Corn harvester with tall corn attachment and associated methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10159188-B2
Application number	US-201615249321-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 26, 2016
Priority date	Aug 26, 2016
Publication date	Dec 25, 2018
Grant date	Dec 25, 2018

Abstract

A corn harvester that includes a corn head including a plurality of dividers. Each divider includes a top surface, first and second side surfaces, a proximal end and a distal end. One of the first or second side surfaces includes a recessed area formed therein. The corn harvester includes a tall corn attachment mounted to the hood and configured to be positioned in a stored position or a working position. In the stored position, the tall corn attachment is received within the recessed area of the hood. In the working position, the tall corn attachment extends from the top surface of the hood. The tall corn attachment includes a latching mechanism for locking the tall corn attachment in the stored position or the working position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A corn harvester, comprising:
a corn head including a plurality of dividers, each divider including a hood with a top surface, first and second side surfaces, a proximal end and a distal end, one of the first or second side surfaces including a recessed area formed therein, each hood comprising a central longitudinal axis; and
a tall corn attachment mounted to the hood and comprising a bottom surface, the tall corn attachment configured to pivot along a pivot axis extending substantially parallel to the bottom surface of the tall corn attachment and substantially aligned with the central longitudinal axis of the hood to be positioned in a stored position or a working position, wherein in the stored position the tall corn attachment is received within the recessed area of the hood, and wherein in the working position the tall corn attachment extends from the top surface of the hood;
wherein the tall corn attachment includes a latching mechanism for locking the tall corn attachment in the stored position or the working position.

2. The corn harvester of claim 1 , wherein the recessed area of the hood is complementary to the configuration of the tall corn attachment.

3. The corn harvester of claim 1 , wherein the recessed area of the hood includes a planar side wall offset from the central longitudinal axis of the hood and extending between the proximal and distal ends of the hood, and a front planar wall located near the distal end of the hood.

4. The corn harvester of claim 3 , wherein in the working position, the tall corn attachment is aligned with the central longitudinal axis of the hood.

5. The corn harvester of claim 3 , comprising a support flange mounted on the hood and located near the proximal end of the hood, the support flange including an aperture formed therein.

6. The corn harvester of claim 5 , wherein the latching mechanism comprises a pivot pin extending from a distal end of the tall corn attachment and a pin extending from a proximal end of the tall corn attachment.

7. The corn harvester of claim 6 , wherein the pivot pin extending from the distal end of the tall corn attachment is configured to be received in an aperture formed in the front planar wall of the recessed area of the hood to define a distal pivot point, and the pin extending from the proximal end of the tall corn attachment is configured to be received in the aperture of the support flange to define a proximal pivot point, the distal and proximal pivot points extending along the pivot axis.

8. The corn harvester of claim 1 , wherein the tall corn attachment is detachably mounted to the hood.

9. The corn harvester of claim 1 , wherein the tall corn attachment includes a leading edge extending between a proximal end and a distal end of the tall corn attachment, a base, and first and second side surfaces.

10. The corn harvester of claim 9 , wherein the leading edge defines a curved surface tapering from a first width at the distal end to a second width at the proximal end, the first width being dimensioned greater than the second width.

11. The corn harvester of claim 9 , wherein each of the first and second side surfaces tapers outwardly from the leading edge to the base.

12. The corn harvester of claim 9 , wherein each of the first and second side surfaces includes one or more indented louvers formed therein.

13. The corn harvester of claim 5 , wherein a proximal end of the tall corn attachment is rotatably mounted to the support flange of the hood in a non-detachable manner, and the distal end of the tall corn attachment is rotatably mounted to the front planar wall of the recessed area of the hood in a non-detachable manner.

14. The corn harvester of claim 1 , wherein the pivot axis of the tall corn attachment is offset from the bottom surface of the tall corn attachment, and the tall corn attachment further comprises a proximal leading edge portion and a distal leading edge portion connected by a rounded leading edge top portion.

15. The corn harvester of claim 14 , wherein the proximal leading edge portion and the distal leading edge portion extend at angles relative to the pivot axis, the angle of the proximal leading edge portion being greater than the angle of the distal leading edge portion.

16. The corn harvester of claim 14 , wherein the tall corn attachment includes a groove formed offset from and extending parallel to the proximal leading edge, the groove being configured and dimensioned to receive at least a portion of a hand of a user.

17. A corn harvester divider, comprising:
a hood with a central longitudinal axis, a top surface, first and second side surfaces, a proximal end and a distal end, one of the first or second side surfaces including a recessed area formed therein; and
a tall corn attachment mounted to the hood and comprising a bottom surface, the tall corn attachment configured to pivot along a pivot axis extending substantially parallel to the bottom surface of the tall corn attachment and substantially aligned with the central longitudinal axis of the hood to be positioned in a stored position or a working position, wherein in the stored position the tall corn attachment is received within the recessed area of the hood, and wherein in the working position the tall corn attachment extends from the top surface of the hood;
wherein the tall corn attachment includes a latching mechanism for locking the tall corn attachment in the stored position or the working position.

18. A method of operating a corn harvester, comprising:
providing a corn head including a plurality of dividers, each divider including a hood with a top surface, first and second side surfaces, a proximal end and a distal end, one of the first or second side surfaces including a recessed area formed therein, each hood comprising a central longitudinal axis;
mounting a tall corn attachment to the hood, the tall corn attachment comprising a bottom surface;
rotating the tall corn attachment about a pivot axis extending substantially parallel to the bottom surface of the tall corn attachment and substantially aligned with the central longitudinal axis of the hood to position the tall corn attachment in a stored position, wherein in the stored position the tall corn attachment is received within the recessed area of the hood; and
rotating the tall corn attachment about the pivot axis to position the tall corn attachment in a working position, wherein in the working position the tall corn attachment extends from the top surface of the hood;
wherein the tall corn attachment includes a latching mechanism for locking the tall corn attachment in the stored position or the working position.

19. The method of claim 18 , comprising detaching the tall corn attachment from the hood prior to positioning the tall corn attachment in the stored position.

20. The method of claim 18 , comprising rotating the tall corn attachment between the working position and the stored position along the pivot axis in a non-detachable manner relative to the hood.

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Gessel James Michael
• Walker Eric L
• Berggren Michael Lee
• Crow Brian Patrick

Classifications

• A01D45/021

  Cornheaders · CPC title

• A01D63/04 Primary

  Non-rotating dividers · CPC title