Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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CROP LIFTER PANS
This invention is in the field of agricultural harvesting equipment and in
particular
equipment for cutting crops.
BACKGROUND
For various reasons crops sometimes are lying so close to the ground that it
is difficult to
cut them with a conventional harvest header. Some crops are inherently short,
while
others may be taller, but are prone to fall down when they reach maturity.
Typically the knife on cutting headers comprises a knife bar extending along
the front
lower edge of the header, with a plurality of triangular knife sections
attached to the bar
such that the apex of the triangle extends forward from the bar. The exposed
side edges
of the knife sections are sharpened. Guards are attached to the front lower
edge of the
header and serve to protect the knife sections from breakage when contacting
stones and
like obstructions. The guards comprise pointed guard fingers extending
forward, and the
knife moves back and forth along the edge of the header in a slot cut
laterally through the
guard fingers. In addition to protecting the knife, the guard fingers also
enable the knife
sections to cut the crop. As the knife section moves back and forth it pushes
crop against
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the sides of those portions of the guard finger that are above and below the
slot, shearing
the crop stalks.
A conventional knife is a few inches above the ground when the header is in
its lowest
position, such that very short or downed crop material will pass under the
knife and be
lost. Many different kinds of "crop lifters", as they have come to be known
have been
developed over the last century and more. Typically these crop lifters are
attached to the
header and/or the forward extending point of the guard finger, and provide an
arm of
various designs that rides along the ground ahead of the knife. A lifting
finger extends at
a shallow angle from the front of the arm back and over the knife. As the
header moves
down the field, the arm rides along the ground and under the downed crop
stalks, which
then are lifted and pass over the lifting finger to the knife, where they are
cut and
continue moving onto the header from where they can be passed to the
harvester, swather
table, or the like.
United States Patent Numbers 700,029 and 791,022 to Gatermann disclose such a
crop
lifter that is pivotally attached to the header so as to be able to move up
and down to
follow the ground. United States Patent Number 4,120,138 to Schumacher
illustrates a
crop lifter that is fixed to the header instead of pivoting, but is made of
spring steel so
that same may move up and down to follow the ground.
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Much loss often occurs in straight cut harvesting of crops such as dry beans,
peas, and
lentils due to pods shattering or pods that are below the cutter bar. The
lifting fingers of
the prior art are narrow fingers that are designed to lift stalks above the
knife so that they
may be cut, and so that the seed pods attached to the stalks may be carried
onto the
header and retained. The narrow fingers however allow pods to hang down on
each side
of the rod as the stalk moves rearward along the finger, such that some pods
are below
the knife when the stalk is cut, and therefore drop to the ground and are
lost.
As well, seed pods often shatter when contacted by the harvesting equipment
before they
are on the header, and the shattered pods spill their seeds to fall on the
ground. The crop
lifters are moving relatively slowly at the speed of the harvester, perhaps
five miles per
hour, but the knife is moving rapidly back and forth in the guards. Thus most
of the
shattering loss occurs in the area generally just above the knife when the
stalk is
contacted by the rapidly moving knife. Seeds fall from the shattered pods down
through
the knife to the pound. While this problem of shattering seed pods and heads
is more
severe in some crops than others, there is generally at least some shattering
loss in any
crop.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
IL is an object of the present invention to provide a seed pan apparatus for a
cutting
header that overcomes problems in the prior art.
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In a first embodiment the present invention provides a seed pan apparatus for
attachment
to a cutting header having a knife and cooperating knife guards mounted along
a lower
front edge thereof. The apparatus comprises a seed pan adapted at a front
portion thereof
for attachment to the cutting header such that when attached to the cutting
header, the
seed pan extends upward and rearward from a guard finger of a knife guard over
the knife
to a rear end thereof located rearward of the knife. Side walls extend upward
from side
edges of the seed pan, and right and left side edges of the seed pan diverge
from a front
end thereof to the rear end thereof such that the rear end of the seed pan is
wider than the
front end thereof.
In a second embodiment the present invention provides a cutting header
apparatus
comprising a knife and cooperating knife guards mounted along a lower front
edge of a
cutting header. A seed pan is attached at a front portion thereof to the
cutting header such
that the seed pan extends upward and rearward from a guard finger of a knife
guard over
the knife to a rear end thereof located rearward of the knife. Side walls
extend upward
from side edges of the seed pan, and right and left side edges of the seed pan
diverge
from a front end thereof to the rear end thereof such that the rear end of the
seed pan is
wider than the front end thereof.
The seed pans catch a significant proportion of seeds that fall from shattered
pod and
heads. The pans are widest generally above the cutting knife where shattering
is most
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likely to occur. Crop stalks are bent slightly to each side by the wedge
shaped pans, but
are still effectively exposed to the knife sections and guards so same can be
cut. This
lateral movement also helps to raise pods attached to the stalks to a level
where same will
be above the knife and so increase the chances that the pod will pass onto the
header.
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DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
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 like parts in each of the
several
diagrams are labeled with like numbers, and where:
Fig. 1 is a schematic bottom view of the cutting mechanism of a typical
cutting header;
Fig. 2 is a top view of an embodiment of the seed pan apparatus of the present
invention;
Fig. 3 is a schematic side view of the seed pan apparatus of Fig. 2 mounted on
a cutting
header;
Fig. 4 is a schematic sectional view of the seed pan apparatus of Fig. 2;
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Fig. 5 is a schematic front view of a plurality of the seed pan apparatuses of
Fig. 2 mounted on
a cutting header, and showing seeds falling from shattered pods;
Fig. 6 is a schematic side view of a seed pan apparatus of Fig. 2 moving
through a crop;
Fig. 7 is a schematic front view of a seed pan apparatus of Fig. 2 moving
through a crop;
Fig. 8 is a schematic sectional side view of an alternate seed pan apparatus
comprising steps;
Fig. 9 is a schematic side view of an alternate seed pan apparatus mounted on
a crop lifter of a
common design;
Fig. 10 is a schematic side view of a further alternate seed pan apparatuses
mounted on a crop
lifter of a different common design;
Figs. 11 and 12 are top views of the embodiment of Fig. 10 showing
installation on the crop
lifter;
Fig. 13 illustrates a further alternate embodiment of the seed pan apparatus
where the crop
lifter is attached to the guard finger about a horizontal pivot axis.
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DTAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS
A typical cutting header comprises a knife extending along the front lower
edge of the
header, which is moved along a field in an operating travel direction T. The
knife 2
comprises, as schematically illustrated in the bottom view of Fig. 1, a
plurality of
triangular knife sections 3 attached to a knife bar 5 such that the apex 7 of
the triangle
extends forward from the bar 5. Guards 9 arc attached to the front lower edge
of the
header with guard bolts 11 and serve to protect the knife sections 3 from
breakage when
contacting stones and like obstructions. The guards 9 comprise pointed guard
fingers 13
extending forward.
Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate a seed pan apparatus 1 for attachment to a typical
cutting header
such as illustrated in Fig. 1. The seed pan apparatus 1 comprises a seed pan
21 adapted
at a front portion thereof for attachment to the cutting header 23 such that
when attached
to the cutting header 23, the seed pan 21 extends upward and rearward from a
guard
finger 13 over the knife 2 to a rear end thereof located rearward of the knife
2. Side walls
extend upward from side edges of the seed pan 21. Right and left side edges
21R, 21L
of the seed pan 21 diverge from a front end 27 thereof to the rear end 29
thereof such that
the rear end 29 of the seed pan 21 is wider than the front end 27 thereof.
In the apparatus 1 the front portion of the seed pan 21 is adapted to attach
to a front end
of a guard finger 13, and a rear portion of the seed pan 21 is adapted to be
attached to a
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guard bolt 31 attaching a guard 9 to the cutting header 23. The guard bolt 13
in this
embodiment extends above the cutting header 23 to support the rear portion of
the seed
pan 21 at a position above the header 23. Rather than being made to attach to
existing
guards 9, a whole new guard could be designed incorporating the seed pan 21
and guard
finger 13.
Also in the illustrated apparatus 1 wherein the front and 27 of the seed pan
21, when
attached to the cutting header 23, is forward of a front end of a guard finger
13, and the
side walls 25 slope upward and outward from the side edges 21R. 21L of the
seed pan 21,
as schematically illustrated in Fig. 4.
With a plurality of seed pan apparatuses 1 mounted on guard fingers of a
header such as
illustrates in Fig. 1, it can be seen that a considerable length of the knife
2 is covered by
the seed pans 21 and side walls 25 of the apparatuses 1, as shown in the front
view of Fig.
5. A significant proportion of seeds 35 that drop from shattered pods thus
fall onto the
seed pans 21 instead of on to the ground.
Plants of a typical bean or pea crop 33 are illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7. Such
plants
typically include vine type stalks that arc laying down and tangled, as
opposed to a crop
like wheat where the stalks are straighter. In such a crop as the seed pan
apparatus moves
through the crop, plants 33 pass along the top of the apparatus 1 in a
rearward direction R
as the header is moved in direction T. Reels also typically engage the plants
just in front
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of the knife and push the plants rearward along the top of the seed pan 21.
The rearward
moving material also carries the seeds 35 that landed on the seed pans 21
rearward and
over the rear end 29 of the seed pans and onto the header where they are
carried into the
harvester and saved. Use of a pick up reel, with teeth raking through the crop
plants, or
an air reel blowing material rearward will enhance saving of the seeds.
The conventional narrow rod type lifting finger allows bean pods to hang down
on each
side of the rod such that pods are often not lifted high enough to be cut. The
wider seed
pan apparatus 1 draws the pods farther off the ground as it moves forward
since the stalk
passes not only up and over a narrow finger then down as in the conventional
lifting
finger, but up and then across a wide pan and then down, such that hanging
pods are
raised higher and so more will be cut.
Tests in pinto beans comparing the seed pans of the present invention to a
popular
conventional crop lifter on a John Deereim flex header with an air reel showed
the seed
pans reduced losses by 1.7 bu. per acre, a significant saving. The seed pans
were 4 1/2
inches wide mounted on 9 inch centers.
It is contemplated that in some conditions and crops it may be advantageous to
provide a
series of steps in the seed pan. Fig. 8 illustrates an alternate seed pan
apparatus 101
where the seed pan 121 includes a series of steps 141 in the seed pan 121.
Seeds 135 will
be held on the steps 141 instead of rolling down the incline of the seed pan
121 where the
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crop plants are thin for example and therefore little material is moving to
carry the seeds
rearward onto the cutting header.
Fig. 9 illustrates alternate embodiments of the seed pan apparatus 201A, 201B
adapted to attach
to a crop lifter 251 attached to the cutting header 223. Seed pan apparatus
201A is attached by
clamps, screws, or the like to the conventional lifting finger 253 of the crop
lifter 251. Alternate
seed pan apparatus 201B is attached to the hollow member 255 where the crop
lifter 251 engages
the guard finger 213, such that the apparatus 201B is located lower than the
apparatus 201A.
Figs. 10 - 12 illustrate a further alternate seed pan apparatus 301 wherein
the front end of the
seed pan 321 is adapted to attach to a different style of crop lifter 351 that
is attached to a guard
finger. A finger plate 361 extends upward and somewhat forward from the hollow
member 355
where the crop lifter 351 engages the guard finger, and the lifting finger 353
is attached to the
finger plate 361.
In the illustrated embodiment, a pan plate 363 extends rearward as illustrated
from the finger
plate 361 of the crop lifter 351, and the pan plate 363 defines a lug aperture
365. The front end
of the seed pan 321 includes a pair of lugs 367 biased toward by a bias force
BF each other and
configured such that the lugs 367 can be forced apart by exerting an opening
force OF in the
lugs, and then aligned with the lug aperture 365 and then released to engage
the lugs 367 in the
lug aperture 365 and thereby secure the seed pan
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apparatus 301 to the crop lifter 351. The illustrated seed pan apparatus 301
also includes
a brace 369 between the crop lifter 351 and the bottom of the seed pan 321 to
support the
crop lifter 351 in the desired orientation. The illustrated seed pan 321 also
includes steps
341 as described above to reduce the occurrence of seeds rolling down the
incline of the
seed pan 321.
The illustrated seed pan apparatus 301 is made from resilient plastic
material. A hole 371
is defined in the front end of the seed pan 321 such that the lugs 367 are
mounted on the
end of resilient legs 373 which provide the required bias force BF. A hole
could be made
in the lugs 367 such that a bolt 375 could be passed through the lugs 367 and
secured
with a nut to ensure that the lugs 367 do not spread apart and disengage from
the lug
aperture 365. Alternatively the lugs 367 could be omitted and the seed pan
apparatus 301
could be simply fastened with a bolt 375.
Fig. 13 illustrates a further alternate embodiment of the seed pan apparatus
401 for
attachment to a crop lifter such as those made by Gatermann and as discussed
above
where the crop lifter 451 is attached to the header 423 via attachment to the
guard finger
413 about a substantially horizontal pivot axis PA that is oriented
substantially
perpendicular to an operating travel direction T such that the crop lifter 451
can pivot
about the pivot axis PA to follow the ground. When attached to the cutting
header 423,
the seed pan 421 extends upward and rearward from the guard finger 413 over
the knife
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402 to a rear end thereof located rearward of the knife 402. In the
illustrated embodiment
of Fig. 13, the front end of the seed pan 421, when attached to the cutting
header 423, is
forward of a front end of a guard finger 413.
Typically the seed pan apparatus of the present invention will be made from
some
relatively weak plastic material so that should same be broken or dislodged
from the
header it will not cause damage as it passes through the harvesting mechanism.
Thc 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, all such suitable changes or
modifications in
structure or operation which may be resorted to are intended to fall within
the scope of
the claimed invention.
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