GB1570781A - Forage harvesters - Google Patents

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO FORAGE HARVESTERS (71) We, WESTERN MACHINERY & EQUIPMENT COMPANY LIMITED, a British company of Redlake Trading Estate, Ivybridge, Devon, PL21 OE2, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a Patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention concerns improvements in or relating to forage harvesters and more particularly to apparatus of the kind known as precision chop or metered feed forage harvesters, and which chop forage or other agricultural crop or the like raised from the ground into short lengths by a rotating set of knives generally in the form of a cylinder with the knives projecting from the circumference, or a wheel with the knives mounted radially, which cut the forage against a counter knife, provision being made either to cut the forage from the ground over a desired width in front of the machine, or to provide a pick-up unit of desired width to raise pre-cut material from the ground. The raised material is fed to a screw conveyor designed to reduce the width of the material fed from either the cutter bar or pick-up unit to a width suitable for the feed rollers which feed the chopping cylinder. The chopped forage is then either thrown up a delivery chute by the chopping cylinder to a suitable collecting vehicle, or transferred by screw conveyor or direct to a fan of special type which throws the material through the delivery chute into the collecting vehicle.

The apparatus of the above kind is normally built on a wheeled chassis, for towing over the ground by an agricultural tractor which also drives it, but it can also be tractor mounted, self propelled or tractor towed with engine drive.

The present invention is concerned with the provision of an improved construction of screw conveyor for use with forage harvester of the kind referred to which (a) gives an improved and direct feed to the cutting cylinder of a metered feed forage harvester; (b) avoids the use of internal moving parts; (c) is reliable in use and (d) less complicated and therefore less costly than conventional screw conveyors with retracting tines.

According to the present invention, there is provided a forage harvester of the kind referred to that comprises in combination a screw conveyor, a pick-up unit for feeding crop to said screw conveyor, the latter comprising co-axial multiple helicles acting in opposite directions to precompress and feed the forage towards the centre or approximately the centre of the conveyor, a cutting or chopping cylinder adjacent to the feed position of the conveyor between the two sets of helicles to which cylinder the compressed forage is directly fed by the conveyor.

To enable the invention to be clearly understood and readily carried into effect a preferred embodiment thereof will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a screw conveyor constructed according to this invention, Figure 2 is a view of an apparatus constructed according to this invention looking from the front, and adapted for side mounting on an agricultural tractor, Figure 3 is a view of Figure 2 looking from the right hand end, Figure 4 is a perspective view to an enlarged scale of a typical cutting or chopping cylinder which can be fitted into the machine shown in Figures 2 and 5, Figure 5 is a view of an apparatus constructed according to this invention look ing from the front and adapted to be towed and driven by an agricultural tractor, Figure 6 is a view of Figure 5 looking from the right hand end, and Figure 7 is a diagram (on the centre line viewed from the right hand side) showing the relationship of a pick-up unit, the screw conveyor of this invention and a chopping cylinder.

Referring to said drawings, the screw conveyor comprises, as viewed in Figure 1, a twin helix 4 and 5 at the right hand side and a twin helix 2 and 3 at the left hand side with the helices positioned at 1800 to each other at the start of the helix on the outer end of a tube from which they extend and so arranged that the opposed inner ends of the helices at the feed position 1 of the conveyor between the two sets of helices alternately from right and left are at 90" to each other. The opposed inner ends of the helices at the feed position 1 will normally be on the centre line of the feed position but they can however be terminated before or past this centre line to suit the apparatus, and can be either plain or provided with feed paddles 6. These paddles 6 can be permanently welded into position or detachable mounted by bolts and can, with advantage, be replaceable by paddles of varying heights and widths to adjust and suit the machine for varying crop conditions.

Satisfactory results have been obtained by making the screw conveyor of this invention of the following dimensions but it is to be appreciated that these dimensions may be varied to suit requirements.

Length 1400mm Centre tube diameter 260mm Diameter over helices 500mm Projection of helix 120mm Pitch of each helix 400mm Inter-helix pitch 200mm From the foregoing it will be appreciated that the screw conveyor of this invention comprises multiple conveying helices that act in opposite directions so as to pre-compress and feed the forage to the centre of the length of the conveyor and so gives an improved feed to the cutting and chopping cylinder and its associated rolls (if provided) and eliminates the use of any internal moving parts. The conveyor of this invention also gives a controlled metered feed that is adjustable by incorporating an interchangeable drive ratio between the cutting cylinder (Figure 4) and the screw conveyor when the forage is fed directly from the conveyor to the cutting cylinder as illustrated diagrammatically by Figure 7, the chopped forage from the cutting cylinder being discharged through a chute 8 if necessary assisted by a fan.

It will also be understood from the foregoing that the screw conveyor may comprise four helices 2, 3, 4, 5 (Figure 1) or any greater number of helices and built to any reasonable dimensions with normally the feed position 1 to the chopping or cutting cylinder in approximately the centre of the conveyor, but this is not an essential feature and the feed position can be arranged to suit the particular forage harvester to which the conveyor is to be fitted.

The forage harvester to which the apparatus of this invention is fitted may of course be provided with a pick-up unit 7 as shown in Figures 2,3,5,6 and 7 for raising pre-cut forage, or alternatively, with a cutter bar for harvesting a crop.

According to one modification not illustrated, the screw conveyor can be constructed with six helices, that is with triple helix from left and right hand ends positioned 1200 to each other at the start of the helix on the outer end of the tube, and so arranged that the ends of the helices and the feed position alternately from right and left and at 600 to each other.

According to another modification not illustrated, the feed position is displaced from the centre and which to achieve an even feed to the chopping device, has a pair of helices positioned at 1800 from the right hand end of the screw conveyor and with a single helix from the left hand end terminating at the feed position 90" trailing one of the right hand helices, and with a fixed or removable paddle at 1800 to the single helix, or with the pair of helices single helix, or vice versa.

The various angles referred to above are given as examples of suitable arrangements and may of course be varied as required.

According to a further modification, not illustrated, retracting tines may be fitted in the feed position between multiple helices.

The invention also embraces a forage harvester that has a maize harvesting attachment for one or more rows, said attachment including a screw conveyor constructed as hereinbefore previously described.

The said cutting cylinder is preferably, although not essentially, fitted with knives 9 (Figures 4 and 7) made in accordance with the invention described in our copending Patent Application No. 5118/76.

(Serial No. 1559322).

Briefly according to our said co-pending application No. 5118/76 (Serial No.

1559322) there is provided a cutting or chopping cylinder for a forage harvester of the kind referred to wherein each knife 9 is made so as to yield and deform and bend backwards away from its counter knife 9a and casing in the event of a foreign body, e.g. a stone passing into the cylinder and becoming wedged between said parts whereby any damage is limited to the actual knife and does not extend to adjacent parts of the mechanism.

The length of the chop may be varied to suit requirements by changing the drive ratio between the chopping cylinder and the screw conveyor.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A forage harvester of the kind referred to comprising in combination a screw conveyor, a pick-up unit for feeding crop to said screw conveyor, the latter comprising co-axial multiple helices acting in opposite directions to precompress and feed the forage towards the centre of approximately the centre of the conveyor, a cutting or chopping cylinder adjacent to the feed position of the conveyor between the two sets of helices to which cylinder the compressed forage is directed fed by the conveyor.

2. A forage harvester as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the conveyor between opposed inner ends of the multiple helices is provided with paddles that assist in feeding the compressed forage directly to the chopping cylinder.

3. A forage harvester as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the conveyor between opposed inner ends of the multiple helices is provided with retracting tines that assist in feeding the compressed forage directly to the chopping cylinder.

4. A forage harvester as claimed in any of the preceding claims, including an interchangeable drive ratio between said cutting cylinder and the screw conveyor to enable an adjustable and controlled metered direct feed and resulting length of chop to be obtained.

5. A forage harvester as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein said screw conveyor comprises a pair of left hand and a pair of right hand helices arranged at 1800 to each other which terminate in the feed position at 900 to each other alternately from left and right which feed an agricultural crop directly to a chopping cylinder.

6. A forage harvester as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 4, wherein said screw conveyor comprises triple helices at each end spaced 1200 and positioned at 60 to each other alternately from right and left at the feed position, which feed agricultural crop directly to a chopping cylinder.

7. A forage harvester as claimed in any of Claims 2, 4, 5 or 6 wherein said paddles are detachably mounted and replaceable by ones of varying heights and widths to adjust and suit a machine to which the conveyor is fitted for dealing with different crop conditions.

8. A forage harvester as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein said conveyor comprises any suitable greater number of helices equally spaced at the right and left hand ends terminating alternately in the feed position.

9. A forage harvester as claimed in any of the preceding claims 1 to 4, wherein the feed position of said conveyor is displaced from the centre and which to achieve an even feed to the chopping device has a pair of helices at 1800 from the right hand end of the screw conveyor and with a single helix from the left hand end terminating at the feed position 90" trailing one of the right hand helices, and with a fixed or removable paddle at 1800 to the single helix, or with the pair of helices/single helix, or vice versa.

10. A forage harvester having a screw conveyor as claimed in any of the preceding Claims 1 to 4 comprising twin helices spaced at 1800 or triple helices spaced at 1200 or any greater number which conveys material in one direction and feeds a chopping cylinder either radially with paddles in the area of one end of axially from the end of the helices.

11. A forage harvester of the kind referred to, constructed and adapted to function substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.

12. A forage harvester comprising a maize harvesting attachment for one or more rows which includes a screw conveyor as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 10.

13. A forage harvester comprising a cutter-bar attachment for direct harvesting of forage crops, which includes a screw conveyor as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 10.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (13)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. bend backwards away from its counter knife 9a and casing in the event of a foreign body, e.g. a stone passing into the cylinder and becoming wedged between said parts whereby any damage is limited to the actual knife and does not extend to adjacent parts of the mechanism. The length of the chop may be varied to suit requirements by changing the drive ratio between the chopping cylinder and the screw conveyor. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A forage harvester of the kind referred to comprising in combination a screw conveyor, a pick-up unit for feeding crop to said screw conveyor, the latter comprising co-axial multiple helices acting in opposite directions to precompress and feed the forage towards the centre of approximately the centre of the conveyor, a cutting or chopping cylinder adjacent to the feed position of the conveyor between the two sets of helices to which cylinder the compressed forage is directed fed by the conveyor.

2. A forage harvester as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the conveyor between opposed inner ends of the multiple helices is provided with paddles that assist in feeding the compressed forage directly to the chopping cylinder.

3. A forage harvester as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the conveyor between opposed inner ends of the multiple helices is provided with retracting tines that assist in feeding the compressed forage directly to the chopping cylinder.

4. A forage harvester as claimed in any of the preceding claims, including an interchangeable drive ratio between said cutting cylinder and the screw conveyor to enable an adjustable and controlled metered direct feed and resulting length of chop to be obtained.

5. A forage harvester as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein said screw conveyor comprises a pair of left hand and a pair of right hand helices arranged at 1800 to each other which terminate in the feed position at 900 to each other alternately from left and right which feed an agricultural crop directly to a chopping cylinder.

6. A forage harvester as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 4, wherein said screw conveyor comprises triple helices at each end spaced 1200 and positioned at 60 to each other alternately from right and left at the feed position, which feed agricultural crop directly to a chopping cylinder.

7. A forage harvester as claimed in any of Claims 2, 4, 5 or 6 wherein said paddles are detachably mounted and replaceable by ones of varying heights and widths to adjust and suit a machine to which the conveyor is fitted for dealing with different crop conditions.

8. A forage harvester as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein said conveyor comprises any suitable greater number of helices equally spaced at the right and left hand ends terminating alternately in the feed position.

9. A forage harvester as claimed in any of the preceding claims 1 to 4, wherein the feed position of said conveyor is displaced from the centre and which to achieve an even feed to the chopping device has a pair of helices at 1800 from the right hand end of the screw conveyor and with a single helix from the left hand end terminating at the feed position 90" trailing one of the right hand helices, and with a fixed or removable paddle at 1800 to the single helix, or with the pair of helices/single helix, or vice versa.

10. A forage harvester having a screw conveyor as claimed in any of the preceding Claims 1 to 4 comprising twin helices spaced at 1800 or triple helices spaced at 1200 or any greater number which conveys material in one direction and feeds a chopping cylinder either radially with paddles in the area of one end of axially from the end of the helices.

11. A forage harvester of the kind referred to, constructed and adapted to function substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.

12. A forage harvester comprising a maize harvesting attachment for one or more rows which includes a screw conveyor as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 10.

13. A forage harvester comprising a cutter-bar attachment for direct harvesting of forage crops, which includes a screw conveyor as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 10.