GB2165811A - Harvest stock conveying apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

Stock conveying apparatus comprises a carrier rail (3) provided with tines (4) and movable on an approximately elliptical path for the conveying of harvested stock on a table (2). The rail (3) is pivotably mounted at its ends to the ends (7) of drive arms (8) which synchronously describe elliptical paths. Crank arms (9) mounted in a side wall (10) have axle spigots (12) which are disposed at a spacing (X) from the crank arm axis (11) and on which are rotatably mounted the drive arms (8). The drive arms are each provided with two guide elements (13, 13') which are disposed at the spacing (X) from the axis (11) and which slide alternately in guides (14) mounted on the side wall (10) and equally-spaced around the axis (11). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Harvest stock conveying apparatus The present invention relates to harvest stock conveying apparatus, especially for harvested crop in a bale press for hay, straw and the like, for example apparatus which takes over the harvested stock from the pick-up drum and conveys it into a press space.

Apparatus of that kind is known in a variety of modes of construction. In this connection, reference will be made only to DE-OS 29 39 699, which discloses the most recent solution in terms of the required constructional space, suitability for apparatus of great operating width, the conveying of harvested crop within the feeding space as well as the least acceleration differences during a working stroke and thereby usability for a higher number of working strokes per unit time. Nevertheless, it is very complicated in respect of the means generating an eliptical path of movement of tamping and gathering tine ends, since toothed wheels or chain wheels with chains are employed.

Moreover, the arrangement of these drive means is possible only within the apparatus, where a high degree of pollution prevails due to particles of harvested crop and dust flying around. This leads to premature wear and, in extreme cases, even to the fracture of these parts.

It would thus be desirable to provide a drive for conveying apparatus, the manufacture of which requires relatively low material cost and production time and which has resistance to wear and fracture, especially a drive which manages without toothed wheels and chains, i.e. possesses only components which are simple to manufacture and insensitive to particles of harvested crop and dust.

According to the present invention there is provided harvest stock conveying apparatus comprising two spaced apart crank arms mounted in mounting means to be rotatable about respective horizontal axes, one of the crank arms being couplable to rotary drive means, two drive arms each rotationally connected intermediate its ends to a respective one of the crank arms at a given spacing from the axis of rotation of that crank arm, a rail rotationally connected at two spaced locations thereon to the drive arms and provided with a plurality of depending tines disposed above a support surface for harvest stock to be conveyed, a respective pair of guide elements arranged on each drive arm one on each side of the connection thereof to the associated crank arm and at a spacing from that connection equal to said given spacing, and a respective set of four rectilinear guide tracks to so guide each pair of guide elements during rotation of the associated crank arm as to constrain the rail and tines to move in a substantially vertical plane along a substantially elliptical path above the support surface for conveying entrainment of stock thereon by the tines.

Preferably, the guide tracks of each set are radially arranged at intervals of 90 around the axis of rotation of the associated crank arm with the axes of two of the tracks disposed on a horizontal line intersecting the axis of rotation and the axes of the other two tracks on a vertical line intersecting the axis of rotation and with the radially outer end of each track spaced from the axis of rotation by at least twice said given spacing and the radially inner end by substantially Z times said given spacing.

In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus comprises a carrier rail which moves in a substantially vertical plane and at variable spacing above a conveying table and which has tamping or gathering tines fastened thereto. The rail describes a path similar to an ellipse for the conveying of harvested stock transversely to, for example, a pressing direction in a baling press channel and is suspended articulatedly at at least two points, preferably at both ends, at the drive arms. The drive arms also describe a path similar to an ellipse and their drive is provided by a respective one of two crank arms which move the drive arms. The crank arms are mounted in a side wall of the apparatus to be rotatable about a horizontal axis and project by their rotating arms through the side wall into the open space above the conveying table.Arranged on each crank arm at a given spacing from the rotational axis thereof is an axle spigot, on which in turn a respective one of the drive arms is rotatably mounted. Each drive arm is provided on its side facing the side wall with two guide elements. The guide elements are disposed on the drive arm on either side of the axle spigot also at the given spacing, wherein the drive arms on the one hand ends at one of the guide elements and on the other hand is prolonged beyond the other guide element and articulatedly connected at the end with the rail.Mounted on the side wall in the plane of movement of the guide elements are rectilinear channel-shaped guide tracks, the prolonged centre lines of which all intersect the rotational centre of the crank arm and are displaced one relative to the other through 90 . Two of the guide tracks extend horizontally and two vertically. The outer ends of all guide tracks are disposed at a distance from the rotational centre of the crank arm which is at least twice the given spacing and the inner ends at approximately the product of V times the given spacing.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be more particularly described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a kinematic diagram of a drive system in apparatus embodying the invention; Figure 2 is an illustration of the paths of movement of the articulation points of carrier rails of the apparatus and the points of tamping or gathering tines fastened thereto; Figure 3 is a side view of the apparatus of Figure 1; and Figure 4 is a cross-section of the apparatus in the region of a crank arm of the apparatus.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown conveying apparatus 1 comprising a carrier rail 3, which moves in an approximately vertical plane and at a variable spacing above a conveying table 2 and which has tamping or gathering tines 4 fastened thereto and which describes an elliptical path for the conveying of harvested crop transversely to a pressing direction in a press channel 6.

The rail is suspended at both ends articulatedly to ends 7, which describe elliptical paths 5, of levers 8, the drive of which is provided by respective crank arms 9. The two crank arms 9 are mounted in a side wall 10 of the apparatus 1 to be rotatable about a horizontal axis and their rotating arms project through the side wall 10 into the open space above the table 2. Arranged on the arms 9 at a spacing "X" from the rotational centre 11 are axle spigots 12, on which in turn the levers 8 are rotatably mounted. Each of the levers 8 is provided at its side facing the side wall 10 with slide members 13 and 13', which are disposed one on each side of the spigot 12 at the spacing "X" from this.

Each lever 8 ends at the slide member 13 on the one hand and is, one the other hand, prolonged beyond the slide member 13' to the end 7 articulatedly connected to the rail 3. Mounted on the side wall 10 and in the plane movement of the slide members 13 and 13' are channel-shaped guides 14, the prolonged centre lines of which all intersect at the rotational centre 11 and are displaced one relative to the other through 90 . Two of the guides 14 extend horizontally and two vertically. The outer end 15 of each guide 14 is disposed at a distance from the rotational centre 11 of the crank arm 9 of twice the spacing "X" and the inner end 16 at V times the spacing "X". The provision of inlet ramps 17 at the guides 14 has proved to be advantageous.

In use, the crank arms 9 are in known manner set into rotation by suitable drive means. Each lever 8 is moved by way of the axle spigot 12 at the crank arm 9 wherein one slide element 13 or 13' each time constantly slides in one of the four guides 14. This proceeds in such a manner that in the setting of the crank arm 9 in which it points exactly in the direction of the prolonged centre line of a guide 14, the lever is disposed thereover and also points in this direction. As a result, one slide element is disposed directly above the rotation centre 11 of the crank arm 9 and the other slide element in that setting, within the guide 14, which is furthest removed from the rotational centre.

On further rotation of the crank arm 9, the slide element moves within the guide 14 along the prolonged centre line thereof until it has reached the end of the guide at a rotational angle 45 . The other slide element has in this time moved from the rotational centre 11 of the crank arm along the prolonged centre line of the guide 14 following in rotational direction and reached the inner end thereof at the said angle of 45 . On further rotation of the crank arm, the last-mentioned slide element is displaced within this guide and reaches the outer end thereof at 90 . This process repeats four times during a complete revolution of the crank arm 9, wherein a slide element thus constantly slides in a guide 14 along the same prolonged centre line of the oppositely disposed guides 14.At a rotational angle of 45 of the crank arm 9, a slide element just leaves one guide 14 and the other slide element runs into the succeeding guide, i.e.

both slide elements are within one guide for a short time only in this one setting. There could indeed be an overlap, which is not, however, desirable if saving of material is a consideration.

Moreover, the disposition of the inner ends of the guides 14 relative to the rotational centre 11 of the crank arm 9 has its limits, since the easy movability of the crank arm must be ensured. A deviation from the state, described for a crank angle of 45 , is, of course, possible when the simultaneous guidance of both slide elements is maintained in at least one point. This could be achieved if the inner ends of two oppositely disposed guides 14 are redisposed by a certain amount towards the rotational centre 11 of the crank arm 9 and those of the remaining two guides 14 by the same amount away from the rotational centre.

It is, however, important for the functional capability of this drive that the simultaneous guidance of two slide elements is provided in at least one point, since the slide elements otherwise leave the guides and the lever 8 articulated to the crank arm 9 executes an uncontrolled movement.

Through the described apparatus, during rotation of the crank arm 9 that end of the lever 8 which is prolonged beyond the slide member 13' and receives the rail 3 describes an ellipse. With the presence of two drives of that kind, which between them at their ends receive the rail, the elliptical path is transmitted exactly to the tines 4. Through variation of the dimensions of the levers 8 and the number and the spacing of the tines, the optimum movement path of the tine points can be provided for conveying of the harvested stock, i.e. any desired conveying path of the stock on the conveying table 2, the height to which the tine points are lifted out and the overlap of the paths of the neighbouring tine points can be set.

Expediently, in the horizontal setting of the crank arm 9 the lever 8 is also disposed in this setting and its end prolonged beyond the slide member 13' in that case points outwardly. This has the consequence that the major semi-axis of the ellipse points in the conveying direction of the stock towards the press channel 6 and this conveying path is thereby relatively greater than the height to which the tine points are lifted out, which corresponds to the theoretical build-up of a bale press at this point. For the active conveying of the stock from the outermost end of the apparatus 1 into the press channel, it is of advantage if the major semiaxis of the ellipse has about a quarter of the total width of the apparatus plus the width of the press channel 6. As a result, conveying is secured by the use of at least two tine pairs with touching elliptical paths of the tine points. Further tine pairs produce greater activity in the conveying of the stock due to overlapping of the tine paths. If the major semi-axis is chosen to be smaller, this can be compensated for only by way of a higher rotational speed of the crank arms 9 under the conditions of the conveying of like quantities of stock.

The length of the lever 8 from the slide member 13' to its prolonged end 7 is so dimensioned that it amounts to half the necessary stroke of the tines 4 over the table 2. It has furthermore proved to be expedient to construct the slide members in the form of rollers.

Apparatus embodying the invention may require only a relatively small effort in material and production time for manufacture and may have a high resistance to wear and fracture in use.

Claims (7)

1. Harvest stock conveying apparatus comprising two spaced apart crank arms mounted in mounting means to be rotatable about respective horizontal axes, one of the crank arms being couplable to rotary drive means, two drive arms each rotationally connected intermediate its ends to a respective one of the crank arms at a given spacing from the axis of rotation of that crank arm, a rail rotationally connected at two spaced locations thereon to the drive arms and provided with a plurality of depending tines disposed above a support surface for harvest stock to be conveyed, a respective pair of guide elements arranged on each drive arm one on each side of the connection thereof to the associated crank arm and at a spacing from that connection equal to said given spacing, and a respective set of four rectilinear guide tracks to so guide each pair of guide elements during rotation of the associated crank arm as to constrain the rail and tines to move in a substantially vertical plane along a substantially elliptical path above the support surface for conveying entrainment of stock thereon by the tines.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, the guide tracks of each set being radially arranged at intervals of 90 around the axis of rotation of the associated crank arm with the axes to two of the tracks disposed on a horizontal line intersecting the axis of rotation and the axes of the other two tracks on a vertical line intersecting the axis of rotation and with the radially outer end of each track spaced from the axis of rotation by at least twice said given spacing and the radially inner end by substantially Z times said given spacing.

3. Apparatus as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the guide elements are rollers and the guide tracks are channels receiving the rollers.

4. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the crank arms, drive arms, guide elements and guide tracks are so arranged that in the horizontal setting of each crank arm the associated drive arm occupies one half of the major axis of an elliptical locus of the point of connection of the drive arm to the rail, the length of said major axis being substantially equal to one half the length of a conveying path along the support surface.

5. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the length of each drive arm from its point of connection of the rail to the remote one of the guide elements of the respective pair is equal to one half of the displacement stroke of the rail over the support surface.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the guide tracks are provided at their radially inner ends with inlet ramps for guidance of the guide elements into the tracks.

7. Apparatus substantially as herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.