Harvesting apparatus
OwnerMichael MUNROinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention concerns a cutting and/or carrying unit for a harvester, the cutting and/or carrying unit having: a series of cutting and/or carrying segments, each segment in the series being adapted to cause cutting of a crop and/or carrying of the crop; a cutting and/or carrying unit circuit around which the series of segments travel; and a driving mechanism to drive movement of the series of segments around the circuit; wherein the driving mechanism drives movement of the series of cutting and/or carrying segments around the circuit to cut the crop and/or to carry harvested crop, as the series of segments travels around the circuit. The invention also concerns harvesters incorporating said cutting and/or carrying units.
Claims22
A cutting unit for a harvester, the cutting unit having:
- a series of cutting and carrying segments, each segment in the series being adapted to cause cutting of a crop and carrying of the crop;
- a cutting unit circuit around which the series of segments travel;
- and
- a driving mechanism to drive movement of the series of segments around the cutting unit circuit;
- wherein the driving mechanism drives movement of the series of cutting and carrying segments around the cutting unit circuit to cut the crop, and to carry harvested crop, as the series of segments travels around the cutting unit circuit.
(canceled)
7-9. (canceled)
(canceled)
(canceled)
A cutting unit for a harvester, the cutting unit comprising:
- a series of cutting and carrying segments, each segment in the series being adapted to cause cutting of a crop and carrying of the crop;
- a cutting unit circuit around which the series of segments travel;
- and
- a driving mechanism to drive movement of the series of segments around the cutting unit circuit;
- wherein the driving mechanism drives movement of the series of cutting and carrying segments around the cutting unit circuit to cut the crop, and to carry harvested crop, as the series of segments travels around the cutting unit circuit;
- wherein the cutting unit includes a cutting unit roller, the series of segments being connected thereto
- wherein the driving mechanism includes a belt that travels around at least a part of the cutting unit circuit, and the belt, or part of the belt, forms a harvester conveyor;
- and
- wherein a first side of the belt faces the crop during cutting, co-operates with the segments to carry and/or lift the harvested crop, and then receives and conveys the crop as it is released from the segments, and a second side of the belt faces the roller when the belt is travelling around the cutting unit circuit.
17-18. (canceled)
20-21. (canceled)
(canceled)
A harvester for harvesting a brassica row crop, the harvester including:
- a cutting unit having:
- a series of cutting and carrying segments, each cutting segment in the series being adapted to cause cutting of the crop and carrying of the crop;
- a cutting unit circuit around which the series of segments travel;
- and
- a driving mechanism to drive movement of the series of segments continuously in one direction around the cutting unit circuit;
- and
- a conveyor for conveying the harvested crop away from the cutting unit
- wherein
- the driving mechanism drives movement of the series of cutting and carrying segments around the cutting unit circuit to cut and carry the crop, and to release harvested crop to the conveyor, as the series of segments travel around the cutting unit circuit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.