Patent Application
20070289278
Referring now to the drawings, and, more particularly to
Cutting platform 12 generally includes a plurality of platform sections 16, 18 and 20, a cutterbar assembly 22 and a reel assembly 24. In the embodiment shown, platform section 16 is a center platform section, platform section 18 is a first wing platform section, and platform section 20 is a second wing platform section. Although shown with three platform sections, cutting platform 12 may be configured with more or less platform sections, depending upon the particular application.
Each platform section 16, 18 and 20 generally includes a frame 26, a plurality of float arms 28 coupled with a respective frame 26, a cutterbar 30 carried by the outboard ends of respective float arms 28, an endless belt 32, and a plurality of belt guides 34. The frame 26 of first wing platform section 18 and second wing platform section 20 are each pivotally coupled with center platform section 16, such that the outboard ends of first wing platform section 18 and second wing platform section 20 can move up and down independent from center platform section 16. To that end, a lift cylinder 36 coupled between the frame of combine 10 and feeder housing 14 lifts the entire cutting platform 12, a first tilt cylinder 38 coupled between the respective frame 26 of first wing platform section 18 and center platform section 16 pivotally moves first wing platform section 18 relative to center platform section 16, and a second tilt cylinder 40 coupled between the respective frame 26 of second wing platform section 20 and center platform section 16 pivotally moves second wing platform section 20 relative to center platform section 16.
Cutterbar assembly 22 includes two cutterbars 30 carried at the outboard ends of float arms 28 (i.e., at the leading edge of a platform section 16, 18 or 20). Each cutterbar 30 includes a plurality of knives 42 carried by a bar (not specifically shown). The particular type of knife can vary, such as a double blade knife (as shown) or a single blade knife. The bar is formed from a metal which is flexible to an extent allowing a desired degree of flexure across the width of cutting platform 12. In the embodiment shown, a majority of each cutterbar 30 is carried by a respective first wing platform section 18 or second wing platform section 20, with a lesser extent at the adjacent inboard ends of each cutterbar 30 being carried by center platform section 16. Cutterbars 30 are simultaneously driven by a single knife drive 44, providing reciprocating movement in concurrent opposite directions between cutterbars 30. It is also possible to reciprocally drive cutterbars 30 with multiple knife drives, which can be positioned at the adjacent, inboard ends or the outboard ends of cutterbars 30.
A plurality of knife guards 46 are positioned in opposition to knives 42 for providing opposing surfaces for cutting the crop material with knives 42. A plurality of keepers 48 spaced along cutterbars 30 have a distal end above cutterbars 30 for maintaining cutterbars 30 in place during reciprocating movement.
Float arms 28 may be pivoted at their connection locations with a respective frame 26. A float cylinder 50 coupled between a respective frame 26 and float arm 28 may be used for raising or lowering the outboard end of float arm(s) 28 at the leading edge of cutting platform 12. Each float cylinder 50 may also be placed in a “float” position allowing the connected float arm 28 to generally follow the ground contour during operation. More particularly, each float cylinder 50 is fluidly connected with an accumulator 52 carried by a platform section 16, 18 or 20. Accumulator 52 allows fluid to flow to and from attached float cylinders 50 such that no pressure build-up occurs. In this manner, the rams associated with each float cylinder 50 are free to move back and forth longitudinally, thereby allowing float arms 28 to follow the ground contour. When not in a float mode, float cylinders 50 can be actuated to move float arms 28 in an upward or downward direction. In the embodiment shown, each float cylinder 50 is a hydraulic cylinder, but could possibly be configured as a gas cylinder for a particular application.
Each float arm 28 is also associated with a respective roller 54. The plurality of rollers 54 for each platform section 16, 18 and 20 carry and are positioned within a loop of a respective endless belt 32. At the inboard end of first wing platform section 18 and second wing platform section 20 is a driven roller, and at the outboard end of first wing platform section 18 and second wing platform section 20 is an idler roller. The rollers positioned between the inboard drive roller and outboard idler roller at each float arm 28 also function as idler rollers. It will be appreciated that the number of float arms 28, and thus the number of rollers 54, may vary depending upon the overall width of cutting head 12 transverse to the travel direction.
Reel assembly 24 includes two reels 56, center reel support arm 58 and a pair of outer reel support arms 60. Each reel 56 carries a plurality of tines for moving the crop material onto platform sectionals 16, 18 and 20. Outer reel support arms 60 are pivotally coupled at one end thereof with an outboard end of a respective first wing platform section 18 or second wing platform section 20. Outer reel support arms 60 rotationally carry a respective reel 56 at an opposite end thereof. Each outer reel support arm 60 may be selectively moved up and down using a hydraulic cylinder, and the pair of hydraulic cylinders are typically coupled in parallel so that they move together upon actuation.
Center reel support arm 58 is pivotally coupled at one end thereof with center platform section 16 above the opening leading to feeder housing 14. Center reel support arm 58 rotationally carries an inboard end of each reel 56 at an opposite end thereof. A hydraulic motor 62 or other suitable mechanical drive rotationally drives each reel 56. More particularly, hydraulic motor 62 drives a common drive shaft 64 through a chain and sprocket or other suitable arrangement (not shown). The rotational speed of reels 56 can be adjusted by an operator by adjusting the rotational speed of hydraulic motor 62.
Center reel support arm 58 may be selectively moved up and down using a hydraulic cylinder 66. Center reel support arm 58 is movable independently from outer reel support arms 60. To accommodate this independent movement, drive shaft 64 driven by hydraulic motor 62 is coupled at each end thereof via a universal joint 68 with a respective reel 56. This independent movement of center reel support arm 58 can be accomplished manually using a separate actuating switch or lever in operator's cab 70, or automatically using an electronic controller 72 located within cab 70 or other suitable location.
Each platform section 16, 18 and 20 has a leading edge which is configured to allow cutterbar assembly 22 to flex an appreciable extent in a localized manner across the width of cutting platform 12. Referring to
In the embodiment shown, each float arm 28 is provided with a passive stop allowing the float arm to move to a normal stop position during normal operation, and past the normal stop position to an overload stop position during an overload stop condition. Such a condition may occur, for example, when cutterbar assembly 22 is biased upward in a localized manner from a ground protrusion or obstruction, such as a rock, log, mound of dirt, etc. (see
More particularly, referring to
The variable volume area within first bore 78 between floating piston 82 and proximal end 90 defines a fluid chamber 92 which can either be placed in a “float” state or which receives high pressure fluid from accumulator chamber 52A for extending rod 86 to lift a corresponding float arm 28. The variable volume area within second bore 80 between floating piston 82 and distal end 88 defines a fluid chamber 94 which is in fluid communication with accumulator chamber 52B via fluid line 96. The pressure within accumulator chamber 52B and fluid chamber 94 is set to provide a normal stop position for rod 86. To that end, rod 86 includes a first retainer 98 and a second retainer 100 which are positioned on opposite sides of and engage floating piston 82. In the embodiment shown, each of first retainer 98 and second retainer 100 are configured as snap rings, but may be differently configured depending upon the application. Under normal operating conditions, first retainer 98 engages against the bottom of floating piston 82 which limits the stroke length of rod 86 from distal end 88. However, in the event of a localized extreme upward deflection of cutterbar assembly 22, and in turn the outboard end of float arm 28, the pressure exerted by first retainer 98 against floating piston 82 exceeds the predetermined pressure within second bore 80, thus allowing movement of floating piston 82 and further movement of rod 86. Movement of floating piston 82 away from the normal stop position provides an excessive localized deflection indicator of cutterbar assembly 22. The fluid which is expelled from fluid chamber 94 is discharged to accumulator chamber 52B under substantially constant pressure. The maximum overload stop position occurs at a point in which floating piston 82 second retainer 100 is immediately adjacent distal end 88.
In the embodiment shown, accumulator 52 is shown as including two concentrically arranged accumulator chambers 52A and 52B operating at different pressures for compactness sake. However, separate accumulators each having a single accumulator chamber may also be provided.
Further, in the embodiment shown, a localized extreme upward deflection of cutterbar assembly 22 is indicated when rod 86 moves past the normal stop position. This can be detected, for example, by sensing the pressure of the fluid within fluid chamber 94 above a predetermined pressure using a sensor 102 and providing an output signal to controller 72. Other methods of indicating extreme upward deflection of cutterbar assembly 22 can also be used. For example, a single pressure sensor can be used to sense an increase in the pressure within accumulator chamber 52B. This is a simpler method of determining an overload condition in a float cylinder 50, but does not provide an indication of which float cylinder 50 was in an overload state. Alternatively, the position of rod 86 can be sensed to determine if the stroke length has exceeded the normal stroke length at the normal stop position. Rod 86 could be encoded such as with magnetic or optical encoding to determine when rod 86 has passed the normal stop position. Further, it is possible to sense the angular position of each float arm 28 relative to frame 26 to determine when a float arm 28 has passed the normal stop position.
Regardless of the particular method used, reel 56 above a float arm 28 which is determined to have moved past the normal stop position is automatically raised to avoid tines coming into contact with cutterbar assembly 22, which could result in damage to knives 42 and/or tines. Reel 56 can be raised by raising center reel support arm 58 and/or outer reel support arm 60. The longitudinal position of the particular float arm 28 relative to the support arms 58 and 60 can be used to determine the extent to which support arm(s) 58 and/or 60 must be raised to avoid interference between tines and cutterbar assembly 22. In the event the exact position of rod 86 is not known after traveling past the normal stop position, such as using the hydraulic passive stop of float cylinders 28 described above, then reel 56 can be moved to the extent necessary to ensure clearance when floating piston 82 second retainer 100 is at the maximum overload stop position immediately adjacent distal end 88. On the other hand, when the exact position of rod 86 is known after traveling past the normal stop position, such as by sensing the stroke length of rod 86 or angular orientation of float arm 28, then reel 56 is only moved an extent necessary to ensure clearance with cutterbar assembly 22 (i.e., there need not be an extra safety margin in this instance). Onboard controller 72 receives one or more sensor signals indicating that a float arm 28 has traveled past the normal stop position, (optionally) a relative location of the float arm 28, and (optionally) the extent of travel past the normal stop position, and actuates reel support arm 58 and/or 60 accordingly. As a simpler approach, it is also possible to raise both reels 56 a predetermined distance upon determining that one or more float arms 28 are in an overload condition.
During harvesting operation, cutting platform 12 is placed in a “float” position as combine 10 traverses across the ground. Typically, a field is opened by making several rounds around the periphery of the field. Combine 10 is then moved back and forth across the field, with the combine being shifted approximately the width of cutting platform 12 for each pass across the field. At opposite ends of the field, the cutting platform 12 is raised while the combine is being turned around for the next pass. Under normal operating conditions, the outboard ends of float arms 28 float up and down between the top and bottom normal stop positions as cutting platform 12 moves across the field. In the event cutterbar assembly 22 encounters an abrupt localized ground protrusion (
Having described the preferred embodiment, it will become apparent that various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the accompanying claims.
