Abstract:
The invention concerns an agricultural harvesting machine with at least one adapting device for receiving a front attachment, wherein a mechanically and/or hydraulically switchable reversing device is associated with at least one of the working components of the agricultural harvesting machine which are at the front in the direction of travel and the front attachment, which is received by the adapting device, can be moved by at least one displacement means into at least one non-working position which is at a distance from the working components of the agricultural harvesting machine, and which forms a gap for passage of crop between the front attachment and these working components. In this way, in the non-working position a through-gap is created between the front attachment and the working components of the harvesting machine, through which the crop stream conveyed out of the agricultural harvesting machine during the reversing process and interspersed with one or more foreign bodies can flow down in the direction of the ground. Due to such a construction, the foreign bodies conveyed back during the reversing process no longer pass into the front attachment, thereby obviating the need to perform the time-consuming and dangerous task of manually removing of the foreign bodies from the front attachment.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates generally to agricultural machinery and, more particularly, to an agricultural harvesting machine with at least one adapting device for receiving a front attachment according to the introductory part of claim  1 .  
           [0002]    An agricultural harvesting machine of this kind is disclosed in DE 198 47 891, where the agricultural harvesting machine is constructed as a forage harvester and the front attachment is a crop-collecting and conveying pick-up. The working components at the front of the harvesting machine take over the crop from the front attachment and are constructed as feed rollers. A reversing device reverses the direction of rotation of the feed components, thus minimizing damage to the working components of the harvesting machine caused by foreign bodies. On operation of the reversing device, the feed rollers convey the crop out of the front region of the harvesting machine and transfer it to the front attachment, which is adapted to the harvesting machine in the front region. In order to avoid blockages or damage in the region of the working components of the front attachment caused by the foreign bodies located in the crop, DE 198 47 891 discloses a control system which ensures that the cross conveying member is always lifted before the reversing device cuts in and the crop interspersed with foreign bodies is conveyed out of the harvesting machine. An essential drawback to this reversing process is that, in addition to the crop, the foreign body or bodies are always conveyed back into the front attachment. Thus, to avoid the foreign bodies being fed into the harvesting machine requires removing the foreign bodies from the front attachment. As a rule this is done by the driver of the harvesting machine by interrupting the harvesting process, leaving the harvesting machine and manually removing the foreign bodies from the front attachment. The desire of the operator to have a reasonable service life for the machine in this case reduces the productivity of the agricultural harvesting machine considerably.  
           [0003]    Furthermore there is an increase in the risk of injury to the person removing the foreign bodies, as they must often put their hands between the working components of the front attachment while performing this task.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    In accordance with the present invention an agricultural harvesting machine is disclosed. The harvesting machine includes an adapting device for receiving a front attachment and a mechanically adjustable reversing device which is associated with at least one of a plurality of working components of the agricultural harvesting machine, which are at the front of the harvesting machine, relative to the direction of travel, wherein the front attachment, which is received by the adapting device, is movable by a displacement means into a non-working position which is at a distance from said working components and which forms a gap for passage of crop between the front attachment and said working components.  
           [0005]    It is an aspect of the invention to provide an agricultural harvesting machine of the kind generally described hereinbefore, which overcomes the drawbacks of the machines known in the art. This aspect is accomplished particularly due to the fact that in the present invention, the foreign bodies located in the crop stream and conveyed back during reversal no longer pass into the front attachment.  
           [0006]    The front attachment, which is received by at least one adapting device of the harvesting machine, is movable by at least one displacement means into a nonworking position. This non-moving position is located at a distance from the working components of the agricultural machine, which are at the front of the machine in the direction of travel. This allows for a gap through which crop passes between the front attachment and these working components. The crop stream is conveyed out of the agricultural harvesting machine during the reversing process and is interspersed with one or more foreign bodies that can flow down in the direction of the ground via the through-gap created between the front attachment and the working components of the agricultural harvesting machine. Thus, the foreign bodies conveyed back during the reversing process no longer pass into the front attachment, thereby obviating need to perform the time consuming and dangerous task of manually removing the foreign bodies from the front attachment.  
           [0007]    One advantageous preferred embodiment of the invention features a design which is structurally simple and includes a front attachment which can be pivoted into the non-working position about a shaft received by the adapting device of the agricultural harvesting machine. This shaft points transversely to the direction of travel.  
           [0008]    In order to be able to continue to support a portion of the weight of the front attachment on the ground while the front attachment is brought into the nonworking position, a further advantageous embodiment of the invention features a displacement of the front attachment, relative to the working components of the agricultural harvesting machine.  
           [0009]    A structurally simple design of the pivotable front attachment on the agricultural harvesting machine is achieved if the adapting device of the agricultural harvesting machine, which forms the pivot shaft pointing transversely to the direction of travel, is positioned on the top side of the front attachment.  
           [0010]    The displacement means which triggers the change of position of the front attachment can advantageously be associated with the front attachment on the top or bottom side, thus providing for a space-saving arrangement.  
           [0011]    In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the displacement means can be constructed as a single-acting or double-acting lifting cylinder, thus allowing for problem-free integration in the hydraulic circuit already existing on the carrier vehicle.  
           [0012]    In another embodiment of the invention, the displacement means can be coupled to the control unit of the reversing device, thus ensuring, in a structurally simple manner, that the front attachment is already pivoted into its non-working position before the reversing process begins. The control unit of the reversing device is activated by an input signal X 1  to be triggered by the driver of the harvesting machine. The control unit thereupon automatically generates an output signal Y 1  in the form of pressurization of the displacement means and, with time staggering, an output signal Y 2  for switching on the reversing device.  
           [0013]    In yet another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the displacement means can be formed by an inexpensive single-acting lifting cylinder, wherein the front attachment pivots back from the non-working position into the working position by force of gravity alone. When single-acting lifting cylinders are used, an end-position locking system known in the art can be provided between the front attachment and the agricultural harvesting machine to ensure that the front attachment is reliably fixed upon the agricultural harvesting machine while in the working position.  
           [0014]    In order to be able to dispense with an additional end-position locking system, while retaining fixing of the front attachment in the working position, a further advantageous embodiment of the invention includes a displacement means constructed as a double-acting lifting cylinder, which remains continuously under pressure in the working position of the front attachment and ensures that the front attachment is fixed in the working position. Also, a displacement of the front attachment relative to the working components of the agricultural harvesting machine can be achieved in a structurally simple manner by means of double-acting lifting cylinders.  
           [0015]    In the interest of minimizing the risk of injury to persons and the wear on the front attachment during the change of position of the front attachment, another preferred embodiment of the invention provides for the ability to shutdown the drive of the front attachment during movement into the non-working position and back. At its simplest, shutdown of the drive of the front attachment is carried out by quick-release coupling systems known in the art and integrated in the drive.  
           [0016]    In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the need to shutdown the drive during the change of position of the front attachment is eliminated. In this preferred embodiment, at least one telescopic universal drive shaft known in the art is associated with the drive train.  
           [0017]    As the aerodynamic trajectory of the crop conveyed out of the agricultural harvesting machine during the reversing process depends substantially on the nature of the crop and the weight of the foreign bodies located therein, an advantageous development of the invention includes, in the rear region of the front attachment, a crop deflector which ensures that crop flies into the front attachment, free of all foreign bodies. In order to assist the crop impinging on the crop deflector to flow down, the crop deflector can be constructed as an angle plate, which is advantageously mounted on the front attachment so as to be releasable and hence easy to exchange as it wears. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0018]    Reference is now made to the drawings, which illustrate the best known mode of carrying out the invention and wherein the same reference characters indicate the same or similar parts throughout the views.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 1 is a first embodiment of the harvesting machine according to the invention in a side view;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 2 is a top view of the harvesting machine according to the invention as in FIG. 1  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 3 a detail view of the pivot control of the front attachment as in FIG. 1; and  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 4 is a second embodiment of the harvesting machine according to the invention in a side view. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0023]    Referring now to FIG. 1, which schematically shows an agricultural harvesting machine  1  which is preferably a forage harvester and which has a feeder housing  3  in its front region and a plurality of feed and compression rollers  4 - 8 . The feeder housing  3  of the agricultural harvesting machine  1  receives a front attachment  10 , which is preferably constructed as a pick-up at the front of the harvesting machine, in the direction of travel FR, in a manner according to the invention and described in more detail below. The front attachment  10  in the form of a pick-up is defined by a schematically shown frame  11 . On the ground side of the frame  11 , a collecting drum  13  which is provided with conveying tines  12  and which, by means of the conveying tines  12 , picks up crop lying on the ground  14  and conveys it in overshot fashion, thereby evening out the thickness of the crop mat picked up. The collecting drum  13  is operatively connected to a hold-down frame  17  fixed to the frame  11  in the vertical direction and above the collecting drum  13 . If necessary, the connecting drum  13  is adjustable in height and formed by two freely rotatable conveying rollers  15 ,  16 . In the rear region of the conveying rollers  15 ,  16  and above the collecting drum  13 , the front attachment  10  in the form of a pick-up has a cross conveying member  19  which is constructed as a cross auger. The cross conveying member  19  centrally combines the crop picked up by the collecting drum  13  and transfers it in a crop string of smaller width to the working components  4 ,  5  of the agricultural harvesting machine  1 , which are at the front of the machine, in the direction of travel.  
         [0024]    In a first embodiment according to FIGS. 1 and 2, the feeder housing  3  receives, on the top side, mounting flanges  20  through which passes a shaft  22  pointing transversely to the direction of travel FR, which may be simply constructed as a bolt  21 . The bolt  21  forming the pivot shaft  22  further passes in its end regions through holding flanges  23  rigidly connected to the front attachment  10  and is, outside these holding flanges  23 , prevented from sliding axially in a manner known in the art and therefore not shown in more detail. On the carrier vehicle side, the feeder housing  3  has additional flanges  24  which are rigidly connected to the feeder housing  3  and which, between them, receive the piston end of the displacement means  26  constructed as lifting cylinders  25 . Thus, the displacement means  26  is rotatable about a shaft  27  pointing transversely to the direction of travel FR. The piston rod end of the lifting cylinders  25  is received by holding flanges  29  received non-rotatably by the front attachment  10 , so that it is rotatable about a shaft  28  also running transversely to the direction of travel FR.  
         [0025]    As shown in FIG. 3, the agricultural harvesting machine  1  further includes, in a manner known in the art, switching elements  30  by means of which a control unit  31 , which will be described in more detail, can be controlled. In the embodiment shown, the control unit  31  is coupled to a reversing device  32 , which will also be described in more detail, thereby providing a means by which the direction of rotation of at least one of the working components  4  of the agricultural harvesting machine  1 , at the front of the machine relative to the direction of travel FR, can be reversed. The agricultural harvesting machine  1  also has a hydraulic pump  33  to produce the compressed oil stream.  
         [0026]    According to FIG. 3, the reversing device  32  is formed by a reverser gear  34  which is operatively connected by a belt drive  35  to the feed and compression roller  4  at the bottom front, relative to the direction of travel FR, of the harvesting machine. The reverser gear  34  obtains its drive energy from a hydrostatic motor  36 . The control unit  31  is connected by line systems  37 ,  38  to the switching elements  30  and the hydraulic pump  33  of the agricultural harvesting machine  1 .  
         [0027]    In the working position according to FIGS. 1 and 2, the piston rods  39  of the lifting cylinders  25  are in the extended position, so that the front attachment  10  is mounted directly in front of the working components  4 - 8  of the agricultural harvesting machine  1  that are at the front of the machine, relative to the direction of travel FR. If now the displacement means  26 , constructed as single-acting lifting cylinders  25 , is pressurized in a manner which will be described in more detail, the piston rod  39  moves into the respective lifting cylinder  25  and the front attachment according to FIG. 3 pivots into a non-working position about the pivot shaft  22  of the adapting device  40  formed by a bolt  21  and mounting flanges  20 . In this non-working position the front attachment  10  occupies such a position relative to the working components  4 ,  5  of the agricultural harvesting machine  1  which are at the front in the direction of travel, that between the front attachment  10  and these working components  4 ,  5  forms a gap  41  through which, during reversal of at least the bottom front feed and compression roller  4 , the crop conveyed out of the feeder housing  3  in the arrow direction  42  by this feed and compression roller  4  and the feed and compression roller  5  operatively connected to it, passes directly onto the ground  14  without being thrown back into the region of the working components  13 ,  18  of the front attachment  10 . If the displacement means  26  are constructed as single-acting lifting cylinders  25 , the front attachment  10  automatically pivots back into the working position shown in FIG. 1 when the pressure of the lifting cylinders  25  is relieved.  
         [0028]    In a further embodiment according to the invention only the adapting device  40  can be associated with the front attachment  10  on the top side, while the at least one displacement means  26 , as shown in broken lines in FIG. 3, connects the front attachment  10  on the bottom side to the feeder housing  3  of the agricultural harvesting machine  1 . Such a construction allows for the use of single-acting lifting cylinders  25  whose piston rod  39  is extended from the lifting cylinder  25  when pressure is applied to pivot the front attachment  10  into the non-working position.  
         [0029]    In order to guarantee that the front attachment  10  has always reached its non-working position before the reversing process conveying the crop out of the feeder housing begins, the hydrostatic motor  36  which triggers the reversing process is connected by the above-mentioned control device  31  to the displacement elements  30  and the hydraulic pump  33  of the agricultural harvesting machine  1 . The control device  31  has a directional control valve  43  which can be driven via line system  38  by the displacement elements  30  of the agricultural harvesting machine  1 . The line system  37 , which is associated with the directional control valve  43  on the input side, supplies the compressed oil stream to the hydraulic pump  33 . On the output side, a line system  44  is associated with the directional control valve  43 . The line system  44  connects the directional control valve  43  to the respective displacement means  26  by a non-return valve combination  46 ,  47  to the hydrostatic motor  36  of the reverser gear  34 . An additional line system  45  couples the directional control valve  43  directly to the hydrostatic motor  36 .  
         [0030]    To activate the reversing process by means of the control elements  30 , an input signal X 1  is triggered, which switches the directional control valve  43  to the position shown in FIG. 3 and the compressed oil stream produced by the hydraulic pump  33  passes into the line system  44 . This leads to pressurization of the respective displacement element  26 , wherein first the front attachment  10  pivots into the non-working position (output signal Y 1 ). After the front attachment  10  has reached the non-working position, the pressure in the line system  44  rises further until the non-return valve  47  opens (output signal Y 2 ) and the hydrostatic motor  36 , via the reverser gear  34 , triggers the reversing process at the lower feed and compression roller  4 . Via line system  45 , the energy-transmitting medium can flow back from the hydrostatic motor  36  into the storage tank, not shown. In an additional switch position of the directional control valve  43 , the two line systems  44 ,  45  can be blocked so that the front attachment  10  remains in the non-working position and the drive of the working components  4 - 8  of the agricultural harvesting machine  1 , which are at the front of the machine relative to the direction of travel, is shut down. In a third switch position of the directional control valve  43 , the line system  44  is pressureless so that the front attachment  10  pivots back into its working position again by force of gravity alone, while pipe system  45  is pressurized and the working components  4 - 8  of the agricultural harvesting machine  1  rotate again, drawing in crop material.  
         [0031]    To ensure that the crop stream conveyed out of the feeder housing  3  in the arrow direction  42  during reversal is not conveyed back into the front attachment  3  or the pick-up region of the collecting drum  13 , a crop deflector  49  may be associated with the front attachment in its rear region  49 . The crop deflector  49  is advantageously constructed as an angle plate which is releasably attached to the front attachment  10  in the rear region thereof, so that easy exchange of this crop deflector  49  is possible when wear occurs.  
         [0032]    In a further embodiment according to FIG. 4 the adapting device  51  of the agricultural harvesting machine  1  can also be constructed as a sliding joint, wherein the displacement means  53  connects the front attachment  10  to the agricultural harvesting machine  1  at any location and at its simplest is formed by a  248  double-acting lifting cylinder  54 . Pressurization of the lifting cylinder or cylinders  54  leads to extension or retraction of the piston rod  55 , wherein the front attachment  10  can be moved by means of the adapting device  51  in the form of sliding joints in or counter to the direction of travel FR, thus forming a gap  56  through which the crop stream conveyed out of the feeder housing  3  during reversal does not pass back into the front attachment  10 . It is within the scope of the invention that with a construction of this kind a crop deflector  49 ,  50  as in the design according to FIG. 3 can be associated with the front attachment  10  in its rear region. If the front attachment  10  also has at least one land wheel  57 , displacement of the front attachment to reach the gap  56  for passage of crop is particularly advantageous above all because the displacement means  53  and the adapting device  51  does not have to carry the whole weight of the front attachment. Part of the weight can be supported on the ground  14  by the at least one land wheel  57 . Due to the fact that line system  45  is now connected to the second connection of the double-acting lifting cylinder  54 , the lifting cylinder  54  in the working position can simultaneously assume a locking function between the front attachment and the agricultural harvesting machine  1 . This same effect can be achieved, as illustrated in FIG. 2, if the single-acting lifting cylinder or cylinders  25  are replaced by double-acting lifting cylinders  54  as in FIG. 4, and wherein the side of the lifting cylinder  54  which is under pressure in the working position is connected to the line system  45 .  
         [0033]    It is within the scope of the invention that, when using single-acting lifting cylinders  25  as in FIG. 1, additional mechanical or hydraulic locking elements  58  can be provided which connect the front attachment  10  in the working position in its lower region to the agricultural harvesting machine  1 . Mechanical or hydraulic locking elements  58 , such as marking bolts or lifting cylinders which are known in the art, and therefore not shown in more detail, can be used for this purpose.  
         [0034]    To minimize wear on the front attachment  10  when it is brought into the non-working position, a further embodiment of the invention provides a shutdown of the drive  60  of the front attachment  10 . At its simplest this is achieved by connecting the drive  60  of the front attachment  10  by quick-release coupling systems  61  known in the art to a drive gear  62  of the agricultural harvesting machine  1 . The engagement elements  63  of the quick-release coupling system  61  are coupled and uncoupled automatically.  
         [0035]    To obtain a relatively inexpensive drive design, a further embodiment of the invention provides for the drive  60  of the front attachment  10  to be connected by a telescopic universal drive shaft  64  to an output drive gear  62  of the agricultural harvesting machine, wherein shutdown of the drive of the front attachment  10  does not take place.  
         [0036]    It is within the scope of the invention that the front attachment  10  constructed as a pick-up  9  in the practical example can be replaced by any front attachment.  
         [0037]    Other objects, features and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art. While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, this has been by way of illustration and the invention should not be limited except as required by the scope of the appended claims.