GB2157535A

GB2157535A - Swath-forming machine for agricultural crop material

Info

Publication number: GB2157535A
Application number: GB08510107A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Franz Deni
Original assignee: Claas Saulgau GmbH
Current assignee: Claas Saulgau GmbH
Priority date: 1984-04-21
Filing date: 1985-04-19
Publication date: 1985-10-30
Also published as: ZA852920B; GB2157535B; DE3415131A1; DE3421006A1; NL8501092A; JPS6135719A; FR2563077A1; CH666382A5; GB8510107D0

Abstract

A swath-forming agricultural machine which is provided with one or more drums (5) is equipped at its drum periphery with helical surfaces (7) which serve for picking up the crop material from the ground and for transversely transporting the crop material for depositing it as a swath. The helical surfaces (7) may be spaced from the drum casing (Figure 3). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Swath-forming machine for agricultural crop material The invention relates to a swather or swath forming machine for agricultural crop material.

German laid-open application (DE-OS) No 28 43 782 describes a swath-forming machine for agricultural crop material comprising one or more substantially vertically disposed and driven drums which are provided at their end that is towards the ground with pick-up members secured to the periphery of the drum. The pick-up members of this machine are intended to engage the crop material which is lying on the ground and push it away in front of them and lay it down in a swath beside the machine. So that the crop material is picked up from the ground, the flat pick-up members may be at an angle to the ground and thus may engage under the crop material, by means of their lower edge.As the peripheral speed of the pick-up members is always much greater than the crop material conveying speed, the crop material is engaged and moved on by a plurality of pick-up members until the crop material finally passes out of the range of the pickup members. As the crop material is frequently lying on the ground in thick layers, ony a part thereof comes into the operative range of the flat pick-up members, while the remainder lies on the portion of crop material which is engaged by the pick-up members. That detrimentally affects the conveying action.

In order to alleviate that disadvantage, it is proposed for example in German laid open application (DE-OS) No 30 34 268 that small bar members may be disposed at the periphery of the drum, the bar members providing for conveying movement of the crop material which is at the higher level. These bars also suffer from the disadvantage that they strike a number of times against the crop material to be conveyed, and do not always completely ensure that the material is properly conveyed.

A problem with which the present invention is concerned is to provide a swath-forming machine with blunt (obtuse) members which push the major part of the crop material in front of them, while they lift the remainder of the crop material from the ground on which it is lying, convey it upwardly and feed it to the blunt members.

For that purpose, the pick-up members which are connected to the periphery of the drum are formed as helical surfaces. It is desirable forthe helical surfaces to extend at least as far as a quarter of the height of the drum, while in accordance with a proposal of the invention, the helical surfaces may be of such an arrangement and configuration that they extend at a spacing from the peripheral surface of the drum and are curved radially outwardly over substantially their entire length.

The drums may be provided with a plurality of recesses, distributed over the periphery of the drum in the lower region thereof, a helical surface passing through each said recess. For such a construction, it is advantageous if the outside periphery of the helical surfaces does not project or projects only to an immaterial degree beyond the outside periphery of the drum, and if obtuse or blunt entrainment members are arranged above the helical surfaces, on the casing of the drum.

In some embodiments, the pick-up members which are connected to the periphery of the drum are formed as helical surfaces which at their periphery (progressively) blend into downwardly directed peripheral surfaces. It is desirable for the helical surfaces to extend over more than half the drum height, and for two to five such helical surfaces to be disposed in a displaced relationship at the periphery of the casing of the drum.

In accordance with an optional feature of the invention, the peripheral surfaces which are directed downwardly at the periphery of the helical surfaces are disposed almost or entirely perpendicularly at their upper end and may be provided with entrainment members for promoting the material conveying action.

So that in the course of conveying movement of the crop material, the upwardly directed motion of such material may be converted into a forwardly and laterally directed motion, the helical surfaces may be arranged to become increasingly narrower in an upward direction with the downwardly directed peripheral surfaces becoming increasingly wider.

It is desirable for the helical surfaces to be provided at their end which is towards the ground, with resiliently yielding or elastic surfaces which are set at a shallower angle than the helical pitch angle, wherein said surfaces, at their ends, may be a nonslip configuration.

It is also desirable for the helical surfaces not to have a constant pitch.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a view from above of a swathforming machine according to the invention, which is provided with two drums, Figure 2 is a side view of a drum having a frustoconical drum casing or shell, Figure 3 is a side view of another embodiment of the invention, Figure 4 is a side view of a further embodiment of the invention, Figure 5 is a view in section taken along line A-A in Figure 4, Figure 6 is side view of a further embodiment of the invention, and Figure 7 is a side view of yet another embodiment of the invention.

A swath-forming machine which is provided with two drums is described by way of example, for mounting on the three-point linkage of a tractor.

However, it is equally possible to provide more or fewer drums or machines with their own wheels.

At its forward end, the machine has a three-point mounting member 1 which is connected by way of an arm 2 to the machine frame 3. Installed in the machine frame 3 is a drive means 4 from which the drums 5, 5' are driven. The drums, 5, 5' have an axis of rotation which is disposed approximately vertically but which is possibly inclined slightly forwardly. The drums, 5, 5' are driven in the direction indicated by the arrows A. (If the swath is to be deposited between the drums, the drums may also be driven in opposite directions.) As shown in Figure 2, the drum 5 has a frustoconical casing or shell 6 to which helical fins 7 are secured.As, at their periphery, the helical fins are intended to be disposed approximately on a notional circular cylinder and as the casing or shell 6 is frustoconical, the arrangement means that in this case the helical fins 7 become narrower and narrower, when considered in an upward direction.

In the case of a drum 5' (see Figure 3), the drum casing 6' is cylindrical. In this case, helical fins 7' are disposed at a spacing from the drum casing 6' and are of a radially outwardly curved configuration over their entire length. They are secured to the drum casing 6' by strut members 13.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 4, in their lower region and distributed over the periphery thereof, the drums 5' have three recesses 14, through each of which passes a helical fin 7. The helical fins 7 are so arranged that their outside periphery does not project or projects only to an immaterial degree beyond the outside periphery of the drums 5'. In a construction in accordance with this proposal, blunt entrainment members 15 are provided on the drum casing 6', above the helical fins 7.

The lower ends of the helical fins 7, 7' are provided with resilient extensions 9, 9' which extend downwardly to such a degree that they reach the ground or the stubble.

As shown in Figure 2, the extension 9 is set at a comparatively shallow angle. Figure 3 shows another embodiment of the extension 9' which has a larger end face, in order also to convey heavier crop materials.

Mounted underneath the drums 5, 5' are fixed or rotatable support plates 12 on which the machine is supported when operating.

The drum of Figure 6 is similar to that of Figure 2 apart from the shape of the fins. In the case of drum 5' in Figure 7, the drum casing 6' is cylindrical. In this case, the helical surfaces 7' are of approximately equal width from top to bottom. The peripheral surfaces 8 are provided with entrainment members 10 for promoting the crop material conveying action.

In operation, the machine is advanced in the direction indicated by the arrow B. The rotary members 5, 5' rotate in the direction indicated by the arrows A. The upper layers of the crop material which is lying on the ground are engaged by the helical fins 7, 7' (or, in the embodiment illustrated in Figure 4, also by the drum casing 6'), and displaced towards the side. The resilient extensions 9, 9' pass under the lower layers, orthe lower layers are pushed up by the resilient extensions 9, 9', and the lower layers slide upwardly on the helical fins 7, 7' and, when that happens, are also conveyed towards the side. The crop material which is picked up by the drum 5' and conveyed towards the side is fed to the drum 5 and deposited in the form of a swath at the left-hand side of the drum 5, together with the crop material that the drum 5 also picked up.

Claims

1.Aswath-forming machine for agricultural crop material comprising one or more substantially vertically disposed and driven drums which are provided at their end that is towards the ground with pick-up members secured to the periphery of the drum, wherein the pick-up members have helical upper surfaces.

2. A machine according to claim 1 wherein the helical surfaces are at a spacing from the drum periphery and are of a radially outwardly curved configuration over substantially their entire length.

3. A machine according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the helical surfaces extend at least as far as a quarter of the drum height.

4. A machine according to claim 1 wherein the drum or drums have a plurality of recesses, distributed over their periphery in the lower region thereof, a helical surface passing through respective ones of said recesses.

5. A machine according to claim 4 wherein the outside periphery of the helical surfaces does not project or projects only to an immaterial degree beyond the outside periphery of the drum.

6. A machine according to claim 5 wherein blunt entrainment members are provided above the helical surfaces on the drum casing.

7. A machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein at their end which is towards the ground the helical surfaces are extended by resiliently yielding or elastic surfaces.

8. A machine according to claim 7 wherein the resiliently yielding or elastic surface has a downwardly pointing end face at the front in the direction of rotation.

9. A machine according to any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein the helical surfaces do not have a constant pitch.

10. A machine according to claim 7 or 8 wherein at its end face the resiliently yielding or elastic surface is of a non-slip configuration.

11. A machine according to any preceding claim, wherein the helical upper surfaces merge at their periphery with downwardly directed peripheral surfaces.

12. A machine according to claim 11 wherein the peripheral surfaces which are directed downwardly at the periphery of the helical surfaces are disposed almost or completely vertically at their upper end.

13. A machine according to claims 11 or 12 wherein the helical surfaces become increasingly narrower in an upward direction and the downwardly directed peripheral surfaces become increasingly wider.

14. A machine according to any preceding claim wherein the helical surfaces extend to more than half the drum height.

15. A machine according to any preceding claim wherein two to five helical surfaces are arranged in displaced relationship at the periphery of the drum casing.

16. A machine according to any preceding claim wherein the helical surfaces are provided with entrainment members for promoting the material conveying action.

17. A swath-forming machine, substantially as described with reference to any of the Figures of the drawings.