Work vehicle with wheel/track crop swath avoidance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10356980-B2
Application number	US-201715665182-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 31, 2017
Priority date	Oct 28, 2016
Publication date	Jul 23, 2019
Grant date	Jul 23, 2019

Abstract

A work vehicle for working a swath of crop has at least one ground-engaging wheel or track mounted to the work vehicle and movable in a travel direction along a tread path. A first redistribution device is mounted to the work vehicle to move crop that is ahead of the at least one ground-engaging wheel or track relative to the travel direction. A second redistribution device is mounted to the work vehicle to move crop that is behind the at least one ground-engaging wheel or track relative to the travel direction. The first redistribution device is configured to open the swath of crop along substantially only the tread path ahead of the at least one ground-engaging wheel or track relative to the travel direction, and the second redistribution device is configured to close the swath of crop along the tread path behind the at least one ground-engaging wheel or track relative to the travel direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A work vehicle for working a swath of crop, comprising:
a front ground-engaging wheel or track mounted to the work vehicle and a rear ground-engaging wheel or track mounted to the work vehicle, the front and rear ground-engaging wheels or tracks being movable in a travel direction along a tread path;
a parting device mounted to the work vehicle to move crop that is ahead of the front ground-engaging wheel or track relative to the travel direction; and
a converging device mounted to the work vehicle to move crop that is behind the rear ground-engaging wheel or track relative to the travel direction;
wherein the parting device opens the swath of crop along substantially only the tread path ahead of the front ground-engaging wheel or track relative to the travel direction and the converging device closes the swath of crop along the tread path behind the rear ground-engaging wheel or track relative to the travel direction.

2. The work vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the parting device is a part of a cutting head mounted to the work vehicle ahead of the front ground-engaging wheel or track relative to the travel direction; and
wherein the swath of crop is cut by the cutting head.

3. The work vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the swath of crop cut by the cutting head extends in a transverse direction perpendicular to the travel direction beyond lateral sides of the work vehicle.

4. The work vehicle of claim 2 , wherein each of the parting device and the converging device includes at least one of a rake, a brush, a belt, a tine, a drum, a cutting disk, and an air-mover.

5. The work vehicle of claim 1 , further including an auxiliary parting device mounted to the work vehicle;
wherein the auxiliary parting device is configured to open the swath of crop along a follower tread path for at least one ground-engaging wheel or track of a follower work vehicle.

6. The work vehicle of claim 1 , further including:
a second front wheel or track and a second rear wheel or track;
wherein the second front wheel or track and the second rear wheel or track are mounted to the work vehicle to be aligned along a second tread path in the travel direction spaced from the tread path and to be aligned with the front wheel or track and the rear wheel or track, respectively, in a transverse direction perpendicular to the travel direction.

7. The work vehicle of claim 6 , further including:
a second parting device mounted to the work vehicle to move crop that is ahead of the second front wheel or track relative to the travel direction and a second converging device mounted to the work vehicle to move crop that is behind the second rear wheel or track relative to the travel direction;
wherein the second parting device opens the swath of crop along substantially only the second tread path ahead of the second front wheel or track relative to the travel direction and the second converging device closes the swath of crop along the second tread path behind the second rear wheel or track relative to the travel direction.

8. The work vehicle of claim 7 , further including a set of auxiliary parting devices mounted to the work vehicle;
wherein the set of auxiliary parting devices is configured to open the swath of crop along substantially only parallel follower tread paths that are spaced apart in a transverse direction perpendicular to the travel direction to correspond to a wheel base of a set of ground-engaging wheels or tracks of a follower work vehicle.

9. The work vehicle of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the follower tread paths is offset from at least one of the tread path and the second wheel or track in the transverse direction perpendicular to the travel direction.

10. The work vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the follower work vehicle is not physically coupled to the work vehicle to which the auxiliary parting device is mounted.

11. The work vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the follower work vehicle is not physically coupled to the work vehicle to which the auxiliary parting devices are mounted.

12. A work vehicle for working a swath of crop, comprising:
a pair of front ground-engaging wheels or tracks mounted to the work vehicle and movable in a travel direction along parallel tread paths and a pair of rear ground-engaging wheels or tracks mounted to the work vehicle to be movable in the travel direction along the tread paths;
a pair of parting devices mounted to the work vehicle to move crop that is ahead of the front ground-engaging wheels or tracks relative to the travel direction; and
a pair of converging devices mounted to the work vehicle to move crop that is behind the rear ground-engaging wheels or tracks relative to the travel direction;
wherein the parting devices open the swath of crop along substantially only the tread paths ahead of the front ground-engaging wheels or tracks relative to the travel direction and the converging devices close the swath of crop along the tread paths behind the rear ground-engaging wheels or tracks relative to the travel direction.

13. The work vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the parting devices are a part of a cutting head mounted to the work vehicle ahead of the front ground-engaging wheels or tracks relative to the travel direction; and
wherein the swath of crop is cut by the cutting head.

14. The work vehicle of claim 12 , wherein each of the parting device and the converging device includes at least one of a rake, a brush, a belt, a tine, a drum, a cutting disk, and an air-mover.

15. The work vehicle of claim 12 , further including a set of auxiliary parting devices mounted to the work vehicle;
wherein the set of auxiliary parting devices is configured to open the swath of crop along substantially only parallel follower tread paths that are spaced apart in a transverse direction perpendicular to the travel direction to correspond to a wheel base of a set of ground-engaging wheels or tracks of a follower work vehicle.

16. The work vehicle of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the follower tread paths is offset from at least one of the tread path and the second wheel in the transverse direction perpendicular to the travel direction.

17. The work vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the follower work vehicle is not physically coupled to the work vehicle to which the auxiliary parting devices are mounted.

18. A work vehicle train for working a swath of crop, comprising:
a lead work vehicle, including:
a front ground-engaging wheel or track mounted to the lead work vehicle and a rear ground-engaging wheel or track mounted to the lead work vehicle, the front and rear ground-engaging wheels or tracks being movable in a travel direction along a lead tread path;
a parting device mounted to the lead work vehicle to move crop that is ahead of the front ground-engaging wheel or track of the lead work vehicle relative to the travel direction; and
a converging device mounted to the lead work vehicle to move crop that is behind the rear ground-engaging wheel or track of the lead work vehicle relative to the travel direction;
wherein the parting device opens the swath of crop along substantially only the lead tread path ahead of the front ground-engaging wheel or track of the lead work vehicle relative to the travel direction and the converging device closes the swath of crop along the lead tread path behind the rear ground-engaging wheel or track of the lead work vehicle relative to the travel direction;

a follower work vehicle including at least one ground-engaging wheel or track mounted to the follower work vehicle and movable

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Rotole David V
• Hill Kellen B
• Graeve Joshua D
• Stephenson Roger D
• Parsons Stephen K

Classifications

• A01F12/46

  Mechanical grain conveyors · CPC title

• A01D45/30

  of grass-seeds or like seeds · CPC title

• A01D41/1243 Primary

  Devices for laying-out or distributing the straw · CPC title

• A01D47/00

  Headers {for topping of plants, e.g. stalks with ears} · CPC title

• A01F12/40

  Arrangements of straw crushers or cutters · CPC title