GB1044516A - Improved harvester for tall row crops - Google Patents

Abstract

1,044,516. Reaping machines. SOC. ANON MASSEY-FERGUSON. June 18, 1963 [June 19, 1962], No. 23449/62. Heading A1F. A maize-harvester includes a plurality of forwardly-projecting crop-dividers 10, 11, having guide faces converging rearwardly to a throat between each pair, gathering elements 13 travelling in convergent paths towards the throat, cutting means 14 in the throats, a pair of upstanding rotary conveyer drums 15, one on each side of each throat and extending above it, the drums having crop-engaging elements 16 which discharge the cut crop on to conveying means 17, 18 behind the drums. Each divider is double and comprises two sheet-metal members 10, 11 hinged together at 45, the members being further connected by a link 47 pivoted to the front member 11 and passing adjustably and slidably through a bracket 48 on the rear member, so that the members may move relatively in travelling over the ground. The forward member terminates in a heavy toe-piece 41 and both members have sole-plates which act as skids. The rear member carries sprockets 50, 51 for the chains 12 carrying the elements 13. The drums 15 are hollow and each houses a stationary vertical shaft 61 eccentric to the drum and carrying the fingers 16 which automatically retract and extend as the drums rotate. The drums are driven by bevel pinions 32 on a transverse shaft 31 and drive the sprockets 50 by dogs 52 on their base-plates. The rearward speed of the chains 12 is matched to the forward speed of the harvester so that the elements 13 are stationary relative to the crop. The final conveying means comprises a double auger 17, 18 feeding into the header 19 of a combine-harvester (not shown).