CA2307176A1 - Header with flexible crop cutting knife - Google Patents
Header with flexible crop cutting knife Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- CA2307176A1 CA2307176A1 CA 2307176 CA2307176A CA2307176A1 CA 2307176 A1 CA2307176 A1 CA 2307176A1 CA 2307176 CA2307176 CA 2307176 CA 2307176 A CA2307176 A CA 2307176A CA 2307176 A1 CA2307176 A1 CA 2307176A1
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- cutter bar
- header
- reel
- main frame
- crop
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
- A01D—HARVESTING; MOWING
- A01D41/00—Combines, i.e. harvesters or mowers combined with threshing devices
- A01D41/12—Details of combines
- A01D41/14—Mowing tables
Landscapes
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Environmental Sciences (AREA)
- Harvester Elements (AREA)
Abstract
A crop harvesting header includes a frame having a main transverse beam and a plurality of support arms arranged at spaced positions across the width of the beam for supporting the table and a flexible cutter bar. The support arms include two outer rigid support arms arranged at outer ends of the beam for maintaining the ends of the cutter bar rigid and parallel to the beam. In addition, the support arms include four inner flexible support arms spaced between the outer support arms for supporting an intermediate portion of the cutter bar to allow flexible movement upwardly and downwardly of the cutter bar such that a center portion of the cutter bar between the ends of the cutter bar is free to move upwardly and downwardly in response to forces thereon. The flexible support arms float on a counterbalance arrangement. The header frame is floated to allow independent upward and downward movement of the ends which co-operates with a limited flexing of the cutter bar only over a distance of the order of four inches total movement to keep the cutter bar close to the ground. The reel is mounted on two outer arms and a center arm where the center arm is allowed to float in response to cutter bar movement to keep the fingers close to the knife.
Description
HEADER WITH FLEXIBLE CROP CUTTING KNIFE
This invention relates to header of a crop cutting apparatus such as a swather or a combine harvester which includes a flexible cutting knife.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A header for a crop harvesting machine generally comprises a main longitudinal support member in the form of an elongate tube which extends across substantially the full width of the header frame and defines a main structural member for the header frame. The tube carries a plurality of forwardly and downwardly extending support beams which include a first portion extending downwardly and a second portion attached to a lower end of the first portion and extending forwardly therefrom toward a forward end of the support beams. The cutter bar is attached to the forward end of the support beams and is thus held thereby in a position generally parallel to the main support tube.
Many headers are of a type in which the cutter bar is intended to be in a fixed rigid position relative to the main support tube so that the cutter bar is not intended to flex or float relative to the main structural tube in response to changes in ground contour.
This rigid type of header has the advantage that it allows more accurate control of the position of the fingers or bats of the reel relative to the cutter bar so as to more accurately control the crop as it is swept onto the cutter bar and the table rearwardly of the cutter bar.
In this rigid header type, therefore, the support beams extending forwardly from the main structural tube are substantially rigid and hold the cutter bar in fixed position.
Alternative types of header mount the cutter bar for floating or flexing movement relative to the main structural support tube. This type of header is used to provide an improved action in following the contour of the ground and is advantageous in some circumstances. This type of header however has the disadvantage that the flexing or floating of the cutter bar relative to the main support tube causes movement of the cutter bar relative to the bats or fingers of the reel so that it is no longer possible to maintain a close tolerance between the bats or fingers and the cutter bar.
Various manufacturers provide a flexing cutter bar structure for example the Soybean Header manufactured by Case IH under the serial No 820 or 1020.
Other types of header provide a cutter bar which is relatively rigid but can float upwardly and downwardly relative to the main structural support tube of the header. This type of header again is used to allow close floating action of the cutter bar on the ground surface and one example is shown in the "Dial-a-matic Header Height Control" available for various Deere and Company combine harvesters.
This floating action of a cutter bar however occurs relative to the main structural tube and therefore relative to the reel so that the cutter bar to reel co-operation cannot be optimized.
When cutting crops right at the ground it will be found that the cutter bar of larger headers needs to be somewhat flexible to follow the ground contour. It is known that rigid headers are conventionally flexibly mounted to the carry on machine, that is a swather tractor, combine harvester or pull type frame, and the header as one piece can generally follow the ground contour while the cutting knife remains rigid.
It is also known that headers of this type can be controlled so that they rotate around an axis at a centre of the header in response to sensors which detect ground height so as to maintain the sides of the header as close to the ground as possible.
When cutting above the ground a header of this type with a rigid knife structure is most effective because the rigid knife structure allows maximum cutting speed and thus an improved cutting action.
When cutting on the ground with larger headers, it is known to have a cutter bar which is mounted on the header so that it can flex or float across its width relative to the ground. Examples of such flexible cutter bars are shown in U.S.
Patents 4,665,685 (Rupprecht) issued May 19, 1987 and 4,875,331 (Ostrup) issued October 24, 1989. Both of these arrangements show a cutter bar which is mounted on a skid and thus skids across the ground and flexes across its whole width to accommodate changes in height of the ground.
One significant disadvantage of the conventional flexible cutter bar is that it requires a significantly reduced cutting speed since the reciprocation of the conventional sickle knife must be reduced in velocity to accommodate the curvature of the cutter blade which can occur when the whole of the cutter blade is flexible.
Conventionally a flexible cutter bar of this type can flex as much as eight inches in each direction to accommodate the changes in ground height which occur relative to the fixed part of the header frame which remains fixed and does not change relative to ground height.
A further disadvantage of a flexible cutter bar of this type is that it is necessary to set the reel at a height which accommodates the upward movement of the cutter bar which can occur. The reel fingers therefore must necessarily be spaced a significant distance from the cutter bar to avoid the possibility that the raised cutter bar interferes with the fingers and causes damage to either or both.
This increased distance between the fingers of the reel and the cutter bar can cause irregular or improper feed of the crop material over the cutter bar particularly in light crop conditions so that an accumulation of cut crop on the cutter bar can eventually halt further cutting action leaving a part of the crop uncut and thus unharvested.
The disadvantage of the rigid cutter bar design is that rather than floating over a small area like a ridge or gopher mound, the rigid header pushes dirt in front of the sickle knife which impedes cutting and allows dirt to enter the header with the crop.
Up till now, therefore, neither the rigid header arrangement with its improved cutter speed and accurate reel location is fully satisfactory nor is the flexible cutter bar design in view of the reduced cutter speed and the increased space between the reel fingers and the cutter bar.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is one object of the present invention to provide an improved header which allows flexible movement of the cutter bar but overcomes some or all of the above stated disadvantages.
According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a crop harvesting header comprising:
a main frame structure extending across a width of the header for movement in a direction generally at right angles to the width across ground including a crop to be harvested;
a mounting assembly for carrying the main frame structure on a propulsion vehicle, the mounting assembly being arranged to provide upward and downward movement of the main frame structure relative to the ground and including upward and downward movement of each end independently of the other end;
a crop receiving table carried on the main frame structure across the width of the header;
a flexible cutter bar across a front of the table carrying a cutter knife operable for cutting the crop as the header is moved forwardly across the ground for depositing the crop onto the table;
This invention relates to header of a crop cutting apparatus such as a swather or a combine harvester which includes a flexible cutting knife.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A header for a crop harvesting machine generally comprises a main longitudinal support member in the form of an elongate tube which extends across substantially the full width of the header frame and defines a main structural member for the header frame. The tube carries a plurality of forwardly and downwardly extending support beams which include a first portion extending downwardly and a second portion attached to a lower end of the first portion and extending forwardly therefrom toward a forward end of the support beams. The cutter bar is attached to the forward end of the support beams and is thus held thereby in a position generally parallel to the main support tube.
Many headers are of a type in which the cutter bar is intended to be in a fixed rigid position relative to the main support tube so that the cutter bar is not intended to flex or float relative to the main structural tube in response to changes in ground contour.
This rigid type of header has the advantage that it allows more accurate control of the position of the fingers or bats of the reel relative to the cutter bar so as to more accurately control the crop as it is swept onto the cutter bar and the table rearwardly of the cutter bar.
In this rigid header type, therefore, the support beams extending forwardly from the main structural tube are substantially rigid and hold the cutter bar in fixed position.
Alternative types of header mount the cutter bar for floating or flexing movement relative to the main structural support tube. This type of header is used to provide an improved action in following the contour of the ground and is advantageous in some circumstances. This type of header however has the disadvantage that the flexing or floating of the cutter bar relative to the main support tube causes movement of the cutter bar relative to the bats or fingers of the reel so that it is no longer possible to maintain a close tolerance between the bats or fingers and the cutter bar.
Various manufacturers provide a flexing cutter bar structure for example the Soybean Header manufactured by Case IH under the serial No 820 or 1020.
Other types of header provide a cutter bar which is relatively rigid but can float upwardly and downwardly relative to the main structural support tube of the header. This type of header again is used to allow close floating action of the cutter bar on the ground surface and one example is shown in the "Dial-a-matic Header Height Control" available for various Deere and Company combine harvesters.
This floating action of a cutter bar however occurs relative to the main structural tube and therefore relative to the reel so that the cutter bar to reel co-operation cannot be optimized.
When cutting crops right at the ground it will be found that the cutter bar of larger headers needs to be somewhat flexible to follow the ground contour. It is known that rigid headers are conventionally flexibly mounted to the carry on machine, that is a swather tractor, combine harvester or pull type frame, and the header as one piece can generally follow the ground contour while the cutting knife remains rigid.
It is also known that headers of this type can be controlled so that they rotate around an axis at a centre of the header in response to sensors which detect ground height so as to maintain the sides of the header as close to the ground as possible.
When cutting above the ground a header of this type with a rigid knife structure is most effective because the rigid knife structure allows maximum cutting speed and thus an improved cutting action.
When cutting on the ground with larger headers, it is known to have a cutter bar which is mounted on the header so that it can flex or float across its width relative to the ground. Examples of such flexible cutter bars are shown in U.S.
Patents 4,665,685 (Rupprecht) issued May 19, 1987 and 4,875,331 (Ostrup) issued October 24, 1989. Both of these arrangements show a cutter bar which is mounted on a skid and thus skids across the ground and flexes across its whole width to accommodate changes in height of the ground.
One significant disadvantage of the conventional flexible cutter bar is that it requires a significantly reduced cutting speed since the reciprocation of the conventional sickle knife must be reduced in velocity to accommodate the curvature of the cutter blade which can occur when the whole of the cutter blade is flexible.
Conventionally a flexible cutter bar of this type can flex as much as eight inches in each direction to accommodate the changes in ground height which occur relative to the fixed part of the header frame which remains fixed and does not change relative to ground height.
A further disadvantage of a flexible cutter bar of this type is that it is necessary to set the reel at a height which accommodates the upward movement of the cutter bar which can occur. The reel fingers therefore must necessarily be spaced a significant distance from the cutter bar to avoid the possibility that the raised cutter bar interferes with the fingers and causes damage to either or both.
This increased distance between the fingers of the reel and the cutter bar can cause irregular or improper feed of the crop material over the cutter bar particularly in light crop conditions so that an accumulation of cut crop on the cutter bar can eventually halt further cutting action leaving a part of the crop uncut and thus unharvested.
The disadvantage of the rigid cutter bar design is that rather than floating over a small area like a ridge or gopher mound, the rigid header pushes dirt in front of the sickle knife which impedes cutting and allows dirt to enter the header with the crop.
Up till now, therefore, neither the rigid header arrangement with its improved cutter speed and accurate reel location is fully satisfactory nor is the flexible cutter bar design in view of the reduced cutter speed and the increased space between the reel fingers and the cutter bar.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is one object of the present invention to provide an improved header which allows flexible movement of the cutter bar but overcomes some or all of the above stated disadvantages.
According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a crop harvesting header comprising:
a main frame structure extending across a width of the header for movement in a direction generally at right angles to the width across ground including a crop to be harvested;
a mounting assembly for carrying the main frame structure on a propulsion vehicle, the mounting assembly being arranged to provide upward and downward movement of the main frame structure relative to the ground and including upward and downward movement of each end independently of the other end;
a crop receiving table carried on the main frame structure across the width of the header;
a flexible cutter bar across a front of the table carrying a cutter knife operable for cutting the crop as the header is moved forwardly across the ground for depositing the crop onto the table;
5 the table including a crop transport system on the table for moving the cut crop toward a discharge location of the header;
a plurality of support arms arranged at spaced positions across the width of the main frame structure and each arm extending forwardly from the main frame structure underneath the table for supporting the table and the cutter bar;
the support arms including two outer support arms arranged at outer ends of the main support frame for supporting ends of the cutter bar;
the support arms including at least one inner support arm spaced between the outer support arms for supporting an intermediate portion of the cutter bar;
the outer support arms being fixed rigid members rigidly connected to the main frame structure and to the ends of the cutter bar so as to hold the ends of the cutter bar at a height determined by the main frame structure;
the at least one inner support arm being arranged to allow flexible movement upwardly and downwardly of a front portion thereof attached to the cutter bar such that a center portion of the cutter bar between the ends of the cutter bar is free to move upwardly and downwardly in response to forces thereon.
Preferably the support arm includes a float arrangement supporting at least a part of the weight applied to the front portion such that the cutter bar is free to float upwardly in response to force thereon less than the weight.
Preferably the float arrangement carries almost all of the weight of the cutter bar and the other elements at the front of the table so that the floating action requires little forces from engagement with the ground.
The float arrangement can be provided by springs within the table support arm or arms or by other arrangements know to one skilled in the art.
However in one particularly described arrangement herein, the float arrangement is provided by a counterbalance system in which the support arm includes a rear portion projecting forwardly from the main frame structure with the front portion mounted on the rear portion at a pivot for pivotal movement relative thereto about an axis across the width of the header such that upward and downward pivotal movement of the cutter bar is provided by said pivotal movement of the front portion and wherein the float arrangement is provided by a mounting arm carried on the mounting assembly and supporting the rear portion of the arm rearwardly of the pivot and providing a fulcrum supporting the front portion forwardly of the pivot, with the position of the fulcrum arranged to substantially balance the weight applied to the front portion forward of the fulcrum by the cutter bar relative to the weight applied from the rear portion to the front portion at the pivot such that the front portion floats about the fulcrum.
Preferably the mounting arm is pivotally connected to the rear portion at a rear end of the rear portion for pivotal movement about an axis across the width.
Preferably the mounting assembly includes the conventional forwardly extending lift arm which engages and applies lifting force to the mounting arm.
Preferably the distance of upward and downward movement from a straight line between the fixed ends of the cutter bar is limited by a mechanical linkage to a distance considerably less than that of conventional flexible cutter bars.
As set forth above, less movement relative to the main frame structure is required as the main frame is flexibly mounted to the propulsion vehicle allowing the ends of the header to follow the ground. The amount of movement is preferably less than a total of 5 inches and most preferably of the order of four inches.
Preferably the transport system of the table comprises a draper with a mounting rollers of the draper having a front end arranged such that weight therefrom is applied to the front portion of the at least one inner support arm.
However the flex system can also be used with auger type headers where the auger is mounted at the rear of the table and remains fixed to the fixed outer support arms. Thus the auger remains fixed and straight while the cutter knife and a forward bridging part of the table flex.
Preferably the transport system of the table comprises a pair of drapers each arranged to carry the cut crop to a central discharge location and wherein there is provided two inner support arms each arranged on a respective side of the central discharge opening.
Preferably there are four support arms at spaced positions between the end rigid arms.
Preferably the cutter bar includes a substantially rigid portion at each end, each rigid portion being rigidly attached to a respective one of the outer support arms such that the rigid portion is maintained at an orientation fixed by the main frame and the outer support arms and such that upward and downward movement of the cutter bar is limited to a portion of the cutter bar between the rigid end portions.
Preferably the knife comprises a sickle knife mounted for reciprocating movement longitudinally of the cutter bar and the knife drive for the sickle knife is rigidly mounted on one of the outer support arms for a single knife drive or on both of the outer support arms for a double knife drive and wherein the knife drive is rigidly mounted on the outer support arm such that the knife drive is fixed relative to the rigid end portion of the cutter bar.
In most embodiments, the header includes a reel having a reel hub mounted above the cutter bar for rotation about an axis across the width of the header such that fingers of the reel are arranged to sweep over the cutter bar as the reel rotates. The reel includes two end mounting arms each extending forwardly from the main frame structure to the hub at a respective end of the reel.
In wider headers such as those greater than 30 feet, the reel also includes preferably, together with the necessary two end mounting arms, at least one additional inner mounting arm extending forwardly from the main frame structure to the hub. In such arrangements, the embodiment preferably includes means for moving the reel hub upwardly and downwardly at the inner or center mounting arm in response to said upward and downward flexing movement of the cutter bar.
The smaller headers less than 30 feet could have the flexible cutter bar with limited vertical movement as set forth above. Because the ends of the cutter bar do not move relative to the frame, the reel can be located close to the cutter bar at the ends and spaced away from the cutter bar at the centre thus forming an hour glass shaped reel. The limited vertical cutter bar movement would allow the reel to be located substantially closer to the cutter bar than conventional flex headers.
The moving means for effecting the moving of the reel in response to the flexing of the cutter bar can be provided by many different arrangements including a mechanical linkage or optical detector which detects the changes in height of the cutter bar and operates a hydraulic cylinder or other linkage for mechanically raising the header at the center position. However, in a particularly simple arrangement which is preferred, the moving means comprises a simple strut between the cutter bar and the reel at a position spaced inwardly of the ends.
Preferably the strut is extendable to allow the reel to be raised away from the cutter bar.
Preferably the reel includes a central support arm and wherein there is provided a single link between the center of the cutter bar and the central support arm.
According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a crop harvesting header comprising:
a main frame structure extending across a width of the header for movement in a direction generally at right angles to the width across ground including a crop to be harvested;
a mounting assembly for carrying the main frame structure on a propulsion vehicle;
a crop receiving table carried on the main frame structure across the width of the header;
a flexible cutter bar across a front of the table carrying a cutter knife operable for cutting the crop as the header is moved forwardly across the ground for depositing the crop onto the table;
the table including a crop transport system on the table for moving the cut crop toward a discharge location of the header;
a plurality of support arms arranged at spaced positions across the width of the main frame structure and each arm extending forwardly from the main frame structure underneath the table for supporting the table and the cutter bar;
at least one of the support arms being arranged to allow flexible movement upwardly and downwardly of a front portion thereof attached to the cutter bar such that a center portion of the cutter bar between the ends of the cutter bar is free to move upwardly and downwardly in response to forces thereon;
wherein the at least one support arm includes a rear portion projecting forwardly from the main frame structure with the front portion mounted on the rear portion at a pivot for pivotal movement relative thereto about an axis across the width of the header such that upward and downward pivotal movement of the cutter bar is provided by said pivotal movement of the front portion and wherein the float arrangement is provided by a mounting arm carried on the mounting assembly and 5 supporting the rear portion of the arm rearwardly of the pivot and providing a fulcrum supporting the front portion forwardly of the pivot, with the position of the fulcrum arranged to substantially balance the weight applied to the front portion forward of the fulcrum by the cutter bar relative to the weight applied from the rear portion to the front portion at the pivot such that the front portion floats about the fulcrum.
10 According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a crop harvesting header comprising:
a main frame structure extending across a width of the header for movement in a direction generally at right angles to the width across ground including a crop to be harvested;
a mounting assembly for carrying the main frame structure on a propulsion vehicle;
a crop receiving table carried on the main frame structure across the width of the header;
a flexible cutter bar across a front of the table carrying a cutter knife operable for cutting the crop as the header is moved forwardly across the ground for depositing the crop onto the table;
the table including a crop transport system on the table for moving the cut crop toward a discharge location of the header;
a plurality of support arms arranged at spaced positions across the width of the main frame structure and each arm extending forwardly from the main frame structure underneath the table for supporting the table and the cutter bar;
at least one inner support arm being arranged to allow flexible movement upwardly and downwardly of a front portion thereof attached to the cutter bar such that at least a center portion of the cutter bar is free to move upwardly and downwardly in response to forces thereon;
a reel having a reel hub mounted above the cutter bar for rotation about an axis across the width of the header such that fingers of the reel are arranged to sweep over the cutter bar as the reel rotates, the reel including two end mounting arms and at least one inner mounting arm each extending forwardly from the main frame structure to the hub;
and means for moving the reel hub upwardly and downwardly at the inner mounting arm in response to said upward and downward flexing movement of the cutter bar.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
One embodiment of the invention will now be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a cross sectional view through a header according to the present invention showing the construction of one of the flexible table support arms.
Figure 2 is a cross sectional view similar to that of Figure 1 on a smaller scale and showing the reel.
Figure 3 is a cross sectional view similar to that of Figure 1 showing the flexing movement.
Figure 4 is a cross sectional view similar to that of Figure 1 showing the support structure for allowing a float action of the rigid header frame section on the support vehicle.
Figure 5 is an isometric view showing the header frame only of a header including the flexible arm of Figure 1.
Figure 6 is a transverse cross sectional view along of the flexible table support arm of Figure 1 taken along the lines 6-6 of Figure 4.
Figure 7 is a schematic front elevational view of a portion only of the header showing the connection between the centre reel support arm and the cutter bar.
Figure 8 is a front elevational view of a scrap of the header at the connection between the cutter bar and the fixed support arm In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
A header is shown in the figures and is arranged for attachment to a crop harvesting machine for cutting standing crop and for carrying the cut crop to a position on the header where the cut crop can be discharged either into the feeder house of a combine harvester or to the ground for forming a swath. The header may be of a type which can be converted for use with either a combine harvester or a swather tractor or may be dedicated to one or other of these functions.
As described hereinafter, the header includes a cutter bar which can be arranged so as to flex upwardly and downwardly over a limited distance so that the header can more closely follow the ground. Thus the header can be used to run directly over the ground surface for cutting substantially the whole of the standing crop. However, when the header is used for cutting the top part only of a standing crop, it may be desirable to lock the cutter bar straight. Where the header runs across the ground, the flexing action of the cutter bar will allow it to more closely follow the ground contour. In addition, the header is mounted for floating action so that each end of the header can be raised and lowered independently of the other to assist in the following of the ground contour.
The header generally indicated at 10 comprises a frame 11, a cutter bar 12 for cutting the standing crop, a pair of drapers 13 and 14 for carrying the cut crop to a central opening 15, and a reel structure 16 for sweeping the standing crop over the cutter bar 12 onto the drapers 13 and 14.
The frame 11 comprises a main beam 20 which extends the full width of the header from a first end 20A to a second end 20B. The beam includes a mounting assembly 21 by which it is attached to the harvesting vehicle. In the embodiment shown the mounting assembly 21 comprises a simple lug 21A for attachment to a link 22 of the transport vehicle.
The frame 11 further includes a plurality of table support arms 23A, 23B, 23C, 23D, 23E and 23F. These include two outer support arms 23A and 23F
arranged at the respective ends 20A and 20B of the beam 20. The support arms and 23F are generally triangular in shape so that they are rigid and are rigidly attached to the beam 20. Thus each of the outer arms 23A, 23F includes an inner sheet 24 having a top edge 25 and a rear edge 26 defining an upper apex at which the beam 20 is welded to the arm. The bottom edge 27 converges with the top edge to a forward apex 28 at the cutter bar. The end support arms are stiffened by top and bottom flanges which project outwardly. Thus the outer support arms are rigid and maintain their position at right angles to the beam 20 with the front apex 28 at a 20 predetermined angular position relative to the axis of the beam 20. The strength of the beam and the end support arms is arranged so that there is little or no flexing of the structures.
The frame further includes the inner table support arms 23B, 23C, 23D
and 23E. In narrower headers, the additional arms 23B and 23E may be omitted.
25 The innermost arms 23C and 23D are located each on a respective side of the central opening 15 arranged to co-operate with the feeder house of a combine harvester or arranged to allow discharge of the crop material. The drapers 13 and 14 are carried so that they extend from the respective end support arm to a position at the respective inner most support arm.
The drapers 13 and 14 include draper rollers 13 and a continuous draper canvas wrapped around the rollers with a canvas having a front edge 32 at the cutter bar 12 and a rear edge 33 underneath the beam 20. The details and construction of the drapers is well known to one skilled in the art.
The cutter bar 12 comprises a plate 34 which is bent to define a flange 35 on which a plurality of knife guards 36 is mounted at positions across the full extent of the cutter bar. The cutter bar extends rearwardly from the flange 35 to define a downturned inclined portion 37 and a rear generally horizontal portion 38 which attaches to the respective support arm. The cutter bar is formed so that it has sufficient ability to flex upwardly and downwardly to allow movement of a centre section of the cutter bar upwardly and downwardly by a distance of the order of 2 inches making a total amount of movement of the order of 4 inches. This amount of flexing can be tolerated in a continuous steel band without reaching the elastic limit so that there is no necessity for complex structures of the cutter bar.
However the structure may be modified by the provision of flexing joints if necessary.
The cutter bar includes a stiffening section at each end which is rigidly attached to the rigid end support arms. Thus the flange 38 as shown in Figure includes a stiffening portion 38A on its underside which is welded to the sheet 24 of the end support arm 23F at the bottom flange 24A.
Thus the end portions of the cutter bar are maintained at right angles to the sheet 24 and thus directly parallel to the axis of the main beam 20.
However the centre section of the cutter bar can flex upwardly and downwardly as indicated in the dash lines at 12A and 12B. At the end it will be noted that the dash lines lie substantially coincident with the cutter bar itself since there is substantially no flexing movements at the ends with the amount of flexing movement gradually increasing from zero at the ends to a maximum amount at the intermediate support arms with the amount of flexing being determined by a limited movement of each of the 5 support arms as described hereinafter.
Turning now to Figures 1 and 3, one of the inner support arms 23D is shown extending from the cutter bar to the beam 20. The support arm 23D
comprises a rear portion 40 which extends downwardly in a first section 41 and then forwardly in a second section 42 to a forward end 43. The rear portion 40 is formed 10 as a channel with a web section 44 and two rearwardly extending flanges 45, one of which is visible in Figures 1 and 3 and both of which are visible in Figure 5.
The web 45 thus defines a first substantially vertical section which extends downwardly to an apex 46. The web then forms a horizontal section 47 which extends from the apex to the forward end 43.
15 The arm further includes a front portion 48 which extends from a rear end 49 to a forward apex 50 which is welded to the flange 38. The front section 48 is again channel shaped with a top web 51 and two depending sides 52. The depending sides 52 reduce in height from the rear end 49 where they are substantially of a common height to the sides 45 of the rear portion toward the apex 50. A skid plate 53 is welded across the sides 52 at the forward part thereof so as to form the apex area 50 into a closed section of increased strength and for sliding over the ground behind the flange 38.
A pair of transverse pivot pins 54 interconnect the side walls 52 and 45 for pivotal movement about an axis 55 of the pins 54. Thus the pins are arranged at a slight overlap between the front and rear sections of the support arm and the pins are arranged adjacent the top web 47. Thus as shown in Figure 3, the forward portion can pivot upwardly and downwardly from a raised position indicated at 56 to a lowered position indicated at 57 about an intermediate or straight position between the two. The two extremes of movement are shown in Figure 3 and the distance D
therebetween is a total of approximately 4 inches so that the cutter bar moves upwardly from its initial straight position by a distance of 2 inches and moves downwardly also by a distance of two inches. This amount of movement is controlled by a pin 58 carried on the side walls 45 and projecting through a slot 59 in the side walls 52. The pin 58 can be clamped in position to lock the arm against flexing movement thus holding the cutter bar straight.
This arrangement is shown in cross section in Figure 6 where it will be noted that the channel forming the front portion 48 is arranged outside the channel forming the bottom of the rear portion 40 and spaced therefrom sufficiently to allow the pivotal action set forth above.
Thus each of the inner support arms can allow this pivotal movement of the cutter bar upwardly and downwardly by the limited movement defined by the pivot pin 54 and the limit pin 58. The pivotal movement is accommodated by slight twisting of the draper 14 and by lifting of the draper rollers. A guide plate 60 extends from the cutter bar upwardly and rearwardly over the top of the front edge of the draper and this guide plate also moves upwardly and downwardly with the cutter bar and therefore remains in its position relative to the draper.
The rear edge of the draper is covered by a cover plate 61 which forms part of a rear plate 62 of the header mounted across the header in front of the web portions 44 of the support arms. The cover sheet 62 is fastened at a top fastener 63 and depends downwardly to a bottom edge 64 lying on top of the rear portion of the arm at the web 47. The sheet acts as a hanger for the rear end of the draper roller.
The pivotal action of the front portion of the inner support arms is supported to allow a floating action of the cutter bar thus acting to carry the majority of the weight of the cutter bar and the forward portion of the arms so that little force is required to lift the cutter bar from its normal straight position and the cutter bar can droop to the ground level should the ground level fall away from the cutter bar.
The floating action can be provided by springs within the support arm in an arrangement which will be apparent to one skilled in the art.
However in order to avoid the provision of springs in an area where they may become contaminated by soil of other debris, the device as shown uses a counter balance arrangement for providing the float action. The counter balance arrangement is shown in Figures 4 and 6. For convenience of illustration the counter balance arrangement is omitted from the remaining figures.
The counter balance arrangements comprises a beam 70 which is formed as a channel within the bottom channel of the rear portion of the arm.
The channel 70 has a web 71 just underneath the web 47. The beam 70 is pivotally mounted relative to the rear portion of the support arm on a pin 72 at the rear end of the beam and located at the apex 46. The beam extends forwardly from the pivot through the intersection between the front and rear portions of the arm at the pivot pins 54 to a forward end 73 spaced forwardly of the pivot pins 54 and within the front portion 48. The top web 71 of the beam 70 carries a second pivot 75 which projects upwardly from the top web 71 into abutment with the web 51 of the front portion 48 at a position spaced forwardly of the pivot pins 54 and the corresponding pivot axis 55. The pivot 75 is provided by an abutment on one of the webs 51 and 71 so as to provide a fulcrum which allows a pivoting action on top of the beam 70 by the front portion 48.
The beam 70 is supported by one of a pair of spring arms 76 forming the coupling of the header to the transport vehicle. Thus the transport vehicle comprises a support structure 77 which can be the front of the feeder house of a combine harvester or can be a suitable strut on a swather structure and that structure 77 carries the link 22 previously described at the centre of the header and the pair of lift arms 76.
In the embodiment shown the lift arms are formed as leaf springs but other arrangements are well known in the industry which provide lifting support to the header at the inner support arms 23C and 23D. The leaf springs are the simplest arrangement and are therefore shown for convenience but other arrangements include rigid arms mounted on suitable tension springs. Yet further, other arrangements can include rigid arms which are actuated by a hydraulic lift system so that instead of floating on a simple spring arrangement, the header can be raised and lowered by operation of a hydraulic cylinder.
The leaf spring 76 as shown extends to a position forward of the pivot 72 so that in combination with the link 22 the leaf spring 76 act to lift or support the header in movement across the ground. The fulcrum 75 provides a counter balance for the front portion of the arm. Thus the weight of the header is applied through the pivot pins 54 onto the rear end of the front portion 48 and the weight of the cutter bar and the forward end of the support arms including the forward end of the drapers is carried at the cutter bar forwardly of the fulcrum 75. The header is of course significantly heavier in weight than the forward parts carried on the cutter bar and therefore the fulcrum is located closely adjacent the pins 54. However the location of the fulcrum 75 is selected so that the weight is closely balanced thus carrying the weight at the cutter bar in a balanced condition on the fulcrum 75 allowing a small force from contact with the ground to raise the cutter bar and allowing the cutter bar to droop in the event that it is not supported by the ground. Thus the pivotal action of the front portion occurs about the pins 54 but the fulcrum 75 provides a lifting action on the front portion of the arms with sufficient force to balance the weight of the cutter bar and its associated elements.
The three point lifting action of the harvesting vehicle on the header provided by the link 22 and the springs 76 allows the header to float so that its weight is carried substantially wholly on the springs 76 thus allowing it to drop into contact with the ground slightly under its own weight but to be lifted upwardly on engagement with the ground in a floating action. The three point arrangement also allows each end to independently float upwardly so that the ground contour changes so that one end is higher than the other, the engagement of the ground of that end of the header acts to lift that end of the header while the other end of the header drops.
This floating action of the whole of the header together with the slight flexing action of the center part of the cutter bar allows the cutter bar to closely follow the ground, even though the amount of movement of the cutter bar is relatively small as described before.
The cutter bar 12 carrying the knife guards 36 locates a sickle knife 80 of conventional construction including an elongate knife bar and a plurality of knife elements all of which are known to one skilled in the art. The knife bar is driven in reciprocating action by a sickle knife drive assembly 81 carried on the end support arm. In some headers there is provided only a single sickle knife drive mounted on one of the fixed support arms. In other headers to provide a more balanced action and to reduce loads on the knife bar and on the drive, the knife is divided in two halves each driven from a respective end so that there are two drives 81 and 82 on the respective end support arms. The construction of the drive assembly is well known to one skilled in the art and therefore will not be explained in detail herein.
The drive assembly is however mounted rigidly on the support arm so that it is fixed at the sheet 24 as shown in Figure 8.
The fact that the cutter bar 38 is maintained directly at right angles to the end sheet 24 and also the knife bar drive assembly 81 is also mounted directly and rigidly on the end sheet 24 allows the knife bar drive assembly to operate at the conventional high speed which is used on rigid type headers. There is no need for 5 any flexing or hinging of the construction and the knife bar simply moves in a straight line directly away from and toward the drive assembly 81. Furthermore the drive assembly 81 can be driven by a pulley 82 which remains in a plane parallel to the sheet 24 and therefore again there is no twisting of the drive connection from a drive assembly at the beam 20 through to the knife bar itself since all of these 10 components remain in their fixed orientation without twisting or flexing.
The only flexing action therefore occurs at a position spaced inwardly from the end support arms and this can be accommodated by the flexing of the cutter bar as previously described and the flexing of the knife bar while the knife bar is properly guided within the knife guards so that the whole of the knife structure can operate at the 15 conventional high speeds attainable by rigid type headers.
Turning now to Figures 2 and 7, the reel 16 comprises a reel hub 90 carried on arms 91 extending from the beam 20. The reel hub 90 carries a plurality of reel fingers 92 which sweep over the knife to carry the crop during the cutting action over the knife and onto the table. The construction of the reel is generally 20 conventional and therefore the details of the reel will not be described herein as they are well known to one skilled in the art. Various arrangements for the construction and drive of the reel fingers are available and the present invention is not limited to specific types of reel or specific types of reel fingers.
In narrower width headers, the reel is simply mounted on two reel arms each at a respective end of the beam and each at a height which can be fixed relative to the ends of the knife so that the distance of the reel fingers from the knife is determined at the ends. In such narrower width headers therefore, the flexing of the cutter bar acts to slightly change the distance between the reel fingers and the knife at the centre section of the cutter bar.
However in wider width headers it is desirable also to adjust the height of the reel to accommodate and compensate for the flexing of the cutter bar as described herein before. In such an arrangement, therefore, the reel is carried on two end arms, (not shown) together with a centre arm 91 which is carried on a pivot pin 92 on the beam 20. The beam 20 further includes a forwardly extending bracket 94 connected to a hydraulic cylinder 95 which raises and lowers the arm. All three arms can therefore be raised to lift the reel away from the knife when the reel is not required. In addition the central arm only can float upwardly and downwardly by a distance substantially equal to the flexing movement of the knife to allow the center part of the hub to move upwardly and downwardly. This movement is provided with a floating action by a floatation spring 96. The reel lift cylinder is attached to the reel support arm through a spring loaded bell crank 95A. Normally the cylinder would act directly onto the arm. The bell crank can pivot on a pin through the reel support arm by the force of the spring. It would be simpler to put a compression spring on the end of the cylinder. However, because the spring force is proportional to the spring deflection, the spring force on the cylinder would change as the reel is floated. The bell crank is arranged to increase the moment arm for the spring as the spring relaxes, thus exerting a substantially constant moment on the bell crank, and therefore a constant force on the cylinder. The reel can then be floated with a constant force.
The hub at the centre arm is then moved upwardly and downwardly in response to the movement of the cutter bar. This is achieved in a simple technique by providing a strut 97 which is connected at its lower end to the cutter bar and is connected at its upper end to the floating center arm 91. Thus the movement of the cutter bar is directly followed by the movement of the centre arm of the reel simply by pulling and pushing on the strut 97. As the majority of the weight of the reel is carried on the floating system provided by the spring 96, the movement of the cutter bar is not inhibited by this additional necessary movement of the reel. The weight of the reel therefore is carried and it is only necessary to overcome the inertia of the reel to effect the floating action of the cutter bar.
The control of the height of the reel therefore relative to the cutter bar maintains the fingers of the reel at the required location or height relative to the knife to provide the best finger action. It will be appreciated that in the absence of this floating action it is necessary to set the fingers relative to the highest point of the cutter bar rather than the normal height of the cutter bar since it is not acceptable to allow the fingers to engage into the knife with consequential damage to both components.
The floating action set forth above provides the simplest connection to hold the reel at the required height. However alternative techniques are available in which the position or height of the cutter bar is measured by mechanical linkage or by optical techniques and the position of the centre arm of the reel is adjusted by actuating the cylinder 95 to effect controlled movement of the height of the reel in dependence upon the measured height of the cutter bar.
Since various modifications can be made in my invention as herein above described, and many apparently widely different embodiments of same made within the spirit and scope of the claims without departing from such spirit and scope, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.
a plurality of support arms arranged at spaced positions across the width of the main frame structure and each arm extending forwardly from the main frame structure underneath the table for supporting the table and the cutter bar;
the support arms including two outer support arms arranged at outer ends of the main support frame for supporting ends of the cutter bar;
the support arms including at least one inner support arm spaced between the outer support arms for supporting an intermediate portion of the cutter bar;
the outer support arms being fixed rigid members rigidly connected to the main frame structure and to the ends of the cutter bar so as to hold the ends of the cutter bar at a height determined by the main frame structure;
the at least one inner support arm being arranged to allow flexible movement upwardly and downwardly of a front portion thereof attached to the cutter bar such that a center portion of the cutter bar between the ends of the cutter bar is free to move upwardly and downwardly in response to forces thereon.
Preferably the support arm includes a float arrangement supporting at least a part of the weight applied to the front portion such that the cutter bar is free to float upwardly in response to force thereon less than the weight.
Preferably the float arrangement carries almost all of the weight of the cutter bar and the other elements at the front of the table so that the floating action requires little forces from engagement with the ground.
The float arrangement can be provided by springs within the table support arm or arms or by other arrangements know to one skilled in the art.
However in one particularly described arrangement herein, the float arrangement is provided by a counterbalance system in which the support arm includes a rear portion projecting forwardly from the main frame structure with the front portion mounted on the rear portion at a pivot for pivotal movement relative thereto about an axis across the width of the header such that upward and downward pivotal movement of the cutter bar is provided by said pivotal movement of the front portion and wherein the float arrangement is provided by a mounting arm carried on the mounting assembly and supporting the rear portion of the arm rearwardly of the pivot and providing a fulcrum supporting the front portion forwardly of the pivot, with the position of the fulcrum arranged to substantially balance the weight applied to the front portion forward of the fulcrum by the cutter bar relative to the weight applied from the rear portion to the front portion at the pivot such that the front portion floats about the fulcrum.
Preferably the mounting arm is pivotally connected to the rear portion at a rear end of the rear portion for pivotal movement about an axis across the width.
Preferably the mounting assembly includes the conventional forwardly extending lift arm which engages and applies lifting force to the mounting arm.
Preferably the distance of upward and downward movement from a straight line between the fixed ends of the cutter bar is limited by a mechanical linkage to a distance considerably less than that of conventional flexible cutter bars.
As set forth above, less movement relative to the main frame structure is required as the main frame is flexibly mounted to the propulsion vehicle allowing the ends of the header to follow the ground. The amount of movement is preferably less than a total of 5 inches and most preferably of the order of four inches.
Preferably the transport system of the table comprises a draper with a mounting rollers of the draper having a front end arranged such that weight therefrom is applied to the front portion of the at least one inner support arm.
However the flex system can also be used with auger type headers where the auger is mounted at the rear of the table and remains fixed to the fixed outer support arms. Thus the auger remains fixed and straight while the cutter knife and a forward bridging part of the table flex.
Preferably the transport system of the table comprises a pair of drapers each arranged to carry the cut crop to a central discharge location and wherein there is provided two inner support arms each arranged on a respective side of the central discharge opening.
Preferably there are four support arms at spaced positions between the end rigid arms.
Preferably the cutter bar includes a substantially rigid portion at each end, each rigid portion being rigidly attached to a respective one of the outer support arms such that the rigid portion is maintained at an orientation fixed by the main frame and the outer support arms and such that upward and downward movement of the cutter bar is limited to a portion of the cutter bar between the rigid end portions.
Preferably the knife comprises a sickle knife mounted for reciprocating movement longitudinally of the cutter bar and the knife drive for the sickle knife is rigidly mounted on one of the outer support arms for a single knife drive or on both of the outer support arms for a double knife drive and wherein the knife drive is rigidly mounted on the outer support arm such that the knife drive is fixed relative to the rigid end portion of the cutter bar.
In most embodiments, the header includes a reel having a reel hub mounted above the cutter bar for rotation about an axis across the width of the header such that fingers of the reel are arranged to sweep over the cutter bar as the reel rotates. The reel includes two end mounting arms each extending forwardly from the main frame structure to the hub at a respective end of the reel.
In wider headers such as those greater than 30 feet, the reel also includes preferably, together with the necessary two end mounting arms, at least one additional inner mounting arm extending forwardly from the main frame structure to the hub. In such arrangements, the embodiment preferably includes means for moving the reel hub upwardly and downwardly at the inner or center mounting arm in response to said upward and downward flexing movement of the cutter bar.
The smaller headers less than 30 feet could have the flexible cutter bar with limited vertical movement as set forth above. Because the ends of the cutter bar do not move relative to the frame, the reel can be located close to the cutter bar at the ends and spaced away from the cutter bar at the centre thus forming an hour glass shaped reel. The limited vertical cutter bar movement would allow the reel to be located substantially closer to the cutter bar than conventional flex headers.
The moving means for effecting the moving of the reel in response to the flexing of the cutter bar can be provided by many different arrangements including a mechanical linkage or optical detector which detects the changes in height of the cutter bar and operates a hydraulic cylinder or other linkage for mechanically raising the header at the center position. However, in a particularly simple arrangement which is preferred, the moving means comprises a simple strut between the cutter bar and the reel at a position spaced inwardly of the ends.
Preferably the strut is extendable to allow the reel to be raised away from the cutter bar.
Preferably the reel includes a central support arm and wherein there is provided a single link between the center of the cutter bar and the central support arm.
According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a crop harvesting header comprising:
a main frame structure extending across a width of the header for movement in a direction generally at right angles to the width across ground including a crop to be harvested;
a mounting assembly for carrying the main frame structure on a propulsion vehicle;
a crop receiving table carried on the main frame structure across the width of the header;
a flexible cutter bar across a front of the table carrying a cutter knife operable for cutting the crop as the header is moved forwardly across the ground for depositing the crop onto the table;
the table including a crop transport system on the table for moving the cut crop toward a discharge location of the header;
a plurality of support arms arranged at spaced positions across the width of the main frame structure and each arm extending forwardly from the main frame structure underneath the table for supporting the table and the cutter bar;
at least one of the support arms being arranged to allow flexible movement upwardly and downwardly of a front portion thereof attached to the cutter bar such that a center portion of the cutter bar between the ends of the cutter bar is free to move upwardly and downwardly in response to forces thereon;
wherein the at least one support arm includes a rear portion projecting forwardly from the main frame structure with the front portion mounted on the rear portion at a pivot for pivotal movement relative thereto about an axis across the width of the header such that upward and downward pivotal movement of the cutter bar is provided by said pivotal movement of the front portion and wherein the float arrangement is provided by a mounting arm carried on the mounting assembly and 5 supporting the rear portion of the arm rearwardly of the pivot and providing a fulcrum supporting the front portion forwardly of the pivot, with the position of the fulcrum arranged to substantially balance the weight applied to the front portion forward of the fulcrum by the cutter bar relative to the weight applied from the rear portion to the front portion at the pivot such that the front portion floats about the fulcrum.
10 According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a crop harvesting header comprising:
a main frame structure extending across a width of the header for movement in a direction generally at right angles to the width across ground including a crop to be harvested;
a mounting assembly for carrying the main frame structure on a propulsion vehicle;
a crop receiving table carried on the main frame structure across the width of the header;
a flexible cutter bar across a front of the table carrying a cutter knife operable for cutting the crop as the header is moved forwardly across the ground for depositing the crop onto the table;
the table including a crop transport system on the table for moving the cut crop toward a discharge location of the header;
a plurality of support arms arranged at spaced positions across the width of the main frame structure and each arm extending forwardly from the main frame structure underneath the table for supporting the table and the cutter bar;
at least one inner support arm being arranged to allow flexible movement upwardly and downwardly of a front portion thereof attached to the cutter bar such that at least a center portion of the cutter bar is free to move upwardly and downwardly in response to forces thereon;
a reel having a reel hub mounted above the cutter bar for rotation about an axis across the width of the header such that fingers of the reel are arranged to sweep over the cutter bar as the reel rotates, the reel including two end mounting arms and at least one inner mounting arm each extending forwardly from the main frame structure to the hub;
and means for moving the reel hub upwardly and downwardly at the inner mounting arm in response to said upward and downward flexing movement of the cutter bar.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
One embodiment of the invention will now be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a cross sectional view through a header according to the present invention showing the construction of one of the flexible table support arms.
Figure 2 is a cross sectional view similar to that of Figure 1 on a smaller scale and showing the reel.
Figure 3 is a cross sectional view similar to that of Figure 1 showing the flexing movement.
Figure 4 is a cross sectional view similar to that of Figure 1 showing the support structure for allowing a float action of the rigid header frame section on the support vehicle.
Figure 5 is an isometric view showing the header frame only of a header including the flexible arm of Figure 1.
Figure 6 is a transverse cross sectional view along of the flexible table support arm of Figure 1 taken along the lines 6-6 of Figure 4.
Figure 7 is a schematic front elevational view of a portion only of the header showing the connection between the centre reel support arm and the cutter bar.
Figure 8 is a front elevational view of a scrap of the header at the connection between the cutter bar and the fixed support arm In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
A header is shown in the figures and is arranged for attachment to a crop harvesting machine for cutting standing crop and for carrying the cut crop to a position on the header where the cut crop can be discharged either into the feeder house of a combine harvester or to the ground for forming a swath. The header may be of a type which can be converted for use with either a combine harvester or a swather tractor or may be dedicated to one or other of these functions.
As described hereinafter, the header includes a cutter bar which can be arranged so as to flex upwardly and downwardly over a limited distance so that the header can more closely follow the ground. Thus the header can be used to run directly over the ground surface for cutting substantially the whole of the standing crop. However, when the header is used for cutting the top part only of a standing crop, it may be desirable to lock the cutter bar straight. Where the header runs across the ground, the flexing action of the cutter bar will allow it to more closely follow the ground contour. In addition, the header is mounted for floating action so that each end of the header can be raised and lowered independently of the other to assist in the following of the ground contour.
The header generally indicated at 10 comprises a frame 11, a cutter bar 12 for cutting the standing crop, a pair of drapers 13 and 14 for carrying the cut crop to a central opening 15, and a reel structure 16 for sweeping the standing crop over the cutter bar 12 onto the drapers 13 and 14.
The frame 11 comprises a main beam 20 which extends the full width of the header from a first end 20A to a second end 20B. The beam includes a mounting assembly 21 by which it is attached to the harvesting vehicle. In the embodiment shown the mounting assembly 21 comprises a simple lug 21A for attachment to a link 22 of the transport vehicle.
The frame 11 further includes a plurality of table support arms 23A, 23B, 23C, 23D, 23E and 23F. These include two outer support arms 23A and 23F
arranged at the respective ends 20A and 20B of the beam 20. The support arms and 23F are generally triangular in shape so that they are rigid and are rigidly attached to the beam 20. Thus each of the outer arms 23A, 23F includes an inner sheet 24 having a top edge 25 and a rear edge 26 defining an upper apex at which the beam 20 is welded to the arm. The bottom edge 27 converges with the top edge to a forward apex 28 at the cutter bar. The end support arms are stiffened by top and bottom flanges which project outwardly. Thus the outer support arms are rigid and maintain their position at right angles to the beam 20 with the front apex 28 at a 20 predetermined angular position relative to the axis of the beam 20. The strength of the beam and the end support arms is arranged so that there is little or no flexing of the structures.
The frame further includes the inner table support arms 23B, 23C, 23D
and 23E. In narrower headers, the additional arms 23B and 23E may be omitted.
25 The innermost arms 23C and 23D are located each on a respective side of the central opening 15 arranged to co-operate with the feeder house of a combine harvester or arranged to allow discharge of the crop material. The drapers 13 and 14 are carried so that they extend from the respective end support arm to a position at the respective inner most support arm.
The drapers 13 and 14 include draper rollers 13 and a continuous draper canvas wrapped around the rollers with a canvas having a front edge 32 at the cutter bar 12 and a rear edge 33 underneath the beam 20. The details and construction of the drapers is well known to one skilled in the art.
The cutter bar 12 comprises a plate 34 which is bent to define a flange 35 on which a plurality of knife guards 36 is mounted at positions across the full extent of the cutter bar. The cutter bar extends rearwardly from the flange 35 to define a downturned inclined portion 37 and a rear generally horizontal portion 38 which attaches to the respective support arm. The cutter bar is formed so that it has sufficient ability to flex upwardly and downwardly to allow movement of a centre section of the cutter bar upwardly and downwardly by a distance of the order of 2 inches making a total amount of movement of the order of 4 inches. This amount of flexing can be tolerated in a continuous steel band without reaching the elastic limit so that there is no necessity for complex structures of the cutter bar.
However the structure may be modified by the provision of flexing joints if necessary.
The cutter bar includes a stiffening section at each end which is rigidly attached to the rigid end support arms. Thus the flange 38 as shown in Figure includes a stiffening portion 38A on its underside which is welded to the sheet 24 of the end support arm 23F at the bottom flange 24A.
Thus the end portions of the cutter bar are maintained at right angles to the sheet 24 and thus directly parallel to the axis of the main beam 20.
However the centre section of the cutter bar can flex upwardly and downwardly as indicated in the dash lines at 12A and 12B. At the end it will be noted that the dash lines lie substantially coincident with the cutter bar itself since there is substantially no flexing movements at the ends with the amount of flexing movement gradually increasing from zero at the ends to a maximum amount at the intermediate support arms with the amount of flexing being determined by a limited movement of each of the 5 support arms as described hereinafter.
Turning now to Figures 1 and 3, one of the inner support arms 23D is shown extending from the cutter bar to the beam 20. The support arm 23D
comprises a rear portion 40 which extends downwardly in a first section 41 and then forwardly in a second section 42 to a forward end 43. The rear portion 40 is formed 10 as a channel with a web section 44 and two rearwardly extending flanges 45, one of which is visible in Figures 1 and 3 and both of which are visible in Figure 5.
The web 45 thus defines a first substantially vertical section which extends downwardly to an apex 46. The web then forms a horizontal section 47 which extends from the apex to the forward end 43.
15 The arm further includes a front portion 48 which extends from a rear end 49 to a forward apex 50 which is welded to the flange 38. The front section 48 is again channel shaped with a top web 51 and two depending sides 52. The depending sides 52 reduce in height from the rear end 49 where they are substantially of a common height to the sides 45 of the rear portion toward the apex 50. A skid plate 53 is welded across the sides 52 at the forward part thereof so as to form the apex area 50 into a closed section of increased strength and for sliding over the ground behind the flange 38.
A pair of transverse pivot pins 54 interconnect the side walls 52 and 45 for pivotal movement about an axis 55 of the pins 54. Thus the pins are arranged at a slight overlap between the front and rear sections of the support arm and the pins are arranged adjacent the top web 47. Thus as shown in Figure 3, the forward portion can pivot upwardly and downwardly from a raised position indicated at 56 to a lowered position indicated at 57 about an intermediate or straight position between the two. The two extremes of movement are shown in Figure 3 and the distance D
therebetween is a total of approximately 4 inches so that the cutter bar moves upwardly from its initial straight position by a distance of 2 inches and moves downwardly also by a distance of two inches. This amount of movement is controlled by a pin 58 carried on the side walls 45 and projecting through a slot 59 in the side walls 52. The pin 58 can be clamped in position to lock the arm against flexing movement thus holding the cutter bar straight.
This arrangement is shown in cross section in Figure 6 where it will be noted that the channel forming the front portion 48 is arranged outside the channel forming the bottom of the rear portion 40 and spaced therefrom sufficiently to allow the pivotal action set forth above.
Thus each of the inner support arms can allow this pivotal movement of the cutter bar upwardly and downwardly by the limited movement defined by the pivot pin 54 and the limit pin 58. The pivotal movement is accommodated by slight twisting of the draper 14 and by lifting of the draper rollers. A guide plate 60 extends from the cutter bar upwardly and rearwardly over the top of the front edge of the draper and this guide plate also moves upwardly and downwardly with the cutter bar and therefore remains in its position relative to the draper.
The rear edge of the draper is covered by a cover plate 61 which forms part of a rear plate 62 of the header mounted across the header in front of the web portions 44 of the support arms. The cover sheet 62 is fastened at a top fastener 63 and depends downwardly to a bottom edge 64 lying on top of the rear portion of the arm at the web 47. The sheet acts as a hanger for the rear end of the draper roller.
The pivotal action of the front portion of the inner support arms is supported to allow a floating action of the cutter bar thus acting to carry the majority of the weight of the cutter bar and the forward portion of the arms so that little force is required to lift the cutter bar from its normal straight position and the cutter bar can droop to the ground level should the ground level fall away from the cutter bar.
The floating action can be provided by springs within the support arm in an arrangement which will be apparent to one skilled in the art.
However in order to avoid the provision of springs in an area where they may become contaminated by soil of other debris, the device as shown uses a counter balance arrangement for providing the float action. The counter balance arrangement is shown in Figures 4 and 6. For convenience of illustration the counter balance arrangement is omitted from the remaining figures.
The counter balance arrangements comprises a beam 70 which is formed as a channel within the bottom channel of the rear portion of the arm.
The channel 70 has a web 71 just underneath the web 47. The beam 70 is pivotally mounted relative to the rear portion of the support arm on a pin 72 at the rear end of the beam and located at the apex 46. The beam extends forwardly from the pivot through the intersection between the front and rear portions of the arm at the pivot pins 54 to a forward end 73 spaced forwardly of the pivot pins 54 and within the front portion 48. The top web 71 of the beam 70 carries a second pivot 75 which projects upwardly from the top web 71 into abutment with the web 51 of the front portion 48 at a position spaced forwardly of the pivot pins 54 and the corresponding pivot axis 55. The pivot 75 is provided by an abutment on one of the webs 51 and 71 so as to provide a fulcrum which allows a pivoting action on top of the beam 70 by the front portion 48.
The beam 70 is supported by one of a pair of spring arms 76 forming the coupling of the header to the transport vehicle. Thus the transport vehicle comprises a support structure 77 which can be the front of the feeder house of a combine harvester or can be a suitable strut on a swather structure and that structure 77 carries the link 22 previously described at the centre of the header and the pair of lift arms 76.
In the embodiment shown the lift arms are formed as leaf springs but other arrangements are well known in the industry which provide lifting support to the header at the inner support arms 23C and 23D. The leaf springs are the simplest arrangement and are therefore shown for convenience but other arrangements include rigid arms mounted on suitable tension springs. Yet further, other arrangements can include rigid arms which are actuated by a hydraulic lift system so that instead of floating on a simple spring arrangement, the header can be raised and lowered by operation of a hydraulic cylinder.
The leaf spring 76 as shown extends to a position forward of the pivot 72 so that in combination with the link 22 the leaf spring 76 act to lift or support the header in movement across the ground. The fulcrum 75 provides a counter balance for the front portion of the arm. Thus the weight of the header is applied through the pivot pins 54 onto the rear end of the front portion 48 and the weight of the cutter bar and the forward end of the support arms including the forward end of the drapers is carried at the cutter bar forwardly of the fulcrum 75. The header is of course significantly heavier in weight than the forward parts carried on the cutter bar and therefore the fulcrum is located closely adjacent the pins 54. However the location of the fulcrum 75 is selected so that the weight is closely balanced thus carrying the weight at the cutter bar in a balanced condition on the fulcrum 75 allowing a small force from contact with the ground to raise the cutter bar and allowing the cutter bar to droop in the event that it is not supported by the ground. Thus the pivotal action of the front portion occurs about the pins 54 but the fulcrum 75 provides a lifting action on the front portion of the arms with sufficient force to balance the weight of the cutter bar and its associated elements.
The three point lifting action of the harvesting vehicle on the header provided by the link 22 and the springs 76 allows the header to float so that its weight is carried substantially wholly on the springs 76 thus allowing it to drop into contact with the ground slightly under its own weight but to be lifted upwardly on engagement with the ground in a floating action. The three point arrangement also allows each end to independently float upwardly so that the ground contour changes so that one end is higher than the other, the engagement of the ground of that end of the header acts to lift that end of the header while the other end of the header drops.
This floating action of the whole of the header together with the slight flexing action of the center part of the cutter bar allows the cutter bar to closely follow the ground, even though the amount of movement of the cutter bar is relatively small as described before.
The cutter bar 12 carrying the knife guards 36 locates a sickle knife 80 of conventional construction including an elongate knife bar and a plurality of knife elements all of which are known to one skilled in the art. The knife bar is driven in reciprocating action by a sickle knife drive assembly 81 carried on the end support arm. In some headers there is provided only a single sickle knife drive mounted on one of the fixed support arms. In other headers to provide a more balanced action and to reduce loads on the knife bar and on the drive, the knife is divided in two halves each driven from a respective end so that there are two drives 81 and 82 on the respective end support arms. The construction of the drive assembly is well known to one skilled in the art and therefore will not be explained in detail herein.
The drive assembly is however mounted rigidly on the support arm so that it is fixed at the sheet 24 as shown in Figure 8.
The fact that the cutter bar 38 is maintained directly at right angles to the end sheet 24 and also the knife bar drive assembly 81 is also mounted directly and rigidly on the end sheet 24 allows the knife bar drive assembly to operate at the conventional high speed which is used on rigid type headers. There is no need for 5 any flexing or hinging of the construction and the knife bar simply moves in a straight line directly away from and toward the drive assembly 81. Furthermore the drive assembly 81 can be driven by a pulley 82 which remains in a plane parallel to the sheet 24 and therefore again there is no twisting of the drive connection from a drive assembly at the beam 20 through to the knife bar itself since all of these 10 components remain in their fixed orientation without twisting or flexing.
The only flexing action therefore occurs at a position spaced inwardly from the end support arms and this can be accommodated by the flexing of the cutter bar as previously described and the flexing of the knife bar while the knife bar is properly guided within the knife guards so that the whole of the knife structure can operate at the 15 conventional high speeds attainable by rigid type headers.
Turning now to Figures 2 and 7, the reel 16 comprises a reel hub 90 carried on arms 91 extending from the beam 20. The reel hub 90 carries a plurality of reel fingers 92 which sweep over the knife to carry the crop during the cutting action over the knife and onto the table. The construction of the reel is generally 20 conventional and therefore the details of the reel will not be described herein as they are well known to one skilled in the art. Various arrangements for the construction and drive of the reel fingers are available and the present invention is not limited to specific types of reel or specific types of reel fingers.
In narrower width headers, the reel is simply mounted on two reel arms each at a respective end of the beam and each at a height which can be fixed relative to the ends of the knife so that the distance of the reel fingers from the knife is determined at the ends. In such narrower width headers therefore, the flexing of the cutter bar acts to slightly change the distance between the reel fingers and the knife at the centre section of the cutter bar.
However in wider width headers it is desirable also to adjust the height of the reel to accommodate and compensate for the flexing of the cutter bar as described herein before. In such an arrangement, therefore, the reel is carried on two end arms, (not shown) together with a centre arm 91 which is carried on a pivot pin 92 on the beam 20. The beam 20 further includes a forwardly extending bracket 94 connected to a hydraulic cylinder 95 which raises and lowers the arm. All three arms can therefore be raised to lift the reel away from the knife when the reel is not required. In addition the central arm only can float upwardly and downwardly by a distance substantially equal to the flexing movement of the knife to allow the center part of the hub to move upwardly and downwardly. This movement is provided with a floating action by a floatation spring 96. The reel lift cylinder is attached to the reel support arm through a spring loaded bell crank 95A. Normally the cylinder would act directly onto the arm. The bell crank can pivot on a pin through the reel support arm by the force of the spring. It would be simpler to put a compression spring on the end of the cylinder. However, because the spring force is proportional to the spring deflection, the spring force on the cylinder would change as the reel is floated. The bell crank is arranged to increase the moment arm for the spring as the spring relaxes, thus exerting a substantially constant moment on the bell crank, and therefore a constant force on the cylinder. The reel can then be floated with a constant force.
The hub at the centre arm is then moved upwardly and downwardly in response to the movement of the cutter bar. This is achieved in a simple technique by providing a strut 97 which is connected at its lower end to the cutter bar and is connected at its upper end to the floating center arm 91. Thus the movement of the cutter bar is directly followed by the movement of the centre arm of the reel simply by pulling and pushing on the strut 97. As the majority of the weight of the reel is carried on the floating system provided by the spring 96, the movement of the cutter bar is not inhibited by this additional necessary movement of the reel. The weight of the reel therefore is carried and it is only necessary to overcome the inertia of the reel to effect the floating action of the cutter bar.
The control of the height of the reel therefore relative to the cutter bar maintains the fingers of the reel at the required location or height relative to the knife to provide the best finger action. It will be appreciated that in the absence of this floating action it is necessary to set the fingers relative to the highest point of the cutter bar rather than the normal height of the cutter bar since it is not acceptable to allow the fingers to engage into the knife with consequential damage to both components.
The floating action set forth above provides the simplest connection to hold the reel at the required height. However alternative techniques are available in which the position or height of the cutter bar is measured by mechanical linkage or by optical techniques and the position of the centre arm of the reel is adjusted by actuating the cylinder 95 to effect controlled movement of the height of the reel in dependence upon the measured height of the cutter bar.
Since various modifications can be made in my invention as herein above described, and many apparently widely different embodiments of same made within the spirit and scope of the claims without departing from such spirit and scope, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.
Claims (22)
1. A crop harvesting header comprising:
a main frame structure extending across a width of the header for movement in a direction generally at right angles to the width across ground including a crop to be harvested;
a mounting assembly for carrying the main frame structure on a propulsion vehicle, the mounting assembly being arranged to provide upward and downward movement of the main frame structure relative to the ground and including upward and downward movement of each end independently of the other end;
a crop receiving table carried on the main frame structure across the width of the header;
a flexible cutter bar across a front of the table carrying a cutter knife operable for cutting the crop as the header is moved forwardly across the ground for depositing the crop onto the table;
the table including a crop transport system on the table for moving the cut crop toward a discharge location of the header;
a plurality of support arms arranged at spaced positions across the width of the main frame structure and each arm extending forwardly from the main frame structure underneath the table for supporting the table and the cutter bar;
the support arms including two outer support arms arranged at outer ends of the main support frame for supporting ends of the cutter bar;
the support arms including at least one inner support arm spaced between the outer support arms for supporting an intermediate portion of the cutter bar;
the outer support arms being fixed rigid members rigidly connected to the main frame structure and to the ends of the cutter bar so as to hold the ends of the cutter bar at a height determined by the main frame structure;
the at least one inner support arm being arranged to allow flexible movement upwardly and downwardly of a front portion thereof attached to the cutter bar such that a center portion of the cutter bar between the ends of the cutter bar is free to move upwardly and downwardly in response to forces thereon.
a main frame structure extending across a width of the header for movement in a direction generally at right angles to the width across ground including a crop to be harvested;
a mounting assembly for carrying the main frame structure on a propulsion vehicle, the mounting assembly being arranged to provide upward and downward movement of the main frame structure relative to the ground and including upward and downward movement of each end independently of the other end;
a crop receiving table carried on the main frame structure across the width of the header;
a flexible cutter bar across a front of the table carrying a cutter knife operable for cutting the crop as the header is moved forwardly across the ground for depositing the crop onto the table;
the table including a crop transport system on the table for moving the cut crop toward a discharge location of the header;
a plurality of support arms arranged at spaced positions across the width of the main frame structure and each arm extending forwardly from the main frame structure underneath the table for supporting the table and the cutter bar;
the support arms including two outer support arms arranged at outer ends of the main support frame for supporting ends of the cutter bar;
the support arms including at least one inner support arm spaced between the outer support arms for supporting an intermediate portion of the cutter bar;
the outer support arms being fixed rigid members rigidly connected to the main frame structure and to the ends of the cutter bar so as to hold the ends of the cutter bar at a height determined by the main frame structure;
the at least one inner support arm being arranged to allow flexible movement upwardly and downwardly of a front portion thereof attached to the cutter bar such that a center portion of the cutter bar between the ends of the cutter bar is free to move upwardly and downwardly in response to forces thereon.
2. The header according to Claim 1 wherein the at least one support arm includes a float arrangement supporting at least a part of the weight applied to the front portion such that the cutter bar is free to float upwardly in response to force thereon less than the weight.
3. The header according to Claim 1 or 2 wherein the at least one support arm includes a rear portion projecting forwardly from the main frame structure with the front portion mounted on the rear portion at a pivot for pivotal movement relative thereto about an axis across the width of the header such that upward and downward pivotal movement of the cutter bar is provided by said pivotal movement of the front portion and wherein the float arrangement is provided by a mounting arm carried on the mounting assembly and supporting the rear portion of the arm rearwardly of the pivot and providing a fulcrum supporting the front portion forwardly of the pivot, with the position of the fulcrum arranged to substantially balance the weight applied to the front portion forward of the fulcrum by the cutter bar relative to the weight applied from the rear portion to the front portion at the pivot such that the front portion floats about the fulcrum.
4. The header according to Claim 3 wherein the mounting arm is pivotally connected to the rear portion at a rear end of the rear portion for pivotal movement about an axis across the width.
5. The header according to Claim 3 or 4 wherein the mounting assembly includes a forwardly extending lift arm which engages and applies lifting force to the mounting arm.
6. The header according to Claim 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 wherein the distance of upward and downward movement from straight line between the fixed ends of the cutter bar is limited by a mechanical linkage to a distance less than a total of 5 inches.
7. The header according to any one of Claims 1 to 6 wherein the transport system of the table comprises a draper with a mounting rollers of the draper having a front end arranged such that weight therefrom is applied to the front portion of the at least one inner support arm.
8. The header according to any one of Claims 1 to 7 wherein the transport system of the table comprises a pair of drapers each arranged to carry the cut crop to a central discharge location and wherein there is provided two inner support arms each arranged on a respective side of the central discharge opening.
9. The header according to any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein the at least one inner support arm is defined by four separate transversely spaced support arms.
10. The header according to any one of Claims 1 to 9 wherein the cutter bar includes a substantially rigid portion at each end, each rigid portion being rigidly attached to a respective one of the outer support arms such that the rigid portion is maintained at an orientation fixed by the main frame and the outer support arms and such that upward and downward movement of the cutter bar is limited to a portion of the cutter bar between the rigid end portions.
11. The header according to Claim 10 wherein the knife comprises a sickle knife mounted for reciprocating movement longitudinally of the cutter bar and wherein a knife drive for the sickle knife is rigidly mounted on at least one of the outer support arms such that the knife drive is fixed relative to the rigid end portion of the cutter bar.
12. The header according to any one of Claims 1 to 11 including a reel having a reel hub mounted above the cutter bar for rotation about an axis across the width of the header such that fingers of the reel are arranged to sweep over the cutter bar as the reel rotates, the reel including two end mounting arms and at least one inner mounting arm each extending forwardly from the main frame structure to the hub, wherein there is provided means for moving the reel hub upwardly and downwardly at the inner mounting arm in response to said upward and downward flexing movement of the cutter bar.
13. The header according to Claim 12 wherein the moving means comprises a strut between the cutter bar and the reel at a position spaced inwardly of the ends.
14. The header according to Claim 13 wherein the strut is extendable to allow the reel to be raised away from the cutter bar.
15. The header according to Claim 12, 13 or 14 wherein the reel includes a central support arm and wherein there is provided a single link between the center of the cutter bar and the central support arm.
16. A crop harvesting header comprising:
a main frame structure extending across a width of the header for movement in a direction generally at right angles to the width across ground including a crop to be harvested;
a mounting assembly for carrying the main frame structure on a propulsion vehicle;
a crop receiving table carried on the main frame structure across the width of the header;
a flexible cutter bar across a front of the table carrying a cutter knife operable for cutting the crop as the header is moved forwardly across the ground for depositing the crop onto the table;
the table including a crop transport system on the table for moving the cut crop toward a discharge location of the header;
a plurality of support arms arranged at spaced positions across the width of the main frame structure and each arm extending forwardly from the main frame structure underneath the table for supporting the table and the cutter bar;
at least one of the support arms being arranged to allow flexible movement upwardly and downwardly of a front portion thereof attached to the cutter bar such that a center portion of the cutter bar between the ends of the cutter bar is free to move upwardly and downwardly in response to forces thereon;
wherein the at least one support arm includes a rear portion projecting forwardly from the main frame structure with the front portion mounted on the rear portion at a pivot for pivotal movement relative thereto about an axis across the width of the header such that upward and downward pivotal movement of the cutter bar is provided by said pivotal movement of the front portion and wherein the float arrangement is provided by a mounting arm carried on the mounting assembly and supporting the rear portion of the arm rearwardly of the pivot and providing a fulcrum supporting the front portion forwardly of the pivot, with the position of the fulcrum arranged to substantially balance the weight applied to the front portion forward of the fulcrum by the cutter bar relative to the weight applied from the rear portion to the front portion at the pivot such that the front portion floats about the fulcrum.
a main frame structure extending across a width of the header for movement in a direction generally at right angles to the width across ground including a crop to be harvested;
a mounting assembly for carrying the main frame structure on a propulsion vehicle;
a crop receiving table carried on the main frame structure across the width of the header;
a flexible cutter bar across a front of the table carrying a cutter knife operable for cutting the crop as the header is moved forwardly across the ground for depositing the crop onto the table;
the table including a crop transport system on the table for moving the cut crop toward a discharge location of the header;
a plurality of support arms arranged at spaced positions across the width of the main frame structure and each arm extending forwardly from the main frame structure underneath the table for supporting the table and the cutter bar;
at least one of the support arms being arranged to allow flexible movement upwardly and downwardly of a front portion thereof attached to the cutter bar such that a center portion of the cutter bar between the ends of the cutter bar is free to move upwardly and downwardly in response to forces thereon;
wherein the at least one support arm includes a rear portion projecting forwardly from the main frame structure with the front portion mounted on the rear portion at a pivot for pivotal movement relative thereto about an axis across the width of the header such that upward and downward pivotal movement of the cutter bar is provided by said pivotal movement of the front portion and wherein the float arrangement is provided by a mounting arm carried on the mounting assembly and supporting the rear portion of the arm rearwardly of the pivot and providing a fulcrum supporting the front portion forwardly of the pivot, with the position of the fulcrum arranged to substantially balance the weight applied to the front portion forward of the fulcrum by the cutter bar relative to the weight applied from the rear portion to the front portion at the pivot such that the front portion floats about the fulcrum.
17. The header according to Claim 16 wherein the mounting arm is pivotally connected to the rear portion at a rear end of the rear portion for pivotal movement about an axis across the width.
18. The header according to Claim 16 or 17 wherein the mounting assembly includes a forwardly extending lift arm which engages and applies lifting force to the mounting arm.
19. A crop harvesting header comprising:
a main frame structure extending across a width of the header for movement in a direction generally at right angles to the width across ground including a crop to be harvested;
a mounting assembly for carrying the main frame structure on a propulsion vehicle;
a crop receiving table carried on the main frame structure across the width of the header;
a flexible cutter bar across a front of the table carrying a cutter knife operable for cutting the crop as the header is moved forwardly across the ground for depositing the crop onto the table;
the table including a crop transport system on the table for moving the cut crop toward a discharge location of the header;
a plurality of support arms arranged at spaced positions across the width of the main frame structure and each arm extending forwardly from the main frame structure underneath the table for supporting the table and the cutter bar;
at least one inner support arm being arranged to allow flexible movement upwardly and downwardly of a front portion thereof attached to the cutter bar such that at least a center portion of the cutter bar is free to move upwardly and downwardly in response to forces thereon;
a reel having a reel hub mounted above the cutter bar for rotation about an axis across the width of the header such that fingers of the reel are arranged to sweep over the cutter bar as the reel rotates, the reel including two end mounting arms and at least one inner mounting arm each extending forwardly from the main frame structure to the hub;
and means for moving the reel hub upwardly and downwardly at the inner mounting arm in response to said upward and downward flexing movement of the cutter bar.
a main frame structure extending across a width of the header for movement in a direction generally at right angles to the width across ground including a crop to be harvested;
a mounting assembly for carrying the main frame structure on a propulsion vehicle;
a crop receiving table carried on the main frame structure across the width of the header;
a flexible cutter bar across a front of the table carrying a cutter knife operable for cutting the crop as the header is moved forwardly across the ground for depositing the crop onto the table;
the table including a crop transport system on the table for moving the cut crop toward a discharge location of the header;
a plurality of support arms arranged at spaced positions across the width of the main frame structure and each arm extending forwardly from the main frame structure underneath the table for supporting the table and the cutter bar;
at least one inner support arm being arranged to allow flexible movement upwardly and downwardly of a front portion thereof attached to the cutter bar such that at least a center portion of the cutter bar is free to move upwardly and downwardly in response to forces thereon;
a reel having a reel hub mounted above the cutter bar for rotation about an axis across the width of the header such that fingers of the reel are arranged to sweep over the cutter bar as the reel rotates, the reel including two end mounting arms and at least one inner mounting arm each extending forwardly from the main frame structure to the hub;
and means for moving the reel hub upwardly and downwardly at the inner mounting arm in response to said upward and downward flexing movement of the cutter bar.
20. The header according to Claim 19 wherein the moving means comprises a strut between the cutter bar and the reel at a position spaced inwardly of the ends.
21. The header according to Claim 20 wherein the strut is extendable to allow the reel to be raised away from the cutter bar.
22. The header according to Claim 20 or 21 wherein the reel includes a central support arm and wherein there is provided a single link between the center of the cutter bar and the central support arm.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2307176 CA2307176A1 (en) | 2000-04-27 | 2000-04-27 | Header with flexible crop cutting knife |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2307176 CA2307176A1 (en) | 2000-04-27 | 2000-04-27 | Header with flexible crop cutting knife |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2307176A1 true CA2307176A1 (en) | 2001-10-27 |
Family
ID=4166036
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2307176 Abandoned CA2307176A1 (en) | 2000-04-27 | 2000-04-27 | Header with flexible crop cutting knife |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA2307176A1 (en) |
Cited By (31)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO2007103241A2 (en) | 2006-03-02 | 2007-09-13 | Deere & Company | Sectionalized belt guide for draper belt in an agricultural harvesting machine |
| WO2007106299A2 (en) | 2006-03-02 | 2007-09-20 | Deere & Company | Flexible cutting platform to follow ground contour in an agricultural harvesting machine |
| US7802417B2 (en) | 2006-02-10 | 2010-09-28 | Agco Corporation | Combine harvester draper header central auger transition floor pan |
| US7827775B2 (en) | 2008-05-09 | 2010-11-09 | Agco Corporation | Flexible draper and cutter bar having shiftable crop divider with deflector |
| US7827773B2 (en) | 2008-05-09 | 2010-11-09 | AGCO Cororation | Center crop deflector for draper header |
| US7836671B2 (en) | 2006-02-10 | 2010-11-23 | Agco Corporation | Flexible draper and cutter bar with tilt arm for cutterbar drive |
| US7874132B2 (en) | 2008-05-09 | 2011-01-25 | Agco Corporation | Header height control system with multiple potentiometer input |
| US7877976B2 (en) | 2008-05-09 | 2011-02-01 | Agco Corporation | Spring flotation for center deck of draper header |
| US7886511B2 (en) | 2008-05-09 | 2011-02-15 | Agco Corporation | Draper head with flexible cutterbar having rigid center section |
| US7886512B2 (en) | 2006-02-10 | 2011-02-15 | Agco Corporation | Draper belt interlocking guards |
| US7913481B2 (en) | 2008-05-09 | 2011-03-29 | Agco Corporation | Adjustable cutterbar travel range for a flexible cutterbar header |
| US7921627B2 (en) | 2008-05-09 | 2011-04-12 | Agco Corporation | Interlocking belt guards for a draper header |
| US7958711B1 (en) | 2010-06-16 | 2011-06-14 | Agco Corporation | Crop deflector for ends of draper belt of flexible draper header |
| US8205421B2 (en) | 2010-06-16 | 2012-06-26 | Agco Corporation | Belt guard crop dam for flexible draper header |
| US8479483B1 (en) | 2011-12-27 | 2013-07-09 | Agco Corporation | Flexible draper head providing reduced crop residue accumulation |
| US8555607B2 (en) | 2008-04-25 | 2013-10-15 | Deere & Company | Integrated draper belt support and skid shoe in an agricultural harvesting machine |
| US9526209B2 (en) | 2014-12-24 | 2016-12-27 | Honey Bee Manufacturing Ltd. | Reel system with sun and planetary gear drive |
| US9635810B2 (en) | 2012-12-18 | 2017-05-02 | Honey Bee Manufacturing Ltd. | Draper seal for crop harvesting header |
| US9706708B2 (en) | 2015-03-13 | 2017-07-18 | Honey Bee Manufacturing Ltd. | Controlling a positioning system for an agricultural implement |
| US9750189B2 (en) | 2014-03-26 | 2017-09-05 | Honey Bee Manufacturing Ltd. | Crop flow assisting device for harvesting header |
| US9844183B2 (en) | 2014-03-26 | 2017-12-19 | Honey Bee Manufacturing Ltd. | Cam reel with complex bat path |
| US9901032B2 (en) | 2013-12-30 | 2018-02-27 | Honey Bee Manufacturing Ltd. | Harvesting header transport |
| US10021823B2 (en) | 2013-12-30 | 2018-07-17 | Honey Bee Manufacturing Inc. | Harvesting header transport apparatus and method |
| CN108901364A (en) * | 2018-07-06 | 2018-11-30 | 甘肃省机械科学研究院有限责任公司 | A kind of crop harvester profiling ceding of Taiwan |
| US10194590B2 (en) | 2013-01-28 | 2019-02-05 | Honey Bee Manufacturing Ltd. | Harvesting header bat with adjustably spaced quick release fingers |
| US10433479B2 (en) | 2014-06-09 | 2019-10-08 | Honey Bee Manufacturing Ltd. | Harvesting header knife drive assembly |
| US10462966B2 (en) | 2015-03-13 | 2019-11-05 | Honey Bee Manufacturing Ltd. | Controlling a positioning system for an agricultural implement |
| US10687465B2 (en) | 2016-07-29 | 2020-06-23 | Honey Bee Manufacturing Ltd. | Header cutting system with knife guards |
| US11337371B2 (en) | 2019-12-23 | 2022-05-24 | Cnh Industrial America Llc | Systems and methods for limiting reel adjustment in an agricultural header |
| US11622505B2 (en) * | 2017-09-15 | 2023-04-11 | Cnh Industrial America Llc | Agricultural header with constant reel to cutter relationship |
| EP4037466A4 (en) * | 2019-10-02 | 2023-11-01 | MacDon Industries Ltd. | Crop harvesting header with variable diameter reel |
-
2000
- 2000-04-27 CA CA 2307176 patent/CA2307176A1/en not_active Abandoned
Cited By (44)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US7926248B2 (en) | 2006-02-10 | 2011-04-19 | Agco Corporation | Combine harvester draper header having flexible cutterbar |
| US7802417B2 (en) | 2006-02-10 | 2010-09-28 | Agco Corporation | Combine harvester draper header central auger transition floor pan |
| US7836671B2 (en) | 2006-02-10 | 2010-11-23 | Agco Corporation | Flexible draper and cutter bar with tilt arm for cutterbar drive |
| US7937920B2 (en) | 2006-02-10 | 2011-05-10 | Agco Corporation | Combine harvester draper header having flexible cutterbar |
| US7886512B2 (en) | 2006-02-10 | 2011-02-15 | Agco Corporation | Draper belt interlocking guards |
| WO2007106299A2 (en) | 2006-03-02 | 2007-09-20 | Deere & Company | Flexible cutting platform to follow ground contour in an agricultural harvesting machine |
| EP1993344A2 (en) * | 2006-03-02 | 2008-11-26 | Deere & Company | Flexible cutting platform to follow ground contour in an agricultural harvesting machine |
| EP1993343A4 (en) * | 2006-03-02 | 2017-01-11 | Deere & Company | Sectionalized belt guide for draper belt in an agricultural harvesting machine |
| EP1993344A4 (en) * | 2006-03-02 | 2012-08-29 | Deere & Co | Flexible cutting platform to follow ground contour in an agricultural harvesting machine |
| WO2007103241A2 (en) | 2006-03-02 | 2007-09-13 | Deere & Company | Sectionalized belt guide for draper belt in an agricultural harvesting machine |
| US8776487B2 (en) | 2008-04-25 | 2014-07-15 | Deere & Company | Integrated draper belt support and skid shoe in an agricultural harvesting machine |
| US8555607B2 (en) | 2008-04-25 | 2013-10-15 | Deere & Company | Integrated draper belt support and skid shoe in an agricultural harvesting machine |
| US7913481B2 (en) | 2008-05-09 | 2011-03-29 | Agco Corporation | Adjustable cutterbar travel range for a flexible cutterbar header |
| US7827775B2 (en) | 2008-05-09 | 2010-11-09 | Agco Corporation | Flexible draper and cutter bar having shiftable crop divider with deflector |
| US7886511B2 (en) | 2008-05-09 | 2011-02-15 | Agco Corporation | Draper head with flexible cutterbar having rigid center section |
| US7877976B2 (en) | 2008-05-09 | 2011-02-01 | Agco Corporation | Spring flotation for center deck of draper header |
| US7874132B2 (en) | 2008-05-09 | 2011-01-25 | Agco Corporation | Header height control system with multiple potentiometer input |
| US7827773B2 (en) | 2008-05-09 | 2010-11-09 | AGCO Cororation | Center crop deflector for draper header |
| US7921627B2 (en) | 2008-05-09 | 2011-04-12 | Agco Corporation | Interlocking belt guards for a draper header |
| US7958711B1 (en) | 2010-06-16 | 2011-06-14 | Agco Corporation | Crop deflector for ends of draper belt of flexible draper header |
| US8205421B2 (en) | 2010-06-16 | 2012-06-26 | Agco Corporation | Belt guard crop dam for flexible draper header |
| US8479483B1 (en) | 2011-12-27 | 2013-07-09 | Agco Corporation | Flexible draper head providing reduced crop residue accumulation |
| US11006578B2 (en) | 2012-12-18 | 2021-05-18 | Honey Bee Manufacturing Ltd. | Draper seal for crop header |
| US9635810B2 (en) | 2012-12-18 | 2017-05-02 | Honey Bee Manufacturing Ltd. | Draper seal for crop harvesting header |
| US10694675B2 (en) | 2012-12-18 | 2020-06-30 | Honey Bee Manufacturing Ltd. | Draper seal for crop header |
| US10285331B2 (en) | 2012-12-18 | 2019-05-14 | Honey Bee Manufacturing Ltd. | Draper seal for crop header |
| US10194590B2 (en) | 2013-01-28 | 2019-02-05 | Honey Bee Manufacturing Ltd. | Harvesting header bat with adjustably spaced quick release fingers |
| US10021823B2 (en) | 2013-12-30 | 2018-07-17 | Honey Bee Manufacturing Inc. | Harvesting header transport apparatus and method |
| US9901032B2 (en) | 2013-12-30 | 2018-02-27 | Honey Bee Manufacturing Ltd. | Harvesting header transport |
| US9844183B2 (en) | 2014-03-26 | 2017-12-19 | Honey Bee Manufacturing Ltd. | Cam reel with complex bat path |
| US9807935B2 (en) | 2014-03-26 | 2017-11-07 | Honey Bee Manufacturing Ltd. | Harvesting cam reel with convertible transport mode |
| US9750189B2 (en) | 2014-03-26 | 2017-09-05 | Honey Bee Manufacturing Ltd. | Crop flow assisting device for harvesting header |
| US11547043B2 (en) | 2014-06-09 | 2023-01-10 | Honey Bee Manufacturing Ltd. | Harvesting header knife drive assembly |
| US10433479B2 (en) | 2014-06-09 | 2019-10-08 | Honey Bee Manufacturing Ltd. | Harvesting header knife drive assembly |
| US9526209B2 (en) | 2014-12-24 | 2016-12-27 | Honey Bee Manufacturing Ltd. | Reel system with sun and planetary gear drive |
| US10462966B2 (en) | 2015-03-13 | 2019-11-05 | Honey Bee Manufacturing Ltd. | Controlling a positioning system for an agricultural implement |
| US9986685B2 (en) | 2015-03-13 | 2018-06-05 | Honey Bee Manufacturing Ltd. | Controlling a positioning system for an agricultural implement |
| US9706708B2 (en) | 2015-03-13 | 2017-07-18 | Honey Bee Manufacturing Ltd. | Controlling a positioning system for an agricultural implement |
| US10687465B2 (en) | 2016-07-29 | 2020-06-23 | Honey Bee Manufacturing Ltd. | Header cutting system with knife guards |
| US11425859B2 (en) | 2016-07-29 | 2022-08-30 | Honey Bee Manufacturing Ltd. | Header cutting system with knife guards |
| US11622505B2 (en) * | 2017-09-15 | 2023-04-11 | Cnh Industrial America Llc | Agricultural header with constant reel to cutter relationship |
| CN108901364A (en) * | 2018-07-06 | 2018-11-30 | 甘肃省机械科学研究院有限责任公司 | A kind of crop harvester profiling ceding of Taiwan |
| EP4037466A4 (en) * | 2019-10-02 | 2023-11-01 | MacDon Industries Ltd. | Crop harvesting header with variable diameter reel |
| US11337371B2 (en) | 2019-12-23 | 2022-05-24 | Cnh Industrial America Llc | Systems and methods for limiting reel adjustment in an agricultural header |
Similar Documents
| Publication | Publication Date | Title |
|---|---|---|
| CA2307176A1 (en) | Header with flexible crop cutting knife | |
| EP1401256B1 (en) | Multi-section header with flexible crop cutting knife | |
| US10462968B2 (en) | Header with flexible crop cutting knife | |
| US7918076B2 (en) | Device for maintaining wing balance on a multi-section header | |
| CA2913937C (en) | Gauge wheels for a multi-section agricultural header | |
| CA3081598C (en) | Multi-section header with flexible crop cutting knife | |
| CA2561463C (en) | Device for maintaining wing balance on a multi-section header | |
| US6865871B2 (en) | Crop feed arrangement for the header of a combine harvester | |
| US6029429A (en) | Header for a crop harvesting machine with adjustment of a longitudinal shape of the cutter bar | |
| AU2002257470A1 (en) | Multi-section header with flexible crop cutting knife | |
| EP3466241B1 (en) | Agricultural harvesting head with float arm pivots below reciprocating knives | |
| CA3026913C (en) | Header with flexible crop cutting knife | |
| US4715174A (en) | Snow trap attachment for crop harvesting machine | |
| EP3434095A1 (en) | Header for a crop harvesting machine | |
| AU2019200889B2 (en) | Header with flexible crop cutting knife | |
| US4972661A (en) | Agricultural mower having a displaceable conditioning roller assembly | |
| AU2019204082B2 (en) | A crop harvesting header |
Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| FZDE | Dead |