Beater rod assembly and method for a mobile harvesting machine
AssigneeKorvan Industries, Inc.
InventorDonald L. Korthuis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A beater rod assembly for a crop harvesting machine where the beater rods rotate into and out of a crop row as the harvesting machine moves along the crop row. Each beater rod comprises an elongate fiberglass core surrounded by polyethylene sheath that exerts compressive forces radially inwardly around the fiberglass core. This arrangement alleviates damage to the fiberglass core that would otherwise occur by the tip end of the rod engaging posts or possibly engaging the tip end of another rod.
Claims18
A beater rod assembly for a harvesting machine, said assembly comprising:
- a. a central shaft means adapted to be positioned adjacent to a crop row;
- b. a plurality of beater rods mounted to the shaft means to extend radially outwardly from the shaft means and extend into the crop row as a harvesting machine travels along the crop row, with the shaft means rotating so that the beater rods travel in a circular path into and out of the crop row;
- c. each of said beater rods comprising;
- i) an elongate fiberglass core having a lengthwise axis, said core comprising a plurality of fibers extending along the lengthwise axis and bonded to one another;
- ii) a sheath surrounding and closely engaging the core in a manner to constrain outward movement of fibers of said fiberglass core, whereby said beater rods are able to come into engagement with objects in or adjacent to the crop row which would impose forces to tend to damage the beater rods, with said beater rods being able to better withstand the forces caused by said engagement to minimize such damage.
A beater rod adapted to be mounted in a beater rod assembly for a harvesting machine, where said beater rod assembly comprises:
- a. a central shaft means adapted to be positioned adjacent to a crop row;
- b. a plurality of beater rods mounted to the shaft means to extend radially outwardly from the shaft means and extend into the crop row as a harvesting machine travels along the crop row, with the shaft means rotating so that the beater rods travel in a circular path into and out of the crop row;
- said beater rod comprising:
- i) an elongate fiberglass core having a lengthwise axis, said core comprising a plurality of fibers extending along the lengthwise axis and bonded to one another;
- ii) a sheath surrounding and closely engaging the core in a manner to constrain outward movement of fibers of said fiberglass core,
- whereby the beater rod is able to come into engagement with objects in or adjacent to the crop row which would impose forces to tend to damage the beater rod, with said beater rod being able to better withstand the forces caused by said engagement to minimize such damage.
A method of harvesting in a crop row, said method comprising:
- a. providing a harvesting machine having a beater rod assembly comprising:
- i) a central shaft means;
- ii) a plurality of beater rods mounted to the shaft means to extend radially outwardly from the shaft means
- iii) each of said beater rods comprising:
- 1. an elongate fiberglass core having a lengthwise axis, said core comprising a plurality of fibers extending along the lengthwise axis and bonded to one another;
- 2. a sheath surrounding and closely engaging the core in a manner to constrain outward movement of fibers of said fiberglass core,
- b. positioning said beater rod assembly adjacent to said crop row so that the beater rods extend radially outwardly from the shaft means extend into the crop row;
- c. moving said harvesting machine along the crop row with the shaft means rotating so that the beater rods travel in a circular path into and out of the crop row,
- whereby said beater rods are able to come into engagement with objects in or adjacent to the crop row which would impose forces to tend to damage the beater rods, with said beater rods being able to better withstand the forces caused by said engagement to minimize such damage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.