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. Lifting assembly for a corn harvester header, wherein a corn header comprises a plurality of lifting assemblies, one next to the other, each assembly having a chassis with a pair of lifting chains mounted thereon, which are composed of a plurality of bonds between which there are, at a proper distance from each other, conveying bonds for the conveyance of the harvested crop towards a collector and hopper set of the harvester, the chains being arranged adjacently to each other, such that they form in the middle a channel for conveying said crop towards said collector and hopper set of the harvester, each chain being rotationally mounted around cogwheels at least one of which is the driving one, and the lifting assembly being characterized in that: said chassis has two parallel arms, wherein each one of them has each of said lifting chains mounted thereon, each arm having a front portion which faces said crops during harvest and said front portions are tilted outwards, progressively farther away from each other, so as to form a wider opening than said conveying channel, said chains having a parallel length where the chains are extended in parallel relation one to the other along said conveying channel and a tilted length where the chains are tilted, progressively farther away from each other, on said front portions of the chassis arms, each of said arms having a deflecting support between said parallel length and said tilted length of the chains.
2. An assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that said cogwheels comprise a rear cogwheel and a front cogwheel for each chain, the front cogwheel being arranged on a front end of said front portion of the corresponding arm.
3. An assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that said front cogwheel is mounted on a point shifted with regard to a longitudinal geometrical axis of the passage or conveying channel and progressively farther away therefrom.
4. An assembly according to claim 1, 2, or 3, characterized in that said deflecting support is a free cogwheel.
5. An assembly according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said front portions of the arms have curved edges defining said opening to be wider than the conveying channel.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] For the sake of better clarity and understanding of the object of the present invention, the invention has been represented in one of the preferred embodiments by way of example and illustrated in several figures, in which:
[0011] FIG. 1 is a transparent partially cutaway plant view of four snouts on a gathering header of a corn harvester, in which conventional lifting assemblies and chains can be seen;
[0012] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a conventional lifting assembly;
[0013] FIG. 3 shows a plan view of two conventional adjacent lifting assemblies, while operating in the harvest of two conventional, i.e. simple, corn plant rows;
[0014] FIG. 4 shows a plan view of two conventional adjacent lifting assemblies, while operating in the harvest of two double rows of corn plants; and
[0015] FIG. 5 shows a plan view of two adjacent lifting assemblies according to the present invention, while operating in the harvest of two double rows of corn plants.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0016] Now referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, they show a corn gathering header 1 having a plurality of front snouts, only five of which are illustrated by way of example with reference numeral 2. Between snouts 2 there are defined respective passages or channels 3 into which crops enter, with stalks shown in a cutaway view with reference numeral 4. Once the plant gets into the respective passage 3, it is pulled down under the header with stripping of the ears, and after these have been removed, said ears are carried by means of the conveying projections or spoons 5 on the conveying chains. As shown in FIG. 2, the chains consist of a plurality of conventional bonds 6 between which conveying bonds or spoons 5 are inserted with the suitable space from one to the next. As shown in FIG. 1, adjacent chains of adjacent snouts rotate in the opposite direction, as indicated by arrows in this figure, so that spoons 5 thereof come face to face and associate along the passage 3 for conveying the ears. More specifically, chains 6 between which passage 3 is formed are part of a lifting assembly located on a mounting chassis, as will be described below. It also should be noted that spoons 5 have been illustrated as they are advancing towards the inside of passage 3, rearwards, with their convex curves directed to the front of the machine; however, this can vary and it will be illustrated inversely in FIGS. 2 to 5, that is to say that spoons 5 will travel through passage 3, with their convex sides directed rearwards in order to support these convex sides against the crop stalk.
[0017] As illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 4 showing a conventional lifting assembly, chains 6 are mounted on a chassis 7. More particularly, chassis 7 has two parallel arms 8, each of said two parallel arms has each of said lifting chains 6 mounted thereon, said lifting chains 6 passing around a pair of rear and front cogwheels or gears 9 and 10, at least one of which, on each arm 8, can drive the corresponding chain. FIG. 3 shows a plan view of two adjacent lifting assemblies at harvesting operation, where crop stalks 4 can be seen aligned along their seeding rows, at rows separated by a distance “d” that can be, according to standard values, for example, 525 mm or 700 mm; other distances are usually also employed though. As can be seen, on each arm 8 there is mounted a lifting chain 6 and, for a better understanding of the operation, the arms of the two adjacent lifting assemblies have been indicated with reference numerals 8a, 8b, 8c, and 8d, so that a passage or channel 3 is defined between arms 8a and 8b for the passing of crops 4, and so on between arms 8c and 8d. Passages 3 are wide enough to allow easy entry of a crop row 4 and this is well demonstrated in known harvesting machines.
[0018] However, if the same machine were to be used for harvesting corn plants seeded after the double row configuration, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the width between plants in the same row would not allow it. Indeed, the rows are now separated by a distance “d1”, of about 965.2 mm, but each row has two plants 4a and 4b, on each side of a longitudinal geometrical axis X at passage 3, separated by a distance of 177.8 mm. The latter measures are not usually strict values and can be modified according to field, zone, and weather variables, or simply in response to the farmer's wishes. In FIG. 4, two assemblies of lifting chains can be seen operating on a corn field in accordance with the “Twin Rows” configuration. Here it can be clearly seen that the entry of the crops is more complicated, and that they come to stand in complete frontal opposition to the front gears 10 on the chains. This can provoke the hitting of the gear against the crop, which can result in ear losses. The entry of crops 4a and 4b into a passage 3 as defined between two arms 8a and 8b, is hindered, as now two crops have to get almost simultaneously into the same space where only one crop used to enter before.
[0019] Two lifting assemblies according to the present invention are shown in FIG. 5, in the moment of operating on the harvest of corn which was seeded applying the double row configuration, which is the same configuration illustrated in FIG. 4. In the lifting assembly of the invention, each arm 8a and 8b, which have kept the same reference numerals as in the other Figures in order to facilitate the comparison with the prior art, comprise a front portion 11a and 11b opposite said crops 4a and 4b during harvest, and said front portions 11a and 11b are tilted outwards, progressively farther apart from each other, so as to form an opening 12 which is wider than said conveying channel 3. According to this new configuration, chains 6 have a parallel length 13, wherein chains are extended parallel to each other along said conveying channel 3, and a tilted length 14, wherein the chains are tilted, progressively farther apart from each other, on said front portions 11 of arms 8 on chassis 6. To further facilitate the entry of the crops, said front portions 11 of arms 8 present curved edges 15 defining said opening to be wider than the conveying channel.
[0020] In order to complete the novel conformation of the lifting assembly feeder, the front cogwheels comprise cogwheels or gears 16a and 16b arranged on their respective front ends of the corresponding front portion 11 of arm 8. Each front wheel or gear 16 is mounted on a point which is shifted with respect to a longitudinal geometrical axis X of the passage or conveying channel 3 and progressively farther away therefrom, so as to form said opening or mouth-like entrance with the lifting chain. Finally, between said parallel length 13 and said tilted length 14 of the chains, there is located a deflecting support which may be comprised of any piece serving as a support to the chain so as to allow its rotational mounting. Preferably, said supporting piece comprises a free-rotating cogwheel or gear 17 on each arm 8, and so two gears have been identified with reference numerals 17a and 17b.
[0021] From the foregoing description it will be easy to note that the invention provides a novel lifting assembly for corn harvesters, capable of harvesting such plants as grown according to the double row configuration, without causing damage or production losses.
