Cutting Device for Agricultural Crop

Abstract

A cutting device for agricultural crop has cutting elements and a rotor element rotating in operation about a rotor axis. The cutting elements are arranged in a cutting position stationarily relative to the rotor element and are able to yield in a springy fashion. The rotor element has a central body that is provided with a central conveying section and with at least one axial conveying section. The central conveying section has central conveying elements correlated with the cutting elements. The at least one axial conveying section is provided with an axial conveying element extending spirally at least in sections about the rotor axis. The at least one axial conveying section of the central body has a first radius and the central conveying section of the central body has a second radius, wherein the first radius is larger than the second radius.

Claims

1. A cutting device for agricultural crop, comprising: cutting elements; a rotor element configured to rotate in operation about a rotor axis, wherein the cutting elements are arranged in a cutting position stationarily relative to the rotor element and are configured to yield in a springy fashion; wherein the rotor element comprises a central body, wherein the central body comprises a central conveying section and at least one axial conveying section; wherein the central conveying section comprises central conveying elements correlated with the cutting elements; wherein the at least one axial conveying section comprises an axial conveying element extending spirally at least in sections about the rotor axis; wherein the at least one axial conveying section of the central body has a first radius and wherein the central conveying section of the central body has a second radius, wherein the first radius is larger than the second radius.

2. The cutting device according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of the first radius to the second radius amounts to at least 1.1.

3. The cutting device according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of the first radius to the second radius amounts to at most 2.5.

4. The cutting device according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of the first radius to the second radius amounts to at least 1.1 and at most 2.5.

5. The cutting device according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of an radius of an outer diameter of the axial conveying element to the first radius amounts to at most 2.0.

6. The cutting device according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of an radius of an outer diameter of the axial conveying element to the first radius amounts to at least 1.2.

7. The cutting device according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of an radius of an outer diameter of the axial conveying element to the first radius amounts to at most 2.0 and at least 1.2.

8. The cutting device according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of a first difference between an outer radius of the rotor element and the second radius to a second difference between the outer radius of the rotor element and the first radius amounts to at least 1.2.

9. The cutting device according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of a first difference between an outer radius of the rotor element and the second radius to a second difference between the outer radius of the rotor element and the first radius amounts to at most 4.0.

10. The cutting device according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of a first difference between an outer radius of the rotor element and the second radius to a second difference between the outer radius of the rotor element and the first radius amounts to at least 1.2 and at most 4.0.

11. The cutting device according to claim 1, wherein the first radius amounts to at least 120 mm and at most 250 mm.

12. The cutting device according to claim 1, wherein a difference between an outer radius of the rotor element and the first radius amounts to at least 40 mm and at most 120 mm.

13. The cutting device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of said axial conveying element are arranged at the at least one axial conveying section and are interposed among each other.

14. The cutting device according to claim 13, wherein the plurality of said axial conveying element each have a pitch that results from a product of a number of axial conveying elements contained in the plurality multiplied by an individual pitch of the axial conveying elements.

15. The cutting device according to claim 1, wherein the axial conveying element has an individual pitch of at least 100 mm and at most 200 mm

16. The cutting device according to claim 1, wherein a spacing measured in axial direction between the axial conveying element and a nearest one of the cutting elements amounts to at most 55 mm.

17. The cutting device according to claim 1, wherein an end of the axial conveying element adjoining the central conveying section has a side facing away from the central conveying section, wherein the side facing away from the central conveying section is provided with a reinforcement element.

18. The cutting device according to claim 1, further comprising at least one follower element arranged in the central conveying section at the central body so as to adjoin the at least one axial conveying section.

19. The cutting device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one follower element is arranged in a region of an end of the axial conveying element facing the central conveying section and comprises an outer radius corresponding substantially to an outer radius of the axial conveying element.

20. The cutting device according to claim 1, further comprising at least one guiding element arranged stationarily relative to the rotor axis and, viewed in an overall conveying direction of the cutting device, arranged upstream of the rotor axis, wherein the at least one guiding element is provided with a guiding surface that extends substantially transverse to the overall conveying direction of the cutting device.

21. An agricultural machine comprising a cutting device according to claim 1.

22. The agricultural machine according to claim 21 embodied as a baler.

23. The agricultural machine according to claim 21 embodied as a a self-loading trailer.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0030] FIG. 1 is an overview illustration of a cutting device according to the invention.

[0031] FIG. 2 is a front view of the cutting device according to FIG. 1.

[0032] FIG. 3 is an enlarged detail of the illustration according to FIG. 2.

[0033] FIG. 4 is a section view of the cutting device according to FIG. 1 transverse to the rotor axis.

[0034] FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of an axial conveying section of the cutting device according to FIG. 1.

[0035] FIG. 6 shows the axial conveying section according to FIG. 5 in a further illustration.

[0036] FIG. 7 shows a baler according to the invention.

[0037] The features of the embodiment according to the invention explained in the following can also be subject matter of the invention individually or in other combinations as those illustrated or described herein, but always in combination with the features of the independent claim.

[0038] If expedient, parts that are acting functionally in the same way are provided with identical reference characters.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0039] The cutting device 2 which is illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4 as a whole comprises twenty-six cutting elements 4; also, the cutting device 2 comprises a rotor element 8 which rotates about rotor axis 6 in operation. The cutting elements 4 are arranged in the illustrated cutting position so as to yield in a springy fashion relative to the rotor axis 6 and in particular are arranged so as not to circulate relative to the rotor axis 6.

[0040] The rotor element 8 has a central body 10 which is embodied as a hollow shaft. In a central conveying section 12, a plurality of central conveying elements 14 are arranged at the central body 10 of the rotor element 8. Six central conveying elements 14 are correlated with one cutting element 4, respectively, and are arranged in three pairs. The three pairs of central conveying elements 14 are distributed about the circumference of the rotor element 8. Each pair of central conveying elements 14 meshes in operation with the correlated cutting element 4. In this way, the crop is conveyed in tangential or circumferential direction in the central conveying section 12 and thereby cut.

[0041] In addition to the central conveying section 12, the rotor element 8 has at each end an axial conveying section 16. Both axial conveying sections 16 comprise three axial conveying elements 18 which are each embodied in sections thereof in a spiral shape extending about the rotor axis 6. By means of these axial conveying elements 18, crop that is supplied in particular by a pick-up toward the rotor element 8 is conveyed in an axial direction toward the central conveying section 12 across the entire width of the rotor element 8.

[0042] A radius R1 of the central body 10 in the axial conveying section 16 is greater than a radius R2 of the central body 10 in the central conveying section 12 (compare also FIG. 3). The ratio between the radius R1 and the radius R2 in the illustrated embodiment is 1.68. The ratio between a radius RA of the outer diameter of the axial conveying element 18 and the radius R1 of the central body 10 in the axial conveying section 16 is 1.43. The difference A2 is that between the outer radius RA of the rotor element 8 and the radius R2 of the central body 10 of the central conveying section 12 and amounts to 155 mm. The difference A1 is that between the outer radius RA of the rotor element 8 and the radius R1 of the central body 10 in the axial conveying section 16 and amounts to 80 mm. The ratio between the difference A2 and the difference A1 is 1.94 in the illustrated embodiment.

[0043] The outer radius RA amounts to 265 mm in this context. The radius R1 of the central body 10 in the axial conveying section 16 amounts to 185 mm. The radius R2 of the central body 10 in the central conveying section 12 amounts to 110 mm.

[0044] The axial conveying elements 18 of an axial conveying section 16 have a thread spacing of 145 mm. The pitch S of one of the three axial conveying elements 18 is correspondingly substantially three times this value and thus 435 mm. The pitch angle, respectively converted, amounts to approximately 14 and is constant about the entire axial conveying section 16. In this context, the axial conveying elements 18 are arranged equidistantly relative to each other (compare FIGS. 5 and 6).

[0045] A spacing C which is measured in axial direction between the axial conveying elements 18 and the nearest cutting element 3 amounts to 32 mm. A spacing D measured in axial direction between the central body 10 in the axial conveying section 16 and the nearest cutting element 4 amounts to 48 mm (compare FIG. 3).

[0046] The ends of the axial conveying elements 18 adjoining the central conveying section 12 have at a side that is facing away from the central conveying section 12 a reinforcement element 24 arranged thereat, respectively (compare FIGS. 3 and 5). At the oppositely positioned end of the axial conveying elements 18, a boundary element 30 is arranged, respectively (compare FIG. 5). In the central conveying section 12, at the central body 10 a follower element 26 for each axial conveying element 18 is arranged and adjoins the axial conveying section 16. The follow element 26 is arranged in the region of an end of the axial conveying element 18 that is facing the central conveying section 12 and has an outer radius which corresponds to the outer radius of the axial conveying element RA.

[0047] The cutting device 2 has for each axial conveying section 16 a guiding element 20 which is stationarily arranged relative to the rotor axis 6. The guiding element 20 is arranged upstream of the rotor axis 6 in relation to the overall conveying direction F of the rotor element 8 (compare FIG. 4). The guiding element 20 has a guiding surface 22 which extends transversely to the overall conveying direction F. The width B of the guiding element 20 corresponds substantially to the extension of the axial conveying section 16 in axial direction.

[0048] The baler 28 illustrated in FIG. 7 comprises a cutting device 2 by means of which crop to be received in the baling chamber 32 is cut in operation.

[0049] The specification incorporates by reference the entire disclosure of German priority document 10 2019 003 035.4 having a filing date of Apr. 29, 2019.

[0050] While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the inventive principles, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.