BLADES AND KNIVES FOR AGRICULTURAL MACHINES

Abstract

A knife and blade for agricultural machines, in particular mower knife blades, straw chopper knives, corn header knives, feed mixer knives, loader wagon knives and baler knives, has at least one toothed cutting edge extending from a cutting edge beginning to a cutting edge end on a blade surface. The cutting edge has a straight or curved configuration and the blade surface has a mounting section. The toothing of the cutting edge is varied along its length with regard to the tooth pitch and/or the tooth geometry.

Claims

1. A knife and blade for agricultural machines, the knife and blade comprising: a blade surface having a mounting section; and at least one toothed cutting edge extending from a cutting edge beginning to a cutting edge end on said blade surface, said at least one toothed cutting edge having a straight or curved configuration, said at least one toothed cutting edge having a toothing being varied along its length with regard to a tooth pitch and/or a tooth geometry.

2. The knife and blade according to claim 1, wherein said toothing is continuously varied.

3. The knife and blade according to claim 1, wherein said tooth pitch is configured to decrease continuously from said cutting edge beginning toward said cutting edge end.

4. The knife and blade according to claim 1, wherein said tooth pitch is configured to increase continuously from said cutting edge beginning towards said cutting edge end.

5. The knife and blade according to claim 1, wherein said tooth pitch increases continuously from said cutting edge beginning and then decreases continuously towards said cutting edge end.

6. The knife and blade according to claim 1, wherein said tooth pitch initially decreases continuously from said cutting edge beginning and then increases continuously towards said cutting edge end.

7. The knife and blade according to claim 1, wherein said tooth geometry is varied with regard to tooth width, tooth height, tooth angle and/or sharpness of a tooth tip.

8. The knife and blade according to claim 1, wherein said at least one toothed cutting edge has at least three sections that are equally or differently continuously varied.

9. The knife and blade according to claim 1, wherein the knife and blade is selected from the group consisting of mower knife blades, straw chopper knives, corn header knives, feed mixer knives, loader wagon knives and baler knives.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

[0022] FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic, perspective, slanted view of a mower knife blade according to the invention;

[0023] FIG. 2 is a perspective slanted view of a straw chopper knife;

[0024] FIG. 3 is a perspective slanted view of a corn header knife;

[0025] FIG. 4 is a perspective a slanted view of a feed mixer knife;

[0026] FIGS. 5 and 6 are perspective views of a loader wagon knife and baler knife in different variations;

[0027] FIGS. 7A-7F are diagrams showing different possibilities for variation of the tooth pitch of the cutting edges of the knives; and

[0028] FIGS. 8A-8E are illustrations showing multiple examples for variations of the tooth geometry.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0029] Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first, particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown an inventive mower knife blade that may be used in finger cutting devices for combine harvesters and other mowers. A blade surface 1 contains a mounting section 2 with cut-outs 9, by means of which the mower knife blade can be mounted on a mower knife back, for example, e. g. by means of screws or rivets. On the two tapered edges the mower knife blade is further provided with the cutting edges 3. The cutting edges 3 are given a toothing by machining in teeth 4. The toothing may be machined in with different process technologies, e.g. by coining or milling. In accordance with the state of the art, the cutting edges 3 may be hardened or provided with hardened layers.

[0030] According to the invention, the toothing of each cutting edge 3 is varied along its length with regard to the tooth pitch. The tooth pitch decreases from the cutting edge beginning 5 to the cutting-edge end 6. This means that the tooth pitch is fine at the cutting edge beginning 5 and becomes coarser towards the cutting-edge end 6. This corresponds to the diagrammatic view of FIG. 7A. In accordance with international customs, the diagram shows the tpi (short for “teeth per inch”). The higher this number, the finer the toothing. Usual tpi-values are, for example, 14 to 7, which corresponds to a tooth spacing of 1.8 to 3.6 mm.

[0031] With regard to the tooth pitch “variation along the entire length of the cutting edge” means that the spacing between the teeth differs in each case, i.e. no distances from one tooth to another on one cutting edge are the same.

[0032] This variation of the toothing along the cutting edge length offers the desired inventive advantage that different stalked material can be mown. The direction of movement of the mower knife blade is indicated with 7 and the direction of movement of the mower knife blade through the material to be cut is indicated with 8. If the material to be cut requires a fine toothing, the fine-pitched section of the mower knife blade is employed. However, if coarse-stalked material is to be cut, the coarse-pitched section towards the cutting edge end 6 helps to make or finish a perfect cut.

[0033] FIGS. 7A-7F show further possibilities for variation with regard to the tooth pitch, for example. According to FIG. 7B, the tooth pitch may also increase, with the coarse section being located at the cutting edge beginning 5 and the pitch increasing continuously towards the cutting edge end 6.

[0034] According to FIGS. 7C and 7D, the pitch may be continuously varied from section to section, e.g. according to FIG. 7C with a decreasing fineness and according to FIG. 7D with an increasing fineness.

[0035] According to the variation of FIG. 7E, the tooth pitch may also increase from a low value at the cutting edge beginning 5 and then decrease again or, contrary to this, it may have a higher fineness at the beginning, which decreases along the cutting edge 3 and then increases again towards the cutting edge end 6, as shown in FIG. 7F.

[0036] All these possibilities for variation are only exemplary and are intended to show that a variation along the cutting edges 3 is advantageously possible according to the present invention.

[0037] FIG. 2 shows a straw chopper knife, as it may be used in straw choppers for combine harvesters, for example. These straw chopper knives are mounted on the mounting section 2 in a rotatable or pivotable manner by a suspension, which is not shown. This cut-out 9 serves to receive a bolt, about which the knife may be pivoted in the direction of movement 7.

[0038] The shown straw chopper knife is also provided with a varied toothing from the cutting edge beginning 5 to the cutting edge end 6. The toothing shown corresponds to the variation in FIG. 7A. However, in the scope of the invention the other types of toothing according to FIGS. 7B to 7F may be provided as well, for example.

[0039] FIG. 3 shows a corn header knife as it may be used in row-independent corn headers (mowing headers) for self-propelled forage harvesters, for example. Several of the shown knife segments are arranged on a circular disc in the direction of movement 7. In contrast to the above mentioned and described knives, this corn header knife has repeating sections 10 arranged along the cutting edge 3. Each section 10 has three different tooth pitches so that also this corn header knife offers the advantage according to the invention. Within the sections 10 the variation may be varied, for example according to the possibilities in FIGS. 7A to 7F. In the example of FIG. 3, six sections 10 with three teeth 4 each with increasing fineness are provided. Here, the direction of movement through the material to be cut is also indicated with 8.

[0040] FIG. 4 shows a feed mixer knife according to the invention, the toothing of the cutting edge 3 being continuously varied as indicated by the variations according to FIG. 7A or FIG. 7B. Here, the other possibilities for variation according to FIG. 7C to FIG. 7F may be applied as well. In the variations according to FIG. 7C and 7D, the toothing of the cutting edges changes abruptly, the variation of the toothing (tpi) continuously decreasing or increasing within each section.

[0041] FIG. 5 shows a loader wagon knife and baler knife according to the invention. As an example, this type of knife may be used to show that the variation may not only be provided by varying the tooth pitch, but also by varying the tooth geometry. As shown in the drawing, the tooth angle, i.e. the cutting angle of the leading edge, is varied. Even if the tooth pitch is kept the same, this allows the cutting behavior of each tooth 4 to be different in terms of aggressiveness. This type of variation is also possible for all the other cutting blades that are shown and not shown, which guarantees a very wide range of applications for the knife.

[0042] FIG. 6 also shows a loader wagon knife and baler knife, the toothing of the cutting edge 3 of which is varied with regard to its tooth pitch and tooth geometry.

[0043] Some of the possibilities for variation of the tooth geometry are shown as examples in FIGS. 8A-8E, which must not be interpreted as limiting. The variation in FIG. 8A and FIG. 8C varies continuously along the knife according to FIG. 5. The variation is possible with regard to tooth width, tooth height, tooth angle and/or sharpness of the tooth tip (FIG. 8E). According to FIG. 6, a combination of the possibilities for variation is also feasible.

[0044] It must be noted that the drawn variations with regard to the individual types of knives must not be interpreted as limiting. All variations may be applied to all types of knives and may be combined as desired with regard to the variation of the tooth pitch and the variation of the tooth geometry.

[0045] The following is a summary list of reference numerals and the corresponding structure used in the above description of the invention:

[0046] 1 Blade surface

[0047] 2 Mounting section

[0048] 3 Cutting edge

[0049] 4 Tooth

[0050] 5 Cutting edge beginning

[0051] 6 Cutting edge end

[0052] 7 Direction of movement

[0053] 8 Direction of movement

[0054] 9 Cut-out

[0055] 10 Section