Patent Application
20250040482
The present disclosure relates to a swing cylinder mount for an unload tube of an agricultural vehicle, such as a combine harvester.
Agricultural vehicles, such as combine harvesters, commonly include an unload tube or unloading conveyor for distributing clean grain harvested by the combine harvester to another vehicle, such as the truck 102 shown in
An actuator assembly for moving an unload tube of an agricultural vehicle between stowed and deployed positions. The actuator assembly includes a mount that is configured to be fixed to a fixed mounting point on the agricultural vehicle. An actuator of the actuator assembly has a first end that is mounted to the mount and a second end that is mounted to the unload tube for moving the unload tube between the stowed and deployed positions. A tension rod of the actuator assembly has a first end that is pivotably mounted to the mount and a second end that is mounted to a fixed tension rod mounting point located either on or adjacent the unload tube.
The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention will be better understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplifications set out herein illustrate embodiments of the invention, and such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner.
The terms “grain”, “straw” and “tailings” are used principally throughout this specification for convenience but it is to be understood that these terms are not intended to be limiting. Thus “grain” refers to that part of the crop material which is threshed and separated from the discardable part of the crop material, which is referred to as non-grain crop material, MOG or straw: Incompletely threshed crop material is referred to as “tailings”. Also the terms “forward”, “rearward”, “left” and “right”, when used in connection with the agricultural harvester and/or components thereof are usually determined with reference to the direction of forward operative travel of the harvester, but again, they should not be construed as limiting. The terms “longitudinal” and “transverse” are determined with reference to the fore-and-aft direction of the agricultural harvester and are equally not to be construed as limiting.
Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to
Front wheels 14 are larger flotation type wheels, and rear wheels 16 are smaller steerable wheels. Motive force is selectively applied to front wheels 14 through a power plant in the form of a diesel engine 32 and a transmission (not shown). Although combine 10 is shown as including wheels, is also to be understood that combine 10 may include tracks.
Header 18 is mounted to the front of combine 10 and includes a cutter bar 34 for severing crops from a field during forward motion of combine 10. A rotatable reel 36 feeds the crop into header 18, and a double auger 38 feeds the severed crop laterally inwardly from each side toward feeder housing 20. Feeder housing 20 conveys the cut crop to threshing and separating system 24, and is selectively vertically movable using appropriate actuators, such as hydraulic cylinders (not shown).
Threshing and separating system 24 generally includes a rotor 40 at least partially enclosed by and rotatable within a corresponding perforated concave 42. The cut crops are threshed and separated by the rotation of rotor 40 within concave 42, and larger elements, such as stalks, leaves and the like are discharged from the rear of combine 10. Smaller elements of crop material including grain and non-grain crop material, including particles lighter than grain, such as chaff, dust and straw, are discharged through perforations of concave 42. Threshing and separating system 24 can also be a different type of system, such as a system with a transverse rotor rather than an axial rotor, etc.
Grain which has been separated by the threshing and separating assembly 24 falls onto a grain pan 44 and is conveyed toward cleaning system 26. Cleaning system 26 may include an optional pre-cleaning sieve 46, an upper sieve 48 (also known as a chaffer sieve), a lower sieve 50 (also known as a cleaning sieve), and a cleaning fan 52. The upper sieve 48 and lower sieve 50 can be carried within a common framework. Grain on sieves 46, 48 and 50 is subjected to a cleaning action by fan 52 which provides an air flow through the sieves to remove chaff and other impurities such as dust from the grain by making this material airborne for discharge from straw hood 54 of combine 10. Grain pan 44 and pre-cleaning sieve 46 oscillate in a fore-to-aft manner to transport the grain and finer non-grain crop material to the upper surface of upper sieve 48. Upper sieve 48 and lower sieve 50 are vertically arranged relative to each other, and likewise oscillate in a fore-to-aft manner to spread the grain across sieves 48, 50, while permitting the passage of cleaned grain by gravity through the openings of sieves 48, 50.
Clean grain falls to a clean grain auger 56 positioned crosswise below and toward the front of lower sieve 50. Clean grain auger 56 receives clean grain from each sieve 48, 50 and from bottom pan 58 of cleaning system 26. Clean grain auger 56 conveys the clean grain laterally to a generally vertically arranged grain elevator 60 for transport to grain tank 28. Tailings from cleaning system 26 fall to a tailings auger trough 62. The tailings are transported via tailings auger 64 and return auger 66 to the upstream end of cleaning system 26 for repeated cleaning action. A pair of grain tank augers 68 at the bottom of grain tank 28 convey the clean grain laterally within grain tank 28 to unloading conveyor 30 for discharge from combine 10. Unloading conveyor 30 may also be referred to in the art as an unload tube.
Turning now to
An actuator 310 is mounted to elbow 302 for rotating elbow 302 (and the entire conveyor 30) about axis 303 between the stowed position (
Turning now to
Mount 320 is provided for supporting actuator 310. Mount 320 includes a series of interconnected frame members that connect to actuator 310 as well as grain tank 28, chassis 12 (or other fixed mounting point) on combine 10. Mount 320 may comprise a unitized cast body or individual components that are welded or fastened together. Mount 320 includes a vertically oriented frame member 330 (
Mount 320 is additionally supported on combine 10 by three different rigid links 340, 350 and 360 that are connected to grain tank 28, chassis 12, and/or conveyor 30. The links extend in three different directions (e.g., x, y, and x-y directions of a Cartesian coordinate system), whereas the body of mount 320 extends in the z direction.
Link 340 is a solid and rigid bar or rod extending in the X-direction and having (i) a first end 741 that is pinned to the bottom end of mount 320, and (ii) a second end 743 that is pinned to a bracket 342 that extends vertically downward from beam 502. The pins at ends 741 and 743 extend in the Y-direction such that each pinned end is capable of pivoting about the Y-axis.
Link 350 is a solid and rigid bar or rod extending in the Y-direction and having (i) a first end 751 that is pinned to the bottom end of mount 320, and (ii) a second end 753 that is pinned to grain tank 28, chassis 12 (or other fixed mounting point on combine 10). The pins at ends 751 and 753 extend in the X-direction such that each pinned end is capable of pivoting about the X-axis. The pins at ends 751 and 753 extend orthogonally to the pins 741 and 743.
Link 360 may also be referred to herein as a tension rod. Tension rod 360 is a solid bar or rod extending in the X-Y direction and having (i) a first end 761 that is pinned to the bottom end of mount 320 by pin 322 (i.e, the same pin that secures cylinder 312), and (ii) a second end 763 that is pinned to flange 401 (
Tension rod 360 may extend parallel to cylinder 312. First end 761 of tension rod 360 comprises an eyelet connector that is positioned within a recess formed in mount 320 that is located beneath cylinder mount 316 of cylinder 312. First end 761 is capable of pivoting about axis 601. The pins at ends 761 and 763 extend in the Z-direction such that each pinned end is capable of pivoting about the Z-axis. Stated differently, the pins at ends 761 and 763 extend orthogonally to the pins 741 and 743 as well as pins 751 and 753. Tension rod 360 is mounted at an elevation below actuator 310.
Considered together, mount 320, and links 340, 350 and 360 may together constitute a mount assembly or swing cylinder mount. Additionally, mount 320, actuator 310 and links 340, 350 and 360 may together constitute an actuator assembly.
While this invention has been described with respect to at least one embodiment, the present invention can be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.
