Auger and drive assembly for an agricultural harvester header

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021112717-A1
Application number	US-201916660074-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 22, 2019
Priority date	Oct 22, 2019
Publication date	Apr 22, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A header for an agricultural harvester comprising a chassis and an auger having a tube extending in end to end relation with and rotatably supported by the chassis. The header further includes a drive mounted adjacent a mid-portion of the auger and operatively engaged with the mid-portion of the auger for driving rotation thereof. The header thus provides an auger which is driven at its mid-portion, thereby eliminating the hydraulic complexities of augers that are driven at their ends. In addition, when the auger tube is continuous, the mid-portion driven, continuous tube auger eliminates the crop dead spot that typically occurs when split augers are deployed.

First claim

I/We claim:

1 . A header for an agricultural harvester comprising:
a chassis; an auger having a tube extending in end to end relation with and rotatably supported by the chassis; and a drive mounted adjacent a mid-portion of the auger and operatively engaged with the mid-portion of the auger for driving rotation thereof.

2 . The header of claim 1 , wherein the drive comprises:
a drive motor; and a drive wheel driven by the drive motor, wherein the drive wheel directly engages the auger for driving rotation thereof.

3 . The header of claim 2 , wherein the drive wheel includes a high friction periphery that directly engages the tube.

4 . The header of claim 3 , wherein the high friction periphery comprises a polymer.

5 . The header of claim 1 , wherein the drive frictionally engages the auger for driving rotation therewith.

6 . The header of claim 1 , wherein the auger includes a non-flighted mid-portion and the drive directly engages the non-flighted mid-portion of the auger.

7 . The header of claim 1 , wherein the drive includes a hydraulic motor, an electric motor and/or a mechanical motor.

8 . The header of claim 1 , wherein the auger includes a radially projecting annular flange about its mid-portion operatively engaged with the drive.

9 . The header of claim 8 , wherein the radially projecting annular flange comprises a high friction surface.

10 . The header of claim 8 , wherein the drive directly engages the radially projecting annular flange.

11 . The header of claim 8 , wherein the drive comprises:
a drive motor; and a drive wheel driven by the drive motor, wherein the drive wheel directly engages the radially projecting annular flange for driving rotation of the auger.

12 . The header of claim 8 , wherein the radially projecting annular flange is a gear.

13 . The header of claim 12 , wherein the drive comprises a drive wheel gear.

14 . The header of claim 1 , wherein the drive engages an outside surface of the tube.

15 . The header of claim 1 , wherein the drive directly engages an outside surface of the tube.

16 . The header of claim 1 , wherein the tube is continuous.

17 . The header of claim 1 , wherein the tube comprises a plurality of segments, and wherein adjacent segments of the tube are coupled by a shaft.

18 . The header of claim 1 , wherein the auger further comprises as shaft coupled to the tube and wherein the drive directly engages the shaft for driving rotation of the auger.

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Noll Blaine R

Classifications

• A01D41/142 Primary

  Header drives · CPC title

• A01D61/004

  with cylindrical tools · CPC title

• B65G33/34

  Applications of driving gear · CPC title

• A01D47/00

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