Foldable head for combine

Abstract: An improved foldable head assembly (1) to be applied on a combine-harvester machine for cereals, in which the three portions forming the cutting blade (7) are joined to each other by means of two fastening devices (21) adapted to firmly connect together the three sections so that the connected blade portions behave like an integral single rigid blade (7). Said fastening device (21) is formed by a male portion (23) comprising a base (41) adapted to be secured to the flat bar, a dog or catch protruding from said base and a centering pin (43), and by a female portion (25) comprising a base (31), a pivoted lever member (33) terminating at one end with a beak (49), a guide rod (35) with a helical return spring (37) and a sheet metal protection case (39). A portion (23) of the fastening device (21) is secured to one end of a blade section (7), the other (25) to the end of the adjacent blade section (7) so that the connected blade portions behave like an integral single rigid blade 7 (Fig. 15).

Description: The present invention relates to an improved foldable base for a cereal head assembly to be mounted on a combine-harvester machine (harvester thresher), the improvement substantially implying a radical simplification in the blade assembly. The present applicant owns a previous European patent application directed to a cereal head assembly to be mounted on a combine-harvester machine. This former application was filed on 31.01.97 with No. 97101529.2, claiming priority of application No. TO 96 A 000102 filed in Italy on 16.02 96, and was published with No. 0.789.990 on 20.08.97, The present invention relates to an improvement that brings about a radical simplification of the blade assembly disclosed in the above mentioned application so that such previous application presently appears to be the most pertinent "prior art" to the present invention. In respect of other characteristics of the head assembly, such as the auger, the folding back of the machine, the pickup reel, etc. reference is made to what as been suggested, described and claimed in the above mentioned patent application. In the machine disclosed in the above mentioned application, the cutting blade is formed by aligned serrated portions actuated by a pair of rods parallel to each other and to the blade, and located inside a closed compartment. Although such solution offered a satisfactory driving mechanism, it had the drawbacks of a relative liability to breakage of the drive members and of requiring a periodic maintenance thereof since they are subjected to severe stresses and wear. It is an object of the present invention to overcome the above mentioned drawbacks by providing a more practical and direct approach in which the blade portions are connected to each other so as to operate like an integral single rigid blade, and the reciprocating motion is directly imparted to the cutting blade without employing transmission rods, idler wheels and similar devices used in the previous arrangement. It is known from DE 20 26 190 that the cutting blade portions shall have properly shaped headers, provided with grooves or ribs at the junction of each portion thereof, to be coupled to each other. Furthermore, in order to securely couple said cutting blade portions, a clamping means shall be provided, comprising a U-shaped element connected by a pin to one of the two adjoining portions and, when clamping means is required, kept in position by a locking bolt passing through the other one of the two adjoining portions. It is to be noted that given the head assembly to which the novel solution is to be applied, the cutting blade assembly is formed by three portions and the reciprocating motion occurs along their length. The main characteristics of the present invention will become evident from the attached claims. The invention will now be disclosed in details with particular reference to the attached drawings, only supplied as illustrating a non limitative embodiment thereof, in which: Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a reciprocating driving system of a serrated blade according to an embodiment of the prior art; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating how a portion of a serrated blade is inserted and moved between pairs of teeth forming a fixed cooperating blade, still according to the prior art; Fig. 3 is a schematic perspective view illustrating the reciprocating system according to the present invention; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the insertion of a serrated blade portion into the spaces between the teeth of the fixed blade according to the present invention; Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8 illustrate the joining of two adjacent blade sections by means of male/female clutches; Figures 9, 10 and 11 are a top, a side and a bottom perspective view, respectively, of two blade sections rigidly joined to each other in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 12 is a front perspective view illustrating two parts of the head assembly base that are to be joined to each other in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 13 is a fragmentary perspective view showing with more details how a reciprocating motion is imparted to the cutting blade of the machine head assembly; Fig. 14 is a front view illustrating a head assembly with a side portion thereof that has been rotated by 90Ø; and Fig. 15 is a complete front perspective view of the cereal head assembly with the side portions lifted and folded. Referring to the Figures, a head assembly for cereals e.g. the one disclosed in the above mentioned patent application, to which the novel improvement applies is a conventional head assembly 1 for cereals that can be mounted to a combine-harvester machine, and comprises an auger 3, a pickup reel 5 that can be raised with respect to the auger 3, and a cutting blade assembly 7 comprising sections of serrated blade inserted and movable between pairs of teeth 9. As already noted, in said head assembly 1 a reciprocating motion is transmitted to the auger 3, to the pickup reel 5 and to the blade 7 at one side only of the machine. According to the previous solution disclosed in the above mentioned patent application (see Figures 1 and 2), the motion was imparted to the aligned serrated blade portions through two series of aligned rods 11 and 13, with each series being formed of three parts, parallel to each other and to the portions of the blade 7. Each actuating rod of the first rod series 11 is secured to a section of the blade 7, and the rods of the second series 13 are coupled to the first series 11 either by means of interposed fixed gear wheels (not shown) meshing with toothed blocks on each portion of said rods 11 and 13, or thanks to two pivoted elements 15, 17 (one of which is directly connected with the motor 19) imparting the reciprocating motion to said elements 15, 17. In accordance with the solution of the present invention, the three sections forming the cutting blade assembly 7 are joined to each other - when aligned - by two fastening devices or clutches 21, such fastening devices being adapted to firmly connect together the three sections so that the connected blade portions behave like an integral single rigid blade 7. Each fastening device 21 comprises two separate parts: a male portion 23 and a female portion 25 that are fitted to the ends of two adjacent blade sections to be rigidly joined together. Both the male and female portions are secured to the respective section of blade thanks to holes 27 provided for assembling the single cutting member or knives 29 to a flat bar to form the blade section. The female portion 25 comprises a base 31, a pivoted lever member 33 terminating at one end with a beak 49, a guide rod 35 with a helical return spring 37 and a sheet metal protection case 39. The male portion 23 comprises a base 41 adapted to be secured to the flat bar, a dog or catch protruding from said base and a centering pin 43. During the engagement, the rod 35 maintains the lever 33 in a rest position urged by the spring 37, the spring being adjustable through a nut 45. When the lever 33 is bumped by the male portion 23, the lever is forced to rotate counterclockwise allowing the approach of the parts, and the subsequent engagement thereof when the beak 49 engages the recess 51. The perfect alignment of the two portions 23 and 25 is ensured by a centering pin 43 of the male portion 23 that enters a recess 47 provided in the female portion 25. To this aim the beak-shaped point of the lever 33 is received in the recess 51 of the male portion 23 ensuring a complete and stiff joining of the two blade sections. In order to release the fastening device, a force normal to the longitudinal direction of the blade 7 is applied to the lever 33 so as to lift said lever 33 and disengage the beak 49 of said lever 33 from the recess 51 in which it is received. According to the invention the reciprocating motion is imparted to a side portion of the cutting blade 7 by a motor 19 disposed on the side of said blade 7 and acting on one side only thereof through a gear arrangement as shown in Figures 3 and 13.

Claims: An improved foldable head assembly (1) to be mounted on a combine-harvester machine for cereals, said head assembly (1) comprising an auger (3), a pickup reel (5) that can be raised with respect to said auger (3), and a cutting blade assembly (7) comprising blade sections inserted and movable between pairs of teeth (9), wherein the motion to said auger (3), pickup reel (5) and cutting blade assembly (7) is transmitted at one side only of the machine; each of said auger (3), pickup reel (5) and cutting blade assembly (7) is formed by three sections, namely a central section and two foldable side sections; the adjacent ends of the three blade sections forming said cutting blade assembly (7) are rigidly joined together when aligned by means of fastening devices (21) connecting said three blade sections into a single rigid cutting blade assembly (7); characterised in that each of said fastening devices (21) comprises a pivotable lever member (33), said lever member (33) being able to assume a first position of engagement to rigidly join together a corresponding side section with said central section and a second position of disengagement to allow the corresponding side section to be folded. An improved head assembly according to claim 1, characterised in that said pivotable lever member (33) terminates at one end with a beak (49). An improved head assembly according to claim 2, characterised in that said beak (49) is suitable for engagement in a corresponding recess (51). An improved head assembly according to claims 1 or 2 or 3, characterised in that each of said fastening devices (21) further comprises a centering pin (43) to ensure the proper alignment of said corresponding side section with said central section. An improved head assembly according to the preceding claims, characterised in that each of said fastening devices (21) is formed by two separate portions: a female portion (25) and a male portion (23), each of which is fitted to one end of the blade sections to be rigidly joined together, said female portion (25) comprising said pivotable lever member (33) and said male portion (23) comprising said centering pin (43). An improved head assembly according to claim 5, characterised in that said female portion (25) of each fastening device (21) further comprises a base (31), a guide rod (35) with a return spring (37) and a protection case (39). An improved head assembly according to claim 6, characterised in that said return spring (37) is a helical spring. An improved head assembly according to claim 6, characterised in that said protection case (39) is a sheet of metal. An improved head assembly according to claim 5, characterised in that said male portion (23) of each fastening device (21) further comprises a base (41) adapted to be secured to the flat bar and a dog or catch protruding from said base. An improved head assembly according to the preceding claims, characterised in that , when said male portion (23) bumps said pivotable lever member (33), this latter is forced to rotate allowing the approach of said adjacent ends of the three blade sections forming said cutting blade assembly (7), and the subsequent engagement thereof when said beak (49) engages said corresponding recess (51) in said male portion (23). An improved head assembly according to the preceding claims, characterised in that the proper alignment of the two portions (23, 25) is ensured by said centering pin (43) on said male portion (23) that enters a corresponding recess (47) provided in the female portion (25). An improved head assembly according to the preceding claims, characterised in that during the engagement, said guide rod (35) maintains said pivotable lever member (33) in a rest position urged by said return spring (37), said return spring being adjustable through a nut (45). An improved head assembly according to the preceding claims, characterised in that said fastening device (21) is released by applying to said pivotable lever member (33) a force normal to the longitudinal direction of the blade (7) so as to lift said lever (33) and disengage said beak (49) of said lever (33) from said recess (51) in which it is received. An improved head assembly according to claim 5, characterised in that both said male and female portions (23, 25) are secured to the respective blade section (7) through holes (27) provided on a bar for assembling the single cutting members (29) thereto.

Inventors: CAPELLO ALBERTO, CAPELLO ELIO, CAPELLO, ALBERTO, CAPELLO, ELIO
Applicants: CAPELLO R & F FLLI, CAPELLO F.LLI RENATO E FRANCESCO S.N.C.
Application year: 1999
Main classification: A01D41
IPC codes: A01D41