GB1252007A - - Google Patents

Abstract

1,252,007. Mowing machines. TEXAS INDUSTRIES Inc. 4 Nov., 1968 [10 Nov., 1967], No. 52246/68. Heading A1F. A harvesting machine in the form of a selfpropelled wagon is fitted with a mowing mechanism, pick-up mechanism and an overlying reel. The engine of the vehicle is located beneath the frame and drives a shaft 15 mounted on the supports 13, which in turn drives a shaft 19 mounted on the supports 14. Support plates 20 are pivotally mounted about opposite ends of the shaft 15 and carry a shaft 21, the shafts 15, 21 being fitted with sprockets 22, 23 to hold endless chains 24, carrying tines 26 which move rearwardly along the top. The plates 20 are connected by a plate 28 to which a number of relatively spaced bars 29 are secured, the tines 26 being spaced so that they project between the bars 29. The parts 15 and 20-29 form the pick-up mechanism. A releasable baffle plate 33 is connected to the plate 28 and has a forward edge 34 which abuts against the rear edge 38 of the baffle plate 37 fitted to the rear of the cutter bar 36. In operation, the baffle plate 33 and the cutter bar 36 may both contact the ground. The cutter bar 36 is carried by two beams 35 pivotally mounted on the shaft 19 and receives power from the shaft 19 to drive the movable blade of the cutter bar. Two further beams 43 are pivotally connected to the shaft 19 and carry rotary shafts 48 to which four holders 50 are affixed, each having a flexible -flap 51 which may be of natural or artificial rubber. The inward ends of the shafts 48 are connected to opposite ends of a shaft 53 which is fitted with four flaps 56 arranged at angles of 45‹ to the flaps 51. The parts 48-56 form the reel, which can contact, or come into close proximity to, the cutter bar 36. The beams 43 are adjustably connected to the beams 35 by links 46 cooperating with a series of holes 45. The reel is driven by a pulley 57 in driving connection with a pulley 39 on the shaft 19. The pick-up mechanism is connected by a cable 60 to a lifting device, to which the reel and cutter bar are attached by cable 61. By operating the cables 60, 61, a pick-up or mowing-only operation can be carried out. After the crop leaves the pick-up mechanism, it is fed into a loading trough on the wagon and distributed by a conveyor on the floor of the trough. In another embodiment, the baffle plate 37 is replaced by a pivoted curved plate whose rear end rests on the baffle plate 33. Another embodiment has the baffle plates 33, 37 replaced by a series of rods that curve upwardly from the rear edge of the cutter bar 36, the rearmost ends of the rods being located between the tines 26. In a further embodiment, the pick-up mechanism is of reduced width, and in addition, the outer sections of the reel are replaced by helical augers which direct the crop into the path of the reel, which in this case has only one flap. For transport purposes, the pick-up, reel, and mowing mechanisms may all be detached.