Abstract:
A mowing implement is equipped with a rotary cutter bar and utilizes right- and left-hand sets of converging drums to aid those cutting discs located outboard of opposite sides of a discharge zone to converge crop to the discharge zone. The inner two of each of the sets of converging drums are identical and have inverted bowl shaped lower end plates having conical surfaces which aid in lifting crop. The insides of the bowl-shaped converging drum end plates form voids, which together with flat horizontal ejector plates, mounted on respective cutter discs for sweeping beneath the inner two of each set of converging drums, keep crop from packing beneath these converging drums. Associated with each of the innermost ones of the inner pair of converging drums is a guide element defining a horizontal shelf located for guiding crop, elevated by the conical surfaces of the lower ends of the inner most converging drums, to the discharge passage. Crop that passes beneath the shelves is guided to locations of the discharge passage inward of respective side walls bordering the discharge passage by respective legs depending from the back sides of the shelves.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to crop converging arrangements for mowing implements equipped with rotary cutter bars, and more particularly relates to crop converging arrangements for mower-conditioner implements. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The width of crop mowing machines, such as mower-conditioners, self-propelled windrowers, and the like have been increasing in order to form sufficiently large windrows of crop to meet the capacity of modern balers and forage harvesters. These wider mowing machines have presented the challenge to designers of how to converge the mowed crop. One of the solutions applied to platforms having rotary cutter bars, for example, is to provide powered crop converging drums. U.S. Pat. No. 6,581,362, granted to Rosenbalm et al. on 24 Jun., 2003 discloses such a platform. 
   The prior art platform has the disadvantage that crop can get forced under those converging drums, which are offset to the rear from the cutter bar centerline, when crop is converging to the crop discharge zone where the conditioner is located. When crop gets trapped under one or the other, or both of, the rearwardly offset converging drums, further crop can be carried around to the rear of the drum(s) and get trapped between the drum(s) and the bulkhead of the platform. This trapped crop can cause plugging of the drum(s), i.e., the crop can wedge so tight that the drum(s) is (are) prevented from rotating. This can result in the failure of components of the powered drum drive system. 
   Another drawback of the prior art platform is that crop, carried by the first cutter disc directly in front of the crop discharge zone defined between opposite inner side walls to which the conditioner is mounted, will sometimes hairpin on the fronts of these inner side walls. This crop build-up can grow in size until it interferes with crop flow or causes plugging of the converging drums. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   According to the present invention, there is provided an improved crop converging arrangement for a wide mowing implement equipped with a rotary cutter bar and powered converging drums. 
   An object of the invention is to provide converging drums constructed so as to limit the tendency for crop to be trapped beneath them, and to more easily release that crop which does get trapped beneath them. 
   A further object of the invention is to mount at least one flat ejector plate for rotation with a selected mower disc so as to be located for sweeping beneath at least one of the converging drums so as to move crop from beneath it. 
   Another object of the invention is to provide a horizontal shelf adjacent the top of the conical surface tat the bottom of one or more of the converging drums so as to support crop that has been lifted by the conical surface as the crop flows toward the discharge zone. 
   Still another object of the invention is to provide a shelf, as set forth in the immediately preceding object, which is joined to a leg that extends inwardly to a location at said discharge zone and forward of a conditioning arrangement such that the leg causes crop carried by adjacent cutting discs to hairpin on it, with the conditioning arrangement then acting to strip the crop before it accumulates to cause a plug. 
   Yet a more specific object is to provide a converging arrangement, as defined in the immediately preceding object, wherein an upright stripper plate is provided above the horizontal shelf so as to strip crop from the adjacent converging drum and deflect the stripped crop towards the discharge zone. 
   These and other objects will become apparent from a reading of the ensuing description together with the appended drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  is a somewhat schematic, top front perspective view including a left-hand side portion of a mower-conditioner platform equipped with a rotary disc cutter bar and a stationary crop lifting arrangement, constructed in accordance with the present invention, for directing crop into the conditioner. 
       FIG. 2  is a right side view, with parts broken away for clarity, of the mower-conditioner platform of  FIG. 1 . 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Preliminarily, it is to be noted that some parts are mentioned as occurring in pairs while only the left-hand one of the pair is shown in the drawing, with it to be understood that the assembly being described is symmetrical about a vertical plane extending along a fore-and-aft centerline of the assembly. 
   Referring now to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , there is shown a portion of a mowing implement  10 , here embodied as a mower-conditioner implement including a trough-shaped top frame member  12  extending between right- and left-hand, outer side walls  14  and  16 . Right- and left-hand upright transverse walls or bulkheads  18  and  20 , of which only the right-hand bulkhead  18  is shown in its entirety, respectively, extend inwardly from the side walls  14  and  16  and terminate at the forward ends of right- and left-hand, inner side walls  22  and  24 , which define the opposite sides of a crop discharge zone located centrally in the implement  10  and across which extends a crop conditioner arrangement  25 . While the walls or bulkheads  18  and  20  could be a variety of upright configurations, they are here shown as including respective vertical lower sections  26  and  28 , respective horizontal middle sections, with only the right-hand middle section  30  being visible, and respective vertical upper sections, with only the right-hand upper vertical section  34  being visible. Further, it is to be understood that the location of the discharge zone is not critical and that implements equipped with rotary disc cutter bars having discharge zones which are not centered relative to the cutter bar would benefit from the present invention. 
   An elongate rotary disc cutter bar  40  extends between the outer side walls  14  and  16  so as to be just forward of the crop conditioner arrangement  25 , in a perpendicular transverse relationship to a longitudinal center plane of the implement  10  extending along a path of travel of the platform during mowing operation. Extending the length of, and behind, the cutter bar  40  is a stiffener beam  42  of rectangular cross section. Co-extensive with the stiffener beam  42  is a first mounting member  44 , which is L-shaped in cross section and having a short, upright leg sandwiched between the front side of the beam  42  and a rear surface of a gear housing  46  of the cutter bar  40 , and having a long leg extending beneath, and projecting rearward beyond a bottom surface of the beam  42 . A second mounting member  48 , which is L-shaped in cross section, has an upright first leg sandwiched between a rear surface of the beam  42  and the bulkhead lower vertical sections  26  and  28 . A plurality of transversely spaced stud bolts  50  extend through aligned holes provided in the bulkhead sections  26  and  28 , the upright leg of the mounting member  48 , the beam  42 , and the upright leg of the mounting member  44  and are screwed into respective threaded holes provided in the gear housing  46 . 
   While the present invention could be advantageously applied to rotary cutter bars of various constructions, the cutter bar  40  is a known type containing a plurality of intermeshed spur gears including a plurality of idler gears  52  (only one is shown) meshed with each other and arranged in transverse alignment over the length of the cutter bar  40 , with selected ones of the idler gears  52  being meshed with drive gears  54  (only one is shown) respectively associated, one each, with a plurality of cutting units spaced along the cutter bar  40 . For details of the gear housing  46  and gearing of the cutter bar  40 , reference may be had to U.S. Pat. No. 5,964,079, granted to Mellin et al. on 12 Oct. 1999, which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. 
   Respectively located outboard of the right- and left-hand inner walls  22  and  24 , are right-hand outer and inner cutting units, with only the outer cutting unit  56  being shown, and left-hand outer and inner cutting units  58  and  60 , respectively. A similar pair of cutting units are located outboard or to the right of the right-hand inner wall  22 , with only the right-hand end cutting unit  60  being shown. Located directly in front of the discharge passage defined by the right- and left-hand inner side walls  22  and  24 , respectively, and hence, directly in front of the conditioner arrangement  25 , are a plurality of central cutting units  62 . 
   The cutting units  56 – 62  each include a knife-carrying cutting disc  64  coupled to an upright drive shaft to which power is coupled for causing them to rotate in appropriate directions, as indicated by respective arrows, for delivering crop to the conditioner arrangement  25  extending across the discharge passage. The conditioner arrangement  25  includes upper and lower conditioner rolls  66  and  68 , respectively, and each conditioner roll includes a central cylindrical drum to which is attached a plurality of axially extending ribs or flutes that mesh together for conditioning crop that passes between them. The upper conditioner roll  66  has stub shafts at its opposite ends which extend through respective openings  70 , provided in the inner side walls  22  and  24 , and are received in bearings carried by a pair of arms  74  respectively mounted to the side walls  22  and  24  for pivoting vertically about a pin  76 . Mounted between each arm  74  and a fixed point on the implement  10  is a spring-loaded link assembly  78  that yieldably resists upward movement of the upper conditioner roll  66  caused by crop passing between the conditioner rolls  66  and  68 . 
   Provided for augmenting the rotating cutter discs  64  in conveying cut crop into the discharge passage for further processing by the conditioner rolls  66  and  68  are right- and left-hand converging drum sets, which respectively include outer or end converging drums  80  and  82 , intermediate converging drums  84  and  86 , and inner converging drums  88  and  90 . The end converging drums  80  and  82  are respectively mounted for rotation with the end cutting units  56  and  58 . As can be seen in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the intermediate converging drums  84  and  86  are set back from a line of centers passing through the centers of rotation of the cutting discs  64 , and the inner converging drums  88  and  90  are set back relative to the intermediate converging drums  84  and  86 . 
   A main power distribution gear box  100  includes a housing  102  located vertically above the left-hand end cutting unit  58 . A power shaft  104  extends vertically through the housing  102  and has an upper input end coupled to a power source in the form of a reversible hydraulic motor  106 . The power shaft  104  is coupled, through right-angle gearing (not shown), for driving a horizontal, leftward projecting, output shaft (not shown) which carries a drive pulley  108 . A lower end of the power shaft  104  is connected, by a universal coupler  110  ( FIG. 2 ), with an inlet shaft, not visible, of the cutting unit  58 . This inlet shaft carries one of the gears  54  and is coupled for rotating the end cutter disc  64 . This gear  54  is meshed for distributing power through a constant mesh gear train comprised of the idlers  52  and further gears  54  so that power is supplied for rotating the remaining cutter discs  64  of the cutter bar  40 . 
   The belt pulley  108  is a multi-groove pulley, and trained about the pulley  108  is a drive belt  112  that is coupled to a driven pulley (not shown) carried by an input shaft of a conditioner drive gear housing, the input shaft also being connected for driving the upper conditioner roll  66 . As is known, the conditioner drive gear housing contains gearing coupled to an output shaft extending from the housing and coupled for driving the lower conditioner roll  68 , the direction of rotation of the pulley  108 , and the arrangement of gearing in the conditioner drive housing being such that the upper and lower conditioner rolls  66  and  68  are counter-rotated so as to draw crop in between them. 
   It is here noted that the sets of converging drums, and other crop converging structure at the opposite sides of the implement  10  operate the same in converging crop, and for the sake of brevity only the left-hand converging drums and other converging structure is described in detail. 
   The left-hand outer converging drum  82  is an open structure defined by lower and upper flat end plates  114  and  116 , respectively, interconnected by four vertical angle members  118  located such that their respective corners are at the peripheries of the plates  114  and  116 . The lower end plate  114  is fixed for rotation with the cutter disc  64  of the left-hand end cutting unit  58 . 
   The intermediate and inner converging drums  86  and  90  are identical, closed structures, and each is defined by bottom and top end plates  120  and  122 , respectively, joined by a ribbed impeller structure. Specifically, the bottom end plate  120  is in the form of an inverted bowl, having a conical peripheral surface  124 , and the top end plate  122  is in the form of a ring, spaced vertically above the bottom end plate  120  and secured thereto by four impeller plates  126  arranged in diametrically opposite pairs about the peripheral portions of the bottom and top end plates  120  and  122 , respectively. The inverted bowl shape of the bottom end plate  120  has a significance which is described below. The impeller plates  126  each include a central right angular rib section  128  which opens inwardly and is joined, at respective ends of its opposite sides, with respective mounting sections  130  that each define an included angle of 135° with the associated rib side. The lower end of each of rib sections  128  is shaped complimentary to, and welded to, the conical peripheral surface  124  of the bottom end plate  120 . The lateral ends of adjacent mounting sections  130  of adjacent impeller plates  126  are spaced from each other so as to define a gap and are disposed along respective lines which are perpendicular to each other. A filler plate  132 , in the form of an angle member, is bolted to each of the adjacent mounting sections  130  of the impeller plates  126  so as to close the gap between the adjacent mounting sections  130  and to cooperate with the adjacent mounting sections  130  so as to define a further conveying rib section  134  for engaging crop. 
   The inclination of the conical peripheral surface  124  of the respective bottom end plates  120  of the converging drums  86  and  90  causes crop to be deflected upward for engagement by the conveying rib sections  128  and  134 . Some crop will pass beneath the bottom end plates  120 , but is prevented from becoming packed under them partly due to their inverted bowl shape, since this shape defines a central relief area, and partly due to the action of an oval-shaped, flat ejector plate  136  that is mounted for rotation with the cutting disc  64  of the cutting unit  60 . 
   The ejector plate  136  has its major axis disposed perpendicular to a major axis of the oval cutter disc  64  and is mounted such that it sweeps a path beneath the bottom plate  120  of each of the converging drums  86  and  90 . It is to be noted that a similar ejector plate  136  could be mounted for rotation with the end cutting disc  64 , and in that location would sweep beneath the converging drum  86  and would also act to prevent crop from wrapping about the end converging drum  82 . 
   To prevent crop from being carried around behind the inner converging drum  90 , an upright stripper plate  138  is mounted to a front location of the left-hand inner side wall  24 , and as viewed from the top, is angled forward and outward from the side wall  24  so as to dispose a vertical outer edge adjacent the cylindrical path traced by the rib sections  128  and  134  of the inner converging drum  90 . 
   A further guide element  140  is provided for aiding in the transfer of crop from the inner converging drum  90  to the roll conditioner arrangement  25 . The guide element  140  includes an upright mounting section (not visible) located behind and mounted together with the stripper plate  138  to the forward end of the left-hand inner wall  24 . The guide element  140  further includes a horizontal guide shelf  142  located approximately at the height of, and having an inner edge  144  disposed on a radius about the periphery of, the converging drum  124 . The guide shelf  142  extends from its edge  144  to a location a short distance to the right of the left-hand inner side wall  24 . Joined along a back edge of the horizontal shelf  142  is a deflector leg  146  which is inclined downwardly to the rear and extends in front of the conditioner arrangement to a location approximately in fore-and-aft alignment with the axis of rotation of the cutting disc  64  of the left-most central cutting unit  62 . Although not clearly evident in the drawing, an inner edge of the leg  142  is beveled so as to slope outward from front to rear. This shape enhances the ability of the leg to hairpin crop that has been carried around by the cutting disc  64 . The hairpinned crop is then stripped off by the conditioner arrangement. 
   It is to be noted that, if desired, stripper plates, like the plate  138 , can be positioned for stripping other converging drums, and that a crop transporting shelf, like the shelf  142 , could be mounted adjacent the conical bottom  124  of the converging drum  86  for supporting and directing crop toward the discharge zone. In this case, the leg  146  would not be joined to the shelf  142 . 
   Thus, in operation, the left-hand set of converging drums  82 ,  86  and  90  operate in conjunction with the two cutting discs  64  outward to the left from the left-hand inner side wall  24  to converge crop to the central discharge zone where the conditioner assembly  25  is located. 
   Crop that comes into engagement with the conical surface  124  of the bottom end plates  120  of the intermediate and inner converging drums  86  and  90  will be elevated, with the elevated crop being prevented from going behind the inner converging drum  90  by the stripper plate  138 , and being guided and supported by the horizontal shelf  142  of the guide element  140  so as to pass into the discharge passage without hesitation. Any additional stripper plates or shelves used in conjunction with the intermediate converging drum  86  would operate in a similar fashion. 
   At the same time, the oval shaped ejector plate  136  would sweep beneath the converging drums  86  and  90 , and, if so equipped, the ejector plate  136  carried by the end cutting disc  64  would sweep beneath the converging drum  86 , so as to prevent crop from accumulating beneath the converging drums, and with crop at this lower level is being guided rightward of the left-hand inner side wall  24  by the deflector leg  146  of the guide element  140 . In this location, any accumulation of crop caused by its tendency to hairpin on the inner edge of the leg  146  will be minimized, since the lower conditioner roll  68  will act to strip away the crop before the amount of accumulated crop is great enough to hinder crop flow. 
   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.