Guide member for harvesting stalked crops

Details Guide member for harvesting stalked crops Guide member for harvesting stalked crops

1999-07-28

2001-05-29

Pezzuto, Robert E. (Department: 3671)

Harvesters

Stalk choppers

C056S119000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06237314

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates generally to apparatus for harvesting stalk crops such as corn or the like and, more particularly, to an improved harvester head.
German Patent Publication 3838979 A1 and German Patent 4344669 disclose apparatuses for harvesting stalk crops with snapping units including at least one feed and snapping roller below a snapping gap. The snapping gap has product-transporting conveying elements on conveyor chains. For lateral yielding of the conveying span of the chains to be avoided, the chains have guide elements which at least partially contact the revolving chains and are arranged releasably on a common main body. Such an arrangement is shown in corn picker (Maispflüucker) brochure of CLAAS KGaA, no. 190.146.1. To compensate for gradual stretching of the chain, the conveyor chains are provided with tensioners which in general allow tensioning of the conveyor chains against the action of a spring. In order for reliable stalk feeding to be continued at all times, the snapping gaps of each snapping unit can be adjusted within a given range to the stalk diameter of the crop. Generally one of the snapping gap-forming snapping plates is stationary, and the other is displaceable in its position transversely to the direction of travel by hydraulic or mechanical displacement mechanisms. The guide elements of the chains, the chain tensioners, and the parts which hold the displacement mechanism of the snapping plates are essentially constructed as bent sheet metal and welded parts which are releasably attached to a common main body. This construction causes high assembly costs. Substantial drawbacks of snapping units designed in this way include poor accessibility of the fasteners during assembly or repair, a large number of necessary component parts, and the resulting high weight of the front attachment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to overcome one or more of the problems or deficiencies described above.
Another object is to provide an improved harvesting head in which the guide elements of the chains, the guide system of the chain tensioners, and the guide system which receives the displacement mechanism of the snapping plates are designed to reduce the assembly costs and the number of component parts.
A further object is to provide an improved harvesting head in accordance with the forgoing object and which provides shorter assembly time, less time to repair, and/or a reduction in the weight of the front attachment.
In accordance with the invention there is provided an apparatus for harvesting stalk crops such as corn or the like, including a snapping roller, a conveying device for conveying harvested crop along the snapping roller, a tensioner associated with the conveying device, a guide member formed of synthetic resin and having a guide area for engagement by the conveying device, the guide member having a recess for receiving the conveying device tensioner, a plurality of displaceable snapping gap plates defining a snapping gap area therebetween and located between the snapping roller and the guide member, and means for moving at least one of the snapping gap plates and thereby adjusting the width of the snapping gap.
Advantageously the guide system of the conveyor, the displaceable snapping gap plates, and/or the tensioner are made of an elastic vibration-damping material. In this manner a considerable reduction in weight of the front attachment and a reduction of wear-increasing vibrations is achieved.
In an advantageous manner the guide elements of the conveyor, the guide system of the displaceable snapping gap plate, and the guide system of the tensioner can be integrated in a single guide portion, so that the number of parts to be assembled or to be exchanged in case of damage is considerably reduced.
In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, deflecting elements which are made either partly or completely of elastic vibration-damping material are provided for the means of traction, so that, besides a reduction in weight, a decrease in production costs is achieved.
To reduce the wear-related changing of the snapping rollers, in a further advantageous embodiment according to the invention, it is provided that the end region of the snapping rollers in the direction of travel is made dismountable and, with a view to reducing weight, also made of elastic vibration-damping material.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4084396 (1978-04-01), Fritz et al.
patent: 4227366 (1980-10-01), Pucher
patent: 4539799 (1985-09-01), Kalverkamp
patent: 4598535 (1986-07-01), Sousek
patent: 5161355 (1992-11-01), Diederich, Jr.
patent: 5878561 (1996-10-01), Gunn
patent: 3838979 A1 (1990-05-01), None
patent: 43 44 669 (1995-04-01), None
CLAAS KGaA Maispflücker brochure, No. 190.146.1., including English version , no date.

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