GB2296175A

GB2296175A - Combine harvester grain tank

Info

Publication number: GB2296175A
Application number: GB9526173A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gerhard Theissing
Original assignee: Claas KGaA mbH
Current assignee: Claas KGaA mbH
Priority date: 1994-12-22
Filing date: 1995-12-21
Publication date: 1996-06-26
Anticipated expiration: 2015-12-21
Also published as: FR2728429A1; GB9526173D0; DE4445933A1; FR2728429B1; GB2296175B; DE4445933B4

Description

is COMBINE HARVESTER GRAIN TANK 2296175 The present invention concerns a

combine harvester grain tank having an upper quadrangular (particularly rectangular) filling opening, and attachment members which are hingedly mounted relative to the upper edges of the side and end walls of the grain tank and which in a laid-flat position form a cover at least partially closing the filling opening and in the erected position form a box-like attachment which increases the volume of the grain tank. - An aim in the case of combine harvesters is for the volume of the grain tank to be as large as possible so that emptying thereof can be effected at longer intervals of time. However the height of a grain tank cannot be increased just as desired as the maximum height is dependent on the loading dimensions for rail transport.

In order to enlarge the volume of a combine harvester grain tank, it has been proposed in German utility model No. 1966 426 that pivotable sheet metal covers are mounted by means of hinges on the upper edges of the side and end walls of the grain tank. Those sheet metal covers must be erected manually. Furthermore additional measures are required in order to seal off the comer regions of the attachment formed from the sheet metal members. In addition two loose members arc also required in order to close the filling opening when the sheet metal members are folded in.

In order to simplify the operations of erecting and laying flat the attachment members which form the top attachment, a combine harvester grain tank has been proposed in DE 40 16 319 Al, in which the attachment members associated with the end walls are movable up and down in guides. As the outer edges are inclined, the attachment members associated with the side walls are erected when the movement in an upward direction is performed. As there is no connection between the attachment members which are at an angle relative to each other, this arrangement also requires additional measures for making the comer regions grain-tight. Displacement of the end attachment members is effected by an erecting mechanism so that the combine harvester operator only has to actuate a valve.

Taking the state of the art known from German utility model No. 1 966 426 as its basic starting point, the present invention is based on the problem of so designing a combine harvester grain tank of the kind described in greater detail in the opening part of this specification, that the attachment formed from the attachment members is grain-tight in a structurally simple manner and that the attachment members can be erected and laid flat in a fashion which is extremely simple from the point of view of the structure involved.

According to one aspect of the invention two mutually oppositely disposed attachment members are each formed from two fold-in isosceles triangles forming the end regions, and a trapezoidal central portion, wherein the fold-in triangles are pivotably connected to the central portion by hinges, and the outer, mutually remote end regions of the fold-in triangles are hingedly connected by fitments to the associated edges of the attachment members which are at an angle thereto, so that the fold-in triangles and the central portion of one side are in alignment with each other in the erected position and that in the laid-flat position the fold-in triangles lie between the central portion and the attachment members mounted thereto.

In the combine harvester grain tank described below the attachment members are not only hingedly mounted to the upper edges of the grain tank, but the comer regions of the top attachment are also hingedly connected together. That is made possible by virtue of the fold-in triangles which describe an isosceles triangle. The fold-in triangles also describe an isosceles-right angle triangle, wherein in the erected position of the attachment members the two short sides form the vertical side and the top side of the fold-in triangle. Accordingly the hypotenuse is at an angle of 45 relative to the upper edge of the grain tank. The fitments for connection of the fold in triangles to the central portions may also be hinges. The arrangement according to the invention provides in substance for positive guidance of the attachment members so that the erecting mechanism can be extremely simple. No leaky passages or joins occur, because of the hinged connection of all the attachment members. The hinges or fitments required for connecting the attachment members as well as the fold-in triangles to the central portions are simple, commercially available components so that an inexpensive structure can be achieved.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment it is provided that the trapezoidal central portions of two mutually oppositely disposed attachment members are mounted to the upper edges of the end walls of the grain tank, which are disposed transversely to the direction of travel. Iliat arrangement can be structurally transposed in a is

Claims

particularly simple manner if the filling opening is to be completely

closed. If it is desired for the filling opening to be closed when the combine harvester is not in use, a further embodiment provides that a respective cover member is hingedly arranged at the mutually facing edges of the two lateral attachment members which are disposed in the direction of travel, so that when the attachment members are in the laid-flat position a cover for closing the filling opening is formed from those attachment members and the cover members. llis arrangement is also structurally particularly simple and does not include any loose components. So that the cover members adopt a defined position when the attachment members are erected, it is provided that one end of a guide lever is pivotably connected to each cover member at least in the region of a longitudinal side, the other end of the guide lever being mounted in the appropriate position on the upper edge of the side wall of the grain tank. In that way it is possible for the cover members to adopt a position which is horizontal or slightly inclined relative to the horizontal, in the erected position of the attachment members. To facilitate the work of the combine harvester driver, it is provided that the attachment members of the top attachment are pivotable in per se known manner by means of an erecting device having a drive. Other preferred features are set out in the dependent claims. Another more general aspect of the invention is set out in Claim 8.

llie invention will be described in further detail by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the upper region of a combine harvester grain tank with erected attachment members, is a view corresponding to Figure 1 but showing the attachment members in an intermediate position, shows the upper region of a combine harvester grain tank as shown in Figures 1 and 2 with the attachment members laid flat, is a plan view corresponding to Figure 3, is a view in section taken along line V-V in Figure 4, and Figure 6 is a view in section taken along line VI-VI in Figure 4.

Mounted by means of hinges which are not described in greater detail herein to the upper edges of the side walls 1, 2 and the end walls 3, 4 of the combine Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 is harvester grain tank 5 are pivotable attachment members 6, 7, 8, 9. Ilie attachment members 8, 9 which are mounted to the end walls 3, 4 are identified in Figure 4 by the trapezia which are indicated in dash-dotted lines and which are below the closed cover. As Figures 1 and 2 show each attachment member 8, 9 comprises a trapezoidal central portion 10 and two fold-in triangles 11, 12 which are hingedly connected thereto and which are of a right isosceles configuration. The connection is made by way of two hinges 13, 14 which are not described in greater detail herein. The outer end edges of the fold-in triangles 11, 12 are hingedly connected by way of respective hinges in the form of a continuous hinge strip 15 to the attachment members 6, 7 which are at a right angle thereto, as Figures 1 and 2 show. The hinged connection of the attachment members 6, 7 to the fold-in triangles 11, 12 and the hinged connection of the central portions 10 to the fold-in triangles 11, 12 results in a top attachment structure which is rigid in itself but which can be laid flat, as shown in Figure 3. When the attachment members 6, 7 are laid flat the fold-in triangles 11, 12 are necessarily moved into the position shown in Figure 4. Cover members 16, 17 are pivotally connected by means of hinges which are not described in greater detail herein to the edges, which are towards each other, of the attachment members 6, 7. Ilie cover members 16, 17 are so designed that they completely cover over the filling opening in the condition of being laid flat, as Figure 3 shows. In the erected position of the attachment members 6 to 9 those cover members are approximately horizontal. For that purpose guide levers 18, 19 are pivotally connected at both longitudinal sides to each cover member 16, 17. Ilie other ends of the guide levers 18, 19 are mounted to the upper edges of the two end walls 3, 4 of the combine harvester grain tank 5.

Figures 4, 5 and 6 show a possible configuration of an erecting device for the attachment members 6, 7. A drive 21 is pivotably connected to a downwardly directed cantilever arm 20 which is mounted on the attachment member 6. The drive 21 is in the form of a linear drive whose extensible drive member is pivotably connected to the tree end region of the arm 20. The attachment member 7 is pivotable about a continuous shaft 22 which extends in the longitudinal direction. A drive lever 23 is non-rotatably fitted onto each end of the shaft 22. A shaft 24 is also rotatably mounted in suitable mountings on the inside at the oppositely disposed longitudinal wall of the combine harvester grain tank 5. Ile shaft 24 however extends only over half the length of the combine harvester grain tank 5. A pivot lever 25 is non-rotatably fitted onto the shaft 24. One of the drive levers 23 is coupled to the pivot lever 25 by means of a coupling rod 26. An erecting lever 27 is pivotably mounted to the attachment member 6. A transmission lever 28 is also non-rotatably fitted onto the shaft 24 and is hingedly coupled to the erecting lever 27. In addition, a gas sprifig 29 is also mounted on the attachment member 6 in order to secure the erected position or the open position shown in dash-dotted lines in Figures 5 and 6. It can be seen in particular from Figure 6 that, upon pivotal movement of the drive lever 23 in the anti-clockwise direction the attachment members 6, 7 are pivoted in opposite directions. For laying the attachment members 6, 7 flat the drive lever 23 is pivoted in the opposite direction, that is to say in the clockwise direction.

The combine harvester grain tank according to the invention is particularly suitable for self-propelled combine harvesters.

C1AIMS A combine harvester grain tank having an upper quadrangular filling opening and attachment members which are mounted to the upper edges of the side and end walls of the grain tank by means of hinges and which in a laid-flat position form a cover which at least partially closes the filling opening and in the erected position form a box-like attachment which increases the volume of the grain tank, in which two mutually oppositely disposed attachment members are each formed from two fold-in isosceles triangles forming the end regions and a trapezoidal central portion, wherein the fold-in triangles are pivotably connected by hinges to the central portion, and in which the outer, mutually remote end regions of the fold-in triangles are hingedly connected by fitments to the associated edges of the attachment members which are at an angle thereto, so that the fold-in triangles and the central portion of one side are in alignment with each other in the erected position, and so that in the laid-flat position, the fold-in triangles lie between the central portion and the attachment members connected to the fold-in triangles.
2. A combine harvester grain tank according to claim 1 wherein the trapezoidal central portions of two mutually oppositely disposed attachment members are mounted on the upper edges of the end walls of the grain tank, which are transverse with respect to the direction of travel.
3. A combine harvester grain tank according to claim 1 or 2 wherein a respective cover member is hingedly arranged at each of the mutually facing edges of the two non-trapezoidal attachment members so that in the laid-flat position of the attachment members a cover for closing the filling opening is formed from said attachment members and the cover members.
4. A combine harvester grain tank according to claim 3 wherein one end of a guide lever is pivotably connected to each cover member at least in the region of a longitudinal side, the other end of the lever being mounted in the appropriate position on the upper edge of the side wall of the grain tank.
5. A combine harvester grain tank according to one or more of preceding claims 1 to 4 wherein the attachment members of the attachment are pivotable by means of an erecting device having a drive.
6. A combine harvester grain tank according to claim 5 wherein the erecting device includes two shafts which are disposed adjacent opposite sides of the combine harvester grain tank, wherein at least one drive lever is non-rotatably fitted onto the shaft associated with the drive, wherein a pivot lever is non-rotatably fitted onto the opposite shaft, and wherein the drive lever and the pivot lever are connected together by a coupling rod.
7. A combine harvester grain tank according to claim 6 wherein a transmission lever is fixedly fitted onto the shaft which is opposite to the drive and wherein an erecting lever hingedly coupled to the transmission lever is mounted on the associated attachment member.
8. A combine harvester grain tank with an upper rectangular filling opening and respective upward wall extension members pivotally mounted relative to its side and end walls for movement between a laid flat position in which they at least partially cover the filling opening and an erected position in which they form a box-like attachment which increases the volume of the grain tank, the extension members which extend along two opposite walls being substantially trapezoidal with their ends being connected to respective ends of the other extension members via triangular members hingedly connected to both of the two extension members being interconnected so that a complete extension wall is provided when the extension members are erected but so that the extension members can also be laid flat with the triangular members being folded into a position between the extension members which they interconnect.
9. A combine harvester grain tank according to claim 8, having the features of one or more of claims 2-7.
10. A combine harvester grain tank substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings.