The present invention relates generally to crop harvesting equipment. More particlarly, the present invention concerns a mower/conditioner having structure for directing crop material into the proper orientation for feeding and cuttoff.
Lean bars, also known as knock-down bars, may be used to knock down crop material for cutoff and feeding into a header. For example, lean bars may be used to knock down the top end of high biomass crop material for proper feeding into a header which cuts and conditions the crop material and deposits conditioned crop material into a swath or windrow.
In an example embodiment, a header assembly includes a header configured to process crop material and a lean bar assembly having a lean bar as the leading element for contacting crop material and preparing the crop material for processing by the header. In an example embodiment, the lean bar assembly may include a rotatable lean bar configured to engage crop material and urge it in a desired direction. The lean bar assembly may include a rotatable lean bar having a laterally extending member coupled to positioning arms extending forward of the header so that the lean bar is positioned as the leading contact member of the header assembly. The lean bar may be configured for rotation about the axis of the lean bar member.
In addition to knocking down crop material by the contact of a surface of the laterally extending member with the crop material, the lean bar may be provided with various crop manipulation features, such as auger flights, fingers, paddles, flutes, and the like, to urge the crop material in a desired direction for processing by the header. The header assembly may thus be arranged so that the lean bar not only knocks down crop material but urges it in a desired direction to the header for cutting, conditioning, and discharge into a windrow.
In one example embodiment, a rotatable lean bar may configured for free rotation so that the engagement of the crop material by the lean bar assists in rotating the lean bar, thereby improving the lean bars ability to manipulate the crop material. In one example embodiment, the lean bar may be journaled in bearings provided on positioning arms to allow the lean bar to freely rotate. The lean bar may be provided with rotation urging elements that are configured to engage the crop material and assist in rotating the lean bar. Thus, contact of the lean bar with the crop material assists the rotation of the lean bar which in turn improves the ability of the lean bar to manipulate the crop material.
The lean bar may be provided with crop urging elements to urge the crop material in a desired direction. For example, auger flighting or other elements may be provided to urge the crop material laterally inward toward conditioning rolls of the header. It should be noted that a particular element of the lean bar may serve to rotate the lean bar and urge the crop material in a desired direction.
The lean bar may be configured for powered rotation. In one example embodiment, a variable speed reversible hydraulic motor is provided to power the rotation of the lean bar. A controller may be used to manipulate the motor and vary the rotational speed and direction of the lean bar in accordance with a predetermined scheme. For example, the controller may be used to rotate the lean bar in a first direction or a second direction, and/or rotate the lean bar at a constant speed or at a variable speed, etc. In addition, the controller may be configured for operation in a variety of modes which allow the operator different levels of control over the operation of the lean bar. For example, the controller may be operable in a manual mode in which an operator directly controls the rotation of the lean bar by an input means or an automatic mode in which the controller manages the operation of the lean bar in accordance with a predetermined scheme with minimal operator input. To assist the operator in manipulating the lean bar, a control system may be provided that includes a control panel accessible by the operator, such as within the cab of a vehicle, to allow the operator to change various modes of the controller and manipulate the rotation of the lean bar as desired. The motor could also be configured to provide a fixed speed.
The lean bar assembly may be configured so that its position is adjustable to allow the lean bar to be placed in an optimal position for processing a particular crop material. For example, the lean bar may be configured for manual adjustment by the movement of positioning arms that support the lean bar. In one example embodiment, a slot/pin type arrangement is configured to allow for the translational and rotational movement of the positioning arms with respect to the header.
The lean bar may also be configured for remote adjustment by an operator. For example, in one embodiment a lean bar adjustment system comprises a hydraulic piston and solenoid arrangement configured to move the positioning arms. A control panel may be provided to an operator, such as in a cab of the vehicle, to allow the operator to manipulate the arrangement and thereby change the position of the lean bar from the cab of the vehicle.
As required, example embodiments of the present invention are disclosed. The various embodiments are meant to be non-limiting examples of various ways of implementing the invention and it will be understood that the invention may be embodied in alternative forms. The present invention will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like numerals represent like elements throughout the several figures, and in which exemplary embodiments are shown. The figures are not necessarily to scale and some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular elements, while related elements may have been eliminated to prevent obscuring novel aspects. The specific structural and functional details disclosed herein should not be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention. For example, while the example embodiments are discussed in the context of a lean bar with a rotary header, it will be understood that the present invention is not so limited and that other type headers, such as sickle headers, may be used, and that it may be used in conjunction with a variety of agricultural vehicles.
Turning to the Figures,
A harvesting header assembly 24 may be supported on the front of the frame 4 and include a header 32 and a lean bar 36 including a lean bar 34 configured to knock down crop material 10. As perhaps best seen in
As seen in
The header 32 may be powered by hydraulic lines 62 (
In the example embodiment shown in
The lean bar 34 may be rotatably mounted to the positioning arms 82. For example, shaft ends 84 of the member 72 may be journaled for rotation at the positioning arms 82 by bearing assemblies 92. The rotation of the lean bar 34 assists in urging the crop material in a desired direction, such as rearward toward the header 32.
In the example embodiment shown in
The lean bar 34 may also be provided with crop urging elements configured to urge crop material in a desired direction. In the example embodiment of
The lean bar 35 and its associated crop urging elements may be arranged so as to provide crop material 10 to the header in a desired orientation for optimum feeding to the next element of the header 32, such as having the length of the crop material stalk perpendicular to the cutterbar, or parallel to the direction of header travel. The crop material provided to the header 32 may be processed by the header 32 and discharged through a rear opening 104 (
Whereas in the example embodiments discussed above the lean bar 34 may be arranged for free rotation and rotated by contact with crop material the rotation of the lean bar 34 could be driven powered. For example, in the embodiment shown in
In an example embodiment, the drive means may be a reversible variable speed drive, such as a variable speed hydraulic motor 112 for varying the rotational speed and direction of the lean bar 34. For example a Gerotor motor from Eaton may be used that allows for the speed of the drive to be varied by manipulating the flow of hydraulic fluid through the motor as known to one of skill in the art. The speed of rotation of the lean bar 34 may be controlled in accordance with a predetermined scheme. For example, the lean bar rotational speed may be varied in response to the speed of the vehicle 2 or the speed of the cutters 52 of the header 24. As discussed in more detail below, a controller 154 may be used to control the rotational speed of the lean bar 34 and such rotation may be performed in a variety of modes, with varying degrees of control by an operator, such as a manual mode, an automatic mode, a semi-automatic mode, etc. For example, a user interface, such as a control panel 156, may be provided in the cab 20 of the vehicle 2 and include switches or other user input means by which an operator can control the rotational speed of the lean bar 34.
As perhaps best shown in
The pin receiving hole 164 in the positioning arm 82 corresponds with the slot 182 in the mount 172. A pin may be inserted through the pin receiving hole 164 and the slot 182 to allow translational movement along the slot as well as the rotation of the positioning arm 82 about the pin which acts as a pivot point. The pin slots 162 provided in the positioning arm 182 cooperate with the pin receiving holes 184 in the mount 172 to allow for the positioning arm 82 to be positioned such that the pin receiving slot 162 is aligned with one of the pin receiving holes 184. A pin may be inserted therethrough to hold the positioning arm at the desired position. Thus, an operator may change the position of the lean bar 34 by removing pins from the pin holes 164, 184 and slots 162, 164 arrange the position of the lean bar 34 as desired and re-insert the pins to hold the lean bar 34 at the desired position. The pins used may be configured to releasably hold the positioning arm 82 in the desired position to allow for repeated easy adjustment of the lean bar 34 position. Once a desired position of the lean bar 34 is obtained, the operator may lock the pins in order to hold the lean bar 34 in the desired position.
In the example embodiment shown in
This rotation allows the receiving slot 162 of the positioning arm 82 to be moved for alignment with one of the pin receiving holes 184 in the mount 172 to a desired inclination. The positioning arm 82 may also slide along the path created by the slot 162. Once the positioning arms 82 are in a desired position, the arms 82 may be locked in place by locking the pins. For example, the pin may comprise hardware that may be tightened down on the positioning arm 82 and the mount 172. In one example embodiment a bolt and nut may be used. This arrangement allows for the easy adjustment of the position of the lean bar 34.
As shown in
In the event a different crop is to be processed, such as forage sorghum, then it may be desirable to adjust the position of the lean bar 34. In that case, the pins may be unlocked and the lean bar repositioned to a position P2 shown in
In addition to manual adjustment of the lean bar, a powered adjustable configuration is also contemplated. For example, as shown in
A second hydraulic cylinder 304 may be coupled to a rotatable angle guide 332 configured for rotation about a rotation point 342. A first end of the cylinder 302 may be attached to the header frame 174 and a second end to the angle guide 332 such that extension and retraction of the cylinder 304 rotates the angle guide 332 to rotate the angle guide 332 about the pivot point 168 to change the position of the lean bar 34. Thus, in a first position shown in
As mentioned above, the rotation of the lean bar 34 and the position of the lean bar may be manipulated.
As discussed above, rotation of the lean bar 34 may be driven by a pulley 122 whose rotation results in the rotation of the lean bar 34 by the belt drive 132 and second pulley 124. The pulley arrangement may be powered by the hydraulic motor 112 mounted on the positioning arm 82. For example, fluid may be provided to the hydraulic motor 112 from a hydraulic pump (not shown) by the hydraulic line 114 and the flow of fluid manipulated by solenoids and/or flow control valves to vary the fluid flow to manipulate the speed and/or direction of rotation of the motor 112 and hence the lean bar 34. This arrangement thus allows the rotation of the lean bar 34 to be controlled by the controller 154.
In an example embodiment, a flow control valve 522 (shown schematically in
As discussed in more detail below, the lean bar 34 may be manipulated by the controller 154 in accordance with predetermined schemes programmed by an operator. For example, the rotation of the lean bar 34 may be manipulated in response to the speed of the vehicle 2. For example, the speed of the vehicle 2 may be determined by a vehicle speed sensor 524, such as a speedometer of the vehicle 2, to the controller 154. As the vehicle speed increases, the controller 154 may increase the rotational speed of the lean bar 35 to assist in processing the expected increase in crop material 10 to be processed. This allows header assembly 24 to automatically adjust its rotational speed.
Various other sensors 536 could be used by the controller 154 to manipulate the rotation of the lean bar 34. For example, a sensor could be used to monitor the speed of the cutters of the cutting bed and this information used to adjust the rotation of the lean bar 34.
The system box 502 and controller 154 are connected to elements controlled by the controller 154 that are distributed about the header assembly 24 and the vehicle 2. Although single lines are depicted running from the system box to the various elements, these lines may represent multiple wired connections that are connected to the indicated elements.
The system box 602 and controller 70 are connected to different sensors including the lean bar speed sensor 512, the vehicle speed sensor 522, a lean bar position sensor 524 and a crop height sensor 514. The lean bar speed sensor 512 sends a signal to the controller 154 indicating the rotational speed of the lean bar, the vehicle speed sensor 522 sends a signal to the controller 154 indicating the vehicle speed, the lean bar position sensor 524 sends a signal to the controller indicating the position of the lean bar 34 relative to the header 32, and the crop height sensor sends a signal to the controller 154 indicated the height of the crop material 10 forward of the lean bar 34.
The system box 602 and'controller 154 are also connected to different elements to control the rotation and position of the lean bar 34, such as solenoids and valves that activate the flow of hydraulic fluid to different systems of the lean bar assembly 36 and the control panel 156 for effectuating desired commands of an operator. For example, in the example embodiment shown in
The system box 602 and controller 154 may also be connected to the control panel 156 so that an operator may issue commands to the controller. In an example embodiment, the control panel 156 may be located in the cab 14 of the vehicle 2 and include input means for use by the operator.
The example embodiment of the control console 500 of
The various buttons may be used by the operator to manipulate the lean bar 34. For example the lean bar up/down button 704 and lean bar forward/aft button 712 may be used to change the position of the lean bar by manipulating the hydraulic cylinders 302, 304, respectively. The lean bar rotation speed button 716 and lean bar rotation direction button 722 may be used to manipulate the motor 112 to manipulate the rotation of the lean bar. The program mode set button 714 may be used to enter various modes of operation of the lean bar 34. For example, in a manual mode the operator may use the various buttons 704, 712, 716, 722 to directly manipulate the lean bar 34. If an automatic mode is selected, then the controller 154 may manipulate the lean bar 34 in accordance with a predetermined scheme. For example, a scheme may include operating the rotational speed of the lean bar at a steady speed or in response to the speed of the vehicle. A scheme may also include positioning the lean bar at a particular position in response to the height of the crop material 10 detected by a crop height sensor 514 such as placing the lean bar 30 inches below the detected height of the crop material 10.
The foregoing has broadly outlined some of the more pertinent aspects and features of the present invention. These should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the invention. Other beneficial results can be obtained by applying the disclosed information in a different manner or by modifying the disclosed embodiments. Accordingly, other aspects and a more comprehensive understanding of the invention may be obtained by referring to the detailed description of the exemplary embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims.
This application claims priority to co-pending U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/365,468 filed Jul. 19, 2010 entitled “HEADER WITH IMPROVED LEAN BAR” (P113H); U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/365,463 filed Jul. 19, 2010; entitled, “HEADER WITH ADJUSTABLE LEAN BAR” (P0904H) and U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/365,471 filed Jul. 19, 2010 entitled “VARIABLE SPEED LEAN BAR” (P1135H), which all are entirely incorporated herein by reference. The present U.S. Nonprovisional Application is related to U.S. Nonprovisional Application entitled “VARIABLE SPEED LEAN BAR” (A1135H), and U.S. Nonprovisional Application entitled “HEADER WITH ADJUSTABLE LEAN BAR” (A0904H), which are both incorporated herein by reference in their entirety, having been filed concurrently with the present application.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61365468 | Jul 2010 | US | |
61365463 | Jul 2010 | US | |
61365471 | Jul 2010 | US |