Patent ID: 7478523
Filing Date: 2009-01-20
Classification: A01D

Abstract:
1. An improved windrow pickup attachment for an agricultural harvesting machine having crop processing apparatus including an input opening for receiving crop material, the pickup attachment having a forward end and an opposing rearward end, the attachment comprising: a pickup frame mountable on the front of the harvesting machine adjacent the input opening; a transverse reel assembly mounted on the pickup frame for engaging and picking up the crop material from the ground; the reel assembly including a series of tines and a plurality of generally C-shaped spaced apart side-by-side tine guards, the opening of each C-shaped tine guard facing rearwardly, respective ends thereof forming generally flat upper and lower end portions, the tines projecting outwardly between the tine guards for engaging crop material and urging it upwardly and rearwardly along the outer surfaces of the tine guards; each C-shaped tine guard including a tee-pee section forwardly of and adjacent the flat lower end portion, the tee-pee section having a slot on the upper surface thereof generally facing the flat upper end portion of the guard; a generally planar tine guide having a top end and an opposing bottom end, the top end having attachment means thereon affixed to the flat upper end portion of the tine guard and the bottom end having a forwardly directed slot-like hook therein, the geometry and relative positioning of the various components being such that at least a portion of the bottom end of the tine guard extends through the slot in the tee-pee section and the forwardly directed slot-like hook engages the forward edge of the slot in the tee-pee section, whereby each tine guide is held in place between the upper and lower end portions of the respective tine guard providing increased lateral and vertical stability and strength to the pickup attachment.