Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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COMBINE CYLINDER REVERSING APPARATUS
This invention is in the field of combines used in agriculture for harvesting
amps and in
f particular devices to aid in clearing combine cylinders that become jammed
with crop
S material.
BACKGROUND
One common type of agricultural combine includes a transverse rotating
cylinder with
rub bars arranged on an outer surface thereof. The cylinder is mounted on a
shaft and a
cylinder drive typically comprises a pulley or sprocket on one end of the sha$
that is
driven by suitable belts, chains, or the Like. The outer surface of the
cylinder rotates in
relatively close proximity to a concave grate locatal generally under the
cylinder, and
typically an adjustment mechanism is provided to vary the clearance between
the rub bars
1 S and the grate. Typically as well, this clearance decreases from the front
of the grate to
the rear of the grate. The cylinder rotates in a forward direction such that
the bottom
thereof moves rearward, and crop material is fed from the combine's feeder
mechanism
into the front of the cylinder and passes between the rub bars on the cylinder
and the
grate to rnb the desired seeds out ofthe crop material. The desired seeds pass
through the
grate and are collected in the combine while the balance of the crop material
passes
thrpugh the combine back onto the field.
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A common problem with combines is that crap material will sometimes dam
between the
cylinder and the grate, causing the cylinder to stop rotating. The crop
material enters the
fSont of the grate where the clearance between the cylinder and grate is
greatest, and as it
moves rearward and the clearance decreases, the crop material can jam, either
when the
crop material is damp, or when the crop material enters in a wad or lump. The
crop
material must be then be cleared from the area between the cylinder and the
grate before
harvesting can proceed. Typically to clear the crop material, the gate is
moved
downward to increase the clearance between the cylinder and grate to the
maximum
clearance available. The cylinder is then rotated in a reverse direction such
that the
bottom of the cylinder moves forward with respect to the grate, and the crop
material
moves forward from the low clearance area at the rear of the grate to the
higher clearance
area at the front of the grate where it loosens and can be manually removed
through an
access port typically provided on the combine.
In order to rotate the cylinder in the reverse direction, combine operators
typically use a
lengthy bar with one end adapted such that the operator can engage the bar
with the
cylinder shaft directly with a wrench type end, or via the pulley or sprocket
mounted on
the sha$ by engaging the bar in corresponding apertures spaced around the
pulley or
sprocket. The operator then manually exerts a force on the outer end of the
bar, where
leverage is maximized, to rotate the cylinder in the reverse direction. In
most cases,
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significant force is required to rotate the cylinder. Typically the operator
orients the bar,
if room allows, such that same extends rearward and upward relative to the
cylinder shaft,
and the operator pulls down so that his weight is added to the Force on the
bar. Pulling
downward on tie bar extending rearward from the cylinder sha$ exerts a force
that
moves the bottom of the cylinder forward in the reverse direction. Combine
configurations vary greatly such that the location of the cylinder pulley
often does not
allow the bar to oriented conveniently and the operator is thus required to
pull up or
laterally on the bar, sometimes in an awkward position where it is difficult
to pull
effectively.
I0
Often the operator will be unsuccessful in moving the cylinder, and then must
enlist
further help in order to rotate the cylinder, or attempt to dig fhe material
out through the
front end of the Brate. Frustration with failed attempts to reverse the
cylinder can lead the'
s.
operator to take hazardous steps such as standing and jumping on the bar which
can cause
the bar to slip out of engagement with the cylinder and injure the operator.
Often
attempts are made to engage an extension on the bar to increase the leverage,
however
clearance is often limited. A jammed or ptugged cylinder is generally regarded
as one of
the most distasteful occurrences a combine operator can encounter, requiring
considerable time and effort to clear_
2U
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Agricultural combines are also known That have a longitudinally oriented rotor
and fixate,
analogous to the cylinder and grate described above, and similar jamming is
known to
occur in these rotary type combines_
Combine feeder reversers are known comprising a motor operative to turn the
feeder
mechanism in a reverse direction in order to clear jammed crop material from
the feeder
house, however such mechanisms have not been adapted to reverse the cylinder
or rotor
because the farce required fo reverse the cylinder is much greater than that
required to
reverse t3~e feeder and suitable motors and drives have not been known.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method
for reversing a
combine cylinder to clear jammed crop material that overcomes problems in the
prior art.
13
The present invention provides in one embodiment, a method of loosening crop
material
jammed between a cylinder and concave grate of an agricultural combine. The
method
comprises attaching a winch to a portion of the combine such that the winch
location is
fixed relative to the cylinder, and winding a winch cable onto the winch;
engaging an arm
member with the cylinder; attaching a free end of the winch cable to the arm
member;
operating the winch to pull the arm member toward the winch and rotate the
cylinder in a
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reverse direction through a portion of a revolution; operating the winch in a
reverse
direction to provide slack in the winch cable; disengaging the arm member from
the
cylinder, and reengagng the arm member with the cylinder at a different
location to
attain a suitable orientation; operating the winch to rotate the cylinder in
the reverse
direction through a further portion of a revolution; and repeating steps as
required to
loosen the crop material.
The orientation of the cylinder, arm member, attachment location of the free
end of the
winch cable to the arm member, and winch is such that operating the winch in a
forward
IO direction winds the cable onto the winch and pulls the arm member toward
the winch,
rotating the cylinder in a reverse direction through a portion of a
revolution. The winch
is then operated in the reverse direction to provide slack in the winch cable,
the arm
member is disengaged from the cylinder, and reengaged at a different location
to attain ''
the proper orientation, and the winch is again operated in the forward
direction to rotate
the cylinder in a reverse direction through a further portion of a revolution.
The process
is repeated as often as necessary to allow conventional clearing methods to be
used to
complete the clearing operation and allow harvesting to proceed.
Thus the present invention provides sufficient force to rotate the cylinder in
the reverse
direction. Typically moving the cylinder only a fairly short distance in the
reverse
direction will move the crop material jammed in the Lower clearance area near
the rear of
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the grate forward into a higher clearance area where the material will be
looser and
conventional clearing methods can be used to complete the operation.
.~ DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:
S
While the invention is claimed in the concluding portions hereof, preferred
embodiments
are provided in the accompanying detailed description which may be best
understood in
conjunction with the accompanying diagrams where tike parts in each of the
several
diagrams are labeled with tike numbers, and where:
IO
Fig. I is a schematic side view of a combine showing the apparatus of the
present
invention in use to rotate the combine cylinder in a reverse direction;
t
Fig. 2 is a schematic side view showing the arm member engaged in the cylinder
15 pulley, and winch attached to the end of the handle of the arm member;
Fig. 3 is a schematic side view of an alternate cylinder pulley with a hex
head on
the shaft thereof such as can be found on combines;
20 Fig. 4 is a schematic side view of an alternate arm member in use on the
pulley of
Fig. 3;
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Fig. 5 is a perspective exploded view of the arm member of Fig. 1;
Fig. 6 is a top view of the arm member of Fig. 1;
Fig. 7 is a side view of the arm member of Fig. t;
Fig. 8 is an end view of the arm member of Fig. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBOD1MENTS:
Fig. I schematically illustrates the method of the ,present invention for
reversing a
combine cylinder to loosen and clear jammed crop material. The method is shown
on a
conventional agricultural combine with a rotating cylinder oriented laterally
with respect
IS to the travel direction of the combine. Those skilled in the art will
recognize that the
sable method could be used in a rotary combine where the cylindef~ or rotor is
oriented
substantially aligned with the travel direction.
The method comprises attaching a winch 3 to a Qoxtion of the combine 5 such
that the
winch location is fixed relative to the cylinder. The embodiment illustrated
in Fig. 1
shows the winch 3 attached by clamps, welding, or litre means to a rear face
of the front
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axle 7. The large drive wheel mounted to the front axle 7 is removed for
illustration
purposes. The axle 7 provides a convenient sturdy location for the winch 3 in
a combine
configured approximately as shown, however other suitable locations on various
combines will be ayparent to those skilled in ttte art.
An arm member 1 I is engaged with the cylinder by engaging an aperture 13 in a
pulley
I 5 attached to the cylinder shaft 17. The arm member 11 is much shorter than
the bars
conventionally used to manually reverse a combine cylinder, and emends only a
short
distance past the outer periphery of the cylinder pulley 15. The length in a
conventional
bar is required in order to get sufficient leverage to reverse a jammed
cylinder, however
in the present invention, a winch is attached as described below, and so the
arm member
11 can be short enough to ailow same to engage the cylinder pulley 1 S in the
required
orientation where a longer bar would be obstructed_
Fig. 2 illustrates the arm 11 engaging the apertures 13 in the pulley 15. This
type of
pulley 15 with apertures 13 is provided for example on John DeereTM 9500 and
9600
combines. Conventionally, a bar is engaged in the apertures l3 to manually
rotate the
pulley i5 and cylinder shaft 17 in reverse to clear jammed crop material.
Because of
obstructions from the combine configuration, the bar in these combines must be
oriented
forward of the cylinder pulley 15, such that same must be pushed upward to
reverse the
cylinder.
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Figs. 5 - 8 illustrate an arm member 11 that can be used in the present
invention to
engage the apertures 13. Knob 19 projects from the side of the arm handle 2I
and into
the aperture l3. The knob I9 is inserted such that a lug 23 slips into the
aperture 13 and
engages the inner face of the pulley I S to prevent the knob 19 from slipping
out of the
aperture 13. A hook aperture 25 is defined by a chain link welded to the end
of the
handle 21 for engagement of a winch cable as discussed below.
As seen in Fig. 2, a winch cable 4I is wound on the winch 3 and a flee end of
the winch
cable is attached to the arm member I1. In the illustrated embodiment, a hook
43 is
attached to the free end of the winch cable 41 and engaged in the hook
aperture 25 on the
end of the arm member 11. The orientation o~ the cylinder pulley I3, arm
member I 1,
attachment location of the free end of the winch cable 41 to the arm member at
hook
aperture 25, and winch 3 is illustrated in Fig. 2, and is such that operating
the winch 3 in
a pulling direction WP winds the cable 41 onto the winch 3 and pulls the arm
member 1 I
,.
toward the winch 3, rotating the cylinder pulley 15 in a reverse direction R
through a
portion of a revolution. The arrn member I I is pulled from position PI to
position P2, at
which point the winch 3 is then operated in the opposite direction to unwind
the cable 41
from the winch 41 and provide slack in the winch cable 41. The arm member 1 I
is
disengaged from the cylinder pulley I5, and reengaged in a different aperture
13 at a
suitable location to again attain the proper orientation about at P1, and the
winch 3 is
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again operated in the pulling direction WP to rotate the cylinder in a reverse
direction
through a further portion of a revolution. The process is repeated as often as
necessary to
loosen the 3ammed material and allow conventional clearing methods to be used
to
complete the clearing operation and allow harvesting to proceed.
An alternate pulley 115 is illustrated in Fig. 3 comprising a hex head 13I
defined around
the cylinder shaft 117. The pulley l 15 is an example of a pulley and shaft
that is
sometimes used an a combine cylinder. For use with such a pulley I 15, an arm
member
1 I 1 comprises a socket wrench head 133 configured to engage the hex head
131. The
wrench head 133 is attached to a handle 121 and a hook aperture 125 is defined
in the end
of the handle 121 for engagement of a winch cable 141. It will be understood
by those
skilled in the art that combine cylinders are made in various configurations
and the arm
member can be adapted to engage the cylinder in a variety of ways.
The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the
invention.
Further, since numerous changes and modifications will readily occur to those
skilled in
the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction
and operation
shown and described, and accordingly, ail such suitable changes or
modifications in
structure or operation which tray be resorted to are intended to fall within
the scope of
ZO the claimed invention.
