FRONT ATTACHMENT FOR USE WITH COMBINE-HARVESTERS WHEN USED TO HARVEST RAPE AND HORSE BEANS OR SIMILAR CROPS

DISPOSITIF A ATTACHE FRONTALE POUR MOISSONNEUSE-BATTEUSE, UTILISE POUR LA RECOLTE DU COLZA ET DE LA FEVE A CHEVAL ET AUTRES FOURRAGES DU GENRE

English Abstract

A front attachment for use with combine-harvesters
when used to harvest rape or horse beans or similar crops
comprises a separate cutter bar and a bridge plate, which
extends between the cutter bar and 9 covered cutting
mechanism of the combine-harvester and constitutes a
collecting trough. To provide a higher safety of travel and
an improved travel performance and particularly to reduce
the loss of grains, a guard plate or slide plate, which is
preferably adjustable in height, is provided under the
bridge plate. Additionally, the bridge plate has at least
two steps which are gently rearwardly and upwardly inclined
and sharply decline at their rear end.

Claims

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CLAIMS:
1. A front attachment for use with combine-harvesters
when used to harvest rape or horse beans or similar crops,
comprising a separate cutter bar and a bridge plate, which
extends between the cutter bar and a covered cutting
mechanism of the combine-harvester and constitutes a
collecting trough, characterized in that a guard plate or
slide plate is provided below the bridge plate and the
bridge plate comprises at least two rearwardly rising steps,
which sharply decline from their rear edges.
2. An attachment according to claim 1, characterized
in that the bridge plate is provided with ribs, which extend
in the direction of travel and divide the space in the
trough.
3. An attachment according to claim 1 or 2,
characterized in that the guard plate and optionally also
the bridge plate is composed of two or more juxtaposed plate
segments having selectable widths.

Description

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This invention relates to a front attachment for
use with combine-harvesters when used to harvest rape or
horse beans or similar crops, comprising a separate cutter
bar and a bridge plate which extends between the cutter bar
and the covered cutting mechanism of the combine-harvester
and constitutes a collecting trough.
Because the cutting mechanism of a conventional
combine-harvester intended for harvesting grain is not fully
satisfactory for harvesting rape or horse beans or crops
having a similar structure, front attachments have been
developed, which have a separate cutter bar, which can
effectively cut rape or the like. A bridge plate ensures a
satisfactory transfer of the cut crop to the combine-
harvester, particularly needed because the cutting mechanism
of the combine-harvester is shielded and cannot restrain the
cut crop. However, the known front attachments are not
fully satisfactory.
It is known (U. S. Patent 4,011,709) to provide,
under the bridge plate, a guard plate or slide plate, and to
provide the bridge plate on a much higher level. The guard
plate or slide plate, serves to protect the means for
driving the cutter bar and does not extend over the overall
length of the bridge plate, measured in the direction of
travel. Additionally, the guard or slide plate is connected
to the cutting mechanism, is adjustable and does not have a
function with respect to the bridge plate.
Rape plants are highly felted during the
harvesting season and their pods tend to burst easily so
that the grains then fall out of the pods. The previously
used bridge plate is designed to constitute a trough for
collecting the grains which have prematurely fallen out.

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i
However, operation~o~
a combine-harve ter
with the previous
bridge plate and a~tachmeut time in which the
for a lon
attachment was not~lifted in an accumulation
would resul of
an excessive amounts
of grains at the
tep between the cutter
bar of the attachtn~nt ate so that grains
and the bridge
would fall over tojthe be lost. It has
ground and woul
also been found that plants which remain
the stumps of the
on the ground may to and that material
damage the bridge
p1
may build up under bridge plate, i.e_,
jthe rear end o~
the
at the front erid er proper and such
of, the combine-harves
built-up material a considerable
mast be removed with
expenditure of time~and r operation is to
work if a prop be
continued. !
For this ~eaeon, it ct of the invention
is an obj
to improve the knowr~ that the loss of
Front attachment
grains will be minim i.zed, damage to transfer plate will
I the
be prevented, and ~build-up of rnateriaunder the transfer
a
plate will be avoided.
The objects set forth l.ished in accordance
~.B acco
Zo with the invention or slide plate is
i~ that. a guard
plat
provided below the bridge plate
bridge plate and
the
comprises at least steps, which
tyro rearwardly risin
sharply decline from,
their rear edges.
In particular according present invention
to th
there is provided use With combine-
a front attachment
fo
harvesters when used~to harvest rape or ~or~ae beans or
similax crops, comprising a separate cut er bar and a bridge
plate, which extends'Ibetween the cutter ar and a covered
cutting mechanism of the combine-harvest r and constitutes a
collecting trough, characterized in that a guard plate or

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slide plate is pr ided below the bri ge plate and the
bridge plate cotapr ses at xeast two r arwardly rising steps,
which sharply decl~~.ne from theix rear edges.
The guar. plate or glide p1 to wiil prevent damage
to the bridge plat by plant stumps w ich remain oa the
.. ground and, becausl the guard plate o slide plate Can be
adjusted in height, it can be adapted o the current
conditions and thellguard glate or slid plate may even slide
on the plant stumpsl. The, guard plate r slide plate wzll
also ensure that a retention of crop r sidues, which may
occur in front of t a combine-harvests props= and may
i
I
I
i

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obstruct the travel, will be avoided. Owing to the special
design of the bridge plate with steps, several spaces for
collecting the grains which have fallen out of the burst
pods will be provided in front of the sharply declining rear
surfaces of the steps so that an excessive accumulation at a
single point, as occurred in the previous practice, will be
prevented and the loss of grains fallen from the bridge
plate will be minimized.
According to a further feature of the invention,
the bridge plate is provided with ribs, which extend in the
direction of travel and divide the space in the trough.
Such ribs also constitute retaining walls, which when the
bridge plate assumes an inclined position owing to an uneven
ground will prevent a rolling of all grains to one side,
with the described consequences.
To permit an adaptation to the working width of
various combine-harvesters without the need for
manufacturing special attachments for each combine-
harvester, the guard plate, and optionally also the bridge
plate, is composed of two or more juxtaposed plate segments
having selectable widths.
The subject matter of the invention is strictly
schematically shown by way of example in the drawing, in
which the cutter bar, cutting mechanism, reel and the like
have been omitted for the sake of clearness and in which:
Figure 1 is a sectional view taken on a plane
extending in the direction of travel and shows those parts
of a front attachment which are essential for the invention,
Figure 2 is an associated partial transverse
sectional view taken on line II-II in Figure 1 and

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Figure 3 is a top plan view showing a bridge
plate.
A bridge plate 3 extends between the cutter bar 1
of the front attachment and the combine-harvester 2, which
has a covered cutting mechanism, not shown. The bridge
plate 3 comprises three gently rearwardly and upwardly
inclined steps 4, which sharply decline at their rear edges.
The bridge plate 3 is obviously limited on either side by a
side wall to form a trough. It is apparent from Figures 1
and 3 that ribs 5 extending in the direction of travel, are
provided on the bridge plate 3, and divide the tray space.
A guard plate or slide plate 6 is provided below
the bridge plate 3 and is vertically adjustably mounted on
the finger guard 7 for the grain-cutting mechanism by means
of a plurality of fixing screws extending through superposed
bore 9 for fastened by fixing lugs. The guard plate or
slide plate 6 is stiffened by beads 8. As is apparent from
Figure 3 the cutting mechanism and the bridge plate 3 may be
composed of a plurality of juxtaposed plate segments 3b, 3a,
6b, 6a and plate segments differing in widths may be kept in
stock by the manufacturer to permit an adaptation to
different working widths of different combine-harvesters.

Representative Drawing