Abstract:
A conveyor assembly ( 26 ) includes a first frame ( 50 ) supporting a first conveyor ( 28 ) for feeding material in a first conveying direction. The conveyor assembly ( 26 ) also includes a second frame ( 60 ) supporting a second conveyor ( 30 ) for feeding material in a second conveying direction parallel to the first conveying direction. The second frame ( 60 ) is movable with respect to the first frame ( 50 ) along the second conveying direction between a retracted position and an extended position. A side shield ( 70 ) is connected to a side of the second frame ( 60 ) and shields the second conveyor ( 30 ) laterally. An elongate, flexible seal ( 94 ) is mounted to the side shield ( 70 ), the flexible seal ( 94 ) bridging a gap between the side shield ( 70 ) and the second frame ( 60 ).

Description:
FIELD 
     The present invention pertains to an extendable conveyor assembly provided with a seal. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Combines are used in agricultural operations to harvest, thresh and separate and finally clean crops grown on a field in order to obtain cleaned grain. The grain is stored in a grain tank and unloaded into a container of a transport vehicle for further processing. While in the past, mainly auger conveyors have been used, it has been proposed recently to use a belt conveyor for unloading the grain from a combine grain tank. Reference is made to the prior art described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,186,502, describing an extendable conveyor with an upper frame and a lower frame. The lower frame is slidably mounted with respect to the upper frame in order to extend and retract the conveyor for unloading respectively transport. Both frames comprise aluminum extrusion profiles and support belt rollers, around which a single belt or two separate belts are running. A cover enclosing the lateral faces of the conveyors and the top of the upper frame is connected to the lower frame. A skirt is mounted to the profile of the lower frame, ending adjacent the upper run of the belt of the lower frame. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide an extendable conveyor assembly that is an improvement over the art. 
     SUMMARY 
     A conveyor assembly comprises a first frame supporting a first conveyor for feeding material in a first conveying direction. The conveyor also comprises a second frame supporting a second conveyor for feeding material in a second conveying direction parallel to the first conveying direction. The second frame is movable with respect to the first frame along the second conveying direction between a retracted position and an extended position. A side shield is connected to a side of the second frame and shields the second conveyor laterally. An elongate, flexible seal is mounted to the side shield, the seal bridging a gap between the side shield and the second frame. The seal thus prevents conveyed material from falling off the second conveyor and being lost. 
     Preferably, the seal comprises a proximal part in a first position spaced from the second frame and a distal part in a second position abutting the second frame, wherein the proximal part of the seal extends over a part of a length of the first frame and the distal part of the seal extends over a part of a length of the second frame projecting beyond the first frame. 
     The respective parts of the seal are preferably arranged to move under control of a guide element mounted in the vicinity of a distal end of the first frame from the first position to the second position as the second frame is moving from the retracted position into the extended position. This movement is reversed, i.e. the guide element moves the seal from the second position into the first position when the second frame moves from the extended into the retracted position. 
     The guide element can have a first guide surface adjacent the seal. The first guide surface is oriented at the proximal end of the guide element essentially vertical and at the distal end of the guide element inwards and downwards and turns between the proximal and distal end successively from the essentially vertical orientation to the inwards and downwards orientation to move the seal from the first position to the second position when the second frame is moved from the retracted to the extended position. The inwards and downwards orientation corresponds essentially to the orientation of the second frame onto which the seal is to be laid or is a certain degree steeper. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the seal has an end with two lips that enclose, when in the second position, a nose of a profile element of the second frame. The first guide surface preferably engages an inner surface of an upper lip. 
     The guide element further preferably has a second guide surface adjacent the seal, the second guide surface oriented at the proximal end of the guide element essentially vertical and at the distal end of the guide element downwards and inwards towards the second conveyor and turning between the proximal and distal end successively from the essentially vertical orientation to the downwards and inwards orientation to move a lower lip of the seal from the a vertical position to a position abutting an outer face of the nose of the profile element of the second frame when the second frame is moved from the retracted to the extended position. 
     The guide element can be outwardly cranked in the vicinity of its proximal end. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the first frame comprises two first profile elements supporting the first conveyor. The first profile elements each comprise a vertical wall extending beneath the first conveyor. A projecting element projects inwards from the lower end of the vertical wall. The projecting element is enclosed by a corresponding cavity of a second profile element of the second frame and the guide element is mounted on the vertical wall. 
     The conveyor assembly according to the present invention can be used for any purpose. It is in particular suited for an agricultural harvesting machine like a combine for unloading grain from a grain tank or for a forage harvester for conveying chopped crop to a transport vehicle. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       An embodiment of the disclosure is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of an agricultural combine with a conveyor assembly according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of conveyor assembly at line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIGS. 3A to 3E  are perspective views of the conveyor assembly at section lines  3 A to  3 E of  FIG. 2 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In the description below, elements of the left side of the conveyor arrangement are described in detail. The elements on the right side of the conveyor are identically constructed, but in mirror image form. These mirror elements are shown in  FIG. 2 . Any statement herein regarding the construction or operation of elements of the left side of the conveyor arrangement is equally applicable to the elements of the right side of the conveyor arrangement. Likewise, any statement herein regarding the construction or operation of elements on the right side of the conveyor arrangement is equally applicable to the elements of the left side of the conveyor arrangement. 
     The claims have been drafted to be parsed in the following manner: a claim may refer to a specific number of items, such as “a”, “an”, “one”, “1”, “two”, “2”, et seq. Unless the words “just” or “only” precede these specific numbers, the numbers refer to a minimum number of items and not a maximum number of items. For example, “two” is the logical equivalent of “two or more”, or “at least two” etc. 
     An agricultural combine  10  shown in  FIG. 1  comprises a frame  12  supported on driven front wheels  14  and steerable rear wheels  16 . Crop harvested from a field by a header (not shown) is fed through a feeder house  18  into threshing, separating and cleaning assemblies (not shown) within the frame  12  and finally cleaned grain is deposited in a grain tank  22  by a clean grain elevator  20 . Operation of the combine  10  is controlled from an operator&#39;s cab  24 . A conveyor assembly  26  is provided for unloading the clean grain from the grain tank  22  into a container of a transport vehicle (not shown). 
     The conveyor assembly  26  comprises a first conveyor  28  and a second conveyor  30 . Each of first conveyor  28  and second conveyor  30  is a belt conveyor having a belt and a plurality of rollers about which the belt is entrained. 
     In the embodiment shown herein, a belt  40  (a single belt) is entrained around all the rollers that comprise both the first conveyor  28  and the second conveyor  30 . The belt  40  recirculates about a roller  32  (which is proximal) and a roller  34  (which is distal) of the first conveyor  28  and recirculates around a roller  36  (which is proximal) and a roller  38  (which is distal) of the second conveyor  30 . 
     The belt  40  also recirculates about a roller  42 , a roller  44 , and a roller  46 . The roller  42 , the roller  44 , and the roller  46  serve to tension the belt  40 . Further, due to this roller and belt arrangement they permit the second conveyor  30  to be extended from the retracted position (shown) to an extended position (not shown). In this extended position, the roller  36  and the roller  38  are moved towards the right hand side with respect to  FIG. 1  together with the two lateral profile elements that support each end of the roller  36  and the roller  38 . 
     During an unloading operation, the upper run of the belt  40  that extends between roller  32  and roller  34  of the first conveyor  28  is driven by an assigned motor (electrical or hydraulic, not shown) or a mechanical drive train from an engine of the combine  10 , to move outwards, in  FIG. 1  towards the right hand side. The upper run of the belt  40  that extends between the roller  36  and the roller  38  of the second conveyor  30  is driven in the same direction as the upper run of the belt  40  that extends between the roller  32  and the roller  34 . The upper run of the belt  40  that extends between the roller  36  and the roller  38  receives the material fed by the first conveyor  28  to the second conveyor  30  at the distal discharge point of the first conveyor  28  (i.e. at roller  34 ). 
     The upper runs of the belt  40  continuously move from a proximal position that is adjacent to the agricultural harvesting machine  10  to a distal position that is away from the agricultural harvesting machine  10 , where the grain is unloaded from the conveyor assembly  26 . 
     The second conveyor  30  can be extended and retracted in a direction parallel to the conveying direction of the belt  40  and parallel to the longitudinal extent of the first conveyor  28  and the second conveyor  30 . The conveyor assembly  26  can be moved by an actuator (not shown) to rotate at its proximal end around a vertical axis, and the inclination of the conveyor assembly  26  can be preferably controlled by another actuator (also not shown). 
     In the extended position (not shown), the conveyor assembly  26  is pivoted with respect to the agricultural harvesting machine  10  to extend perpendicular to the direction of harvesting travel of the agricultural harvesting machine  10 . In this position, the conveyor assembly  26  in its extended position enables a grain transport vehicle to be driven alongside the agricultural harvesting machine  10 . The grain from grain tank  22  is carried by conventional means to an inlet of the first conveyor  28  located adjacent to roller  32 , where it is carried by the upper run of the first conveyor to roller  34 , which defines the exit of the first conveyor  28 . The grain then falls off the end of the first conveyor  28 , and on to the upper run of belt  40  extending between roller  36  and roller  38 . The upper run of belt  40  of the second conveyor  30  receives the grain from the first conveyor and carries the grain to an exit spout  48  at the distal end of the second conveyor  30  and the conveyor assembly  26 . 
     In another embodiment, not shown, the first conveyor  28  and second conveyor  30  could be provided with separate belts in place of the belt  40  (illustrated herein) that are driven independently. In this alternative embodiment, one endless belt wraps around and is driven by the rollers that comprise the first conveyor  28 , i.e. the roller  32  and the roller  34 , and another belt wraps around and is driven by the rollers that comprise the second conveyor  30  i.e. the roller  36  and the roller  38 . In this alternative embodiment an additional motor would typically be provided to drive the belt wrapped around the roller  36  and the roller  38 . 
     In  FIG. 2 , a perspective, partial cutaway view of the first conveyor  28  and second conveyor  30  is shown. The roller  34  of the first conveyor  28  is supported on a first frame  50  that comprises two lateral profile elements  52 , which extend over the entire length of the first conveyor  28  and are coupled with the frame  12  of the combine  10  and enclose the first conveyor  28  between them. The lateral profile elements  52  of the first frame  50  each comprise a central hollow, part  54  (which is central and rectangular and in the form of a wall), an upper part  57  directly connected to the top of the part  54 , and a vertical wall  56  beneath the part  54 , planar with the outer vertical wall of the part  54 . The upper part  57  is also hollow and angled towards the center of the first conveyor  28 . At the lower end of the vertical wall  56 , a projecting element  58  projects inwards toward the center of the conveyor assembly  26 . The projecting element  58  has a rectangular cross section and is hollow. The lateral profile elements  52  of the first frame  50  preferably consist of extruded aluminum. 
     The part of the belt  40  forming the second conveyor  30  is likewise supported on a second frame  60  comprising two lateral profile elements  62  extending over the entire length of the second conveyor  30 . The lateral profile elements  62  support the roller  36 , the roller  38 , and the roller  42  around which the run of the belt  40  forming the second conveyor  30  is entrained, wherein one of the two lateral profile elements  62  is disposed at one end of these rollers to support the rollers at one end for rotation, and the other of the two lateral profile elements  62  is disposed at the other end of these rollers to support the other end of these rollers for rotation. Each of the lateral profile elements  62  comprises a vertical wall  64  to which the shafts of the roller  36 , the roller  38 , and the roller  42  are mounted. On the lower end of the vertical wall  64 , an extension  66  having an L-shape is formed, the outer, vertical leg of which serving to mount a shield  68  comprising a side shield  70  enclosing the sides and a top shield  72  covering the top of the conveyor assembly  26 . The side shield is bolted to the vertical legs of extension  66 . Above the vertical wall  64 , the lateral profile elements  62  form a cavity  74  which is surrounded by an wall  76  that is inner and vertical, a wall  78  that is disposed at a lower end of wall  76  and is oriented generally horizontally, a wall  80  that is disposed at an upper end of wall  76  and is oriented generally horizontally, and upper and lower walls  82  that are oriented to the outside of wall  76  and are coupled to the wall  78 , and wall  80 , in such a way as to define a gap between upper and lower walls  82 . While  76 , wall  78 , wall  80 , and upper and lower walls  82  are oriented with respect to each other to define the cavity  74  such that the projecting element  58  of the lateral profile elements  52  of the first conveyor  28  can be inserted (slid) into the cavity  74 . The upper wall  82  also extends above wall  80 , turns inwards and merges with a wall  84  that extends vertically and outwardly from the wall  76 . A nose  86  of the lateral profile element  62  projects upwardly and outwardly above the junction between upper wall  82  and wall  84 , A triangular, hollow extension  88  is provided on the interior face of the upper wall  82 . It serves as a support for the belt  40 . The lateral profile elements  62  of the second frame  60  preferably consist of extruded aluminum. 
     Adjustment of the second conveyor  30  between the extended and retracted position is achieved by means of a chain  90  entrained around a sprocket  92  mounted on the vertical wall  56 . 
     An elongate, flexible seal  94  is mounted to the interior faces of the side shield  70 . From an outer, upper mounting point on the side shield  70 , the flexible seal  94  extends downwards and inwards. At their lower, inner ends, the flexible seal  94  branches into a lower lip  96  and an upper lip  98 , enclosing the nose  86  of the lateral profile element  62  of the second frame  60  between them. The flexible seal  94  provides a sealing between the side shield  70  and the (outer, seen in the proximal/distal direction) parts of the lateral profile elements  62  that project beyond the first frame  50 . Since the vertical wall  56  extends down from the part  54  of the first frame  50  in order to mount the projecting element  58  within cavity  74  of the lateral profile element  62  of the second frame  60 , the flexible seal  94  cannot not touch the lateral profile elements  62  of the second frame  60  that are located directly beneath first frame  50 . The proximal areas of the flexible seal  94  are thus oriented essentially vertically in a first position (cf.  FIG. 3E ) in the vicinity of the outer face of vertical wall  56 , while only the distal areas of the flexible seal  94  are in a second position to seal the gap between the side shield  70  and the lateral profile element  62  of the second frame  60 . A guide element  100  serves to move the flexible seal  94  between its first and second position as the second conveyor  30  is extended and retracted. 
     The guide element  100  is mounted at the distal end of the first conveyor  28  and is fixed to the vertical wall  56  of the lateral profile element  52  of the first frame  50 . In the proximal/distal direction, the guide element  100  extends from a proximal end  102  behind the front edge of the first frame  50  to a distal end  104  in front of the front edge of the first frame  50 . The guide element  100  has a first, inner surface  106  that is nearly vertically or vertically oriented at the proximal end  102  (i.e. the rear end) and inwards and slightly downwards oriented at the distal end  104  (i.e. the forward end), corresponding approximately to the orientation of the nose  86  of the second frame  60  onto which the upper lip  98  is to be laid. Between the proximal end  102  and the distal end  104 , the first surface  106  gradually turns from the vertical orientation to the inwards and downwards orientation, as can be seen in  FIG. 3A to 3E . The first surface  106  thus extends in its distal part above and beyond the nose  86  towards the inside of the second conveyor  30 . In its proximal part, the first surface  106  is located on the outward side of nose  86 . 
     The guide element  100  further has a second, outer surface  108  that is nearly or exactly vertically oriented at the proximal end  102  and downwards and inwards oriented at the distal end  104 . Between the proximal end  102  and the distal end  104 , the first surface gradually turns from the vertical orientation to the downwards and inwards orientation, as can be seen in  FIG. 3A to 3E , as well. The second surface  108  is located on the outward side of nose  86  over its entire length. In the vicinity of the rear end, the guide element  100  is angled outwardly at a position indicated as  110 . The first surface  106  and the second surface  108  are separate from each other along their distal part and merge together in the vicinity of the angled position  110 . Below the second surface  108 , the guide element  100  turns into a vertical flange  112  bolted to the vertical wall  56 . The guide element  100  is formed of steel or another suitable material. 
     The function of the guide element  100  is illustrated in detail in  FIGS. 3A to 3E .  FIG. 3A  shows the flexible seal  94  in the second position in which the lower lip  96  and upper lip  98  enclose the nose  86  of the lateral profile element  62  of the second frame  60  between them, since the (distal) part of the second conveyor  30  with flexible seal  94  illustrated in  FIG. 3A  projects beyond the first frame  50 . The distal part of flexible seal  94  is thus in its second position closing the gap between the side shield  70  and the part of the length of the second frame  60  that extends beyond the first frame  50 . The first surface  106  of the guide element  100  has already penetrated between the lower lip  96  and the upper lip  98 . 
     At the more proximal location shown in  FIG. 3B , the lower lip  96  has been moved gradually by the second surface  108  of the guide element  100  off the nose  86  and bent outwards, such that the lower lip  96  extends downwards and outward. The upper lip  98  is likewise moved gradually by the first surface  106  of the guide element  100  off the nose  86  and bent upward, such that it is angled under a shallow slope, thus extending downward and inward. 
     At the even more proximal location shown in  FIG. 3C , the lower lip  96  has been moved gradually by the second surface  108  of the guide element  100  into a generally vertical but more outward position, compared with  FIG. 3C , such that the lower lip  96  still extends downwards and outward. The upper lip  98  is likewise moved gradually by the first surface  106  of the guide element  100  into a steeper sloped position. 
     At the even more proximal position indicated in  FIG. 3D , in which the flexible seal  94  interacts with the guide element  100  at the angled position  110 , the lower lip  96  is only marginally bent outward by the second surface  108 , such that lower lip  96  is oriented almost vertical. There is no contact between the upper lip  98  and the first surface  106  and thus upper lip is oriented approximately vertically. 
     At the position indicated in  FIG. 3E , the flexible seal  94  interacts with the proximal end  102  of the guide element  100  and thus both the lower lip  96  and the upper lip  98  are oriented vertically. The upper lip  98  now abuts or is located in close vicinity of the outer surface of part  54 . This first position of the flexible seal  94  shown in  FIG. 3E  applies for the entire proximal part of the flexible seal  94  extending along the first frame  50 . 
     Thus, flexible seal  94  moves into the distal direction with the second frame  60  when the second frame  60  is extended by the corresponding actuator via chain  90  and sprocket  92 . The guide element  100  gradually moves the respective parts of the flexible seal  94  at the interface between the first conveyor  28  and the second conveyor  30  from its first position (shown in  FIG. 3E ) into its second position (shown in  FIG. 3A ) via the intermediate positions of  FIG. 3B to 3D . The guide element  100  with its first surface  106  and its second surface  108  acts like a like slider of a zipper, separating the lower lip  96  and the upper lip  98  such that they can be laid around nose  86 . When the second conveyor  30  is retracted again, the guide element  100  also separates the lower lip  96  and the upper lip  98  such that they gradually move back from the second, distal position ( FIG. 3A ) into the first, proximal position ( FIG. 3E ), thus inverting the described process during extension of the second conveyor  30 . 
     Having described the preferred embodiments, it will become apparent that various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the accompanying claims.