Needle frame assembly and needle coupling for agricultural machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11419273-B2
Application number	US-201916459036-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 1, 2019
Priority date	Jul 1, 2019
Publication date	Aug 23, 2022
Grant date	Aug 23, 2022

Abstract

An agricultural harvesting machine includes a binding mechanism to secure binding material around a crop package and a delivery device to wrap binding material around a portion of the crop package and provide binding material to the binding mechanism. The delivery device includes a needle connected to a needle frame. The needle frame includes a yoke extending between a first arm and a second arm.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. An agricultural harvesting machine comprising:
a binding mechanism configured to secure binding material around crop material formed into a crop package; and
a delivery device configured to wrap binding material around a portion of the crop package and provide binding material to the binding mechanism,
wherein the delivery device includes:
a needle connected to a needle frame;
wherein the needle frame includes a yoke extending along a central longitudinal axis, and a yoke arm extending from the yoke for connecting the yoke to a lift link;
wherein the yoke includes a central section, an upper bar extending from the central section, and a lower bar extending from the central section; and
wherein the central section has an asymmetrical cross-sectional shape through a reference plane defined by a first axis and a second axis both disposed orthogonal to the central longitudinal axis of the yoke.

2. The agricultural harvesting machine of claim 1 , wherein the central section has a substantially D-shaped configuration with a curvilinear front portion facing the needle and a rectilinear rear portion opposite the front portion.

3. The agricultural harvesting machine of claim 1 , wherein the upper bar includes a transverse first central opening and the lower bar includes a transverse second central opening, and wherein the needle is connected to the yoke through a fastener extending through the first central opening and a fastener extending through the second central opening.

4. The agricultural harvesting machine of claim 1 , wherein the upper bar includes longitudinal first chamber, the lower bar includes a longitudinal second chamber, and the central section includes a longitudinal third chamber separate from the first chamber and the second chamber.

5. The agricultural harvesting machine of claim 4 , wherein the central section includes a longitudinal fourth chamber and a beam separating the third chamber and the fourth chamber.

6. The agricultural harvesting machine of claim 1 , wherein the needle is connected to the needle frame by a needle joint, and wherein the needle joint includes a base having an upper footing engaging the upper bar, a lower footing engaging the lower bar, and a curved inner portion extending between the upper footing and the lower footing receiving the central section.

7. The agricultural harvesting machine of claim 1 , wherein the upper bar and the lower bar are integrally formed with the central section as a monolithic structure from aluminum.

8. An agricultural harvesting machine comprising:
a binding mechanism configured to secure binding material around crop material formed into a crop package; and
a delivery device configured to wrap the binding material around a portion of the crop package and provide the binding material to the binding mechanism;
wherein the delivery device includes a needle connected to a needle frame, the needle frame includes a yoke extending between a first yoke arm and a second yoke arm, one of the yoke arms extending from the yoke for connecting the yoke to a lift link, the yoke including an upper bar having a longitudinal first chamber, a lower bar having a longitudinal second chamber, and a central section positioned between the upper bar and the lower bar and having a longitudinal third chamber separate from the first chamber and the second chamber.

9. The agricultural harvesting machine of claim 8 , wherein the central section includes a longitudinal fourth chamber and a beam separating the third chamber and the fourth chamber.

10. The agricultural harvesting machine of claim 8 , wherein the upper bar includes a transverse first central opening and the lower bar includes a transverse second central opening, and wherein the needle is connected to the yoke through a fastener extending through the first central opening and a fastener extending through the second central opening.

11. The agricultural harvesting machine of claim 8 , wherein the central section has a substantially D-shaped configuration with a curvilinear front portion facing the needle and a rectilinear rear portion opposite the front portion.

12. The agricultural harvesting machine of claim 8 , wherein the first and second chambers have a substantially obround configuration.

13. The agricultural harvesting machine of claim 8 , wherein the third chamber has a substantially bullnose configuration.

14. An agricultural harvesting machine comprising:
a binding mechanism configured to secure binding material around crop material formed into a crop package; and
a delivery device configured to wrap the binding material around a portion of the crop package and provide binding material to the binding mechanism;
wherein the delivery device includes a needle connected to a needle frame, the needle frame includes a yoke extending between a first yoke arm and a second yoke arm, one of the yoke arms extending from the yoke for connecting the yoke to a lift link, the yoke having a substantially D-shaped configuration with a curvilinear front portion facing the needle and a rectilinear rear portion opposite the front portion.

15. The agricultural harvesting machine of claim 14 , wherein the yoke includes an upper bar extending above the front portion and a lower bar extending below the front portion.

16. The agricultural harvesting machine of claim 14 , wherein a longitudinal chamber extends through the yoke.

17. The agricultural harvesting machine of claim 15 , wherein the needle is connected to the needle frame by a needle joint, and wherein the needle joint is rotatably received on the front portion of the yoke.

18. The agricultural harvesting machine of claim 17 , wherein the needle joint includes a base having an upper footing engaging the upper bar, a lower footing engaging the lower bar, and a curved inner portion extending between the upper footing and the lower footing receiving the front portion of the yoke.

19. The agricultural harvesting machine of claim 17 , wherein the needle joint includes a seat extending from the base and a shaft of the needle is connected to the seat.

20. The agricultural harvesting machine of claim 17 , wherein the upper bar includes a transverse first central opening and the lower bar includes a transverse second central opening, and wherein the needle is connected to the yoke through a first fastener extending through the needle joint and the first central opening and a second fastener extending through the needle joint and the second central opening, and wherein adjustment of the first and second fastener causes rotation of the needle joint.

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Hallale Sanjeev M
• El-Zein Mohamad S
• Tortorella Nathan F
• Sawale Amol M
• Portillo Hector
• Roth Darin L

Classifications

• A01F15/12 Primary

  Feeding devices for the ties · CPC title

• A01F15/04

  Plunger presses · CPC title

• B65B13/04

  with means for guiding the binding material around the articles prior to severing from supply · CPC title

• A01F15/08

  Details · CPC title

• A01D59/06

  Needles · CPC title