Abstract:
A header of a crop harvester is equipped with a plurality of side-by-side arranged intake and mowing drums, including two adjacent intake and mowing drums at one side of a crop outlet of the header, which rotate such that the one closest the outlet rotates to deliver crop first inward and then to the rear directly into a conveying channel located at the rear of the closest intake and mowing drum, while the other drum rotates to deliver crop-first outward and then to the rear. A second crop conveying channel is located for receiving the crop harvested by the outer intake and mowing drums and for keeping this crop separate from that harvested by the inner intake and mowing drum until the separate streams merge at the crop outlet after being elevated there by a slope conveyor provided for lifting the crop from the working height of intake and cutting drums to the crop outlet, which is at a height above the working height.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The invention concerns a harvester header, for mowing stalk-like crop, equipped with several intake and mowing drums arranged in side-by-side relationship to each other across the width of the header, of which, an inner pair of intake and mowing drums is driven for moving cut crop first inward and then to the rear, and a second pair of intake and mowing drums respectively adjoining the inner pair are driven for moving cut crop first outward and then to the rear. A channel for the crop harvested by the inner and second pairs of intake and mowing drums is conveyed to an intake channel containing feed rolls for delivering the crop to a chopper drum of the harvester. A deflecting conveying unit with an axis of rotation inclined slightly forward bridges the vertical distance between the operating plane of the intake and mowing drums and the plane of the intake channel of the header.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    DE 39 09 754 A describes a harvesting implement for the harvesting of cereal forage in which four rotating cutting disks are arranged in side-by-side relationship to each other. The cut crop is taken over at their rear sides by a transverse screw conveyor. Each of the cutting disks rotates in the same direction on both sides of the longitudinal center plane so that the crop is conveyed at first outward and then to the rear.  
           [0003]    DE 199 53 521 A shows a cutting and conveying arrangement for stalk-like cereal crop that is provided with four cutting and conveying rotors arranged in side-by-side relationship to each other. The crop taken up by the cutting and conveying rotors is extracted by rotating clean-out devices from the pocket-shaped recesses of the cutting and conveying rotors. A transverse screw conveyor transports the crop to the center of the machine from which it is conducted to a chopper drum of a forage harvester. Intermediate conveying rotors are arranged between the outer cutting and conveying rotors and the transverse screw conveyor, whose enveloping circle overlaps the enveloping circle of the rotating clean-out devices.  
           [0004]    EP 0 508 189 A describes a machine for the mowing of corn in which two intake and mowing drums are arranged on each side of the center plane. The inner intake and mowing drums rotate in such a way that the crop is first conveyed outward and then to the rear. Here the outer intake and mowing drums rotate in the opposite direction.  
           [0005]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,722,225 discloses a header for the mowing of stalk-like harvested crop in which several intake and mowing drums are distributed over the operating width. The crop is transported inward on the rear side of the intake and mowing drums along the rear wall. Except for the outer intake and mowing drums, each of the intake and mowing drums on both sides of the longitudinal center plane rotate in the same direction so that the crop is conveyed first toward the outside and then to the rear. This direction of rotation permits the use of transverse conveying drums in the valley region of adjacent intake and mowing drums. Here, each of the outermost intake and mowing drums rotates in the opposite direction: with these, the crop is conveyed first in the inward direction and then to the rear. The harvested crop is conducted by transverse conveying drums to the inner intake and mowing drums from the intake and mowing drums arranged further outward. They transfer this crop, to which the crop harvested by themselves is added, to the slope conveyor drums that convey it upward and to the rear into the intake channel of the forage harvester. In the region behind the inner intake and mowing drums, problems in the conveying may arise.  
           [0006]    The intake and mowing drums of EP 1 008 291 A rotate in the same direction as those in U.S. Pat. No. 5,722,225. However, the transverse conveying is accomplished behind the intake and mowing drums by an independent transverse conveyor that is separated from the intake and mowing drums.  
           [0007]    Finally, FIG. 10 of GB 2 012 154 A, regarded as establishing the class, shows a corn harvesting machine in which two intake drums are arranged on each side of the longitudinal center plane. The outer intake drums rotate toward the inside. At their rear sides, the crop is conveyed by a belt conveyor inward towards the center of the machine and then deflected into the inlet channel of a chopper. The belt conveyor also conveys the material taken up by the inner intake drum in the inward direction. Thereby, the material is deflected from its original flow direction to the rear due to the take-over by the belt conveyor, and it is deflected first inward and then into the intake channel. Furthermore, the belt conveyor must absorb, as a transverse conveyor, the flow of crop from both intake drums.  
           [0008]    The machine disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,722,225 has the advantage of a short configuration due to the fact that the transverse conveying drums interact with the intake and mowing drums so that the forage harvester that carries it need absorb only a relatively small amount of torque. The machines, according to DE 39 09 754 A, DE 199 53 521 A, EP 1 008 291 A and GB 2 012 154 A, are considerably longer due to the transverse conveyor that operates independently of the intake and mowing drums and apply a greater load to the forage harvester. The configuration according to EP 0 508 189 A is appropriate to only a limited degree for operating widths that can be attained by the aforementioned machines.  
           [0009]    The problem underlying the invention is seen in the need to improve the flow of the crop in a compact machine for the mowing of stalk-like crop.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0010]    According to the present invention, there is provided a crop harvester header equipped with a plurality of intake and mowing drums mounted in side-by-side relationship to each other across the width of the header, with there being a crop conveying channel located downstream of, and at an approximate straight line to, an inner pair of intake and mowing drums located on opposite sides of a longitudinal center plane of the header so that crop harvested by the inner pair of intake and mowing drums can be conveyed generally without any deflection through the channel.  
           [0011]    The invention concerns a header, as described in the immediately preceding paragraph, which operates such that the second intake and mowing drum is brought into rotation in such a way that its side preceding in the direction of operation moves to the outside. The harvested crop is thereby conveyed by the second intake and mowing arrangement first to the outside and then to the rear. In contrast thereto, the inner intake and mowing drum moves crop in the opposite direction. The crop harvested by it is thereby conveyed first to the inside and then to the rear. Following this, the crop from both intake and mowing drums is conveyed by a deflecting conveying unit having an axis of rotation inclined slightly forward, upward, and to the rear into the intake channel of the following chopper drum. The deflecting conveying unit is preferably a slope conveyor drum that is preferably provided with conveyor disks arranged one above the other about whose circumference drivers are distributed. The use of an endless conveyor equipped with tensioning means (chains or belts) would also be conceivable as a deflecting conveying unit.  
           [0012]    In this way, the first inner intake and mowing drum does not operate as a conveyor for the crop coming in from further outward due to its direction of rotation. The machine according to the invention has a crop flow that is considerably improved. Due to the direction of rotation of the second intake and mowing drum, the advantageous transverse conveying can be maintained with the use of transverse conveying drums, as they are known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,722,225. During reverse operation for the removal of a jam, the inner intake and mowing drums operate considerably more aggressively since they always operate along in the corresponding direction of conveying.  
           [0013]    Preferably, the crop made available by the second intake and mowing arrangement is conveyed through a conveying channel in the direction of the intake channel of the following chopper drum. On the basis of the directions of rotation selected, this conveying channel is independent of the inner intake and mowing drums arranged ahead of it and is separated from it, for example, by a wall.  
           [0014]    In this conveying channel, a driven transverse conveying arrangement is preferably arranged, which conveys the crop from the second intake and mowing arrangement to the deflecting conveying unit. The transverse conveying arrangement is preferably a transverse conveying drum with an approximately vertical axis of rotation, although the use of an endless conveyor equipped with tensioning means (chains or belts) would be possible. Since the transverse conveying arrangement does not transfer the flow of crop to the inner intake and mowing drums and need not convey any crop from it, it can be attached at a position in which an optimal transfer of crop from the second intake and mowing drum to the transverse conveying arrangement is possible. On the basis of the direction of rotation of the drive of the inner intake and mowing drums, according to the invention, the transfer of the crop from the transverse conveying drums to the deflecting conveying unit can be configured optimally, since in this region, no plants are coming in from the front. The deflecting conveying unit takes over the crop directly from the transverse conveying arrangement, that is, without any assistance from the inner intake and mowing drum. It would also be conceivable to integrate the transverse conveying arrangement and the deflecting conveying unit into a single conveyor. This can be configured as a single, relatively large conveying drum or as an endless conveyor. Most appropriately, the driven elements of the transverse conveying arrangement are arranged behind the conveying channel in the direction of operation. In this embodiment, the conveying channel is bordered to the front by a wall, on whose opposite side the inner intake and mowing drums are arranged. A reverse arrangement would also be conceivable in which the driven elements of the transverse conveying arrangement are located ahead of the conveying channel.  
           [0015]    The deflecting conveying unit is also used preferably for the transport of the crop from the inner intake and mowing drums. It takes over the crop preferably downstream of the take-over region of the crop from the second intake and mowing drums (as a rule, from the transverse conveying arrangement), so that the two transfer regions to the deflecting conveying unit are independent of each other.  
           [0016]    In order to increase the operating width of the machine, an obvious solution is to arrange an outer intake and mowing drum at the outside that is driven in such a way that the crop is conveyed first inward and then to the rear. There, the flow of the crop is combined with the flow of the crop of an intake and mowing drum arranged further inward that is driven in the opposite direction of rotation. In addition, or alternatively, the operating width can be increased by further intake and mowing drums that are offset to the outside relative to the second intake and mowing drum, and that can be driven in such a way that they convey cut harvested crop first to the outside and then to the rear. The crop is conveyed through the rear sides of the intake and mowing drums to the inside. In the valley region between intake and mowing drums driven in this way, a transverse conveying drum may be arranged.  
           [0017]    In order to obtain enough space behind the inner intake and mowing drum in the direction of operation for the conveying channel and the associated transverse conveying arrangement, an obvious solution is to offset the inner intake and mowing drum to the front, relative to the forward direction of operation, relative to the second intake and mowing drum. Thereby, long plants can be better deposited in the center of the header which reduces the losses of ears.  
           [0018]    Finally, it remains to be noted that the header is preferably configured symmetrically about the longitudinal center plane. Then, two inner intake and mowing drums are arranged in the center of the machine that take in plants between themselves. Plants that stand exactly between the two inner intake and mowing drums are cut and conveyed without any problem. The losses of plants and ears in the center of the machine are lower, since the two central plant rows are not deflected as strongly as in the state of the art. It should be noted that in certain embodiments, the inner intake and mowing drums may be offset to the side as far as desired relative to the longitudinal center plane of the machine, particularly if the machine is equipped with an uneven number of intake and mowing drums. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0019]    The drawings show three embodiments of the invention that are described in greater detail in the following:  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 1 is a plan view of a crop harvester header for the mowing of stalk-like crop constructed in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 2 is a vertical cross section taken along line  2 - 2  of the header of FIG. 1.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 3 is a second embodiment of the invention showing a header which has an enlarged width as compared to the header of FIG. 1.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 4 is an enlarged plan view of the central region of a third embodiment of a crop harvester header for mowing stalk-like harvested crop 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0024]    The crop harvester shown in FIG. 1 includes a header  10  for the mowing of stalk-like crop equipped with six intake and mowing drums  11 ,  12 ,  13  used as intake and mowing arrangements that are disposed symmetrically about a longitudinal center plane  14  of the header  10 . On each side of the longitudinal center plane  14 , there are three intake and mowing drums  11 ,  12 ,  13 . The header  10  includes a frame  15 . In the following, the directions, such as ahead, outer, inner, behind, and to the side, are relative to the direction of operation V of the header  10 .  
         [0025]    The intake and mowing drums  11 ,  12 ,  13  operate independently of rows and are composed of a lower cutting disk  16  that rotates about an approximately vertical axis, and conveying disks arranged coaxially above these, whose circumference is provided with pocket-shaped recesses. The cutting disks  16  separate the upper parts of the crop from the stubble remaining in the ground. The stalks of the harvested crop, composed particularly of corn, are taken up in the pocket-shaped recesses of the conveying discs and retained there. In place of all or some of the rotating intake and mowing drums shown in the drawing, intake and mowing arrangements can also be used that are based on endless conveyors.  
         [0026]    Stalk dividers  18  are arranged ahead of the intake and mowing drums  11 ,  12 ,  13 . Between the rear side of the intake and mowing drums  11 ,  12 ,  13  and a rear wall  20  of the header  10 , that conforms in its shape with the intake and mowing drums  12 , a transverse conveying channel is formed through which the crop harvested by the intake and mowing drums  11 ,  12 ,  13  is transported sideways to the center of the machine  10 .  
         [0027]    The two outer intake and mowing drums  11  are brought into rotation in such a way that the harvested crop is conveyed at first to the side in the direction towards the longitudinal center plane  14  and then to the rear opposite to the direction of operation V of the machine  10 . There, the harvested crop is taken over by the next inner intake and mowing drum  12 . This intake and mowing drum  12  rotates in the opposite direction from that of the adjoining outer intake and mowing drum  11  so that it conveys the harvested crop first to the side towards the outside and subsequently to the rear. On its side facing the outer intake and mowing drum  11 , the intake and mowing drum  12  takes over the harvested crop from the outer intake and mowing drum  11 . A crop take-out or stripper device  22 , that is composed of sheet metal parts, that intrude into the enveloping circle of the outer intake and mowing drums  11 , extract the harvested crop from the pocket-shaped recesses which act to transfer the harvested crop to the intake and mowing drum  12  along whose rear side the harvested crop is conducted inward towards the longitudinal center plane  14  in interaction with the rear wall  20 .  
         [0028]    Following this, the crop is extracted by a take-out or stripper device (not shown) from the pocket-shaped recesses of the intake and mowing drum  12  and taken over by a rotating transverse conveying drum  24  arranged behind the drum  12  and whose axis of rotation is approximately vertical. The transverse conveying drum  24  is composed of a cylindrical body with conveying disks fastened to it, one above another, with each disk being provided with drivers  25  arranged about its circumference for the conveying of crop. The drivers  25  are provided with a surface leading in the direction of rotation which is curved opposite to the direction of rotation. Therefore, the leading surface has a rejecting conveying performance or characteristic. In place of the tooth-shaped drivers  25 , fingers could also be used. The upstream region of the transverse conveying drum  24  penetrates through slots in the rear wall  20 . The rear wall  20  ends in the vicinity of the cylindrical body of the transverse conveying drum  24 .  
         [0029]    The enveloping circle of the transverse conveying drum  24  overlaps the enveloping circle of the intake and mowing drum  12 . The transverse conveying drum  24  conveys the crop along a fixed wall  38  (or a wall movable against a force) that lies ahead of it in the direction of operation V, the wall  38  being arranged underneath a covering  40  that covers the next outer intake and mowing drum  12  and the inner intake and mowing drum  13 . Since there is no covering (center table) between the two inner intake and mowing drums  13  due to the plants coming in at that point, no plants can remain lying on this center table in an undesirable manner that would lead to losses.  
         [0030]    The crop is then taken over by a slope conveyor drum  26  used as a deflecting conveying unit that is composed of a cylindrical body with toothed conveying disks arranged one above another. The axis of rotation of each slope conveyor drum  26  is inclined in the forward direction, the drums  26  acting to first convey the harvested crop sideways to the inside, and then upward to the rear into vertically-spaced intake rolls  30  arranged across the intake channel  28  of the forage harvester. The enveloping circle of the transverse conveying drum  24  and the enveloping circle of the slope conveyor drum  26  overlap in order to optimize the transfer of the crop. The result here is that the slope conveyor drums  26  take over the harvested crop from the transverse conveying drums  24 , where separate take-out or stripper devices for the transverse conveying drums  24  are not required.  
         [0031]    The slope conveyor drums  26  each interact with a fixed wall  42 , arranged ahead of them (or a wall that can be moved against a force), which is formed by an element fastened to the bottom of the header  10  that also forms a crop take-out or stripper device  46  for the inner intake and mowing drums  13 . A crop take-out or stripper device  36  extracts the crop on the output side of each of the slope conveyor drums  26 . The deflecting of the harvested crop to the rear by the slope conveyor drums  26  can be simplified by arc-shaped deflecting skids that are arranged at the bottom of the header  10  between the slope conveyor drums  26 .  
         [0032]    For the transport of the crop, the slope conveyor drums  26  are each equipped with drivers  27 . The surfaces of the drivers of the slope conveyor drums  26  that are leading in the direction of rotation are arranged approximately radially, resulting in an aggressive conveying performance. In place of the tooth-shaped drivers  27 , fingers could also be used. A control of the drivers  25  and/or  27  is also conceivable that has the effect of a radial shifting and/or azimuthal rotation of the drivers  25 ,  27 , in order to improve the conveying of the crop. Thereby, the transverse conveying drum  24  and the slope conveying drum  26  form a conveying channel  29  for the crop harvested by the outer intake and mowing drums  11 ,  12 , which are separated from the inner intake and mowing drums  13  and are independent of these. In order to be able to attain this conveying channel  29 , without having to deflect the flow of the crop in it in an undesirable way and without having to increase the length of the header  10  as measured in the direction of operation V significantly, at least in the region of the center and outer intake mowing drums  11 ,  12 , the axes of rotation of the inner intake and mowing drums  13  are offset to the front in the direction of operation V relative to the other intake and mowing drums  11 ,  12 . The drive of the intake and mowing drums  11 ,  12 ,  13 , of the transverse conveying drums  24  and of the slope conveyor drums  26  is performed by means of appropriate gearboxes from the forage harvester.  
         [0033]    The inner intake and mowing drums  13  rotate in the opposite direction from the next outer intake and mowing drums  12  so that they convey the crop at first inward in the direction towards the longitudinal center plane  14  of the header  10  and then to the rear when the header  10  is moved over a field in the direction of operation V during the harvesting process. The crop harvested by the inner intake and mowing drums  13  is extracted from them by the take-out or stripper devices  46 , flows off without any deflection through a part of a channel  31  located between a somewhat lozenge-shaped central guide element  44  arranged on the bottom of the header  10  and the take-out device  46 , and is combined to the side alongside and slightly ahead of the transverse conveying drum  26  with the flow of the crop in the conveying channel  29  that originated from the outer intake and mowing drums  11 ,  12 . Following this, the combined flow of the crop flows further in a straight line through the part of the channel  31  that is located between the guide element  44  and the slope conveyor drum  26  into the intake channel of the forage harvester, where it is chopped and deposited into a wagon.  
         [0034]    The enveloping circles of the conveying disks of the transverse conveying drum  24  and the enveloping circles of the conveying disks of the slope conveyor drum  26  overlap so that the latter extracts the crop from the transverse conveying drum  24 . A separate crop take-out or stripper device for the transverse conveying drum  24  can be eliminated. The cross section through the transverse conveying drum  24  and the slope conveying drum  26 , shown in FIG. 2, clarifies the arrangement of the drums  24  and  26  to each other and shows that the transverse conveying drum  24  is composed of a cylindrical body  48  and conveying disks  50  fastened to it and arranged one above the other. The slope conveyor drum  26  is provided with a lower, cylindrical body  52  and an upper body  54  with a reduced diameter compared to the lower body  52 . Conveyor disks  56 ,  58 , and  60  with diameters reduced upward step by step are attached to the bodies  52  and  54 . The axis of rotation  62  of the slope conveyor drum  26  is inclined at an angle of approximately 5° towards the transverse conveying drum  24 .  
         [0035]    The embodiment shown can be modified by the addition of intake and mowing drums  12  and transverse conveying drums  24  arranged in the valley region between adjacent intake and mowing drums  12  into an embodiment with the largest operating width, as is shown in FIG. 3.  
         [0036]    [0036]FIG. 4 shows a plan view of a central region of another embodiment of a crop harvesting header  10 . Elements corresponding to other embodiments are identified with the same part number call-outs. While the intake and mowing drums  11 ,  12 ,  13  and the transverse conveying drums  24  and slope conveyor drums  26  agree in configuration and arrangement with the other embodiments, the take-out devices  46  of the inner intake and mowing drums  13  are arranged further outward (downstream) and the walls  42  are omitted. Thereby, the result is that the crop is transferred from the inner intake and mowing drums  13 , somewhat behind their axes of rotation, to the slope conveyor drums  26 . The transfer from the inner intake and mowing drums  13  to the slope conveyor drums  26  is performed downstream of the transfer from the transverse conveying drums  24  to the slope conveyor drums  26 , which occurs at the downstream end of the wall  38 . The guide elements  44  are wider and extend close to the valley regions between the inner intake and mowing drums  13  and the slope conveyor drums  26 . In this embodiment, the crop is always conveyed actively in the conveying channels  29  and  31 . The result is a flow of crop without any problems. The take-out devices  46  may extend more or less far forward, as can be seen on the basis of the different embodiments shown in the left and right parts of FIG. 4.  
         [0037]    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.