Patent GB-1112199-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to agricultural machines
IPC: A01D90/02
Filed: 1965-08-13
Abstract: 1,112,199. Loading and unloading vehicles; endless chain conveyers. TEXAS INDUSTRIES Inc. 13 Aug., 1965 [22 Sept., 1964], No. 34878/65. Headings B8A and B8E. An agricultural machine comprises two opposed sets of endless chains 11, 49, Fig. 1, which are driven in the direction of arrow C to feed crop picked up from the ground into a loading space of the machine, the chains 11, 49 in each set being disposed side-by-side and each chain having crop-catching members 12, 50, Figs. 4, 5, secured thereto. The machine has frame beams 1 mounted on wheels and supporting upwardly-extending walls 2 defining the loading space which has a roller floor. From the beams 1 extend beams 3 which are interconnected by a tube 4 from which a draw-bar 5 projects. The beams 3 have attached thereto beams 6 which support shafts 8 carrying sprockets 10 for the chains 11. Between the latter are plate members 17, 18 which support the upper runs of the chains 11 and are attached to plate members 19, 20 which are secured to a front wall of the loading space below an opening in the wall. The foremost shaft 8 pivotally supports plates 22 between which extends a shaft 23 carrying a drum 25 having spring tines 24, the plates 22 also having secured thereto arms 26 for ground wheels 27. Extending between the beams 3 is a pivotally mounted tube (29), Fig. 3 (not shown), carrying arms 31, 32 and 33, the arm 33 being connected by a tension spring 34 to selective positions 36 on a plate 35 secured to the draw-bar 5. Beams 37 extending upwardly from the beams 3 carry shafts 38 on which are pivotally supported arms 39 and 40. The arms 32 and 40 are interconnected by coupling rods 41 and the arms 39 and 31 are interconnected by beams 45. This construction gives two parallelograms, the corners of which are located at shafts 30, 46, 38, 44 and shafts 30, 38, 42, 43. The beams 45 support shafts 44 and 47 carrying sprockets 48 for the chains 49. There are seven chains 49 and six chains 11, the latter being positioned in plan view between the chains 49. Between the latter are plate members 55, 55A which guide the lower runs of the chains 49 and are attached to plate members 56 which are secured to the beams 45 by members 54, 53, 52, 51. Chain tensioners 57 are provided. The chains 11, 49 are driven by a power take-off shaft of a tractor through a gear-box 58, shafts 61 (62) and rope drives 65, 67 and 70, and the drum 25 is driven through a further rope drive 73. A rope 75 extends from one of the plates 22 through the beam 4 and the draw-bar 5 to a lifting mechanism disposed on the latter and actuated by the tractor driver. In operation the crop is picked up by the tines 24 and moved thereby to the chains 11, 49 which move the crop therebetween in the direction of the arrow C and so into the loading space. The plate members 17, 18 and 55, 55A guide the crop and the plate members 19, 20 and 56 prevent the crop sticking to the catching members 12, 50 when the latter are withdrawn from the crop. The chains 49 may be deflected upwardly to adjust to the quantity of crop handled. When the machine is loaded the drum 25 and wheels 27 are lifted free of the ground, Fig. 2 (not shown). In a second embodiment, Fig. 6, for handling bales, the latter are picked up from the ground and moved by opposed sets of endless chains 110, 142 in the direction of the arrow B and projected beneath a hood 171, through an opening in the front wall of the loading space and into the latter. The chains 110, 142 have serrated catching members 111, 143, the chains 110 extending round sprockets 108, 109, Fig. 8, carried by shafts 88, 91 supported by beams 86, 87, and the chains 142 extending round sprockets 140, 141, Fig. 7, carried by shafts 127, 130 supported by beams 123, 124. The frame of the machine includes beams 79, 81, 82, 83 and 84. Shafts 92, 96 on the beams 86, 87 are connected by rods 93, 101 to shafts 94, 102 on supports 95, 103 projecting from the beam 84, and an hydraulic ram 98 interconnects shafts 99 on the beam 81 with the shafts 96. The shaft 88 carries ground wheels 104. Beams 105, 106 interconnecting the beams 86, 87 have secured thereto a plate 107 for guiding the upper runs of the chains 110, and the shaft 91 is adjustably mounted for tensioning the latter. Plate members 116, 117 are secured to the plate 107 and have serrated ends 118, and plates 119 extend from the members 116, 117 to protect the sprockets 109 from falling material. The supports 103 have extending therefrom rods 121 which are pivotally attached to the beams 123, 124, and the latter are interconnected by beams 126 having secured thereto a plate 144 for guiding the lower runs of the chains 142. The beams 86, 87 are interconnected with the beams 123, 124 by spring-loaded rods 132. Movement of the beams 86, 87 is limited by stops 134, 137, and between the shafts 102 on the supports 103 and supports 138 on the beams 123, 124 extend tension springs 139. Plate members 145, 147 are secured to the plate 144 and have serrated ends 146. The chains 110, 142 are driven from a power take-off shaft of a tractor through shafts 150, 149, bevel gears 151, 154, shaft 153, rope drive 162, gear-wheels 159, 160, shafts 157, 158 and telescopic and universallyjointed shafts 164, 166. A draw-bar 170 pivotally supported at 169 is provided and when the machine is being operated it is towed with the draw-bar 170 in the position shown in full lines so that the machine is offset from a towing tractor and when the machine is not operating it is towed with the draw-bar 170 in the broken-line position. A beam 172 is provided for guiding the bales. In operation, the bales are lifted by the chains 110 and are thereafter engaged also by the chains 142 which may deflect upwardly. The plates 107, 144 serve to guide the bales and the plate members 116, 117 and 145, 147 serve as scrapers. When the machine is loaded the ram 98 is extended to lift the wheels 104 from the ground. The loading space is discharged through a rear opening by the roller floor which is driven through the shaft 149, and to facilitate the discharge the loading space and the floor are tilted upwardly about a shaft 174 so that the pressure on the rearmost bales is reduced.