GB1578386A

GB1578386A - Harvesting machine

Info

Publication number: GB1578386A
Application number: GB5127977A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: VEB Kombinat Fortschritt Landmaschinen Neustadt (Bestand)
Current assignee: VEB Kombinat Fortschritt Landmaschinen Neustadt (Bestand)
Priority date: 1976-12-23
Filing date: 1977-12-09
Publication date: 1980-11-05
Also published as: SU886824A1; DE2750255C2; DD129083B1; DD129083A1; DE2750255A1

Description

(54) HARVESTING MACHINE (71) We, VEB KOMBINAT FORTSCHRITT LANDMASCHINEN NEUSTADT IN SACHSEN, of Schillerstrasse 1, 8355 Neustadt in Sachsen, German Democratic Republic, a corporation organised under the laws of the German Democratic Republic, 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:- The present invention relates to a harvesting machine.

For reduction of moisture content, some agricultural crop materials are deposited in swaths on the field before threshing. The mowing as well as the swath deposit these crop materials take place by drawn or motorised swath mowers. After initial drying, the deposited crop material is picked up by a harvesting machine by means of swatch receiving apparatus. For low-loss and uniform picking up of the crop material from the soil as well as for trouble-free feeding to subsequent conveying devices, holding-down devices are mounted above the swath receiving apparatus.

US-PS 26 91 266 discloses a holding-down device consisting of bent spring tines which are fastened to a shaft arranged above the front of a pick-up drum.

OE-PE 241 886 and DT-OS 19 36 057 disclose holding-down devices comprising a profiled metal sheet which is displaceable in height and extends over the entire pick-up width.

All these above mentioned holding-down devices have substantial disadvantages by reason of their construction and arrangement.

Thus, for example, the forward location of the articulation point of the tine rake or of the profiled metal sheet leads to a build-up of crop material in front of the pick-up drum in the case of non-uniform and high swaths. Also, these holding-down devices cannot prevent clogging of the receiving apparatus. Furthermore, the rotational speed of the pick-up drum and a cross-feed worm arranged therebehind is regulated in most swath receiving apparatus by a steplessly adjustable V-belt gear. The actuation of the resetting takes place by the driver of the harvesting machine in accordance with the harvest conditions. Frequent regulation of the gear is required during the pick-up process to attain a good working quality.

According to the present invention, there is provided a harvesting machine comprising wall means defining a swath inlet passageway, swath pick-up means and cross-feed means each mounted to be rotatable about a first and second axis respectively, each axis extending transversely of the intended direction of movement of the machine, the crossfeed means being disposed behind the swath pick-up means, and swath engaging means extending forwardly and rearwardly above the swath pick-up means and being pivotable about a third axis which extends transversely of such direction and which is disposed intermediate the forward and rearward ends of the swath engaging means, the swath engaging means being so coupled to variable ratio gear means which couple drive means to at least the swath pick-up means that on the swath engaging means being pivoted by swaths entering the passageway, the ratio of the gear means is varied.

The cross-feed means, for example a crossfeed worm, may be driven with a constant transmission ratio and only the pick-up means, for example a pick-up drum, may be driven by the variable ratio gear means.

Furthermore, a cloth tine pick-up may be used in place of the pick-up drum.

The gear means may comprise an infinitely variable V-belt gear.

The drive means may be coupled to the cross-feed means by the gear means.

The swath engaP;?g means may comprise a plurality of tines each extending forwardly and rearwardly above the swath pick-up means.

The swath engaging means may comprise profiled metal sheets.

The swath engaging means may be fixed to a shaft journalled to be pivotable about the third axis.

Each end of the shaft may be journalled in bearings mounted to the wall means defining the swath inlet passageway.

The swath engaging means may be coupled to the gear means by an arm which is fixed at one end thereof to the shaft to be pivotable therewith, the other end of the arm being connected to the gear means.

The foremost region of the swath engaging means may be inclined upwardly relative to its adjacent region.

The harvesting machine may be a combine harvester.

An embodiment of the present invention will be more particularly described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows in side elevation, part of a harvesting machine with the swath engaging means in its lowermost setting, Fig. 2 shows a plan view of that part of the machine shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 3 shows a view similar to that shown in Fig. 1, but with the swath engaging means in its uppermost setting, and Fig. 4 shows, to enlarged scale, the variable ratio gear means.

Referring now to the drawings, swath receiving apparatus 1 for picking up crop material 2 lying on the soil is detachably and pendulatingly fastened to an intake channel 3 of a combine harvester. The apparatus comprises wall means 8 defining an inlet passageway in the form of a trough 5, a pickup drum 6 and a cross-feed worm 7. To the upper region of the wall means 8, a mounting tube 11 provided with two lateral abutments 10 isjournalled in bearings 9 behind the pickup drum 6 in the region above the cross-feed worm 7. Bent tines 12 are detachably fastened to the mounting tube 11. The tines 12 are constructed as reawardly open double tines for protection thereof, and are bent upwardly at the front and project beyond the forward extremity of the pick-up drum 6.

The tines extend rearwardly over the crossfeed worm 7. If the height of a swath is greater than normal, the tines 12 are raised at the front and pivoted downwards at the back against the cross-feed worm 7 (Fig. 3).

Thereby, the accumulator space above the cross-feed worm 7 is closed and the crop material 2 fed to this under constraint. Thus, the crop material 2 is fed to the cross-feed worm 7 only from the front so that clogging is largely avoided. Should disturbances nevertheless arise, the tines 12 are pivoted downwardly at the front and further feeding of crop material 2 is restricted.

Rotation of the mounting tube 11 caused by the displacement of the tines 12 is transmitted by way of a coupling member 13, which is articulated to the abutment 10 and which is in the form of a lever and a cable, to a regulated V-belt pulley 14 of a steplessly adjustable, i.e.

infinitely variable V-belt gear for the drive of the pick-up drum 6 and there effects the axial re-setting of one half of the V-belt pulley 14.

A tension spring 15 connected to the coupling member 13 and extending parallel to the axis of the V-belt pulley 14 reduces the setting forces. To change direction of movement of the coupling member 13 it is passed round a deflecting roller 16. The drive transmission from a shaft 17 of the driven V-belt pulley 18 to the pick-up drum 6 occurs through a chain drive 19. The pulley 14 is connected to drive elements which may be driven by, for example, the drive wheels, the drive motor of the machine or a separate power unit.

An advantage of the above described exemplary embodiment is that trouble-free picking up of the swaths is provided by reason of the arrangement of the mounting tube for the tines as well as the configuration of the tines. Clogging of crop material and an incomplete pick-up are largely avoided even with high swaths and in a strong wind. Also in consequence of the position of the centre of gravity of the tines, no additional spring elements are required to keep the foremost of the tine in their uppermost position under normal operation. Furthermore, by coupling the motion of the tines in dependence on the height of the swaths with the variable ratio V-belt gear for the drive of the conveying devices of the swath receiving equipment the constant need for the driver to adopt the pick-up speed to the harvesting conditions is unnecessary. Still further, manufacturing costs of the machine are lower than the conventional hydraulically acting re-setting devices.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A harvesting machine comprising wall means defining a swath inlet pasageway, swath pick-up means and cross-feed each mounted to be rotatable about a first and second axis respectively, each axis extending transversely of the intended direction of movement of the machine, the cross-feed means being disposed behind the swath pick-up means, and swath engaging means extending forwardly and rearwardly above the swath pick-up means and being pivotable about a third axis which extends transversely of such direction and which is disposed intermediate the forward and rearward ends of the swath engaging means, the swath engaging means being so coupled to variable ratio gear means which couple drive means to at least the switch pick-up means that on the swath engaging means being pivoted by swaths entering the passageway, the ratio of the gear means is varied.

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gear means comprises an infinitely variable V-belt gear.

3. A machine as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the drive means is coupled to the cross-feed means by the gear means.

4. A machine as claimed in any one of the

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

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. The swath engaging means may be coupled to the gear means by an arm which is fixed at one end thereof to the shaft to be pivotable therewith, the other end of the arm being connected to the gear means. The foremost region of the swath engaging means may be inclined upwardly relative to its adjacent region. The harvesting machine may be a combine harvester. An embodiment of the present invention will be more particularly described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows in side elevation, part of a harvesting machine with the swath engaging means in its lowermost setting, Fig. 2 shows a plan view of that part of the machine shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 3 shows a view similar to that shown in Fig. 1, but with the swath engaging means in its uppermost setting, and Fig. 4 shows, to enlarged scale, the variable ratio gear means. Referring now to the drawings, swath receiving apparatus 1 for picking up crop material 2 lying on the soil is detachably and pendulatingly fastened to an intake channel 3 of a combine harvester. The apparatus comprises wall means 8 defining an inlet passageway in the form of a trough 5, a pickup drum 6 and a cross-feed worm 7. To the upper region of the wall means 8, a mounting tube 11 provided with two lateral abutments 10 isjournalled in bearings 9 behind the pickup drum 6 in the region above the cross-feed worm 7. Bent tines 12 are detachably fastened to the mounting tube 11. The tines 12 are constructed as reawardly open double tines for protection thereof, and are bent upwardly at the front and project beyond the forward extremity of the pick-up drum 6. The tines extend rearwardly over the crossfeed worm 7. If the height of a swath is greater than normal, the tines 12 are raised at the front and pivoted downwards at the back against the cross-feed worm 7 (Fig. 3). Thereby, the accumulator space above the cross-feed worm 7 is closed and the crop material 2 fed to this under constraint. Thus, the crop material 2 is fed to the cross-feed worm 7 only from the front so that clogging is largely avoided. Should disturbances nevertheless arise, the tines 12 are pivoted downwardly at the front and further feeding of crop material 2 is restricted. Rotation of the mounting tube 11 caused by the displacement of the tines 12 is transmitted by way of a coupling member 13, which is articulated to the abutment 10 and which is in the form of a lever and a cable, to a regulated V-belt pulley 14 of a steplessly adjustable, i.e. infinitely variable V-belt gear for the drive of the pick-up drum 6 and there effects the axial re-setting of one half of the V-belt pulley 14. A tension spring 15 connected to the coupling member 13 and extending parallel to the axis of the V-belt pulley 14 reduces the setting forces. To change direction of movement of the coupling member 13 it is passed round a deflecting roller 16. The drive transmission from a shaft 17 of the driven V-belt pulley 18 to the pick-up drum 6 occurs through a chain drive 19. The pulley 14 is connected to drive elements which may be driven by, for example, the drive wheels, the drive motor of the machine or a separate power unit. An advantage of the above described exemplary embodiment is that trouble-free picking up of the swaths is provided by reason of the arrangement of the mounting tube for the tines as well as the configuration of the tines. Clogging of crop material and an incomplete pick-up are largely avoided even with high swaths and in a strong wind. Also in consequence of the position of the centre of gravity of the tines, no additional spring elements are required to keep the foremost of the tine in their uppermost position under normal operation. Furthermore, by coupling the motion of the tines in dependence on the height of the swaths with the variable ratio V-belt gear for the drive of the conveying devices of the swath receiving equipment the constant need for the driver to adopt the pick-up speed to the harvesting conditions is unnecessary. Still further, manufacturing costs of the machine are lower than the conventional hydraulically acting re-setting devices. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A harvesting machine comprising wall means defining a swath inlet pasageway, swath pick-up means and cross-feed each mounted to be rotatable about a first and second axis respectively, each axis extending transversely of the intended direction of movement of the machine, the cross-feed means being disposed behind the swath pick-up means, and swath engaging means extending forwardly and rearwardly above the swath pick-up means and being pivotable about a third axis which extends transversely of such direction and which is disposed intermediate the forward and rearward ends of the swath engaging means, the swath engaging means being so coupled to variable ratio gear means which couple drive means to at least the switch pick-up means that on the swath engaging means being pivoted by swaths entering the passageway, the ratio of the gear means is varied.

4. A machine as claimed in any one of the

preceding claims, wherein the swath engaging means comprises a plurality of tines each extending forwardly and rearwardly above the swath pick-up means.

5. A machine as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the swath engaging means comprises profiled metal sheets.

6. A machine as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the swath engaging means is fixed to a shaft journalled to be pivotable about the third axis.

7. A machine as claimed in claim 6, wherein each end of the shaft is journalled in bearings mounted to the wall means defining the swath inlet passageway.

8. A machine as claimed in either claim 6 or claim 7, wherein the swath engaging means is coupled to the gear means by an arm which is fixed at one end thereof to the shaft to be pivotable therewith, the other end of the arm being connected to the gear means.

9. A machine as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the foremost region of the swath engaging means is inclined upwardly relative to its adjacent region.

10. A harvesting machine substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

11. A machine as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the machine is a combine harvester.