Draper Head with a Center Draper Belt Frame

Abstract

A draper head has a draper head frame and an attachment frame for connection to a feeder housing of a harvester. The draper head frame is connected to swing arms facing in working direction and having front ends movable vertically. The front ends of the swing arms are connected to a blade angle section provided with cutting elements. A center draper belt frame is pivotably arranged at the draper head frame and has a center draper belt disposed thereat. Transverse conveyor belts convey crop transversely to the working direction to the center draper belt which conveys crop rearwardly toward a discharge opening of the draper head. A rotary conveyor is arranged upstream of the discharge opening for conveying the crop toward the discharge opening. A rotation axis of a rearward shaft of the center draper belt and a rotation axis of the center draper belt frame are concentrically arranged.

Claims

1. A draper head for attachment to a harvester, the draper head comprising: a draper head frame extending at least substantially across a working width of the draper head and comprising an attachment frame with attachment elements configured to connect to a feeder housing of the harvester; swing arms facing in a working direction of the harvester, wherein the draper head frame is connected to the swing arms, and wherein the swing arms comprise front ends movable in a vertical direction; a blade angle section and cutting elements fastened to the blade angle section, wherein the front ends of the swing arms are connected to the blade angle section; a center draper belt frame arranged at the draper head frame so as to be pivotable about a first rotation axis; a center draper belt disposed at the center draper belt frame; transverse conveyor belts configured to convey cut crop placed thereon transversely to the working direction to the center draper belt, wherein the center draper belt is configured to convey the crop placed thereon opposite to the working direction rearwardly toward a discharge opening located in a rear wall of the draper head; a rotary conveyor arranged upstream of the discharge opening and configured to convey the crop, conveyed on the center draper belt, by undershot conveyance toward the discharge opening; wherein a rearward shaft of the center draper belt has a second rotation axis; wherein the first rotation axis of the center draper belt frame and the second rotation axis of the rearward shaft of the center draper belt are arranged concentrically to each other.

2. The draper head according to claim 1, wherein the center draper belt frame has a front end resting on the blade angle section without being fixedly connected to the blade angle section.

3. The draper head according to claim 1, further comprising a mat of flexible material, wherein the mat of flexible material bridges an intermediate space between the blade angle section and an upper run of the center draper belt.

4. The draper head according to claim 1, further comprising: a frame section configured to connect fixedly to the harvester; an intermediate frame connected to the frame section and rotatable by an adjustment drive about an axis oriented transversely to the working direction, wherein at least one of the swing arms is fastened to the intermediate frame.

5. The draper head according to claim 1, wherein the swing arms include neighboring swing arms neighboring the center draper belt frame, wherein the center draper belt frame comprises a front end connected by a slotted link guide to the neighboring swing arms.

6. The draper head according to claim 5, wherein the neighboring swing arms are connected to the blade angle section and support deflection rollers of the transverse belt conveyors.

7. The draper head according to claim 1, wherein the center draper belt frame comprises a bottom door which seals in a downward direction an installation space in which a lower run of the center draper belt runs from the rearward shaft in the working direction toward a front end of the draper head.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The invention will now be explained in more detail with the aid of embodiments.

[0022] FIG. 1 shows a view of a harvester with draper head at a slant from the front.

[0023] FIG. 2 shows a view of a draper head from the rear.

[0024] FIG. 3 shows a view of a draper head viewed at a slant from the front and from above.

[0025] FIG. 4 shows a partial view of a draper head at a slant from the front.

[0026] FIG. 5 shows a section view of the center draper belt in the draper head.

[0027] FIG. 6 shows a side view of the center draper belt frame.

[0028] FIG. 7 shows a frame section of the draper head.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0029] In FIG. 1, a view of a harvester 2 with a draper head 4 is illustrated at a slant from the front. The draper head 4 comprises a draper head frame 6 that is connected by an attachment frame 8 to the feeder housing 10 of the harvester 2.

[0030] In the view of the draper head 4 from the rear illustrated in FIG. 2, it can be seen that attachment means 12 such as, for example, catch hooks, by means of which the draper head 4 can be connected to the harvester 2 are arranged at the attachment frame 8. In the view from the rear, the discharge opening 30 through which the crop is discharged to the feeder housing 10 of the harvester 2 can be seen well. Also, the rotary conveyor 32 which is arranged in conveying direction upstream of the discharge opening 30 can be seen well. The rotary conveyor 32 conveys by undershot conveyance the crop conveyed by the center draper belt 28 in the direction toward the discharge opening 30.

[0031] In FIG. 3, a view of a draper head 4 in a view at a slant from the front and from above is illustrated. In this view, it can be seen that the draper head 4 comprises a number of conveying members 14. Some of the conveying members 14 are endless circulating belt conveyor devices 26, 28 of which the transverse conveyor belts 26 transport the cut crop placed thereon transverse to the working direction to a center draper belt 28 which conveys the crop placed thereon to the rear in the direction toward the discharge opening 30 which is located in the rear wall 22 of the draper head 4. Shortly before the point of transfer of the crop to the feeder housing 10 of the harvester 2, the rotary conveyor 32 assists in crop transfer. Above the bottom-side conveying members 14, a reel as a further conveying member 14 is provided which, upon rotational movement, engages the standing crop with the reel fingers and the rods at which the reel fingers are fastened, supports the crop while the stems are cut close to the ground, and places the stems after the cut onto the bottom-side conveying members.

[0032] At the front side of the draper head 4, a cutting element 18 in the form of a cutter bar is provided. The cutter bar is driven in oscillation transversely to the working direction in order to cut the crop at its stalks or stems. The cutter bar can be embodied as a multi-part structure and can comprise a plurality of drive paths. Depending on the crop and its condition, it is desirable to guide the cutting element 18 as close as possible to the ground in order to avoid crop losses. For example, in case of soy, it is necessary to cut the stems very close to the ground in order to avoid loss of soybeans. Likewise, in case of laid grains, it is advantageous to cut as close as possible to the ground in order to also avoid crop losses here. For a high straw yield, it is also advantageous to cut as close as possible to the ground.

[0033] The cut crop is then conveyed by the conveying members 14 along the rear wall 22 of the draper head 4. The rear wall 22 is embodied closed in respect to the conveying members 14 in order to also avoid crop losses here.

[0034] FIG. 4 shows a partial view of a draper head at a slant from the front. The transverse conveyor belts 26, the rear wall 22, and the reel have been omitted in this view. One can see well the center draper belt 28, the discharge opening 30, and the draper head frame 6 with swing arms 16 which are fastened thereto, face in working direction, and are movable at their front end in vertical direction. The center draper belt 28 is held at a center draper belt frame 34 and circulates thereat about shafts 36 arranged at the ends and illustrated in FIG. 5. The front ends of the swing arms 16 are each connected by a connection component to a blade angle section 24 at which the cutting elements 18 of the draper head 4 are fastened. The swing arms 16 are comprised of leaf spring packs 20 in the embodiment and can swing at their free front ends upwardly and downwardly in vertical direction when the blade angle section 24 rests on the ground and the ground contour changes.

[0035] FIG. 5 shows a section view of the center draper belt 28 in the draper head 4. In the illustrated view, a longitudinal support 34a extending in length direction and a transverse support 34b of the center draper belt frame 34 extending in a direction transverse to the working direction of the draper head can be seen. About the front and rear shafts 36, the center draper belt 28 is wrapped whose running direction is indicated by the curved arrow. The crop is conveyed on the upper run 40 to the rear in the direction of the discharge opening 30. The center draper belt 28 runs around the rearward shaft 36 at the rearward end of the conveying stretch and then runs with the lower run 42 toward the front again. Since the center draper belt frame 34 is supported pivotably about the rotation axis 50 of the rearward shaft 36, the center draper belt frame 34 at its front end 38 can pivot up and down in accordance with the double arrow. The blade drive 25 is attached to the blade angle section 24.

[0036] In FIGS. 5 and 6, the intermediate space 44 between the front end 38 of the center draper belt frame 34 and the rearward end of the blade angle section 24 is visible. The intermediate space at its upper end is covered by the flexible mat 46. The center draper belt frame 34 comprises a bottom door 48 which seals in downward direction the installation space in which the lower run 42 of the center draper belt 28 runs to the front.

[0037] In FIG. 6, a side view of the center draper belt frame 34 is illustrated. In the side view, the longitudinal support 34c is illustrated from the side. In the side view, it can be seen that the center draper belt frame 34 is also pivotable about the rotation axis 50 about which the rearward shaft 36 of the center draper belt 28 rotates. The rotation axes 50 of the rearward shaft 36 of the center draper belt 28 and of the center draper belt frame 34 are thus concentrically arranged relative to each other.

[0038] In FIG. 7, the frame section 52 of the draper head 4 is illustrated that is configured to be connected fixedly to a harvester 2. An intermediate frame 54 is connected to the frame section 52 and is rotatable by an adjustment drive about an axis which is oriented transversely to the working direction. At least one of the swing arms 16 is fastened to the intermediate frame 54. The swing arms 16 can be connected to the center draper belt frame 34 by a slotted link guide. The deflection rollers 56 of the transverse conveyor belts 26 are supported at their rearward ends at the intermediate frame 54. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7, the front ends of the deflection rollers 56 are supported on the blade angle section 24. As an alternative, it is possible to support them on a neighboring swing arm 16, respectively.

[0039] The invention is not limited to the afore described embodiment. A person of skill in the art will have no difficulty in modifying the embodiment with use of his knowledge in the art in order to adapt it in a manner appearing suitable to him to a concrete application situation without thereby deviating from the teachings of the invention.

[0040] The specification incorporates by reference the entire disclosure of German priority document 10 2021 131 962.5 having a filing date of 3 Dec. 2021.

[0041] 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.

LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS

[0042] 2 harvester [0043] 4 draper head [0044] 6 draper head frame [0045] 8 attachment frame [0046] 10 feeder housing [0047] 12 attachment means [0048] 14 conveying member [0049] 16 swing arm [0050] 18 cutting element (cutter bar) [0051] 20 leaf spring pack [0052] 22 rear wall [0053] 24 blade angle section [0054] 25 blade drive [0055] 26 transverse conveyor belt [0056] 28 center draper belt [0057] 30 discharge opening [0058] 32 rotary conveyor [0059] 34 center draper belt frame [0060] 34a longitudinal support [0061] 34b transverse support [0062] 34c longitudinal support [0063] 36 shaft [0064] 38 front end [0065] 40 upper run [0066] 42 lower run [0067] 44 intermediate space [0068] 46 mat [0069] 48 bottom door [0070] 50 rotation axis [0071] 52 frame section [0072] 54 intermediate frame [0073] 56 deflection roller