Pickup reel with differential speed bat tubes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12274207-B2
Application number	US-202117496850-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 8, 2021
Priority date	Nov 19, 2020
Publication date	Apr 15, 2025
Grant date	Apr 15, 2025

Abstract

A pickup reel assembly that includes a hub and multiple bat assemblies where each bat assembly rotates through a functional area where it moves crop material into a harvester, and a non-functional area where it does not move crop material into the harvester. Each bat assembly rotates at a first speed through the functional area and at a second speed through the non-functional area, where the second speed is greater than the first speed. A nominal speed shaft can rotate at the first speed, and an increased speed shaft can rotate at the second speed. Cogs can couple the bat assembly to the increased speed shaft when it is in the non-functional area. The cogs can also couple the bat assembly to the nominal speed shaft when it is in the functional area.

First claim

We claim:

1. A pickup reel assembly configured to move crop material into a harvester, the pickup reel assembly comprising:
a hub configured to rotate about a rotational axis;
a plurality of bat assemblies, where each of the plurality of bat assemblies includes left and right bat tube support arms and a bat tube, where a proximal end of each of the left and right bat tube support arms is coupled to the hub and a distal end of each of the left and right bat tube support arms is coupled to opposite ends of the bat tube;
wherein each bat assembly of the plurality of bat assemblies is configured to rotate through a functional area where the bat assembly is positioned to move crop material into the harvester and a non-functional area where the bat assembly is not positioned to move crop material into the harvester; and
wherein each bat assembly of the plurality of bat assemblies is configured to rotate at a first speed through the functional area and to rotate at a second speed through the non-functional area, where the second speed is greater than the first speed.

2. The pickup reel assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a nominal speed shaft configured to rotate about the rotational axis at the first speed; and
an increased speed shaft configured to rotate about the rotational axis at the second speed;
wherein when a bat assembly of the plurality of bat assemblies rotates through the non-functional area, the pickup reel assembly is configured to couple the bat assembly to the increased speed shaft; and
wherein when the bat assembly rotates through the functional area, the pickup reel assembly is configured to decouple the bat assembly from the increased speed shaft.

3. The pickup reel assembly of claim 2 , further comprising a plurality of fingers configured to move crop material into the harvester; wherein each bat assembly of the plurality of bat assemblies includes a finger of the plurality of fingers attached to the bat tube of the bat assembly.

4. The pickup reel assembly of claim 2 , further comprising:
a guide ring fixedly coupled to the hub; and
a support ring where the proximal end of each of the plurality of bat assemblies is coupled to the guide ring, and the distal end of each of the plurality of bat assemblies is coupled to the support ring;
wherein the proximal end of each of the plurality of bat assemblies is movable along the guide ring, and the distal end of each of the plurality of bat assemblies is movable along the support ring.

5. The pickup reel assembly of claim 4 , wherein each bat tube support arm of the plurality of bat tube support arms further comprises a retention mechanism that is configured to hold the bat tube support arm in the guide ring while allowing the proximal end of each of the plurality of bat tube support arms to move along the guide ring.

6. The pickup reel assembly of claim 4 , further comprising a plurality of cogs, where each cog of the plurality of cogs is associated with a bat assembly of the plurality of bat assemblies;
wherein when the associated bat assembly rotates through the non-functional area, the associated cog is configured to couple to the increased speed shaft and rotate the associated bat assembly through the non-functional area at the second speed; and
wherein when the associated bat assembly rotates through the functional area, the associated cog is configured to decouple from the increased speed shaft and rotate the associated bat assembly through the functional area at the first speed.

7. The pickup reel assembly of claim 6 , wherein each of the plurality of cogs comprises a control arm, and the guide ring includes a plurality of slots;
wherein when the associated bat assembly rotates through the functional area, the control arm of the associated cog is configured to engage in a guide ring slot of the plurality of slots and couple the associated cog to the nominal speed shaft; and
wherein when the associated bat assembly rotates through the non-functional area, the control arm of the associated cog is configured to disengage the associated cog from the guide ring and allow the associated bat assembly to engage the increased speed shaft.

8. The pickup reel assembly of claim 7 , wherein each of the plurality of cogs further comprises an engagement face;
wherein when the associated bat assembly rotates through the functional area, the engagement face of the associated cog is configured to decouple the associated cog from the increased speed shaft; and
wherein when the associated bat assembly rotates through the non-functional area, the engagement face of the associated cog is configured to couple the associated cog with the increased speed shaft.

9. The pickup reel assembly of claim 8 , wherein each cog of the plurality of cogs further comprises an internal spring that pushes the cog laterally;
wherein when the associated bat assembly rotates through the functional area, the internal spring is configured to push the control arm of the associated cog to engage in a guide ring slot of the plurality of slots and couple the associated cog to the nominal speed shaft; and
wherein when the associated bat assembly rotates through the non-functional area, the engagement face is configured to compress the internal spring of the associated cog and disengage the control arm from the guide ring and allow the associated bat assembly to engage the increased speed shaft.

10. The pickup reel assembly of claim 6 , further comprising,
an increased speed disc attached to the increased speed shaft, the increased speed disc configured to rotate about the rotational axis at the second speed; and
a stationary control surface;
wherein each of the plurality of cogs further comprises a first engagement face that faces the stationary control surface and a second engagement face that faces the increased speed disc;
wherein when the associated bat assembly rotates through the non-functional area, the stationary control surface is configured to engage the first engagement face of the associated cog and press the second engagement face of the associated cog against the increased speed disc through the non-functional area; and
wherein when the associated bat assembly rotates through the functional area, the stationary control surface is configured to not engage the first engagement face of the associated cog and allow the second engagement face of the associated cog to separate from the increased speed disc through the functional area.

11. The pickup reel assembly of claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of cogs comprises a control arm, and the guide ring includes a plurality of slots;
wherein when the associated bat assembly rotates through the functional area, the control arm of the associated cog is configured to engage in a guide ring slot of the plurality of slots and couple the associated cog to the nominal speed shaft; and
wherein when the associated bat assembly rotates through the non-functional area, the control arm of the associated cog is configured to disengage the associated cog from the guide ring and allow the associated bat assembly to engage the increased speed disc.

12. The pickup reel assembly of claim 11 , wherein each cog of the plurality of cogs further comprises an internal spring that pushes the cog laterally, and
wherein when the associated bat assembly rotates through the functional area, the internal spring is configured to push the control arm of the associated cog to engage in the guide ring slot and couple the associated cog to the nominal speed shaft through the functional area; and
wherein when the associated bat assembly rotates through the non-functional area, the stationary cont

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Modak Shreyas P
• Patil Aditya
• Yanke Bryan R
• Engelmann Cristiano
• West Sam
• Snell Jr Richard A
• Tinoco Jesus Carlos

Classifications

• A01D57/04

  Arrangements for changing the position of the reels · CPC title

• A01D57/12

  Rotating rakes · CPC title

• A01D57/03 Primary

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

• A01D57/02 Primary

  using reels · CPC title