US 9,775,295 B2Granted

Drive system for the reel of a crop harvesting header

AssigneeMacDon Industries Ltd.

InventorRheal Remillard

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A crop harvesting header includes a cutter bar arranged across a forward edge of a header frame structure, a draper or auger transport arrangement for transporting the cut crop for further processing, and a reel with a reel drive mechanism for driving rotation of the reel including a variable speed drive motor and a drive transmission having two different drive ratios for high and low speed reel operation. The transmission is mounted in a housing with a readily removable cover part allowing access to a chain and sprocket drive system where the chain can be loosened to allow it to be transferred from one set of cooperating sprockets to another. The reel shaft is movable to release the chain tension and adjusted by a cam and ratchet arrangement.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A crop harvesting header comprising:

a header frame structure;
a cutter bar arranged across a forward edge of the header frame structure;
a cut crop transport arrangement mounted on the header frame structure for receiving and transporting the cut crop;
and a reel mounted on the header frame structure;
and a reel drive mechanism driving rotation of a reel input drive shaft of the reel about a reel axis generally parallel to the cutter bar, the reel drive mechanism comprising:
a variable speed drive motor having a drive output shaft and a controller which varies an output speed of the drive motor;
and a drive transmission connected between the drive output shaft of the drive motor and the reel input drive shaft;
the drive transmission including first components which are selected to provide a first drive ratio between the drive output shaft and the reel input drive shaft and second components which are selected to provide a second drive ratio, different from the first drive ratio, between the drive output shaft and the reel input drive shaft.

5 more elements

A crop harvesting header comprising:

a header frame structure;
a cutter bar arranged across a forward edge of the header frame structure;
a cut crop transport arrangement mounted on the header frame structure for receiving and transporting the cut crop;
and a reel mounted on the header frame structure;
and a reel drive mechanism driving rotation of the reel about a reel axis generally parallel to the cutter bar, the reel drive mechanism comprising:
a variable speed drive motor and a controller which varies an output speed of the drive motor;
and a drive transmission connected between the drive motor and the reel;
wherein the drive transmission includes a first input drive sprocket and a first output drive sprocket aligned with the first input drive sprocket and communicating drive to the reel,
wherein the drive transmission includes a second input drive sprocket and a second output drive sprocket aligned with the second input drive sprocket and communicating drive to the reel,
and wherein the drive transmission comprises an elongate timing drive member which is transferred from a first position interconnecting the aligned first sprockets to provide a first drive ratio between the drive motor and the reel and a second position interconnecting the aligned second sprockets to provide a second drive ratio, different from the first drive ratio, between the motor and the reel.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.