Finger assembly for a feed drum conveyor of an agricultural harvesting head

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10212885-B2
Application number	US-201615297108-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 18, 2016
Priority date	Oct 18, 2016
Publication date	Feb 26, 2019
Grant date	Feb 26, 2019

Abstract

A finger support for the fingers of a rotating drum conveyor (e.g. feed drum) and agricultural harvesting head includes first and second finger supports with first and second ring portions fixed together to define a gap into which a third ring portion is received and supported.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A finger assembly for mounting on an offset shaft of a feed drum of an agricultural harvesting head comprises:
a first finger support including a first ring portion and a second ring portion, wherein both ring portions are configured to be supported and retained on the offset shaft for rotation about the offset shaft, and a first finger mount portion fixed to the first ring portion and the second ring portion and configured to support and retain a first finger; and
a second finger support including a third ring portion, wherein the third ring portion is configured to be supported and retained on the offset shaft for rotation about the offset shaft, and second finger mount portion fixed to the third ring portion and configured to support and retain a second finger;
wherein the first ring portion and the second ring portion are fixed together and define a gap (“G”) into which the third ring portion is received and supported,
wherein the first ring portion comprises:
a first ring half;
a second ring half joined to the first ring half by a first hinge;

wherein the second ring portion comprises:
a third ring half;
a fourth ring half joined to the third ring half by a second hinge coaxial with the first hinge and spaced from the first hinge by the gap;

wherein the first finger mount portion comprises:
a first finger mount half connecting the first ring half and the third ring half; and
a second finger mount half connecting the second ring half and the third ring half, wherein the first finger mount half and the second finger mount half cooperate to form a first aperture therebetween for receiving a first finger,

wherein the third ring portion extends through the gap between the first hinge and the second hinge, the third ring portion comprising:
a fifth ring half;
a sixth ring half cooperating with the fifth ring half to form an aperture to receive the offset shaft, wherein the fifth ring half and the sixth ring half are not hinged together;

wherein the second finger mount portion comprises:
a third finger mount half extending from the fifth ring half;
a fourth finger mount half extending from the sixth ring half, wherein the third finger mount half and the fourth finger mount half cooperate to form a second aperture therebetween for receiving a second finger.

2. The finger assembly of claim 1 further comprising the first finger and the second finger.

3. The finger assembly of claim 1 wherein the gap (“G”) retains the third ring portion yet also permits the third ring portion to pivot about the axis of the offset shaft with respect to the first ring portion and the second ring portion.

4. The finger assembly of claim 2 , wherein the first finger support further includes a retainer and fastener arrangement that hold the first finger support to the offset shaft and retain the finger on the first finger support.

5. The finger assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second finger support further includes a retainer and fastener that hold the second finger support to the offset shaft and retain the finger on the second finger support.

6. The finger assembly of claim 1 wherein the first finger support and the second finger support are comprised of plastic.

7. The finger assembly of claim 5 , wherein the two halves of the first finger support are comprised of plastic and wherein the hinge comprises a steel pin.

8. The finger assembly of claim 4 , wherein half of the first ring portion and half of the second ring portion are provided on each half of the first finger support.

9. The finger assembly of claim 5 , wherein half of the third ring portion is provided on each half of the second finger support.

10. The finger assembly of claim 2 , wherein the first finger support and the second finger support are aligned to hold the first finger and the second finger in a common plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the offset shaft in all possible rotational positions of the two fingers with respect to the offset shaft.

11. The finger assembly of claim 1 further comprising:
a retainer ring encircling the first finger mount half and the second finger mount half; and
a pin passing through the first finger mount half, through the second finger mount half, through the first finger and through opposite sides of the retainer ring.

12. The finger assembly of claim 11 further comprising:
a second retainer ring encircling the third finger mount half and the second finger mount half; and
a second pin passing through the third finger mount half, through the fourth finger mount half, through the second finger and through opposite sides of the second retainer ring.

13. The finger assembly of claim 12 further comprising:
a first curved web portion spanning between the first ring half and the third ring half, between the first finger mount half and the first and second hinges; and
a second curved web portion spanning the second ring half and the fourth ring half, between the second finger mount half and the first and second hinges, wherein the first curved web portion and the second curved web portion partially enclose the second finger mount portion such that the second mount portion is to be sandwiched between the first curved web portion and the offset shaft and sandwiched between the second curved web portion and the offset shaft.

14. A finger assembly for mounting on an offset shaft of a feed drum of an agricultural harvesting head, the finger assembly comprising:
a first ring portion comprising:
a first ring half;
a second ring half joined to the first ring half by a first hinge;

a second ring portion comprising:
a third ring half;
a fourth ring half joined to the third ring half by a second hinge coaxial with the first hinge and spaced from the first hinge by a gap;

a first finger mount half connecting the first ring half and the third ring half;
a second finger mount half connecting the second ring half and the third ring half, wherein the first finger mount half and the second finger mount half cooperate to form a first aperture therebetween for receiving a first finger;
a third ring portion extending through the gap between the first hinge and the second hinge, the third ring portion comprising:
a fifth ring half;
a sixth ring half cooperating with the fifth ring half to form an aperture to receive the offset shaft, wherein the fifth ring half and the sixth ring half are not hinged together; and
a third finger mount half extending from the fifth ring half;
a second finger mount half extending from the sixth ring half, wherein the third finger mount half and the fourth finger mount half cooperate to form a second therebetween for receiving a second finger.

15. The finger assembly of claim 14 further comprising the first finger and the second finger.

16. The finger assembly of claim 15 further comprising:
a retainer ring encircling the first finger mount half and the second finger mount half; and
a pin passing through the first finger mount half, through the second finger mount half, through the first finger and through opposite sides of the retainer ring.

17. The finger assembly of claim 16 further comprising:
a second retainer ring encircling the third finger mount half and the second finger mount half; and
a second pin passing through the third finger mount half, through the fourth finger mount half, through the second finger and through opposite sides of the second retainer ring.

18. The finger assembly of claim 17 further comprising:
a first curved web portion sp

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Mossman Michael W

Classifications

• A01D61/008

  for longitudinal conveying, especially for combines · CPC title

• A01D57/02 Primary

  using reels · CPC title

• A01D41/16 Primary

  Devices for coupling mowing tables to conveyors · CPC title

• A01D41/14

  Mowing tables · CPC title

• A01D2101/00

  Lawn-mowers · CPC title