GB2164537A - Agricultural mowing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

An agricultural mowing machine comprises a cutting mechanism with a front-mounted transverse cutter bar (5), a reel (4) for conveying stock and a reel trough (3). Upright separating plates (7) are arranged within the cutting mechanism in the wheel track region of the machine. These plates start out from a front transverse tube (8) and have an edge (9) which points obliquely rearwards and downwards. The plates (7) enclose the cutter bar (5) and are connected, in a rearward continuation, with the reel trough (3). The upper edge (11) of each plate reaches to about the height of an axle shaft (12) of the reel, each plate being provided with a recess (13) which is covered by a disc (16) fixed to the axle shaft (12). Arranged to both side of each separating plate (7) are guide plates (18) which diverge rearwardly and the spacing of which at their rearward ends is at least equal to the width of the associated wheel track region. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Agricultural mowing machine The present invention relates to an agricultural mowing machine, and has particular reference to a machine which deposits mowed stock in a trail which is nearly as wide as the cutting mechanism ofthe machine and wherein adrive trackfree of stock is presentforthe wheels ofthe machine.

In DD-PS 135 148 there is disclosed a cutting mechanism for an automotive agricultural machine which consists of a trough with mower cutter bar, reel and transverse conveying worm. The rear wall of the trough is, apartfrom the track region ofthe wheels of the machine, provided with delivery openings behind which processing equipment is arranged. The helix of the conveyorworm is so arranged in front of each deliveryopeningthata lefthand and a righthandhelix extends from the end ofthe delivery opening to the centre thereof, which helices convey cut harvest stock towardsthe centre. Through a special structuring and mounting of theworm helices in the track region ofthe wheels,these in co-operation with the trough take overthe harvest stock separation.

It is disadvantageous in this arrangementthat the harvest stock is deposited in shape of a swath, the height of which has a maximum in the centre of the delivery opening and decreases continuously towards the sides. Relatively long drying times resultforthe harvest stock. The material cost this wide deposit cutting mechanism is also very high, since it has the basic construction of a conventional cutting mechan ism for central deposit but with special modifications for wide deposit. The stock is nottreated carefully, because it is conveyed transversely and separated by the worm helices.

In DD-PS 139682 there is disclosed another cutting mechanism for wide deposit, which consists of a trough with mower cutter bar, reel and worm helix segments arranged thereon. The latter are mounted on the circle of rotation ofthe reel in the region ofthe side walls ofthe cutting mechanism and in the region of the drive tracks ofthe automotive agricultural machine. This type of cutting mechanism, however, has the disadvantagethat, particularly in the case of stock with long stalks, losses arise due to excessively high residual stubble at the places where the worm helix segments are mounted. This is also the reason why this type of cutting mechanism, which is otherwise advantageous in respect ofthe material, has not so farfound any practical application.

FR-PS 2360236 discloses two further possibilities forthewide deposit. One consists ofthree individual cutting mechanisms coupled to a tractor, one being arranged frontally and the other two laterally at the rear.

- It is disadvantageous in this that, as already described for DD-PS 135 148, all three individual swaths are non-uniform in the height, that the material expenditure of three individual cutting mechanisms is higherthan in the case of a single cutting mechanism with the working width of all three together and thatthe expenditureforthe coupling of -these three cutting mechanisms is high.

The second possibility described in the FR-PS 2360 236 consists of two conventional cutting mechanisms mounted one beside the otherfrontallyata tractor and a rotor cutting mechanism arranged centrallytherebetween. Here, too, individual swaths of different height arise in both types of cutting mechanism. Afurther disadvantage is the high material cost of these two types of cutting mechanism in virtuallythree-part construction, which is due in particular to the complicated arrangement ofthe drive. This in turn sets a limit on the cutting mechanism width, since the wheel load distribution at the tractor becomes manageable with increasing weight ofthe cutting mechanism at the front.

There isth us a needfor a cutting mechanism which can deposit mowed harvest stock approximately in the width ofthe cutting mechanism with onlythe wheel track regions left free. The thus deposited stock shall preferably form a layer of uniform width so that rapid drying is possible. Moreover, the material cost of such a mechanism should be kept to a reasonable level.

According to the present invention there is provided an agricultural mowing machine comprising a front mounted transverse cutter bar, a reel for conveying stock cut bythe cutter bar, a reel trough, a respective separating plate which is arranged in the trough in alignment with each of a plurality of wheel track regions ofthe machine to extend around and project radially outwardly of substantially the lower half of a notional circumference of the reel and which is provided with an openingthrough which the cutter bar extends and with a rearwardly swept leading edge element extending to belowthe bar, a respective disc arranged on an axle shaft of the reel adjacent to each separating plate and having a diameter substantially equal to that of said circumference, and a respective pair of guide plates arranged one on each side of each separating plate and extending divergently from each other in a direction awayfromthe reel to guide cut stock to either side ofthe associated wheel track region.

In use of such a machine, the cut stock, seen in direction oftravel, has an approximately rectilinear path through the reel and thus receives relatively careful treatment The number offunctional elements ofthe cutting mechanism ofthe machine is also relatively small.

In a preferred embodiment there is arranged in the region of each drive track ofthe wheels ofthe machine a metal separating plate, which stands upright and, starting out from a front transverse tube of the cutting mechanism, possesses an edge which points oblique lydownwards to the reartowards the cutter bar, leads directly past in front ofthe cutter bar and ends below this. The separating plate has an opening for the mower cutter bar and continues so farto the rear in firm connection to the base of the reel trough that its upper edge reaches approximately up to the height of the reel axle shaft. The upper edge oftheseparating plate extendsfurther up to the front transverse tube but is interrupted buy a recess forthe free passage of rotating tine shafts or slats ofthe reel. Mounted on the reel axle shaft in the region of each separating plate is a disc firmly connected with this, the diameter ofthe disc being slightly smaller or greaterthan that ofthe recess in the separating plate. This disc is disposed, in dependence on the chosen diameter, with play either directly beside the separating plate orin the same plane as the plate.Arranged to both sides ofthe separating plates are metal guide plates which start in the region ofthe reel tine path and project rearwardly beyond the reel trough,the guide plates having a rearwardly diverging form and at their ends remote from the reel being spaced by an amount at least equal to the widthof the wheels ofthe machine.

Anembodiment ofthe present invention will now be more particularly described by way oaf example with referenceto the accompanying drawings, in which.

Fig. 1 is aschematic plan view of an agricultural mowing machine embodying the invention; and Fig. 2is a sectional side elevation, on the section line of Fig.1, of a cutting mechanism of the machine.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown an =automotive agricultural mowing machine 1 provided with a cutting mechanism 2 forwide deposit of cut stock,themechanism consisting ofthe main assem bly groups of reel trough 3, reel 4 and mower cutter bar 5. Arranged with in the cutting mechanism 2 in alignmentwith the track regions ofthe wheels 6 of the machine 1 are respective upright metal separating plates 7. Each plate 7 has, starting from a front transverse tube 8, anedge 9 extending obliquely wnwardsand rearwardlyto the cutter bar 5.This edge 9 leads directly past The front of the cutter bar 5 and endsbelowthis. Each plate 7 also has an opening 10 forthe bar5 and continues so far the rear, in firm connection to the base of the trough 3,thatits upper edge 11 reaches approximately upto the height of an axle shaft 12 of the reel. The upper edge 11 ofthe plate 7 extends across to the tube 8, but is interrupted by a recess 13forthe free passage of ròtarytine shafts 14 and reel slats 15 ofthe reel.

Mounted on the shaft 12 in the region of each plate 7 is a respective disc 16, which is firmly connected with the shaftand the diameter of which is slightly smaller or greaterthan that of the recess 13. The disc 16 is disposed, giving play, either in the same plane as the plate 7 or in a plane alongside that ofthe plate.

Arranged to both sides of each plate 7 are two metal guide plates 18, which startingin the region of the reel tine path 17 and projecting beyond the reel trough 3 exhibit rearwardly diverging shape. At their ends remote from the reel, each two plates are spaced by an amount at least equal to thewidth ofthe associated wheel track region.

In use, the harveststock is cut by the cutter bar and conveyed rearwardly on a straight path by the reel 4, from where it passes byway oftheopen reel trough wall backto the field.The harveststockseparation in thewheel track region actually starts with the parts of the separating plates 7 that protrude beyondthe cutter bar 5,these protruding parts pushing between and parting the harvest stock stalks. Thereafter, the stock is cut and thecut stock slides, conveyed by the reel tines, to the rear in separate trails flowing to the left and the rightof the separating plates. There, it reaches the guide plates 18which, by virtue oftheirdescribed shape,clearthe track region ofthe Wheels.The course ofthefront edge of each separating plate 7 directly past in front ofthe cutter bar 5 and reaching to below the blades is importantfor efficient separation of the harvest stock atthis place; if the cutter bar was not enclosed inthis way, stock build-up would occur and lead to clogging. The discs 16 rotating with the reel close off the recesses requiredforthe reel passage through the separating plates 7 and thereby prevent any re-uniting of the separated stock flows. Atthese locations, separating plates without recesses can also be used, although this necessitates an intermediate mounting of the reel and mountingofatine shaft control for each reel part The advantages ofthis cutting mechanism are that the deposited harvest stock has a uniform layer thickness, whereby rapid and uniform drying may be attainable. The careful treatment ofthe stock in the cutting mechanism and a continuously uniform stub bleformation hold the stock losses within minimum limits. The cost of the cutting mechanism can-also be relatively low, sincethe functional component groups of reel, reel trough, cutter bar and the simply structured separating equipment represent a minimum.

Claims (6)

1. An agricultural-mowing machine comprising a frontmountedtransverse cutter bar, a reel for conveying stockout bythe cutter bar, a reeltrough, a respective separating plate which is arranged in the trough in alignmentwith each of a plurality of wheel track regions ofthe machine two extendaround.and project radially outwardly of substantiallythe rower half of a notional circumference of the reel and which is provided with an opening through which the cutter bar extends and with a rearwardly swept reading edge element extending to belowthe bar,a respective disc arranged on an axle shaft of the reel adjacentto each separating plate and having a diameter substantially equal to that of said circumference, and a respective pair of guide plates arranged one on each side of each separating-plate and extending divergentlyfrom each other in a direction awayfrom the reel to guide cut stockto either side ofthe associated wheel track region.

2. Amachineasclaimed in claim 1,whereinthe diameter of each disc is smaller than that of said circumference and the disc is so arranged in the same plane asthatof the associated separating plate as to be disposed adjacentto but at a spacing from that plate.

3. Amachineasclaimed inclaim 7,whereinthe diameter of each disc is larger than that of said circumference and the disc is so arranged in a plane parallel to that of the associated separafing plate asto be disposed adjacentto but at a spacingfromthat plate.

4. Amachine asclaimed in any one ofthe preceding claims, wherein the discs are fixed tothe reel axle shaft.

5. Amachineasclaimedin anyoneofthe- preceding ctaims, wherein the separating plates are connected to a transverse tube extending in front of the reel.

6. A machine substantially as hereinbefore de scribed with referencetothe accompanying drawings.