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US 12,426,541 B2Granted
Harvesting cam reel with convertible transport mode
AssigneeHoney Bee Manufacturing Ltd.
InventorsGregory Honey, Glenn Honey
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cam reel for use on a harvesting header that can be configured in both operating and transport positions. The reel comprises a plurality of finger-bearing reel bats disposed evenly around the reel shaft, each rotatably attached through the distal ends of radial arms extending outwardly from the reel shaft. A cam disc is attached to the frame and engages each reel bat by a cam follower, to provide rotational movement of the reel bats relative to the radial arms, during rotation of the shaft in the operating position. The cam has at least one operating position, and a transport position in which the engaged reel bats will be pivoted into transport mode that substantially reduces the risk of damage to the fingers.
Claims13
A method of transporting a harvesting header, said harvesting header operable for harvesting crop material as the header is driven, the header comprising:
- a frame;
- a reel rotatably inter-connected to the frame and being rotatable about a longitudinally extending reel axis, said reel including:
- a plurality of reel bats, each of the reel bats being spaced apart from the reel axis and pivotal about a respective bat axis, wherein each of the reel bats includes at least one finger extending generally away from said respective bat axis;
- and
- a reel bat positioner operable to vary an angular orientation of each of the reel bats about the bat axis dependent upon an angular position of the reel bat about the reel axis, said reel bat positioner being configurable between an operating configuration and a transport configuration;
- said header operable such that when the header is driven and the reel bat positioner is in the operating configuration, the reel bat positioner causes a first reel bat of the plurality of reel bats, having an angular position about the reel axis such that said first reel bat is disposed forward of the reel axis, to have an operating angular orientation about the bat axis wherein said at least one finger of said first reel bat extends substantially radially outwardly from and relative to the reel axis;
- and
- said header further operable such that when the header is stationary and configured for transportation above a surface and said reel bat positioner is in the transport configuration, the reel bat positioner causes the first reel bat having the angular position about the reel axis to have a transport angular orientation about the bat axis which differs from the operating angular orientation;
- wherein said method comprises:
- (a) causing the reel bat positioner to change a configuration of the header from the operating position to the transport configuration;
- (b) transporting the header with the header in the transport configuration,
- wherein said operating angular orientation of the first reel bat is a first reel bat operating angular orientation and said transport angular orientation of the first reel bat is a first reel bat transport angular orientation and wherein the method further comprises:
- driving the header such that when the header is driven and the reel bat positioner is in the operating configuration, the reel bat positioner causes the first reel bat to have the first reel bat operating angular orientation and further causes a second reel bat of the plurality of reel bats to have a second reel bat operating angular orientation about the bat axis wherein said at least one finger of the second reel bat extends substantially radially outwardly from and relative to the reel axis;
- and
- wherein when the header is stationary and configured for transportation above the surface and said reel bat positioner is in the transport configuration, the reel bat positioner causes the first reel bat to have the first reel bat transport angular orientation and causes the second reel bat to have a second reel bat transport orientation about the bat axis which differs from the second reel bat operating angular orientation, wherein when said second reel bat is in said second reel bat transport angular orientation, said at least one finger of said second reel bat is operable to extend upwardly relative to the surface such that said at least one finger is operable to be substantially protected from damage during transport of the header, said first reel bat transport angular orientation and said second reel bat transport angular orientation being substantially similar angles.
12 more elements
A method of transporting a harvesting header, said harvesting header operable for harvesting crop material as the header is driven, the header comprising:
- a frame;
- a reel rotatably inter-connected to the frame and being rotatable about a longitudinally extending reel axis, said reel including:
- a plurality of reel bats, each of the reel bats being spaced apart from the reel axis and pivotal about a respective bat axis, wherein each of the reel bats includes at least one finger extending generally away from said respective bat axis;
- and
- a reel bat positioner operable to vary an angular orientation of each of the reel bats about the bat axis dependent upon an angular position of the reel bat about the reel axis, said reel bat positioner being configurable between an operating configuration and a transport configuration;
- said header operable such that when the header is driven and the reel bat positioner is in the operating configuration, the reel bat positioner causes a first reel bat of the plurality of reel bats, having an angular position about the reel axis such that said first reel bat is disposed forward of the reel axis, to have an operating angular orientation about the bat axis wherein said at least one finger of said first reel bat extends substantially radially outwardly from and relative to the reel axis;
- and
- said header further operable such that when the header is stationary and configured for transportation above a surface and said reel bat positioner is in the transport configuration, the reel bat positioner causes the first reel bat having the angular position about the reel axis to have a transport angular orientation about the bat axis which differs from the operating angular orientation;
- wherein said method comprises:
- (a) causing the reel bat positioner to change a configuration of the header from the operating position to the transport configuration;
- (b) transporting the header with the header in the transport configuration,
- wherein said header comprises a positioner lock operable to lock the reel bat positioner in the positioner operating orientation when the reel bat positioner is in the positioner operating orientation and operable to lock the reel bat positioner in the positioner transport orientation when the reel bat positioner is in the positioner transport orientation, and wherein said method further comprises:
- locking the reel bat positioner in the positioner operating orientation when the reel bat positioner is in the positioner operating orientation;
- locking the reel bat positioner in the positioner transport orientation when the reel bat positioner is in the positioner transport orientation.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.