GB1559753A - Harvesting pick-up especially suitable for use in pick up trailers - Google Patents

Description

(54) HARVESTING PICK-UP, ESPECIALLY SUITABLE FOR USE IN PICK-UP TRAILERS (71) We, PRZEMYSLOWY INSTY TUT MASZYN ROLNICZYCH, of Poznan, ul. Starolecka 31, Poland, a State Enterprise organised and existing under the laws of Poland do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to a harvesting pick-up, especially suitable for use in pickup trailers, in cutters, in combine harvesters and other harvesting machines.

In the known and used harvesting pickups the operation of fingers is controlled by means of a cam-and-roller operating mechanism, as e.g. in the German Patents No. 1,457,967 and No. 2,124,342. The mechanism of this type has little resistance to wear caused by friction of rollers against cams, this wear being still aggravated in operation of the machine since the mechanism remains open and practically unprotected against ingress of mineral and organic dust, earth, sand and crop fragments. An excessive wear of cam or seizure of rollers may also cause serious damage to the whole pick-up. As it is known from experience, the life of cam-type pick-ups is restricted, the cam-and-roller operating mechanism requiring at least two or three overhauls over the whole period of service life of the machine, thus impairing the service capacity of the machine and increasing the overall costs.

The object of the present invention is to obviate or mitigate these imperfections by preventing the occurrence of premature wear in the drive gear of a harvesting pick-up.

The imperfections present in the known and used harvesting pick-ups are practically eliminated in the invented pick-up because of an entirely different construction of drive gear able to withstand the hardships of operation in difficult field conditions.

The harvesting pick-up according to the invention comprises a pick-up frame, a pick-up axle rotatably journalled at one end in the pick-up frame, means for driving the pick-up axle, a rotatable drive box fast with the pick-up axle at the other end thereof, a plurality of finger bars movable about the axis of the pick-up axle, and a system, housed within the rotatable drive box and thereby protected against ingress of dust, for controlling the operation of the finger bars, the system comprising a crank having a pin fast with the pick-up frame and journalling the rotatable drive box, and connecting rods connected between the crank and the respective finger bars.

Preferably in the system controlling the operation of the finger bars each of the connecting rods is articulated at one end to a second pin of the crank and at the other end to a spur extending transversely from one end of the respective finger bar, the finger bars being journalled at one end in the rotatable drive box and at the other end in a disc fast with the pick-up axle.

Preferably, the angular attitude of the crank relative to the pick-up frame is adjustable at the first pin of the crank.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 illustrates diagrammatically a harvesting pick-up in a section along the axis of rotation; Figure 2 illustrates the pick-up in a section along a vertical plane intersecting the drive box of the finger bars; and Figure 3 diagrammatically illustrates the trajectories of the finger ends of the pick-up finger bars as related to the machine casing.

In the drawings, a harvesting pick-up includes several finger bars 9, said bars arranged in a desired number and at equal angular intervals around an axle 1 of the pick-up. One end of axle 1 is rigidly connected with a rotatable drive box 3, said box securely encasing a crank system, said crank system operating all finger bars 9, the motion of elastic fingers 14 of the said bars relative to the machine casing 15 being illustrated in Figure 3. The other end of axle 1 is rotatably mounted in a bearing 4 in the machine frame. A drive wheel 13 of the pick-up, preferably a sprocket-wheel, is mounted on a neck 5 of the pick-up axle, a disc 2 being rigidly fixed on the axle before the bearing 4, said disc journably supporting the ends of finger bars 9, said bars rocking in bearings.

Box 3 is rotatably mounted, together with axle 1, in bearing 6 on a pin 7 of crank 8, said pin 7 being rigidly fixed in the machine frame.

With the crank 8 having the pin 7, connecting-rods 12 are connected to the other pin of crank 8, the arms of the said connecting-rods being preferably arched.

The connecting rods 12 are connected, by means of pins 11 and through pairs of spur webs 10, with said finger bars 9. The elastic fingers 14 of bars 9 are rigidly fixed to the said bars. the ends of the said fingers drawing, at full rotation of axle 1, a trajectory line illustrated in Figure 3, said fingers 14 entering, over the part of their trajector ies. into a casing 15.

The crank 8 can be adjustably mounted in the frame of the pick-up machine, e.g. by changing its angular position relative to the frame. Such a provision enables that for any particular type of crop the most suitable trajectory of ends of fingers 14 of finger bars 9 can be obtained.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A harvesting pick-up especially suitable for use in pick-up trailers, cutters, combine harvesters and other harvesting machines, comprising a pick-up frame, a pick-up axle rotatably journalled at one end in the pick-up frame, means for driving the pick-up axle, a rotatable drive box fast with the pick-up axle at the other end thereof, a plurality of finger bars movable about the axis of the pick-up axle and a system, housed within the rotatable drive box and thereby protected against ingress of dust, for controlling the operation of the finger bars, the system comprising a crank having a pin fast with the pick-up frame and journalling the rotatable drive box, and connecting rods connected between the crank and the respective finger bars.

2. A harvesting pick-up according to claim 1, wherein in said system each of the connecting rods is articulated at one end to a second pin of the crank and at the other end to a spur extending transversely from one end of the respective finger bar, the finger bars being journalled at one end in the rotatable drive box and at the other end in a disc fast with the pick-up axle.

3. A harvesting pick-up according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the angular attitude of the crank relative to the pick up frame is adjustable at the first pin of the crank.

4. A harvesting pick-up substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (4)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. pick-up. One end of axle 1 is rigidly connected with a rotatable drive box 3, said box securely encasing a crank system, said crank system operating all finger bars 9, the motion of elastic fingers 14 of the said bars relative to the machine casing 15 being illustrated in Figure 3. The other end of axle 1 is rotatably mounted in a bearing 4 in the machine frame. A drive wheel 13 of the pick-up, preferably a sprocket-wheel, is mounted on a neck 5 of the pick-up axle, a disc 2 being rigidly fixed on the axle before the bearing 4, said disc journably supporting the ends of finger bars 9, said bars rocking in bearings. Box 3 is rotatably mounted, together with axle 1, in bearing 6 on a pin 7 of crank 8, said pin 7 being rigidly fixed in the machine frame. With the crank 8 having the pin 7, connecting-rods 12 are connected to the other pin of crank 8, the arms of the said connecting-rods being preferably arched. The connecting rods 12 are connected, by means of pins 11 and through pairs of spur webs 10, with said finger bars 9. The elastic fingers 14 of bars 9 are rigidly fixed to the said bars. the ends of the said fingers drawing, at full rotation of axle 1, a trajectory line illustrated in Figure 3, said fingers 14 entering, over the part of their trajector ies. into a casing 15. The crank 8 can be adjustably mounted in the frame of the pick-up machine, e.g. by changing its angular position relative to the frame. Such a provision enables that for any particular type of crop the most suitable trajectory of ends of fingers 14 of finger bars 9 can be obtained. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A harvesting pick-up especially suitable for use in pick-up trailers, cutters, combine harvesters and other harvesting machines, comprising a pick-up frame, a pick-up axle rotatably journalled at one end in the pick-up frame, means for driving the pick-up axle, a rotatable drive box fast with the pick-up axle at the other end thereof, a plurality of finger bars movable about the axis of the pick-up axle and a system, housed within the rotatable drive box and thereby protected against ingress of dust, for controlling the operation of the finger bars, the system comprising a crank having a pin fast with the pick-up frame and journalling the rotatable drive box, and connecting rods connected between the crank and the respective finger bars.

2. A harvesting pick-up according to claim 1, wherein in said system each of the connecting rods is articulated at one end to a second pin of the crank and at the other end to a spur extending transversely from one end of the respective finger bar, the finger bars being journalled at one end in the rotatable drive box and at the other end in a disc fast with the pick-up axle.

3. A harvesting pick-up according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the angular attitude of the crank relative to the pick up frame is adjustable at the first pin of the crank.

4. A harvesting pick-up substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.