Abstract
This invention reveals a corn harvester header comprising: multiple harvesting units placed adjacently among them, where each of said harvesting units has a central slot through where a maize plant is processed to separate the ears from the stalks; multiple crop divisors, each placed between two adjacent harvesting units; and multiple frontal devices, each place in front of and between two adjacent harvesting units; where each one of said multiple frontal devices comprise: a pair of guiding elements, where the guiding element is selected from a group of: chain or belt; two or more wheels; and a support; where the guiding element is placed around said two or more wheels; where one of the two or more wheels drives the spin of the guiding element, where the tangential speed of the guiding element is configured according to the distance between the plants in the crop; and where an opening greater that the harvesting slot is created.
Claims
1. A corn harvester header comprising: multiple harvesting units placed adjacently to each other, where each one of said harvesting units has a central slot were the maize plant is processed to extract the ears from the stalks; multiple crop divisors, each one placed between two adjacent harvesting units; and multiple frontal devices, each one of which is placed in front of and between two adjacent harvesting units; where each one of said multiple frontal devices comprise: a pair of guiding elements, w here the guided element is selected from the group of: chain or belt; two or more wheels; and support; where the guiding element is placed around said two or more wheels; where one of the one or more wheels drives the spin of the guiding elements, where the tangential speed of the guiding element is configured according to the distance between the plants in the field; and where an opening is created greater that the width of the harvesting slot.
2. A corn harvester header according to claim 1, where the multiple harvesting units comprise: a pair of gathering chains on each side of the central slot which comprise multiple attachments, where said attachments, where said attachments are separated between each other at a distance sufficient enough to introduce an ear longitudinally to the chain; and two or more gearwheels for the gathering chains; where the frontal devices arc located in a plane higher than the gathering chains; and where the gearwheel on the front end of the gathering chains is double and also functions as a wheel driving the rotation of the guiding elements of the frontal devices.
3. A corn harvester header according to claim 1, where the wheel driving the guiding element of the frontal device comprises an electrical actuator.
4. A corn harvester header according to claim 2, where: the guiding elements of the frontal devices comprise multiple attachments, where the distance between attachments on the gathering chains is different from the distance betw een the attachments on the guiding elements of the frontal devices.
5. A corn harvester header according to claim 2, where the guiding elements on the frontal devices comprise a chain or a belt without attachments.
6. A corn harvester header according to claim 1, where the guiding elements comprise also a frontal deflector and a back deflector.
7. A corn harvester header according to Claim 1, which also comprises: a hood placed between two adjacent harvesting units covering a gathering chain in each harvesting unit; where the line divisor is mounted on the front end of said hood, on a joint point raised a distance F higher than the plane of the hood, w hich provides an elevated contact edge of the line divisor with the crop.
8. A corn harvester header according to claim 6, where the back deflector is provided with a slider made from a treated or hardened anti-wear material.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0023] FIG. 1 shows a standard harvesting unit known in the art.
[0024] FIG. 2 shows a detailed front view of a harvester header known in the art.
[0025] FIG. 3 shows two harvesting units according to an embodiment of this invention.
[0026] FIG. 4 is a front cross section showing the frontal device according to an embodiment of this invention.
[0027] FIG. 5 shows the frontal device according to an embodiment of this invention.
[0028] FIG. 6 shows a comparison between the two divisors, one known in the art and the other according to an embodiment of this invention.
[0029] FIG. 7 shows a detailed frontal device according to an embodiment of this invention.
[0030] FIG. 8 shows a harvesting unit according to a preferred embodiment of this invention.
[0031] FIG. 9 shows two harvesting units according to an embodiment of this invention.
[0032] FIG. 10 shows a preferred configuration according to an embodiment of this invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0033] FIG. 3 shows two adjacent harvesting units (15) and (22), with a hood (28) and a line divisor (10) as an example. On said harvesting units the frontal device (24) is placed, shown in the detailed view. Said frontal device (24) consisting of the frontal deflector (30), the guiding elements (14), and the back deflectors (29). The guiding element (14) is a belt or a conveyor chain which circulates between two wheels, and one of said wheels is the one that drives the movement of the guiding element (14).
[0034] The purpose of one embodiment of this invention is to provide a corn harvester header (36) comprising multiple harvesting units (37) placed adjacently at a certain distance “Dc” between each other (FIG. 7). Where said units (15) (FIGS. 3, 5 and 9) have a slot (11) to process the corn plants entering the header (36), harvesting the ears and separating them from the stalks. Besides, multiple frontal devices (24) are placed in front of and between adjacent harvesting units (15). Each one of said multiple frontal devices (24) is placed in front of and between two adjacent harvesting units, thus being on one side and the other of the slot (11) of the harvesting unit (15). This setting favors, together with the line divisor (10), the input of the plants which are placed a certain distance “Ds” apart between them, and “Ds” is different from “Dc” (FIG. 9). Each frontal device (24) has two guiding elements (chain type or conveyor belt type) (14) placed so as to when two frontal devices (24) are placed adjacently, one at each side of a center slot (11), these guiding elements (14) succeed in creating an opening bigger than the harvesting slot (11). Thus the deviated stalks are captured and centered by being guided toward the processing channel (11).
[0035] The purpose of one embodiment of this invention is to provide a line divisor (10) displaced upwards from the articulation point (23) a certain distance “F” (FIG. 6b) already mentioned, this allows having a contact edge with the misaligned crop (6) at a higher height “H2” of clearance from the ground (8). Therefore the misaligned plant (9) is taken at a higher height, thus guiding it toward the slot (11) from its more flexible part. This allows greater movements without damaging the plant. Also, the higher the height, the lesser is the tilt angle generated, so the plant (9) gets to the harvesting unit (15) with a lesser tilt (approximately vertical, FIG. 7).
[0036] After the misaligned plants (17) are guided by the line divisor (10) toward the slot (11) in the unit (FIG. 9), it is necessary that the gathering chains (12) take them so they can enter the ear separation zone (13). To favor said feed, as it was already mentioned, a pair of guiding elements (14) (belts or chains) are added in front of the unit (15), one at each side of the slot (11) creating a greater feeder to capture and direct the material delivered by the divisors (10).
[0037] According to this invention, this system has the advantage of being able to modify the tangential speed of the guiding elements (14) in relation to the speed of the gathering chain (12), consequently optimizing each function separately. According to one embodiment of this invention, the system comprises a double front wheel (16) driven by the spinning of the gathering chain (12), said double wheel (16) is linked to a gearwheel above, this wheel provides movement to the independent frontal element (14), which works on a plane higher than the gatherer (FIG. 8). Therefore, the guiding element (14) speed can be increased by augmenting the diameter of the superior gearwheel in relation to the diameter of the inferior gearwheel, both wheels rotate at the same revolutions per minute, mechanically joint making a double wheel (16). Conversely, the speed of the guiding element (14) could be reduced by decreasing the diameter of the superior wheel in relation to the diameter of the inferior wheel.
[0038] FIG. 9 shows that the distance “B” between the attachments (19) is limited by the average size of an ear of corn (18). This distance needs to be sufficient for an ear (18) to enter between the attachments (19) and be transported. One of the advantages of the system of this invention is that it allows to increase the number of attachments (20) (lesser distance “C”) of the guiding elements (14) of stalks (17). Increasing the number of attachments (20) in the guiding elements (14) generates a better feed, faster and continuous, consequence of increasing the frequency with which the attachments (20) come into contact with the plants (17). The distance “C” may be directly related to the distance between consecutive plates in a same crop row (21), therefore a synchronicity is created among the attachments (20) and the input plants (17), thus avoiding delays in entering (11) the unit (15).
[0039] Placing these guiding elements (14) in front of the gathering chain (12) has the advantage of being independent from said chain to optimize the guiding function of the misaligned plants (17) without modifying the gathering features of harvested material. In other words, the two mechanisms with different functions are separate, one guides the stalks (17) and the other transports the ears (18) (FIG. 9).
[0040] According to another embodiment of this invention, it is possible to place different kinds of transport on the guiding elements (14), which may be a chain similar to the gathering chain (12), or a flexible transport element with or without attachments (20), with no detriment to the ear transport (18) function.
[0041] Another advantage of this invention is the possibility to have a greater opening of the guiding elements (14) compared to what is observed in the prior art, thus capturing plants with greater misalignment. As FIG. 9 shows, the size of the frontal opening “E” or the angle set between the guiding elements (14) is limited by the adjacent harvesting unit (22), in the example of this embodiment the size of the attachment (20) used over the guiding elements (14) may be smaller than the one used in the gathering chains (12) to transport ears (18), or may directly do without any attachments (20), this allows to widen the frontal opening “E” of the guiding elements (14) keeping a reduced distance “D” between the harvesting units (15) and (22).
[0042] In an embodiment of this invention, the guiding elements (chain or belt) (14) as well as the crop divisor (10) with higher edge (6) are placed in a higher plane than the collecting chain (12). This has the advantage that contact with the plant (9) to guide it happens at a higher height, therefore the tilt is less and, as it was previously explained, the plant is taken by the most flexible part which means less breakage or fallen plants.
[0043] Another advantage of this invention is from the constructional point of view. By the embodiment of this invention, it is possible to raise the contact edge (6) of the divisor (10) without needing complex designs with cuts or casts on the crop divider points (1). Achieving this effect without needing a divisor (10) with too much constructional sophistication, on the contrary, a divisor (1) known in the art is used where the joint point (23) is raised. This reduces production times, machining costs and materials. This elevation (23) also allows placing the frontal device (24) previously described.
[0044] FIG. 4 is a front cross section showing the frontal device (24) isolated from the rest of the components, only showed with the snapping rolls (31) and the divisor (10). This Figure also shows the shape of the deflector (30), which is conical tapering toward its bottom, with this shape accompanies the tilt of the misaligned stalks (32) guiding them toward the gathering chains (12).
[0045] FIG. 5 shows how the frontal device (24) guides the misaligned stalks toward the processing channel (11). Where the frontal deflector (30) prevents the plants entering misaligned (33) from impacting frontally on the frontal mobile element (35); as the stalk shown on the dotted line (34) would impact, thus avoiding contact with the attachments (20) while they rotate transversally to the advance(V).
[0046] FIG. 6 shows the comparison between two divisors, FIG. 6a shows a standard divisor (1) having a contact edge (3) which guides the plant at a height “H1” in relation to the ground (7). FIG. 6b shows a divisor (10) with its joint point (23) displaced a certain distance “F”; this displacement may guide the plant at a height “H”, which is considerably higher than “H1”.
[0047] FIG. 7 shows a frontal view detail of a header (36) with its harvesting units (37) placed at a distance Dc, harvesting on a crop (9) sown at a distance Ds between rows. Where Dc is different from2 Ds, so this is a misaligned crop. Where it can be seen that the tilt of the plant (9) caused by the placement of the divisor (10) is significantly less according to this invention.
[0048] FIG. 8 shows a harvesting unit (15) with the guiding elements (14) mounted on it. Where a preferred mounted configuration is shown according to one embodiment of this invention, with a double wheel (16), a front wheel (38) and a support (39); using the spin of the gathering chain (12) as drive for the guiding element (14).
[0049] FIG. 9 shows two adjacent harvesting units (15) and (22) placed at a distance “Dc” between them, working on a crop (17) with a separation “Ds” between rows. The crop (17) misalignment in relation to the center of the slot (11) is represented as distance “E”, where it can be seen that the guiding element (14) is the one preventing the impact of the stalks (17) on the front area of the wheel (16); unwanted effect previously mentioned. Also it shows on the gathering chain (12) the attachments (19) separated by a distance “B” to transport the ears (18); on the other hand, there are the deviating elements (14), the attachments (20) separated by a distance “C” to transport the stalks (17).
[0050] FIG. 10 shows a preferred configuration of how the frontal deflector (30) and the line divisor (10) may be mounted on the hood (28). Both elements are joined on the front end of said hood (28), and the divisor (10), as it was already mentioned, displaced upwards and joined to the superior joint point (42), where normally according to the known technique mounting the divisor (10) is done from the inferior joint point (41). This configuration allows to mount the deflector (30) from the frontal device (24) under the divisor (10).
[0051] In an embodiment of this invention (FIG. 4), the back deflector (29) is provided with a slider (40) from a material treated or hardened (anti-wear), this deflector (29) is the one that transitions the plants from the mobile guiding elements (14) toward the rolls (31), coming in contact with the stalk on is stronger part. The friction of the plant on this surface is high, without the mentioned hardened slider (40), it may generate a considerable abrasive effect on the element (29) and the consequence may be early wear of the element. This effect on a conventional header is fairly unimportant, but on a header that will be working with misaligned plants with a higher frequency than the conventional, it starts to have much more importance.
[0052] In an embodiment of this invention (FIG. 8), the guiding elements (14) may be driven by an electrical actuator coupled on the gearwheel (16). Or said drive may be coupled on the front gearwheel (38). Thus the rotating independence of the guiding elements (14) from the gathering chain (12) is kept.
[0053] Although the invention has been described in detail regarding certain preferred embodiments, there are variations and modifications within the scope and spirit of one or more independent aspects of the invention as it is described.
