Crop harvesting reel with paddles on an end plate to reduce crop collection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11229162-B2
Application number	US-201916451811-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 25, 2019
Priority date	Dec 6, 2018
Publication date	Jan 25, 2022
Grant date	Jan 25, 2022

Abstract

A reel includes a plurality of bats and an end shield plate mounted on the end of the reel at the crop divider which has a peripheral edge radially inward of an outer tip of the fingers with an apex at each of the bats and portions which are recessed from a straight line joining the apexes. Each of the endmost fingers of the bats has a base which is axially inside the end plate and is bent longitudinally of the reel to define an outer tip which is axially spaced from the base to a position beyond the radial plane of the end plate. A plurality of molded paddle blades are mounted to project outwardly from the end surface to clear crop away from the space between the outer face of the end plate and the divider.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A crop harvesting header comprising:
a header frame structure arranged for movement in a working direction across ground carrying a crop to be harvested;

a cutter bar arranged across a forward edge of the header frame structure for cutting the crop;
first and second crop dividers mounted on the main frame at respective ends of the main frame and extending forwardly to the cutter bar, each crop divider having an inner surface lying in a plane parallel to the working direction and facing inwardly;
a cut crop transport arrangement mounted on the header frame structure for receiving and transporting the cut crop for further processing;
and a reel for controlling movement of the crop in the area over the cutter bar; the reel being mounted on the header frame structure for movement therewith in the direction of movement and for rotation about a reel axis generally parallel to the cutter bar;
the reel having a plurality of reel bats at spaced positions around the reel axis, the reel bats all lying on a common bat circle around the reel axis so that rotation of the reel causes the reel bats to follow a path of movement lying on the bat circle;
each of the reel bats being pivotal by a drive linkage about its respective bat axis parallel to the reel axis so as to vary the angle of the bats about the bat axis as the reel rotates;
each reel bat having a row of bat fingers projecting generally outwardly from the bat axis with the bat fingers of the row being arranged at longitudinally spaced positions along the bat axis and including an end most finger adjacent an end of the reel;
an end shield plate mounted on the reel at the end of the reel for rotation with the bats around the reel axis and lying generally in a radial plane of the axis of the reel;
the end shield plate being located at the crop divider so that a space is defined between an outer surface of the end shield plate and the inner surface of the crop divider;
and a plurality of paddle members mounted on the outer surface of the end shield plate at angularly spaced positions around the reel axis;
each paddle member comprising a base fastened to the outer surface and a blade portion carried by the base and extending outwardly from the outer surface to a distal outer edge of the blade portion; wherein

the outer edge defines a straight line generally parallel to the outer surface;
the line being spaced from the inner surface of the crop divider; and
wherein the entire outer edge is spaced from the inner surface such that the outer edge is maintained spaced from the inner surface, during relative movement in harvesting operation of the reel relative to the inner surface caused by relative movement of the reel and the main frame.

2. The header according to claim 1 wherein the outer edge is arranged so that the line is substantially radial to the reel axis.

3. The header according to claim 1 wherein the end plate comprises a ring lying in the radial plane of the reel axis with a peripheral outer edge and a radially spaced inner edge and wherein the outer edge has a length shorter than a radial distance at the location of the paddle member between the inner edge of the ring and the peripheral edge of the ring.

4. The header according to claim 1 wherein there are three paddle members angularly spaced at equal angles around the reel axis.

5. The header according to claim 1 wherein the paddle members are mounted on the end plate at positions aligned with respective ones of the reel bats.

6. The header according to claim 1 wherein the paddle members are formed from a plastics material which are sufficiently stiff to remain at a predetermined angle to the outer surface and are flexible to accommodate contact without fracture.

7. The header according to claim 1 wherein the paddle members have the base and the blade portion integrally molded from a plastics material.

8. The header according to claim 1 wherein the blade portion is at right angles to the outer surface.

9. The header according to claim 8 wherein the end shield plate has a peripheral edge located radially inward of an outer tip of the bat fingers, wherein each of the endmost fingers of the bats has a base at the bat which is axially inside the end shield plate and wherein each of the endmost fingers is shaped to define an outer tip which is axially spaced from the base to a position at least axially aligned with the radial plane of the end shield plate.

10. The header according to claim 8 wherein each of the endmost fingers is shaped to define an outer tip which is axially spaced from the base to a position beyond the radial plane of the end shield plate.

11. The header according to claim 8 wherein other fingers of the bats other than the endmost fingers are formed of plastics material and lie in a radial plane of the bat axis.

12. The header according to claim 8 wherein the peripheral edge of the end shield plate has an apex at each of the bats and the peripheral edge at each of the bats includes portions which are recessed from a straight line joining the apexes to allow rotation of the endmost finger around the bat axis without contacting the peripheral edge.

13. The header according to claim 12 wherein the peripheral edge of the end shield plate has a portion adjacent the apex which is substantially part circular around the bat axis.

14. The header according to claim 12 wherein the peripheral edge of the end shield plate is recessed by a sharper angle on the downstream side of the apex than on the upstream side of the apex relative to the direction of rotation of the reel.

15. The header according to claim 12 wherein the peripheral edge is shaped so that a deepest recess of the peripheral edge is closer to an upstream apex than a downstream apex to form a scalloped shape.

16. The header according to claim 1 wherein the end shield plate has a peripheral edge located radially inward of an outer tip of the bat fingers and wherein the peripheral edge of the end shield plate has an apex at each of the bats and the peripheral edge at each of the bats includes portions which are recessed from a straight line joining the apexes.

17. The header according to claim 16 wherein the peripheral edge of the end shield plate has a portion adjacent the apex which is substantially part circular around the bat axis.

18. The header according to claim 16 wherein the peripheral edge of the end shield plate is recessed by a sharper angle on the downstream side of the apex than on the upstream side of the apex relative to the direction of rotation of the reel.

Assignees

• Macdon Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Talbot Francois R
• Hundt Karl Bernard

Classifications

• A01D57/03 Primary

  with supplementary controlled movement of the crop-engaging members, e.g. of the tines {(A01D57/025 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• A01D34/015

  Cutting mechanisms not covered by another group · CPC title

• A01D43/06 Primary

  with means for collecting, gathering or loading mown material {(A01D43/086 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• A01D57/12

  Rotating rakes · CPC title

• A01D34/04

  with cutters at the front · CPC title