Harvester head draper belt tracking

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10264728-B2
Application number	US-201715626063-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 16, 2017
Priority date	Jun 16, 2017
Publication date	Apr 23, 2019
Grant date	Apr 23, 2019

Abstract

A harvester head may include a frame, a roller configured to support a draper belt and at least one tracking correction arm. The roller has a rotational axis and is pivotably supported by the frame about at least one pivot axis nonparallel to the rotational axis. The at least one tracking correction arm is coupled to the roller and may include a first belt bump stop and a second belt bump stop. The first and second belt bump stops contact portions of the draper belt such that mistracking of the draper belt relative to the roller pivots the roller about the pivot axis until the draper belt is automatically moved back into a tracking relationship with the roller.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A harvester head comprising:
a frame;
a roller having a rotational axis and pivotably supported by the frame about at least one pivot axis nonparallel to the rotational axis, the roller configured to support a draper belt;
at least one tracking correction arm coupled to the roller, the at least one tracking correction arm comprising a first belt bump stop to contact a first portion of the draper belt and a second belt bump stop to contact a second portion of the draper belt such that mistracking of the draper belt relative to the roller pivots the roller about the pivot axis until the draper belt is automatically moved back into a tracking relationship with the roller;
a load bar rotatably supporting the roller about the rotational axis, wherein the load bar is pivotable about the pivot axis, wherein the load bar comprises a slot, wherein the pivot axis is translatable within the slot.

2. The harvester head of claim 1 further comprising a tensioning arm movably supported by the frame and coupled to the roller to translate the roller to adjust the tension of the draper belt, wherein the pivot axis moves within the slot in response to movement of the tensioning arm.

3. The harvester head of claim 2 , wherein the tensioning arm carries the least one tracking correction arm.

4. The harvester head of claim 3 , wherein the tensioning arm is pivotably fixed relative to the frame at a first end and is pivotable and translatable relative to the frame at a second opposite end.

5. The harvester head of claim 1 , wherein the load bar interacts with the frame to limit pivotal movement of the load bar about the pivot axis.

6. The harvester head of claim 1 , wherein the first belt bump stop and the second belt bump stop comprise rotatable bushings.

7. The harvester head of claim 1 , wherein the first belt bump stop and the second belt bump stop are spaced so as to face opposite edges of the draper belt.

8. The harvester head of claim 1 further comprising a tensioning arm movably supported by the frame and coupled to the roller to translate the roller to adjust the tension of the draper belt.

9. The harvester head of claim 8 , wherein the tensioning arm carries the at least one tracking correction arm and is pivotally coupled to the roller about the at least one pivot axis.

10. The harvester head of claim 8 , wherein the tensioning arm is pivotably fixed relative to the frame at a first end and is pivotable and translatable relative to the frame at a second opposite end.

11. The harvester head of claim 1 further comprising the draper belt.

12. A method comprising:
wrapping a draper belt about a roller having a rotational axis;
pivoting the roller in a first direction about a pivot axis nonparallel to the rotational axis in response to a mistracking draper belt that is mistracking relative to the roller; and
using force of the mistracking draper belt to pivot the roller in a second direction, opposite the first direction, and automatically move the draper belt back towards tracking with the roller; and
translating the roller in a third direction perpendicular to the rotational axis to adjust the tension of the draper belt.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising coupling the roller to an edge of the draper belt such that movement of the draper belt during mistracking pivots the roller about the pivot axis.

14. A harvester head comprising:
a draper belt;
a first roller supporting a first end of the draper belt, the first roller having a first rotational axis and pivotably supported by the frame about a first pivot axis nonparallel to the first rotational axis;
at least one first tracking correction arm coupled to the roller, the at least one tracking correction arm comprising a first belt bump stop to contact a first portion of the draper belt and a second belt bump stop to contact a second portion of the draper belt such that mistracking of the draper belt relative to the roller pivots the roller about the pivot axis until the first end of the draper belt is automatically moved back into a tracking relationship with the roller;
a second roller supporting a second end of the draper belt, the second roller having a second rotational axis and pivotably supported by the frame about a second pivot axis nonparallel to the second rotational axis, the second roller being translatable relative to the first roller to adjust a tension of the draper belt;
at least one second tracking correction arm coupled to the second roller, the at least one tracking correction arm comprising a third belt bump stop to contact a third portion of the draper belt and a fourth belt bump stop to contact a fourth portion of the draper belt such that mistracking of the draper belt relative to the second roller pivots the second roller about the second pivot axis until the second end of the draper belt is automatically moved back into a tracking relationship with the second roller.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising:
rotatably supporting the roller about a rotational axis with a load bar which pivots about the pivot axis; and
translating the pivot axis within a slot of the load bar during translation of the load bar to adjust a tension of the draper belt.

16. The harvester head of claim 14 further comprising a load bar rotatably supporting the first roller about the first rotational axis, the load bar being pivotable about the first pivot axis, wherein the first pivot axis passes through an elongated slot within the load bar and is translatable within the elongated slot during translation of the first roller to adjust a tension of the draper belt.

17. The harvester head of claim 16 further comprising a tensioning arm movably supported by the frame and coupled to the roller to translate the roller to adjust the tension of the draper belt, wherein the pivot axis moves within the slot in response to movement of the tensioning arm.

18. The harvester head of claim 17 , wherein the tensioning arm carries the least one tracking correction arm.

19. The harvester head of claim 17 , wherein the tensioning arm is pivotally connected to the load bar by a pin extending through the slot in forming the pivot axis, the harvester head further comprising a translator pivotably connected to an end of the tensioning arm, the translator to linearly translate the end of the tensioning arm to pivot the tensioning arm and translate the pin within the slot to translate the load bar to adjust a tension of the draper belt.

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Brimeyer Alex A

Classifications

• A01D61/02 Primary

  Endless belts · CPC title

• A01D57/12

  Rotating rakes · CPC title

• A01D41/14 Primary

  Mowing tables · CPC title

• A01D57/20 Primary

  with conveyor belts · CPC title

• B65G39/16

  for aligning belts or chains · CPC title