Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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CROP FLOW ASSISTANCE DEVICE FOR HARVESTING HEADER
This invention is in the field of agricultural equipment, and more
specifically in the area of crop
cutting and harvesting equipment and headers.
BACKGROUND:
It is known in the field of crop harvesting equipment to employ harvesting
headers to cut crops
for various purposes, such as feeding a combine harvester or swathing crop
material.
At the front of a combine or swather is the portion referred to as the header.
Headers are
generally designed to be detachable and some are designed to be optimized for
harvesting
particular crops. A typical header is equipped with a cutter bar [comprising a
reciprocating
knife in most cases. There is typically a conveyor deck or surface behind the
cutter bar onto
which cut crop material will fall, and a rear wall of the header which extends
up from the rear
of the crop catching surface from a joint. Typically a rotating reel with
metal or plastic bats
carrying fingers is used to sweep the standing crop towards the cutter bar as
the header and
attached harvesting machine is moved down the field. The reel bats also assist
in ensuring that
the cut crop falls into the conveyor system of the header once it has been
cut.
Some harvesting headers include an auger configured to feed cut material
laterally from the
outside of the header towards the center where it is then directed to a
windrow discharge chute,
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or into the throat of the combine harvester. More recent harvesting headers
replace the auger
for the feed of material to the center of the header with a conveyor system,
also termed a draper
conveyor system. Unlike a rotating auger, drapers typically comprise a fabric
or rubber apron
acting much like a conveyor belt to move material from the outside of the
header laterally
towards the center of the conveyor. The draper approach carries the crop
material more gently,
and there is less opportunity for jamming or plugging particularly in the
cutting of heavy crop
material. Draper headers typically allow faster feeding than augers, leading
to higher
throughputs and lower power requirements to operate.
While draper headers are generally very efficient for use with cereal grain
crops, they, along
with auger type headers suffer from problems when used in harvesting crops
such as peas,
soybeans and the like. These crops, given their dense or tangling propensity
tend to be more
difficult to efficiently handle in header operation since they can more easily
ball up and bind in
the header table area, or even ball up and push up over the top of the rear
wall of the header
throwing crop material back out of the operating area and generally speaking
impacting the
operating efficiency of the unit.
If it were possible to, either in an OEM or retrofit context, provide a means
to minimize
plugging of this type and maximize throughput of the header in these types of
crops, it would
be desirable. In some prior art harvester or cutting systems, a solution has
been to include a
second conveyor system for example a second draper oriented more vertically
along the rear
wall of the header, in order to assist in moving material from the back of the
conveyor deck
into the feed chute leading to the threshing portion. Clearly, this is not a
particularly desirable
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solution as it drastically increases the cost of the harvesting header. In
addition, a harvesting
header with a second conveyor is mechanically more complicated, requires more
power to
operate, and with more moving parts provides greater opportunity for
breakdown, failure as
well as increased maintenance. It is also virtually impossible to modify pre-
existing equipment
with an additional conveyor, and thus this solution requires a farmer to
purchase a completely
new header to deal with this issue in a retrofit context, which is not an
economically attractive
solution.
As a result, what is needed is a harvesting header that is configured to avoid
the limitations of
prior art headers and provide for smooth feed of cut crop from the conveyor
deck into the feed
chute leading to the threshing stage or swather discharge, as well as to
prevent clogging of the
draper or auger conveyor that moves material laterally towards the discharge
of the header.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION:
The present invention comprises a crop flow assistance device which reduces
the resistance to
the proper flow of cut crop material along the conveyor deck of the header to
the windrow or
harvester discharge. In particular, the crop flow assistance device of the
present invention
could be configured such that it provides a concave surface which will be
encountered by crop
material which is traveling to and up the rear of the conveyor deck and the
rear wall of the
header, so that the generally concave crop flow assistance surface of the crop
flow assistance
device will effectively aid in guiding the cut crop material away from
overflow over the top
edge of the rear wall as it is moved along the conveyor deck by the transverse
conveyor. By
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providing a concave crop flow assistance surface to guide crop material within
the crop
material transport area of the header, the invention reduces the likelihood of
crop material
jamming against the back of the header and either clogging as it is carried
laterally to the
discharge or clogging the feed chute discharging from the header, or flowing
over the top edge
of the rear wall of the header resulting in crop material which has been cut
by the header being
thrown over the back of the wall.
The crop flow assistance device might have utility in many different types of
crops being cut.
Bushy crops such as canola or mustard, or matted crops such as peas and
lentils, are more
difficult to handle in a conventional harvesting header and the use of a
header with this crop
flow assistance device and surface is contemplated to have utility in the most
efficient
manufacture of a harvesting header or retrofit of a harvesting header with the
capability to
efficiently carry the harvested or cut crop material to the discharge of the
header. Anything
that can be done to smooth and expedite the path of the crop material between
the cutter bar
and a windrow or harvester discharge will minimize the stress on the crop
material and
attendant shelling or other destructive influence on the crop material, as
well as allowing for
maximum ground speed of the harvesting header itself to speed up the harvest
since if the
smooth travel of the crop material across the conveyor deck to the discharge
can be maximized,
the draper or other transverse conveyor can be sped up to carry more material
and the ground
speed of the entire unit increased subject to the capacity of the remainder of
the machine.
In a first incarnation, the invention is a harvesting header with a crop flow
assistance surface,
for attachment to a harvesting power unit, the header comprising at least one
conveyer deck
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which has a forward edge and a rearward edge which will be oriented transverse
to the
direction of travel of the power unit. There is a cutting means along the
forward edge of the
conveyor deck for the cutting of crop material which is encountered during the
driving of the
header forward through a standing crop, following which cutting that crop
material is
anticipated to be deposited onto the at least one conveyor deck.
In addition to the deck and a cutting blade along the front edge thereof,
there is also a rear wall
of the header which has a top edge and a bottom edge. The bottom edge of the
rear wall is
attached to the rearward edge of the conveyor deck in a header joint, and
extends upwards
therefrom. The area which is defined by the conveyor deck and the rear wall,
through which
crop material moves across the conveyor deck to a discharge, is called a crop
material transport
area. The harvesting header would also comprise a crop reel which is mounted
in relation to
the conveyor deck and cutting means, to draw crop material into the cutting
means and onto the
conveyor deck in operation.
There is also at least one transverse conveyor mounted to the header, which is
oriented to carry
cut crop material across the conveyor deck to a header discharge. The header
discharge is
typically through the rear wall either into the throat of a harvesting unit or
onto the ground into
a windrow. The transverse conveyor is typically mounted to the header with a
rearward edge in
.. proximity to the header joint, along the rear of the conveyor deck and its
joinder to the rear
wall, and a top surface which is also in operating proximity to the near wall.
The transverse
conveyor then extends into the crop material transport area. There are
numerous types of
devices which have been used in many different harvesting headers as
transverse conveyors.
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The primary items which are contemplated are either a transverse belt conveyor
or draper, or a
transverse auger.
The next element of the harvesting header of the present invention is at least
one crop flow
assistance device which corresponds to the at least one conveyor deck. The
crop flow
assistance device comprises a top body member which has a forward edge and a
rearward edge.
The rearward edge of the top body member is attached to the rear wall of the
harvesting header
in proximity to the top edge of the rear wall, and the forward edge of that
top body member
then extends forward from the rear wall into the crop material transport area,
towards but not
engaging the crop reel. Effectively, the top body member comprises a partial
cover of sorts on
the crop material transport area.
The second aspect of the crop flow assistance device is a generally concave
crop guidance plate
which has a top edge and a bottom edge. The top edge of the crop guidance
plate is attached
along the forward edge of the top body member and the bottom edge of the crop
guidance plate
is attached to the rear wall of the header in proximity to the top edge of the
at least one
transverse conveyor. Effectively the crop flow assistance device provides a
smooth crop flow
assistance surface to roll crop material moving into or up the rear wall of
the header back into
the crop material transport area while it is carried across the conveyor deck
by the at least one
transverse conveyor.
There are multiple types of harvesting headers in respect of which this
embodiment could be
used and manufactured. The number of conveyor decks could be one, for example
when a
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header discharge is located at one of the transverse ends of the conveyor
deck. In other
circumstances, the header might actually comprise two conveyor decks and two
transverse
conveyors converging at a central discharge. Either such option is
contemplated within the
scope of the present invention. In the case of a harvesting header with two
conveyor decks,
they might share a single rear wall or there might be two rear walls which
were connected by a
frame to define a header discharge opening.
As outlined above, the transverse conveyor which would be used in the
harvesting conveyor of
the present invention could be a draper belt system or an auger.
The crop flow assistance device as a whole would provide a concave shield for
the guidance of
crop material along substantially the entire top edge of the rear wall of the
harvesting header.
This could be accomplished using either a single crop flow assistance device
which was of
sufficient length to be mounted to the rear wall of the header and cover the
entire area, or in
other embodiments, and particularly where it was desired to manufacture the
crop flow
assistance device itself for use in a retrofit capacity on varying types of
headers, the crop flow
assistance surface could be made up by a number of crop flow assistance
devices manufactured
to be of a smaller standardized size and they could be mounted adjacent to
each other, side by
side, in a number of more than one, to provide in totality the effective
length of a single crop
flow assistance device and surface of the selected length of the conveyor
deck.
The crop flow assistance device might have a rear surface which provided a
rear face which
would engage the rear wall of the header and provide additional strength to
the crop flow
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assistance device. That rear surface could extend from the rearward edge of
the top body
member to the bottom edge of the crop guidance plate. In other embodiments,
the crop flow
assistance device may not have this rear surface ¨ both such approaches are
contemplated
within the scope of the present invention. It is also contemplated purely from
a manufacturing
perspective that the crop flow assistance device, either in a single approach
or in the shorter
modular implementation, could be manufactured from a single piece of bent
sheet material or
even injected or otherwise molded in a unitary fashion, or alternatively could
be manufactured
from multiple pieces of material yielding the complete design of the crop flow
assistance
device.
The crop flow assistance device would be mounted to the remainder of the
harvesting header
either by welding or by removable hardware such as bolts, clips or the like.
The crop flow assistance device itself also comprises the present invention.
There is disclosed
a crop flow assistance device for attachment to a harvesting header. The
typical header
comprises at least one conveyor deck having a forward edge and a rearward edge
which will be
oriented transverse the direction of travel of the power unit, cutting means
along the forward
edge of the at least one conveyor deck for the cutting of crop material onto
the at least one
conveyor deck, a rear wall having a top edge and a bottom edge, the bottom
edge thereof being
attached to the rearward edge of the conveyor deck and a header joined and
extending upwards
therefrom and the area defined by the at least one conveyor deck and the rear
wall comprising a
crop material transport area, as well as at least one crop reel mounted in
relation to the
conveyor deck and cutting means to draw crop material into the cutting means
and onto the
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conveyor deck when in operation. The header would also include at least one
transverse
conveyor to carry cut crop material across the conveyor deck to a header
discharge through the
rear wall, attached to the header with a rearward edge in proximity to the
header joint, a top
edge in operating proximity to the rear wall and extending into the crop
material transport area.
The crop flow assistance device itself then comprises a top body member having
a forward
edge and a rearward edge, the rearward edge thereof attachable to the rear
wall of the header in
proximity to the top edge thereof, and the forward edge thereof extending into
the crop material
transport area towards but not engaging the crop reel of the harvesting header
in question. A
second element of the crop flow assistance device in addition to the top body
member is a
generally concave crop guidance plate which has a top edge and a bottom edge,
the top edge of
the crop guidance plate will be attached along the forward edge of the top
body member and
the bottom edge of the top guidance plate being attachable to the rear wall of
the header in
proximity to the top edge of at least one transverse conveyor. The crop flow
assistance device
when attached to the header provides a smooth circular deflection path for
crop material
moving into or up the rear wall of the header, back into the crop material
transport area while it
is carried across the conveyor deck by the at least one transverse conveyor.
The crop flow assistance device is of a selected length to singularly shield
the entire desired top
edge of the rear wall of a header, or in other embodiments could be shorter
and assembled in
parallel proximity to each other with overlapping or proximate edges to in a
modular fashion
provide a crop flow assistance device which in its totality is of the selected
length to singularly
shield the entire desired top edge of the rear wall of the header.
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The crop flow assistance device might also include a rear facing wall
extending from the
rearward edge of the top body to the bottom edge of the top guidance plate,
which defined a
rearward face of the crop flow assistance device which would engage the rear
wall of the
header.
The crop flow assistance device of the present invention eliminates these
issues as it is a
passive design that does not require any power source. The shape of the crop
flow assistance
device is designed to guide or hold the crop material once cut onto and along
the lateral or
transverse drapers are conveyor so that they can perform their intended role
of moving the crop
to the middle and the discharge. There are no adjustments which are required
to make this
happen and the design functions automatically when engaged by the crop which
has no impact
on normal crop material flow as well.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a harvesting
header comprising:
at least one draper belt system comprising a conveyor belt having a conveying
surface operable
to carry cut crop material in a conveying direction transverse to a direction
of travel of the
harvesting header in operation to a header discharge; a crop reel rotatable
about a transversely
oriented crop reel axis, said crop reel operable to, when rotated in
operation, draw crop material
onto the conveying surface of the conveying belt; at least one crop flow
assistance device
having a substantially smooth crop flow assistance surface, said crop flow
assistance surface
including at least a rearward portion that is located adjacent to and rearward
of a rearward
transverse edge of the conveying surface of the conveyor belt, and said crop
flow assistance
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surface having a smooth concave curved portion that extends into a volume
directly above the
conveying surface, said volume defined in part by a lower planar boundary
aligned with the
conveying surface and said volume extending upwards from the said conveying
surface, said
volume also defined in part by a forward transverse planar boundary aligned
with a forward
transverse edge of said conveying surface and extending upwards from and in a
direction
perpendicular to said conveying surface, and said volume also defined in part
by a rearward
transverse planar boundary aligned with a rearward transverse edge of said
conveying surface
and extending upwards from and in a direction perpendicular to the conveying
surface, wherein
the curved portion of the crop flow assistance surface extends into the
volume, said crop flow
assistance surface operable to roll crop material onto the conveying surface
while the crop
material is carried to the header discharge in operation.
The at least one draper belt system may comprise first and second draper belt
systems and a
header discharge is located between the first and second draper belt systems
generally at a
center of the header.
The crop flow assistance surface may extend substantially into the volume such
that the crop
flow assistance surface overhangs at least 1/4 of the conveying surface.
A cutter disposed proximate the forward transverse edge of the conveyor
surface and operable
to cut the crop material.
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According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a harvesting
header with a crop
flow assistance surface, for attachment to a harvesting power unit, said
header comprising:
a. a conveyor deck, the conveyor deck having a forward edge and a rearward
edge
and two opposed ends;
b. cutting means disposed along and proximate to the forward edge of the
conveyor
deck and operable to cut crop material;
c. a rear wall having a top edge and a bottom edge, the bottom edge thereof
being
attached proximate to the rearward edge of the conveyor deck and extending
upwards therefrom, and a crop material transport area defined by the at least
one
conveyor deck and the rear wall;
d. a crop reel mounted in relation to the conveyor deck and means operable to
draw
crop material into the cutting means and onto the conveyor deck, when rotated
in operation;
e. a transverse conveyor operable to carry cut crop material across the
conveyor
deck to a header discharge, said transverse conveyor attached to the header
with
a top surface in operating proximity to the rear wall;
f. at least one crop flow assistance device comprising:
i. a top body member having a forward edge and a rearward edge, the
rearward edge thereof attached to the rear wall in proximity to the top
edge of the rear wall, and the forward edge of the top body member
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extending into the crop material transport area, towards but not engaging
the crop reel;
ii. a crop guidance plate having a top edge and a bottom edge, the top edge
of the crop guidance plate being attached along the forward edge of the
top body member, and the bottom edge of the guidance plate being
attached to the rear wall of the header in proximity to a rear edge of the
transverse conveyor;
wherein the at least one crop flow assistance device provides a substantially
smooth and
concave crop flow assistance surface that extends directly above the top
surface of the
transverse conveyor and said substantially smooth and concave crop flow
assistance surface
being operable to roll crop material from the rear wall of the header back
into the crop material
transport area while it is carried across the conveyor deck.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a harvesting
header comprising:
at least one draper belt system comprising a conveyor belt having conveying
surface operable
to carry cut crop material in a conveying direction transverse to a direction
of travel of the
harvesting header in operation, to a header discharge; a cutting means
disposed in front of said
conveyor belt and operable to cut crop material; a crop reel rotatable about a
transversely
oriented crop reel axis, said crop reel operable to, when rotated, draw crop
material onto the
conveying surface of the conveying belt; at least one crop flow assistance
device having a
substantially smooth crop flow assistance surface, said crop flow assistance
surface including at
least a rearward portion that is located adjacent to and rearward of a
rearward transverse edge
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of the conveying surface of the conveyor belt, and said crop flow assistance
surface having a
concave curved portion that extends into a volume directly above the conveying
surface, said
crop flow assistance surface operable to roll crop material onto the conveying
surface while the
crop material is carried to the header discharge in operation.
Various modifications could be made to the overall concept of the invention
including
changing the curve or the shape of the crop guidance plate ¨ the crop guidance
plate in terms of
being approximately concave might have an arcuate shape or might even have an
angular bend
to it but still accomplish the same objective. All such modifications are
contemplated within
the scope hereof and are intended to be within the scope of the present
invention.
Brief 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 numerals, and where:
Figure IA is a partial perspective view of a harvesting header in accordance
with the
present invention, demonstrating the handling of normal crop material;
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Figure 1B is a partial perspective view of a harvesting header in accordance
with the
present invention, demonstrating the handling of bushy crop material;
Figure 1C is a partial perspective view of a harvesting header in accordance
with the
present invention, demonstrating the handling of matted crop material;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of a portion of a prior art harvesting header;
Figure 3 is a cutaway side view of the prior art harvesting header of Figure
2;
Figure 4 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a portion of a harvesting
header in
accordance with the invention;
Figure 4A is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a harvesting
header in
accordance with the present invention, where a plurality of crop flow
assistance devise
is used to create the crop flow assistance surface;
Figure 5 is a cutaway side view of the embodiment of Figure 4;
Figure 6 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a crop flow assistance
device in
accordance with the present invention;
Figure 7 is a cutaway side view of the embodiment of Figure 6;
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Figure 8 is perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a crop flow
assistance
device in accordance with the present invention;
Figure 9 is a cutaway side view of the embodiment of Figure 8.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION:
There have been multiple attempts made in the prior art to come up with
modifications for
harvesting headers to allow for the proper flow and draper engagement of both
bushy and
matted crop material. The flow of these two types of crops differ from
"normal" crop flow, in
that they do not naturally lay on the draper conveyor to be carried to the
center deck or
discharge. Rather they tend to ride on top of the draper or carry over the
back wall of the header
and to resist the desired flow path to the center deck or discharge.
One of the traditional solutions for these problems has been to fit a smaller
diameter auger to
the rear wall of the header about two thirds of the way up to the top edge,
below a main frame
tube. These cross augers "screw" the floating crop material towards the
middle, regardless of
draper engagement. This generally speaking works but it interferes with crop
following as it
causes the crop to become entangled in that cross auger mechanism which in
turn results in
required operator intervention to clear the entanglement. This approach also
comprises
significant additional manufacturing cost.
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As well, the cross augers are typically hydraulically powered and since the
supply of hydraulic
powers limited on header, the more hydraulic devices that are installed will
reduce the
hydraulic power available for other circuits. Reduction in overall available
hydraulic power as
well as additional heat generation are two additional factors which combined
to reduce the
overall power on the conveyor deck and results in reduced performance and
cascading power
issues.
The crop flow assistance device of the present invention eliminates these
issues as it is a
passive design that does not require any power source. The shape of the crop
flow assistance
device is designed to guide or hold the crop material once cut onto and along
the lateral or
transverse drapers are conveyor so that they can perform their intended role
of moving the crop
to the middle and the discharge. There are no adjustments which are required
to make this
happen and the design functions automatically when engaged by the crop which
has no impact
on normal crop material flow as well.
Crop material types:
The way that the harvesting header itself typically operates is that a header,
with a reel or other
similar crop gathering apparatus gathers crop material into a cutting blade
and then deposits it
onto a conveyor deck, which is fitted either with a transverse auger or a
draper conveyor belt
which in turn transports the crop material for deposit into a windrow or into
the throat of a
harvesting machine.
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As it becomes desirable to increase the size of header units and the field
speed at which they
are operated one of the issues that arises is the circumstance at which crop
material which is
deposited on the conveyor deck balls up or otherwise travels up the rear wall
of the header,
within the area defined as the crop material transport area and can
potentially slide up over the
back of the rear wall and be thrown over the back, or otherwise ball up and be
problematic in
the operation of the header. This is the problem which it was desired to
address in development
of the present invention.
Figures 1 A through 1C demonstrate 3 different types of crop cutting
characteristics which is
.. believed will be ameliorated and enhanced by the operation of the crop
harvesting header
which incorporates the crop flow assistance device of the present invention.
The embodiments
shown in these Figures are of a partial harvesting header in accordance with
the present
invention, in general demonstrating the utility of the concave crop flow
assistance surface
concept herein.
The first type of crop material which it might be desired to cut would be
normal standing crop
material such as wheat or other grains. As can be seen in Figure 1A, the
cutting of that material
into the header would be accomplished by the engagement of those typically
standing stalk-
type plants and their falling or deposit by way of a reel or other activity
onto the conveyor
deck. In the embodiment which is shown in Figure 1A, crop material which is
deposited onto
the conveyor deck would then be moved inward by the two transverse belt
conveyors towards a
central discharge. In this type of crop material, the width of the header as
well as the ground
speed of the implement overall can be increased by providing the ability to
effectively crowd
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more crop material onto the conveyor deck without having to worry that it will
become balled
up or that it will slide up over the rear wall across the back of the header.
A second type of crop material which is often cut with these types of reel
harvesting headers is
bushy crop material such as canola or mustard plants. As can be seen in Figure
1B, these types
of crop material when encountered by the header are standing from a more rigid
perspective
and may be more top heavy than a grain plant, such that they resemble a bush.
A bushy crop
will fall into the header and onto the conveyor deck at a higher height and as
such it is desirable
to in those circumstances as is shown in Figure 1B, which is a partial
perspective view of a
header in accordance with the present invention, to curl that crop material
downwards where it
encounters the rear wall and the crop flow assistance device of the present
invention as the
draper conveyors move the crop material towards the central discharge.
Figure 1C is another embodiment of a crop harvesting header which includes the
crop flow
.. assistance device of the present invention and which demonstrates the
utility of the overall
concept for use with matted crop material such as peas, lentils and the like.
It can be seen that
the matted plant material such as peas or lentils which are lower plants but
that are matted
together and are typically more likely to tangle or ball, can be deflected in
a rolling motion
forward as they enter the conveyor deck and then approach the crop flow
assistance device.
.. The remainder of the disclosure outline below describes the invention and
its behavior in more
detail but it was felt that the inclusion of these 3 Figures for the purpose
of demonstrating
firstly overall the desired crop material feeding behavior of a harvesting
header in accordance
with the present invention would be useful.
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Harvesting header:
As outlined elsewhere herein there are 2 products which are conceived as the
heart of the
present invention. The first of these is a harvesting header which includes a
crop flow
assistance surface defined by at least one crop flow assistance device in
accordance with the
present invention. The second invention is the crop flow assistance device of
the invention
itself, separate from a harvesting header, such that it could be retrofit or
attached to a
preexisting header.
Referring first to Figures 2 and 3 there is shown of a preexisting harvesting
header
configuration which are used to demonstrate the basic utility of the present
invention. There is
shown a conveyor deck 2 and a rear wall 3 attached thereto. The conveyor deck
2 has a front
edge 6 and a rear edge 7. The rear wall has a bottom edge 8 and a top edge 9.
The rear wall 3
is attached along its bottom edge 8 at or near the rearward edge 7 of the
conveyor deck 2, with
the rear wall 3 extending upwards therefrom. The rear wall 3 might be attached
perpendicular
to the conveyor deck 2 or may be attached at an angle ¨ either is contemplated
within the scope
of the present invention ¨ in any event, the joinder of the rear wall 3 and
the conveyor deck 2
together creates a cradle within which crop material can move.
Shown along the forward edge 6 of the conveyor deck 2 is a cutting blade 4.
The cutting blade
4 will cut crop material which is encountered as the header 1 is driven
forward through
standing crop. The crop material will then fall rearwards onto the conveyor
deck 2 as it is
assisted by a reel or other similar device, to assist in drawing the crop
material across the
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cutting surface 4 and up onto the conveyor deck 2. Also shown is a transverse
conveyor ¨ in
this case 2 transverse conveyors 5A and 5B are shown, each of which when
rotated in opposing
directions towards the center of the conveyor deck 2 to carry crop material
deposited thereon
towards the center of the deck and towards the discharge which is shown at 9A.
The discharge
9A, either as a direct falling discharge to the ground below the unit where
the header 1 is being
used to simply cut and create a windrow, or in a case where it is attached to
the front of a
harvesting machine the discharge 9A may have another central belt which
carries crop material
up into the discharge 9A for entry into the throat of a harvesting machine or
the like.
Figure 3 shows a cutting reel 10, when mounted rotationally in relation to the
remainder of the
header 1 will draw crop material across the cutting surface 4 and onto the
conveyors 5 on the
cutting deck 2. The reel 10 is not shown in Figure 2 but forms an essential
element of most
harvesting headers in accordance with the remainder of the present invention.
Referring next to Figure 4, there is shown the addition of a crop flow
assistance device 11 in
accordance with the present invention. There are 2 crop flow assistance
devices 11A and 11B
shown. As can be seen, those 2 crop flow assistance devices 11A and 11B are
attached along
the rear wall 3 of the header in such a way that they provide an inwardly
curved or concave
surface onto which crop material can roll when digested into the header and
into the crop
material transport area, for the purpose of maximizing the efficiency and
throughput of the unit
with minimal disruption of the crop material itself. It will also be
understood that a single crop
flow assistance device 11 could be used in the place of the 2 devices 11 A and
11B which are
shown in this Figure, and there could simply be a manufactured opening in the
center of that
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single unitary crop flow system device 11 to allow for the disgorgement of
crop material into
the discharge of the header 1. Both such approaches are contemplated within
the scope of the
present invention.
Figure 4A shows an alternate embodiment of the present invention in which a
plurality of crop
flow assistance devices 11 is used to define a crop flow assistance surface.
This alternate
approach and all variations obvious to those skilled in the art are
contemplated within the scope
of the present invention as well. Referring next to Figure 5, the side view
here is shown to
demonstrate the configuration of the crop flow assistance device 11 from a
side cutaway.
The crop flow assistance device 11 itself comprises a top body member 17 which
has a forward
edge 13 and a rearward edge 19. The rearward edge 19 is attached to the rear
wall 3 of the
header 1 in proximity to the top edge 9 thereof, and the forward edge 13 of
the top body
member 17 extends into the crop material transport area 20, towards but not
engaging the crop
reel 10. As is shown, the top body member 17 extends forward from the rear
wall 3
approximately parallel to the ground below the header 1, but various angles of
protrusion
forward from the rear wall 3 by that top body member 17 could be contemplated
without
departing from the scope of the present invention.
The next element of the crop flow assistance device 11 is a generally concave
crop guidance
plate 16. The crop guidance plate 16 has a top edge 21 and a bottom edge 22.
The top edge 21
of the crop guidance plate 16 is attached along the forward edge 13 of the top
body member 17,
and the bottom edge 22 of the crop guidance plate 16 is attached to the rear
wall 3 of the
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header 1 in proximity to the top edge of the at least one transverse conveyor
5. The crop flow
assistance device 11 will provide a smooth crop flow assistance surface for
crop material
moving up the rear wall 3 of the header 1, back into the crop material
transport area 20 while it
is carried across the conveyor deck 2 by the at least one transverse conveyor
5.
The crop guidance plate 16 might have a smooth curvature, or might by virtue
of method of
manufacture or otherwise have a number of creased folds in it to yield a
generally arcuate crop
guidance plate 16. Either such approach is contemplated within the scope of
the present
invention. As well, different arcs or curvatures of the concave crop guidance
plate 16 could be
contemplated, all of which are being contemplated within the scope of the
present invention.
Also shown in the crop flow assistance device 11 of Figure 5 is a rear surface
18 attached to the
remainder of the device, extending between the rear edge 14 of the top body
member 17 and
the bottom edge 22 of the crop guidance plate 16. That rear face 18 provides a
generally planar
surface for attachment to or alongside the rear wall 3 of the header. As is
outlined elsewhere
herein, it is explicitly contemplated that the crop flow assistance device 11
might have this rear
surface 18 and some other embodiments this aspect of the component may be
omitted. It
would likely provide additional structural strength to the crop flow
assistance device 11 and on
that basis it is conceived that in many if not most circumstances it may be
desired to include
this type of added support.
The crop flow assistance device 11 of the present invention would extend
across substantially
all of the top edge 9 of the rear wall 3 of the header with the exception of
any discharge area.
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This might be accomplished either by using a single crop flow assistance
device 11 which was
manufactured to the entire desired length, being the total width of the
conveyor deck, or it is
also contemplated that multiple smaller units could be manufactured for side-
by-side
installation in a modular approach, both to allow for the installation of a
crop flow assistance
device 11 in accordance with the present invention on various widths of
preexisting header
units, as well as to allow for in certain circumstances the use of crop flow
assistance device 11
sections which had varying interior shapes or curvatures dependent upon their
placement in
relation to the center of the conveyor deck 2. It may be desired to use a
plurality of crop flow
assistance devices 11 which were manufactured in this way for abutment next to
each other or
overlapping edges, which in the sections of the crop flow assistance device 11
which were
attached near the extreme ends of the conveyor deck to a larger interior
curvature face 16 was
included and the interior curvature of the sections of the crop flow
assistance device 11 was
altered as it approached the center of the discharge to effectively provide a
graduated stepping
curvature profile which would gain help in guiding the crop material towards
the discharge.
This is shown in Figure 4A. Both such approaches are contemplated within the
scope of the
present invention, namely the use of either a single crop flow assistance
device 11, or the
assembly and attachment of a modular crop flow assistance device 11 using
multiple sections
of crop flow assistance device 11 in accordance with the remainder of the
present invention.
In certain cases, the conveyor deck 2 might consist of 2 halves, where 2
central discharging
transverse conveyor belts 5 were used, and in that circumstance where there
were 2 conveyor
decks bearing their own draper or other conveyor devices, the length of each
of those decks
may be the length that is desired for the crop flow assistance device 11. Two
crop flow
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assistance devices 11 in accordance with the present invention might be used
in that
circumstance. In the case of the use of crop flow assistance devices 11
coinciding with two
halves of a conveyor deck or two conveyor decks 2 converging on a central belt
in a central
discharge, it may be desired to add a flange or a connector plate between the
top plate 17 of the
.. two respective crop flow assistance device 11 sections, and the addition of
such a flange or a
cover or on top of the central discharge opening is also contemplated and
understood to be
within the scope of the present invention.
Crop flow assistance device:
In addition to a harvesting header which includes a crop flow assistance
surface which is
created by the use of at least one crop flow assistance device as outlined
herein. There are 2
different types of crop flow assistance devices 11 demonstrated herein.
Referring first to Figure 6 and 7 there is shown a first embodiment of a crop
flow assistance
device 11 in accordance with the present invention. The crop flow assistance
device 11 which
is shown in these Figures is a unitary crop flow assistance device which is of
sufficient length
to cover a longer portion of the rear wall of a harvesting header, such as the
entire difference
from one extreme end to the central discharge or even in some cases dependent
upon the
.. configuration of the remainder of the device and the discharge extending
all the way across the
entirety of the conveyor deck and the rear wall.
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The crop flow assistance device 11 comprises a top body member 17, which has a
forward edge
13 and rearward edge 14. The rearward edge 14 thereof is intended to be
attachable to the rear
wall of a header, in proximity to the top edge thereof or defining the top
edge of the crop
material transport area. The forward edge 13 of the top body member 17 extends
forward from
the rear wall when attached, into and defining the top of the crop material
transport area.
The next element of the crop flow assistance device 11 shown in Figure 6 is
the crop guidance
plate 16, which is approximately concave and has a top edge 21 and a bottom
edge 22. The top
edge 21 of the crop guidance plate 16 is attached along the forward edge 13 of
the top body
member 17 ¨ or in the case of a unitary manufacture might also be a bent plate
which was bent
into forming the approximately concave crop guidance plate 16 extending
downwards into the
crop material transport area from the front edge 13 of the top plate 17. The
bottom edge 22 of
the crop guidance plate 16 is attachable to the rear wall of the header in
proximity to the top
surface of the at least one transverse conveyor. When reviewed in comparison
or alongside the
remainder of the Figures in this application it will be seen how the
embodiment of a crop flow
assistance device 11 shown in this Figure could be retrofitted to a prior
harvesting header to
provide the efficiency and effect of the present invention in such a context.
The crop flow
assistance device 11 which is shown in Figure 6 provides a smooth crop flow
assistance surface
for crop material which might otherwise be moving up the rear wall of the
header, back into the
crop material transport area where it is carried across the conveyor deck by
the at least one
transverse conveyor. Referring to Figure 7 there is shown a cutaway side view
of the
embodiment of Figure 6, which is intended to show the method of construction
of the crop flow
assistance device 11 therein. Also shown in the embodiment of Figures 6 and 7
is a rear facing
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wall 18, which could be used to strengthen the crop flow assistance device 11
and provide a
more complete engaging surface to the rear wall of the header.
The next embodiment of our crop flow assistance device 11 which is shown
herein is the
embodiment of Figures 8 and 9, which is a smaller crop flow assistance device
11 which could
be used in modular configuration as outlined elsewhere herein. The embodiment
of Figures 8
and 9 also, for the sake of demonstration of an alternate construction method,
do not include the
rear facing wall 18 which is shown in Figure 7.
Referring to the embodiment of Figure 8 there is shown a top body member 17
which has a
forward edge 13 and a rearward edge 14. The rearward edge is attachable to the
rear wall of a
harvesting header at a point defining the top of a crop material transport
area, proximate to the
top edge of the rear wall of the header. Extending downwards from the forward
edge 13 of the
top body member 17 is a crop guidance plate 16 which is approximately concave.
The crop
.. guidance plate has a top edge 21 which is attachable along the forward edge
13 of the top body
member 17, and extends downwards to a bottom edge 22 which is attachable to
the rear wall of
the header in proximity to the top surface of the at least one transverse
conveyor. A plurality of
the crop flow assistance devices 11 such as shown in perspective view in
Figure 8 and side
view in Figure 9 could be used when mounted adjacent to each other to in
totality provide a
crop flow assistance surface made up of the crop flow assistance or concave
face 16 of each of
the crop flow assistance devices 11. Again as outlined above, this particular
embodiment
shown in Figures 8 and 9 does not include the rear facing wall.
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Mounting:
The mounting of the crop flow assistance devices 11 of the present invention
onto the
remainder of a harvesting header 1 could be done in a number of different
ways. In OEM
installation, the crop flow assistance device No. 11 should be welded into
place or otherwise
permanently attached to the rear wall 3. Alternatively, if it was desired
either for maintenance
or other removal purposes, the crop flow assistance devices 11 can also be
bolted or attached
with other hardware onto the rear wall 3 of a harvesting header. Various types
of mounting
hardware and mounting approaches can be conceived by those sealed in the arch
and all are
contemplated within the scope of the present invention.
Mounting hardware might be to a degree dictated by the type of harvesting
header 1 on to
which the crop flow assistance devices 11 of the present invention was going
to be installed and
a retro fitted installation ¨ for example, a retro fit of a crop flow
assistance devices 11 in
accordance with the remainder of the present invention could be manufactured
with the
appropriate mounting points and hardware to engage certain mounting points on
a pre-existing
header type of a certain manufacturer. Alternatively those crop flow
assistance devices 11
could also be purpose fit and attached to a harvesting header 1 at time of
mounting thereon.
Modular versus unitary device:
As outlined above, the crop flow assistance devices 11 of the present
invention can either be
unitary or modular in its assembly and nature. In the case of a unitary crop
flow assistance
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devices 11 such as shown in Figure 6, a single unitary crop flow assistance
device similar to 11
could be manufactured which was of the desired length to extend from one
extreme end of the
conveyor deck 2 on a harvesting header 1 to which it was to be attached,
either to the center
discharge or to the extreme opposite end of the conveyor deck 2. In the case
of this type of a
.. unitary crop flow assistance device, this might be most desirable if it was
manufactured for
only in installation on the new harvesting header. However both in order to
accommodate
particular installation configurations on harvesting headers of different
manufacturers as well
as for the purpose of installation of the crop flow assistance devices 11 to
the present invention
on harvesting headers of various widths, it is contemplated that in other
circumstances of
.. modular completed crop flow assistance devices 11 might be assembled.
A plurality of crop flow assistance devices 11 could be assembled as a modular
unit onto a
harvesting header by mounting them adjacent to each other along the rear wall
3 of a header 1.
By mounting a plurality of crop flow assistance devices 11 each manufacturer
in accordance
with the remainder of the present invention adjacent to each other along the
rear wall of the
harvesting header, a completed interior crop material surface could be created
for the rolling
deflection of crop material back into the crop material transporter as it was
moved by the
transfer conveyor or conveyors to the discharge of the header. Use of the
plurality of smaller
crop flow assistance devices 11 in this fashion for a modular configuration
and installation,
which could be mounted by hardware or welding onto the rear wall of the
harvesting header to
the completed desire length extending from the extreme mans of the conveyor
deck towards the
discharge is also contemplated.
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The modular approach to assembly of a completed unit, using a plurality of
crop flow
assistance devices 11 in accordance with the remainder of the present
invention would allow
for the manufacturer of many different completed crop flow assistance devices
based upon a
smaller set of modular sections. Manufacturer of different sized modular
sections which could
be mixed and matched to create installation kits for a crop flow assistance
devices 11 and
surface in accordance with the present invention for use on harvesting headers
of varying
widths is explicitly contemplated within the scope of the present invention.
Thus a completed
crop flow assistance devices 11 in totality complies as a plurality of smaller
crop flow
assistance devices 11 each in accordance with the present invention are also
contemplated
.. within the scope hereof.
One of the other reasons that modular approach to the assembly and
installation of the crop
flow assistance devices 11 is contemplated is that in certain cases it may be
desired to use
individual crop flow assistance devices 11 as sections of a larger modular
installation which
each has slightly different interior curvatures to them, so that effectively
an inward wave or
bowl configuration could be created to effectively further shape the movement
of the crop
material along the conveyor table of a header towards the discharge area. By
providing an
inwardly curved overall crop material surface within the assembled crop flow
assistance
devices 11, a copying motion or the like could be effectively asserted upon
the crop material in
addition to the rolling motion as the material was rolled up the rear wall and
the crop flow
surface. This is another approach which is explicitly contemplated within the
scope of the
present invention as described herein.
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Rear face on the device:
As outlined above, in certain circumstances it is contemplated that the crop
flow assistance
devices 11 of the present invention could be manufactured with or without a
rear-face thereon.
In the embodiment shown in Figure 5 for example there is a rear face 18
attached to the
remainder of the crop flow assistance devices 11 which would provide
additional strength for
the devices 11. In other embodiments showing herein, the rear face 18 might
not be used ¨ all
such perks are contemplated within the scope of the present invention.
Addition of a rear face
such as shown at 18 in Figure 5 would also provide additional ability to
modify the hardware
attachment of the crop flow assistance devices 11 to different types of
harvesting headers 1.
Retrofit kit:
It is explicitly contemplated that using a modular approach such as is
outlined above, another
aspect of the present invention would be to provide a retro fit kit which
would allow for the
assembly of a crop flow assistance devices 11 and in accordance with the
present invention on
a pre-existing harvesting header 1. The retro fit kit would comprise a
plurality of crop flow
assistance devices 11 which when assembled together adjacent to each other
along the rear wall
of the header 1 would in totality provide a completed crop flow assistance
surface. As outlined
.. elsewhere above, the crop flow assistance device which might be used in
this type of a modular
implementation might actually also be manufactured with an overlapping fledge
or edge such
that they could be mated together in their assembly of attachment to the
header. As is outlined
above, in certain embodiments of a retro fit kit in accordance with the
present invention, some
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of the crop flow assistance devices 11 might have different anterior
curvatures or profiles such
that when attached they could provide a graduated or stepping curvature
towards the discharge.
In addition to a plurality of crop flow assistance devices 11, the kit could
also include the
necessary hardware for a hardware base attachment of those devices 11 to a
header 1.
Those skilled in the art will recognize that many more modifications besides
those already
described are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein.
The inventive
subject matter, therefore, is not to be restricted except in the scope of the
appended claims.
Moreover, in interpreting both the specification and the claims, all terms
should be interpreted
in the broadest possible manner consistent with the context. In particular,
the terms
"comprises" and "comprising" should be interpreted as referring to elements,
components, or
steps in a non-exclusive manner, indicating that the referenced elements,
components, or steps
may be present, or utilized, or combined with other elements, components, or
steps that are not
expressly referenced.
=
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