Harvesters – Cornstalk type – Gatherers or guides
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-27
2001-06-12
Pezzuto, Robert E. (Department: 3671)
Harvesters
Cornstalk type
Gatherers or guides
Reexamination Certificate
active
06244026
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to agricultural combines. It relates particularly to the crop harvesting header assembly of an agricultural combine.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The crop harvesting header assembly of an agricultural combine is conventionally mounted on the front end of the chassis in the combine. The header assembly extends forwardly of the front wheels of the combine and cuts a wide swath of the crop as the combine is driven through the standing crop in a field. The header assembly is connected to the combine body on the chassis by a cut crop feeder assembly. The feeder assembly carries the cut crop upwardly and rearwardly into the combine's threshing assembly.
The header assembly is conventionally cantilevered from the front end of the combine chassis on the feeder assembly, which permits it to move up and down and tilt relative to the combine's longitudinal axis so that a cutter bar extending transversely across the front of the header assembly is free to follow the contour of the field. The cutter bar and, accordingly, the header assembly are supported for travel over the terrain at a uniform height on a series of runners which depend from the trailing edge of the cutter bar. A crop cutter blade is mounted in the cutter bar for reciprocating cutting movement longitudinally of the bar.
Depending upon the crop being harvested, a header assembly may include a series of crop lifter arms mounted on a cutter bar guard and extending forwardly from it. The crop lifter arms are spaced twelve to eighteen inches from each other along the cutter bar guard, transversely of the header assembly. With a twenty-four foot wide header assembly harvesting a vine-type crop such as soy beans, for example, it is conventional to have as many as twenty crop lifter arms mounted on the cutter bar guard in relatively closely spaced relationship.
In a conventional set-up, the closely spaced crop lifter arms are mounted on the cutter bar guard, forwardly of, and below, the guard point. The lifter arms are mounted on the cutter bar guard for limited vertical pivoting movement.
Each lifting arm has a crop lifting surface extending the length of its upper edge. The angle of the lifting surface on each lifter arm relative to the ground is steep along virtually its entire length, e.g., an angle of about 45° is typical.
The aforedescribed conventional construction and set-up of crop lifter arms in a header assembly for an agricultural combine has numerous shortcomings, however. It results in the crop being cut off relatively high and at inconsistent heights. It results in foreign material easily entering the cutting blade area. It creates a substantial amount of stress in the cutter bar guard and related structure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved crop lifter for the header assembly of an agricultural combine.
It is another object to provide a crop lifter which easily permits lower crop cutting heights to be achieved.
It is still another object to provide a crop lifter which results in a more consistent cutting height being maintained across a field.
It is yet another object to provide a crop lifter which assures that relatively long bean pods or vine type crops are always lifted above the vine cutter blade in the header assembly.
It is yet another object to provide a crop lifter which reduces the amount of foreign material entering the cutting blade area in the header assembly.
It is a further object to provide a crop lifter which causes less stress on the cutter bar, blade and guard structure.
It is still a further object to provide a crop lifter which has more ground clearance when mounted on the cutter bar guard.
It is another object to provide a crop lifter sub-assembly including a lifter arm having lifting wings which effectively bridge the gap between adjacent arms and greatly enhance the lifting effect of the lifter arms.
It is yet another object to provide a crop lifter sub-assembly which permits fewer lifter arms to be used across the width of a header assembly, resulting in lower overall cost.
The foregoing and other objects are realized by providing a crop lifter arm which combines high initial lift with a shallow lifting angle of the lifting surface near the top of the arm. The shallow angle combined with the higher initial lift makes the lifter arm well suited for vine-type crops. The lifting surface on the lifter arm has a 38°±5° lift angle at the front and a 24°±5° lift angle near the rear. The steep angle at the front lifts the crop rapidly. The shallow angle on the remainder of the surface gradually lifts the crop, while reducing friction, and substantially prevents plugging from occurring.
The crop lifter arm configuration of the invention produces a wide separation between the top surface of the lifter arm and the cutter bar, a separation which is a minimum of 160 mm±25 mm. The effect of this wide separation is to prevent bean pods from hitting the cutter blade and greatly reduces crop loss.
The crop lifter arm has a pair of laterally extending lifting wings or whiskers fastened to it. The lifting wings are formed of spring steel wire and extend rearwardly from the mounting point of the arm. The lifter arm and wings form a crop lifter sub-assembly which provides a substantial crop lifting effect across a wide area over each lifting arm and, accordingly, reduces the number of lifter arms needed.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2133905 (1938-10-01), Rund, Jr.
patent: 2653436 (1953-09-01), Warner
patent: 3421303 (1969-01-01), Kammerzell
patent: 4269018 (1981-05-01), Pickett
patent: 4301644 (1981-11-01), Henderson
patent: 4704850 (1987-11-01), Obermeier
patent: 5906091 (1999-05-01), Gemar
Leal Jose Luiz Veiga
Minnihan James William
Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione
Case Corporation
Lione Richard G.
Pezzuto Robert E.
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