Mower with controlled ejection

Abstract: A mower of the type which when operating ejects the harvested crop on to the field in a backwards facing direction forming an acute angle with the track of the mower, and comprises cutting members (4), a throwing rotor (5) and a hood (8) covering the throwing rotor and projecting backwards beyond same. The hood (8) extends upwards in the throwing direction of the throwing rotor at an angle V to horizontal, and a throwing range adjusting plate (13) is arranged at the rear edge of the hood (8) and can be tilted on an axis, the direction of which has a significant horizontal component transversly to the throwing direction.

Description: The present invention relates to a mower comprising cutting members, a throwing rotor, side plates providing a swath ejection opening, which is laterally restricted in relation to the length of the throwing rotor, and a hood covering the throwing rotor and projecting backwards beyond same, the mower being of the type which is adjustable so as to be placed in different angular positions relative to the driving direction in order during operation to eject the harvested crop on to the field in a backwards facing direction forming an acute angle with the track of the mower and in a swath lying close to crop harvested during an earlier pasage of the field, the hood extending upwards in the throwing direction of the throwing rotor at an angle V to the horizontal. A mower of this type is known from EP-A-0 332 552, which describes a mower which can be turned into an oblique position as compared to its driving direction, thus ejecting the swath obliquely to the rear, whereby swath mowed during two different passages of the field can be windrowed so as subsequently to be collected in one work process. The known mowing machine comprises a conditioning rotor after the cutting members and a throwing rotor after the conditioning rotor. The separate throwing rotor is necessary in order to throw the horizontally ejected swath with sufficient strength to achieve the desired effect. The accurate windrowing on the field is controlled by two side plates which are pivotal on a vertical axis for guiding the ejected swath in a sideways direction. The object of the invention is to provide a mower of the type described hereinbefore which has other or additional means for controlling the windrows of ejected swath in the field. This is obtained by means of a mower of the type described hereinbefore which is characterized in that a throwing length adjusting plate is arranged at the rear edge of the hood and can be tilted on an axis, the direction of which has a significant horizontal component transversly to the throwing direction, whereby the throwing length is adjusted. DE-A-31 42 594 discloses a mower with a conditioning rotor and a hood extending over that rotor. During operation the hood may either direct harvested material ejected from the rotor downwards in order to create a narrow swath on the ground immediately behind the mower or the hood may permit the harvested material ejected from the rotor to be spread widely over the field behind the mower. The latter situation is preferably obtained by substituting the rear part of the hood with an upwardly extending and diverging piece with diverging baffle plates underneath that will spread out the harvested material. Alternatively the spreading of the material may be obtained by raising the end piece of the hood. When spreading out the harvested material the conditioning rotor is together with hood put in angular position in relation to the main part of the mower in order to provide for an optimum spread-out, i.e. not to direct the ejected material into the crop still standing. The angle V is preferably approximately 20°. The invention is further explained in the following by means of an embodiment with reference to the drawing, in which Fig 1 shows a lift-suspended mower with oblique ejection during two different passages of the field; and Fig 2 is a schematical side view of the mower in Fig 1. Fig 1 is a schematical view of a tractor which obliquely to the rear carries a lift-suspended mower 2, which by means of a hydraulic cylinder 3 can be turned so as to assume, e.g. the two in Fig 1 shown positions. The mower 2 comprises a number of mowing members in the form of cutting discs 4 and a conditioning and throwing rotor 5. This comprises a cylindrical core 6, which carries protruding, rigid, elastic fingers 7 arranged in pairs in V. An example of such a rotor can be found in DK-B-159 090. The fingers may be elastic in themselves or they may be resiliently mounted on the cylindrical core 6. The fingers 7 have preferably a straight side and a bevelled side. It is thereby possible to adapt the conditioning and throwing rotor to the actual crop which is to be mowed by turning the fingers 7, so that either the straight og the bevelled side faces forwards in the direction of rotation. A hood 8 is arranged above and behind the conditioning and throwing rotor 5 and extends upwards at an angle V to horizontal. The mower 2 is further provided with side plates 9 and 10 extending downwards from the hood 8. Each of the plates is provided with control flaps at its rear end. Thus, the side plates 9, 10 are provided with control flaps 11, 12, respectively, which are designed to guide sideways the mowed swath ejected by the conditioning and throwing rotor. The hood 8 is provided with a control flap 13 for control of the throwing range for the ejected mowed swath. When the mower is operating, it is driven through the field alternating between the two positions shown in Fig 1, i.e. alternately in front of and behind a position transverse to the driving direction. Thereby, the swath is ejected to one side of the track of the mower or the other by turns. The accurate placing of the windrows on the ground is partly controlled by means of the control flaps 11, 12, which control the flow of ejected swath in a sideways direction, partly by means of the control flap 13, which by guiding the flow of ejected swath in a more or less downwards direction controls the throwing length. In the drawing is shown manual control of the control flap 13 in the form of threaded rods 14 with crank handle 15 but evidently, the control flap 13 may be operated by remote control by means of, e.g. a hydraulic cylinder. In order to derive full benefit from the adjustment possibility offered by the control flap 13, it is important that the flow of swath is at a certain level above the ground when it reaches the flap. This is obtained by the upwards slanting hood 8, which in the example shown in Fig 2 is further lifted above the conditioning and throwing rotor 5 and the guide plate 16, which surrounds it in part to ensure that the mowed swath is ejected from the conditioning and throwing rotor in the right place. In addition to the already mentioned elements the mower 2 comprises a power transmission for transfer of the rotational energy partly to the knife discs 4, and partly to the conditioning and throwing rotor 5. The power transmission preferably comprises a variator 17 or is in a different way equipped so as to control the rate of rotation of the conditioning and throwing rotor 5. By controlling this rate and turning the fingers 7 as mentioned with either the straight or the bevelled edge facing forwards, the conditioning and throwing rotor can be adapted to the actual crop which is mowed in order to achieve optimum conditioning and optimum ejection. It should be understood that albeit the invention is described in connection with a lift-suspended mower it can also be used for a towed mower with supporting wheels.

Claims: A mower comprising cutting members (4), a throwing rotor (5), side plates (9, 10) providing a swath ejection opening, which is laterally restricted in relation the length of the throwing rotor (5), and a hood (8) covering the throwing rotor and projecting backwards beyond same, the mower being of the type which is ajustable so as to be placed in different angular positions relative to the driving direction in order during operation to eject the harvested crop on to the field in a backwards facing direction forming an acute angle with the track of the mower and in a swath lying close to crop harvested during an earlier passage of the field, the hood (8) extending upwards in the throwing direction of the throwing rotor at an angle V to horizontal, characterized in that a throwing length adjusting plate (13) is arranged at the rear edge of the hood (8) and can be tilted on an axis, the direction of which has a significant horizontal component transversly to the throwing direction, whereby the throwing length is adjusted. A mower as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the angle V is approximately 20°.

Inventors: FREUDENDAHL JORN, RASMUSSEN LAURITS, FREUDENDAHL, JORN, RASMUSSEN, LAURITS
Applicants: FREUDENDAHL J FAB AS, JF-FABRIKEN - J. FREUDENDAHL A/S
Application year: 1992
Main classification: A01D43
IPC codes: A01D57, A01D43, A01D67