Abstract:
A material-guiding device in a mower-conditioner surrounds an upper front region of a crop processing rotor and is composed of an upstream-situated portion and a downstream-situated portion. The downstream-situated portion is adjustable relative to the upstream situated portion and is connected thereto such that the adjustment of the upstream-situated portion simultaneously leads to an adjustment of the downstream-situated portion, such that an adjustable angle α present between the two portions is maintained and thus a uniform material flow is enabled.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The invention relates to a material-guiding device in an agricultural apparatus and to a mower-conditioner. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    EP 1008 290 discloses a conditioner-tedder having a conditioning plate, which regionally surrounds a conditioning rotor, and a swath plate, with which the discharged material flow can be diverted onto the ground and thus be more narrowly or more widely deposited. When the conditioning plate is adjusted, the direction of discharge onto the swath plate also changes, which latter must then be readjusted accordingly. 
         [0003]    From WO A12004/105462, a comparable mowing and processing apparatus is known, in which the conditioning plate is followed by a plate which is either pressed under spring force against the conditioning plate and remains against the latter even when it is adjusted, at the same time adjusting in inclination, or which serves as a swath plate and remains in a single position irrespective of the adjustment of the conditioning plate. 
         [0004]    The problem on which the invention is founded can be seen in the fact that an adjustment of the conditioning plate has an effect upon the swath plate. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    According to the present invention, there is provided a mower-conditioner including a material guiding device including upstream- and downstream-situated portions which are each adjustable, with the downstream situated portion being adjusted jointly with the upstream portion such that a relative position between the two portions remains substantially constant. 
         [0006]    In this way, the position of the downstream-situated portion, for example a swath plate, can be constantly adapted to the change in the upstream-situated portion, for example a conditioning plate, such that the transition, for example an angle, a distance and the like, can be altered as little as possible and the material flow is uniformly conveyed. The joint adjustment can be realized, for example, by a mechanical or hydraulic linkage or by a rigid, albeit adjustable, connection. The portions can be configured as a plate, a rake, rollers or the like. 
         [0007]    If the one portion is directly connected to the other portion and moves with this, or if both portions are attached to a joint carrier, the position of which changes with the adjustment of the one portion, a joint adjustment of the two portions is likewise realized. 
         [0008]    The effect upon the material flow can be altered if the portions are themselves adjustable, in which case they can also adopt a different spatial relationship relative to each other. The swath width and/or conditioning effect can thus be altered. 
         [0009]    A manual actuating device for the adjustment of the portions can include levers, cranks, linkages and the like; a motor-operated actuating device can use electric or hydraulic motors, which are activated by an operator or by means of a control device in dependence on harvesting parameters, presets etc. If the actuating device(s) is/are located on the carrier, nothing changes in terms of their spatial relationship to the portions when adjustment takes place; alternatively, the actuating devices can be fitted separately from the housing and be connected to the portions via Bowden cables, lines or the like. 
         [0010]    If an axis about which the carrier is pivotable, and an axis about which the downstream-situated portion is pivotably mounted on the carrier, are directly adjacent, the least possible change in the transition between the two portions occurs. 
         [0011]    Since the material flow guidance in a mower-conditioner is critical to the material being nicely deposited, it is of great advantage to provide an appropriate material-guiding device close to the circumferential sub-region of a processing rotor. The material-guiding device according to the invention can also, however, be provided on other agricultural apparatuses, for instance on straw-choppers or on flail forage harvesters, i.e., anywhere where a rotor guides material and discharges it, guide plates being able to be provided, the portions of which act upon the material in the receiving and delivery region. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]    In the drawing, an illustrative embodiment of the invention, which is described in greater detail below, is represented, wherein: 
           [0013]      FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic left side view of an agricultural apparatus in the guise of a mower-conditioner having a material-guiding device, and 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  shows the material-guiding device according to  FIG. 1  with a number of details. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0015]    An agricultural apparatus  10 , shown in  FIG. 1 , is configured as a so-called mower-conditioner or tedder, which is known per se, and is provided with a housing  12 , a chassis  14 , a drawbar  16 , a cutter bar  18 , a rotor  20  acting as a processing rotor, and a material-guiding device  22 . 
         [0016]    With reference to  FIG. 2 , it can be seen that the material guiding device  22  is located opposite the left upper quadrant of the rotor  20  and, in this illustrative embodiment, includes a carrier  24 , an upstream-situated portion  26 , a downstream-situated portion  28  and an adjustment arrangement for the guiding device  22  including a first actuating device  30  for the upstream-situated portion  26  and a second actuating device  32  for the downstream-situated portion  28 . 
         [0017]    The function of the material-guiding device  22  consists in firstly holding mown material in engagement with the rotor  20  and squeezing it into a gap between the rotor  20  and the first or upstream-situated portion  26 , so that the non-homogeneous material rubs together and is prepared for the drying process. After this, the material, once it is able to detach itself from the rotor  20 , is intended either to fly straight rearwardly, until it falls onto the ground, or until it engages, and is directed from, the second or downstream-situated portion  28  onto the ground. Both functions can be exercised more or less strongly. 
         [0018]    The carrier  24  actually consists of a frame, having respectively an end web  34  and similar intermediate webs (not shown), which are rigidly connected to one another by means of cross struts. On their side facing the rotor  20 , the end webs  34  are curved in accordance with a cylindrical path traced by outer ends of crop material engaging elements of the rotor  20 , and extend over about ninety angular degrees. In the upper, rear end region of the end webs  34  can be found front and rear bearings  36  and  38 , respectively. The front bearing  36  is at the same time located on the housing  12  and serves for the pivotable mounting of the carrier  24  on the housing. The rear bearing  38  serves for the vertical pivotable mounting of the downstream-situated portion  28  on the carrier  24 . The axes of the bearings  36 ,  38  run parallel to each other and to the rotational axis of the rotor  20 . The two bearings  36 ,  38  lie directly next to each other, in any event insofar as the actual circumstances permit, in order to accommodate the parts. The bearings  36 ,  38  can be configured as rods, hinges, screws, journals or the like. 
         [0019]    The front, i.e., upstream-situated portion  26  is formed as a bent metal plate, along which the material flow can slide and which is fitted—screwed or welded—to the bottom side of the carrier  24 . The downstream-situated edge of the upstream-situated portion  26  extends as far as the downstream-situated portion  28 , yet continues to maintain a distance thereto so that the latter can still be pivoted. The portion  26  can also extend beyond the upstream-situated end of the carrier  24  and is there provided, as usual, with a skirt. 
         [0020]    The rear, i.e., downstream-situated portion  28  is of substantially flat configuration and in this illustrative embodiment occupies only about one-fifth of the length of the upstream-situated portion  26  which directly adjoins the portion  28 . Whilst the front portion  26  is pivotable only through a few degrees, the rear portion  28  can be pivoted through almost 90 degrees towards or away from the rotor  20 . Between the two portions  26  and  28 , an angle α is always obtained. 
         [0021]    The first actuating device  30  is configured as a crank-linkage assembly, which is attached, preferably movably, on the one hand to the housing  12 , and, on the other hand, to the carrier  24  and thus also to the front portion  26 . As soon as the actuating device  30  is extended or retracted, for example, the position of the front portion  26  changes relative to the rotor  20 . On the actuating device  30  or on the carrier  24 , an indicator can be provided, so that an operator can tell how far the portion  26  is away from the cylindrical path traced by the radially outer ends of the crop material engaging elements of the rotor  20 . 
         [0022]    The second actuating device  32  is configured as a lever-linkage assembly and is disposed on the carrier  24 , i.e., it moves with the latter. The actuating device  32  is equipped with a lever-latch mechanism  40 , with which the second, downstream-situated portion  28  can be pivoted about the second bearing  38 . the second portion  28  is held in a predetermined position, which can be recognized by the position of the lever-lath mechanism  40 . 
         [0023]    In principle, the first and/or the second actuating device  30  and/or  32  could also be located on the chassis  14  or its frame and act upon the carrier  24 , or the portions  26 ,  28 , via Bowden cables or the like. 
         [0024]    After all this, the following working is obtained. 
         [0025]    The upstream-situated portion  26  is located on the bottom side of the carrier  24 , and the downstream-situated portion  28  is located with the second actuating device  32  on the rear end region of the carrier  24 . Depending on the position of the lever-latch mechanism  40 , a certain angle α is obtained between the two portions  26 ,  28 . When the first actuating device  30  is actuated, the carrier  24 , together with the two portions  26 ,  28 , pivots about the front bearing  36 , the angle α, and thus the material flow characteristics, remaining unaltered. 
         [0026]    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.