# US 10,945,373 B2 · Harvester feeder > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,945,373 B2 - Document ID: US10945373B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/176,887 - Filed: 2018-10-31 - Published: 2020-04-30 - Granted: 2021-03-16 - Earliest claimed: 2018-10-31 - Assignees: Deere & Company - Applicants: Deere and Company - Inventors: Adam J. Donohoe; Michael T. Meschke - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10945373B2 ## CPC - A01D 61/008: {for longitudinal conveying, especially for combines} - A01D 61/02: Endless belts - A01F 12/10: Feeders - B65G 23/44: Belt or chain tensioning arrangements - A01D: HARVESTING; MOWING - A01F: PROCESSING OF HARVESTED PRODUCE; HAY OR STRAW PRESSES; DEVICES FOR STORING AGRICULTURAL OR HORTICULTURAL PRODUCE (devices for topping or skinning onions or flower bulbs A23N15/08) - B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D) ## Abstract A harvester feeder may include a housing forming a crop passage having a width and a conveyor supported by the housing to extend above crops being conveyed along the crop passage. The conveyor may include a frame, at least one forward tensioner, at least one drive sprocket and at least one belt about the forward tensioner and the drive sprocket. In one implementation, the at least one belt forms a substantially uninterrupted crop engaging belt surface extending across a majority of the width. In one implementation, each belt has an upper portion and a lower portion with the lower portion being adjacent the crop passage, wherein a crop massager extends between the upper portion and the lower portion and resume only presses the lower portion of the continuous belt towards the crop passage. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A harvester feeder comprising: a housing forming a crop passage having a width; a conveyor supported by the housing to extend above crops being conveyed along the crop passage, the conveyor comprising: a frame; at least one forward tensioner supported by the frame; at least one drive sprocket; at least one belt about the at least one forward tensioner and the at least one drive sprocket, the at least one belt forming a substantially uninterrupted crop engaging belt surface extending across a majority of the width, wherein the at least one belt has an upper portion spanning between the at least one forward tensioner and the drive sprocket and a lower portion spanning between the at least one forward tensioner and the at least one drive sprocket, the lower portion being adjacent the crop passage, the harvester feeder further comprising a crop massager between the upper portion and the lower portion, the crop massager resiliently pressing the lower portion of the continuous belt towards the crop passage, the crop massager comprising a plurality of independent crop massaging elements configured to undulate the lower portion of the at least one belt. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The harvester feeder of claim 1, wherein substantially uninterrupted crop engaging belt surface extends across at least 90% of the width in an uninterrupted fashion. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The harvester feeder of claim 1, wherein the crop massager directly contacts a face of the lower portion of the at least one belt. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The harvester feeder of claim 1, wherein each of the crop massaging elements comprises an idler wheel bearing against the lower portion and resiliently biased towards the crop passage. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The harvester feeder of claim 4, wherein the idler wheel is pivotably supported by the frame. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The harvester feeder of claim 5 further comprising a suspension member operably coupled between the frame and the idler wheel to resiliently bias the idler wheel towards the crop passage. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The harvester feeder of claim 1, wherein the conveyor further comprises: a resiliently biased fore and aft translatable arm supported by the frame; and a pivot arm pivotably connected to the fore and aft translatable arm and supporting the at least one forward tensioner. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The harvester feeder of claim 1, wherein the frame is fixed and extends between the upper portion and the lower portion of the continuous belt. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The harvester feeder of claim 1, wherein the at least one belt comprises a plurality of belts in a side edge-to-side edge relationship. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The harvester feeder of claim 1, wherein the crop massager is spaced from and is between the at least one forward tensioner and the at least one drive sprocket such that the crop massager resiliently presses a portion of the at least one belt that spans between the at least one forward tensioner and the at least one sprocket towards a crop passage. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The harvester feeder of claim 1, wherein the lower portion of the at least one belt comprises a span extending between the plurality of independent crop massaging elements that is bendable towards the upper portion. ### Claim 12 A harvester feeder comprising: a housing forming a crop passage having a width; a conveyor supported by the housing to extend above crops being conveyed along the crop passage, the conveyor comprising: a frame; a forward tensioner supported by the frame; a drive sprocket; a belt about the forward tensioner and the drive sprocket, the belt having an upper portion spanning between the forward tensioner and the drive sprocket and a lower portion spanning between the forward tensioner and the drive sprocket, the lower portion being adjacent the crop passage; and a crop massager between the upper portion and the lower portion, the crop massager resiliently pressing the lower portion of the continuous belt towards the crop passage, the crop massager comprising a plurality of independent crop massaging elements configured to undulate the lower portion of the at least one belt. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The harvester feeder of claim 12, wherein each of the crop massaging elements comprises an idler wheel bearing against the lower portion and resiliently biased towards the crop passage. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The harvester feeder of claim 13 further comprising a suspension member operably coupled between the frame and the idler wheel to resiliently bias the idler wheel towards the crop passage. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The harvester feeder of claim 12, wherein the conveyor further comprises: a resiliently biased fore and aft translatable arm supported by the frame; and a pivot arm pivotably connected to the fore and aft translatable arm and supporting the forward tensioner. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The harvester feeder of claim 12, wherein the frame is fixed and extends between the upper portion and the lower portion of the continuous belt. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The harvester feeder of claim 12, wherein the at least one forward tensioner is rotatable about a first axis, wherein the at least one drive sprocket is rotatable about a second axis and wherein the crop massager is movable relative to and in a direction perpendicular to a plane containing the first axis and the second axis. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The harvester feeder of claim 12, wherein the lower portion of the at least one belt comprises a span extending between the plurality of independent crop massaging elements that is bendable towards the upper portion. ### Claim 19 A method for feeding crop material from a harvester head into a harvester, the method comprising: directing the crop material to an inlet of a crop passage of a harvester feeder; driving a belt about a pair of spaced axes, the belt having a lower portion between the spaced axes and adjacent the crop passage; and resiliently pressing against an inner surface of the lower portion at a plurality of distinct locations with a plurality of independent crop massaging elements to resiliently press and undulate an outer surface of the lower portion against the crop material in the crop passage.