DEVICE FOR PICKING UP CROP FROM THE FIELD

Abstract: A device for picking up swaths Z of crop mainly comprising a frame (1) movable across the field and crop harvesting means (2) carried by said frame (1), wherein in front of the crop picking up means (2), with respect to the direction of movement, there is arranged a driven member (4) for spreading the crop in a transverse direction to the swath, said spreading member is preferably constucted in the form of one or more downwardly directed tines (5), which are adapted to reciprocate in a transverse direction P 2.

Description: The invention relates to a device for piking up crop stacked in swaths on the field, according to the preamble of Claim 1. According to the invention, the spreading member is motor - driven and is adapted to reciprocate transversely to the direction of movement and wherein crop retaining elements are arranged on the frame on both sides of said driven spreading member, the driven spreading member being arranged centrally between the crop retaining members so that, in use, the spreading member spreads crop from a swath into the spaces between the spreading member and the retaining elements. Such a device disclosed in FR-A-2.211.173 is frequently used in combination with a crop treating implement, for example, a press for making bales or bundles. With this kind of crop treating device it is important that the feeding flow is as uniform as possible over the width of the implement in order to avoid density differences in the flow of crop and so in the final product i.e. the bale and to ensure effective operation of the pick-up means. In the conventional device according to above mentioned FR-A-2.211.173, the spreading member is formed by a pair of ground driven wheels, the spreading action of which is not effective over a wide area in front of the pick-up means. The invention has for its object to provide a device by which a uniform feed into the implement over its width is ensured. In a further development of said one embodiment the time shaped spreading member is adapted to swing out of the downwardly directed position forwardly and upwardly, in order to avoid damage to the tines when mowing in backwards direction. Preferably the or each tine is arranged in a trailing position. It is preferred that said crop-retaining element is formed by a flexible apron. The above mentioned features of the invention will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to few embodiments. The drawing shows in: Fig. 1 a front view of the device in accordance with the invention in a first embodiment, Fig. 2 a side elevation of the device of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 and 4 two alternative possibilities of driving a group of tines in the device of Fig. 1, Fig. 5 a cropbaler comprising a device embodying the invention. The device shown in Figs. 1 and 2 mainly comprises a frame 1, in which a pick-up implement 2 provided with rotatably driven tines 3 is arranged. The frame 1 is movable in the direction of the arrow P 1 in Fig. 2 across the field. At the front of the pick-up implement is arranged a spreading member 4 in the form of two downwardly directed tines 5, which are pivotally suspended by their top ends to a horizontal pin 6. The pin 6 is fastened to the lower end of a swinging arm 7, which is adapted to turn at 8 about a pin secured to the frame 1. The swinging arm 7 has holes 9 each adapted to receive a pin 10 for coupling a connecting rod 11. The other end of the connecting rod 11 is secured in a rotatable disc 12 also having holes 13 spaced apart from the centre by relatively different distances. The disc 12 is caused to rotate by means of a rope 14 by the driving shaft 15, which extends in the direction of movement P 1. The tines 5 of the spreading member 4 occupy a trailing position with respect to the direction of movement P 1 (see Fig. 2), said tines being capable of slightly yielding in a resilient manner from the position indicated in Fig. 2 by solid lines to the rear, though they cannot turn furthe to the rear, since a stop 16 secured to the tines engages a stop plate 17 of the swinging arm 7. This construction, however, permits the tines 5 to turn forwardly, for example, as far as into the position indicated by the brocken line 5′ in Fig. 2. When the device moves backwards, damage of the spreading member is thus avoided. The device depicted above operates as follows: During the advance of the device in the direction of the arrow P 1 the driving mechanism 13, 14, 15 will move the swinging arm 7 in the direction of the arrow P 2 in reciprocatory manner, as a result of which the tines perform a swinging motion transversely of the direction of movement P 1. At the approach of a swath Z, forming an accumulation of crop in front of the pick-up implement 2, the tines will spread part of the crop in the direction of the arrows P 3 up to the side aprons 18, for example, of rubber arranged on each side of the spreading member 4 in the frame 1. In this way the crop is uniformly spread through the width of the pick-up implement. Fig. 3 shows a spreading member 4, the downwardly directed tines 5 of which are fastened to a sleeve 40, which is reciprocatorily slidable in the direction of the arrow P 4 on a rod 41 fixed in the frame. The reciprocatory movement can be produced by a rotating disc, the rotary axis of which extends in the direction of movement P 4. A coupling rod 43 between a point of the disc 42 and a coupling point of the sleeve 40 brings about the conversion of the rotary movement of the disc 42 into the reciprocatory movement of the sleeve 40 i.e. of the times 5. Fig. 4 shows an embodiment in which a shaft 51 is rotatably journalled in the frame 1 and is rotated in the direction of the arrow P 5. To the shaft 51 is rigidly secured at an angle a disc 52, which can swing by the rotation of the shaft 51 from the position indicated by solid lines into the position indicated by brocken lines. The periphery of the disc 52 co-operates with a groove-like recess in a holder 53, to which the tines 5 of the spreading member are secured. By means of a guide (not shown) for the sleeve 53 the swinging movement of the disc 52 will cause the sleeve 53 to reciprocate. Fig. 5 illustrates an embodiment of a crop press provided with a spreading device according to the invention. The enhance of the press is provided with a pick-up implement 62, for example, of the kind set forth above, which serves to pick up the crop from the ground and to pass it into the press. At the front of the pick-up implement 62 is arranged a spreading member 4, for example, of the kind shown in Fig. 1. The downwardly directed tines 5 spread the crop of the swath Z uniformly in front of the pick-up implement 62 so that the crop will be passed uniformly distributed throughout the width into the baling chamber 61 of the press. The crop in the bale formed in the baling chamber and indicated by the brocken line B will, therefore, be uniformly densified. The uniform distribution of the crop in front of the pick-up attachment permits this attachement, moreover, to operate with a high degree of efficiency so that the baler can be more rapidly moved across the field. The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. For example, the lateral members 18 may, of course, be constructed otherwise than in the form of the synthetic resin aprons.

Claims: 1. A device for picking up crop stacked in swaths on the field, comprising a frame (1) movable across said field and crop pick-up means (2) carried by said frame (1), a driven spreading member (4) arranged, with respect to the direction of movement, in front of the crop pick-up means (2) for spreading the crop in a transverse direction, characterised in that the spreading member (4) is motor - driven and is adapted to reciprocate transversely to the direction of movement and wherein crop retaining elements (18) are arranged on the frame on both sides of said driven spreading member, the driven spreading member being arranged centrally between the crop retaining members so that, in use, the spreading member spreads crop from a swath into the spaces between the spreading members and the retaining elements. 2. A device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the spreading member (4) comprises one or more downwardly directed tines (5). 3. A device as claimed in claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the tine-shaped spreading member (4) is adapted to swing out of the downwardly directed position forwardly and upwardly. 4. A device as claimed in claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the or each tine (5) is in a trailing position. 5. A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims characterized in that the crop retaining element is formed by a flexible apron (18).

Inventors: VISSERS, HERMANUS HENDRIK, WONDERGEM, JAN
Applicants: MULTINORM B.V.
Application year: 1981
Main classification: A01D89
IPC codes: A01D89, A01F15