Patent GB-1303311-A (GB)
IPC: A01D69/00
Filed: 1970-03-26
Abstract: 1303311 Harvesters INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER CO 26 March 1970 [27 March 1969] 14758/70 Heading A1F [Also in Division G3] A harvester has a power source, traction means for advancing the harvester connected to the power source by a variable ratio drive, and drive mechanism for a cutter, a reel, crop conveying means, and crop processing means. A mechanism is provided which senses the torque requirements of the cutter and crop conveying means, the reel and the crop processing means, separately, integrates the individual inputs and causes the harvester advance to vary inversely as the integrated inputs. The power source (11), Fig. 1 (not shown), of a combine harvester is coupled to the traction wheels (12) and the reel (21) by hydraulic links (23), (24) driving individual hydraulic motors. The cutter, crop conveyer, and crop processor are driven mechanically, the crop processor via driven wheel 132 and the cutter and conveyer via driven wheel 32. The torque requirements of the conveyer cutter are measured by means of idlers 41 and 45, the torque being determined by the deflection of beam 43 to which idler 41 is attached. The idlers 41, 45 are held against chain 35 by means of link work 43, 49, 50, 47 and spring 53. The mechanism is designed so that the loose side chain tension, i.e. the force acting against idler 45 is independent of the torque required by drive wheel 32, while the tightside chain tension, i.e. force acting against idler 41, increases linearly with increasing torque required by drive wheel 32. The torque requirements of the crop processor are sensed by mechanism 140 which operates in an analogous manner to mechanism 40. Increased torque requirement for drive wheel 32 causes bar 43 to deflect clockwise about pivot 44. This causes integrating link 71 to move to the right, via links 61, 63 shaft 62, and links 64 and 65. Similar increased torque requirement for drive wheel 132 cause bar 143 to pivot anticlockwise about pivot 144. This causes integrating link 71 to move even further to the right via links 161, 163, shaft 162 and link 164. In this way the torque requirements of drive wheels 132 and 32 are added. If the torque requirement of only one drive wheel increases, link 71 will pivot about the connection (either 65 or 164) to the other drive wheel. Movement of integrating link 71 to the right causes clockwise deflection of bell crank 101 via link 72 sliding block 73, link 81, shaft 79, link 83, 84, and 87, shaft 85 and links 94 and 95. This in turn causes link 104 to alter the variable ratio drive and hence reduce the speed of advance of the harvester. Lever 77 alters the angle between bar 74 and 81 and hence adjusts the sensitivity of the mechanism. Lever 102 acts as an adjustable maximum speed stop. The torque requirements of the reel may also be added in by the inclusion of the mechanism shown in Fig. 3 between bars 43 and 63 instead of links 61. A hydraulic cylinder 112 senses the pressure in the line driving the hydraulic motor (22), which increases with the torque requirements of the reel. As the torque requirements of the reel increase, the piston 113 expands causing lever 111 to pivot anticlockwise about its right hand end. This causes integrating link 171 to move downwards (as does movement of link 50) and hence causes a deflection of arm 63 via link 175.