Patent Document

This invention relates to a crop harvesting header of the type including a reel and particularly to an arrangement for adjusting the fore and aft position of the reel on the reel support arms. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The conventional harvesting header comprises a frame for mounting on a crop harvesting machine for movement across ground carrying a crop to be harvested, the frame defining a working width of the header, a table mounted on the frame across the width of the header for receiving the crop when cut for transportation along the header, a cutting knife along a front edge of the table for cutting the crop and a reel mounted above the knife and the table for controlling the crop as it moves onto the table. The reel comprises a main elongate support beam and a plurality of bats at angularly spaced positions around the main beam. A pair of support arms carried on the frame and extending forwardly therefrom support the beam at a forward end of the arms. 
     A reel of this type is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,776,155 and related U.S. Pat. No. 4,752,809 both of which are assigned to the present assignee. The second of the above patents is particularly directed to the bat angle adjustment system which controls the angle of the bats as they rotate about the main longitudinal axis of the beam so as to maintain an angle of the bats relative to a vertical plane through the bat substantially constant as the bats move through the region adjacent the cutting knife. A further arrangement for adjustment of the reel in the field is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,768,870 also of the present assignee. 
     It is well known, as shown in the last of these patents that the reel is adjustable so as to vary the height of the reel by pivoting the support arms about their point of connection to the frame. Furthermore the position of the reel along the length of the support arms is adjustable so as to move the reel and particularly the bats forwardly and rearwardly relative to the cutting knife for different crop conditions. 
     Some headers include hydraulic cylinders provided at the support arms for actuating fore and aft sliding movement of the reel along the arms. However this expense is not always justifiable and hence may purchasers elect to have a header in which the position of the reel is adjusted manually. The reel is mounted on the arms by a slide member which rests over a top surface of the respective arm and can be moved manually fore and aft to effect the necessary adjustment. The top surface of the arm has a plurality of longitudinally spaced holes so that when the adjustment position has been selected, the operator can fasten the slide member to the top surface of the arm by one or more preferably two bolts through bolt holes in the slide member and selected ones of the plurality of holes in the arm. 
     While this adjustment technique is inexpensive, it requires considerable physical effort and there is no assist available in a situation where binding or jamming is occurring thus yet further increasing the force necessary to effect the movement. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is one object of the present invention to provide an improved header which allows the fore and aft position of the header on the support arms to be adjusted while avoiding the cost and complexity of hydraulic adjustment cylinders. 
     According to the invention there is provided a crop harvesting header comprising: 
     a frame for mounting on a crop harvesting machine for movement across ground carrying a crop to be harvested, the frame defining a working width of the header; 
     a table mounted on the frame across the width of the header for receiving the crop when cut for transportation along the header; 
     a cutting knife along a front edge of the table for cutting the crop; 
     and a reel comprising: 
     a rotatable main elongate beam extending along the header generally parallel to the cutting knife; 
     a plurality of elongate bats mounted at angularly spaced positions around the main elongate beam for rotation therewith; 
     at least two reel support arms spaced along the width of the frame, each having a rear end mounted on the frame for vertical pivotal movement providing adjustment for raising and lowering the reel relative to the cutting knife and a forward end for supporting the main elongate beam; 
     the main beam being mounted on beam support members each carried on a respective one of the support arms for rotation of the beam relative to the support members about a main longitudinal axis thereof; 
     the beam support members being mounted on the support arms for sliding adjustment movement forwardly and rearwardly on the support arms so as to adjust the horizontal position of the beam relative to the cutting knife; 
     each support arm having a wall thereof with a plurality of longitudinally spaced holes therein; 
     and each beam support member having a sprocket mounted thereon which is rotatable about an axis on the beam support member, the sprocket having a plurality of sprocket teeth thereon for cooperating with the holes in the wall of the respective support arm such that rotation of the sprocket acts to drive the beam support member along the respective support arm. 
     Preferably the sprocket is arranged to be rotatable by manual operation of a lever for manual adjustment of the position of the reel. 
     Preferably the sprocket carries a nut operable by a wrench. 
     Preferably the beam support member includes an engagement wall having a surface arranged to slide along a cooperating surface of the wall of the support arm. 
     Preferably the engagement wall has at least one hole therein by which the engagement wall can be bolted to a selected one of the holes in the wall of the support arm. 
     Preferably the wall of the support arm is a top wall on which the beam support member rests. 
     Preferably the support arm is a channel member defining a top wall and two depending side walls and wherein the sprocket is mounted within the channel member. 
     Preferably the support arm includes a top wall on which the beam support member rests, wherein the sprocket is mounted on a mounting member attached to the beam support member and wherein the mounting member is located underneath the top wall in engagement with a bottom surface thereof to prevent lifting of the beam support member away from the support arm. 
     Preferably the sprocket is mounted on a mounting member attached to the beam support member and wherein the mounting member is located underneath the top wall in engagement with a bottom surface thereof to prevent lifting of the beam support member away from the support arm. 
     Preferably the support arm is a channel member defining the top wall and two depending side walls and wherein the sprocket and the mounting member are mounted within the channel member. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     One embodiment of the invention will now be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of the header according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a partial side elevational view similar to that of FIG. 1 showing the clamping bolt removed and a wrench in place effecting adjustment movement of the beam support member. 
     FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the parts shown in FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view along the lines  4 — 4  of FIG.  2 . 
     In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     FIG. 1 shows schematically the general layout of the header according to the present invention. Thus the header comprises a main frame generally indicated at  10  including a main longitudinal beam  10 A which extends across the full width of the frame and defines the width of the header. The frame further includes a table  11  which is mounted downwardly and forwardly of the main beam  10 A and supported on the main beam by a plurality of braces  12 . On top of the table  11  is mounted a draper or other conveyor  13  which carries the cut crop material along the header for discharge. At the front of the table is provided a knife support bracket  14  in the form of a generally U-shaped channel facing forwardly of the table. On the bracket  14  is mounted a sickle knife  15  which extends across the full width of the table and acts to cut a standing crop as the header is moved across the ground carrying the crop. A reel  16  is mounted on arm  17 . 
     The construction of the reel is substantially the same as that shown and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,776,155 and 5,768,870 of the present Assignees. However the reel can vary in design and is well known to one skilled in the art and therefore will not be described in full detail. 
     The reel comprises a main elongate beam  30  in the form of a cylindrical tube which is mounted on suitable bearings (not shown) so as to allow rotation of the beam  30  about a main longitudinal axis  32  of the beam. The beam carries a plurality of star shaped support elements (not shown) at spaced positions along the length of the beam with each support element having a number of arms equal to a number of bats  34  carried by the main beam  30 . Each bat includes a support shaft  35  which is mounted in a bearing at the end of a respective arms. On the shaft is mounted a bat comprising an elongate body which supports a number of fingers  36  at longitudinally spaced positions along the length of the bat which project from the bat generally outwardly away from the axis  32 . 
     The bat shafts  35  and their longitudinal axis thus rotate about the axis  32 . At the same time each bat pivots about its respective shaft  35  so as to provide a variation in the angle of the fingers  36  relative to an axial plane joining the axis  32  and the shaft  35 . The intention in the movement is maintain the bat fingers mutually parallel at least as they move through the working zone in which they contact the crop and more preferably throughout the full rotation around the reel axis. In order to achieve this, it is of course necessary that the bat fingers constantly adjust in angle relative to the axial plane passing through the respective bat axis. 
     The arms  17  are mounted for pivotal movement about a mounting pin  21  carried on a lug  20  welded to the top of the beam  10 A. The arms  17  can be raised and lowered by hydraulic cylinders  17 A operating between the underside of the arm and a front side of the support  12 . 
     Each of the arms includes a rear portion  17 B which extends upwardly and outwardly to a top apex  17 C and a second portion  17 D which extends downwardly and forwardly to a forwardmost end  17 E. The portions  17 B and the rear part of the portion  17 D is formed of a tubular member. A forward part of the portion  17 D is defined by a angle iron including a top wall  50  and a depending side wall  51 . A part of the side wall may include a flange at the bottom end to provide a stiffening effect for structural strength. 
     The shaft  30  is carried upon two beam support members  53  each carried on the respective arm  17 . The beam support member  53  comprises a horizontal plate  54  which can slide across and rest upon the upper surface of the top wall  50 . The plate  54  has a hole  55  by which the plate can be bolted to the top wall  50 . For this purpose the top wall  50  has a plurality of square holes  56  at longitudinally spaced positions along its length from a first one of the holes  56 A to a last one of the holes  56 B. This allows the position of the plate to be moved from a forwardmost position where its edge  54 A aligns roughly with an edge  50 A of the top wall  50  of the arm to a rearward position in which a rear edge  54 B of the plate reaches the location indicated at  50 B just beyond the hole  56 B. Fore and aft movement of the support member therefore effects fore and aft movement of the beam of the reel between the required adjustment positions for required operation of the header. 
     The beam support member  53  further includes a downwardly depending front plate  57 . This plate is parallel to the front side wall  51  of the channel of the support arm and may be in contact with that wall as shown in FIG. 4 or it may be spaced forwardly from that wall. The front plate  57  includes a bottom portion  58  which extends to a position below the bottom edge  51 A of the side wall  51  so that a portion is exposed below. 
     The support member  53  is shown only schematically and may further include a mounting for the bearings of the shaft and for the operating elements of the reel which are not described herein as they are not relevant to the particular structure with which the present invention is concerned and since they are well known to or can be found by a person skilled in the art from the previously described patents and from products available in the marketplace. 
     The bottom portion  58  of the plate  57  which extends below the bottom edge of the wall  51  carries a pair of rearwardly projecting mounting elements  59  each of which extends beyond the wall  51  to a mounting member  60  in the form of a vertical plate. The plate extends upwardly from the support brackets  59  to a top edge  61  which is located immediately adjacent or in contact with the bottom surface of the top wall  50 . The plate  60  has two ends  60 A,  60 B and a center section  60 C bent into a vertical plane parallel to but spaced from the ends with the center section located just to one side of the holes  56 . The bent portions  60 D of the plate  60  effect stiffening of the plate. The brackets  59  comprise a pair of bolts with spacer sleeves surrounding the bolts thus clamping the plate  60  rigidly to the front plate  57  and holding it in fixed parallel position relative to the plate  57 . 
     A sprocket  63  is mounted on a spindle  64  at the plate portion  60 C so that the sprocket lies in a plane parallel to the plate  60  with the spindle  64  extending at right angles to the plate  60  and rearwardly therefrom away from the side walls  51  of the arm. The sprocket is thus mounted for rotation about the axis of the spindle  64 . The sprocket has on its outer periphery a plurality of sprocket teeth  65  which are arranged at a spacing so as to match the spacing of the holes  56  in the top wall  50 . 
     The sprocket  63  carries on its exposed face a nut  65  which can be grasped by a wrench  66  engaged onto the nut from behind. The wrench is thus operated in movement back and forth so as to effect rotation of the nut  65  thus driving rotation of the sprocket  63 . 
     As the sprocket is fixed to the plate  60  which is attached to the beam support member  53 , rotation of the sprocket causes the teeth to grasp each hole  56  in turn and thus to drive the sprocket longitudinally along the wall  50 . 
     An operator therefore using the wrench can manually quickly move the support member  53  to a required position along the length of the support arm. When the support member  53  is moved to the required position and the hole  55  in the plate  54  is suitably aligned with a selected one of the holes  56 , the wrench is removed and a bolt  70  inserted in place through the hole  55  and the selected hole  56 . The bolt  70  thus ensures that the beam support member  53  is maintained in its fixed position at the required location along the support arm. If further adjustment is required, the bolt  70  is removed and the sprocket actuated by the wrench  66  to move again to the required position. 
     The use of the sprocket ensures that the beam support member can be moved despite any binding or resistance due to the mechanical advantage obtained by the wrench  66 . 
     The sprocket is protected in its location behind the plate  52  and underneath the plate  50  of the arm so that it is not exposed to view nor to damage nor to contamination. The sprocket co-operates with existing locating holes in the support arm and therefore the additional elements necessary for this mechanical adjustment system are relatively limited. 
     Furthermore, the mounting plate  60  which is located underneath the arm member and adjacent or in abutment with the top wall  50  is rigidly attached to the support member  57  and thus prevents the support member from lifting away from the top surface of the wall  50  due to changes in torque in the reel or due to shock loading over bumpy ground. It is possible therefore to use only a single bolt  70  holding the plate  54  onto the top wall  50  so that the adjustment and locking can be effected quickly and easily without the danger that the plate will be twisted or the bolt broken by the tendency of the rear edge of the plate  54  to lift away from the top wall  50 . 
     While the preferred embodiment is described above, the sprocket can be rotated by other manually operable tools such as a ratchet lever permanently attached thereto. The use of a wrench or a nut is not therefore essential to the invention. 
     In some arrangements, the use of the bolt  70  to connect the plate  54  to the arm may be omitted and in some cases may be replaced by other fastening techniques. 
     Since various modifications can be made in my invention as herein above described, and many apparently widely different embodiments of same made within the spirit and scope of the claims without departing from such spirit and scope, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

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