Draper header with flexible crop cutting knife

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11632902-B2
Application number	US-202016874245-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 14, 2020
Priority date	Nov 24, 2016
Publication date	Apr 25, 2023
Grant date	Apr 25, 2023

Abstract

A crop harvesting header having a frame mounted on a propulsion vehicle has a cutter bar carrying a sickle knife and a draper transport. The draper is guided at its front edge by a longitudinally extending rail mounted on the frame for movement therewith. The cutter bar is mounted on the frame at spaced positions by spring blades attached to a fixed beam at the rear which allow up and down flexing movement of the cutter bar relative to the draper engagement member. At the center discharge the cutter bar is carried on shorter blades which are carried on a beam in front of the front draper roller. The small amount of flexing of the cutter bar combines with a balanced three piece header frame to provide effective ground following.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A crop harvesting header comprising:
a frame extending across a width of the header for movement in a forward direction generally at right angles to the width across ground including a crop to be harvested;
a mounting assembly for carrying the frame on a propulsion vehicle for up and down movement relative to the vehicle;
a cutter bar arranged to move over the ground in a cutting action and carrying a sickle knife operable for cutting the crop as the header is moved forwardly across the ground;
a draper transport system for moving the cut crop toward a discharge location of the header including at least one draper mounted on rollers generally parallel to the forward direction so that the draper carries the crop transverse to the forward direction, the draper having a front edge adjacent the cutter bar and a rear edge adjacent a rear of the frame;
the cutter bar being mounted on the frame by a plurality of flexible blades at spaced positions along the frame, each of the flexible blades having a rear end rigidly attached to a rigid member of the frame and a forward end rigidly attached to the cutter bar so that the blades provide up and down floating movement by flexing between the rear end and forward end and the blades provide horizontal resistance to compression;
wherein the frame comprises a center discharge portion at the discharge location of the header at which is located a fore and aft draper for carrying the cut crop rearwardly from the cutter bar to a discharge opening and wherein at least one of said flexible blades is connected to the cutter bar to allow said flexing thereof in the center discharge portion, and wherein said at least one flexible blade at the center discharge portion is shorter than others of the flexible blades.

2. The crop harvesting header according to claim 1 wherein each flexible blade is spring steel.

3. The crop harvesting header according to claim 1 wherein each flexible blade is formed from a single flat sheet of spring steel.

4. The crop harvesting header according to claim 3 wherein the flat sheet of spring steel is bent at least adjacent the forward end.

5. The crop harvesting header according to claim 1 wherein the flexible blades are spaced each from the next along the cutter bar.

6. The crop harvesting header according to claim 1 wherein the cutter bar carries a substantially continuous ground engaging skid surface attached thereto, wherein the skid surface holds the flexible blades against contact with the ground and wherein the flexible blades are spaced each from the next by a distance greater than their width.

7. The crop harvesting header according to claim 1 wherein the flexible blades are shaped so that they are narrower in a middle section than adjacent the forward and rearward ends.

8. The crop harvesting header according to claim 1 wherein the frame includes a center section and two wing sections each of which is pivotally connected to the center section such that each wing section pivots upwardly and downwardly about a respective pivot axis generally parallel to the direction of movement wherein the mounting assembly carries the center section of the frame on the propulsion vehicle for up and down floating movement of the center section relative to the propulsion vehicle, wherein each wing section has a wing mounting assembly for carrying the wing section on the center section for up and down floating movement of the wing section relative to the center.

9. The crop harvesting header according to claim 1 wherein the cutter bar has a constant level of flexibility along its length.

10. The crop harvesting header according to claim 1 wherein the cutter bar has a constant cross-section along its length so that it has no locations of increased stiffness.

11. The crop harvesting header according to claim 1 wherein the draper transport system includes a longitudinally extending draper engagement member adjacent the front edge of the draper, the draper engagement member being fixed to the frame for movement therewith.

12. The crop harvesting header according to claim 11 wherein there is provided a flexible crop deflector plate extending between the cutter bar and the draper engagement member, the defector plate having a front edge fixedly attached to the cutter bar and having a rear edge surface in sliding contact with a front surface of the draper engagement member.

13. The crop harvesting header according to claim 12 wherein the front edge of the flexible crop deflector plate is bolted to the cutter bar in a manner which prevents pivoting movement of the plate relative to the cutter bar and wherein the up and down movement of the cutter bar is accommodated in the deflector plate by said sliding movement of the rear edge and by flexing within the plate without any pivotal movement.

14. The crop harvesting header according to claim 12 wherein the deflector plate includes a flexible wall standing upwardly from the cutter bar and extending rearwardly to the rear edge contacting the front surface of the draper engagement member.

15. The crop harvesting header according to claim 12 wherein the deflector plate is divided longitudinally into a plurality of end to end sections with an overlap or space between each and the next at the ends.

16. The crop harvesting header according to claim 12 wherein the deflector plate is a single component between the cutter bar and the draper engagement member so that relative movement between the front edge fixedly attached to the cutter bar and the rear edge is taken up by flexing in the deflector plate.

17. The crop harvesting header according to claim 12 wherein the draper engagement member provides a surface against which the rear end of the deflector plate abuts where the surface is shaped to substantially follow an arc of movement of the cutter bar as it flexes.

18. The crop harvesting header according to claim 1 wherein the flexing movement of the cutter bar relative to the frame allowed by the flexible blades is less than 4 inches.

19. The crop harvesting header according to claim 1 wherein the cutter bar is supported relative to the frame at positions between the ends thereof only by the flexible blades.

Assignees

• Macdon Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Shearer Bruce Robert

Classifications

• A01D47/00

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

• A01D41/14

  Mowing tables · CPC title

• A01D61/02 Primary

  Endless belts · CPC title

• A01D57/26

  Plates arranged behind the cutter-bar for guiding the cut grass or straw · CPC title

• A01D34/04

  with cutters at the front · CPC title