GB2144030A - A loader wagon provided with a grinding device - Google Patents

Abstract

A loader wagon includes a conveyor (4) having tines (5) which co-operate with cutting blades (7, 8) and transfer the cut material into a chamber. After a predetermined operating time, the cutting blades are reground by a device (23) which is insertable into the conveyor duct. The device comprises a grinding wheel (28) mounted on a unit (26) which both pivots about a rod (24) disposed across the conveyor duct, and is displaceable along it. The rod can be moved to an alternative position (33c,d) so that both sets of blades (7,8) can be reground. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION "A loader wagon provided with a grinding device" The invention relates to a loader wagon for harvesting crops, including a conveyor duct which is charged at the inlet end and discharges into a chamber of the loader wagon at the outlet end, and including a number of conveyor tines which protrude into the conveyor duct through a top wall in the direction of a base wall and cooperate with cutting blades protruding from the base wall region into the conveyor duct.

In a loader wagon which is provided with a cutting device in the conveyor duct, the cutting edges of the blades are subjected to constant loading during operation because of the material to be cut, and they therefore wear out during the course of time. The cutting edges wear out more or less rapidly depending upon the type of feedstuff used, the cutting speed, the cutting width or depending on whether foreign bodies are present in the harvested material. Consequently, the cutting blades were hitherto removed individually for the grinding operation, such as, for example, in the case of the arrangement described in German Offenlegungsschrift No.

1 91 6 046, and the cutting blades were reinserted after being ground.

This procedure is very time-consuming and laborious, however, since the extracted blades are generally clamped into a vice or another type of clamping means and then manually ground with the aid of a grinding machine.

However, the cutting edge is usually ground in a very irregular and inaccurate manner, thereby often causing it to wear out even more rapidly during operation.

The invention seeks to provide a grinding device for use with a cutting mechanism of the above-described type, which device permits the cutting blades to be ground easily and accurately without considerable expenditure of energy.

According to the present invention there is provided a loader wagon for harvesting crops, including a conveyor duct which is chargeable at an inlet end and dischargeable into a chamber of the loader wagon at an outlet end, and including a number of conveyor tines which protrude into the conveyor duct from an upper region in the direction of a base wall and cooperate with cutting blades projecting from the base wall region in the duct; wherein a grinding device is disposed or disposable in the region of the conveyor duct for grinding the cutting blades and includes a grinding unit which is displaceable transversely to the conveying direction and is pivotable or displaceable in the plane of the cutting blades.

The present invention permits the cutting blades to be easily and accurately ground. By pivoting the sharpening or grinding unit, the operator is able to grind the cutting blades in an accurate manner without exerting considerable energy.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the lower base wall is pivotable with the cutting blades so as to be tiltable into a lower position which simultaneously forms the grinding position of the grinding device.

This measure provides even better accessibility for grinding purposes, and also permits the grinding device to be mounted and pivoted more easily.

According to an additional feature of the invention, the grinding device is detachably mounted on the lateral boundaries of the conveyor duct through the intermediary of mounting means in the form of, for example, a transverse bar, rod or tube member and the grinding unit is disposed on the transverse member in a pivotable and laterally displaceable manner. The mounting means is preferably insertable in and removable from the wagon between appropriately aligned apertures or other mountings. By using a securing means, it is possible to eliminate undesired lateral displaceability.

for the mounting of the grinding device, it was found to be particularly advantageous if the cutting blades have a concave shape and if the centre of curvature of the concave cutting edge coincides with the central axis of the transverse member when the base wall has been outwardly pivoted.

So that only one pivotal movement of the grinding unit is required during the grinding operation, it is proposed to align the grinding disc in an inclined manner corresponding to the cutting edge of the blade, the grinding disc being driven by a drive motor, which is connected to the bearing-which is displaceably mounted on the transverse memberthrough the intermediary of a pivotal bar.

An additional proposal is to provide the grinding unit with a handle or with an adjusting rod mounted parallel to the transverse rod or tube.

The provision of an adjusting rod permits the grinding operation to be effected from one side without the operator having to go underneath the loader wagon.

Since there is almost always a disc sanding machine in any small workshop it is proposed to use a plate grinding machine-which is mountable on the pivotal bar-as the grinding unit in order to save costs.

By using a hydraulic motor or a gear with a flexible shaft, it is also possible to regrind the cutting blades in the field where only the tractor is available as a source of energy.

Unnecessary travel is therefore avoided. When there are several rows of blades disposed behind one another in an offset manner, it is proposed to provide additional pick-up means in the lateral boundary of the conveyor duct for transposing the grinding device. This ensures that the same grinding conditions prevail both for the first row of blades and for the additional row of blades.

According to an additional feature of the invention, the cutting blades are provided with an overload safety device and are outwardly pivotable either individually or in association with one another.

In order to pivot the cutting blades outwardly into a grinding position, it is proposed to provide the adjusting mechanism in the rear region of the base wall, the pivotal movement being limited in a downward direction.

During manual adjustment, therefore, the force required for the outwardly pivotal movement is kept to a minimum.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic elevational view of a front portion of a loader wagon having a cutting mechanism; Figure 2 is an enlarged elevational view of the cutting mechanism of Fig. 1 with a wall portion in a different position and with the cutting mechanism being provided with a grinding device; Figure 3 is a plan view of Fig. 2; and Figure 4 is a plan view of Fig. 2 showing a plate or disc grinding machine and an adjusting rod.

Fig. 1 illustrates a front portion of a loader wagon 1 having a pick-up device. The pick-up device comprises a pick-up 3 and a subsequent rotary conveyor 4 which is provided with conveyor or feed tines 5. The conveyor tines 5 co-operate in a conveyor duct or feed channel 6 with cutting blades 7 and 8 disposed in rows.

As will be apparent from Fig. 2, the cutting blades 7 and 8 are protected by overload safety devices 9. The feed channel is formed from a top wall 10-which is provided with through-apertures-and from a closed base wall 11 as well as from two lateral walls 1 2 and 1 3. The feed channel 6 discharges into a chamber 14 which is only partially shown.

The loader wagon is provided with a chassis (not shown) and a discharging device (not shown either). The discharging device is supplied with the material through the intermediary of a moving base 1 5 of the chamber 14.

The loader wagon is towable by a tow-bar 1 6.

As is apparent from Figs. 1 and 2, the base wall 11 is adapted so as to be downwardly pivotable about a fixed pivotal axle 1 7.

The pivotal movement is limited by an adjusting mechanism 1 8. During the pivotal movement of the base wall 11, the cutting blades 7 and 8 follow simultaneously. In addition, the cutting blades 7 and 8 are independently outwardly pivotable from the feed channel 6 about axles 1 9 and 20 without the position of the base wall 11 being affected. Moreover, the cutting blades 7 are pivotably mounted on a blade support 21 and securable through the intermediary of a securing mechanism 22.

As can be seen from Fig. 2, the tilted position of the base wall 11 simultaneously forms the grinding position of the cutting blades 7 and 8.

A grinding device 23 is provided to grind the cutting blades 7 and 8 and is mounted in the lateral walls 1 2 and 1 3 through the intermediary of mounting means in the form of a transverse bar or tube 24. The transverse bar or tube 24 is locked by a securing means 30 so as to be non-displaceable in the direction of its longitudinal axis. A longitudinally displaceable pivotal bearing 25 is mounted on the transverse tube 24 and supports a motor 27 through the intermediary of a pivotal bar 26. The motor 27 drives a grinding disc 28.

For the pivotal displacement of the grinding device 23, the motor 27 is provided with a hand lever 29. The motor 27 may be either an electric motor or a hydraulic motor. The connecting leads 27a are merely indicated. It is apparent from Fig. 3 that the pivotal bar 26, together with the motor 27 and the grinding disc 28 are set at an incline relative to the cutting blades 7 and 8. This is necessary so that the cutting edges of the blades are ground in an appropriately inclined manner. In addition, the motor 27 may also be displaced into different pivotal positions relative to the pivotal bar 26 and locked.

A securing means (not shown) may additionally be provided for the lateral securement of the pivotal bar 26.

An additional embodiment is illustrated in Fig. 4. Here, an independently usable grinding device, e.g. a plate or disc grinding machine 31, is mounted on the inclinedly positioned pivotal bar 26. For lateral displacement purposes, the pivotal bar 26 is provided with an adjusting rod 32 which permits displacement to be effected laterally of the loader wagon.

As is apparent from Figs. 1 and 2, two receiving bores 33a and 33b are provided for the transverse tube 24 and are disposed in pairs at different heights. The receiving bore 33a is required for grinding the lower cutting blades 7.

The grinding operation is carried out as follows: After the pick-up device 2 has stopped operating, the base wall 11 is pivoted downwardly about the pivotal axle 1 7 by the adjusting mechanism 1 8 into a position in which the adjusting mechanism 1 8 limits further pivotal movement. The adjusting mechanism 1 8 is formed from an adjusting linkage which engages on a rear pivotal point of the base wall 11. For the sake of clarity, the full arrangement of the adjusting mechanism is not shown. The adjustment may be effected manually through the intermediary of a toggle lever or by hydraulic or electrical means.

Once the base wall 11 is in its outwardly pivoted position and when it is desired to grind the blades and initially the upper row of blades 8, the lower row of blades 7 is downwardly pivoted through the intermediary of the blade support 21 (compare the solid-line drawing of Fig. 2). Then the grinding device 23, together with the transverse tube 24, is inclinedly introduced into the bore 33a and then aligned in a straight line; then it is inserted into the bore 33b and prevented from effecting any axial displacement there by the securing means 30.

The grinding device 23 is now ready for operation. The grinding unit is switched-on and guided along the cutting edges of the blades by means of a hand lever 29, thereby grinding the blades. After one blade has been ground, the grinding disc 28 is pivoted upwardly and displaced laterally to the next blade through the intermediary of the pivotal bearing 25.

In order to grind the lower row of blades, said row is pivoted upwardly again, and the grinding device 23 is transposed into the receiver bores 33cand 33dthrough the intermediary of the transverse tube 24 and secured in position.

Because of the transposition, the pivotal movement of the grinding unit is adapted to the concave shape of the cutting edges of the cutting blades.

In order that the grinding disc should not become worn out on one side, the pivotal bar 26 is divided and rotatable. A securing screw 34 is provided when it is desired to secure against rotation.

Fig. 4 illustrates an additional embodiment wherein a disc grinding machine 31 is mounted on the swivel or pivotal bar 26. It is also possible, in this case, to make the pivotal bar 26 rotatable per se, in order to prevent the grinding disc from wearing out at one side.

The hand lever is in the form of an adjusting rod 32, and it can be operated from the side of the loader wagon.

In order to enable the pick-up device to be re-activated, it is merely necessary to remove the securing means 30, extract the grinding device 23 and tilt the base wall 11 upwardly.

Claims (16)

1. A loader wagon for harvesting crops, including a conveyor duct which is chargeable at an inlet end and dischargeable into a chamber of the loader wagon at an outlet end, and including a number of conveyor tines which protrude into the conveyor duct from an upper region in the direction of a base wall and cooperate with cutting blades projecting from the base wall region in the duct; wherein a grinding device (23) is disposed or disposable in the region of the conveyor duct (6) for grinding the cutting blades (7, 8) and includes a grinding unit which is displaceable transversely to the conveying direction and is pivotable or displaceable in the plane of the cutting blades.

2. A loader wagon as claimed in claim 1, in which the base wall (11) is pivotable with the cutting blades (7, 8)-which protrude into the conveyor duct (6)-in a downwardly limited manner about an axle (17) disposed in the front region of the base wall (11), the lower pivotal position simultaneously forming the grinding position of blades for the grinding device (23).

3. A loader wagon as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which the grinding device (23) is formed from a transverse bar or tube (24)-which protrudes transversely through the conveyor duct (6) and is detachably mounted in the lateral boundaries of the conveyor shaftand from a laterally displaceable grinding unit which is pivotably mounted on the transverse tube (24).

4. A loader wagon as claimed in claim 3, in which the grinding unit is securable on the transverse tube (24) with reference to the lateral displaceability.

5. A loader wagon as claimed in claim 3 or 4, in which the cutting edges of the cutting blades (7, 8) have a concave shape, and the centres of curvature of the concave cutting edges coincide with the central axis of the transverse tube (24) of the grinding device (23) when the base wall (11) has been outwardly pivoted.

6. A loader wagon as claimed in one of claims 1 to 5, in which the grinding unit is formed from a drive motor (27)-which drives a grinding disc (28) aligned with the cutting edges of the blades (7, 8)-and from a pivotal bar (26) which connects the drive motor (27) to a bearing (25) displaceably mounted on the transverse tube (24).

7. A loader wagon as claimed in claim 6, in which the grinding unit is provided with a handle (29).

8. A loader wagon as claimed in claim 6, in which the grinding unit is provided with an adjusting rod (32) extending substantially parallel to the transverse pipe.

9. A loader wagon as claimed in claim 6, in which the drive motor (27) is an electric motor.

1 0. A loader wagon as claimed in one of claims 1 to 5, in which the grinding unit is formed from a disc grinding machine (31) which is secured to a pivotal bar (26), the pivotal bar (26) being connected to a bearing (25) which is displaceably mounted on the transverse tube (24).

11. A loader wagon as claimed in claim 6, in which the drive motor (27) is a hydraulic motor.

1 2. A loader wagon as claimed in one of claims 1 to 5, in which the grinding unit is formed from a gear with an outlet and an inlet-the outlet having a grinding disc (28) and the inlet being provided with a flexible shaft-and from a pivotal bar (26) which connects the gear housing to a bearing (25) displaceably mounted on the transverse tube (24).

1 3. A loader wagon as claimed in one of the preceding claims 3 to 12, in which additional receiving holes (33 a, b, c, d) or receiving pockets are provided in the lateral boundaries (12, 13) of the conveyor duct (6) for the grinding device (23), the number of additional receiver holes corresponding to the number of rows of blades.

14. A loader wagon as claimed in one of the preceding claims, in which the cutting blades (7, 8) are provided with an overload safety device (9) and are outwardly pivotable from the conveyor shaft (6) either individually or in association with one another.

1 5. A loader wagon as claimed in claim 2, in which an adjusting mechanism (18) is disposed in the rear region of the base wall (11) and simultaneously limits the pivotal movement of the base wall (11) in a downward direction.

16. A loader wagon as claimed in claim 6, in which the pivotal bar (26) is in the form of a two part member which permits rotation about the longitudinal axis of the pivotal bar (26) and the drive motor (27)-mounted thereon-with a grinding disc, the two part member connection being securable in a set, stable position by means of a securing device.

1 7. A loader wagon substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.