Crop harvesting reel with paddles on an end plate to reduce crop collection

#This invention relates to a crop harvesting heard including a reel for guiding crop over a cutter bar to crop collection where the reel end plate has paddles to reduce collection of crop between the end plate and the end frame of the header.

#In U.S. Pat. No. 6,591,598 (Remillard) assigned to the present Applicants is disclosed a crop harvesting header including a cutter bar and a reel for controlling movement of the crop in the area over the cutter bar. The reel is rotatable about an axis generally parallel to the cutter bar and has a plurality of reel bats each having reel fingers projecting generally radially outwardly from the reel axis. The reel bats are pivotal each about a respective bat axis parallel to the reel axis so as to vary the angle of the fingers about the bat axis as the reel rotates. The reel co-operates with a cam carried on the reel arms in generally stationary position so that each bat has a crank arm with a cam follower on the crank arm which follows the cam as the reel rotates relative to the cam and causes the required pivotal movement of the bat.

#The reel bats are carried in bearings mounted on reel support plates at spaced positions along the reel.

#One embodiment of the invention will be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

#FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a header according to the present invention looking along the header toward one end and showing the reel, reel support arms, tine tubes, table, header frame, frame end sheet, cam and control linkages, with the end mounting disks of the reel omitted for convenience of illustration.

#FIG. 2 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the reel only of FIG. 1.

#In FIG. 1 is shown an embodiment of a header according to the present invention with a number of the elements being shown schematically since the general construction of such headers is well known to one skilled in the art. The header 10 includes a header frame 11 having a main frame tube 12 extending across the width of the header between two end crop dividers 13 one of which is shown and the other of which is of course at the other end and therefore not visible in the elevation of FIG. 1. The main tube 12 is suitably supported and attached on a propulsion vehicle in a manner so that the header frame can be moved forwardly across the ground in cutting a standing crop. The crop divider 13 extends forwardly from the main tube 12 to a forward nose section 14. The main tube 12 carries a plurality of frame bars which extend downwardly and forwardly for supporting a table 15 of the header onto which crop material is deposited after cutting. The structural elements defining the frame bars on the table are not shown for convenience of illustration since again these are well known to one skilled in the art and can vary in accordance with engineering considerations.

#On the table 15 is provided a crop conveyor 16 which is arranged to transport the crop after cutting across the width of a header to a discharge location. In the embodiment shown the conveyor is provided as a draper canvas 17 mounted on rollers 18. Other embodiments can use alternative crop transportation systems and primarily an auger which is commonly used as an alternative for the draper system. The embodiments of the present invention are not limited to either of the different types of header.

#At the front of the table 15 is provided a cutter bar generally indicated at 19 which is again only shown schematically since the construction of this is well known to one skilled in the art. The cutter bar shown provides a sickle knife in guards which reciprocates back and forth in a cutting action on the standing crop so that the crop is deposited on the draper for transportation to the discharge location.