US 4,106,270 AGranted

Four row forage harvester

AssigneeHesston Corporation

InventorsRex Olen Weigand, Kenneth Ray McMillen, Ronald Dean Fulk, Daniel Ray Prichard, Jack Merriel Kountz

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Abstract

The gathering units of the harvesting header diverge downwardly and forwardly from a common discharge zone at the upper rear end of the header, the two middle units being disposed in a plane below that of the two outer units and having their upper crop discharge outlets spaced forwardly from the corresponding discharge outlets of the outer units. The conveying elements of the outer units at least partially overlap conveying elements of the two inner gathering units adjacent the discharge outlets of the latter. Each gathering unit has its own individual standing crop cutter assembly, the assemblies of the two inner units being set back with respect to those of the outer units but being substantially the same height for uniform stubble height. Each assembly has a rotary cutter in combination with a stationary shear plate, both of which are mounted on the same side of the crop conveying passage of the unit.

Claims17

Dependent claims

In a forage harvesting header having a lower front end and an upper rear end with respect to the normal direction of travel of the header:

structure defining a crop discharge zone at said upper rear end of the header;
a pair of elongated, outer, crop-gathering units diverging downwardly and forwardly from said structure for conveying stalks of severed crop material upwardly and rearwardly to said zone from the front end of the header;
at least one middle crop-gathering unit between said outer units and extending downwardly and forwardly from said structure,
said units each having generally fore-and-aft extending, laterally separated, cooperating conveying elements at one level and defining a crop-conveying passage therebetween that follows the longitudinal axis of its unit,
each passage having a standing crop inlet adjacent said front end of the header and a severed crop outlet adjacent said rear end of the header;
crop cutter means located adjacent said inlets of the passages for severing standing crops entering the same during advancement of the header,
said passage of the middle unit having its outlet to said zone spaced forwardly from the outlets of the passages of said outer units, and said elements of the outer units being disposed above and at least partially overlapping elements of said middle unit adjacent said outlet of the middle unit;
and
means associated with said units for leaning back the severed stalks of all units as they approach said zone and for leaning inwardly toward one another the severed stalks of said outer units as they approach said zone whereby to assist in the clog-free conveyance of the severed stalks in a butt-first attitude through said zone.

6 more elements

In a forage harvesting header having a lower front end and an upper rear end with respect to the normal direction of travel of the header:

structure defining a crop discharge zone at said upper rear end of the header;
a pair of elongated, outer, crop-gathering units diverging downwardly and forwardly from said structure for conveying severed crop material upwardly and rearwardly to said zone from the front end of the header;
a pair of middle crop-gathering units between said outer units and extending downwardly and forwardly from said structure,
said units each having a single level of generally fore-and-aft extending, laterally separated, cooperating conveying elements defining a crop-conveying passage therebetween that follows the longitudinal axis of its unit,
each passage having a standing crop inlet adjacent said front end of the header and a severed crop outlet adjacent said rear end of the header;
and
crop cutter means located adjacent said inlets of the passages for severing standing crops entering the same during advancement of the header,
said passage of the middle unit having its outlet to said zone spaced forwardly from the outlets of the passages of said outer units, and said elements of the outer units being disposed above and at least partially overlapping elements of said middle unit adjacent said outlet of the middle unit,
the angle of divergence of said middle units being less than the angle of divergence of said outer units.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.