Abstract:
A baler pick-up includes a pair of support wheels, each of which is connected to the pick-up by a mounting arrangement permitting the wheel to be selectively moved from a working position outboard of the pick-up to an inboard, elevated transport or non-working position. Each mounting arrangement comprises a holder fixed to the pick-up and including a transverse pipe and a projection formed from a plate and spaced outwardly from and end of the pipe. The arrangement further comprises a wheel mounting bracket including a cylindrical tube pivotally and slidably received in the pipe and in a hole provided in the projection, the tube carrying a ring captured between the end of the pipe and the projection and containing a throughbore aligned with one of a pair of crossbores provided in the tube and receiving a linchpin bolt for retaining the wheel mounting bracket so as to dispose the wheel in a selected one of its positions.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention concerns a mounting arrangement for a wheel belonging to a product pick-up or collection apparatus. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     FR-A1-2 766 322 discloses a harvested product pick-up or collection apparatus with support wheels that are each attached to a side wall by a bracket. The bracket is held by vertical and horizontal bearings so that it can be pivoted both vertically and horizontally, such that the support wheel is pivotable into a free space behind the pick-up to reduce its transport width. 
     WO-A1-98/17096 discloses a support wheel attached to each side of a pickup by a bracket that is configured in the form of an inverted “U”. The size, shape, and design of the bracket are selected so that a large free space exists between the wheel and the pick-up, which prevents the build-up of harvested product. 
     While the first-listed prior art document discloses the desirable feature of being able to narrow the transport width, the design has the drawback of being relatively expensive. The attachment of the wheel in the second-listed prior art document does not have the feature of being able to move the wheels to a narrowed transport position. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to the present invention, there is provided an improved arrangement for attaching support wheels to a harvested crop pick-up. 
     A broad object of the invention is to provide a relatively inexpensive wheel mounting arrangement which permits the wheel to be easily moved between working and non-use or transport positions. 
     A more specific object of the invention is to provide a wheel mounting arrangement, as set forth in the previous object, wherein the wheel may be adjusted between different vertical positions relative to the pick-up. 
     Yet another specific object of the invention is to provide a wheel mounting arrangement, as set forth in the first object, wherein the wheel is retained in its various adjusted positions with a fastener requiring no tools to install or to remove it. 
     These and other objects will become apparent from a reading of the ensuing description together with the appended drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a somewhat schematic, left side elevational view showing a large round baler equipped with a pick-up supported by a wheel attached thereto in accordance with the principles of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a right rear perspective exploded view showing the right-hand wheel mounting arrangement of the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken through tubular members forming part of the wheel mounting arrangement shown in FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line  4 — 4  of FIG.  3 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to FIG. 1 there is shown a large round baler  10  including a frame that is supported on the ground by support wheels  14 , and can be attached to a towing vehicle by a towbar  16 . Bale-forming rollers  18  encircle a baling chamber  20 , where the product that is collected from the ground by a pick-up or product collection apparatus  22  can be compacted into a bale. The baling chamber  20  comprises a front fixed housing part  24  to an upper rear location of which is mounted a rear housing part  26  for swinging between a lowered working position, as illustrated, and a raised discharge position for permitting formed round bales to be deposited on the ground. The pick-up  22  is supported at its opposite sides by a respective wheel  28  which holds the pick-up  22  at selected heights above the ground level, and is attached to the pickup by means of a mounting device  30  in accordance with the invention. 
     The baler  10  described thus far has an appropriate construction; however, the use of the mounting device  30  in accordance with the invention is not limited to the aforementioned type of round baler in particular, nor to round balers in general. Other devices including other balers, load-bearing trailers, field choppers and combines may also be considered. Instead of being a pick-up, the collection apparatus  22  can as well be a cutting apparatus, a corn harvester, etc. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 2-4, it can be seen that the mounting device  30  includes a pivot bracket  32 , a holder  34  and a securing element  36 , with the pivot bracket  32  including first and second arms  38  and  40 , respectively. 
     The first pivot bracket arm  38  is configured as a tube having a rectangular cross section, carrying the wheel  28  on one end and the second arm  40  on the other end. The first arm  38  extends perpendicular to the second arm  40 , and pivots in a vertical plane. 
     The second pivot bracket arm  40  is in the form of a cylindrical pipe or rod, featuring first and second cross bores  42  and  44 , respectively, spaced lengthwise or axially along the arm  40  and having the same radial orientation relative to the central axis of the arm. Thus, the bores  42  and  44  are separated from one another along an adjustment path of the wheel  28 , transverse to the driving direction of the baler  10 . It is also possible to include one or more additional openings. The cross bore  42  is located outboard of an inner end of the second arm  40 , while the cross bore  44  is located just inboard of the connection of the second arm  40  with the first arm  38 . As can be seen in FIG. 3, an axially running slot  46  is located on the underside of the second arm  40 , that has a length slightly greater than the distance between the cross bores  42  and  44 . 
     The holder  34  includes a cylindrical pipe  48  that, in this present case, is secured in or through a side wall of the pick-up  22 , and extends toward this side wall, which is recessed from the outer edge. The pipe  48  is oriented such that its central longitudinal axis extends horizontally and transverse to the driving direction of the baler and defines the pivot axis of the bracket  32 . The inside diameter of the pipe  48  is dimensioned to permit the second arm  40  of the pivot bracket  32  to turn with only a relatively small amount of play. The second arm  40  of the bracket  32  is thus telescoped within the pipe  48  and depending on the position of the bracket  32 , a more or less extensive overlap occurs between the second arm  40  and the pipe  48 . 
     Holder  34  further includes a first retainer component  50  configured from sturdy sheet metal or plate in one unit that is either mounted on a side wall or other structure of the pick-up  22 , or pipe  48 . The component  50  features a vertical plate  52 , a horizontal crosspiece  54  projecting outwardly from and welded along a bottom part of the vertical plate  52 , and a vertical projection  56  welded to a bottom surface of the crosspiece  54  at a location spaced outwardly from a lower edge of the plate  52 , and hence an outer end of the pipe  48 . In this embodiment example, the plate  52  is fixed flush against the side wall of the pick-up  22 . In its side opposite from that engaged with the plate  52 , the horizontal crosspiece  54  includes a square-cornered, outwardly opening cut-out or recess  58  having an inner edge disposed flush with an outer vertical surface of the projection  56 . The crosspiece material bounding front and rear parts of the cut-out  58  form front and rear stops  60  separated by a distance commensurate with the width of the first arm  38  of the pivot bracket  32  so that the arm  38  may be placed in the recess  58  when the wheel  28  is moved to a non-use or transport position, in a manner described below. Projection  56 , having an upper part formed from the material removed from the crosspiece  54  to form the recess  58 , includes a bore  62  which is aligned with and the same size as the inside diameter of the pipe  48 . The gap from the projection  56  to the outer end of the pipe  48  is dimensioned for receiving, and preventing transverse movement of, another retainer component  64 . 
     The second retainer component  64  includes a ring  66 , a keyed bolt  68  and a guide pin  70 . The ring  66  has an internal diameter that enables it to be slid over the second arm  40  of the pivot bracket  32 , with relatively little play, and has an outer diameter that allows it to fit between the second arm  40  and the crosspiece  54  of the first retainer component  50  and a width that permits it to be received between the end of the pipe  48  and the projection  56 . A bore  72  passes radially through the ring  66  and can be selectively placed in alignment with the openings  42  and  44 . A keyed bolt  68  is configured as a standard linchpin including a bolt  74  which can pass through the bore  72 , the bolt  74  being releasably retained in place by a semicircular spring bracket  76  can be laid on the circumferential surface of the ring  66 . Guide pin  70  extends radially within the inner area of the ring  66  and can engage the slot  46  in the second arm  40  in order to cause the ring  66  to be held in a fixed rotational relationship relative to the second arm  40  when the bolt  74  is removed and the arm  40  moved inward or outward relative to the ring  66 . Optimally, guide pin  70  will be screwed into the ring  66 . 
     Finally, a connection  78  (see FIG. 1) is provided between the first pivot arm  38  and the pick-up  22 . This connection  78  securely connects the pivot bracket  32  to the pick-up  22  in at least one direction, so that the pick-up is raised if, for example, the wheel  28  rolls over a rock or the like. 
     The structure shown in FIG. 2 may be assembled as follows: 
     Ring  66 , absent the keyed bolt  68  of the linchpin, is inserted into the gap between the end of the pipe  48  and the projection  56  and aligned with the bore  62 . Then, the second arm  40  is pushed through the bore  62 , ring  66 , and into the pipe  48 . Next, the guide pin  70  is screwed or pressed in, where ring  66  is configured so that the guide pin  70  is inserted into the slot  46  of the second arm  40 . Then the bolt  74  is inserted through the cross bore  72  in the ring  66  and the cross bore  42 . This holds the pivot bracket  32  in place. Connection  78  is then placed between the pickup  22  and the bracket  32 . In this position, the wheel  28  is ready for operation and can be brought into engagement the ground by lowering the pick-up  22 . 
     To place one or the other of the wheels  28  in its out-of-use or transport position, first connection  78  is removed and then keyed bolt  68  is removed by pivoting spring bracket  76  back and withdrawing the bolt  74  from the cross bore  42 . Next, the associated bracket  32  with its first arm  38  is pivoted upwardly about the axis of the second arm  40  until the arm  38  is vertical and with the wheel  28  in an elevated position behind the front of the pick-up  22 . Then the pivot bracket  32  is pushed inward towards the side of the pick-up  22 , until the bolt  74  can be inserted into the cross bore  44 . Here, the ring  66  already has the right position on the circumference of the arm  40  since the guide pin  70  is located in the guide slot  46  and prevented from turning. Because of the sliding motion, the wheel  28  comes to be positioned behind the side boundary of the tine rotor of the pick-up  22 . The required displacement distance depends on whether the holder  34  is mounted on, or in a recess of, the pick-up side wall, and the wheel  28  is placed on the outer side of the first arm  38 , or whether the holder  34  is on the outer wall of the pick-up and the wheel  28  is mounted on the inside of the first arm  38 . In this position, the first arm  38  ends up in the recess  58  between stops  60 , so that the bracket  32  and the wheel  28  are held in place even in the event of shocks. It is here noted that other arrangements of stop surfaces may be provided to place the first arm  38  in other orientations. 
     In the presented embodiment example, a condition has be selected in which the wheel  28  is in its out-of-use position. If the wheel  28  is intended to be used when placed behind the tine rotor of the pick-up, then the first retainer component  50  and its respective recess  58  must be attached and oriented appropriately. 
     Having described the preferred embodiment, it will become apparent that various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the accompanying claims.