ENGINE ENCLOSURE FOR A HARVESTING MACHINE

• US 3,636,684 A
• Filed: 08/25/1969
• Issued: 01/25/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bernard Francis Vogelaar, Felix Stanley Pasturczak, James Peter Doering
• Original Assignee: Bernard Francis Vogelaar, Felix Stanley Pasturczak, James Peter Doering
• Inventors: Doering, James Peter, Pasturczak, Felix Stanley, Vogelaar, Bernard Francis
• Primary Examiner(s): Mancene, Louis G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Eskovitz, J. N.
• Application Number:
  US04/852,689
• Time in Patent Office: 883 Days
• Field of Search: 56/20-24,124,125,14.7 180/69
• US Class Current: 56/14.7
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 41/12 Details of combines
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/04 Arrangement or mounting of radiators, radiator shutters, or radiator blinds B60K11/085 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/085 with adjustable shutters or blinds
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 33/0617 for tractors or off-the-road vehicles protective devices for drivers in case of overturning of tractors B60R21/131
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 11/12 Filtering, cooling, or silencing cooling-air
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/88 Optimized components or subsystems, e.g. lighting, actively controlled glasses

Abstract

A self-propelled combine has a mobile main separator body with an elevated grain tank mounted on a central portion of the body and a forward operator'"'"''"'"'s station and engine enclosure mounted side by side at the forward end of the body immediately in front of the grain tank. The engine enclosure has an air outlet in its outer lateral side and air inlets in both the top and front side of the enclosure. A transversely oriented internal combustion engine is mounted in the enclosure and has a radiator opposite the outlet opening. A fan in the outlet opening draws air through the inlet openings and through the radiator, discharging it through the outlet opening at the side of the combine. The air drawn through the radiator is filtered by means of screens in the air inlets, and the top and front of the enclosure are provided with louvers to deflect part of the air along the surface of the screens to carry away foreign material collected thereon, the contaminated air bypassing the radiator and being discharged out the side of the combine with the cooling air.

Claims

1. In a self-propelled agricultural machine having a main body, an elevated, transversely oriented engine with a forwardly facing side and an elevated operator'"'"''"'"'s station mounted laterally adjacent to one another at the front of the body, a forward transversely elongated harvesting header, and a crop-feeding means between the header and the body for conveying the crop from the header to the body and including a housing with a forwardly and downwardly inclined upper surface forwardly of and below the engine, the improvement comprising:

an engine enclosure means mounted on the body and substantially enclosing the engine, and including a generally upright front wall and a first door means in the front wall swingably mounted on generally vertical pivot means on the front wall for swinging between a closed position and an open position wherein the first door means extends forwardly from the engine enclosure to provide access to the enclosure interior and to the side of the engine.

2. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein the first door means includes a pair of doors respectively mounted on vertical pivot means disposed adjacent to the opposite lateral ends of the front wall so that the doors respectively extend forwardly from the opposite lateral ends of the front wall in their open position.

3. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein the front wall includes a second door means having a relatively flat inner surface and mounted on a transverse hinge means adjacent its lower edge for swinging between a closed generally upright position and an open position wherein it extends forwardly from the enclosure means with the flat inner surface in a generally horizontal position to provide an elevated work platform adjacent to and forwardly of the engine.

4. The invention defined in claim 3 and including a generally horizontal step means disposed on the upper surface of the crop-feeding means housing forwardly of and below the level of the second door means when the second door means is in its open position, the generally horizontal upper surface of the step means being canted relative to the inclined upper surface of the housing.

5. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein the engine enclosure includes a generally horizontal top, and top door means in the enclosure top swingable about a horizontal axis between a closed horizontal position and an open position wherein it provides access to the enclosure interior.

6. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein the engine enclosure includes a generally horizontal top swingably connected to the enclosure on a transverse pivot adjacent its rearward end for swinging upwardly and rearwardly from a horizontal closed position to an open position, and at least a portion of the front wall is connected to the top for movement therewith to expose the engine and enclosure from both the front and the top when the top is moved to its open position.

7. The invention defined in claim 6 wherein the first door means is disposed in the portion of the front wall connected to the top wall.

8. In a self-propelled agricultural machine having a main body, an elevated engine and an elevated operator'"'"''"'"'s station including a floor mounted laterally adjacent to one another at the front of the body, a forward transversely elongated harvesting header, and a crop-feeding means between the header and the body for conveying the crop from the header to the body and including a housing with a forwardly and downwardly inclined upper surface forwardly of and below the engine, the improvement comprising:

an engine enclosure means mounted on the body and substantially enclosing the engine, and including a generally upright front wall having a lower door means with a relatively flat inner surface and mounted on a transverse hinge means adjacent its lower edge for swinging between a closed generally upright Position and an open position wherein it extends forwardly from the enclosure means with the flat inner surface in a generally horizontal position accessibly adjacent from and parallel to the floor to provide an elevated work platform adjacent to and forwardly the engine and accessible from the operator'"'"''"'"'s station.

9. The invention defined in claim 8 and including a generally horizontal step means disposed on the upper surface of the crop-feeding means housing forwardly of and below the level of the lower door means when the lower door means is in its open position, the generally horizontal upper surface of the step means being canted relatively to the inclined surface of the housing. 10 The invention defined in claim 8 wherein the enclosure includes a top and the front wall includes an upper portion swingably mounted at its upper edge on transverse pivot means at the forward end of the top.

11. The invention defined in claim 10 wherein the top is swingably connected to the enclosure on a transverse pivot adjacent its rearward end for swinging upwardly and rearwardly from a horizontal closed position to an open position, the upper portion of the front wall swinging upwardly and rearwardly with the top and collapsing about its pivot connection toward the top to expose the engine from both the front and top.

12. The invention defined in claim 10 wherein the top includes a top door means swingable about a horizontal axis between a closed horizontal position and an open position wherein it provides access to the enclosure interior.

13. A self-propelled combine comprising:

a mobile main separator body;

a forward, transversely elongated harvesting header carried by the main body, an elevated grain tank mounted on a central portion of the body and having first and second upright opposite lateral sidewalls overhanging the opposite side of the body and an open generally horizontal top;

an elevated engine enclosure mounted on one side of the forward end of the body adjacent to and forwardly of the grain tank and including an outer, generally upright sidewall generally flush with the first sidewall of the grain tank and having an air outlet opening, a horizontal top wall at substantially the same level as the top of the grain tank, an approximately upright front wall, at least one of said top and front walls being provided with an air inlet means, an axially transverse engine mounted within the enclosure and having an associated radiator;

fan means within the engine enclosure for drawing air through the air inlet opening, moving it through the radiator and discharging it through the air outlet opening; and

an elevated operator'"'"''"'"'s station mounted on the other side of the forward end of the body, forwardly of and adjacent to the grain tank and laterally of and adjacent to the engine enclosure.

14. The invention defined in claim 13 wherein the air inlet means includes a first inlet opening in the enclosure top wall and a second inlet opening in the enclosure front wall.