Windrower tractor with parallel heat exchangers for cooling of engine and associated fluids

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8936122-B2
Application number	US-201213537370-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2012
Priority date	May 29, 2012
Publication date	Jan 20, 2015
Grant date	Jan 20, 2015

Abstract

An agricultural tractor having its engine longitudinally spaced along its frame from the operator cabin features at least two heat exchangers carried on the frame at a position located longitudinally between the operator cabin and the engine to perform air-cooling of at least one fluid associated with the engine. The two heat exchangers are arranged in parallel so as to each accept an intake stream of ambient air that is independent of a discharge stream of exhaust air from the other heat exchanger. Accordingly, each heat exchanger uses the coolest air possible to maximize the cooling potential of the system. The discharge stream of air from the heat exchangers is exhausted rearward to avoid recirculation of this heated air as the machine moves forward, and to direct the exhaust air past the engine for further cooling effect.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A swather tractor comprising:
a frame extending in a longitudinal direction of the tractor;
support members carrying a header across a front end of the frame for cutting a standing crop to form a swath;
a plurality of rotatable ground wheels connected to the frame to convey the frame over the ground;
the ground wheels including drive wheels at the front end of the frame operable to drive the tractor in a forward working direction along the longitudinal direction of the tractor;
the drive wheels being arranged to control steering of the tractor by a differential in speed between the drive wheels;
the ground wheels including a pair of castor wheels at a rear end of the frame which are arranged to castor in response to the steering of the tractor;
an operator cab carried on the frame at the front end of the frame behind the header;
an engine mounted in an engine compartment on the frame at a position longitudinally spaced from the cab at the rear end of the frame; and
two heat exchangers carried on the frame at a position located longitudinally between the operator cab and the engine;
each of the two heat exchangers having an air intake that is independent of a discharge stream of exhaust air from the other of the two heat exchangers; and
at least one fan arranged to draw air through the heat exchangers:
and an exhaust air outlet guide system arranged to direct the discharge stream of air from each of the two heat exchangers in an exhaust direction rearwardly toward and past the engine to the rear of the tractor.

2. The tractor of claim 1 wherein the air intakes of the two heat exchangers are arranged to face in a transverse direction.

3. The tractor of claim 1 wherein the air intakes of the two heat exchangers are spaced apart from one another.

4. The tractor of claim 3 wherein the air intakes of the two heat exchangers are situated on opposite sides of a longitudinal center-line of the frame.

5. The tractor of claim 3 wherein openings of the air intakes of the two heat exchangers face laterally outward to accept ambient air from respective sources on opposing sides of the tractor.

6. The tractor of claim 3 wherein the air intakes of the two heat exchangers face upward to accept ambient air from above the tractor.

7. The tractor of claim 1 wherein the exhaust air outlet guide system is arranged in a central space between the heat two exchangers.

8. The tractor of claim 7 wherein the exhaust air outlet guide system comprises a housing enclosing the central space between the two heat exchangers and said at least one fan is mounted to the housing to convey air through the heat exchangers into the housing, and then longitudinally rearward.

9. The tractor of claim 1 comprising a respective fan for each of the two heat exchangers and air flow guides.

10. The tractor of claim 8 wherein said at least one fan is a variable speed fan.

11. The tractor of claim 1 wherein said at least one fan is a reversible fan operable in a heat exchange mode rotating in a first direction to convey ambient air inward through the two heat exchangers from a surrounding environment, and a clean out mode rotating in an opposite direction to convey air outward through the two heat exchangers into the surrounding environment to dislodge contaminants clogging intake areas of the two heat exchangers.

Assignees

• Macgregor Don
• Garbald Jann Peter
• Macdon Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Macgregor Don
• Garbald Jann Peter

Classifications

• B60K11/04 Primary

  Arrangement or mounting of radiators, radiator shutters, or radiator blinds · CPC title

• B60Y2200/221

  Tractors · CPC title