Rotatable coupler for a reel arm of a reel header

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10477765-B2
Application number	US-201715710523-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 20, 2017
Priority date	Sep 20, 2017
Publication date	Nov 19, 2019
Grant date	Nov 19, 2019

Abstract

A reel arm for a header of an agricultural harvester comprising a rotatable coupler, a first linkage assembly and a second linkage assembly is disclosed. The rotatable coupler has a central rotational axis and includes a control shaft extending therethrough parallel to the central rotational axis. The first linkage assembly includes a first end connected to the control shaft about a first lateral side of the rotatable coupler and a second end opposite the first end for connection to a reel tine bar of a first reel assembly of the header. The second linkage assembly includes a first end connected to the control shaft about a second lateral side of the rotatable coupler and a second end opposite the first end for connection to a reel tine bar of a second reel assembly of the header.

First claim

I claim:

1. A reel arm for a header of an agricultural harvester comprising:
a rotatable coupler having a central rotational axis, the rotatable coupler having a control shaft extending therethrough parallel to the central rotational axis;
a first linkage assembly that includes:
a first end connected to the control shaft about a first lateral side of the rotatable coupler, and
a second end opposite the first end for connecting to a reel tine bar of a first reel assembly of the header; and

a second linkage assembly that includes:
a first end connected to the control shaft about a second lateral side of the rotatable coupler, and
a second end opposite the first end for connecting to a reel tine bar of a second reel assembly of the header.

2. The reel arm of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second linkage assemblies include:
a first link connected to the control shaft;
a second link for connecting to a respective reel tine bar; and
a third link connecting the first and second links.

3. The reel arm of claim 2 , wherein the first link of each of the first and second linkage assemblies is rigidly connected to the control shaft for rotation therewith.

4. The reel arm of claim 2 , wherein the second link of each of the first and second linkage assemblies is rigidly connected to the reel tine bar of the respective first and second reel assemblies for rotation therewith.

5. The reel arm of claim 2 , wherein the third link of each of the first and second linkage assemblies is pivotably connected to the first and second links of respective first and second linkage assemblies.

6. The reel arm of claim 1 , wherein the rotatable coupler includes a plurality of control shafts each extending therethrough and circumscribing the central rotational axis.

7. The reel arm of claim 6 , wherein each of the plurality of control shafts is connected to a respective first and second linkage assembly.

8. A header of an agricultural harvester comprising:
a frame;
a reel arm connected to the frame;
a first reel assembly connected to the frame, the first reel assembly including:
a central rotatable shaft, and
a plurality of tine bars extending widthwise across the first reel assembly and connected to the central rotatable shaft for rotation therewith;

a second reel assembly connected to the frame, the second reel assembly including:
a central rotatable shaft, and
a plurality of tine bars extending widthwise across the second reel assembly and connected to the central rotatable shaft for rotation therewith;

a rotatable coupler supported by the reel arm, and connected to at least one of the central rotatable shafts of the first and second reel assemblies;
a first linkage assembly connecting the rotatable coupler to one of the plurality of tine bars of the first reel assembly; and
a second linkage assembly connecting the rotatable coupler to one of the plurality of tine bars of the second reel assembly.

9. The header of claim 8 , wherein the rotatable coupler includes a control shaft extending therethrough and spaced from the central rotatable shaft.

10. The header of claim 9 , wherein each of the first and second linkage assemblies include:
a first link connected to the control shaft;
a second link for connecting to one of the tine bars of the plurality of tine bars of respective first and second reel assemblies; and
a third link connecting the first and second links of respective first and second linkage assemblies.

11. The header of claim 9 , wherein each of the first and second linkage assemblies is connected to the control shaft.

12. The header of claim 8 , further consisting essentially of a single cam assembly for guiding movement of the first and second reel assemblies.

13. The header of claim 12 , wherein the single cam assembly includes a cam track for operatively engaging the first reel assembly.

14. The header of claim 8 , wherein the rotatable coupler is positioned between the first reel assembly and the second reel assembly.

15. The header of claim 8 , wherein the rotatable coupler includes a plurality of control shafts each extending therethrough and circumferentially spaced around the central rotatable shaft.

16. The header of claim 15 , wherein each of the plurality of control shafts is operatively connected to a respective first and second linkage assembly.

17. The header of claim 8 , wherein the rotatable coupler includes a plurality of control shafts extending from opposite lateral sides of the rotatable coupler, and wherein a pair of the plurality of control shafts are coaxial.

18. The header of claim 8 , wherein a central longitudinal axis of the central rotatable shaft of the first reel assembly is offset from a central longitudinal axis of the central rotatable shaft of the second reel assembly.

19. A header of an agricultural harvester comprising:
a frame;
a first reel assembly including:
a central rotatable shaft having a longitudinal axis, and
a plurality of tine bars extending widthwise across the first reel assembly and connected to the central rotatable shaft for rotation therewith;

a drive mechanism operatively connected to a lateral side of the first reel assembly;
a reel arm connected to the frame and supporting the first reel assembly about its medial side;
a rotatable coupler having a rotational axis aligned with the longitudinal axis of the central rotatable shaft and connected to the reel arm;
a first linkage assembly connecting the rotatable coupler to one of the plurality of tine bars of the first reel assembly; and
a second linkage assembly connected to the rotatable coupler and extending medially from the first reel assembly.

20. The header of claim 19 , further comprising:
a second reel assembly adjacent to the medial side of the first reel assembly, the second reel assembly having a tine bar extending widthwise across the second reel assembly; and
the second linkage assembly is on a side of the rotatable coupler opposite the first linkage assembly connecting the rotatable coupler to the tine bar of the second reel assembly.

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Cook Joel

Classifications

• A01D41/16 Primary

  Devices for coupling mowing tables to conveyors · CPC title

• A01D34/30

  Driving mechanisms for the cutters · CPC title

• A01D41/142 Primary

  Header drives · CPC title

• A01D41/1274

  for drives · CPC title

• A01D34/34

  Devices for connecting the rod to the crank-pin of the driving mechanism · CPC title