Finger Drive for a Crop Feed Roller

• US 20150208582A1
• Filed: 12/15/2014
• Published: 07/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Macdon Industries Ltd (Linamar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Macdon Industries Ltd (Linamar Corporation)
• Inventors: Patterson, Roger, Enns, John Edward, Jordan, David James
• Granted Patent: US 9,392,747 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 41/14 Mowing tables
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 61/002 transversal conveying devices
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 61/008 for longitudinal conveying, especially for combines

Abstract

A crop feeding roller for a header includes a plurality of finger units within the roller each having a pair of fingers projecting outwardly for engaging crop outside the peripheral wall of the roller. The peripheral wall has opposed finger guide holes associated with the pair of fingers. Each finger unit including an inner member carrying the fingers and containing an elongate guide slot transverse to the axis of the roller and a stationary guide member within the guide slot at a position within the roller arranged to cause the inner member with the fingers of each of the finger units to reciprocate during the rotation of the roller. The guide slot is shaped with at least one curved lobe to one side of a transverse center section so that the slot can be S-shaped or C-shaped to improve the dwell time and swept area obtained by the finger movement.

Claims

1. A crop feeding apparatus comprising:

a rotatable roller mounted for rotation around a longitudinal axis such that an outer peripheral wall of the roller rotates;

a plurality of finger units mounted within the roller arranged to provide a plurality of fingers projecting outwardly of the peripheral wall for engaging crop outside the peripheral wall;

each finger unit including a pair of fingers,

the roller having in the peripheral wall thereof a plurality of pairs of finger guide holes spaced axially of the roller with each pair disposed on opposite sides of the roller;

each pair of finger guide holes being associated with said pair of fingers of a respective finger unit such that each of said pair of fingers extends through and is slidable in a respective one of said pair of holes in opposite sides of the roller so as to be movable along its length from a retracted position in which an end of the finger is adjacent the peripheral wall to an extended position;

each finger unit including an inner member within the roller to which the pair of fingers are affixed so that movement of the inner member acts to drive the fingers to said retracted and extended positions;

said inner member containing an elongate guide slot extending transversely to the axis of the roller and generally transverse to the longitudinal direction of movement of the fingers;

and a stationary guide member within the roller mounted within the guide slot at a position within the roller arranged to cause the inner member with said fingers of each of the finger units to reciprocate during the rotation of the roller;

wherein the guide slot of the inner member is shaped so as to comprise at least one curved lobe portion.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the guide slot lies in a radial plane of the axis of the roller.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the fingers lie on a diameter of the roller and the guide holes are diametrically opposed.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the guide slot and the stationary guide member are correspondingly V-shaped in cross-section so as to maintain the guide member tracking in the guide slot.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the stationary guide member includes a roller running in the guide slot.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the inner member is formed in two portions each forming one side of the guide slot.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the portions are identical or mirror image.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein each of the portions carries a respective one of the fingers.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each inner member carries only a single pair of diametrically opposed fingers.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said stationary guide member is mounted for adjustment angularly of the axis of the roller.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each guide hole includes a stationary tubular bearing in the roller wall through which said finger reciprocates in said longitudinal direction.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the peripheral surface of the roller carries a helical flight and wherein the fingers in their maximum extent project outwardly beyond the outer edge of the flight.

19. A harvesting machine comprising:

a feeder house having a conveyor chain therein for transporting a crop material;

and a crop feed roller apparatus according to claim 1 in front of the feeder house for feeding the crop material into the feeder house.

13. A crop feeding apparatus comprising:

a rotatable roller mounted for rotation around a longitudinal axis such that an outer peripheral wall of the roller rotates;

a plurality of finger units mounted within the roller arranged to provide a plurality of fingers projecting outwardly of the peripheral wall for engaging crop outside the peripheral wall;

each finger unit including a pair of fingers,

the roller having in the peripheral wall thereof a plurality of pairs of finger guide holes spaced axially of the roller with each pair disposed on opposite sides of the roller;

each pair of finger guide holes being associated with said pair of fingers of a respective finger unit such that each of said pair of fingers extends through and is slidable in a respective one of said pair of holes in opposite sides of the roller so as to be movable along its length from a retracted position in which an end of the finger is adjacent the peripheral wall to an extended position;

each finger unit including an inner member within the roller to which the pair of fingers are affixed so that movement of the inner member acts to drive the fingers to said retracted and extended positions;

said inner member containing an elongate guide slot extending transversely to the axis of the roller and generally transverse to the longitudinal direction of movement of the fingers;

and a stationary guide member within the roller mounted within the guide slot at a position within the roller arranged to cause the inner member with said fingers of each of the finger units to reciprocate during the rotation of the roller;

wherein the guide slot of the inner member is shaped so as to comprises a center portion transverse to the longitudinal direction of movement of the fingers and at least one lobe portion at an end of the center portion diverging to one side of the center portion.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the lobe portion is curved.

15. The apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the guide slot of the inner member is shaped so as to comprises a center portion transverse to the longitudinal direction of movement of the fingers and a lobe portion at each end of the center portion diverging to a side of the center portion.

16. The apparatus according to claim 13 wherein each lobe portion is curved.

17. A crop feeding apparatus comprising:

a rotatable roller mounted for rotation around a longitudinal axis such that an outer peripheral wall of the roller rotates;

a plurality of finger units mounted within the roller arranged to provide a plurality of fingers projecting outwardly of the peripheral wall for engaging crop outside the peripheral wall;

each finger unit including a pair of fingers,

the roller having in the peripheral wall thereof a plurality of pairs of finger guide holes spaced axially of the roller with each pair disposed on opposite sides of the roller;

each pair of finger guide holes being associated with said pair of fingers of a respective finger unit such that each of said pair of fingers extends through and is slidable in a respective one of said pair of holes in opposite sides of the roller so as to be movable along its length from a retracted position in which an end of the finger is adjacent the peripheral wall to an extended position;

each finger unit including an inner member within the roller to which the pair of fingers are affixed so that movement of the inner member acts to drive the fingers to said retracted and extended positions;

said inner member containing an elongate guide slot extending transversely to the axis of the roller and generally transverse to the longitudinal direction of movement of the fingers;

and a stationary guide member within the roller mounted within the guide slot at a position within the roller arranged to cause the inner member with said fingers of each of the finger units to reciprocate during the rotation of the roller;

wherein the guide slot of the inner member is generally S-shaped so as to comprises a center portion transverse to the longitudinal direction of movement of the fingers and a first lobe portion at a first end of the center portion diverging to a first side of the center portion and a second lobe portion at a second end of the center portion diverging to a second side of the center portion.

18. A crop feeding apparatus comprising:

a rotatable roller mounted for rotation around a longitudinal axis such that an outer peripheral wall of the roller rotates;

a plurality of finger units mounted within the roller arranged to provide a plurality of fingers projecting outwardly of the peripheral wall for engaging crop outside the peripheral wall;

each finger unit including a pair of fingers,

the roller having in the peripheral wall thereof a plurality of pairs of finger guide holes spaced axially of the roller with each pair disposed on opposite sides of the roller;

each pair of finger guide holes being associated with said pair of fingers of a respective finger unit such that each of said pair of fingers extends through and is slidable in a respective one of said pair of holes in opposite sides of the roller so as to be movable along its length from a retracted position in which an end of the finger is adjacent the peripheral wall to an extended position;

each finger unit including an inner member within the roller to which the pair of fingers are affixed so that movement of the inner member acts to drive the fingers to said retracted and extended positions;

said inner member containing an elongate guide slot extending transversely to the axis of the roller and generally transverse to the longitudinal direction of movement of the fingers;

and a stationary guide member within the roller mounted within the guide slot at a position within the roller arranged to cause the inner member with said fingers of each of the finger units to reciprocate during the rotation of the roller;

wherein the guide slot of the inner member is generally C-shaped so as to comprises a center portion transverse to the longitudinal direction of movement of the fingers and a first lobe portion at a first end of the center portion diverging to a first side of the center portion and a second lobe portion at a second end of the center portion diverging to said first side of the center portion.