Harvested material receptacle for a harvester having foldable extension elements

A harvested material receptacle for a harvester comprising:

• a hopper that is open at a top with a substantially polygonal opening cross-section and extension elements arranged in pairs opposite each other and are each pivotably articulated about a substantially horizontally running pivot shaft at an edge of an opening of the hopper to transition the extension elements from a substantially or entirely closed transport position into an open receiving position and from the receiving position to the transport position,
• wherein the extension elements that are opposite one another at least partially overlap when in the transport position;
• wherein the extension elements comprise a top pair of extension elements and a bottom pair of extension elements;
• wherein in the closed transport position, both of:
• one of the top pair of extension elements at least partially overlaps another of the top pair of extension elements;
• and
• one of the bottom pair of extension elements at least partially overlaps another of the bottom pair of extension elements;
• wherein the top pair of extension elements are connected to each other by a coupling link designed as a multipart linkage through which a sequential movement of both of the top pair of extension elements is performed;
• wherein, at an earlier stage in transitioning from the receiving position to the transport position, the one of the top pair of extension elements is configured to move more than the another of the top pair of extension elements;
• wherein, later in transitioning from the receiving position to the transport position, the another of the top pair of extension elements is configured to move to the transport position before the one of the top pair of extension elements;
• wherein the multipart linkage includes a coupling rod and a coupling element that are movable relative to each other in a longitudinal direction of the coupling rod;
• wherein the coupling rod and the coupling element are connected to each other by at least one characteristic-controlled coupling link;
• wherein the coupling link is positioned on a driveshaft;
• and
• wherein the linkage is configured to transmit a rotary movement exerted by an actuator on the driveshaft to an opposite driveshaft and is in a substantially unextended position when in the receiving position so that one of the top pair of extension elements and one of the bottom pair of extension elements remain in the receiving position so that, in transitioning from the receiving position to the transport position, the one of the top pair of extension elements and one of the bottom pair of extension elements are delayed in transitioning from the receiving position to the transport position than the other of the top pair of extension elements and the other of the bottom pair of extension elements.

A self-propelled harvester comprising:

• a conveyor configured to receive harvested material;
• a threshing system configured to receive the harvested material from the conveyor and to process the harvested material;
• and
• a hopper configured to receive at least a part of the harvested material, the hopper being open at a top with a substantially polygonal opening cross-section and extension elements arranged in pairs opposite each other and each being pivotably articulated about a substantially horizontally running pivot shaft at an edge of an opening of the hopper to transition the extension elements from a substantially or entirely closed transport position into an open receiving position and from the receiving position to the transport position,
• an actuating device configured to transition the extension elements between the transport position and the receiving position;
• wherein the extension elements that are opposite one another at least partially overlap when in the transport position;
• wherein the extension elements comprise a top pair of extension elements and a bottom pair of extension elements;
• wherein in the closed transport position, both of:
• one of the top pair of extension elements at least partially overlaps another of the top pair of extension elements;
• and
• one of the bottom pair of extension elements at least partially overlaps another of the bottom pair of extension elements;
• wherein the actuating device comprises a common actuator configured to control movement of both the top pair of extension elements and the bottom pair of extension elements by a plurality of mechanical coupling links;
• wherein the plurality of mechanical coupling links comprises a first coupling link and a second coupling link designed as a damper;
• wherein the actuating device is configured to move the bottom pair of the extension elements and the top pair of the extension elements to a final position at the transport position in a predetermined sequence;
• wherein the damper is configured to dampen a tilting movement of the one of the top pair of extension elements and the one of the bottom pair of extension elements;
• and
• wherein, while dampening the tilting movement of the one of the top pair of extension elements and the one of the bottom pair of extension elements, retraction of a linkage is configured to provide greater acceleration of tilting movement of the another of the top pair of extension elements and the another of the bottom pair of extension elements than the tilting movement of the one of the top pair of extension elements and the one of the bottom pair of extension elements.