Patent ID: 6212865
Filing Date: 2001-04-10
Classification: A01D,Y10S

Abstract:
A windrow merger for merging product material disposed in a windrow on a ground surface, the windrow merger having a transverse conveyor assembly carried on a merger frame, at least a portion of the frame underlying the transverse conveyor assembly, a tongue operably pivotally coupled to the merger frame, the tongue being coupable to a vehicle for towing the windrow merger, the windrow merger comprising:a pickup head having a pickup conveyor system including a rotatable pickup conveyor belt for picking up product material disposed in a windrow on a field surface, the pickup head being pivotally coupled to the merger frame and having a leading pickup edge, the pickup head having suspension means for suspending the leading pickup edge such that the leading pickup edge exhibits two degrees of motional freedom, wherein one of the two degrees of motional freedom of the leading pickup edge is substantially side-to-side pivotal twisting motion;the pickup head conveyor belt being rotationally borne on a first rotor, the first rotor being disposed substantially coincident with the leading pickup edge, the first rotor having an axial shaft;the axial shaft being journalled by a first rotor axial shaft first journal at a first shaft end to a first pickup head side member and being journalled by first rotor axial shaft second journal at a second shaft end to a second pickup head side member, the first rotor axial shaft first and second journals accommodating the side-to-side pivotal motion of the pickup head, the side-to-side pivotal motion of the pickup head comprising independent pivotal motion of the first and second pickup head side members.