the crop material upwardly and rearwardly to the nip 174
defined between the conditioning rolls 170,172. In moving along the
path represented by the arrows 203, the crop material is not
required to turn sharp angles, but rather rises gently and
gradually from the cutter bed 66 to the nip 174. That is to say,
the relatively small and low conveying roller 186 "helps" the crop
material move up and through the conditioning rolls 170,172. It is
noted that a downwardly open area 204 (see FIGS. 3, 4A-4B, 6 and 7)
is defined between the cutter bed 66 and the conveying roller 186,
although a transverse pan (not shown) extending between the cutter
bed 66 and the conveying roller 186 may be placed in the area 204,
if desired. The open area 204 prevents crop material and debris
from accumulating between these two components and, in fact,
permits any trash and debris moving along the path 203 to drop from
the header 24. It will also be noted that the crop material
conveyed inwardly by the impeller cages 82,90,98 and 126,130,134
probably passes through the discharge opening 52 above the
conveying roller 186 and directly into contact with the upper
conditioning roll 170, although any such crop material engaging the
conveying roller 186 will be moved along the illustrated path
203.
The present invention eliminates the problem in the prior art of
impeded or uneven crop flow between the cutter bed and conditioning
rolls as illustrated in FIG. 8. A conventional mower/conditioner
header 300 is shown in FIG. 8 as including a pair of crop
conditioning rolls 302 and 304 located just behind the cutter bed
306. The illustrated prior art header 300 further includes a
slightly upwardly and rearwardly inclined baffle 308 between the
cutter bed 306 and conditioning rolls 302,304. The baffle 308 has a
tendency to collect crop material and debris thereon. In addition,
it is believed that the baffle 308 provides little, if any,
assistance to crop flow between the cutter bed 306 and the
conditioning rolls 302,304. It is also believed that crop material
moving from the cutter bed 306 through the conditioning rolls
302,304 must travel along the path represented by the arrows 310.
Thus, the crop material must turn virtually a ninety degree angle
to move up along the lower conditioning roll 304 and then turn
again rearwardly to pass through the conditioning rolls 302,304. In
this respect, the lower conditioning roll 304 is essentially an
obstruction to crop flow through the header 300, and any crop that
is "rejected" by the lower conditioning roll 304 is likely to be
thrown forwardly by the rotary cutters 312. Such a rejected path of
travel is represented by the arrows 314. Of course, any material
moving along the path 314 has a tendency to be recycled through the
header 300 and will consequently be overly shredded by the cutter
bed 306. In addition, crop material thrown forwardly along the path
314 is likely to knock over standing crop, which is detrimental to
the cutting action of the rotary cutters 312.
In contrasting FIGS. 7 and 8, it is apparent that the conditioning
rolls 170,172 have been moved rearwardly in the header 24 relative
to the cutter bed 66 in comparison to the location of the
conditioning rolls 302,304 in the prior art header 300. This not
only accommodates the conveying roller 186, but also provides a
funneling effect as the crop material moves through the discharge
opening 52 to the conditioning rolls 170,172. It is believed that
the funneling effect further facilitates crop flow through the
header 24.
It is also noted that the principles of the present invention are
equally applicable to various other structure for conveying crop
from the cutter bed 66 to the conditioning rolls 170,172. For
example, the header 24 may be provided with a rubber-coated roller
(not shown) having a textured outer surface that enhances the
feeding action of the roller. The conveying element may
alternatively be constructed in a manner similar to the illustrated
impeller cages, with a generally open configuration including a
plurality of longitudinally extending, spaced apart spacers located
about the periphery of the conveying element. It is also entirely
within the ambit of the present invention to utilize an endless
conveying element, such as a belt, having a stretch that moves
upwardly and rearwardly between the cutter bed 66 and the nip
174.
The operation of the machine should be apparent from the foregoing
description. Thus, it shall be sufficient to explain that the
cutter bed 66 serves crop the ground as the harvester 10 moves
across a field. The cut crop thrown rearwardly by the cutter bed 66
engages the upper front quadrant of the conveying roller 186 and is
thereby lifted gradually toward the nip 174 defined between the
conditioning rolls 170,172. The impeller cages 82,90,98 and
126,130,134 cooperatively converge crop material cut by the
outboard cutters 68a,68b and 68i,68j inwardly and rearwardly
through the discharge opening 52. Such converged crop is probably
directed to the upper conditioning roll 170, although any converged
crop engaging the conveying roller 186 will be moved along the path
203. Conditioned crop material is discharged rearwardly by the
rolls 170,172 and directed into a windrow or wide swath depending
upon the orientation of the swatch board 176.
The preferred forms of the invention described above are to be used
as illustration only, and should not be utilized in a limiting
sense in interpreting the scope of the present invention. Obvious
modifications to the exemplary embodiments, as hereinabove set
forth, could be readily made by those skilled in the art without
departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example,
the principles of the present invention are equally applicable to
other variously constructed crop cutting assemblies. If desired,
the cutting assembly may comprise a pair of large rotating discs
rather than the illustrated series of cutters. It is also not
necessary to drivingly connect the cutters to one another through a
common gear case, The cutters may also be independently supported
and driven.
The inventors hereby state their intent to rely on the Doctrine of
Equivalents to determine and assess the reasonably fair scope of
the present invention as pertains to any apparatus not materially
departing from but outside the literal scope of the invention as
set forth in the following claims.
* * * * *