A Timing Crank For A Cylindrical Conveyor For An Agricultural Harvester

(54) Title: SYNCHRONIZATION HANDLE FOR A CYLINDRICAL CONVEYOR OF AN AGRICULTURAL HARVEST, AND, CYLINDRICAL TRANSPORTER OF AN AGRICULTURAL HARVEST (30) Unionist Priority: 23/08/2007 us 11/844052 (73) Holder (s): deere & company (72) Inventor (s): Duane J. Gosa, John O. Eagles (57) Summary: synchronization crank for a CYLINDER TRANSPORTER FOR AN AGRICULTURAL HARVEST, AND CYLINDER TRANSPORTER FOR AN AGRICULTURAL HARVEST. A synchronization crank for a cylindrical conveyor for an agricultural harvester is provided, which includes a unitary body in the form of an elongated member with a first end and a second end, where the first end defines a first orifice having a first longitudinal axis, where the second end defines a second hole having a second longitudinal axis, where each of the holes is joined by a longitudinal notch extending between, and, in communication with the first and second holes.

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118 rlUvUUfMl “SYNCHRONIZING HANDLE FOR A CYLINDRICAL CONVEYOR OF AN AGRICULTURAL HARVESTER, AND, CYLINDRICAL TRANSPORTER OF AN AGRICULTURAL HARVESTER”

Technical field

The invention relates to agricultural harvesters. More particularly, it refers to cylindrical conveyors for spikes in agricultural harvesters.

Fundamentals of the invention

Agricultural harvesters typically include a self-propelled vehicle including threshing, sorting or crop cleaning equipment, and a spigot attached to the front of the vehicle that the vehicle carries along the terrain. The spike cut the crop and takes it to the center of the spike using track or auger conveyors.

A second central cylindrical carrier is located in the center of the spike, typically configured as a cylinder with fingers protruding outward. The fingers fit the cut material and pull it back under the cylinder of the cylindrical conveyor and towards the self-propelled vehicle.

In a cylindrical conveyor design, the fingers extended outward are not attached to the outer surface of the cylinder, but supported by one end on a synchronizing crank arranged inside the cylinder, which is hollow. The fingers extend through holes formed in the cylindrical wall of the cylinder. When the cylinder is placed in rotation around its central longitudinal axis, it drives the fingers in a circular path around the longitudinal axis of the displaced axis that is supported by the synchronization crank.

The synchronization crank and the displaced axis it supports are off-center in relation to the longitudinal axis of the central conveyor cylinder. This deviation causes the fingers to extend and retract alternately in relation to the cylinder when it rotates and activates the fingers in its circular path.

The synchronization crank is typically shifted towards the front of the cylinder (and thus the front of the combine) to allow the fingers to extend further out and forward when first attaching the cut harvest material. When the cylinder rotates, the fingers pull the harvest material down and under the cylinder, through a tray or floor, and towards the self-propelled vehicle. Once the harvested material has been pulled under the cylinder, the bypass ratio causes the fingers to retract into the cylinder, thereby releasing the cut harvest material and allowing it to leave the spike and be pulled into the self-propelled vehicle for threshing, separation and cleaning.

The central cylindrical conveyor is preferably configured to be disassembled for cleaning and repair. Part of this disassembly includes removing the timing handle.

A particular problem for cylindrical conveyors in agricultural environments is the possibility of stones or other unwanted debris being pulled onto the conveyor. When the fingers fit this material, there is a strong tension on the fingers, which is transferred to the synchronization handles that support them.

What is needed, therefore, is a synchronization crank, conveyor and spigot that are better able to withstand these great stresses. It is an objective of this invention to provide such synchronization handles, conveyor and spike.

Summary of the invention

According to a first aspect of the invention, a synchronizing crank for a cylindrical conveyor for an agricultural harvester is provided, which includes an elongated body with a first end and a second end, where the first end defines a first hole having a pro longitudinal axis, where the second end defines a second orifice having a second longitudinal axis, where each of the holes is joined by a longitudinal notch extended between and in communication with the first and second holes.

The first and second holes may not be broken by the notches that extend to an external surface of the synchronization crank. The first and second holes may not be in contact with the outer surface of the timing handle. The first and second holes can have first and second internal surfaces, respectively, and the first and second internal surfaces can be faceted. A third hole can be defined in the synchronization crank between the first and second holes and generally at a right angle to them, and the third hole can be configured to receive a threaded fastener that tends to close the longitudinal notch when tightened. The first orifice can be configured to be fixed to a central axis of the cylindrical conveyor, and the second orifice can be configured to be fixed to an axis displaced from the central conveyor, and still where the synchronization crank is configured to support the longitudinal axes of the central axis and the axis displaced in a parallel relationship.

According to the second aspect of the invention, the cylindrical conveyor of an agricultural harvester is provided, which includes a hollow conveyor cylinder having a center and a central axis of rotation; a plurality of conveyor fingers extended through the holes over the hollow conveyor cylinder; a displaced axis having an elongated longitudinal axis and having two opposite ends, to which the plurality of fingers are coupled for free rotation, the displaced axis being disposed within the hollow conveyor cylinder and off-center from the central axis of rotation, where the axis longitudinal is parallel to the central axis of rotation;

first and second central axes arranged inside the central conveyor cylinder and coaxial with the central axis of rotation of the hollow conveyor cylinder; two synchronization cranks attached to the first and second central axes and to the opposite ends of the displaced axis, where each of the aforementioned two synchronization cranks is an elongated unitary body having a first end and a second end, where the first end defines a first orifice in the unitary body with a first longitudinal axis, where the second end defines a second hole in the unitary body with a second longitudinal axis, and still where each of the holes is joined by a longitudinal notch extended between and in communication with the first and second holes.

The first and second holes may not be broken by the notches that extend to the outer surface of the timing handle. The first and second holes may not be in contact with the outer surface of the timing handle. The first and second holes can have first and second internal surfaces, respectively, and the first and second internal surfaces can be faceted. A third hole can be defined in the synchronization crank between the first and second holes and generally at a right angle to them, and the third hole can be configured to receive a threaded fastener that tends to close the longitudinal notch when tightened. The first orifice can be configured to be fixed to a central axis of the cylindrical conveyor, and the second orifice can be configured to be fixed to an axis displaced from the central conveyor, and the synchronization crank can be configured to support the longitudinal axes of the axis. center and the axis moved in a parallel relationship.

Brief description of the drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an agricultural harvester having a typical cylindrical conveyor.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary detail view of the central portion of the spigot of fig. 1 with part of the cylinder removed. A synchronization crank on which fingers are mounted is shown inside the cylinder.

Fig. 3 is a prior art synchronization crank having two holes communicating with the external surface of the synchronization crank in the side view.

Fig. 4 is a side view of the synchronization crank of fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the figure synchronization crank. 1, 2 and 4 taken in a section line 5-5 in fig.

4.

Description of the preferred embodiment

Referring now to fig. 1, an agricultural harvester 100 can be seen, comprising a self-propelled vehicle 102 and a spike 104 mounted on the front of the self-propelled vehicle. The spike includes a platform 106 that supports a cylindrical conveyor 108 and a cutter bar 110, both extended laterally along the width of the spike. The cutting bar is configured to cut the plantation of the land, and the cylindrical conveyor 108 configured to rotate around its longitudinal axis and, thus, to take the harvested material to the lateral midpoint of the spike.

A central portion 112 of the cylindrical conveyor 108 includes a hollow cylindrical portion 114 with holes 116 through which a plurality of fingers 118 extends. The fingers on the conveyor pull the harvested material cut back and through a hole (not shown) in the back plate of the spike, through which it is received by vehicle 102. The equipment (not shown) disposed in vehicle 102, then , threshing, separating and cleaning the harvested material.

With reference to fig. 2, the cylindrical portion 112 of the cylindrical conveyor 108 has been cut out to show two central axes 200, 202 that extend laterally inwardly from the left and right ends of the cylindrical conveyor 108, respectively, to the cylindrical portion 112. The central axes 200 , 202 share a common longitudinal axis 204 mutually and with the cylindrical conveyor 108. The central axes 200, 202 are fixed by their outer ends, so that they cannot rotate during operation. Instead, cylindrical conveyor 108 is driven at one or both ends to rotate around axes 200, 202.

Two timing handles 206, 208 are attached to the inner ends of the central axes 200. 202, respectively. The synchronization handles 206, 208 generally extend in front of the central axes 200, 202, in the direction of travel "V" (of the vehicle). Both timing handles 206, 208 are attached to the ends of an offset shaft 210 extending between them.

Several finger assemblers 212 are attached to the displaced shaft 210 and support the inner ends of fingers 118 on the shaft 210. Finger assemblers 212 are configured to allow fingers 118 to rotate freely around displaced axis 210 when the cylindrical conveyor 108 rotates . Once the displaced axis 210 is deflected from the central longitudinal and rotational axis 204 of the cylindrical conveyor 108, the fingers extend and retract alternately to / from the cylindrical conveyor 108 when it rotates, as a function of its rotational position relative to the displaced axis 210.

The synchronization cranks are subjected to severe loads when the cylinder 108 rotates. Large objects such as stones, branches and sticks are occasionally pulled onto the cylindrical conveyor 108. When this happens, fingers 118 can fit these objects and apply very high responsive forces to the displaced axis 210 and synchronization cranks 206, 208. These high forces can damage the timing handles 206, 208.

With reference to fig. 3, the prior art synchronization cranks 300 were provided with two threaded fasteners 302, 304 to fix the displaced axis to the central axes.

Fasteners 302, 304 are arranged at each end of the timing handle 300. In this arrangement, fasteners 302, 304 are separately tightened to secure the timing handle 300 to the shafts 200, 202, 210. Considered from the side view of fig. 3, two notches 310, 312 extend from an external surface of the timing handle 300 to each of the holes 306, 308. These notches place the holes 306, 308 in communication with the external surface of the synchronization crank 300 in the side view, as shown in fig. 3.

When the screws 302, 304 are tightened, the material around the notches 310, 312 is deformed inwardly to close the notches 310, 312 and fix the prior art synchronization crank 300 to the axes 200, 202, 210. This applies a bending moment to the screw heads. This bending moment causes greater tension and stress on one side of the screw than on the other side of the screw, which can lead to failure of the screw under high loads, such as when the fingers fit a stone or branch embedded in the harvested material cut.

The synchronization handles 206, 208 according to the present invention are illustrated in the figures. 4-5. The same 206, 208 are in the form of an elongated member defining first and second holes 402, 404 disposed at the first and second ends of the member. The first and second holes 402, 404 extend through the member and are configured to receive and be fixed to axes 200, 202, 210. The first and second holes 402, 404 have longitudinal axes 403, 405 parallel and configured to support axes 200, 202, 210 in a relationship of mutual parallelism.

A notch 406 extends between, and, communicates with both holes 402, 404, defining a closed shape that does not communicate with the outer surface of the timing handle 206, 208 in any embodiment. The holes 402, 404 of the synchronization crank 206, 208 do not communicate with the external surface of the synchronization crank in the side view. With reference to the side view of fig. 4 and comparing it to the side view of fig. 3, the holes 402, 404 are not broken with a notch extending between the outer surface of the timing handle 206, 208 and holes 402, 404, different from the holes 306, 308 of the timing handle 300 which are broken by the notches 310 .312 extending to the outer surface of the timing crank 300 in the side view.

To fix the synchronization handles 206, 208 to the shafts 200, 202, 210, a third hole 408 and threaded fastener 410 are provided for each synchronization handle. The third hole 408 extends through the elongated member in a direction generally perpendicular to the notch 406. The third hole 408 is configured to receive a threaded fastener 410 that pulls opposite notch sides 406 to each other when being tightened, reducing the size of the first and second holes 402, 404 and attaching them to the shafts 200, 202, 210 that are received in the holes 402, 404.

The third hole 408 is preferably disposed in the middle of the synchronization crank 206, 208, equidistant from each of the first and second holes 402, 404, and at right angles to the first and second holes 402, 404. In this way, when threaded fastener 410 is tightened, no final bending moment is applied to the fastener head and thus the risk of the fastener breaking is reduced.

The first and second holes 402, 404 are preferably polygonal in side view (Fig. 4) and have facets 412 of the same size arranged equiangularly on the longitudinal axis 403, 405 of the first and second holes 402, 404, respectively.

The central axes 200, 202 and the displaced axis 210 are regular hexagons in cross section and therefore have facets (fig. 2) that match facets 412 of holes 402, 404, being formed with the same number of facets and with the same dimensions between, and, through the facets as the first and second holes 402, 404, in which they are inserted. An adjustment by interference or slight operating spacing is provided between axes 200, 202, 210 and holes 402, 404. When the threaded fastener 410 is tightened, the facets on the inner side of holes 402, 404, and the facets on the outer surface of the shafts 200, 206 fit together to mechanically prevent the relative rotation of shafts 200, 202, 210 with with respect to synchronization handles 206, 208. Having described the preferred embodiment, it is apparent that various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims. For example, the facets can be replaced by other anti-rotation devices commonly used between axes and the holes that receive them, such as grooved keys or the like. More or less facets can be provided on the axes and their matching holes. The third hole 408 may be closer to one end than the other. More than one third hole can be provided and can receive more than one threaded fastener.