Center knife drive and roller assembly for an agricultural harvester

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10743465-B2
Application number	US-201715798913-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 31, 2017
Priority date	Oct 31, 2017
Publication date	Aug 18, 2020
Grant date	Aug 18, 2020

Abstract

A header for an agricultural harvester comprising a frame and first and second anteriorly facing, epicyclical cutter bar knife drives connected to the frame. A roller shaft extends between and operatively connects the first and second epicyclical drives. The roller shaft operates to deliver to crop material to a header infeed conveyor. In addition, the anteriorly facing epicyclical knife drives effectively rid themselves of harmful dirt and debris thereby prolonging the service life of the epicyclical knife drives.

First claim

I claim:

1. A header for an agricultural harvester comprising:
a first epicyclical drive configured to drive a first cutter bar;
a second epicyclical drive configured to drive a second cutter bar; and
a roller shaft having a longitudinal axis substantially parallel to the first and second cutter bars and extending between and operatively connected to the first and second epicyclical drives,
wherein one of the first and second epicyclical drives is driven by the other of the first and second epicyclical drives via the roller shaft.

2. The header of claim 1 , further comprising a drive shaft that includes a gear operatively connected to at least one of the first and second epicyclical drives.

3. The header of claim 1 , further comprising a drive shaft that engages a rear end of at least one of the first and second epicyclical drives.

4. The header of claim 1 , wherein the roller shaft engages a rear end of the first and second epicyclical drives.

5. The header of claim 1 , wherein the roller shaft is a driven shaft driven by one of the first and second epicyclical drives.

6. The header of claim 1 , wherein the roller shaft includes a cover for aiding in conveying crop material.

7. The header of claim 6 , wherein the cover is at least one of a coating, a sleeve, a plurality of protrusions, a vane, a helical vane, or integrally formed structural features.

8. The header of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second epicyclical drives includes a rotatable gear assembly having a rotational axis substantially transverse to a longitudinal axis of the first cutter bar.

9. The header of claim 1 , wherein the first epicyclical drive includes an anteriorly extending output shaft connected to the first cutter bar, and the second epicyclical drive includes an anteriorly extending output shaft connected to the second cutter bar.

10. The header of claim 1 , further comprising a drive mechanism driving rotation of at least one of the first epicyclical drive, the second epicyclical drive, and the roller shaft.

11. The header of claim 1 , further comprising:
an infeed conveyor adjacent the roller shaft; and
wherein the first epicyclical drive is positioned adjacent a first lateral side of the infeed conveyor and the second epicyclical drive is positioned adjacent a second lateral side of the infeed conveyor.

12. The header of claim 11 , wherein the infeed conveyor is spaced from the roller shaft less than about 6 inches.

13. The header of claim 11 , wherein the roller shaft extends substantially parallel to a forward end of the infeed conveyor.

14. A header for an agricultural harvester comprising:
a frame;
a first epicyclical drive supported by the frame and a second epicyclical drive supported by the frame, wherein an output shaft of the first epicyclical drive is connected to a first cutter bar extending in a first direction and wherein an output shaft of the second epicyclical drive is connected to a second cutter bar extending in a second direction opposite said first direction, whereby rotation of the first and second epicyclical drives causes the output shafts thereof to oscillate the first and second cutter bars in opposite directions;
a roller shaft having a longitudinal axis substantially transverse to a rotational axis of at least one of the first and second epicyclical drives and extending between and operatively connected to the first and second epicyclical drives; and
a drive mechanism configured to rotate at least one of the first epicyclical drive, the second epicyclical drive, and the roller shaft, whereby rotation of the at least one of the first epicyclical drive, the second epicyclical drive, and the roller shaft causes rotation of the others of the at least one of the first epicyclical drive, the second epicyclical drive, and the roller shaft,
wherein a first end of the roller shaft and the first epicyclical drive are connected by a first gear set, and wherein a second end of the roller shaft and the second epicyclical drive are connected by a second gear set.

15. The header of claim 14 , wherein the first gear set comprises a first bevel gear provided at the first end of the roller shaft and a second bevel gear provided on the first epicyclical drive, and wherein the second gear set comprises a third bevel gear provided at the second end of the roller shaft and a fourth bevel gear provided on the second epicyclical drive.

16. The header of claim 14 , wherein the drive mechanism comprises a motor or a driven drive shaft.

17. The header of claim 15 , further comprising an infeed conveyor belt adjacent the roller shaft, and wherein the first and second epicyclical drives are each positioned about lateral sides of a forward end of the infeed conveyor.

18. The header of claim 14 , wherein the first and second epicyclical drives rotate in either the same direction or in opposite directions.

19. A header for an agricultural harvester comprising:
a first epicyclical drive configured to drive a first cutter bar;
a second epicyclical drive configured to drive a second cutter bar; and
a roller shaft having a first lateral end directly engaging the first epicyclical drive and a second lateral end directly engaging the second epicyclical drive.

20. The header of claim 19 , further comprising a drive shaft that includes a gear operatively connected to at least one of the first and second epicyclical drives.

21. The header of claim 19 , further comprising a drive shaft that engages a rear end of at least one of the first and second epicyclical drives.

22. The header of claim 19 , wherein the roller shaft engages a rear end of the first and second epicyclical drives.

23. The header of claim 19 , wherein the roller shaft is a driven shaft driven by one of the first and second epicyclical drives.

24. The header of claim 19 , wherein the roller shaft includes a cover for aiding in conveying crop material.

25. The header of claim 24 , wherein the cover is at least one of a coating, a sleeve, a plurality of protrusions, a vane, a helical vane, and integrally formed structural features.

26. The header of claim 19 , wherein each of the first and second epicyclical drives includes a rotatable gear assembly having a rotational axis substantially transverse to a longitudinal axis of the first cutter bar.

27. The header of claim 19 , wherein the first epicyclical drive includes an anteriorly extending output shaft connected to the first cutter bar, and the second epicyclical drive includes an anteriorly extending output shaft connected to the second cutter bar.

28. The header of claim 19 , further comprising a drive mechanism driving rotation of at least one of the first epicyclical drive, the second epicyclical drive, and the roller shaft.

29. The header of claim 19 , further comprising:
an infeed conveyor adjacent the roller shaft; and
wherein the first epicyclical drive is positioned adjacent a first lateral side of the infeed conveyor and the second epicyclical drive is positioned adjacent a second lateral side of the infeed conveyor.

30. The header of claim 29 , wherein the infeed conveyor is spaced from the roller shaft less than about 6 inches.

31. The header of claim 29 , wherein the roller shaft extends substantially parallel to a forward end of the infeed conveyor.

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Dechristopher David M

Classifications

• A01D34/30 Primary

  Driving mechanisms for the cutters · CPC title

• A01D41/142 Primary

  Header drives · CPC title