FR2623050A1 - Haymaking machine with at least one raking wheel equipped with controlled tool-carrying arms - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a haymaking machine with at least one raking wheel equipped with tool-carrying arms which are controlled during the work. It is noteworthy in that the support spindle 17 which carries the control cam 22 is free to rotate with respect to the chassis 1 during the work and in that it is connected by a linkage means 30 to at least one support 31 which is offset with respect to it in the direction of forward travel A, the said support being fixed with respect to its linkage means 30 in the horizontal plane.

Description

Description
The present invention relates to a haymaking machine comprising in particular a chassis with at least one raking wheel equipped with tool-carrying arms directed outwards, which raking wheel is guided in rotation on a substantially vertical support axis provided on the one hand , at least one support which moves on the ground during work and, on the other hand, a cam which controls said tool-holding arms so that when they rotate around the support axis, they pivot around their respective longitudinal axes, so that they raise the working tools in a certain zone of their trajectory, with a view to depositing the raked products in the form of a swath.

 On this type of machine, the support pin of the raking wheel and the control cam are locked relative to the chassis during work. The tool arms are then controlled by the cam so that they lift their tools constantly in the same area relative to the machine chassis. This type of machine makes it possible to form well-formed swaths when it is moved in a straight line. However, in curves or turns, the swaths formed are irregular and very often dislocated. The collection of products with a recovery tool such as a press or a forage harvester is then difficult to perform.

 On another type of machine, the control cam which is blocked during work can nevertheless be brought into two different positions. For this one can release said cam and rotate it by an angle of about 1800 before immobilizing it in the new position. The product removal area can thus be located on the right or left side of the machine. This setting increases the possibilities of using the same machine. This can indeed be pulled or pushed by means of the tractor. The user will be able to choose the working mode according to the nature of the products and the terrain on which he works.

 However, said adjustment also does not allow the machine to make well-formed and regular swaths both in straight lines and in curves and / or turns. In addition, the adjustment of the control cam is a factor of loss of time especially if it must be repeated often.

 The present invention aims to provide a haymaking machine used in particular for swathing, which does not have the aforementioned drawbacks of known machines.

 To this end, an important characteristic of the invention consists in that the support axis which carries the control cam is mounted to rotate freely in the chassis and that it is connected by a connecting means to a support which is offset relative to it in the direction of advance of the machine, said support being fixed relative to the connecting means in the horizontal plane during work.

 In this arrangement, the support is constantly placed behind the support axis and is automatically oriented in the direction of movement of the tractor used to animate the machine during work. Consequently, said support also orients the control cam via the support axis of the raking wheel. In curves or turns, the cam is then constantly positioned as a function of the turning radius of the tractor wheels so that the area for depositing raked products remains essentially in the vicinity of a plane perpendicular to the direction of travel and passing by the central support axis of the raking wheel. This positioning of the control cam allows well-formed swaths to be obtained in both straight lines and turns.

 Said support integral with the support axis of the raking wheel also automatically ensures a pivoting of approximately 1800 of the control cam in the case where the same machine is used both as a trailed machine and as a pushed machine. Therefore, there is no loss of time to switch from one of these working modes to the other, which is particularly advantageous when the machine is moved alternately in forward and reverse, to avoid turn around at the end of the field.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge from the other claims and from the description below of a non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the invention, with reference to the appended drawings in which - Figure I represents a top view of a machine
according to the invention, - Figure 2 shows on a larger scale a section
simplified raking wheel of Figure 1, - Figure 3 shows a top view of a machine
according to the invention moved in the opposite direction to the direction
movement of the machine according to figure 1.

 As shown in Figure 1, the machine according to the invention comprises a frame (I) constituted in particular by two beams (2, 3) substantially horizontal. The front ends of these beams (2, 3) are connected to a three-point hitch trestle (4) which can be coupled to the lifting device (5) of a drive tractor (6) which is simply sketched on this figure 1.

 The other two ends of the beams (2, 3) are connected to a raking wheel (7) fitted with tool-carrying arms (8).

 It is clear in particular from FIG. 2 that this raking wheel (7) has a central housing (9) or the like.

This housing (9) carries on its periphery bearings (10) in which are housed the tool-carrying arms (8) directed outwards. Each of these arms (8) carries at its outer end tools (11) constituted by raking teeth. The inner end of each arm (8) opens into the housing (9) and comprises a crank (12) provided with a roller (13).

 This housing (9) has at its upper part a toothed ring (14) which is engaged with a pinion (15) secured to a drive shaft (16). I1 is also guided in rotation on a substantially vertical support axis (17) by means of ball bearings (18, 19).

Above the housing (9) is provided a fixed cover (20) integral with the beams (2, 3) of the chassis (1). This cover (20) protects the toothed crown (14) and the pinion (15) above. I1 comprises a housing (21) in which the support axis (17) is guided so that it is free to rotate. For this it can be accommodated there with a slight axial play. One or more guide members such as rings, may optionally be provided in said housing (21).

 The support axis (17) carries on its part located in the housing (9) a control cam (22) for the tool-carrying arms (8). This cam (22) is fixed to the support axis (17) by means of a key (23). It has a guide path (24) in which the rollers (13) of the tool-carrying arms (8) move. This guide path is substantially circular and has a lower portion (25) and a higher portion (26).

 Said support pin (17) is locked in translation relative to the chassis (1). This is obtained by means of a shoulder (27) which abuts against a lower face of the control cam (22) and of a stop ring (28) fixed to the upper end of the axis by means a pin (29). The lower end of the support axis (17) is connected by means of a link arm (30) to at least one support (31) which rests on the ground. This support (31) is offset relative to said axis (17) - seen in the direction of advance A - and is fixed relative to the connecting means (30) in the horizontal plane. In the example shown, the support (31) consists of a roller which rolls on the ground during work. This wheel (31) is attached to the link arm (30) by a column (32). This link arm is itself fixed for example with bolts on a plate (33) integral with the support axis. (17).

 I1 emerges from the arrangement described above that the support axis (17), the control cam (22) and the support (31) form an assembly which can pivot around the longitudinal geometric axis (34) of said axis support (17).

 Two additional supports (35 and 36) are still linked to the support axis (17). Relative to this axis (17), these two supports (35, 36) are located on the side opposite to that on which the abovementioned support (31) is located (see in particular Figure 2). They are parallel to each other and lie at a certain distance from each other. Their connection with the support axis (17) is ensured by the aforementioned arm (30) which passes under said axis (17) and which carries at its end a transverse arm (37) to which these supports (35, 36) are connected. so that you can rotate in a horizontal plane. To this end, said transverse arm (37) comprises near each of its ends a substantially vertical pivot axis (38 and 39) to which the corresponding support (35 or 36) is connected, by means of a column (40, 41) tilted backwards. These two additional supports (35, 36) are also constituted by castors. These supports (31, 35, 36) could also be constituted by rollers or skids sliding on the ground.

 During work, the machine according to FIG. 1 is pulled by means of the tractor (6) in the direction A. The housing (9) is then driven in rotation in the direction of the arrow F, around the support axis (17 ). This drive is provided by means of the drive shaft (16) which is connected in a manner known per se, by means of a cardan shaft, to the PTO shaft which the tractor comprises (6). During this rotation, the rollers (13) of the tool-carrying arms (8) move in the raceway (24) of the control cam (22). In the lower portion (25) of this path (24), the rollers (13) maintain the arms (8) in a position in which their tools (11) are practically vertical and rake the products spread on the ground. raking is mainly located in the front part of the path of the working tools (11). As soon as said rollers (13) engage in the higher portion (26) of this raceway (24), they rotate the tool-carrying arms (8) around their respective longitudinal geometric axes (42) so that they raise their tools (11) over an area of their trajectory. These tools (11) then pivot upwards and deposit the raked products in the form of a swath. This drop zone is essentially located on either side of a plane P perpendicular to the direction of advance A and passing through the central support axis (17). Following this removal zone, the rollers (13) return to the lower portion (25) and return the arms (8) with the tools (11) to the raking position.

 In this working position, the three supports (31, 35, 36) carry the machine. They give it good stability and allow it to follow the uneven ground well. In addition, the support (31) is automatically placed behind the support axis (17) due to its adhesion and its friction on the ground. The two supports (35, 36) which are located at the front of the support axis (17) are guided by the rear support (31). This is due to the fact that they can pivot around the vertical axes (38, 39) of their support (37) and thus automatically follow the direction imposed by the latter which is itself guided by the rear support (31).

 On the other hand, when the tractor (6) and the machine enter a curve or a turn, the rear support (31) is oriented according to the turning radius of the wheels of the tractor (6). Simultaneously this support (31) pivots the support axis (17) around the longitudinal geometric axis (34) via the link arm (30). Said support pin (17) then automatically moves the control cam (22) which is fixed on it. The latter is thus also constantly oriented as a function of the direction that the tractor (6) is following. Consequently, the drop zone where the swath is formed can vary with respect to the chassis (1) of the machine in order to remain in the vicinity of the plane P which is perpendicular to the direction of movement A. This drop zone remains thus constantly in the ideal location for the formation of a regular and not dislocated swath.

 In addition, if the user wants to use the machine in front of a tractor or in reverse to avoid turning around at the end of the field, he has no adjustment to make. In fact, as soon as the machine is pushed, as shown in FIG. 3, the fixed support (31) is automatically replaced behind the support axis (17) and is again oriented in the direction of movement indicated by arrow B, At the same time, it rotates the support axis (17) and the control cam (22) by an angle of approximately 1800. In this way, the raking area of the working tools (11 ) is again in the front part of their trajectory and the drop zone is located in the vicinity of the plane P 'perpendicular to the direction of movement B.

 The orientation of the control cam (22) as described above is extremely simple and effective. It is carried out continuously without intervention by the user.

 It is obvious that the invention is not limited to the embodiment described and shown in the accompanying drawings. Modifications remain possible, in particular from the point of view of the constitution of the various elements, or by substitution of technical equivalents, without thereby departing from the field of protection.

Claims (4)

Claims 1. Haymaking machine comprising in particular a chassis  with at least one raking wheel fitted with arms  tool carrier facing outwards, which wheel  raking machine is guided in rotation on a support axis  substantially vertical provided on the one hand with a support which  moves on the ground during work and, on the other hand,  of a cam which controls said tool-carrying arms  so that when they rotate around the axis  support they pivot around their longitudinal axes  respective so that they raise the working tools  in a certain area of their trajectory in view of the  deposits raked products in the form of a swath,  characterized by the fact that the support axis (17) which  door the control cam (22) is free to rotate  with respect to the chassis (1) during work and that  is connected by a connecting means (30) to at least one  support (31) which is offset relative to it in the  direction of movement A or B, said support (31) being fixed  relative to the connecting means (30) in the plain  horizontal during work.  2. Machine according to claim 1, characterized by the  makes that - seen in the direction of advancement A or B - the support  (31) is located behind the support axle (17) of the wheel  raking machine (7). 3. Machine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by  the fact that the support pin (17), the control cam  (22) and the support (31) form a pivoting assembly  around the geometric axis (34) of said support axis  (17). 4. Machine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by  the fact that two additional supports (35, 36) connected  to the support axis (17), are located at the front of this  last - seen in direction of travel A or B -.