Forage harvester adjustment apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11968930-B2
Application number	US-202117334142-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 28, 2021
Priority date	May 28, 2020
Publication date	Apr 30, 2024
Grant date	Apr 30, 2024

Abstract

An adjustment apparatus for a forage harvester having a shear bar adjustably mounted on a housing. A chopper drum is supported from the housing and mounted for rotation about an axis and further provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced knife supports to which at least one chopper knife can be adjustably secured. In use the chopper knives cooperate with the shear bar to chop incoming crop. The adjustment apparatus includes a lateral element, at least one location element and at least one radially inwardly directed guide surface. The adjustment apparatus also includes at least one shear bar alignment surface on one or more of the location elements.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of adjusting a shear bar in a forage harvester using a removeable adjustment apparatus having at least one location element for location of the adjustment apparatus with respect to a chopper drum, wherein the at least one location element comprises a locating surface for engagement with a receiving surface of the forage harvester, a lateral element fixedly secured to the at least one location element, at least one spacer element connected to the lateral element, at least one radially inwardly directed guide surface on the at least one spacer element, wherein the at least one radially inwardly directed guide surface is shaped to describe a desired path of at least one chopper knife, and at least one shear bar alignment surface on the at least one location element, in use the shear bar being adjusted such that the shear bar is located against the at least one shear bar alignment surface, the method comprising:
locating the at least one locating surface of the removable adjustment apparatus with respect to the receiving surface of a chopper drum housing forming part of a chopper drum assembly;
aligning the locating surface with the receiving surface of the chopper drum housing;
securing the adjustment apparatus in relation to the chopper drum housing;
inspecting the shear bar;
replacing or adjusting alignment of the shear bar with the shear bar alignment surface or surfaces as required; and
removing the removable adjustment apparatus from the chopper drum assembly.

Assignees

• Agco Int Gmbh

Inventors

• Tschirdewahn Wilhelm
• Uhl Markus
• Freiburg-Neuhaus Burkhard

Classifications

• A01F29/095 Primary

  Mounting or adjusting of knives · CPC title

• A01D43/08 Primary

  with means for cutting up the mown crop {, e.g. forage harvesters} · CPC title

• A01F29/06

  having rotating knives with their cutting edges on a cylinder surface, e.g. of the helical-type · CPC title