Patent ID: 9526209
Filing Date: 2016-12-27
CPC Classification: A01D

Claim Text:
1. A crop harvesting header comprising: a reel rotatable about a reel axis, said reel having at least one reel bat supported at a spaced distance from the reel axis, the at least one reel bat being operable for pivotal movement about a bat axis radially spaced from said reel axis and oriented generally parallel to the reel axis; the at least one reel bat having at least one crop collection member connected thereto, said at least one crop collection member extending generally away from said bat axis, the at least one reel bat being operable to move in a cyclical path around the reel axis during rotation of the reel; the at least one reel bat being operable to be pivoted about its bat axis so as to vary the angular orientation of the at least one crop collection member about the bat axis as the reel rotates about the reel axis; a sun gear; a planetary gear assembly being rotatable about and relative to said sun gear and rotatable about said reel axis; said planetary gear assembly being operable during rotation about the reel axis with the reel to interact with the sun gear, and cause said planetary gear assembly to effect pivotal movement of said at least one reel bat about its bat axis; said planetary gear assembly comprising at least one planetary gear system operable to be rotated around said reel axis and said sun gear, and said at least one planetary gear system comprising a planetary gear being rotatable about a planetary gear axis; said at least one planetary gear system being interconnected to said at least one reel bat, said planetary gear system being operable during rotation about the reel axis with the reel, to rotate with the reel and for said planetary gear to engage with the sun gear, such that said planetary gear system causes pivotal movement of said at least one reel bat about said bat axis; said at least one planetary gear system further comprising a bat connection mechanism connecting said planetary gear with a reel bat, such that during rotation of said planetary gear system about the reel axis the planetary gear interacts with the sun gear, and through said interaction each said bat connection mechanism cause pivotal movement of said reel bat about its bat axis; said bat connection mechanism comprises: