US 4,223,846 AGranted

Forage harvester

AssigneeSperry Corporation

InventorsEdward H. Priepke, Robert A. Wagstaff

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Abstract

A self-propelled forage harvester having a longitudinally extending mobile frame supported by forward and rearward pairs of transversely spaced wheels. A cutterhead unit is mounted on the forward portion of the frame and includes a housing having a rear crop outlet. Within the housing a shear bar is mounted adjacent the path of the knives of a transverse cylindrical cutterhead rotatably mounted in cooperative relationship with the shear bar for cutting crop material fed thereto. Mounted on the frame rearwardly of the cutterhead unit is a blower unit with a housing having a crop inlet aligned with the crop outlet of the cutterhead unit. The blower includes blades rotating within the housing in a generally circular path about an axis inclined forwardly and upwardly to permit the lower limit of the circular path of the blades to be disposed forward of the upper limits of the path.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A self-propelled forage harvester comprising in combination:

(a) a longitudinally extending mobile frame having a forward end portion supported by a pair of transversely spaced wheels,
(b) a cutterhead unit mounted on the forward portion of said frame and including a housing having a rear crop outlet opening, a shear bar mounted within said housing, a transverse generally cylindrical cutterhead, means rotatably mounting said cutterhead adjacent said shear bar in cooperative relationship for cutting crop material, and feed means for feeding crop material to said cutterhead,
(c) a blower unit mounted on said frame rearwardly of said cutterhead unit and including a blower unit housing having a crop inlet opening adjacent said rear crop outlet of said cutterhead unit, a fan having blades rotatably mounted within said blower unit housing for rotation in a generally circular path, having upper and lower limits, about an axis for blowing cut crop material upwardwardly and rearwardly away from said forage harvester, said axis being inclined forwardly and upwardly whereby the lower limit of said path is forward of the upper limit, and
(d) a power unit mounted on said frame comprising an engine with output means for driving said cutterhead unit and said blower unit whereby crop material cut by said cutterhead is conveyed to said blower unit via said inlet opening and thence upwardly and rearwardly via said blower unit;
(e) an operator control unit including a platform mounted on the forward end of said frame over said transversely spaced wheels,
(f) said cutterhead unit mounted between said transversely spaced wheels,
(g) said blower unit including a spout extending upwardly and rearwardly from said blower housing, said spout operatively associated with said fan to receive cut material conveyed by said blades, and
(h) said blower unit mounted below said operator control unit.

5 more elements

In a self-propelled forage harvester having:

(a) a longitudinally extending mobile frame having a forward portion supported in its forward end by a pair of transversely spaced wheels,
(b) a cutterhead unit mounted on the forward portion of said frame and including a cutterhead housing having a rear crop outlet opening, a transverse forwardly mounted shear bar within said cutter head housing, a transverse generally cylindrical cutterhead, means rotatably mounting said cutterhead adjacent and in cooperative relation with said shear bar for cutting crop material, and a feeder mechanism for feeding crop material to said cutterhead,
(c) a blower unit mounted on said frame rearwardly of said cutterhead unit and including a blower unit housing, a crop inlet opening in said blower unit housing adjacent said rear crop outlet of said cutterhead unit to receive crop material from said cutterhead unit, and a fan rotatably mounted within said blower unit housing for rotation about an axis for blowing crop material upwardly and rearwardly away from said forage harvester,
(d) a power unit mounted on said frame comprising an engine without output means for driving said cutterhead unit and said blower unit whereby material cut by said cutterhead unit is conveyed to said blower unit via said inlet opening and thence upwardly and rearwardly via said blower unit, the improvement comprising,
(e) said blower unit being mounted with said axis inclined upwardly and forwardly,
(f) said fan comprising two or more blades having paths of rotation extending below said cylindrical cutterhead unit to minimize the distance between said forwardly mounted shear bar and said fan,
(g) said blower unit including a spout extending upwardly and rearwardly from said blower unit housing, and
(h) said spout operatively associated with said fan to receive crop material conveyed by said blades.

5 more elements

In a forage harvester having:

(a) a mobile frame having a forward end portion supported by a pair of transversely spaced wheels,
(b) a cutterhead unit mounted adjacent the forward end portion of the frame and including a cutterhead unit housing having a rear crop outlet opening, a transverse forwardly mounted shear bar within said housing, a transverse generally cylindrical cutterhead, means rotatably mounting said cutterhead adjacent and in cooperative relationship with said shear bar for cutting crop material, and a feeder mechanism for feeding crop material to said cutter head,
(c) a blower unit mounted on the frame rearwardly of the cutterhead unit and including a blower unit housing, a crop inlet opening in said blower unit housing adjacent said rear crop outlet of said cutterhead unit to receive crop material from said cutterhead unit, and a fan rotatably mounted within said housing for blowing crop material upwardly and rearwardly away from the forage harvester,
(d) power transmission means on said frame comprising means for driving said cutterhead unit and said blower unit whereby material cut by said cutterhead is conveyed to said blower unit via said inlet opening and thence upwardly and rearwardly via said blower unit, the improvement comprising,
(e) said blower fan being mounted with its axis inclined upwardly and forwardly,
(f) said fan comprising two or more blades, having paths of rotation extending below said cylindrical cutterhead to minimize the distance between said forwardly mounted shear bar and said fan,
(g) said blower unit including a spout extending upwardly and rearwardly from said blower unit housing, and
(h) said spout operatively associated with said fan to receive crop material conveyed by said blades.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.