Crop threshing or separating – Fruit or vegetable processing apparatus – Shelling pressure roller
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-27
2001-07-24
Pezzuto, Robert E. (Department: 3671)
Crop threshing or separating
Fruit or vegetable processing apparatus
Shelling pressure roller
C056S157000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06264554
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates crop cutting apparatus for attachment to an agricultural cutting bar and more particularly to a crop cutting apparatus which is oriented to cut along a generally vertical plane at respective ends of the cutting bar.
BACKGROUND
When cutting entangled crops such as canola, peas or mustard it is common for the crop to gather on respective ends of the header of a swather or combine unless a further cutting apparatus is mounted on the ends of the header. The entangled crops also tend to plug the header or form entangled piles in the swath in the case of a swather. The entangled piles then plug the combine which later collects the swath.
Known crop cutting devices arranged to mount on respective ends of a header for cutting along a generally vertical plane are generally quite complex. These generally include devices having a plurality of sickle sections mounted on a chain drive or a plurality of reciprocating blades. In either case, the devices include numerous moving parts and thus require a significant amount of maintenance as well as being costly to manufacture.
SUMMARY
According to the present invention there is provided a cutting apparatus for attachment to an end of a generally horizontally extending agricultural cutting bar, the cutting bar being supported for forward movement across the ground in a working direction extending transversely to the cutting bar for cutting a crop as the cutting bar is displaced in the working direction, said apparatus comprising:
a housing arranged to mount on the end of the cutting bar;
a rotor rotatably mounted within the housing for rotation about a substantially horizontal rotor axis, the rotor axis extending transversely to the forward direction;
a plurality of blades mounted on a periphery of the rotor for engaging the crop as the rotor is rotated.
The use of a rotor having blades mounted thereon results in a cutting apparatus having very few moving parts which is simple and low in cost to manufacture as well as maintain. Mounting the blades on the rotor permits the blades to be rotated at very high speeds for enhancing the blade life and further reducing maintenance costs. Furthermore, the housing is easily adaptable for mounting on a header of either a combine or a swather such that the apparatus is useful with numerous types of agricultural cutting devices.
Preferably there is provided a hydraulic motor mounted on the housing for driving rotation of the rotor. The motor is preferably balanced about the rotor axis such that the rotor is mounted on an output shaft extending from the motor along the rotor axis. When the motor is mounted on an outer face of the housing, preferably there is provided a crop deflector bar mounted on the housing to extend laterally outward at a rearward incline from a front end of the housing such that the crop deflector bar deflects a crop away from the motor as the cutting bar is displaced through the crop in the working direction.
When there is provided a reel mounted above the cutting bar for rotation about a reel axis, preferably the rotor is driven by a rotor motor coupled to operate in series with a reel motor driving the reel.
Preferably the blades are equally spaced about the periphery of the rotor such that the rotor is weight balanced about the rotor axis.
The blades are preferably selectively separable from the rotor such that the blades may be replaced.
There may be provided an access port in the housing such that fasteners mounting the blades on the rotor are accessible without removing the rotor from the housing such that the blades are replaceable independently from the rotor.
A plurality of stationary blades are preferably mounted on a forward edge of the housing. The stationary blades are preferably spaced radially outward from the rotor axis in alignment with the blades mounted on the rotor such that the blades mounted on the rotor rotate past the stationary blades in a scissors cutting action.
When the rotor is mounted adjacent an inner face of the housing, a guard member is preferably mounted on the inner face of the housing to extend over the rotor such that the rotor is located between the housing and the guard member and the rotor extends past a forward edge of both the housing and the guard member.
The rotor is preferably mounted such that a forward edge of the rotor extends forward from the cutting bar.
A bracket may be provided for mounting the housing to the cutting bar. The bracket preferably includes a first mounting member arranged to mount the housing thereon and a second mounting member arranged to mount on the cutting bar, the first and second mounting members being coupled together for relative pivotal movement therebetween such that an angle between the housing and the cutting bar is adjustable. Preferably the bracket further includes a plurality of mounting apertures being vertically spaced apart thereon for mounting the housing such that a vertical spacing between the housing and the cutting bar is adjustable.
A crop collecting member is preferably mounted on the housing to extend forwardly at an upward incline therefrom, the crop collecting member being arranged to engage the crop and direct the crop downward towards the rotor as the cutting bar is displaced in the working direction.
A cover member may be arranged to mount on the housing to extend forward past the blades such that the blades are prevented from engaging the crop, the cover being selectively separable from the housing for use of the rotor such that the removal of the housing from the cutting bar is not required if the rotor is not to be used.
The housing may be symmetrical about a horizontal plane extending through the rotor axis such that inverting the housing about rotor axis allows the housing to be mounted on an opposite end of the cutting bar.
There may be provided a housing having a corresponding rotor and blades coupled thereto mounted at each end of the cutting bar.
Preferably the rotor axis is substantially parallel to the cutting bar.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2517390 (1950-08-01), Downing
Glendale Swath Dividers Advertisement 1 page only—No date.
Keer Shear—Operators Manual Jun. 1997.
Battison Adrian D.
Pezzuto Robert E.
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