Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
3~
BACKGROUNO OF 'L'HE -LMVE~J'rI(~I~
Forage harvesters normally include a blower havin~ a
substantially vertical discharge outlet. Particularly when used
with a self-propelled rnobile harvester, the ~lower outlet has a
curved spout ex-tending upward and outward from the di~charye
end of said blower for gen~arally horizon-tal discharge from the
outer end of said spout into a wacJon or truck towed or driven
behind the harvester. Such wayons and trucks are of variou~
sizes and capacities so that to adapt the discharge frorn the
spout to a wagon or truck of a particular size and especially
to a particular height of vehicle or height of aroof coveriny
such a vehicle in order to receive cut foraye products, it has
been customary to attach an adjustable deflecting member to the
outer end of the spout, or change the spout for a different
size or shape, or mount a vertical extension between the spout
or blower. The most common technique entails mounting a vertical
extension to change the overall height of the spout. Alternatively,
a cable or chain is required to operate the deflector in adjustiny
it to a desired deflection, and usually spring means to move the
deflector in opposition to the effort of the cable or chain to
change the position of the deflector.
Typical examples of such prior devices are shown in the
following U.S. patents:
3,046,720 Fischer July 31, 1962
3,152,843 Zitko October 13, 1964
3,202,462 Segredo August 24, 1965
The present invention provides more simple and effective
means to adjust the height of the discharge from suc~ spouts,
details of which are described hereinafter.
SUMMARY OF THE IMVENTION
One of the principal ob~ects of the lnvention is to
provide an improved, yet ~im~le, I~G~chanl~rfl by whlch a curved
discharge spout ~or a fora~e harvr~ter, e~pecLaLIy a f5el-propelltad
mobile harvester, can be adJusted to ~f~ec~t dlf~c~har~Jo at variou~
dif;tances and heightf~ lnto a wac~orl or other rocoivlnc,~ maans.
Thls lf3 aCCOmp'Lif~ht~3~ by provldln-J u f~pOIIt wL'rh one ~and
attached to the ~lower outlet o~ the harv~2f~t~r. The ~pout is
curved and extends upward and outward rom th~ lnlet end
,5~
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1 attached to a swivel connector which is a-ttachable to the
blower outlet. The inlet end of the spouk is pivotally
connected to the swivel connector for movement about a
substantially horizontal axis. An adjustable link support
is connected at one end intermediately between -the ends of
the spout. The other end of the link is :Lexibly connected
to an adjacent vertical member which is fixed relativ~
to the swivel connector. In -this rnanner, the inlet end rnay
be selectively pivoted about the axis to place the discharge
end of the spout at a desired elevation adequate to project
forage material at a desired distance from the discharge
end of the spout.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic exemplary illustration in
perspective of a typical harvester for foraye crops behind which
a conventional wagon is connected for mobility with the harvester,
several different sizes of wagons being illustrrated in phantom,
and said view also illustrating a discharge spout from the
harvester projected toward the wagon, the supporting means for
said spout embodying the principles of the present invention.
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l Fig. 2 is a side elevation in a :Larger scale than that
used in Fig. l, illustrating the spout per se and -th~ imp~c~v~d means
for supporting the same in accordance with the inv~ntion.
Fig. 3 i5 a transverse sectional view of the base
portion of the spout, as seen on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTIOM OF 'rHE PR~F'ERP.ED E~BO~IMEN'I'
Referring to Fiy. l, a typical crop harvester 10 i~
illustrated in which a header 12 has a w:indrow pickup attachment
to gather, as well as consolidate said crop material, ard deliver
it to a cutterhead (not shown) for chopping or cutting as the
harvester 10 moves along a field. The harvester 10 is supported
by main drive wheel 14 as it moves across a field while the
chopped material is discharged from the upper end 16 of the blower
of the harvester and blo~Jn thereby into the upwardly and rearwardly
extending curved discharge spout 18, the upper and outer end of
which extends rearwardly for discharge of the cut material into an
exemplary receiving means, such as a wagon 20. In conventional
forage harvesters used heretofore, arcuate spouts extending
upwardly and rearwardly from the blower of the harvester have
been swiveled for movement about a vertical axis relative to
the discharge end of the blower, but the elevation of the outer
discharge end of the spout with respect to the ground surface
has been fixed. Accordingly, in order -to control the discharge,
at least in a lirnited way, the outer ends of such harvesters usually
have included a pivoted deflector 22, which only had the effect of
either shooting the stream of discharged material more or less
straight out from the end of the spout 18, or deflect the same
downwardly to various degrees. Such a spout had no effect with
regard to controlling the trajectory of the discharged material
with respect to shootin~ it at various heights and correspondingly,
various distances partlcularLy or ad.~p~ing the ~lfJcharge to WaCJons
of various sizes, e~ecially variour~ he:l~AJht~, a~; well as for other
purpose~ when different type~ of receLvLr,g m~an~ ar~ elnploy~d,
whether ~tationary or mobilc.
To illustrate ~he aclvanta~Je~ o~ thc lnverltLon, th~re i~
illustrated in Fig. 1, Ln full linc~, a ~Jiv~n ~ize of forage
wagon, and in phantom, both a ~rnaller and laryer size of exemplary
wagons are illu~trated, to provide a vi~ual concept of tne need
for varying the elevation of ~he out~r end o~ the dischar~e spout 18
and the present invention essentially compri~es means for effecting
such variation~ in elevation by the followiny mech~nism.
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J
l Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, in ~/hich the upper end 16
of the blower is shown fragrnentarily, a coupling ~4 is provided
with swivels with respect to the upper end 16 of th~ blower
and such swiveling is controlled by power rnean~, such as exe}nplary
motor 26, see Fig. l, of suitable type. Also, referriny to
E~ig. l, it will be seen -that there is rnounted adjacent -the
motor 26, a winch 28, around which one end of a cable or rope 30
is wound, the opposite end of the cable bein~ connected to an
arm 32 which is fixed to the pivoted deflector 22 and serves to
control the position of said deflector which otherwise i6
controlled by the coiled spring 34, said spring moving the
deflector in one direction, while the cable serves to move the
deflector in the opposite direction, said mechanism being substantially
of conventional type.
The upper end of the coupling 24, which is circular
in cross-section, supports a square base member 36, which is
fixed to said coupling, the base member 36 supportiny one end 38
of a transversehinge40, the opposite end of the hinge being
connected to a supporting base 42 which is fixed to the lower
end portion 44 of the spout 18. In accordance with conventional
construction, the spout 18 is substantially square or rectangular
in cross-section, as distinguished from being cylindrical, such
shape facilitating the manufacturing thereof. Further, essentially,
the spout 18 comprises an upper shell portion 46 which, in cross-
section, is an inverted U-shape, the lower surface of which being
closed by a bottom member 48, which extends from the lower end 44
of the spout 18 but terminates at 50 which is a desired distance
from the outer end of the spout 18 in order that the lower open
portion 52 of the spout serves as a discharge opening, whereby,
depending upon the amount of the force generated by the blower
and discharge into the spout 18, and also in conjunction with the
position of the deflector 22, crop m~terial rnay be discharged at
any of a wide varie~y of dir~ction~ and extent~ or r~c~ptlon
by suitable receptacles, ~uch a~ he ex~rrlp:Lary w~gon 20.
In accordance with the invention, instead of th~ spout
18 being supported by m~ns which provldc a con~tant el~vation to
the outer end o~ said ~pout, the pre~ent :Inv~ntlon affords means
by which the hinge40 may be utillzed fvr p-lrpo~es of adjusting the
height of th~outer end of the ~,pout 18 to any of a rcasonable
limit of different elevations, a~ illustrated in ex~mplary manner
:'
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l by the several phantom illust~ations of the upper end of -the spout
of Fig. 1, in addition to the exemplary full line po~ition While
it is known ln the prior art to support -the upper end of clischarge
spouts on harvesters by fixed cable means or the like, one end
of which is connected to the spout, and the other end being
connected to a fixed support of some type, the present invention
utilizes very simple mean~, including mechanisrn to acljust the
length thereof, as follows:
A suitable fixed support, such as an arrrl 54, is connected
at one end, for example, in fixed manner to the cab 56 of the
harvester or to a support member fixed to the frame of the harvester
at a desired vertical elevation thereon. The opposite end of the
arm supports a clevis 58 within which a bearing 60 is rnoun-ted
for support by a bolt or pin 62. Connected to the beariny 60
is another clevis 64, which is fixed to one end of a rod 66. The
outer end of rod 66 is provided with a series of spaced holes 68
and said end is telescopically receivecl in a tubular extension 70,
which is provided with one or more holes through which securing means,
such as one or ~ore bolts 72, may extend commonly through the
holes in the tubular extension 70 and a selected hole or holes
in the outer end of rod 66, thereby varying the length thereof.
Such adjustrnent of the length easily may be accomplished by the
operator of the harvester for purposes of effecting the desired
elevation of the outer end of the spout 18. By limited trial and
error, as well as experience from prior operation, an operator
soon learns the approxirnate adjust~,ent to make with respect to
any size of wagon being u~ed, for exarnple. The outer end of the
tubular extension 70 is connected to a large clevis 74, the outer
ends of the legs of which respectively are disposed on opposite
sides of the spout 18 and the same are secured together by appropriate
pin or bolts means 76. Although Fi~. 2 show~ one alternative for
mounting the .support arrn 5~ ~nd d~vi~ 8 and 6~ wlth re~lpect to
the vertical pivotal axis o~ thc 8pout 1~ at the c:uur~llncJ 24, ;Lt
should be noted that it i~ mo~t de~iirab.l~ to hav@ the vertica:L
axe~ for cJenerally horizontal plvotal rmoverl1ent o the arrn 66
at clevi6 64 and thc ~powt 14 a~ coupli.n~J 2~ cc~axlal. Such an
arrangement will preclude the dLr~chargc3 or outer erld of ~he spout 18
from varyin~ in it~ height a6 the c;pout l8 i~ ~ivot~d rom its
extreme left po~ition to it~ extreme ri~ht po.s.ition because of
different radii from the pivot point~ of the ~pOIIt 18 c~nd the arm 66.
11)9311~3
~,
l For purposes of further controlling -the ultima-te
position to which the spout 18 is adjusted, with reference to
Figs. 2 and 3, it will be seen that a pair of plates 78 are
provided respectively on opposite sides of -t'he squ~re base member
36 by fixed means, such as welding or otherwise, and extend
upwardly therefrom, said plates haviny short arcuate slo-ts gO
therein through whic'h locking bolts 82 extend for -the recep-tion
of conventional nuts, wing nuts or weld nu-ts. Preferably, the
heads of the bolts extend from opposite sides of the supportiny
base 42 and are fixed ayainst rotation relative thereto.
Further -to secure an adjusted position of the spout 18, the
square base member 36 and supporting base 42 may have flanges 84
fixed thereto, through which one or more bolts 86 extend,
the nuts on said bolts being adjusted to tight condition after a
suitable elevation of the outer end of the spout 18 has been
effected by adjusting the length of the cornposite tension member
comprising the rod 66 and tubular extension 70, together with
the clevises respectively at opposite ends thereof. Alternately,
when coupling 24 and transverse hinge 40 are utilized in a
towed forage harvester with no adjustable tensile support link,
the outer end of spout 18 is positioned at the desired elevation
by adjusting the nuts on bolts 86. In such a manner the desired
amount of pivotal rotation of the spout about hinge 40 is effected
thereby achieving the desired elevation of the spout's outer end.
By means of the adjustability provided for the outer end
of the spout 18, it is possible to effect a much wider range
of discharge, both as to length and height, than is possible
with presently used pivoted deflectors on the outer ends of
said spout, such as the exemplary deflector 22 shown in the
drawings. There is a tendency at present for farm machinery to
steadily increase in size in order to render harvestiny operations
more efficient and requlr~ les3 rnanpower, w'tlcreby the ~re~erlt
invention is adapted to perlrlit the ~i~sc'harcJe o~ chopped matorial
from a forage harvester to be di~charg~ lnto wagons or other
receptacles of a wide range o~ sl~,e, sllch dLscharc)~ not b~lng
possible, at l~ast ir an ef~icien~ rn~nner, sLrnply ~,y employlng
; means such as the pivoted d~lec~or~3 22 on the ollter enc'ls of
such spouts. It also will be seen that the rnechani6rn to adjust
the various elevations of the outer end of thc spout 18 are
relatively simple and durable, as well as beLng ea~ily manipulated
1 and adjusted to effect the desired elevation o the outer end
of said spout.
Further, the elements comprising the actual irnprovernents
afforded by the invention are capable of beiny mounted upon
forage harvesters having existlng fixed spouts sirrlply by adding
relatively few parts which are capable of ~eing sold in kit form
and capable o:E being mour.ted upon such existing spou-ts and headers
through the exercise of minimurrl skills.
The foregoing description illustrates preferred
embodiments of the invention. However, concepts e~.ployed rnay,
based upon such description, be employed in other embodiments
without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly,
the following claims are intended to protect the invention broadly
as well as in the specific forms shown herein.
