Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02635859 2008-06-25
POWERED LIFT FS}R A SWATH ROLLLIt
This invention is in the field of agricultural implemcnt5 and in paiYicular
swath rollers for
pushing crop swaths down into standing stubble.
BACKGROUND
hi some areas it is popular to cut and windrow, or swath, crops before
harvesting in order
to promote eartier and more uniform inaturing and to achieve the necessarv
drying of the
crop. An implement known as a swather comprises generally a cutting header
tuid belts
to lay cut crop in a swath. 'I'he header is typically raised and lowered by
lift hydraulic:
cylinders to follow ground contours and vatiations in crop height. Such
swathers can be
self propelled, or towed behind a tractor.
There is risk of loss or damage to a crop while it is in the swath. In the
case of light and
fragile crops such as canola, peas, tlax or beans this risk includes loss of
crop that is
shelled out onto the ground due to wind action on the swath and thc
possibility of the
wind actually dislocating and scatteritig thc swath, making efficient
harvesting
impossible.
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As these crops dry in the swath they become lighter, inoxe brittle and
increasingly
susceptible to movement & damage by the wind. To minimize losses and damage to
the
crop in the swath it has become common practice to use a swath roller to
compact the
swath and anchor it in the supporting standing stubble.
Swath rolters are typically motuited onto a swather, or mounted iiz a frame cm
wheels that
is towed along hehind the swather. Swath rollers generaiiy wrnprise a drum of
substantially cylindrical shape that is mount.ed either in a wheeled frame
that straddles the
swath, or in a frame attached to a swather such that the drum is positioned
trver the swath
and rolls along the top of the swath that has just exited the swather and
pushes the swath
down into the standing stubble of the cut c.vop. SiniplE rylirrdrical swath
rollers do
nothing to compact or anchor the edges of the swath and so ctrursts have been
developed
with ends which are shaped generally as the frustum of a cone so that the
roller contacts
both the top and edges of the swath, and pushes the edges of the swath down
farther into
the standing stubblc than the middle. The swath is then more resistant to
niovenient by
wind. Bumps and the like can also be provicled on the ends of the dnun in an
attempt to
knit the swath into the standing stubble. These various dnan end sections can
be
generally referred to as edge compacting ends, and are referred to as such in
this
disClo~ure.
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In conventional swath rollers, the vertical position of the drum with respect
to the franie
is typically adjus(able on wheeled tow behind machines, but once adjusted the
vertical
position is fixed during operation, and the machine must be stopped for the
operator to
attend to many further adjustments. On typical swather mounted models, the
cinim is
mottnted in a frame that is pivotally attached to the rear of the swather
about a horizontal
axis oriented perpendicular to the travel direction. A winch is typically
mounted on the
swather and a cable to the frame holds the frame and druirx off the ground at
the desired
vertical location, low enough to push the swath into the stubble, but above
the ground.
The drum and frame can lloal uF from this minimuni vertical location, but the
winch
cable prevents it from moving down.
Canadian Patent Number 2,311,694 to Glanville illustrates a typical swath
roller of both
the tow behind and swather tnounted types.
SUMNiARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a swath roller that
overcomes problems
in the prior art.
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In a first emboditnent tlie present invention provides a swath roller
apparatus cornprising
a drunt adapted to be rotatably attached to a vehicle for movement along the
ground in an
operating travel direction such that the drum is oriented substantially
horizontal and
perpendicular to the operating travel direction. A dnim actuator is operative
to ntove the
drum up and down with respect to the ground while the vehicle is moving along
the
ground.
In a second entbodinrent the present invention provides a swather apparatus
comprising a
swallter operative to cut -itanding crop plants and lay cut plants in a swath
as the swather
moves along the ground in att operating travel direction. A drum is motinted
in a drttm
frame attached to a rear portion of the swather such that the drum is oriented
sub:stantially
horizontal and perpendicular to the operating travel direction and above the
swath, and a
dntm actuator is operative to move the drum frame up and down with respect to
the
swather while the swather is moving along the grourtd.
In a third etnbodiment the present invention provides a inethod of swathing a
crop
comprising providing a swather operative to cut standing c-rop plants and lay
cut plants in
a swath as the swather inoves along the ground in an operating travel
direction; moutiting
a tlrLan with edge compacting end portions in a drum frarrte and pivotally
attaching the
drum frame to a rear portion of the swather such that the dnim is oriented
substantially
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horizontai and peipendicttlar to the operating travel dii-ection aud above the
swath;
providing a drum actuator hyclraulic cylinder operative to move the drum frame
up and
down with respect to lhe swather; operating the dntm hydraulic cylinder to
lower the
dnun onto the swath while cutting plaits, and operating the drum hydraulic
cylinder to
raise the dtum during turns such that the edge compacting ends of thc drum are
not in
contact with the swath while the swather is turning.
By providing the diutn actuator, an operator can raise the drum up off llie
swath using a
control adjtu;ent to the operator's position, or the actuator ca be otmnected
to raise
autonaatically when the header of the swather is raised, and thet'eby.allow
the operator to
avoid situations where the drum might interfere with the desired operation of
the swather
and with swath formation.
For example while edge compacting ends on a swath roller dtum do help lo push
the side
edges of the swath down to make them less susceptible to wind, they also
disnipt the
swath during turns, especially the sharp turns made at the ends of a field
where the
swather typically will make a i!i{Y'turn. This turn is often initiaterl
immc;diately when the
cutting k~rtife at the front of the swather has reached the end of the
standing crop, and
whi]e the dntm, located rearward of the cutting knife, is still resting on the
swath. Thus
during the turn the drurn will move laterally across the top af the swath. A
plain
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cylindrical drum will simply side laterally across the top of the swath, but
ttie conical
ends of the edge compacting drum instead drag through the swath, leaving the
swath
scattered and piled up. and therefore susceptible to further damage from wind.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
While the invention is claimed in the concluding portions hereof, preferred
embodiments
are provided in the accompanying cfetailed description which may be best
understood in
conjunction with the acc.ompanying diagranls where like pails in each of tlic
several
diagr'atns are labeled with like uumbers, and where:
Fig.l is a schematic top view of an embodiment of a swather apparatus 1 of the
present
invention:
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the swath roller of the swather apparatus of
Fig. 1, with
the drum thereof in the lowered position;
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the swath roller of the swatlier apparatus of
Fig. 1, with
the druni thereof in the raised position;
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Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a swath roller apparatus coinprisirig a cltlnn
ntuunttd on
a trailer to be towed behind a swather;
Fig. 5 is a schematic side view of the swath i-oller of the swather apparatus
of Fig. 1,
with the drum thereof in the lowered position;
Fig. 6 is a schematic side view of the swath roller of the swather ap,paratus
of Fig. 1,
with the dnim thereof in the raised position.
DET.A,ILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBDDIMENTS
Fib.1 is a scheniatic top view of an embodiment of a swather appsiratus i of
the present
invention. The apparatus I comprises a swather 3 opcrativc to cut standing
crop plants
and Iay cut plants in a swath 5 as the swather 3 moves along the ground in an
operating
travel direction T. A drurn 7 is nzounted in a drum frame 9 attached to a rear
portion of
the swather 3 suc:h that the drum 7 is oriented substantially horizontal and
perpendicular
to the opcrating travei direction T and abuve the swath 5. A druin actuator is
operative to
move the drum frame 9, and the drum 7 tnounted therein, up atid down with
respect to the
swather 3 while the swather is inoving along the grotutd.
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As illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, the druni frame 9 includes a pair of arnis
11, and the front
ends of tiie acins 11 are pivotally rttounted to the swather 3, and the drum 3
is rotatabty
mounted to a rear portion of the dnim frame 9. In the embodiment illustrated
in Figs. 2
and 3 the drum frame 9 is pivotally attached to brackets 13 that are adapted
for
attachment to the swather by elamps 15. The arms 11 pivot ahout a pivot axis
PA
oriented substantially horizontal and perpendicular to the operating travel
direction T. In
the illustrated embodiment the drum actuator is provided by a pair of drum
hydraulic
cylinders 17, each connected between the drum frame 9 and the swather 3 by
pivolal
attachment at one end to the arrn 11 and at the otlter to the bracket 13.
The drum hydraulic cylinders 17 are connected for actuation to a hydraulic
system 19 of
the swather 3. The hydraulic system 19 includes a control valve 21 located
adjacent to an
operators position 23 and operative to activate the dnun hydraulic cylinders
17.
Typically the hvdraulic sytitem 19 will also provide a float control opcrativc
to selectively
allow the drum frame 9 to float up and down with respect to the swather 3. The
dnim 7
can then roll along on top of the swath 5, and Float. up and down as the
relative position of
the swather and swalh change as the terrain varies.
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During a typical swathing operation the druni hydraulic cylinders 17 are
operated to
lower the dntni 7 to the position of Pigs. 2 and 5 such that the dnun contacts
the swath 5
whiie cuttitig plants, anct the drum ltydraulic cylinders 17 are operated to
raise the drum 7
to the position of Figs. 3 and 6 during turns. This is particularly beneficial
where the
drum 7 inclttdes edge compacting ends 25 that extend radially beyond a central
portion
27 of the drum. Turning sharply, sttch as at the end of the field, while the
drum 7 is down
in contact with the swath 5 causes the ends 25 to tear through the swath 5 and
significantly disrupt the swath 5 increasing its sascept.ihility to wind
damage. By raising
the drum 7 such that the edge compacting ends 25 of the drwn 7 are not in
contact with
the swath 7 while the swather 3 is turning, such distupt.ion is avoided.
The illustratecl swather 3 includes lift hydraulic cylinders 31, as seen in
Fig. 1, that are
operative to raise and lower the cutting header 33 of the swather 3. For
convenience, the
control 21 for drum hydraulic cylinders 17 can be connected to operate in
concett with
the control for the lift hydraulic cylinders 31 such that the dtvni 7
automatically moves
up when the header 33 moves up, and moves to the down position when the header
33 is
movcd down. Thus the dnun 7 is always raised at corners where the header 33 is
raised.
and the edge cornpacting ends 25 are raised clear of the swath 5 so that the
swath is not
disturbed during the turn.
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Fig. 4 illustrates an alterttate swath roller apparatus 101 comprising a dntm
107 rotatably
attached to a vehicle that is essentially a trailer 103 mounted on wheels 104
for
(nover[-ent atUnQ tlle gruund in an operating travel direction T such that the
drum 107 is
oriented substantially horizontal and perpendicular to the operating travel
direction T.
The trailer 103 is adapted to be towed behind a swather attached to a hitch
106 at the
front end of the trailer 103.
The djirm 107 is rotatahlv mounted in a dnini Yrame 109. A front end of the
dnim frame
109 is pivotally mounted to the trailer 103 about a pivot axis PA oriented
substatatially
horizontal and perpendicular to the operatiiig travel direction. The drum 107
is rotatably
mounted to a rear portion of the dtum frame. A drum actuator, illustrated as a
pair of
drum hydraulic cylinders 117, is connected between the drum frame 109 and the
trailer
103 and is operative to move the drum 107 up artd down with respect to the
ground. The
drum hydraulic cylinders 117 are adapted to be connected for actuation to a
hydraulic
system of the swather through hydraulic conduits 130 from the trailer 103 to a
towing
swathe.r. As described above with respect to thc apparatus 1, the control for
the dnun
hydraulic cylinders 117 can be connected to the controi for the lift hydraulic
cylinders
such that the drum 107 move.s up anii down with the header of the towing
swather.
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With such trailer mounted diums, it is not usually required to provide a float
position, as
the trailer 103 is light. and excessive tipwat-d force on tlie di-urn will
siinply raise the
trailer wheels 104 off the ground.
The foregoing is considered ati 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, all such suitable changes or
modifications in
structure or operation which mav be resorted to are intended to fall within
the scope of
the clainted invention.
