BE1027478B1 - Forage harvester with discharge spout and position-adjustable cab - Google Patents

Abstract

A forage harvester (10) is equipped with a chopping drum (22), an ejection chute (26) for loading the shredded crop onto a transport vehicle and a cabin (18). The discharge spout (26) can be adjusted about a vertical axis by a first actuator (40) and about a horizontal axis by a second actuator (42). The actuators (40, 42) are connected to a control device (58) which in turn is connected to an operator interface (60, 60a) for controlling the first and second actuators (40, 42). A third actuator (44) is used to adjust the position of the car (18) in the forward direction (V).

Description

The invention relates to a forage harvester with a chassis that can be moved in a forward direction over a field, a chopping drum for chopping harvested crop picked up by means of a header, an ejecting chute for transferring the chopped crop onto a transport vehicle and a cabin with a workstation arranged therein for an operator, the discharge spout being attached to the forage harvester so that it can be adjusted by a first actuator about an at least approximately vertical axis and by a second actuator about a horizontal axis and the actuators are connected to a control device, which in turn is connected to one of the Operator interface for controlling the first and second actuator is connected.

State of the art Forage harvesters are used to harvest plants that are picked up or cut off from a field, fed to a chopping device and chopped up by it, and finally loaded onto a transport vehicle.

For this task, a driven ejection accelerator is provided downstream of the chopping device (or a conditioning device that can optionally be introduced into the crop flow during maize harvesting downstream of the chopping device), which conveys the chopped crop upwards into a transition housing.

At the upper end of the transition housing, on a turntable, there is arranged an ejection elbow that is rotatable about the vertical axis and pivotably mounted about a horizontal axis, to which a pivotable ejection flap is attached at the end.

The workplace of the operator of the forage harvester is usually located in a cabin that is located in front of the discharge chute. The possible range of rotation of the discharge spout around the vertical axis is usually limited to the front in order to prevent the discharge spout from hitting the cabin. In the prior art, this limitation of the angle of rotation was restricted to lower swivel angles of the discharge spout around the horizontal axis by means of a sensor located on the rear of the cabin, with the discharge spout hitting the cabin, so that the operator can also use a higher lifted discharge spout can turn forward, which can be useful in certain overloading situations, e.g. under trees. It has also been proposed (EP 1 393 613 A2) to automatically raise the spout around the vertical axis by adjusting it around the horizontal axis if it is rotated over a maximum permissible pivoting range around the vertical axis. If necessary, the discharge spout is automatically raised so that it can be turned forwards via the cabin. Nevertheless, in the prior art, the possibility of rotating a discharge spout forwards is limited by the cab which is permanently mounted on the chassis of the forage harvester. The prior art also describes harvesting machines with cabs that can be adjusted in the vertical direction and / or forwards (EP 1 779 717 A1) so that the operator is able to use a joystick to move his cab to a desired position at which he is best Overview has. The adjustment is purely manual.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION The object on which the invention is based is seen in providing a forage harvester which is improved compared to the prior art mentioned.

Solution According to the invention, this object is achieved by the teaching of patent claim 1, the further patent claims citing features that further develop the solution in an advantageous manner. A forage harvester is equipped with a chassis that can be moved in a forward direction across a field, a chopping drum for chopping up harvested crop picked up by means of a harvesting header, a discharge spout for transferring the chopped up crop onto a transport vehicle and a cabin with a workstation arranged therein for an operator . The discharge spout is attached to the forage harvester by a first actuator about an at least approximately vertical axis and by a second actuator about a horizontal axis and the actuators are connected to a control device, which in turn is connected to one of the operator interfaces for controlling the first and second actuators . A third actuator, coupled to the control device, is provided for adjusting the position of the cabin relative to the chassis in the forward direction. The control device is set up to control the third actuator as a function of operator inputs for the first and / or second actuator.

In this way, when the desire can be recognized directly from operator input that the first and / or second actuator should move the discharge spout forward and into a relatively low position, or this desire is recognized indirectly by entering the desired adjustment range, through Shifting the cabin forward increases the adjustment range of the discharge spout. The mentioned operator inputs for the first and second actuator can thus be the adjustment commands for the actuators and / or the inputs for their possible adjustment range.

In particular, in the position rotated forward about the vertical axis, the spout can be lowered further down than in the prior art by moving the cabin forward, which offers the advantage when harvesting below trees that the spout does not hit branches is feared. The control device can be set up to control the third actuator in order to prevent an imminent collision of the discharge spout with the cabin and / or on the basis of operator inputs for entering or selecting a possible one, which is detected on the basis of the operator inputs for the first and / or second actuator To move the adjustment range of the first and / or second actuator from a rear rest position into a forward position. The control device can be set up to instruct the third actuator to move the cabin forwards only in response to a confirmation input from an operator.

The control device can be operable to command the third actuator to leave the car in a rear idle position, as long as the operator inputs do not indicate that the car is to be shifted into a forward position from the idle position. Exemplary embodiment An exemplary embodiment of the invention is explained with the aid of the figures. 1 shows a schematic side view of a forage harvester with a discharge spout located in a rearward operating position; Rest position forwardly displaced cabin, FIG. 3: a schematic view of an adjustment mechanism of the cabin in the rest position, FIG. 4: a schematic view of an adjustment mechanism of FIG. 3 with the cabin shifted forward, FIG for controlling the actuators of the discharge spout and the cabin, and FIG. 6: a flowchart according to which the control device works during operation.

In FIG. 1, a self-propelled forage harvester 10 is shown in a schematic side view. The forage harvester 10 is built on a chassis 12 which is supported by front driven wheels 14 and steerable rear wheels 16. The forage harvester 10 is operated from a driver's cab 18 from which a header 20 in the form of a pick-up can be viewed, which could also be replaced by a header for corn harvesting. By means of the header 20 picked up crop, z. B. grass or the like is fed via a feed conveyor with feed rollers 30, 32, 34, 36, which are arranged inside a feed housing 50 on the front side of the forage harvester 10, to a chopping device 22 arranged below the driver's cab 18 in the form of a chopping drum, which it in chops small pieces and gives it to an ejection accelerator 24.

The material leaves the forage harvester 10 to a transport vehicle traveling alongside via a transition housing 44 and an ejection spout 26 which is inclined on a turntable 38 by a first actuator 40 by an approximately vertical or slightly backward angle

Axis is rotatable and supported adjustable in inclination by a second actuator 42. Between the chopping device 22 and the ejection accelerator 24 there is a channel 68 into which a grain processor with two counter-rotating grain processor rollers 28 can be inserted in order to strike grain during the maize harvest. During the grass harvest, the grain processor 28 is placed in an inoperative position, as shown, or removed. In the following, directional information, such as laterally, below and above, relate to the forward direction V of the harvesting machine 10, which runs to the left in FIG. 1.

A third actuator 44 is arranged between the chassis 12 and the cab 18 and enables the cab 18 to be displaced between a rest position shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 and a position shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 shifted forward. Any intermediate positions between the positions of the car shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 on the one hand and FIGS. 2 and 4 on the other hand are also possible.

A fourth actuator 56 is used to adjust an ejection flap 54, which is attached to the outer end of the discharge spout 26.

Figures 3 and 4 show details of a possible mechanism for adjusting the position of the cabin 18. A longitudinal beam 62 of the chassis 12, which extends in the longitudinal direction of the forage harvester 10 and to which, among other things, the axles or shafts of the wheels 14 and 16 are attached holding the chopping drum 22 is connected to a cabin support 64 which extends obliquely backwards and upwards from the longitudinal support 64. A lower bracket 66 is attached to the cabin support 64 and extends horizontally forwards from the cabin support 64. Opposite the lower holder 66, an upper holder 68 is mounted so as to be displaceable in the forward direction V by sliding or roller bearings. The cabin 18 is rigidly attached to the upper bracket 68. A console 70 extends from the upper bracket 68 on its side downward to an end located below the lower bracket 66, to which one end of the third actuator 44 is articulated, the other end of which is fastened to the cabin support 64. This makes it possible to adjust the car 18 in the forward direction V by means of the third actuator 44.

The forage harvester 10 comprises, in particular, two side members 62 arranged next to one another, two cabin carriers 64 arranged next to one another and two third actuators arranged next to one another

44. The two longitudinal beams 62 and / or the two cabin beams 64 can be connected to one another by cross struts (not shown).

FIG. 5 shows the interconnection of a control device 58 which is used to control the actuators 40, 42, 56 and 44. The control device 58 can control the actuators 40, 42, 44 and 56, which are embodied as hydraulic cylinders, via suitable valve devices, which are not shown in FIG. 5 for reasons of clarity. The control device 58 is connected to a memory 46 and to an operator interface 60 which is arranged in the cabin 18 and is equipped with a display device and with buttons. In addition, the control device 58 is connected to a keypad 60a, which is to be regarded as part of the operator interface 60, but can be arranged spatially separate therefrom, in particular on a driving lever. The keypad 60a comprises keys 72 with which the actuator 40, keys 74 for operating the actuator 42 and keys 76 for operating the actuator

56.

In operation, the control device 58 works according to the flowchart of FIG. 6. After the start in step 100, a step 102 follows in which an operator uses the operator interface 60 to set a desired range of rotation of the discharge spout 26 around the vertical axis (actuator 40) and around the horizontal axis (Actuator 42) can enter. The range of rotation can be entered in two or more stages or selected from predefined stages (e.g. (a) small or large or (b) small, medium or large) or entered continuously. The operator can thus select or enter how far the discharge spout 26 should be able to be rotated forwards and, if a rotation of the discharge spout 26 forwards up to above the cabin 18 should be desired (see FIG. 2), how far the discharge spout in the should be able to be lowered downwards via the car 18 rotated position. As an alternative or in addition, in step 102 the operator can select or enter via the operator interface 60 in which position the car 18 is to be placed in the forward direction V.

This is followed by step 114, in which the control device 58 (in response to an input of the desired adjustment range of the discharge spout 26 in step 102) determines the position in which the cabin 18 is to be moved in the forward direction in order to achieve the adjustment range of the discharge spout 26 calculated in step 102 to enable, and the cabin 18 by actuation of the actuator 44 moves from its rest position shown in Figures 1 and 3 forwards into the calculated position or in step 102 entered directly by the operator. If the desired adjustment range is so small that no shifting of the cabin 18 is necessary and the operator does not enter that he wants the cabin 18 to be shifted forwards, the cabin 18 thus remains in the rear rest position according to FIGS. 1 and 3 they are also displaced by the control device 58 by appropriate control of the actuator 44 when the harvesting operation is ended, which can be recognized by means of a corresponding switch.

The normal harvesting mode now follows, in which the operator inputs his adjustment commands to the actuators 40, 42, 56 by means of the keypad 60a in order to overload the crop stream ejected by the discharge spout 26 to a desired location on the transport vehicle. Any automatic system can also be used here, as is well known in the prior art.

In step 106, the controller 58 checks whether there is a collision of the discharge spout in the case of the adjustment commands entered in each case

26 with the cabin 18 is to be expected. For this purpose, the control device 58 uses known values with regard to the current position of the discharge spout 26 around the horizontal and vertical axis, which can be obtained by means of sensors (not shown in FIG. 5) or on the basis of known setting commands and recognized reference positions of the discharge spout 26. On the basis of known dimensions of the discharge spout 26 and the cabin 18 and their known positions, for example by means of multi-dimensional tables or the like, it is recognized whether the discharge spout 26 should approach the cabin 18 closer than intended if the adjustment commands were carried out. If no collision is to be expected, step 112 follows, in which actuators 40, 42 and 56 are controlled in accordance with the adjustment commands. Step 104 again follows step 112.

If it is found in step 106 that the discharge spout 26 would hit the cab 18, then step 108 follows, in which the operator is informed via the operator interface 60 that the adjustment command cannot be carried out due to the risk of collision and in the following step 110 asks whether the cabin 18 is to be adjusted. If the following input is no, step 104 follows again (i.e. the non-executable adjustment command is ignored or only carried out within the possible limits) and otherwise step 116, in which the actuator 44 is adjusted so that the adjustment command can be executed, which is then also carried out in step 112. In step 104 it is accordingly also possible to enter adjustment commands (by the operator or the automatic system) which can go beyond the adjustment range entered in step 102. In another embodiment, steps 108, 110 and 116 are omitted, i.e. adjustment commands that go beyond the desired adjustment range are ignored. This can also be a second mode that can be selected by the operator via the operator interface 60. If the adjustment range is not sufficient for the operator, he can enlarge it by selecting step 102, if necessary.

After all, the procedure described enables an intelligent adjustment of the position of the cabin 18 depending on the desired adjustment range of the discharge spout 26. This makes it possible, if necessary, to move the discharge spout 26 forwards via the cabin 18 into a relatively low position (see FIG. 2) adjust to enable overloading, for example, under trees to the front. Steps of FIG. 6 100 Start 102 Enter rotation range / cabin position 104 Enter pos. 26 via 60a 106 Collision 26 with 18? 108 Adjust display above 60:18? 110 Adjust input via 60 112 40, 42 press 114 44 press 116 44 press

Claims (4)

PATENT CLAIMS 1. Forage harvester (10) with a chassis (12) which can be moved in a forward direction (V) over a field, a chopping drum (22) for chopping up crops picked up by means of a header (20), an ejection spout (26) for overloading of the shredded crop on a transport vehicle and a cabin (18) with a workstation arranged therein for an operator, the discharge spout (26) on the forage harvester (10) being controlled by a first actuator (40) around an at least approximately vertical axis and by a second actuator (42) is mounted adjustable about a horizontal axis, and the actuators (40, 42) are connected to a control device (58), which in turn is connected to an operator interface (60, 60a) for controlling the first and second actuators (40, 42) is connected, characterized in that a third actuator (44) coupled to the control device (58) for adjusting the position of the cabin (18) relative to the chassis (12) in the forward direction ung (V) is provided, and that the control device (58) is set up to control the third actuator (44) as a function of operator inputs for the first and / or second actuator (40, 42). 2. Forage harvester (10) according to claim 1, wherein the control device (58) is set up to control the third actuator (44) in order to prevent the cabin (18) from being used on the basis of the operator inputs for the first and / or second actuator (40 , 42) recognized, imminent collision of the discharge spout (26) with the cabin (18) and / or operator inputs for entering or selecting a possible adjustment range of the first and / or second actuator (40, 42). 3. Forage harvester (10) according to claim 2, wherein the control device (58) is set up to instruct the third actuator (44) to move the cabin (18) forward only after a confirmation input from an operator. 4. Forage harvester (10) according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the control device (58) can be operated to command the third actuator (44) to leave the cabin (18) in a rearward idle position as long as it does not result from the operator inputs, that the cabin (18) is to be shifted into a position that has been shifted forward from the rest position.