Abstract:
A pre-cutter tine has a relatively wide working face which is pitched or canted relative to a plane extending vertically to an axis of rotation of a pre-cutter rotor carrying a plurality of the tines arranged helically about the axis. The pitched working face of adjacent tines acts to support the crop being cut as the pitched working faces advance the crop toward the pre-cutter knives which are spaced such that the working faces of adjacent tines pass on opposite sides of a given knife. The working faces of the tines may be pitched such as to cause the engaged crop to be conveyed inwardly as well as to the rear by the tines.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to crop feeding rotors and more particularly relates to tines of such feeding rotors. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A typical crop feeding rotor includes a plurality of tines formed of plates having a plurality of equi-angularly spaced points are welded to a central rotor tube to form a complete crop feeding rotor. In a pre-cutter, associated with a baler crop pick-up arrangement, for example, the tines are welded on the rotor to produce a desired spiral pattern. In some prior art crop feeding rotors, the plates are constructed of sheet metal with adjacent pairs of the plates of the spiral pattern occupying the same angular position about the axis of the rotor. In other prior art rotors, at least leading crop engaging surfaces of the points of the tines of the rotors are constructed to have a wide profile having a width approximately three times that of the plate, e.g., see the tines disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,205,424. The wide profile tine points have the advantages over the points of the like-positioned pairs of sheet metal tines of being more durable and easier to manufacture. However, when welded on the rotor to produce the required spiral pattern, the wide profile tine creates an uneven or staggered surface for crop to engage when pressed against the stationary cutting knife thus resulting in a diminished cut quality when compared to the much narrower points of the sheet metal tines since the narrow profile allows a pair of tines to straddle each stationary knife. 
     What is needed then is a pre-cutter tine having points including a wide-profile crop engaging surface that is durable, but does not present the undesirable uneven or staggered surface for crop to engage. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to one aspect of the present invention, as set forth in claim  1 , there is provided an improved pre-cutter tine assembly provided with a plurality of points, each having a leading wide-profile crop-engaging surface that is angled relative to a vertical plane disposed at a right angle to an axis of rotation of the tine assembly. 
     In another aspect of the invention, a plurality of the tine assemblies are symmetrically arranged on opposite sides of a central vertical plane passing through the crop feed rotor, with the tine assemblies on opposite sides of the plane being pitched in an opposite direction and oriented such that crop on opposite sides of the plane is directed toward the plane. 
     These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the ensuing description together with the appended drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a vertical sectional view, looking toward the right, taken crosswise to the direction of travel through a conventional crop material pickup equipped with a pre-cutter assembly and crop feed rotor. 
         FIG. 2  is a left side view of a pre-cutter rotor embodying tine assemblies including points having leading working faces constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention, and with a schematic representation of a pre-cutter knife being shown by dashed lines in a working position. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing one of the tine assemblies of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic illustration showing rotor points of adjacent prior art tine assemblies and depicting the profile of leading working surfaces of the prior art points just before moving a strand of crop material into engagement with the pre-cutter knives. 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic illustration, similar to that of  FIG. 4 , but showing the profile of leading working surfaces of points of tine assembles constructed in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic illustration of a rotor equipped with tine assemblies constructed in accordance with the present invention and arranged with the tine assemblies at opposite sides of a vertical central plane extending perpendicular to the pre-cutter rotor being arranged so that the leading surfaces of the points of the tines are angled so as to move crop toward the center location. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a conventional crop material pick-up  10  carried at the front of an agricultural implement, not further shown, such as a baler, for example, for processing gathered crop. The pick-up  10  includes a pick-up rotor  12  equipped with spring wire tines  14  that engage and elevate a windrow of crop material (not shown) lying on the ground, and convey the crop material to the rear for further processing by a pre-cutter arrangement  16 . The pre-cutter arrangement  16  comprises a transverse pre-cutter rotor  18  carrying a plurality of identical, laterally spaced rotor tines  20 , disposed in interleaved relationship both to a plurality of transversely spaced, retractable pre-cutter knives  22 , and to a plurality of transversely spaced crop stripper members  24 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2  there is shown a pre-cutter rotor  30  comprising a cylindrical tubular core  32  having a central rotation axis  34  and having an outer cylindrical surface  36  on which a plurality of identical rotor tines  38  are fixed at respective locations spaced equally from each other along the length of the core  32 . 
     While the tines  38  can take various forms without departing from the principles of the present invention, each is depicted here as being formed almost entirely from a flat plate disposed perpendicular to the axis  34  and having an inner ring-like portion  40  provided with an inner cylindrical surface  42  received on, and fixed to the circumference of the cylindrical tubular rotor core  32 . Referring now also to  FIG. 3 , it can be seen that each of the tines  38  includes three points or teeth  44  having respective major sections  46  projecting outwardly from, and respectively joined integrally with, three locations spaced angularly equal amounts about an outer cylindrical surface of the ring-like portion  40 . As considered relative to a forward direction of rotation of the rotor  30 , each major section  46  includes a leading edge  48  curved arcuately outwardly from the ring-like portion  40 . In addition to having the major sections  46  formed from the flat plate, each point  44  includes a flat rectangular strap  50 , that is arcuately bent so as to be shaped complementary to the leading edge  48  of each point section  46 , is fixed to each leading edge so as to define a smooth leading crop-engaging or working surface  52  that extends axially to opposite sides of the point section  46  and is angled or pitched relative to rotation axis  34 . Stated otherwise, the crop-engaging surface  52  of each point  44  of a given rotor tine  38  is angled so as to be other than perpendicular to a vertical plane intersecting the axis  34  at a right angle. A group of three points of adjacent tines, as arranged in the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 2 , is shown schematically in  FIG. 5  where crop engaged by the leading crop-engaging surface  52  of each point  44  is indicated by a broken line C. The angle which each crop-engaging surface  52  makes with a line extending parallel to the rotor axis  34  is approximately 13° (see  FIG. 5 ). Therefore, the angle the surface  52  makes with a vertical plane intersecting the axis  34  at a right angle is approximately 77°. It is to be understood that crop-engaging surface  52  could be pitched at angles other than 13°. For example, a range of angles between 10° and 25° would also produce suitable results. Further, it is to be understood that instead of making the strap  50  as a part that is separate from the major point sections  46 , the tines  38  could be made in the form of castings including points each having a leading rim portion which is wider than the point section and includes a leading crop-engaging surface. 
     Interleaved with the tines  38  are a plurality of pre-cutter knives  54 , one such knife being shown in phantom in  FIG. 2  and including a cutting edge  56  that is curved upwardly to the rear from a forward end located behind the rotation axis  34  and below the rotary path traced by the outer ends of the rotor points  44 , to a rearward end located alongside the ring-like portion  40  of an adjacent one of the tines  38  and at a height approximately that of the rotation axis  34 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , beginning with the far or right end of the rotor  30 , the second through ninth rotor tines  38  are respectively indexed angularly approximately 8° counterclockwise about the axis  34  from each other. Thus, it will be appreciated that, during operation, the crop-engaging surface  52  of a given point  44  of the tine  38  on the right end of the rotor  30  will arrive at the cutting edge  56  of an adjacent pre-cutter knife  54  before the crop engaging surface  52  of the indexed point  44  of the tine  38  at the right end of the rotor  30  arrives at the pre-cutter knife  54  adjacent the right end. 
       FIG. 4  schematically illustrates prior art tine points constructed in accordance with those illustrated in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 8,205,424, with the angularly indexed tine points  60  of adjacent tines including leading, relatively wide crop-engaging surfaces  62  that are disposed parallel to the axis of rotation (not shown) of the rotor carrying the tines. It will be appreciated that as the rotor rotates, the wide profile of the crop engaging surfaces  62  passing on the opposite sides of a given stationary knife  54  creates an uneven surface for supporting the crop, indicated schematically by the chain line C, as it is pressed against the cutting edge  56  of this knife. This results in the cut quality and consistency being less desirable than that achievable with known crop pre-cutter arrangements using narrow profile tines passing between closely spaced pre-cutter knives. An example of a pre-cutter arrangement of this known type is illustrated in FIGS. 1-3 of the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 8,205,424. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 5 , there is a schematic view similar to that of  FIG. 4 , but showing the points  44  of the present invention wherein each leading crop-engaging surface  52  is pitched at an angle relative to a line extending parallel to the rotation axis  34 . As is apparent, the crop-engaging surfaces  52  of adjacent tines provide an even pair of surfaces for crop C to be held across when being cut by the knife  54  interleaved with the adjacent tines. This results in the cut quality and consistency being comparable to that achieved by the aforementioned pre-cutter arrangements using narrow profile tines passing between closely spaced pre-cutter knives. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 6 , a schematic showing of the pre-cutter rotor  30  is illustrated and shows a plurality of tines  38  at opposite sides of a vertical, longitudinal plane P passing through the rotor core  32  at a location midway between opposite ends of the rotor core. As viewed in  FIG. 6 , the crop-engaging surfaces  52  to the right of the plane P are angled for deflecting crop leftward, while the crop-engaging surfaces  52  to the left of the plane P are angled for deflecting crop rightward. Thus, tines  38  are secured to the core  32  so that crop engaged by the crop-engaging surfaces  52  will be converged inwardly toward the plane P, which would be desirable in some crop processing operations. 
     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.