Abstract:
An agricultural harvester includes a chassis, a header for cutting and gathering crop material, the header being carried by the chassis, and an auger. The auger moves the cut crop material toward a central area of the header. The auger is rotatably carried by the header. The auger has a plurality of auger sections. The auger includes an auger crankshaft and a hingeable coupling for coupling two of the auger sections to each other. The hingeable coupling allows the auger sections to rotate about differing axes. The hingeable coupling has an internal opening. The auger crankshaft provides positional timing to auger fingers. The auger crankshaft passing through the internal opening.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application is the National Stage of International Application No. PCT/EP2015/079373 filed Dec. 11, 2015, which claims priority to Belgian Application No. 2014/0837 filed Dec. 12, 2014, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to agricultural harvesters, and, more specifically to augers in grain headers of harvesters. 
         [0003]    An agricultural harvester known as a “combine” is historically termed such because it combines multiple harvesting functions with a single harvesting unit, such as picking, threshing, separating and cleaning. A combine includes a header which removes the crop from a field, and a feeder housing which transports the crop matter into a threshing rotor. The threshing rotor rotates within a perforated housing, which may be in the form of adjustable concaves and performs a threshing operation on the crop to remove the grain. Once the grain is threshed it falls through perforations in the concaves onto a grain pan. From the grain pan the grain is cleaned using a cleaning system, and is then transported to a grain tank onboard the combine. A cleaning fan blows air through the sieves to discharge chaff and other debris toward the rear of the combine. Non-grain crop material such as straw from the threshing section proceeds through a residue system, which may utilize a straw chopper to process the non-grain material and direct it out the rear of the combine. When the grain tank becomes full, the combine is positioned adjacent a vehicle into which the grain is to be unloaded, such as a semi-trailer, gravity box, straight truck, or the like; and an unloading system on the combine is actuated to transfer the grain into the vehicle. 
         [0004]    More particularly, a rotary threshing or separating system includes one or more rotors which can extend axially (front to rear) or transversely within the body of the combine, and which are partially or fully surrounded by a perforated concave. The crop material is threshed and separated by the rotation of the rotor within the concave. Coarser non-grain crop material such as stalks and leaves are transported to the rear of the combine and discharged back to the field. The separated grain, together with some finer non-grain crop material such as chaff, dust, straw, and other crop residue are discharged through the concaves and fall onto a grain pan where they are transported to a cleaning system. Alternatively, the grain and finer non-grain crop material may also fall directly onto the cleaning system itself. 
         [0005]    A cleaning system further separates the grain from non-grain crop material, and typically includes a fan directing an airflow stream upwardly and rearwardly through vertically arranged sieves which oscillate in a fore and aft manner. The airflow stream lifts and carries the lighter non-grain crop material towards the rear end of the combine for discharge to the field. Clean grain, being heavier, and larger pieces of non-grain crop material, which are not carried away by the airflow stream, fall onto a surface of an upper sieve (also known as a chaffer sieve) where some or all of the clean grain passes through to a lower sieve (also known as a cleaning sieve). Grain and non-grain crop material remaining on the upper and lower sieves are physically separated by the reciprocating action of the sieves as the material moves rearwardly. Any grain and/or non-grain crop material remaining on the top surface of the upper sieve are discharged at the rear of the combine. Grain falling through the lower sieve lands on a bottom pan of the cleaning system, where it is conveyed forwardly toward a clean grain auger. 
         [0006]    The clean grain auger conveys the grain to a grain tank for temporary storage. The grain accumulates to the point where the grain tank is full and is discharged to an adjacent vehicle such as a semi trailer, gravity box, straight truck or the like by an unloading system on the combine that is actuated to transfer grain into the vehicle. 
         [0007]    The crop gathering capability of the combine is directly dependent upon the width of the header, since the width defines that amount of crop that the combine encounters as the combine moves forward across a field. Ground contours vary which can lead to some crops being lower than the cutter bar and hence lost grain. 
         [0008]    What is needed in the art is a cost effective and efficient way of allowing the components, particularly the auger in the header to operate while the header profile changes to more effectively harvest the crop across the field. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    The present invention provides for the transfer of power through a hinged auger. 
         [0010]    The invention in one form is directed to an agricultural harvester including a chassis, a header for cutting and gathering crop material, the header being carried by the chassis, and an auger. The auger moves the cut crop material toward a central area of the header. The auger is rotatably carried by the header. The auger has a plurality of auger sections. The auger includes an auger crankshaft and a hingeable coupling for coupling two of the auger sections to each other. The hingeable coupling allows the auger sections to rotate about differing axes. The hingeable coupling has an internal opening. The auger crankshaft provides positional timing to auger fingers. The auger crankshaft passing through the internal opening. 
         [0011]    An advantage of the present invention is that the positioning of auger fingers is controlled by the crankshaft positioning while rotational power is transferable through the hinged coupling of the auger in the header. 
         [0012]    Another advantage is that the hinged coupling allows for the effective use of ground contour following headers in wide headers. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention will be better understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0014]      FIG. 1  is a side view of an embodiment of an agricultural harvester in the form of a combine; 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the header of the harvester of  FIG. 1  with an embodiment of a hingeable coupled auger of the present invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is a cutaway view of the hingeable coupling in the auger of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the hingeable coupling of  FIGS. 2 and 3 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  is an exploded view of the hingeable coupling of  FIGS. 2-4 ; and 
           [0019]      FIG. 6  is a cutaway view of another embodiment of a hingeable coupling of the present invention used in the auger of  FIGS. 1-3 . 
       
    
    
       [0020]    Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplifications set out herein illustrate embodiments of the invention, and such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0021]    The terms “grain”, “straw” and “tailings” are used principally throughout this specification for convenience but it is to be understood that these terms are not intended to be limiting. Thus “grain” refers to that part of the crop material which is threshed and separated from the discardable part of the crop material, which is referred to as non-grain crop material, MOG or straw. Incompletely threshed crop material is referred to as “tailings”. Also the terms “forward”, “rearward”, “left” and “right”, when used in connection with the agricultural harvester and/or components thereof are usually determined with reference to the direction of forward operative travel of the harvester, but again, they should not be construed as limiting. The terms “longitudinal” and “transverse” are determined with reference to the fore-and-aft direction of the agricultural harvester and are equally not to be construed as limiting. 
         [0022]    Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to  FIG. 1 , there is shown an agricultural harvester in the form of a combine  10 , which generally includes a chassis  12 , ground engaging wheels  14  and  16 , a header  18 , a feeder housing  20 , an operator cab  22 , a threshing and separating system  24 , a cleaning system  26 , a grain tank  28 , and an unloading conveyance  30 . Unloading conveyor  30  is illustrated as an unloading auger, but can also be configured as a belt conveyor, chain elevator, etc. 
         [0023]    The front wheels  14  are larger flotation type wheels, and the rear wheels  16  are smaller steerable wheels. Motive force is selectively applied to the front wheels  14  through a power plant in the form of a diesel engine  32  and a transmission (not shown). Although the combine  10  is shown as including wheels, is also to be understood that the combine  10  may include tracks, such as full tracks or half tracks. 
         [0024]    The header  18  is mounted to the front of the combine  10  and includes a cutter bar  34  for severing crops from a field during forward motion of the combine  10 . A rotatable reel  36  feeds the crop into the header  18 , and an auger  38  feeds the severed crop laterally inwardly from each side toward the feeder housing  20 . The feeder housing  20  conveys the cut crop to the threshing and separating system  24 , and is selectively vertically movable using appropriate actuators, such as hydraulic cylinders (not shown). 
         [0025]    The threshing and separating system  24  is of the axial-flow type, and generally includes a rotor  40  at least partially enclosed by and rotatable within a corresponding perforated concave  42 . The cut crops are threshed and separated by the rotation of the rotor  40  within the concave  42 , and larger elements, such as stalks, leaves and the like are discharged from the rear of the combine  10 . Smaller elements of crop material including grain and non-grain crop material, including particles lighter than grain, such as chaff, dust and straw, are discharged through perforations of the concave  42 . Although the threshing and separating system  24  is illustrated as being of an axial-flow type having a rotor, it is also contemplated to use the present invention with other conventional threshing systems. 
         [0026]    Grain which has been separated by the threshing and separating assembly  24  falls onto a grain pan  44  and is conveyed toward the cleaning system  26 . The cleaning system  26  may include an optional pre-cleaning sieve  46 , an upper sieve  48  (also known as a chaffer sieve), a lower sieve  50  (also known as a cleaning sieve), and a cleaning fan  52 . Grain on the sieves  46 ,  48  and  50  is subjected to a cleaning action by the fan  52  which provides an airflow through the sieves to remove chaff and other impurities such as dust from the grain by making this material airborne for discharge from the straw hood  54  of the combine  10 . The grain pan  44  and the pre-cleaning sieve  46  oscillate in a fore-to-aft manner to transport the grain and finer non-grain crop material to the upper surface of the upper sieve  48 . The upper sieve  48  and the lower sieve  50  are vertically arranged relative to each other, and likewise oscillate in a fore-to-aft manner to spread the grain across the sieves  48 ,  50 , while permitting the passage of cleaned grain by gravity through the openings of the sieves  48 ,  50 . 
         [0027]    Clean grain falls to a clean grain auger  56  positioned crosswise below and in front of the lower sieve  50 . The clean grain auger  56  receives clean grain from each sieve  48 ,  50  and from the bottom pan  58  of the cleaning system  26 . The clean grain auger  56  conveys the clean grain laterally to a generally vertically arranged grain elevator  60  for transport to the grain tank  28 . Tailings from the cleaning system  26  fall to a tailings auger trough  62 . The tailings are transported via the tailings auger  64  and the return auger  66  to the upstream end of the cleaning system  26  for repeated cleaning action. The cross augers  68  at the bottom of the grain tank  28  convey the clean grain within the grain tank  28  to the unloading auger  30  for discharge from the combine  10 . 
         [0028]    The non-grain crop material proceeds through a residue handling system  70 . The residue handling system  70  may include a chopper, counter knives, a windrow door and a residue spreader. 
         [0029]    Now, additionally referring to  FIG. 2  there is shown and illustrated the header  18  with a portion of the auger  38  shown and with some elements omitted for the sake of clarity. The auger  38  has three sections shown, denoted here as  38 A,  38 B and  38 C, which is representative of other sections in the auger  38 . Sections  38 C and  38 B are rotatably coupled together with a hanger support  72 . The hanger support  72  is fixed to the header  18  and provides support to the auger  38  so that the auger  38  can rotate suspended above the lower structure of the header  18 . 
         [0030]    Auger sections  38 A and  38 B are coupled together by way of a flexible coupling  74 , also known as a hingeable coupling  74 , which allows the auger section  38 A to rotate about an axis that can angularly vary from an axis about which auger sections  38 B and  38 C rotate. As shown auger sections  38 B and  38 C are coupled so that they rotate about the same axis. The hingeable coupling  74  allows for the flexure of the auger  38 , which may proximally correspond to the location of hinged portions of the header  18 . This is particularly advantageous when the header  18  is long, say over 40 feet in width. 
         [0031]    Now, additionally referring to  FIG. 3 , there is shown a view of the hingeable coupling  74 , and an aspect of the present invention, having an opening  76  that exists through the various components of the hingeable coupling  74 , as discussed later. An auger crankshaft  78  passes through the opening  76  and does not touch the hingeable coupling  74 . The auger crankshaft  78  provides rotational movement to effect the timing of auger fingers that extend through sections of the auger  38 , and may additionally provide movement to other mechanisms (not shown). The auger crankshaft  78  has a separate hingeable coupling  80  (illustrated in  FIG. 6 ), which is spaced apart from the hingeable coupling  74  of the auger  38 , as shown. It is also contemplated that the hingeable coupling  80  and the hingeable coupling  74  may be collocational, or generally close to each other. 
         [0032]    Now, additionally referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5  there are shown more aspects of the hingeable coupling  74  of the present invention. The opening  76  is shown as having different sizes in the various components, and it is also contemplated that the opening sizes may all be the same. Openings  76  have edges  82 , which are not touched by the auger crankshaft  78  as the auger  38  hinges about the hingeable coupling  74 . The hingeable coupling  74  includes auger couplings  84  and  86 , winged couplings  88  and  90  and an inner coupling  92 . The auger couplings  84  and  86  are respectively coupled to the auger sections  38 A and  38 B. Winged couplings  88  and  90  are respectively coupled to the auger couplings  84  and  86 , and are both pivotally coupled to the inner coupling  92 . The pivotal couplings are substantially perpendicular to each other, to thereby allow the auger section  38 A to hinge relative to the auger section  38 B. 
         [0033]    According to another aspect of the present invention, the auger crankshaft  78  can also have a hingeable coupling  80 , as illustrated in  FIG. 6 . The positioning of the hingeable coupling  74  may be proximate to the hanger support  72  and one portion of the hingeable coupling  74  may be rotationally coupled to the hanger support  72 . It is contemplated that the positioning of the hingeable coupling  80  may be close, or even collocational, to the hingeable coupling  74 , as shown in  FIG. 6  and the opening  76  is sized so that the edges  82  are not touched by the crankshaft  78  even though couplings  74  and  80  are not in contact and hinge at different points along the longitudinal axis of the auger  38  as the hingeable coupling  74  is fully flexed. The hingeable coupling  74  is entirely interior to the auger  38 . 
         [0034]    The present invention couples at least some of the adjacent sections of the auger  38  together allowing a hinging of the auger  38  over the length of the header  18  to thereby allow for extended lengths of the auger  38  to operate as the header  18  is articulated or allowed to flex over non-planar ground. One aspect of the present invention that allows the hinged coupling  74  to work is the passing of the auger crankshaft  78  through the coupling to thereby allow for a positioning of the auger fingers as the auger  38  rotates. Auger crankshaft  78  can be rotated to alter the timing of the auger fingers along the length of the auger  38 . The improvement allows for closer ground contour following of the header  18  and the corresponding improved gathering capability of the header  18 . 
         [0035]    Advantageously, varifeed headers can be made to extended lengths, such as greater than 41 feet using the present invention. The present invention uses a large cross coupling  74  so that the auger tube  38  can flex. Yet there is a large opening  76  in the middle of the coupling  74  to allow the auger crankshaft  78  to pass therethrough, all to allow the auger  38  the ability to flex a few degrees. The flexing or hinging allows for the transfer of auger torque and the timing of the auger fingers to be preserved. 
         [0036]    While this invention has been described with respect to at least one embodiment, the present invention can be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.