GB1597276A - Mowing device - Google Patents

Description

(54) MOWING DEVICE (71) We, MULTINORM B.V. of No.

1278, Hoofdweg, Nieuw-Vennep, the Netherlands, a Body Corporate organised and existing under the Laws of the Netherlands, 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 invention relates to a mowing device comprising a housing extending transversely of the direction of movement of the mowing device, a plurality of cutting members arranged above said housing and journalled on said housing and adapted to rotate about upwardly extending axes, each cutting member comprising a cutter carrier and a cutter carried thereby, a driving gear arranged in said housing and driving the cutting members and at least one swath former.

A mowing device of the kind set forth is known. Herein the swath former consisting, for example, of a rotatable drum arranged on the outermost cutting member in conjunction with a swath board, deposits a swath which is narrower than the mowing width by a wheel track. A large mowing width enhances the mowing capacity of the mower and a narrow swath enhances the working capacity of an implement following the mower, for example, a pick-up wagon.

The invention has for its object to form a swath by the mowing device of the kind set forth which is much narrower than the mowing width.

According to the invention the swath former comprises a worm conveyor rotatably journalled about 9 horizontal axis, displacing the crop transversely of the direction of movement and being driven downwards at its front side and a screen bounding a transport channel on the bottom and rear sides of the worm conveyor. In this mowing device the cutting members are, in addition, used as guide members of little or no frictional resistance during the rearward conveyance at the front of the worm conveyor so that there is no need for disposing a reel in front of the worm conveyor to displace the crop from the cutting members rearwardly into engagement with the worm conveyor.

The above-mentioned and further features of the invention will become apparent in the following description with reference to a drawing.

The drawing shows schematically in Figure 1 a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a mowing device in accordance with the invention, Figure 2 an enlarged sectional view taken on the line II-II in Figure 1, Figure 3 a sectional view taken on the line Ill-Ill in Figure 1, Figure 4 a sectional view corresponding with Figure 2 of a modification, Figures 5, 6 and 8 each a plan view of further preferred embodiments of a mowing device in accordance with the invention and Figure 7 a sectional view taken on the line VII-VII in Figure 6.

Each of the mowing devices 1 illustrated in Figures 1 to 8 comprises a housing 3 extending transversely of the direction of movement 2, a plurality of cutting members 5 rotatable about shafts 4 extending perpendicularly to a top face of the housing 3, a driving gear 6 arranged inside the housing 3 and driving the cutting members 5, at least one supporting member 9 bearing on the field 8 for supporting the mowing device 1 on the ground 8, a screen 11 arranged near the end 10 of the housing 3 and a swath former 57. The housing 3 can be fastened by means of a conventional auxiliary frame 13 to the three-point suspension 12 of a tractor (not shown), whilst the driving gear 6 can be driven through a transmission 14 from a power take-off shaft 15 of the tractor.

The cutting members 5 are rotating pair wise in opposite senses indicated by the arrows 16 with a high speed.

The present invention is particularly important for a mowing device 1 shown in Figure 1, in which each cutting member 5 is mainly constituted by a cutter carrier formed by a disc 35 and having two projecting cutters 26, said disc 35 being journalled directly above the housing 3 constructed in the form of a flat hollow beam. The cutters 26 of neighbouring cutting members 5 are arranged in relatively off-set positions.

The swath former 57 comprises a worm conveyor 63 which is rotatable about a horizontal axis 59 and journalled in a frame 60 of the mower 1 rigidly secured to the housing 3 and which takes over the cutcrop from the cutting members S and advances it in a transverse direction 58 in a transport channel 75. The swath former 57 furthermore comprises a screen formed by a plate 74 bounding the transport channel 75 on the bottom and rear sides of the worm conveyor 63. The worm conveyor 63 rotates in the direction of the arrow 62 so that the leading side of the worm conveyor travels downwards. The conveyor is located in (Figure 1) or near (Figure 4) the vertical tangential plane 64 of the hindmost arcs of a circle 65 of the cutters 26. On the bottom side of the worm conveyor 63 is located the plate 74 in the plane of movement 67 of the cutters 26 or at a lower level, but not at an appreciably higher level. The worm conveyor 63 comprises a central shaft 68, which is preferably tubular to which a helix 69 is welded. The helix 69 extends from an end 71 of the mower 1 approximately to an outlet 70, whereas at the other end 72 of the mower 1, where the outlet 70 is located, a short counter-helix 73 may be wound in opposite sense on the shaft 68. The worm conveyor 63 is disposed in the transport channel 75, which is open at the front and substantially closed on the rear and bottom sides by the plate 74, said channel having the rear outlet 70 at one end of the swath former 57. At the outlet 70 the tubular shaft 68 of the worm conveyor 63 is provided with at least one, but preferably two or three axial members 7, for example, blades or strips advancing or throwing the crop through the outlet 70 to the rear on the field or into a conditioning device.

During the mowing operation of this device 1 the cut crop is guided rearwardly over and across the high-speed cutting members S and taken over by the smoothly following bottom wall 87 of the transport channel 75, in which it is transported transversely by the worm conveyor 63. The cut crop 76 already engaged by the worm conveyor 63 and moving in the transverse direction 58 carries along the cut crop 77 located in front of it and above the cutting members 5 since all the cut crop is entangled and/or compacted. The cut crop 76 readily slides rearwards and in the transverse direction 58 since the sliding resistance of the cut crop 77 along the common transport surface of rapidly rotating cutting members 5 and the wall 74 of the transport channel is particularly low.

Since the transport channel 75 has to work an increasing amount of crop in the transport direction 58, the sectional area of the transport channel 75 preferably increases in the transport direction 58. In the mowing device 1 of Figures 1 to 3 this is achieved in that, viewed in the transport direction 58, the plate 74 extends gradually further behind the worm conveyor 63. The same effect, may be obtained by arranging the plate perpendicularly to the direction of movement 2 and the axis 59 of the conveyor 63 obliquely to this direction and/or by making the diameter g of the worm conveyor 63 decrease in the direction 58 (see Figure 5) and/or by or making the pitch h of the worm conveyor 63 increase in the direction 58 (see Figure 8).

The counter-helix 73 pushes the cut crop opposite the transverse direction 58 away from the end 72 in order to prevent the cut crop from sticking to the screen 11.

Behind the outlet 70 the cut crop can be deposited in a narrow swath directly on the field 8 (Figure 5), but preferably a conditioning device 79 is arranged behind the outlet 70. This device (see Figures 1 to 3) comprises a rotor 81 rotatable about a horizontal axis 80 surrounded by a hood 88 and co-operating with the latter, said rotor being driven through a driving gear 82 in the direction of the arrow 83 by the worm conveyor 63, which in turn is driven through a worm wheel drive 84 by the shaft 85 of the bevel gear wheel drive 14.

The worm conveyor 63 can provide a narrow swath 86 with a large mowing width.

The mowing width may be enlarged by using a larger number of cutting members 5, for example, six as shown in Figure 5.

Basically the device 1 of Figure 6 differs from that shown in Figures 1 to 5 by a considerably larger mowing width b, for example, of 320 cms, whereas the swath width c is not more than 100 to 120 cms, since this device comprises two swath formers 57 with a common shaft 68 having a levarotatory and a dextrorotatory screw respectively, whilst the common outlet 70 is located at the centre of the mowing device 1. Behind the outlet 70 is arranged a conditioning device 79 comprising two rubber-clad rollers 90 rotating in opposite senses and intermeshing like pinions, the lower one being driven by a universal shaft 91 from the driving gear 14.

The device 1 of Figures 6 and 7 is supported at its end remote from the tractor 92 by a ground wheel 93.

The mowing device shown in Figure 8 is held at the front of the tractor 92 by means of a frame 94. The driving gear 6 thereof is driven from the tractor 92 through a universal shaft 96, a pinion driving gear 97, a universal shaft 89, a worm wheel drive 95 and a chain transmission 99, which drives the shaft 4 of the outermost cutting members 5. The formed swath 86 arrives between the wheels 98 of the tractor 92.

A narrow swath having a width c of 100 to 120 cms can be readily picked-up by a baler or a pick-up wagon.

In all embodiments shown the housing 3 with the cutting members 5 has a low structure and the shape of the cutting members 5 is such that they readily passbeneath the cut crop. The circumferential speed of the cutters 26 is very high, for example, about 80 metres per second with a circumferential diameter e of 45 to 50 cms.

Preferably each disc 35 has a circular circumference and upwardly bulging parts 33 where cutters 26 of neighbouring cutting members 5 are passing by.

The discs 35 may, as an alternative, have a substantially trangular shape with three cutters 26 each as is shown in Figure 5.

During the mowing operation the mower 1 is held in a slightly inclined position so that the cutting members 5 are at an angle f to the field 8.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A mowing device comprising a housing extending transversely of the direction of movement of the mowing device, a plurality of cutting members arranged above said housing and journalled on the housing so as to be rotatable about upwardly extending axes, each cutting member comprising a cutter carrier and a cutter carried thereby, a driving gear arranged in said housing and driving the cutting members and at least one swath former characterized in that the swath former comprises a worm conveyor rotatable about a horizontal axis, driven downwards at the front and advancing the crop transversely of the direction of movement and a screen bounding a transport channel on the bottom and rear sides of the worm conveyor.

2. A mowing device as claimed in Claim 1 characterized in that the front side of the worm conveyor is located in or close to the vertical tangential plane- to the hindmost arcs of a circle of the cutters.

3. A mowing device as claimed in Claim 1 or 2 characterized in that the bottom side of the transport channel has a smooth transitional area from the transport plane of the cutting discs.

4. A mowing device as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims characterized in that a conditioning device is arranged behind the outlet of the swath former.

5. A mowing device as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims characterized in that the screen is formed by a plate which has a rear outlet at one end of the swath former.

6. A mowing device as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims characterized in that two swath formers have a common shaft.

7. A mowing device as claimed in Claim 6 characterized in that the swath formers have a levarotatory and a dextrorotatory screw respectively, whilst the outlet is located at the centre of the mowing device.

8. A mowing device as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims characterized in that the or each swath former is, near its outlet, provided with a short counter-screw having an effect on the crop opposite the effect of the worm conveyor.

9. A mowing device as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims characterized in that the cross-sectional area of the transport channel increases towards the exit for the crop. A 10. A mowing device as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims characterized in that the shaft of the worm conveyor is provided in the area of the exit with at least one member for displacing the crop through the exit.

11. A mowing device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

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

Claims (11)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. supported at its end remote from the tractor 92 by a ground wheel 93. The mowing device shown in Figure 8 is held at the front of the tractor 92 by means of a frame 94. The driving gear 6 thereof is driven from the tractor 92 through a universal shaft 96, a pinion driving gear 97, a universal shaft 89, a worm wheel drive 95 and a chain transmission 99, which drives the shaft 4 of the outermost cutting members 5. The formed swath 86 arrives between the wheels 98 of the tractor 92. A narrow swath having a width c of 100 to 120 cms can be readily picked-up by a baler or a pick-up wagon. In all embodiments shown the housing 3 with the cutting members 5 has a low structure and the shape of the cutting members 5 is such that they readily passbeneath the cut crop. The circumferential speed of the cutters 26 is very high, for example, about 80 metres per second with a circumferential diameter e of 45 to 50 cms. Preferably each disc 35 has a circular circumference and upwardly bulging parts 33 where cutters 26 of neighbouring cutting members 5 are passing by. The discs 35 may, as an alternative, have a substantially trangular shape with three cutters 26 each as is shown in Figure 5. During the mowing operation the mower 1 is held in a slightly inclined position so that the cutting members 5 are at an angle f to the field 8. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A mowing device comprising a housing extending transversely of the direction of movement of the mowing device, a plurality of cutting members arranged above said housing and journalled on the housing so as to be rotatable about upwardly extending axes, each cutting member comprising a cutter carrier and a cutter carried thereby, a driving gear arranged in said housing and driving the cutting members and at least one swath former characterized in that the swath former comprises a worm conveyor rotatable about a horizontal axis, driven downwards at the front and advancing the crop transversely of the direction of movement and a screen bounding a transport channel on the bottom and rear sides of the worm conveyor.

2. A mowing device as claimed in Claim 1 characterized in that the front side of the worm conveyor is located in or close to the vertical tangential plane- to the hindmost arcs of a circle of the cutters.

3. A mowing device as claimed in Claim 1 or 2 characterized in that the bottom side of the transport channel has a smooth transitional area from the transport plane of the cutting discs.

4. A mowing device as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims characterized in that a conditioning device is arranged behind the outlet of the swath former.

5. A mowing device as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims characterized in that the screen is formed by a plate which has a rear outlet at one end of the swath former.

6. A mowing device as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims characterized in that two swath formers have a common shaft.

7. A mowing device as claimed in Claim 6 characterized in that the swath formers have a levarotatory and a dextrorotatory screw respectively, whilst the outlet is located at the centre of the mowing device.

8. A mowing device as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims characterized in that the or each swath former is, near its outlet, provided with a short counter-screw having an effect on the crop opposite the effect of the worm conveyor.

9. A mowing device as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims characterized in that the cross-sectional area of the transport channel increases towards the exit for the crop. A

10. A mowing device as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims characterized in that the shaft of the worm conveyor is provided in the area of the exit with at least one member for displacing the crop through the exit.

11. A mowing device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.