Abstract:
A draper header for a combine harvester includes two side drapers each running from an outer end guide roller at a first end of the header to an inner end guide roller adjacent the discharge location of the header and a central feed draper located at the discharge location and including a front guide roller just behind the cutter bar and running to a rear guide roller in front of the feeder house of the combine harvester. An auger is located between the discharge rollers with a front edge of the flight forward of the rear end of the discharge rollers to feed the material inwardly and underneath the auger to the inlet of the feeder house. A pan member is located underneath the feed draper and is formed of a flexible polyethylene sheet which is tensioned between its front and rear edges by a front mounting strip which is spring mounted for up and down movement and a rear latch which can be released to allow the rear edge to be lowered.

Description:
[0001]    This application is a divisional Application from application Ser. No. 11/493,023 filed Jul. 26, 2006 and now issued as Patent INSERT. 
         [0002]    This invention relates to a crop feed arrangement for the header of a combine harvester. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    A header for a crop harvesting machine generally comprises a main longitudinal support member in the form of an elongate tube which extends across substantially the full width of the header frame and defines a main structural member for the header frame. The tube carries a plurality of forwardly and downwardly extending support beams which include a first portion extending downwardly and a second portion attached to a lower end of the first portion and extending forwardly therefrom toward a forward end of the support beams. The cutter bar is attached to the forward end of the support beams and is thus held thereby in a position generally parallel to the main support tube. 
         [0004]    In U.S. Pat. No. 4,956,966 issued September 1990 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,343 issued April 1991 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,865,871 issued Mar. 15, 2005 by Patterson and U.S. Pat. No. 6,817,166 issued November  16 th by Dunn all assigned to the present Assignee is disclosed a header which utilizes two side drapers to transport the crop cut by the knife inwardly along the header table to a central discharge opening. The side drapers discharge onto a central feed draper which has a front roller just behind the knife and a rear roller at the feeder house of a combine harvester so as to carry the crop from the side drapers rearwardly into the feeder house for inlet into the combine harvester for processing. A rotary feed member which may carry auger flight portions is mounted at the discharge opening of the header above the feed draper so as to assist in carrying bulky crop through the discharge opening so as to be carried into the feeder house. The feed draper is carried on the rear roller which is attached to a feeder house and therefore the feed draper and its associated underlying pan flex and twist as the header floats relative to the feeder house. 
         [0005]    While this arrangement has achieved considerable commercial success, it is desirable to improve the feed of the crop material from the side drapers into the feeder house particularly in relation to bulky crops such as soy beans. 
         [0006]    Another U.S. Pat. No. 5,454,371 issued November 1995 by Honey discloses a similar arrangement in which the crop is transferred from the rear end of the feed draper into a rigid fixed adapter housing which is mounted on the front of the feeder house and contains the rotary feed member in the form of an auger with conventional feeding fingers. This arrangement therefore requires that the header is moved forwardly relative to the feeder house so as to provide the space necessary for the adapter housing and its rotary feed member contained therein. 
         [0007]    Further commercial devices are manufactured by Deere and Company and AGCO but it is believed that there are no patents disclosing the construction of these devices. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    It is one object of the present invention to provide a header of the above type which includes a pan underneath the feed draper for controlling crop. 
         [0009]    According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a crop harvesting header for a combine harvester comprising: 
         [0010]    a main frame structure extending across between two ends of the header across a width of the header for movement in a direction generally at right angles to the width across ground including a crop to be harvested; 
         [0011]    a mounting assembly for attachment to a feeder house of the combine harvester for carrying the main frame structure on the combine harvester; 
         [0012]    a crop receiving table carried on the main frame structure across the width of the header; 
         [0013]    a cutter bar across a front of the table carrying a cutter knife operable for cutting the crop as the header is moved forwardly across the ground for depositing the crop onto the table; 
         [0014]    and a crop transport system for moving the cut crop toward a discharge location of the header for feeding the crop into a feed opening of the combine harvester; 
         [0015]    the crop transport system including: 
         [0016]    a first side draper having an outer end guide roller at a first end of the header, an inner end guide roller adjacent the discharge location and a continuous draper canvas wrapped around the outer and inner guide rollers to define a top run of the canvas for carrying the cut crop from the knife across the header to a discharge end adjacent the discharge location; 
         [0017]    a second side draper having an outer end guide roller at a second end of the header, an inner end guide roller adjacent the discharge location and a continuous draper canvas wrapped around the outer and inner guide rollers to define a top run of the canvas for carrying the cut crop from the knife across the header to a discharge end adjacent the discharge location; 
         [0018]    a feed draper located at the discharge location and including a front guide roller adjacent the cutter bar, a rear guide roller behind the front guide roller and a draper canvas wrapped around the front and rear guide rollers to define a top run of the feed draper for receiving the crop material from the discharge ends of the first and second side drapers and for carrying the crop material rearwardly toward the feed opening of the combine harvester; and 
         [0019]    a pan member underlying the feed draper and having a front edge adjacent the front guide roller of the feed draper; 
         [0020]    the pan member being formed of a flexible material; 
         [0021]    the pan member having a front edge carried on a spring coupling arrangement which allows upward and downward flexing movement of the front edge of the pan member relative to the front guide roller. 
         [0022]    Preferably the spring coupling arrangement has a first spring member at a first side of the front edge and a second spring member at a second side of the front edge. 
         [0023]    Preferably the first spring member and the second spring member allow independent upward and downward movement of the sides of the front edge. 
         [0024]    Preferably each spring member comprises a spring rod. 
         [0025]    Preferably the spring rod is arranged such that a flexible portion thereof extends along the side of the pan member coupled at a front end of the rod to a frame member forwardly of the front edge and at a rear end to the front edge. 
         [0026]    Preferably the spring rod includes at the front end an out-turned portion connected to the frame member and at the rear end an in-turned portion connected to the front edge. 
         [0027]    Preferably the pan member is formed of a sheet of a flexible plastics material, such as the preferred material of polyethylene. 
         [0028]    Preferably the pan member includes a front strip member attached across the front edge. 
         [0029]    Preferably the front strip member includes an upturned lip extending upwardly and forwardly from the pan member. 
         [0030]    Preferably there is provided a rear holding member and a tensioning arrangement for applying longitudinal tension on the flexible sheet material between the front strip member and the rear holding member. 
         [0031]    Preferably the pan member has a rear edge adjacent the rear guide roller and includes a rear mounting member for holding the rear edge, the rear mounting member including a latch by which the rear mounting member can be released for allowing the rear edge to be lowered. 
         [0032]    Preferably the latch includes a pivotal link which in a release position allows the rear edge to be released for lowering and in an applied position engages the rear edge to apply longitudinal tension on the flexible sheet. 
         [0033]    Preferably the rear edge of the flexible sheet has hook members at spaced positions across the rear edge for engaging over transverse portions of the pivotal link. 
         [0034]    According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a crop harvesting header for a combine harvester comprising: 
         [0035]    a main frame structure extending across between two ends of the header across a width of the header for movement in a direction generally at right angles to the width across ground including a crop to be harvested; 
         [0036]    a mounting assembly for attachment to a feeder house of the combine harvester for carrying the main frame structure on the combine harvester; 
         [0037]    a crop receiving table carried on the main frame structure across the width of the header; 
         [0038]    a cutter bar across a front of the table carrying a cutter knife operable for cutting the crop as the header is moved forwardly across the ground for depositing the crop onto the table; 
         [0039]    and a crop transport system for moving the cut crop toward a discharge location of the header for feeding the crop into a feed opening of the combine harvester; 
         [0040]    the crop transport system including: 
         [0041]    a first side draper having an outer end guide roller at a first end of the header, an inner end guide roller adjacent the discharge location and a continuous draper canvas wrapped around the outer and inner guide rollers to define a top run of the canvas for carrying the cut crop from the knife across the header to a discharge end adjacent the discharge location; 
         [0042]    a second side draper having an outer end guide roller at a second end of the header, an inner end guide roller adjacent the discharge location and a continuous draper canvas wrapped around the outer and inner guide rollers to define a top run of the canvas for carrying the cut crop from the knife across the header to a discharge end adjacent the discharge location; 
         [0043]    a feed draper located at the discharge location and including a front guide roller adjacent the cutter bar, a rear guide roller behind the front guide roller and a draper canvas wrapped around the front and rear guide rollers to define a top run of the feed draper for receiving the crop material from the discharge ends of the first and second side drapers and for carrying the crop material rearwardly toward the feed opening of the combine harvester; and 
         [0044]    a pan member underlying the feed draper and having a front edge adjacent the front guide roller of the feed draper; 
         [0045]    the pan member being formed of a polyethylene sheet material. 
         [0046]    According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a crop harvesting header for a combine harvester comprising: 
         [0047]    a main frame structure extending across between two ends of the header across a width of the header for movement in a direction generally at right angles to the width across ground including a crop to be harvested; 
         [0048]    a mounting assembly for attachment to a feeder house of the combine harvester for carrying the main frame structure on the combine harvester; 
         [0049]    a crop receiving table carried on the main frame structure across the width of the header; 
         [0050]    a cutter bar across a front of the table carrying a cutter knife operable for cutting the crop as the header is moved forwardly across the ground for depositing the crop onto the table; 
         [0051]    and a crop transport system for moving the cut crop toward a discharge location of the header for feeding the crop into a feed opening of the combine harvester; 
         [0052]    the crop transport system including: 
         [0053]    a first side draper having an outer end guide roller at a first end of the header, an inner end guide roller adjacent the discharge location and a continuous draper canvas wrapped around the outer and inner guide rollers to define a top run of the canvas for carrying the cut crop from the knife across the header to a discharge end adjacent the discharge location; 
         [0054]    a second side draper having an outer end guide roller at a second end of the header, an inner end guide roller adjacent the discharge location and a continuous draper canvas wrapped around the outer and inner guide rollers to define a top run of the canvas for carrying the cut crop from the knife across the header to a discharge end adjacent the discharge location; 
         [0055]    a feed draper located at the discharge location and including a front guide roller adjacent the cutter bar, a rear guide roller behind the front guide roller and a draper canvas wrapped around the front and rear guide rollers to define a top run of the feed draper for receiving the crop material from the discharge ends of the first and second side drapers and for carrying the crop material rearwardly toward the feed opening of the combine harvester; and 
         [0056]    a pan member underlying the feed draper and having a front edge adjacent the front guide roller of the feed draper and a rear edge adjacent the read guide roller; 
         [0057]    the pan member being formed of a flexible sheet material; 
         [0058]    the pan member including a front mounting for holding the front edge and a rear mounting for holding the rear edge; 
         [0059]    and a tensioning arrangement for applying longitudinal tension on the flexible sheet material between the front and rear holding members. 
         [0060]    According to a fourth aspect of the invention there is provided a crop harvesting header for a combine harvester comprising: 
         [0061]    a main frame structure extending across between two ends of the header across a width of the header for movement in a direction generally at right angles to the width across ground including a crop to be harvested; 
         [0062]    a mounting assembly for attachment to a feeder house of the combine harvester for carrying the main frame structure on the combine harvester; 
         [0063]    a crop receiving table carried on the main frame structure across the width of the header; 
         [0064]    a cutter bar across a front of the table carrying a cutter knife operable for cutting the crop as the header is moved forwardly across the ground for depositing the crop onto the table; 
         [0065]    and a crop transport system for moving the cut crop toward a discharge location of the header for feeding the crop into a feed opening of the combine harvester; 
         [0066]    the crop transport system including: 
         [0067]    a first side draper having an outer end guide roller at a first end of the header, an inner end guide roller adjacent the discharge location and a continuous draper canvas wrapped around the outer and inner guide rollers to define a top run of the canvas for carrying the cut crop from the knife across the header to a discharge end adjacent the discharge location; 
         [0068]    a second side draper having an outer end guide roller at a second end of the header, an inner end guide roller adjacent the discharge location and a continuous draper canvas wrapped around the outer and inner guide rollers to define a top run of the canvas for carrying the cut crop from the knife across the header to a discharge end adjacent the discharge location; 
         [0069]    a feed draper located at the discharge location and including a front guide roller adjacent the cutter bar, a rear guide roller behind the front guide roller and a draper canvas wrapped around the front and rear guide rollers to define a top run of the feed draper for receiving the crop material from the discharge ends of the first and second side drapers and for carrying the crop material rearwardly toward the feed opening of the combine harvester; and 
         [0070]    a pan member underlying the feed draper and having a front edge adjacent the front guide roller of the feed draper and a rear edge adjacent the read guide roller; 
         [0071]    the pan member being formed of a flexible sheet material; 
         [0072]    the pan member including a front mounting member for holding the front edge and a rear mounting member for holding the rear edge; 
         [0073]    the rear mounting member including a latch by which the rear mounting member can be released for allowing the rear edge to be lowered. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0074]    One embodiment of the invention will now be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0075]      FIG. 1  is a PRIOR ART top plan view of the center section only of a header and is provided to show the header of the type according to the present invention. 
           [0076]      FIG. 2  is a cross sectional view along the lines  2 - 2  of the PRIOR ART header of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0077]      FIG. 3  is a longitudinal cross sectional view showing the feed draper and pan according to the present invention. 
           [0078]      FIG. 4  is an enlarged view of one end only of the pan showing the details of the front mounting. 
           [0079]      FIG. 5  is an enlarged view showing the rear end only of the pan showing the rear mounting. 
           [0080]      FIG. 6  is a plan view of a part only of the pan of  FIG. 3  showing one end of the front mounting. 
           [0081]      FIG. 7  is a bottom plan view of the pan of  FIG. 3 . 
       
    
    
       [0082]    In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0083]    The PRIOR ART header shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  is taken from U.S. Pat. No. 6,865,871 identified above and is included to show one example of the type of header with which the present invention is primarily concerned, although it will be appreciated that the present invention can be used with headers of different design but including the same general parts as defined hereinafter. The header comprises a main frame  10  including a horizontal main support beam  11  extending along the length of the header along a first end to a second end of the header. The main frame includes forwardly extending frame members (not shown) at the ends together with similarly arranged frame members intermediate the width of the header. At the front end of the frame members is mounted a cutter bar  15  which carries a sickle knife construction of a conventional nature. The frame  10  is attached to an adapter structure  16  attached to the feeder house  17  of a combine harvester. 
         [0084]    The header includes a crop transportation system for transferring the crop from the sickle knife to the feeder house. This includes two side drapers  19  and  20  each of which includes a canvas extending from an outer guide roller to an inner guide roller  22  so as to define an upper run of the canvas which carries the crop inwardly toward the center of the header. 
         [0085]    At the center of the header is provided a feed draper  23  which has a front roller  24  just behind the cutter bar and a rear roller  25  thus defining an upper run of the canvas which carries the crop rearwardly toward the feeder house. 
         [0086]    The front roller  24  of the feed draper  23  is carried on a support rearward of the cutter bar  15  so that it is fixed to the forward edge of the header. The rear roller  25  is carried on a bracket  57 . Underneath the feed draper is a pan member  50  which extends rearwardly to a rear end  51 . Along the side of the pan member  50  and extending from the rear end  51  of the pan is provided a pair of side arms  58  which extend from the rear edge of the pan member  50  on respective sides of the pan to a rear end  60  pivotally attached to the adapter  16 , which is attached to the feeder house  17 . An open space is thus defined between the arms  58  behind the pan member  50 . 
         [0087]    The header including the main beam  11  and the frame element  43  is carried on the support frame  16  by two bottom links which extend forwardly from the frame  16  under the header frame and support the header frame at a forward end-of the links. The links are supported on mounting springs (not shown). A top support link  54  extends forwardly from the frame  16  to a bracket  55  at the beam  11 . Thus the header can move upwardly and downwardly in a floating action and can also twist side to side about a generally horizontal forwardly extending axis by a differential in the lifting of the links  52 . 
         [0088]    Immediately behind the rear end of the draper  23  is provided a forward end of the guide sheet  59  which extends from the rear end of the draper  23  rearwardly to the rear end  60  at the feeder house. Thus the rear end  60  is carried on the frame  16  at the feeder house and the front end is attached to the pan  50  at the bracket  57  so that the sheet  59  also flexes and twists to accommodate the movement of the header. 
         [0089]    The sheet  59  has a width substantially equal to the width of the draper  23  so that the material discharged from the draper across the full width of the draper is carried rearwardly over the sheet to the feeder house. 
         [0090]    Thus the sheet  59  and the draper  23  and the pan  50  are carried on a support defined by two parallel arms  58  and span the space between the arms. The arms pivot about a horizontal transverse axis at the end  60  of the arms on the mounting  16  as the header floats relative to the mounting  16  and the feeder house to which it is attached. 
         [0091]    The movement of the crop material to the feeder house is assisted by a rotary feed member  70  carried above the sheet  59  with a width substantially equal to the width of the sheet  59 . The rotary feed member  70  includes a drum  71  which carries on its outside surface two helical auger sections  72  and  73  arranged at respective ends of the drum and arranged so that rotation of the drum in a counter clockwise direction so as to carry the crop material underneath the rotary feed member across the sheet  59  causes the crop material at the side edges of the sheet to be drawn inwardly toward a center of the sheet. 
         [0092]    In  FIGS. 3 to 7  is shown the pan of the present invention. The pan  50  is formed from a sheet  80  of a suitable plastics material so that it is flexible and can accommodate upward and downward movement causes either by impact from the underside or pressure from above due to an accumulation of material underneath the draper  23 . The sheet is essentially flat with no formed shape. A front end  81  of the sheet  80  is held in a transverse strip member  82  forming a part of a front mounting generally indicated at  83 . Strip member  82  includes a top plate  84  and a backing plate  85  which are held together by an overlying clip portion  86  and clamped together by bolts  87 . The plate  84  which defines a front edge of the sheet  80  is inclined upwardly and forwardly to a forwardmost edge  88  which defines a nose in a front of the front roller  24  and behind the cutter. The plate  88  thus has an upper surface which inclines downwardly and rearwardly to the top surface of the sheet  80  so that crop material is confined into this area underneath the draper  23 . 
         [0093]    The structure forming the front strip defined by the plate  84 , the backer plate  85  and the clip  86  is relatively stiff so as to hold the front edge straight across the width of the sheet without sagging of the sheet underneath the draper. 
         [0094]    Each end of the strip member is independently supported relative to the side rail  90  which carries the draper  23 . This side rail extends from a forward end  91  rearwardly to a rear connection at the adaptor attached to the feeder house of the combine harvester. The forward end  91  of the rail  90  projects to a position forward of the front edge  81  of the sheet and the strip member  82  attached to that front edge. A spring  92  provides spring support for the front edge of the sheet and the strip member at each side. Thus there are two such spring supports  92  and  92 A both of which are visible in the bottom view of  FIG. 7 . Each of these spring supports provides a spring action by way of a torsion rod  93 . The rod  93  has a front end  94  which is inclined outwardly and slightly rearwardly and is contained within a mounting sleeve  95  on the forward end of the rail  90 . The spring  93  further includes a flex portion  96  which extends rearwardly from the forward end  94  along side the forward end of the rail  90  to a rear end  97  which is turned outwardly along the front edge  81  and is attached to the strip member  82  by bolts  98  which engage around a loop portion  99  of the end  97 . In this way the rear end of the spring portion  93  of the spring rod can move upwardly and downwardly relative to the front end  94  to allow independent sprung movement of the front edge of the sheet in upward and downwardly directions. Upward movement can accommodate impact from below. Downward movement can accommodate the collection of crop material underneath the draper and on top of the sheet tending to force the sheet downwardly. Such downward movement can in many cases therefore release any such collected crop material back around the front roller  94  and onto the top of the draper to avoid a blockage occurring. 
         [0095]    The rear end of the sheet  80  defining the pan member  50  is attached by a mounting system generally indicated at  100 . This is shown in more detail in  FIG. 5 . Thus the sheet includes a rear edge  101  which is attached to a transverse strip  102  on the top of the sheet and a backer plate  103  on the bottom of the sheet with those elements being clamped together by a series of bolts  124  across the width the sheet so that the strip and the backer sheet are firmly attached to the rear edge of the sheet and provides some stiffness therefore. A strip  102  has best shown in  FIG. 7  includes a series of hook portions  104 ,  105  and  106  at spaced positions across the width of the rear edge  101 . Each of these hook portions as best shown in  FIG. 5  includes an upturned hook element which can receive a rod portion  107  of a lever  108 . Thus each hook portion  104 ,  105 ,  106  co-operates with a respective rod portion  107 ,  110  and  111  of the elongate rod forming the lever  108 . The lever  108  thus includes a transverse rod portion extending across the full width of the strip portion  102  together with two rearwardly turned crank portions  112  and  113  which can be raised and lowered to provide the lever action. A forward end of the lever is carried in a bracket  114 ,  115  at spaced positions across the width of the strip portion  102 . Each of the brackets provides a pivot axis  116  for the forward part of the lever. When the hand crank portions  112  and  113  of the lever are thus grasped, they can be moved downwardly from the position shown in  FIG. 5  by pivotal movement about the axis  116  which causes the hook portions  107 ,  110  and  111  to move downwardly and forwardly as the lever pivots around the axis  116 . When the hook portions of the lever are moved sufficiently forwardly around the axis  116 , they are released from connection with the hook portions  107 ,  110  and  111  allowing the strip portion  102  to be released from the lever and to drop downwardly by pivotal movement around the front edge of the sheet and by flexing of the sheet. In this position the lever is merely hanging downwardly. The release of the sheet forming the pan member allows an operator access to the underneath of the draper  23  for removal of blockages or other servicing procedures. 
         [0096]    In order to move the pan back into the raised locked position, upward lifting of the pan at the rear edge brings the strip portion  102  back into connection with the lever so that the hooks re reengaged on the transverse portions of the lever. Further upward pivotal movement of the lever around the axis  116  pulls the sheet rearwardly applying tension across the rear edge of the sheet. When the lever is moved to the raised position, each of the crank arms  112  and  113  can be latched-in place by a simple hook latching arrangement  125 ,  126 . These hook latching arrangements can be manually released to allow the crank portions  112  and  113  to be lowered but in raised position hold those crank portions upwardly in the position shown in  FIG. 5  thus supporting the rear edge of the sheet and applying tension to the sheet pulling it rearwardly. 
         [0097]    The sheet abuts against a rigid panel  120  of the structure which is the panel which engages underneath the rotary member  70 . This panel is carried on the arms  90  and bridges across the arms  90  underneath the rotary member  70  so as to guide the crop material upwardly and rearwardly from the rear roller  25  of the draper  23  into the feeder house. This panel includes a downwardly turned front edge portion which projects to a position just under the roller  25  and which abuts the upper surface of the sheet  80  when the panel member is in the raised position. This provides therefore an abutment which locates the rear part of the sheet  80  and closes the gap between the sheet  80  and the panel  120 . The tension applied to the sheet  80  by the lever pulling on the rear edge of the sheet  80  pulls it in tension between the forward edge of the panel  120  and the transverse strip at the forward end of the sheet thus holding the sheet flat and straight across this area. However, as stated above, the sheet can still flex by spring action at the front end and by slight stretching or distortion of the sheet so as to accommodate impact from below and the accumulation of crop material from above. 
         [0098]    The flexible sheet forming the panel member therefore is improved relative to sheet metal panels since it is much more resistant to impact damage or permanent bending. The mounting of the sheet under tension by the strip across the front edge and the strip across the rear edge provides an effective support for the sheet while allowing the necessary flexibility. The lever system at the rear edge provides the dual function of tensioning the sheet and also holding it in the raised position. 
         [0099]    Since various modifications can be made in my invention as herein above described, and many apparently widely different embodiments of same made within the spirit and scope of the claims without departing from such spirit and scope, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.