Corn header having an air flow generating cutting blade for an agricultural harvester

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10123482-B2
Application number	US-201615214926-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 20, 2016
Priority date	Jul 20, 2016
Publication date	Nov 13, 2018
Grant date	Nov 13, 2018

Abstract

A header for a combine harvester. The header includes a row unit that includes a pair of stalk rolls, a knife mount and a cutting blade. The knife mount is mounted to the row unit. The cutting blade is mounted to the knife mount and includes a leading cutting edge, and a tail end having a baffle configured to generate a flow of air, wherein the leading cutting edge is forward the tail end upon rotation of the knife mount.

First claim

We claim:

1. A header of a combine harvester comprising:
a row unit that includes a pair of stalk rolls;
a knife mount mounted to the row unit; and
a cutting blade mounted to the knife mount, the cutting blade having:
a leading cutting edge,
a tail end opposite the leading cutting edge, and
an upwardly directed portion extending from the tail end configured to generate a flow of air, wherein the leading cutting edge is forward the tail end upon rotation of the knife mount.

2. The header of claim 1 , wherein the knife mount is positioned directly below a row unit mounted to the frame.

3. The header of claim 1 , wherein the cutting blade includes a substantially planar main body having the leading cutting edge along a first side of the main body, the tail end along a second side of the main body opposite the first side, and wherein the upwardly directed portion extends substantially transverse from the main body.

4. The header of claim 3 , wherein the upwardly directed portion extends along an entire length of the second side of the main body.

5. The header of claim 1 , wherein the knife mount includes a vane for generating a flow of air.

6. The header of claim 5 , wherein the vane is attached to an outer surface of the knife mount for generating a flow of air in a generally upwardly direction.

7. The header of claim 1 , wherein the knife mount has a substantially frustoconical body.

8. The header of claim 7 , wherein the knife mount includes a vane mounted to the substantially frustoconical body.

9. The header of claim 5 , wherein a longitudinal edge of the vane is directly mounted to the knife mount.

10. The header of claim 5 , wherein the vane is a curved vane and/or a helical vane.

11. The header of claim 1 , wherein the upwardly directed portion is curved.

12. The header of claim 1 , wherein the cutting blade includes a plurality of upwardly directed portions.

13. The header of claim 12 , wherein each of the plurality of upwardly directed portions are spaced apart.

14. The header of claim 1 , wherein the upwardly directed portion extends along a top surface of the cutting blade along a substantially widthwise extent of the cutting blade that is transverse to a longitudinal axis of the cutting blade.

15. The header of claim 1 , wherein the upwardly directed portion extends along a top surface of the cutting blade in a curved direction in a substantially widthwise extent of the cutting blade that is transverse to a longitudinal axis of the cutting blade.

16. The header of claim 2 , wherein the knife mount is connected to a shaft assembly below and between the pair of stalk rolls.

17. The header of claim 16 , wherein the row unit further includes a gear box operatively connected to the shaft.

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Ricketts Jonathan
• Gessel James

Classifications

• A01D41/14

  Mowing tables · CPC title

• A01D45/021 Primary

  Cornheaders · CPC title

• A01D41/06

  Combines with headers · CPC title

• A01D63/04 Primary

  Non-rotating dividers · CPC title