Device for Harvesting Stalk-Like Stem Crops with Adjustable Picking Plates

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for harvesting stalk-like stem crops, having a number of picking units (2) which are arranged alongside one another on the frame of the device and each have picking plates (6), which laterally delimit a picking gap (4) and are adjustable in the transverse direction, and at least one picking rotor (8) located therebeneath, conveying units (10) which are assigned to the respective picking units (2), are configured as continuous conveyors that are driven in circulation, are arranged on opposite sides above a picking gap (4) and are configured with drivers fastened to the circulating elements, and a transverse conveying device arranged downstream of the conveying units (10), wherein the transverse adjustment of the picking plates (6) takes place by means of anchor plates (12) which are movable in rotation about an axis of rotation (14) by an adjusting lever (20). In order to create an adjusting mechanism which requires a smaller overall width, it is proposed that one or more anchor plates (12) each have two joint axes (16) via which the adjacent picking plates (6) are connected to these armature plates (12), and that the two picking plates (6) be movable in the transverse direction via the joint axes (16) in the event of a rotary movement of these anchor plates (12) about their axes of rotation.

Claims

1. A device for harvesting stalk-like stem crops, the device comprising: a number of picking units (2), which are arranged side by side on the frame of the device and which each have picking plates (6) that laterally delimit a picking gap (4) and are adjustable in the transverse direction, and at least one picking rotor (8) located therebeneath, conveying units (10), which are assigned to the respective picking units (2), are embodied as continuous conveyors that are driven in circulation, are arranged on opposite sides above a picking gap (4), and have carrier elements attached to the circulating conveyors, and a transverse conveying device located downstream of the conveying units (10), wherein the transverse adjustment of the picking plates (6) is carried out by means of anchor plates (12), which can be moved in rotation about an axis of rotation (14) by means of an adjusting lever (20), characterized in that one or more anchor plates (12) each have two joint axes (16) via which adjacent picking plates (6) are connected to said anchor plate (12), and when these anchor plates (12) are rotated about their axes of rotation, the two picking plates (6) can be moved in the transverse direction via the joint axes (16).

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that each picking plate (6) that is adjustable in the transverse direction is connected to two separate anchor plates (12) via a respective joint axis (16) each, wherein the anchor plates (12) are arranged spaced apart from one another along the picking gap (4).

3. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the anchor plates (12) are located on the upper side of a longitudinal beam (18), each such beam being located between two adjacent picking gaps (4).

4. The device according to claim 3, characterized in that the anchor plates (12) are located below the conveying units (10) that are associated with a longitudinal beam (18).

5. The device according to claim 4, characterized in that the shafts of the deflecting wheels of the conveying units (10) are set at a tilted setting angle in relation to the picking gap plane.

6. The device according to claim 3, characterized in that anchor plates (12) are mounted each on a respective shaft for rotation therewith, said shaft extending downward through the longitudinal beam (18) to the underside of the longitudinal beam (18), and the adjusting lever (20) is connected to the shaft for rotation therewith.

7. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that anchor plates (12) located downstream of the picking gap (4) are mounted each on a respective shaft, which extends downward through the longitudinal beam (18) to the underside of the longitudinal beam (18), and each of these anchor plates (12) located downstream of the picking plates (6) is connected to an anchor plate (12) located upstream of the picking gap (4) via a linkage arm (22), which transmits a rotatory movement of the downstream anchor plate (12) to the upstream anchor plate (12).

8. The device according to claim 7, characterized in that the linkage arm (22) is configured as adjustable in length.

9. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the picking plates (6) are held in longitudinal guides.

Description

[0027] Further modifications and embodiments of the invention may be found in the following subject matter description and in the set of drawings.

[0028] The invention will be described below in reference to an exemplary embodiment. The drawings show:

[0029] FIG. 1: a view obliquely from above of two picking rows of a device,

[0030] FIG. 2: a side view of a picking unit,

[0031] FIG. 3: a view of the picking plate adjustments for two pairs of picking plates,

[0032] FIG. 4: a view from below of a device having one stationary picking plate per picker row, and

[0033] FIG. 5: a view from below of a device having two movably adjustable picking plates per picker row.

[0034] FIG. 1 shows an oblique view from above of two picking rows of a corn picker, in which the left picking unit 2 is shown partially disassembled. The two picking units 2 each have a picking gap 4, which is bordered laterally by picking plates 6. Picking rotors 8 are arranged below the picking plates 6, and conveying units 10 are arranged above the picking plates. In the picking unit 2 on the right, the envelope curve of the carrier elements attached to the circulating conveyors is represented graphically as an orbit. The axes of the deflecting wheels of the two circulating conveyors are tilted in relation to the plane of the picking plates 6 and the plane of the picking gap delimited by said plates.

[0035] The removal of the conveying units 10 from the picking unit 2 on the left allows an oblique view from above of the two anchor plates 12, which are fixedly connected to rotational axis 14 and are co-rotatable with rotational axis 14. In the two anchor plates 12, joint axes 16 are formed, via which the anchor plates 12 are connected to adjacent picking plates 6. Each anchor plate 12 has two joint axes 16 connecting said anchor plate 12 to a picking plate 6.

[0036] The two anchor plates 12 are located on the upper side of a longitudinal beam 18. The longitudinal beam 18 is attached to a transverse frame of a corn picker, located at the downstream end of a picking unit 2. The longitudinal beam 18 serves the purpose of attaching the individual components of a picking unit 2 thereto. The longitudinal beams 18 are typically located between the picking gaps 4, so that the flow of crop material through the picking gap 4 is not impeded during harvesting.

[0037] In the exemplary embodiment shown, axis of rotation 14 is rotated by an adjusting lever 20, which is not shown in detail in FIG. 1. However, linkage arm 22 that connects the two anchor plates 12 to one another is visible in FIG. 1. When one of the two anchor plates 12 executes a rotatory movement, this movement is transmitted via linkage arm 22 to the other anchor plate 12.

[0038] FIG. 2 shows a side view of a picking unit 2. In the side view, the tilted plane in which the picking plates 6 are disposed sloping upward from the front to the rear is visible. In the direction transversely to the longitudinal axis of picking gap 4, however, picking plates 6 are disposed nearly horizontally. As is clear from the side view, conveying units 10 are located above anchor plates 12, which are in turn located on the upper side of longitudinal beam 18. As is also clear from the side view, adjusting lever 20, which acts on the axis of rotation 14 of the downstream anchor plate 12, is located below longitudinal beam 18. Adjusting lever 20 extends rearward from axis of rotation 14 to the downstream end of the device. There, adjusting lever 20 can be connected to a coupling rod, via which a uniform adjustment of the picking plates of a plurality of picking units 2 is possible.

[0039] Also located below longitudinal beam 18 are the picking rotors 8. Positioning the adjustment device for the transverse adjustment of the picking plates 6 between conveyor unit 10 and longitudinal beam 18 decreases the overall width in the transverse direction up to picking gap 4, but without significantly increasing the overall height of a picking unit 2 as a result.

[0040] FIG. 3 shows a view of picking plate adjustments for one center picking gap and two picking gaps 4 adjacent thereto. Every two picking plates 6 form a pair, which is adjustable in the transverse direction via two common anchor plates 12.

[0041] As is clear from the view from above, the four anchor plates 12 can likewise be rotated about axis of rotation 14 by a corresponding actuation of adjusting lever 20 in the direction indicated by the arrows. A corresponding rotatory movement causes the joint axes 16 to shift accordingly. Since picking plates 6 are connected via joint axes 16 to anchor plates 12, a pivoting movement of anchor plates 12 also automatically produces a transverse displacement of picking plates 6. A transverse displacement of picking plates 6 alters the width of picking gap 4 based upon the direction in which picking plates 6 are moved.

[0042] In the exemplary embodiment, adjusting the two pairs of picking plates 6 by actuating the two adjusting levers 20 will cause the movement of a total of four picking plates 6, of which two picking plates 6 delimit the center picking gap 4, and two outer individual picking plates 6 each form one side of an adjacent picking gap 4.

[0043] FIG. 4 shows a view from below of a device having one stationary picker plate 6a per picking unit 2. In each of the picking units 2 shown, only one picking plate 6b can be adjusted in the transverse direction, in each case via two anchor plates 12.

[0044] FIG. 5 shows a view from below of an embodiment of a device in which, in each picking unit 2, both picking plates of a respective picking unit 2 are movable in the transverse direction via anchor plates 12.

[0045] FIGS. 4 and 5 thus illustrate two different embodiments, in which either only one picking plate 6 per picking gap 4 is adjustable in the transverse direction and the picking plate is rigidly connected to the longitudinal beam 18, or both picking plates 6 per picking gap 4 are adjustable, with one anchor plate 12 actuating only one picking plate 6 per picking gap 4, or actuating one picking plate from each of two adjacent picking gaps 4.

[0046] The exemplary embodiment described above is intended merely to illustrate the invention. The invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiment shown. A person skilled in the art will have no difficulty modifying the exemplary embodiment in a way that appears suitable to adapt it to a specific application.