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WO2012166666A1 - Ensemble bras de couteau pivotant pour faucheuse - Google Patents

Ensemble bras de couteau pivotant pour faucheuse Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2012166666A1
WO2012166666A1 PCT/US2012/039728 US2012039728W WO2012166666A1 WO 2012166666 A1 WO2012166666 A1 WO 2012166666A1 US 2012039728 W US2012039728 W US 2012039728W WO 2012166666 A1 WO2012166666 A1 WO 2012166666A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
knife arm
knife
drive mechanism
shuttle element
mounting end
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
Application number
PCT/US2012/039728
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Luke A. Schroeder
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
CNH Industrial America LLC
Original Assignee
CNH Amercia LLC
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by CNH Amercia LLC filed Critical CNH Amercia LLC
Publication of WO2012166666A1 publication Critical patent/WO2012166666A1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
    • A01D—HARVESTING; MOWING
    • A01D34/00—Mowers; Mowing apparatus of harvesters
    • A01D34/01—Mowers; Mowing apparatus of harvesters characterised by features relating to the type of cutting apparatus
    • A01D34/02—Mowers; Mowing apparatus of harvesters characterised by features relating to the type of cutting apparatus having reciprocating cutters
    • A01D34/13—Cutting apparatus
    • A01D34/14—Knife-bars
    • A01D34/145—Devices for connecting the knife-bars to the driving mechanism
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
    • A01D—HARVESTING; MOWING
    • A01D34/00—Mowers; Mowing apparatus of harvesters
    • A01D34/01—Mowers; Mowing apparatus of harvesters characterised by features relating to the type of cutting apparatus
    • A01D34/02—Mowers; Mowing apparatus of harvesters characterised by features relating to the type of cutting apparatus having reciprocating cutters
    • A01D34/30—Driving mechanisms for the cutters

Definitions

  • This invention relates generally to a pivoting knife arm assembly for the sickle of a header of an agricultural cutting machine, such as a combine, windrower or other crop harvesting machine, or a mower, and more particularly, for connecting a sickle knife assembly to an epicyclic drive mechanism, which utilizes a multiple race eccentric bearing arrangement adapted for translating reciprocating linear motion of the epicyclic drive to a pivoting arc motion.
  • Sickles typically including cutter bars supporting a row of knives, have been used to cut plants, including, but not limited to, hay, grasses, small grains and the like, for many years.
  • the knives are composed of a plurality of knife or sickle sections which are mounted in side by side relation forming an elongate metal knife assembly.
  • the elongate knife assembly is normally supported so as to slide
  • the knife assembly and stationary bar are typically supported in connection with a cutting head or header, and are oriented so as to extend sidewardly along a forward edge portion of structure such as a floor or pan of the header, hereinafter sometimes referred to generally as the floor.
  • the floor or pan defines the lower periphery of a cut crop or plant flow area, which can include conveying apparatus, such as one or more augers or belts, operable in cooperation with a reel in machines so equipped, for conveying the cut plant material and crops, for instance, to a feeder inlet of a combine or windrow forming apparatus of a windrower .
  • the knife arm assembly includes a pivoting knife arm having a mounting end for connection to an output element of the epicyclical drive, a distal end opposite the mounting end, and a pivot at a location between the mounting end and the distal end, the mounting end carrying a multiple race eccentric bearing arrangement for translating reciprocating linear movements of the shuttle element into limited
  • the shuttle element is connected in driven relation to an eccentric output element of the epicyclic drive so to be capable of reciprocating linear motion.
  • the pivot of the knife arm is at a fixed location such that the knife arm pivots about a fixed pivotal axis and the mounting end will travel along a known or predetermined arcuate path.
  • the eccentric bearing arrangement connects the knife arm to the shuttle element, such that the shuttle element is limited to a predetermined path of
  • the bearing arrangement has eccentricity substantially equal to a maximum distance between the arcuate path of the pivotal movement of the mounting end of the knife arm and the path of the linear movement of the shuttle element .
  • the bearing arrangement comprises a triple race eccentric bearing sized to have the required eccentricity to compensate for the changing distance between the arcuate path of movement of the mounting end of the knife arm and the linear path of the shuttle element .
  • FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side view of a harvester including a header having knife arm assemblies of the invention connected in reciprocating driving relation to a sickle of the header;
  • FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side view of the header and knife arm assemblies of the invention
  • FIG. 3 is a front view of the harvester and header, showing the location of the knife arm
  • FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the header, showing aspects of the sickle and the knife arm assemblies;
  • FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary side view within the header, showing an enclosure containing a pair of epicyclical drives connected in driving relation to the knife arm assemblies, and showing the connection to the sickle;
  • FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary top view of the enclosure and knife arm assemblies; and [ 0020 ] FIG. 7 is a further enlarged fragmentary top view of one of the knife assemblies.
  • FIGS. 1 through 5 a conventional, well known agricultural cutting machine, which is a combine 20, is shown including a header 22.
  • Header 22 is shown supported in the conventional, well-known manner on a forward end 24 of combine 20, and is operable for cutting or severing crops such as, but not limited to, small grains such as wheat and soybeans, and inducting the severed crops into a feeder 26 for conveyance into combine 20 for threshing and cleaning, in the well known manner, as combine 20 moves forwardly over a field.
  • Header 22 includes a pan or floor 28 which is supported in desired proximity to the surface of the field during the harvesting operation, and an elongate, sidewardly extending sickle 30 along a forward edge portion 32 of floor 28, sickle 30 being operable for severing the plants or crop for induction into header 22, as will be explained. Header 22 additionally includes an elongate, sidewardly extending reel 34 disposed above sickle 30 and rotatable in a direction for facilitating induction of the severed plant material or crops into header 22.
  • header 22 is configured as a draper type, having a system of elongate, flat, sidewardly moving draper belts 36 and 38 having upwardly facing surfaces disposed just rearwardly of forward edge portion 32, operable in cooperation with reel 34 for conveying the severed plant material or crops toward an inlet opening of feeder 26 for induction into combine 20, in the well-known manner.
  • sickle 30 extends in a sideward direction along the width of floor 28, between a first side edge portion 40 of the floor, and an opposite second side edge portion 42.
  • Sickle 30 includes an elongate, sidewardly extending first cutter bar assembly 44, and an elongate,
  • cutter bar assemblies 44 and 46 each include a plurality of sidewardly facing aligned slots 48 through a
  • guards 50 which project forwardly from a stationary bar 52 at sidewardly spaced intervals therealong.
  • Stationary bar 52 extends the length of sickle 30 just forwardly of forward edge portion 32 of floor 28, and guards 50 are mounted to bar 52 with fasteners 54.
  • Bar 52 is mounted to a frame 56 of header 22 adjacent to forward edge portion 32 by fasteners 54, as best illustrated in FIG. 5.
  • Each of cutter bar assemblies 44 and 46 supports an elongate knife assembly 58 for reciprocating longitudinal movement within slots 48, each knife assembly 58 having a row of knife sections 60 including oppositely facing, angularly related knife edges which, in conjunction with adjacent guards 50, effects a shearing or cutting action which severs plant stems and stalks or other material captured between the knives and the guards as the knife sections are reciprocatingly moved sidewardly, as denoted by arrow A in FIG. 4.
  • Knife assemblies 58 are reciprocatingly driven utilizing first and second epicyclic sickle drives 62A and 62B.
  • First and second sickle drives 62A and 62B are illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 at a center location on header 22 between side edge portions 40 and 42 at the opposite ends of the header, although it should be noted that it is contemplated that sickle drives 62A and 62B could alternatively be utilized at other locations on a header, and that multiple sickle drives 62 could be used at multiple locations on a header.
  • Sickle drives 62A and 62B are preferably located completely within or beneath floor 28, in a suitable enclosure or case, as best shown in FIG. 5, to reduce interruption of flow of cut plant material thereover and thereabout.
  • Drives 62A and 62B can comprise a variety of epicyclical drive mechanisms operable to output purely linear motion.
  • drives 62A and 62B are connected in reciprocating driving relation to the respective knife assemblies 58 by knife heads 64, and a knife arm assemblies 66 constructed and operable according to the present invention.
  • each knife head 64 is an elongate member attached by an array of threaded fasteners to the associated knife assembly 58.
  • Each knife arm assembly 66 includes an elongate knife arm 68 having a mounting end 70 that connects to an output element of the associated drive 62A or 62B, an opposite distal end 72 that connects to the associated knife head 64, and a pivot 74 disposed between ends 70 and 72 so as to allow only pivotal movement the knife arm, about an upstanding pivotal axis 76 through pivot 74.
  • mounting end 70 of each knife arm 68 includes a circular aperture 78 that contains a multiple race eccentric bearing arrangement 80, which is preferably a triple race eccentric bearing 82.
  • Bearing 82 has an outer race 84 extending about a middle race 86, which extends about an inner race 88, with a outer bearing set 90 comprising a plurality of suitable bearing elements, e.g., balls, rollers or needles, disposed between and in contact with races 84 and 86, and an inner bearing set 92 between races 86 and 88.
  • At least race 86 is eccentric, meaning that an outer bearing surface 94 thereof in contact with the outer bearing set 90 is eccentric to an inner bearing surface 96 in contact with bearing set 92.
  • Outer race 84 is held, e.g., press fit, in aperture 78 and thus will move, or be moved, in fixed relation to the arm 68 in which it is located, and is retained by a suitable element such as a large internal snap ring receivable in a groove about the surface defining aperture 78 (deleted for clarity) .
  • Inner race 88 is held, e.g., press fit, about an outer peripheral circumferential surface of a disk shaped shuttle element 98 of the associated drive 62A or 62B so as to rotate with shuttle element 98, and is similarly retained by an external snap ring or the like.
  • middle race 86 is eccentric as described above, shuttle element 98 is eccentric to aperture 78, and because the races are relatively rotatable, the orientation of the eccentricity within aperture 78 is variable. This and the use of two bearing sets with a middle race allow shuttle element 98 and knife arm 68 to relatively rotate, and to do so at different speeds.
  • Arm 68 has a pivotal length PL measured between pivotal axis 76 and a center 100 of aperture 78, and center 100 will move along an arcuate path AP as arm 68 pivots about pivotal axis 76.
  • the degree of eccentricity E of bearing 82 will be desirably a function of the distance between path AP and path LP, which changes continuously during the operation of the drive. Bearing 82 is configured to rotate as required to compensate for this distance such that binding is minimized and smooth operation occurs.
  • the maximum value of eccentricity E will correspond at least substantially to the maximum distance or difference between paths AP and LP, as denoted by distance D.
  • drives 62A and 62B are preferably counter driven in opposite directions, such that the directions of rotation R1-R3 of drive 62A will be the opposite of those described above in regard to drive 62B and illustrated in FIG. 7. It can also be noted that at the end of its travel from the position shown in FIG.
  • knife arm assembly 66 attached to drive 62B will be essentially oriented as shown by knife arm assembly 66 attached to drive 62A as shown in FIG. 6.
  • knife arm assembly 66 attached to drive 62A as shown in FIG. 6.
  • other multiple race eccentric bearing constructions that can compensate for the differences between the linear path of the drive and pivotal arcuate path of the drive knife arm can be used according to the invention.

Landscapes

  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Environmental Sciences (AREA)
  • Harvester Elements (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un ensemble bras (66) de couteau destiné à relier un mécanisme épicyclique (62A, 62B) d'entraînement de faucheuse au couteau (58) d'une faucheuse (30), l'ensemble étant doté d'un bras pivotant (68) de couteau comportant une extrémité (70) de montage reliée à un élément (98) de navette du mécanisme épicyclique (62A, 62B) d'entraînement animé d'un mouvement linéaire alternatif par un pignon (102) du mécanisme (62A, 62B), une extrémité distale (72) opposée à l'extrémité (70) de montage, et un pivot (74) placé à un emplacement situé entre l'extrémité (70) de montage et l'extrémité distale (72), l'extrémité (70) de montage étant reliée à l'élément (98) de navette à l'aide d'une configuration (80) à palier excentrique pour convertir le mouvement linéaire alternatif de l'élément (98) de navette en un mouvement de pivotement alternatif limité du bras (68) de couteau.
PCT/US2012/039728 2011-05-27 2012-05-25 Ensemble bras de couteau pivotant pour faucheuse Ceased WO2012166666A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US201161491039P 2011-05-27 2011-05-27
US61/491,039 2011-05-27

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2012166666A1 true WO2012166666A1 (fr) 2012-12-06

Family

ID=47259796

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/US2012/039728 Ceased WO2012166666A1 (fr) 2011-05-27 2012-05-25 Ensemble bras de couteau pivotant pour faucheuse

Country Status (1)

Country Link
WO (1) WO2012166666A1 (fr)

Cited By (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20150163994A1 (en) * 2013-12-16 2015-06-18 Cnh America Llc Cutter assembly for an agricultural harvester
EP3476197A1 (fr) * 2017-10-31 2019-05-01 CNH Industrial Belgium NV Bec cueilleur pour une moissonneuse agricole comportant un convoyeur d'alimentation relié à un entraînement de couteau central
EP3476196A1 (fr) * 2017-10-31 2019-05-01 CNH Industrial Belgium NV Entraînement de couteau central et ensemble de rouleaux pour moissonneuse-batteuse
US10602662B2 (en) * 2011-05-27 2020-03-31 Cnh Industrial America Llc Low profile sickle drive
US10674657B2 (en) 2017-10-31 2020-06-09 Cnh Industrial America Llc Direct shaft connected dual center knife drive for an agricultural harvester
US10820496B2 (en) 2017-09-28 2020-11-03 Cnh Industrial America Llc Center knife drive for an agricultural harvester
US10827673B2 (en) 2017-12-22 2020-11-10 Cnh Industrial America Llc Center knife drive for an agricultural harvester
US11160209B2 (en) * 2018-05-24 2021-11-02 Deere & Company Hydraulic drive arrangement to drive a reciprocating cutter bar

Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4192472A (en) * 1978-04-17 1980-03-11 Johnson Louis W Cone crusher
GB2079123A (en) * 1980-07-01 1982-01-20 Schumacher Guenter Drive coupling
JPH028512A (ja) * 1988-06-27 1990-01-12 Nippon Denso Co Ltd トリプルレース軸受
US6220760B1 (en) * 1998-07-10 2001-04-24 Fag Automobiltechnik Ag Three-ring needle bearing
US7121074B1 (en) * 2005-05-31 2006-10-17 Acco Corporation Balanced epicyclic sickle drive
US7810304B2 (en) * 2007-12-06 2010-10-12 Cnh America Llc Compact knife head assembly, bearing and eccentric for a sickle drive for a header of an agricultural plant cutting machine
US20110078989A1 (en) * 2009-10-02 2011-04-07 Cnh America Llc Plant-cutting assembly for a header

Patent Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4192472A (en) * 1978-04-17 1980-03-11 Johnson Louis W Cone crusher
GB2079123A (en) * 1980-07-01 1982-01-20 Schumacher Guenter Drive coupling
JPH028512A (ja) * 1988-06-27 1990-01-12 Nippon Denso Co Ltd トリプルレース軸受
US6220760B1 (en) * 1998-07-10 2001-04-24 Fag Automobiltechnik Ag Three-ring needle bearing
US7121074B1 (en) * 2005-05-31 2006-10-17 Acco Corporation Balanced epicyclic sickle drive
US7810304B2 (en) * 2007-12-06 2010-10-12 Cnh America Llc Compact knife head assembly, bearing and eccentric for a sickle drive for a header of an agricultural plant cutting machine
US20110078989A1 (en) * 2009-10-02 2011-04-07 Cnh America Llc Plant-cutting assembly for a header

Cited By (13)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US10602662B2 (en) * 2011-05-27 2020-03-31 Cnh Industrial America Llc Low profile sickle drive
US11350565B2 (en) 2011-05-27 2022-06-07 Cnh Industrial America Llc Low profile sickle drive
US10721862B2 (en) * 2013-12-16 2020-07-28 Cnh Industrial America Llc Cutter assembly for an agricultural harvester
US20150163994A1 (en) * 2013-12-16 2015-06-18 Cnh America Llc Cutter assembly for an agricultural harvester
US11224161B2 (en) 2013-12-16 2022-01-18 Cnh Industrial America Llc Cutter assembly for an agricultural harvester
US10820496B2 (en) 2017-09-28 2020-11-03 Cnh Industrial America Llc Center knife drive for an agricultural harvester
EP3476196A1 (fr) * 2017-10-31 2019-05-01 CNH Industrial Belgium NV Entraînement de couteau central et ensemble de rouleaux pour moissonneuse-batteuse
US10674657B2 (en) 2017-10-31 2020-06-09 Cnh Industrial America Llc Direct shaft connected dual center knife drive for an agricultural harvester
US10674658B2 (en) 2017-10-31 2020-06-09 Cnh Industrial America Llc Header for an agricultural harvester having an infeed conveyor connected to a center knife drive
US10743465B2 (en) 2017-10-31 2020-08-18 Cnh Industrial America Llc Center knife drive and roller assembly for an agricultural harvester
EP3476197A1 (fr) * 2017-10-31 2019-05-01 CNH Industrial Belgium NV Bec cueilleur pour une moissonneuse agricole comportant un convoyeur d'alimentation relié à un entraînement de couteau central
US10827673B2 (en) 2017-12-22 2020-11-10 Cnh Industrial America Llc Center knife drive for an agricultural harvester
US11160209B2 (en) * 2018-05-24 2021-11-02 Deere & Company Hydraulic drive arrangement to drive a reciprocating cutter bar

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