Harvesters – Standing-grain gatherers – Rotating reel – horizontal axis
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-29
2001-12-04
Will, Thomas B. (Department: 3671)
Harvesters
Standing-grain gatherers
Rotating reel, horizontal axis
C056S400000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06324823
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates to a crop harvesting header of the type including a pickup reel and particularly to an arrangement for mounting a finger on the support tube of a bat of the reel.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The conventional harvesting header comprises a frame for mounting on a crop harvesting machine for movement across ground carrying a crop to be harvested, the frame defining a working width of the header, a table mounted on the frame across the width of the header for receiving the crop when cut for transportation along the header, a cutting knife along a front edge of the table for cutting the crop and a pickup reel mounted above the knife and the table for controlling the crop as it moves onto the table. The reel comprises a main elongate support beam and a plurality of bats at angularly spaced positions around the main beam.
A reel of this type is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,776,155 assigned to the present assignee. The bat comprises a tube formed from shaped sheet metal and defining a cylindrical section along one edge of the tube so that the cylindrical section can be connected end to end to other such bats by short connecting pipe sections. The pipe sections and the cylindrical section thus define an axis around which the bat rotates. Each finger is inserted into a pocket defined in the sheet metal tube so as to project outwardly in a radial plane of the axis. Each finger is formed from a moulded plastics element defining a single thickness with a slight curvature toward the tip. A button on one end of the finger projects into a hole in the tube to latch the finger in place.
In an alternative construction also previously used, which supersedes that shown in the above patent, there is provided a main longitudinal tube forming the base structure of the bat onto which is welded a plurality of sheet metal holders each for holding a finger of the construction shown in the patent.
These arrangements have some disadvantage in that the sheet metal elements are relatively expensive and in that they mount only a single thickness or strip of the finger so that there is a tendency of the finger to break at or adjacent the edge of the sheet metal element.
A less expensive construction comprises a coiled wire arrangement which defines two parallel spaced fingers connected by a central helical coil section which wraps around the tube. The central coil section is then bolted to the tube by a bolt which passes through diametrically opposed punched holes in the tube. The head of the bolt thus holds down the central section of the coil thus holding the coil in place and maintaining the fingers at a predetermined angular orientation around the axis of the tube.
This arrangement has some disadvantage in that, while it is cheap and easy to manufacture, the use of metal parts on the reel is disadvantageous in that any broken fingers or pieces of finger which enter the crop material pass into and through the combine harvester on which the header is mounted with significant danger of damage to the threshing system.
Another prior art construction manufactured by HCC Inc of Mendota Illinois comprises a moulded plastic finger which has integrally moulded with the finger portion a mounting portion in the form of a collar. The collar wraps wholly around the tube and is squeezed in place by a screw which clamps together two ends of the collar. In order to prevent rotation of the collar on the tube. there is provided a single moulded projection extending radially inwardly from an otherwise cylindrical surface of the collar so as to engage into a hole in the tube. This arrangement has the disadvantage in that it is relatively weak. It is desirable to provide a mounting which allows a user to attach either the wire coil arrangement or the plastic finger depending upon the requirements in particular crop conditions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is one object of the present invention to provide an improved arrangement for mounting a finger on the support tube of a bat of a harvesting header reel.
According to the invention there is provided a bat of a reel of a harvesting machine comprising:
a support tube for extending longitudinally of an axis of the bat;
a plurality of fingers mounted on the tube so as to extend generally outwardly from the tube in a radial plane of the axis;
the support tube having a plurality of finger support locations thereon arranged at spaced locations along the axis with each finger arranged at a respective one of the support locations along the length of the bat;
each finger including a finger portion and a mounting portion carried on the tube from which the finger portion extends;
each support location of the tube including two diametrically opposed indentations punched into a wall of the tube so that the indentations are recessed from an outside surface of the wall of the tube and with each indentation including a hole formed through the wall of the tube;
the mounting portion of each finger comprising a collar at least partly surrounding the tube at the support location, two projections on the collar extending radially inwardly from the collar and each engaging into a respective one of the indentations;
and a fastener extending through the holes in the tube and engaging the projections for pulling the projections radially inwardly to hold the projections in the respective indentations to hold the collar on the tube.
Preferably the collar extends only partly around the tube leaving an open portion and wherein the collar is formed from a material which is resiliently deformable allowing the open portion to be opened further by flexing of the collar to engage the collar and the projections around the tube.
Preferably the open portion comprises substantially the whole of the portion from one projection to the other projection.
Preferably each of the projections has a hole therethrough aligned with the respective hole in the tube and wherein the fastener passes through the hole in each of the projections.
Preferably the fastener is a bolt extending through the holes and carrying a nut to clamp the projections into the indentations.
Preferably the finger portion is attached to the collar at a position adjacent one of the projections and is spaced from the other of the projections to leave a portion of the collar adjacent the other of the projections which can flex.
Preferably the finger portion is shaped in cross-section adjacent the collar to form an edge flange lying in a plane parallel to the axis and a web at right angles to the edge flange.
Preferably the finger portion is attached to the collar at a position such that the edge flange is immediately adjacent one of the projections and the finger portion is spaced from the other of the projections to leave a portion of the collar adjacent the other of the projections which can flex.
Preferably the finger portion is shaped in cross-section adjacent the collar to form a second edge flange lying in a plane parallel to the axis and at right angles to the web.
Preferably the finger portion is attached to the collar at a position such that the edge flange is immediately adjacent one of the projections and the second edge flange is spaced from the other of the projections to leave a portion of the collar between the second edge flange and the other of the projections which can flex.
Preferably each of the projections is cylindrical about an axis longitudinal of the fastener.
According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a finger per se as defined above which can be sold and used as a spare part for an existing bat.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2909889 (1959-10-01), Gustafson
patent: 3066470 (1962-12-01), Johnston
patent: 3157019 (1964-11-01), Brackbill
patent: 3613346 (1971-10-01), Hubbard
patent: 3796030 (1974-03-01), Neal et al.
patent: 4520620 (1985-06-01), Gessel et al.
patent: 4706448 (1987-11-01), Gessel et al.
patent: 4776155 (1988-10-01), Fox et al.
patent: 4901511 (1990-02-01), Yarmashev et al.
Battison Adrian D.
MacDon Industries Ltd.
Petravick Meredith
Will Thomas B.
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