Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
I
Background of the Invention
1. Field of the Invention
Top present invention relates to an attachment for
a feed auger in a combine header or the like. More
particularly, the invention relates to providing a resilient
attachment mounted on and extending radially from the central
drum portion of the feed auger about its fingers and between
its spiral flights.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional feed augers for combine headers comprise
a cylindrical drum mounted at its ends to the header for
rotation about the longitudinal axis of the drum. Spiral
flights are mounted on the drum adjacent its opposite ends
for conveying material towards its central drum portion.
A plurality of feed fingers are mounted in the drum and
extend radially from the central drum portion for conveying
vegetation toward the throat of the combine header. The
fingers reciprocate radially in and out of the drum as the
drum rotates. Typical examples of such augers are disclosed
in US. Patent No 2,701,634 to Carroll and US. Patent
No. 2,748,921 to White.
The principal problem in using conventional feed augers
is the accumulation of vegetation on the central drum
portion of the auger. During use, the accumulation of
vegetation tends to clog the auger requiring the operator
to shut down the combine and manually remove the vegetation
from the auger central drum portion. Additionally, minor
accumulations of vegetations insufficient to clog the auger
dislodge the crop from the vines in the header, causing loss
of the cash crop. The fingers, as well as the bolts, access
doors and other protruding features on the central drum
portion tend to catch the vegetation and cause the accumulation.
Attempts to prevent the accumulation of vegetation on the
central drum portion of the auger have involved cutting or
stripping the vegetation from the fingers. Typical devices
for stripping or cutting the vegetation are disclosed in US.
Patent No. 2,778,483 to Nickel and US. Patent No. 4,290,259
to Marvin et at.
Other problems associated with the use of conventional
feed augers involve poor feeding of the vegetation and crop
to the combine header throat and protection of the drum.
Conventional augers have no central and effective mechanism
for compensating for varying flow rates of vegetation under
the auger. A high volume of vegetation- tends to cause flare
up, while a low volume of vegetation results in insufficient
pressure being applied to the vegetation such that it may
not reach the combine throat. The hard surface of the
conventional auger central drum portion tends to crush and
damage the crop or dislodge it from the vines causing the
crop to fall to the ground rather than being fed to the
combine throat. Since the conventional combine central drum
portion is exposed, it is not protected from damage caused
by debris picked up by the header, for example, rocks.
Summary of the Invention
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to
provide a feed auger and an attachment for a feed auger which
will prevent the accumulation of vegetation on the central
drum portion of the auger.
Another object of the present invention is to provide
a feed auger and an attachment for a feed auger which will
improve feeding of vegetation by the auger to the combine
header throat with reduced loss of crop.
An additional object of the present invention is to
provide a feed auger and an attachment for a feed auger which
will increase the effective size of the central drum portion
at a minimum cost.
A further object of the present invention is to provide
SLYLY
a feed auger and an attachment for a feed auger which will
protect the central drum portion and which will reduce the
maintenance required on the feed auger.
Ye another object of the present invention is to provide
an attachment for a feed auger which is simple and inexpensive
to manufacture, install on a feed auger and maintain, and
which is of rugged construction.
The foregoing objects are attained by providing a feed
auger for a combine header and the like, comprising a generally
cylindrical drum mounted for rotation about a longitudinal
axis with spiral flights mounted adjacent the longitudinal
ends of the drum and a central drum portion between the flights.
A plurality of feed fingers extend radially from the central
drum portion. A resilient attachment is mounted on and extends
radially from the central drum portion about the fingers
The foregoing objects are also obtained by providing a
resilient attachment for a feed auger of the type having
a central drum mounted for rotation about a longitudinal axis,
spiral flights mounted on opposite longitudinal ends of the
drum, and a central drum portion with a plurality of feed
fingers extending radially from the central drum portion.
The attachment comprises a body member of resilient material,
a plurality of openings extending through the body member for
receiving the feed fingers, and a coupling mechanism, located
at opposite ends of the body, for attaching the body member
about the central drum portion of the auger.
A feed auger provided with the resilient attachment on
its central drum portion about its fingers will essentially
eliminate the problems discussed above in connection with
conventional feed augers. The resilient attachment prevents
the accumulation of vegetation by the relative wiping action
between the feed fingers and the attachment. Covering the
drum central portion with the resilient attachment prevents
the vegetation from wrapping around the numerous projections
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on the central drum portion in addition to the fingers, thereby
saving considerable operator time in having to manually remove
the vegetation. Feeding of the vegetation is improved by the
resiliency provided to the central drum portion by the attach-
mint. Such resiliency will compensate for varying feed rates
of vegetation providing a constant pressure on the vegetation
regardless of the volume of vegetation passing under the feed
auger. The constant pressure applied by the attachment,
regardless of the volume of vegetation being fed, ensures that
the vegetation will be properly fed to the combine throat and
will prevent flare up of the material.
Additionally, the softer surface provided by the attach-
mint will prevent the crop, e.g., beans, from being dislodged
and lost from the vines prior to being fed to the combine
throat. Covering the drum central portion with the attachment
also protects the auger and reduces maintenance, particularly
ox the finger and finger bearing
The attachment can comprise a sleeve formed of resilient
material which surrounds the drum central portion and has a
plurality of openings for receiving the feed fingers. The
sleeve thickness is greater than the extension of the fingers
from the central drum portion in their retracted positions
such that when the zingers reciprocate they will be wiped
completely clean as the auger rotates and will remain within
the feed auger for a larger segment of the auger rotation.
To facilitate mounting of the attachment, slits can be
provided in the attachment which extend from the openings.
Additionally, suitable coupling means can be provided on the
ends of the attachment for securing it about the central drum
portion.
Other objects, advantages and salient features of the
present invention will become apparent from the following
detailed description, which taken in conjunction with the
annex drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment of the
~5l39~
invention.
Brief Description of the Drawings
- Referring to the drawings which form a part of this
original disclosure:
Figure 1 is a prospective view illustrating a combine
header having a feed auger and attachment in accordance
with the present invention;
Figure 2 is a partial, enlarged, front elevation Al
view of the auger and attachment of Figure l;
Figure 3 is a partial, side elevation Al view in section
; taken along lines 3-3 of Figure 2; and
Figure 4 is a top plan view of the attachment of
Figure 1, laid flat.
Detailed Description of
the Preferred Embodiment
Referring initially to Figure 1, the resilient attach-
mint 10 formed according to the present invention is mounted
on a feed auger 12 of a combine header 14. Combine header 14
is coupled onto the front of a combine 16, illustrated in
phantom lines. The rear wall 18 of header 14 includes a feed
passageway or throat 20 which communicates with the combine
throat 22.
Feed auger 12 is located forward of rear wall 18 and is
mounted in the header for rotation about a longitudinal axis
extending parallel to rear wall 18 and perpendicular to combine
throat 22. The auger comprises a generally cylindrical drum 24
having first and second spiral flights 26,28 mounted adjacent
the longitudinal ends of the drum. The flights, upon rotation
of the drum, convey vegetation toward the longitudinal center
of the auger which is known as the central drum portion. A
plurality of feed fingers 30 are mounted in the drum and extend
radially from the central drum portion between the spiral
flights. Attachment 10 is mounted on the central drum portion
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and about fingers 30.
Referring to the details of the invention illustrated
in Figures 2-4, attachment 10 comprises a body member 32
formed of any suitable resilient material. For example, the
body member can comprise a foam rubber member 34 encased in
a rubber cover 36. Alternatively, body member 32 can be in
a form of an air cushion in which two rubber sheets define
an inflatable air cell there between.
A plurality of openings 38 extend through body member 32
for receiving feed fingers 30. Slits 40 extend from openings
38 towards each end of attachment 10 to permit repair work to
be performed on the fingers and bearings therefore without
removal of the attachment, to provide play compensating for
different angles of movement of the fingers when the auger
rotation is reversed, and to facilitate mounting of the
attachment over the fingers of the auger. Openings 38 are
approximately three quarters of an inch in diameter, while
slits 40 are approximately one and one-half inches long from
the center of the opening.
A suitable coupling mechanism 42, e.g., snaps, is provided
at each of the opposite ends of the body member 32 to attach the
body member about the central drum portion of auger 12.
Alternatively, the ends of attachment 10 can be secured by an
adhesive about the auger central portion. Preferable, a
releasable coupling mechanism is provided and located relative
to the central drum portion so as to overlie the access door
therein. In this manner, maintenance of the auger is
facilitated.
As illustrated in Figure 4, attachment 10 is generally
rectangular in plan view. When the attachment is wrapped
about the auger central drum portion, the attachment forms
a generally cylindrical sleeve. The opposite ends of the
sleeve are tapered to define frustoconical surfaces 44 and
flat end segments 46. The central portion of body member 32
is approximately two inches thick and tapers at the
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longitudinal ends of the sleeve (as illustrated in Figure 2)
or at the lateral sides of the attachment was illustrated in
Figure 4) to the end segments 46 where the attachment is
approximately one-eighth inch thick.
Feed fingers 30 are coupled within drum 24 to a
reciprocating mechanism 48 of conventional design. Mechanism
48 causes the fingers to reciprocate in a radial direction
between radially extended positions and radially retracted
positions as auger 12 rotates. Since the thickness of the
sleeve in a radial direction is greater than the extension
of the fingers in their retracted positions the fingers
completely retract through the thickness of attachment 10.
In operation, attachment 10 rotates simultaneously with
auger 12. As the auger rotates in the direction indicated
by arrow 50, vegetation is fed directly to or indirectly by
the spiral flights 26,28 to the central drum portion of
auger 12. The vegetation is then engaged by fingers 30
between auger 12 and bottom wall 52 of header 14 to be forced
into feed throat 20.
Resilient attachment 10 prevents the accumulation of
vegetation on auger 12 by its wiping action with fingers 30
and by covering all other projections extending from the
central drum portion with a relatively smooth surface. Since
fingers 30 retract completely through attachment 10 as
illustrated in Figure 3, all vegetation adhering to a
retracting finger is forced off the finger and directed
towards throat 2Q. Since the central drum portion projections
are covered by the attachment, no vegetation can adhere to
them.
A resilient attachment 10 improves the feeding of
vegetation by providing a flexible and resilient control
drum portion of a larger diameter. Such resiliency and
flexibility permits the central drum portion to exert constant
pressure on the vegetation regardless of the quantity of
vegetation passing between the auger and the header bottom
8 --
wall. Constant pressure can also be applied even though the
vegetation passing under the auger varies along the length of
the auger or varies between high and low quantities as the
combine moves across the field. The constant pressure applied
to the vegetation prevents the vegetation from flaring up
to a point where it will not pass through feed throat 20 and
causes the vegetation to be contacted with sufficient force
to enable it to pass through feed throat 20. Additionally,
the flexibility and resiliency of attachment 10 minimize the
damage to the crop and prevent the crop from being dislodged
from its vines maximizing the quantity of crop passing into
throat 20 for further processing within the combine.
Thus, the present invention provides a more even
flow of material passing under the auger, as well as preventing
the accumulation of vines. The downward and rearward pressure
exerted on the vegetation by the resilient attachment 10
as the vegetation leaves the auger and enters the throat
further directs the vegetation into the throat. This downward
and rearward pressure also assists the removal of the vegeta-
lion from the fingers and decreases the tendency of the
vegetation to flare up.
The covering provided by attachment 10 also protects
the auger from damage from such debris as rocks.
Although the invention has been described in considerable
detail with particular reference to a certain preferred
embodiment thereof, variations and modifications can be effected
within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the
appended claims.
