Abstract:
A windrow merging implement with a pick-up, a conveyor and a connecting hitch or structure is provided in combination with a mowing vehicle, with the connecting hitch being releasably secured to a rear end of the vehicle chassis. The mowing vehicle is operative to form windrows of crop in one or more of three locations, namely, a central location passing longitudinally between the wheels of the vehicle and one on each side of the vehicle. The windrow merging implement may be positioned at either side of the vehicle for picking up the windrow deposited there, and includes a conveyor structure for either depositing the picked up windrow upon or alongside the centrally deposited windrow. Also disclosed is an embodiment where the windrow merging implement picks up and displaces transversely the centrally deposited windrow. A further embodiment discloses two windrow merging implements which respectively pick up the windrows at the opposite sides of the vehicle and convey them inwardly so as to be combined with the centrally located windrow.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention concerns a crop swath or windrow merging attachment including a pick-up, a conveyor and a mounting structure for connecting the attachment to a vehicle, as well as a vehicle and a windrow merging process. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   GB-A-2 215 971 reveals a windrow merging attachment including a pick-up and conveying arrangement for windrowed crop lying on the ground, that is fastened to the front side of an agricultural tractor and repositions crop lying on the ground in front of the agricultural tractor to the side of the latter. 
   The problem underlying the invention is seen in the fact that too many operating steps are required for the mowing of the crop and its gathering into swaths or windrows. 
   DE-C 199 31 684 discloses a self-propelled mowing vehicle with one mowing unit located in front, one located at the left and one located at the right of the running gear. The front mowing unit deposits the crop that has been cut centrally in a swath or windrow between the wheels of the mowing vehicle, while the mowing units at the side convey the crop to the center of the vehicle and throw it between the front and the rear wheels upon the swath already formed between the wheels. 
   This embodiment accommodates only a small amount of crop since the space for a swath between the wheels is relatively small. Beyond that, the crop in the edge region of the swath can be damaged by wheels rolling over it. 
   The result of these considerations is the problem of the low harvesting capacity. 
   Finally it is known practice to combine crop lying on the ground by means of a tedder which, however, has the disadvantage that the tedder can lose tines or whirl up stones which then can reach the crop as foreign objects. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   According to the present invention, there is provided an improved windrow merging or grouping implement adapted for connection to a mowing and windrowing implement. 
   An object of the invention is to provide a windrow merging or grouping implement which is of a relatively simple, compact structure. 
   A more specific object of the invention is to provide a windrow merging or grouping implement wherein the connecting structure is fixed to and in transverse alignment with the pick-up which delivers crop rearwardly to a conveyor for conveying the crop to the side. The windrow merging or grouping implement is particularly suited for being fastened to the rear of a vehicle having one or more mowing units coupled to locations ahead of the windrow merging implement. For example, the vehicle may be a self-propelled traction unit carrying up to three mowing units, with one being in front and the other two being at opposite sides of the vehicle. In any event, the only thing that is essential is that the windrow merging implement be located downstream of the mowing arrangement on the vehicle and thereby can take up the crop previously deposited and convey it to the side. Although this merging implement was originally conceived preferably for a mowing vehicle, other areas of application are also conceivable. For example, the foliage of beets, potatoes or the like can be taken up after separate cropping and conveyed to the side. 
   The connecting structure that extends from the pick-up can be repositioned, if necessary, together with a conveyor, and makes it possible to pivot the pick-up to the limits allowed for transport on public roads or even to bring it to another location for the operation. For example, the pick-up can be employed to the left or the right side of the vehicle. 
   The rigid connection between the conveyor and the pick-up provides assurance that the crop taken up by the pick-up is conducted over to the conveyor without clinging to it. 
   By means of a further conveyor, the crop taken up by the first conveyor and the second conveyor can be transported over a wide distance and thereby, if necessary, be transported from one side of the vehicle to the other side. 
   The ability to reposition the further conveyor makes it possible to utilize the possibility of a wide transport or to refrain from doing so. For example, the further conveyor can be brought into a position in which the crop is deposited behind the vehicle instead of to its side. 
   Support wheels are provided on the one hand to assure the desired distance of the pick-up from the ground and on the other hand to reduce the load on the support components of the windrow merging implement. 
   The configurations of the conveyor or conveyors as conveyor belt, screw conveyor, bar chain conveyor or rolls extending parallel to each other represent examples of solutions for a gentle and effective transport. 
   Forage harvesters or other carrier vehicles for application to agriculture with mowing arrangements on the front side represent effective machines for the mowing of grass or other crops where the crop is deposited on the ground in windrows or swaths and can be deposited close together by means of the windrow merging implement so that it can be taken up by a following chopper vehicle and processed further. Forage harvesters are specialized carrier vehicles that are optimally appropriate on the basis of their configuration to be provided with corresponding equipment on their front and rear ends. 
   The provision of a discharge opening of the mowing arrangement on the side of the vehicle relative to its longitudinal axis makes it possible to deposit a part of the crop taken up by the mowing arrangement to the side of the vehicle instead of between its wheels, so that problems with a high swath between the wheels do not develop. 
   The use of a three-point hitch permits a rapid installation and removal of the windrow merging implement on the vehicle. 
   A hydraulic drive can be supplied by means of flexible hoses so that the pick-up and/or the conveyor or conveyors are not limited during their movement by any possible rigid drive connections. Furthermore a hydraulic drive permits the speed and/or the direction of the conveyor to be changed very easily, so that the location of the deposit can be selected precisely. 
   If two pick-up windrow merging implements and conveyors are used, then crop that has been deposited on both sides of the vehicle in one swath can be combined into a wide swath located centrally behind the vehicle. 
   By means of the processes described, a highly effective harvest and grouping of the harvested crop is possible, since the crop is separated from the stalk and deposited in swaths with a single vehicle and in a single operation, the swaths are located so close to each other that they can be taken up by a narrow vehicle such as a forage harvester, a baler, a self-loading forage box or the like. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The drawing shows an embodiment of the invention that shall be described in greater detail in the following. 
       FIG. 1  shows a schematic plan view of a vehicle with a mowing arrangement and a windrow merging implement with a pick-up and two conveyors. 
       FIG. 2  shows a perspective front view of the windrow merging implement. 
       FIG. 3  shows a plan view of a second embodiment of the vehicle with the windrow merging implement. 
       FIG. 4  shows a plan view of a third embodiment of the vehicle with the windrow merging implement. 
       FIG. 5  shows a plan view of a fourth embodiment of the vehicle with the windrow merging implement. 
       FIG. 6  shows a plan view of a fifth embodiment of the vehicle with the windrow merging implement. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     FIG. 1  shows a vehicle  10  with a mowing arrangement  12  and a windrow merging implement  14  with a pick-up  16  and a first conveyor  18  and a further conveyor  20 . 
   The vehicle  10  that is shown schematically in the plan view is, in the simplest case, a self-propelled forage harvester; nevertheless it could also be a different type of self-propelled utility vehicle, for example, a combine or an implement carrier. 
   In this embodiment, the mowing arrangement  12  includes three mowing units  22 , in particular, a central, a left and a right mowing unit, where the left and the right units are located generally at the side of the vehicle  10 , Each mowing unit  22  includes a discharge opening  24  located such that the front mowing unit deposits a swath or windrow of crop centered along the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle, while the left and right mowing units respectively deposit swaths to the opposite sides of the vehicle. Each mowing unit  22  is preferably equipped with a processing unit not shown, for example, a rotary tine conditioner or a pair of cooperating conditioner rolls, and deposits the crop through each of the discharge openings  24  in a swath on the ground. With a vehicle  10  according to  FIG. 1 , three swaths are produced that extend parallel to each other, where the central swath is deposited on the ground between the wheels  26  of the vehicle  10 . While three mowing units  22  are provided in the drawing, two would be sufficient, of which one is located centrally on the vehicle  10  and the other is located to the side of the vehicle  10 , or both of which are located to the side of the vehicle  10 , or deposit the crop towards the side. 
   In addition to the pick-up  16  and the first conveyor  18 , the windrow merging implement  14  includes a connecting or hitch structure  28  and a carrier  30 . 
   The windrow merging implement  14  is configured in such a way that it can be fastened to the rear region of the vehicle  10 , particularly on its rear end, which has the advantage that the crop can be conveyed to the side without any obstruction. The embodiment shown includes a windrow merging implement  14  that is provided with a single pick-up  16  and first and second conveyors  18  and  20 , respectively. However this is shown only as an example; rather a windrow merging implement with two pick-ups  16  and several conveyors  18  and  20  or several windrow merging implements  14  could be provided. In general, the windrow merging implement  14  is required to take up crop that has been deposited on the ground by a mowing unit  22  and, if necessary, processed, and to convey it to the side to form swaths or windrows lying close alongside each other or swaths lying upon each other, so that a following pick-up, for example, on a forage harvester or a baler, can take up relatively large quantities of crop, if necessary, with a relatively narrow configuration. In this way, crop deposited on the ground by a side mowing unit  22  can be taken up and deposited either on or alongside the central swath or the opposite swath or deposited between these. These various swath arrangements are made possible by using the various merging implement arrangements shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3  through  6 . 
   In the embodiment shown, the windrow merging implement  14  is releasably attached by means of the connecting or hitch structure  28  directly to the chassis  50  of the vehicle  10  in a flange attachment. The connection could also be made 
   The pick-up  16  is configured in a form with tines circulating vertically. A pick-up belt arrangement or the like would also be possible. Crop is picked up at the front of the pick-up  16 , as seen in the forward operating direction, and discharged through an opening located in the rear. The pick-up  16  includes a transverse pick-up frame  32  supported at its opposite ends by caster wheels  34 . The carrier  30  is in the form of a transverse beam or arm that is attached at a transverse center location of the pick-up frame  32  by a bearing  36  configured as a pendulous bearing which contains a fore-and-aft extending, horizontal bearing axis, through which the pick-up frame  32 , and, hence, the pick-up  16  is connected to the carrier  30  so as to pivot vertically. In the preferred embodiment, the pick-up  16  is driven hydraulically by means, not shown. 
   The first conveyor  18  is connected to the frame  32  in such a way that its conveying surface extends horizontally or inclines slightly in the region of and underneath the path taken by crop discharged through the discharge opening of the pick-up  16 . A conveying surface can be formed by various components, for example, a conveyor belt, rolls, a drag chain, a bar chain, the surface of a chute or even by a screw conveyor. The essential requirement is the conveying. The conveyor  18  may be provided at its rear with a wall  38  extending vertically that prevents the crop delivered by the pick-up  16  from falling off the conveying surface. In the preferred embodiment, the conveyor  18  is driven hydraulically by means, not shown, preferably with a control arrangement, that makes it possible to operate in two directions. If necessary, the speed of the conveyor  18  and therewith its ejection distance may also be variable. 
   The further conveyor  20  that may be present is configured generally in the same way as the first conveyor  18  and is located in end-to-end relationship with the conveyor  18  so that its conveying surface follows that of the first conveyor  18  and can receive the crop coming from the upstream direction. The further conveyor  20  operates in the same direction and/or transports in the same direction as the first conveyor  18  and is preferably driven in the same way. The further conveyor  20  is fastened to the connecting or hitch structure  28 . The connection here may be rigid or may be movable, with such movement making it possible to utilize the further conveying by the further conveyor  20  or not to utilize it. If necessary the further conveyor  20  can be folded to the side or upward or downward, if it is not to be used. However, no repositioning arrangement is shown. The further conveyor  20  is located generally behind the vehicle  10 . 
   According to the preferred embodiment, the connecting or hitch structure  28  is provided with a vertical, transverse plate  40 , that is provided with several holes through which screws can be inserted for a connection to the running gear of the vehicle  10 . At right and left rear side locations of the plate  40  there is a large and a small joint fork  42  and  44 , respectively, each of which has a horizontal bearing axis. 
   The carrier  30  is generally configured as a tube with two legs, and is connected with one end to the large joint fork  42  and with the other end to the frame  32  in the bearing  36  so as to pivot vertically. The geometry of the carrier  30  is selected in such a way that the pick-up  16  can be inserted into the corner region bordered by the legs, when the carrier  30  is pivoted vertically upward. Near the lower end, which connects to the large joint fork  42 , the carrier  30  is provided with a connection  46 , that may be formed by two brackets or the like and is also provided with a horizontal bearing axis. All bearing axes extend parallel to each other and in the direction of operation. Between the connection  46  and the small joint fork  44 , a positioning arrangement  48  extends that is configured in the preferred embodiment as a double-acting hydraulic cylinder that can perform a vertical positioning movement of the carrier  30  about the fore-and-aft extending pivot axis defined by the pivotal connection of the carrier  30  at the large joint fork  42 . In place of the hydraulic cylinder  48 , a different hydraulic motor, a rope pull, a lever or the like could also be used. The joint forks  42 ,  44 , the carrier  30  and the frame  32  are arranged in such a way that the front edge of the pick-up  16  is always located behind the rear edge of the running gear and hence can be pivoted past its rear end. As shown in  FIG. 4 , the windrow merging implement  14  is located in a non-operating position behind the chassis  50  of the vehicle  10 . 
   In a modified embodiment, the carrier  30  could also engage underneath the pick-up  16  and the conveyor  18  and thereby place these two components to the right as well as the left of the chassis  50  shown. 
   As can be seen from  FIG. 2 , the pick-up  16  can be brought with the first conveyor  18  to a position shown to the side of the connecting or hitch structure  28  and on, or immediately above, the ground, in which both are located above the connecting or hitch structure  30  and, if necessary, above the further conveyor  20 . 
   The following will refer to the configurations shown in  FIGS. 3 through 6 , in which various embodiments or arrangements of the windrow merging implement  14  are shown. 
     FIG. 3  shows a windrow merging implement  14  with a pick-up  16  and a first conveyor  18 , both of which are located to the right of the running gear and thereby convey the crop taken up on the right side behind the vehicle  10  to its center. 
     FIG. 4  shows a windrow merging implement  14  behind the running gear, that takes up the crop between the wheels  26  and conveys it to the left or to the right. 
     FIG. 5  represents a mirror-image arrangement of  FIG. 3 , but with the second conveyor  20 , so that crop is taken up on the left side and conveyed to the center. 
   According to  FIG. 6 , two of the pick-ups  16  are provided on opposite sides of the vehicle  10  such that crop is taken up on both sides of the running gear and in each case conveyed behind the running gear to the center where it is deposited on a possible center swath. 
   These arrangements represent alternatives to the arrangement shown in  FIG. 1 , in which the crop taken up on the right side of the running gear is transported to a position to the left of it. 
   All of these arrangements permit a process of harvesting and merging or grouping windrows or swaths of cereal or other crop that is characterized by the following process steps:
         a) the crop is cut by the mowing arrangement  12  provided on the vehicle  10  and having at least two discharge openings  24 ,   b) the crop is deposited on the ground by the mowing arrangement  12 , and   c) the crop is taken up by the windrow merging implement  14  downstream of the location of the deposit and is conveyed to the side, alongside or onto a further swath.       

   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.