Abstract:
This invention refers to a real for a crop harvesting device. The reel has tine carriers extending over the width of the reel carrying tines for feeding crop, and links for supporting the tine carriers. The links are mounted to the tine carriers by link holders. The link holders each include two support halves which are movably with respect to each other. The support halves enclose a tine carrier and each have a link holding part. The link holding parts of both support halves are commonly surrounded by the link such that the support halves are fixed to each other by the link.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention pertains to a reel for a crop harvesting device with tine carriers extending across the width of the reel. The reel carries tines for feeding crop and has support links for supporting the tine carrier. The links are fastened to the tine carrier by link holders. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Reels are used in crop harvesting devices, particularly in cutters, to feed standing crop material to a cutter bar and a cross-feed device. They have a number of tine carriers (usually six) that extend over the width of the crop harvesting device and carry a plurality of tines. The tine carriers are rotatably seated at their ends on spiders and are usually provided with an angle control. The angle control successively varies the angle of the tine carrier relative to the spider as the spider rotates about a central horizontal axis that is transverse to the direction of travel. Additional support elements between the spiders enhance the stability of the tine carriers. In known reel embodiments, the support elements extend in a star shape from a central carrier tube outwards to the tine carriers. Other embodiments also disclose structure in which adjacent carrier rods were directly connected to one another by support links, such as U.S. Pat. No. 2,024,735, U.S. Pat. No. 2,102,709 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,468,109. 
   For connection between the support element and the tine carrier or the transverse elements of the reel interacting with the crop, various embodiments have been described. In U.S. Pat. No. 47,338, U.S. Pat. No. 2,024,735, U.S. Pat. No. 2,102,709, U.S. Pat. No. 3,771,299 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,016,710, a U-shaped bracket that surrounds the transverse element is used. A clamp that contacts the transverse element on three sides is described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,610,460. In all embodiments, it is necessary to disassemble the support element for repair. A considerable amount of time is necessary, since usually a threaded fastener must be taken off before the bracket or clamp can be removed. 
   In U.S. Pat. No. 686,823, connectors between the support element and the center carrier tube are furnished with spring elements and automatically engage during assembly. In U.S. Pat. No. 1,123,949 a bolt serves to fasten the support element to the carrier tube. These connections require a flange on the center carrier tube, which, however, is not available on the tine carrier. 
   In a related patent application by the assignee of the present application, DE 10 2004 001 383 A to be published subsequently, a reel without a central carrier tube is described. The tine carriers are connected to one another by links that form a supporting latticework. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention provides a reel, without a central carrier tube, that can easily be installed and removed. 
   The link holders are constructed of two support halves. The support halves accommodate the tine carrier between them and are therefore provided with a suitable bearing surface. The support halves are movable with respect to one another, more particularly, pivotable or separable from and fixable to one another on the side facing away from the link holding section. This movement allows placing them on the tine carrier or removing them from it in the opened state. They enclose the tine carrier in the closed state. Each of the two support halves has a link holding section. In the assembled state, the link surrounds the two link holding sections and fixes them to one another. The link can connect the tine carrier to another tine carrier or to a central carrier tube of the reel, when such a carrier tube is present. Thus a reel can be put together and disassembled easily and preferably even without tools. 
   It is desirable to lock the link on the link holder. Thus a spring tongue can be arranged on one link holding section. The spring tongue engages in a suitable opening of the other link section in the assembled state and fixes the axial orientation of the link. 
   The link is fixed in the azimuthal direction. Thus protection against rotation or twisting about the longitudinal axis of the link is achieved by a noncircular inside cross section of the link and a noncircular outside cross section of the link holding sections. The cross sections can also be, for example, oval, rectangular, square, hexagonal or octagonal. 
   In a preferred embodiment, the tine carriers rotate with respect to the link holders in order to adapt the orientation of the fingers to the respective position of the tine carrier. In this embodiment, the link holder is secured in the longitudinal direction of the tine carrier against displacement. Suitable holders can be jointly fixed to the tine carrier with adjacent fingers. If the tine carrier is not supposed to rotate with respect to the link holders, they can be fixed to the tine carrier and secured in an arbitrary manner against rotation. 
   In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the link holders each hold only one link. With appropriate construction, however, it is possible to combine two link holders (leading to the adjacent tine carriers) or three link holders (leading to the adjacent tine carriers and to a central carrier tube) in a single link mount. Thus, the stability of the reel would be further increased. The link mount could also be constructed of several bearing halves or elements which are each held together in the area of their link holding sections by the link placed on them. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  discloses a combine with a crop harvesting attachment having a reel; 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a reel according to the invention; 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a first support half of a link holder; 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the first support half of the link holder with a second support half positioned on a tine carrier; 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the link holder with a link connected to the tine carrier; 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the link holder, positioned on the tine carrier; and 
       FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the second embodiment of the link holder, with an attached link. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   A combine  10  is shown in  FIG. 1  and is supported on front driven and rear steerable wheels  12  and  14 , respectively, and includes an operator&#39;s cab  16  from which it can be operated by a driver. A grain tank  18  is adjacent the operator&#39;s cab  16  at the rear. An unloading auger  20  can discharge the grain the tank holds to another container. A crop processing unit  25  is mounted on a frame  22 , in which the harvested crop is processed into its large and small components by a threshing drum  24 , a threshing basket  26  and a turning drum  28 . A further separation of the harvested crop is carried out on the adjoining straw shakers  30 , as well as on a preparation base  32  and screens  34 . The threshed, clean grain portion is conveyed into grain tank  18 . The coarse crop material other than grain is deposited onto the ground by the straw shakers  30  and the light components are blown to the ground from screens  34  by a fan  36 . The cut crop material is picked up by a crop harvesting device  38  and fed to threshing drum  24  via the feederhouse  40 , which is an inclined conveyor with a stone trap  42 . 
   In the illustrated embodiment, crop harvesting device  38  is a mower mechanism having a reciprocating cutter bar  44  at the front edge. The frame  46  of the crop harvesting device  38  also supports an auger or screw conveyor  48  with convolutions  50  running around a central tube. A reel  52  is positioned above and in front of the screw conveyor  48 . The reel  52  feeds standing crop material to cutter bar  44  and screw conveyor  48 . Reel  52  is connected to frame  46  at both ends by reel support arms  54  and is driven about its longitudinal axis by a mechanical or hydraulic drive unit such that it rotates counterclockwise in  FIG. 1 . 
     FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of the right end section of reel  52 , in the direction of travel of the combine  10 . Reel  52  includes a spider  58  at each end and six tine carriers  60  made of cylindrical tubes with a constant outside cross section across their length. Links  62  are arranged in a hexagon shape and tines  64  are mounted on tine carriers  60 . The spiders  58  are arranged at both ends of reel  52  and each have six arms  68  extending radially outwards from a hub  66 . Tine carriers  60  extend between the distal ends of arms  68  of the spiders  58  longitudinally across the entire width of reel  52 . The tine carriers are either one piece or are composed of individual elements mechanically fastened together. Tine carriers  60  are rotatably seated on arms  68  and can also rotate with respect to links  62 . 
   A disk cam  70  is arranged alongside spider  58  on the right side of reel  52 , with its axis of rotation arranged eccentrically to the axis of hub  66 . Tine carriers  60  are connected by control levers  72  acting as crank drives, to adjacent corners of disk cam  70 . In operation, hub  66  and arms  68  of spider  58  are rotated by a motor  74 . Tine carriers  60  thus carry out a rotational motion with respect to arms  68 , so that the tines  64  are oriented approximately downwards over the entire rotational range of reel  52 , as illustrated in  FIG. 2 . Thus crop material is fed to cutter bar  44  and screw conveyor  48 . 
   Reel  52  is free of supporting elements in the interior between tine carriers  60 . The hubs  66  of spiders  58  are not connected by a center carrier tube extending over the width of reel  52  or similar supporting retaining elements extending across the width, such as thin links or the like. The resultant free space has the advantage that the reel  52  of the present invention is lighter than embodiments furnished with a center carrier tube and that the view through the crop harvesting device  38  is not obstructed by the center carrier tube. The operator in cab  16  thus has a good view of cutter bar  44  and the area in front of crop harvesting device  38  during harvesting operation and through the raised reel  52  during transportation. 
   Links  62  are provided to reinforce reel  52 , which can have a width of 6 m or more (e.g., 9 m) with the necessary stability. Links  62  only connect adjacent tine carriers  60  and constitute a honeycomb shape. Apart from links  62  and spiders  58 , no other cross elements supporting tine carriers  60  are provided. Links  62  and tine carriers  60  form a latticework. The connection between links  62  and tine carriers  60  enables the tine carriers  60  to rotate about their longitudinal axes, while all other motion is restricted. Links  62  are distributed at suitable intervals across the width of reel  52 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 2 , each link  62  is connected by two terminal link holders  76  to tine carriers  60 . On each tine carrier  60 , one link holder  76  is pointing to the preceding tine carrier  60  and the adjacent link holder is pointing to the trailing link carrier  60  and are arranged alternately on the left and the right or vice versa. Link holders  76  which enclose tine carriers  60  have a circular inside cross section and thus allows the above-described rotation of tine carriers  60 . To prevent lateral displacement of link holders  76  on tine carriers  60 , link holders  76  are fixed in place in the longitudinal direction of tine carriers  60 . Annular holders  78 , each fastened to tine carrier  60  by a tine  64 , abut the outside lateral face of the link holders  76  that is not in contact with a second link holder  76 . Alternatively or additionally, annular holders  78  could reach under suitable undercuts on link holders  76 . 
   A first embodiment of a link holder  76  is illustrated in  FIGS. 3–5 . Each link holder includes a first support half  80  and a second support half  82 , which jointly hold the end of link  60 . The two support halves  80 ,  82  are fastened together by a hinge pin  84 . 
   Each support halve  80 ,  82  includes a bearing section  86  having an inside semicircular bearing surface and opposing parallel ends  92 . On one side of bearing section  86 , five hinge projections  88  extend radially out from the semicircular bearing surface. Holes  90  in hinge projections  88  are coaxial and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the bearing surface. On the opposite side of bearing section  86 , there is a link holding section  94  extending radially to the semicircular bearing surface. Link holding section  94  includes an essentially semicircular flange  96 . Each bearing half  80 ,  82  is preferably made of a hard, impact-resistant material which guarantees a long surface life of the bearing even without lubrication. A polyamide, such as Zytel ST 801 was successfully used. 
   The offset of hinge projections  88  and the arrangement of holes  90  for hinge pin  84  are designed such that the bearing surfaces oppose and face one another when two support halves  80 ,  82  are put together, in which case the two bearing halves  80 ,  82  fit together and hinge pin  84  can be inserted into hole  90 , so that support halves  80 ,  82  are rotatably fitted together. The hinge includes hingepin  84  and holes  90 . The joined bearing surfaces define an approximately cylindrical opening for tine carrier  60 . The fit-together support halves  80 ,  82  are preferably identical to one another. It is conceivable to use a coupling other than hingepin  84  to couple support halves  80 ,  82  pivotably together. Thus it would be conceivable to cast the two support halves  80 ,  82  as a single component with a one-part flexible hinge. 
   The pivotable seat of the two support halves  80 ,  82  can be opened, positioned on tine carrier  60  and closed. Link holding section  94  of each support half  80 ,  82  is symmetrical about an axis running perpendicular to the bearing surface. 
   When support halves  80 ,  82  are joined together, link holding sections  94  form a cylindrical socket that is surrounded by one end of hollow cylindrical link  62 . Support halves  80 ,  82  are fixed together by link  62  surrounding link holding sections  94 . The two tine carriers  60  connected by link  62  prevent link  62  from slipping off link holding sections  94 . Alternatively, link holding sections  94  on the link can be locked together by a pin that penetrates suitable holes in link  62  and link holding sections  94  (not shown), or by a flexible element on one or both link holding sections  94  that is under initial outward tension. The flexible element is arranged in an opening in the side wall of link  62  in the assembled state, corresponding to the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 . 
     FIGS. 6 and 7  show a second embodiment of a link holder  76  with a link  62  mounted thereon. Elements congruent with the first embodiment are marked with the same reference numbers. The second embodiment differs from the first in that the inside and outside cross section of link  92  is rectangular or square. The cross section of the link holding sections  94  is correspondingly rectangular. Thus, undesired twisting or rotational motion between link holder  76  and link  62  is avoided. 
   Moreover, a snap-in connection between one support half  82  and link  62  is provided. Link holding section  94  of support half  82  is provided with a springy tongue  98 , cast or injection-molded on in one piece, which protrudes out from link holding section  94  so long as it is not pushed down. Tongue  98  has a ramp rising from outside to inside, i.e., towards tine carrier  60 , while its side facing away from tine carrier  60  rapidly declines. Link  62  has an opening  100 , into which tongue  98  extends when link  62  has reached its desired position relative to link holder  76 . By pressing tongue  98  down, link  62  can be removed from link holder  76 . It would of course be conceivable to furnish second support half  80  with a tongue  98  as well, which engages in a second opening in the wall of link  62  opposite from opening  100 . 
   The link holders  76  as described are thus initially placed with one support half  80  on a tine carrier  60 . The link holder  76  is closed by pivoting the hinge joint about hinge pin  84 . Link  62  is slipped onto link holding sections  94 , with the end face of link  62  coming into contact with the ramp of tongue  98  and pressing tongue  98  progressively inwards, i.e., towards link holding section  94  of the other support half  80 . Once tongue  98  reaches opening  100 , it automatically springs outwards and locks link  62  to link holder  76 . For disassembly, tongue  98  is pressed inwards by hand or with a tool, so that link  62  can then be removed. Subsequently the support halves of link holder  76  can be pivoted apart. Thus, according to the present invention, reel  52  permits easy installation and removal of links  62 . 
   Having described the illustrated 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.