US 4,730,447 AGranted

Apparatus for turning a windrow of crop material

AssigneeNew Holland Inc.

InventorsJacob M. Fisher, Ivan L. Stoltzfus

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

An apparatus for laterally displacing and inverting a windrow of crop material is disclosed wherein a pickup engages a windrow of crop material along a first path and elevates the windrow into a table where it is conveyed in a semi-circular path by a horizontal conveyor until it is rolled off a discharge edge of the table into a second path laterally displaced from the first path. The speed relationship between the horizontal conveyor and the forward movement of the apparatus is such that the elevated windrow of crop material is gently rolled off the discharge edge of the platform in such a manner that the windrow is inverted when it engages the ground. A method of laterally displacing and inverting a windrow of crop material is also disclosed wherein the windrow is gently picked up, conveyed and turned upside down without the need for a structural device to engage the windrow and positively invert it. This method of turning a windrow of crop material results in a laterally displaced windrow that has been fluffed to more efficiently facilitate the drying thereof.

Claims10

Dependent claims

An apparatus for inverting and laterally displacing a windrow of crop material from a first path on the ground in which the windrow of crop material is oriented with a dry side on top and a damp side adjacent the ground to a laterally spaced second path in which the windrow of crop material is oriented with the damp side on top and the dry side adjacent the ground, comprising:

a mobile frame adapted for movement over the ground at a forward speed of travel;
a platform mounted on said frame and having a surface over which the windrow of crop material can be conveyed, said platform surface terminating at a discharge edge;
pickup means supported from said frame for engagement with said windrow of crop material in said first path, said pickup means being operable to elevate said windrow from the ground to said platform surface;
conveying means operably engageable with said windrow deposited on said platform surface to convey said windrow along said platform surface to said discharge edge, said windrow being oriented on said platform surface with the dry side on top and the damp side adjacent said platform surface, said conveying means being operable to tumble said windrow of crop material over said discharge edge toward the ground;
adjustment means operably associated with said conveying means for vaying the height thereof relative to the surface of said platform;
and
drive means drivingly connected to said pickup means and said conveying means for operation thereof at a speed to permit said windrow of crop material to be inverted upon contatct with the ground under conditions where said frame is moving at a forward speed of travel to orient said windrow in said second path with the dry side adjacent the ground.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.