Harvesters – Cutting – Track clearers and dividers
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-25
2001-09-04
Pezzuto, Robert E. (Department: 3671)
Harvesters
Cutting
Track clearers and dividers
C056S119000, C056SDIG002
Reexamination Certificate
active
06282876
ABSTRACT:
The invention relates to a crop divider for mounting in front of a wheel of an agricultural vehicle when it is used to operate in standing crop, for example to apply agricultural chemicals. The agricultural vehicle as used herein is intended to include any vehicle with ground wheels arranged to travel across ground carrying a standing crop whether that vehicle is intended for towing a trailer or carries directly on the vehicle elements such as a sprayer for acting on the crop or the ground.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
One example of a vehicle of this type is the MacDon 9000 tractor which can carry the MacDon 625 Field sprayer mounted on the tractor which is commercially available and details are available from a brochure published by Westward Parts. Further details are shown in U.S. patent applications Ser. Nos. 08/904,148 and 09/020,855 filed Jul. 21 1997 and Feb. 9, 1998 the details of which are incorporated herein by reference. The corresponding Canadian Applications are 2,212,220 and 2,229,152.
The crop divider can also be used with other types of vehicles which are of the type used as a dedicated sprayer, for example the products available from John Deere, Willmar and Tyler, where a wheel must pass over standing crop to carry the sprayer and boom over the ground to effect a spraying action on the crop.
Many different designs of dividers have previously been used for dividing crop. They commonly depend on steel or plastic sheets (or bars) mounted on an angle to the direction of travel and diverging from a leading edge to push standing crop to the side. An example of this type is shown in the John Deere 4700 brochure on page 19.
These types of device are not effective on crop that is leaning substantially out of vertical or crop that is down and tangled. In addition, at higher speed the divider tends to push standing crop forward and down to a position where it is simply run over by the wheel. The disadvantages of these types of current dividers are sufficient that they are frequently not used even though 2 to 3% of the crop is typically run over and not harvested. This is a substantial loss that may be significantly reduced if an effective crop divider can be provided.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is one object of the current invention to provide an improved divider for a wheel of an agricultural vehicle.
According to the invention, therefore, there is provided a crop divider for a ground wheel of an agricultural vehicle comprising:
at least one divider sheet having a bottom edge;
a mounting assembly for mounting the divider sheet in front of the ground wheel relative to a direction of forward movement of the ground wheel for engaging a crop growing on the ground in advance of the ground wheel and for directing the crop to one side of the ground wheel and with the bottom edge spaced from the ground;
at least one tine wheel having a hub mounted for rotation of the tine wheel about an axis thereof and a plurality of flexible tines extending outwardly from the hub for rotation with the hub about the axis;
the tine wheel being mounted in front of the ground wheel and behind the divider sheet with the hub prevented from engaging the crop by the divider sheet and the tines extending downwardly below a bottom edge of the divider sheet for engaging the crop adjacent the ground;
the tine wheel being arranged such that the tines thereof, as they pass rearwardly underneath the hub in a direction of rotation of the tine wheel about the axis, move generally along a line at an angle to the forward direction so as to comb the crop along the line toward one side of the ground wheel.
Preferably the tine wheel is driven by engagement of the tines with the crop and the ground.
Preferably the tines are sufficiently flexible so that the tine will deflect and not be damaged when crop does not move to the side.
Preferably the tine wheel stands in a substantially vertical plane containing said line.
Preferably the tine wheel rotates about the axis thereof which is at right angles to the plane.
Preferably the tine wheel is substantially parallel to the divider sheet.
Preferably the tines are shaped such that each includes an outer portion spaced outwardly from the hub for engaging the crop which extends generally in an angular direction rearward of the direction of rotation so as to be pulled from the crop as the tine wheel rotates without a tendency to wrap the crop around the tine wheel.
Preferably the tines are shaped such that each includes an inner portion which extends in a direction substantially at right angles to the outer portion in an angularly advanced direction.
Preferably there are two divider sheets and two tine wheels arranged such that the divider sheets meet at a leading edge standing in front of the ground wheel and arranged such that the tine wheels are inclined forwardly and inwardly so as to meet at a location behind the apex.
Preferably the tines of the tine wheels intersect behind the apex and in front of the hubs.
Preferably the mounting assembly is arranged to allow the divider to float up to avoid damage from obstacles.
Preferably there are provided side sheets that guide the crop material past the ground wheel.
Preferably the divider sheet has a top edge at a height at least at a top of the tines of the tine wheel.
In general, therefore, the divider assembly comprises of a divider frame mounted to the sprayer with a pivoting link mounted at the rear of the divider frame and supported at the front with a flexible chain. Mounted on the frame are sheets of steel or plastic to guide the crop material to the side and past the tire. Mounted to the front of the frame are two axles mounted at an angle to the direction of travel. Two tine wheels rotate on the axles behind the divider sheets. Mounted on the tine wheel hubs are spring tines that extend outward from the hub in a curved path such that as the tines can pull out of the crop with a minimum of friction. The tines extend below the divider sheets. The angle of the axle is such the tines will move to the rear and side as the tine wheel is rotated. A divider rod may be mounted in front of the divider sheets.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2471771 (1949-05-01), Parks et al.
patent: 2703956 (1955-03-01), Pool
patent: 3135083 (1964-06-01), Czajkowski
patent: 3214894 (1965-11-01), Whitman
patent: 3678669 (1972-07-01), Czajkowski
patent: 4301644 (1981-11-01), Henderson
patent: 4706448 (1987-11-01), Gessel et al.
patent: 5974773 (1999-11-01), Rieck et al.
Battison Adrian D.
MacDon Industries Ltd.
Petravick Meredith C.
Pezzuto Robert E.
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