CROP PICK-UP MEANS AND WORKING IMPLEMENT

Abstract

A crop pick-up for an agricultural working implement includes a housing, having a pick-up device which is supported on the ground via at least one support wheel, and at least two horizontally spaced articulation levers which receive and support the pick-up device therebetween. The pick-up device is coupled to the articulation levers so as to be at least substantially vertically movable relative to the articulation levers.

Claims

1. A crop pick-up for an agricultural working implement, the crop pick-up comprising: a pick-up device which is supported on the ground via at least one support wheel; at least two articulation levers configured for attachment to a housing of the agricultural working implement, wherein the at least two articulation elvers are horizontally spaced apart from each other and support the pick-up device therebetween; and wherein each of the at least two articulation levers includes at least one guide element configured for moveably supporting the pick-up device for movement of the pick up device in a substantially vertical direction relative to the articulation levers.

2. The crop pick-up set forth in claim 1, wherein the at least two articulation levers are configured for rotatable attachment to the housing for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis that extends transversely with respect to a direction of travel, whereby the at least two articulation levers may swing relative to the housing.

3. The crop pick-up set forth in claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least two articulation levers includes multiple guide elements arranged in a substantially parallel relationship relative to each other.

4. The crop pick-up set forth in claim 1, wherein each of the at least one guide element of the at least two articulation levers include a slot formed through a respective one of the at least two articulation levers.

5. The crop pick-up set forth in claim 4, further comprising a respective bearing journal extending through each of the at least one guide element of the at least two articulation levers.

6. The crop pick-up set forth in claim 2, further comprising a conveying rotor configured for rotation about the horizontal axis.

7. The crop pick-up set forth in claim 6, wherein the pick-up device includes a rotatable conveying device in the form of a spike rotor.

8. The crop pick-up set forth in claim 7, wherein the conveying rotor and the conveying device are rotatably driven by a traction mechanism drive.

9. The crop pick-up set forth in claim 8, wherein the traction mechanism drive includes a chain drive.

10. An agricultural working implement comprising: a frame supporting a housing and including a running gear for moveably supporting the frame relative to a ground surface; a crop pick-up including a pick-up device which is partially supported on the ground surface via at least one support wheel, and which includes at least two articulation levers coupled to the housing, wherein the at least two articulation elvers are horizontally spaced apart from each other and support the pick-up device therebetween; and wherein each of the at least two articulation levers includes at least one guide element configured for moveably supporting the pick-up device for movement of the pick up device in a substantially vertical direction relative to the articulation levers.

11. The agricultural working implement set forth in claim 10, wherein the at least two articulation levers are configured for rotatable attachment to the housing for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis that extends transversely with respect to a direction of travel, whereby the at least two articulation levers may swing relative to the housing.

12. The agricultural working implement set forth in claim 10, wherein at least one of the at least two articulation levers includes multiple guide elements arranged in a substantially parallel relationship relative to each other.

13. The agricultural working implement set forth in claim 10, wherein each of the at least one guide element of the at least two articulation levers include a slot formed through a respective one of the at least two articulation levers.

14. The agricultural working implement set forth in claim 13, further comprising a respective bearing journal extending through each of the at least one guide element of the at least two articulation levers.

15. The agricultural working implement set forth in claim 11, further comprising a conveying rotor configured for rotation about the horizontal axis.

16. The agricultural working implement set forth in claim 15, wherein the pick-up device includes a rotatable conveying device in the form of a spike rotor.

17. The agricultural working implement set forth in claim 16, wherein the conveying rotor and the conveying device are rotatably driven by a traction mechanism drive.

18. The agricultural working implement set forth in claim 17, wherein the traction mechanism drive includes a chain drive.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] FIG. 1 is a side view of a working implement having a crop pick-up including a pick-up device, which is supported on the ground via support wheels.

[0018] FIG. 2 is an enlarged illustration of the pick-up device.

[0019] FIG. 3 is a right-hand side region of the pick-up device in a partially exploded illustration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] Those having ordinary skill in the art will recognize that terms such as above, below, upward, downward, top, bottom, etc., are used descriptively for the figures, and do not represent limitations on the scope of the disclosure, as defined by the appended claims. Furthermore, the teachings may be described herein in terms of functional and/or logical block components and/or various processing steps. It should be realized that such block components may be comprised of any number of hardware, software, and/or firmware components configured to perform the specified functions.

[0021] The terms forward, rearward, left, and right, when used in connection with a moveable implement and/or components thereof are usually determined with reference to the direction of travel during operation, but should not be construed as limiting. The terms longitudinal and transverse are usually determined with reference to the fore-and-aft direction of the implement relative to the direction of travel during operation, and should also not be construed as limiting.

[0022] Terms of degree, such as generally, substantially or approximately are understood by those of ordinary skill to refer to reasonable ranges outside of a given value or orientation, for example, general tolerances or positional relationships associated with manufacturing, assembly, and use of the described embodiments.

[0023] As used herein, e.g. is utilized to non-exhaustively list examples, and carries the same meaning as alternative illustrative phrases such as including, including, but not limited to, and including without limitation. As used herein, unless otherwise limited or modified, lists with elements that are separated by conjunctive terms (e.g., and) and that are also preceded by the phrase one or more of, at least one of, at least, or a like phrase, indicate configurations or arrangements that potentially include individual elements of the list, or any combination thereof. For example, at least one of A, B, and C and one or more of A, B, and C each indicate the possibility of only A, only B, only C, or any combination of two or more of A, B, and C (A and B; A and C; B and C; or A, B, and C). As used herein, the singular forms a, an and the are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Further, comprises, includes, and like phrases are intended to specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

[0024] Referring to the Figures, wherein like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, a working implement is generally shown at 10 in FIG. 1. FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of the working implement 10 in the form of an agricultural press for producing round cylindrical bales from harvested crops. The working implement 10 has a frame 14 which bears a housing 12 and which is supported on the ground 18 via a running gear 16.

[0025] A drawbar 20 is arranged on the front side of the frame 14 in order to enable the working implement 10 to be hitched to a towing vehicle (not shown), for example an agricultural tractor, and towed over a field. A crop pick-up means 22 in the form of a pick-up is used to pick up harvested crops lying on the ground 18, for example hay or straw that has been deposited in a swath. The harvested crop picked up by the crop pick-up 22 is fed via an inlet 24 to a press chamber 26 and is rolled up spirally therein to form a round cylindrical bale, is tied, and is subsequently deposited on the ground 18.

[0026] In the present exemplary embodiment, the crop pick-up 22 has a housing 28, a conveying rotor 30, two articulation levers 32a, 32b, and a pick-up device 34. The conveying rotor 30 is supported so as to be rotatable about an axis 36 which extends substantially horizontally and transversely with respect to the direction of travel. The articulation levers 32a, 32b in turn are supported so as to be pivotable about the axis 36 and extend at least partially forward from said axis in relation to the direction of travel of the working implement 10. The pick-up device 34 is received movably between the articulation levers 32a, 32b.

[0027] The pick-up device 34 has a housing 38, two support wheels 40a, 40b, and a conveying device 42 in the form of a spike rotor. The support wheels 40a, 40b are pivotable on the side walls 38a, 38b about a wheel axle 44 which supports the conveying device 42 rotatably about a rotor axis 46. Also provided is a spring device 48 having a first spring 50a and a second spring 50b. The springs 50a, 50b engage at one end on one of the side walls 38a, 38b at a first fastening point 52 and at the other end on the housing 28 at a second fastening point 54.

[0028] A detailed description will now be given below of the manner in which the pick-up device 34 is received on the articulation levers 32a, 32b. For this purpose, the articulation levers 32a, 32b each have two spaced guide elements 58a, 58b in a region 56 situated opposite the axis 36. In the exemplary embodiment, said guide elements 58a, 58b are in the form of slots and are arranged in parallel, wherein they are formed into the articulation levers 32a, 32b so as to be spaced both in a horizontal direction and in a vertical direction.

[0029] Recesses 60a, 60b (in this regard, see FIG. 3) are provided in the housing 38 of the pick-up device 34, into which recesses bearing journals 62a, 62b are inserted. The bearing journals 62a, 62b are received in the guide elements 58a, 58b and are secured by means of corresponding securing elements 64a, 64b, for example in the form of nuts, so as to be able to move in the direction of the longitudinal extent of the guide elements 58a, 58b.

[0030] The crop pick-up 22 furthermore has a traction mechanism drive 66 by means of which, in the present exemplary embodiment, at least the conveying rotor 30 and the conveying device 42 can be set in rotation. The traction mechanism drive 66 is driven by means of a drive pulley (not shown) and has a traction mechanism 68 in the form of a chain. The traction mechanism 68 is looped around a first drive pulley 70a, which is operatively connected to the conveying rotor 30, and a second drive pulley 66b, which is operatively connected to the conveying device 42. The drive pulleys 70a, 70b are in the form of toothed wheels. The traction mechanism drive 66 furthermore has a tensioning device 72 having a spring-loaded tensioning arm 74 which bears a tensioning pulley 76 likewise in the form of a toothed wheel, which tensions, or maintains a tension in, the traction mechanism 68 in a known manner.

[0031] During operation, the crop pick-up 22 is supported on the ground via the support wheels 40a, 40b and follows the ground 18 when the working implement 10 is towed over the field by the towing vehicle (not shown). If the contour of the ground 18 changes in the direction of travel, then the crop pick-up 22, and in particular the pick-up device 34, follows said contour by virtue of said pick-up device, or the articulation levers 32a, 32b that support the pick-up device 34, pivoting about the axis 36.

[0032] The contour however often also changes transversely with respect to the direction of travel. In particular in the case of particularly wide crop pick-up means such as are commonly used nowadays in order to achieve a high throughput, a very significant height difference can arise between the support wheels 40a, 40b. In order to compensate such a height difference, or in order to be able to better and/or more quickly follow the contour of the ground, provision is made in the present exemplary embodiment for the pick-up device 34 to be received substantially vertically movably (as indicated by arrows) in the articulation levers 32a, 32b that support it.

[0033] Here, the right-hand-side bearing journals 62a in relation to the direction of travel of the working implement 10, and the corresponding left-hand-side bearing journals 62b (not shown), can move at least substantially in parallel. However, if the ground 18 or the contour of the ground 18 requires height compensation, then the right-hand-side and left-hand-side bearing journals 62a, 62b can each independently move vertically in the guide elements 58a, 58b. In this way, the pick-up device 34 can perform a swinging movement without the need to provide a fixed swing axis for this purpose. Rather, a further degree of freedom is provided, which can be superposed on the purely vertical movement of the pick-up device 34.

[0034] Since the pick-up device 34 is correspondingly received or supported in the vertically extending guide elements 58 in the articulation levers 32a, 32b, this additional degree of freedom does not have an effect on the traction mechanism drive 66 or the traction mechanism 68, thus ensuring that the conveying rotor 38 and conveying device 42 are driven uniformly even in the case of significantly uneven ground.

[0035] The detailed description and the drawings or figures are supportive and descriptive of the disclosure, but the scope of the disclosure is defined solely by the claims. While some of the best modes and other embodiments for carrying out the claimed teachings have been described in detail, various alternative designs and embodiments exist for practicing the disclosure defined in the appended claims.