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US 9,807,935 B2Granted
Harvesting cam reel with convertible transport mode
AssigneeHoney Bee Manufacturing Ltd.
InventorsGregory Honey, Glenn Honey
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cam reel for use on a harvesting header that can be configured in both operating and transport positions is provided. The reel comprises a plurality of finger-bearing reel bats disposed evenly around the reel shaft, each rotatably attached through the distal ends of radial arms extending outwardly from the reel shaft. A cam disc is attached to the frame and engages each reel bat by a cam follower, to provide rotational movement of the reel bats relative to the radial arms, during rotation of the shaft in the operating position. The cam has at least one operating position, and a transport position in which the engaged reel bats will be pivoted into transport mode that substantially reduces the risk of damage to the fingers.
Claims17
A harvesting header for harvesting crop material as the header is driven, the header comprising:
- an aggregator operable to receive and aggregate the crop material;
- and
- a reel rotatably connected to the aggregator such that said reel is operable to be disposed forward of said aggregator when the header is driven and the crop material is harvested, said reel being rotatable with respect to the aggregator about a reel axis, said reel including:
- a plurality of reel bats, each of the reel bats being spaced apart from the reel axis and pivotal about a respective bat axis, wherein each of the reel bats includes at least one finger extending generally away from said respective bat axis;
- and
- a reel bat positioner operable to vary an angular orientation of each of the reel bats about the bat axis dependent upon an angular position of the reel bat about the reel axis, said reel bat positioner being configurable between an operating configuration and a transport configuration;
- said header operable such that when the header is driven and the reel bat positioner is in the operating configuration, the reel bat positioner causes a first reel bat of the plurality of reel bats, having an angular position about the reel axis such that said first reel bat is disposed forward of the reel axis, to have an operating angular orientation about the bat axis wherein said at least one finger of said first reel bat extends substantially radially outwardly from and relative to the reel axis;
- and
- said header further operable such that when the header is stationary and configured for transportation above a surface and said reel bat positioner is in the transport configuration, the reel bat positioner causes the first reel bat having the angular position about the reel axis to have a transport angular orientation about the bat axis which differs from the operating angular orientation, wherein when said first reel bat is in said transport angular orientation, said at least one finger of said first reel bat is operable to extend upwardly relative to the surface such that said at least one finger is operable to be substantially protected from damage during transport of the header.
6 more elements
A harvesting header for harvesting crop material as the header is driven, the header comprising:
- an aggregator operable to receive and aggregate the crop material;
- and
- a reel rotatably connected to the aggregator such that said reel is operable to be disposed forward of said aggregator when the header is driven and the crop material is harvested, said reel being rotatable with respect to the aggregator about a reel axis, said reel including:
- a plurality of reel bats, each of the reel bats being spaced apart from the reel axis and pivotal about a respective bat axis, wherein each of the reel bats includes at least one finger extending generally away from said respective bat axis;
- and
- a reel bat positioner operable to vary an angular orientation of each of the reel bats about the bat axis dependent upon an angular position of the reel bat about the reel axis, said reel bat positioner being configurable between an operating configuration and a transport configuration;
- said header operable such that when the header is driven and the reel bat positioner is in the operating configuration, the reel bat positioner causes a first reel bat of the plurality of reel bats, having an angular position about the reel axis such that said first reel bat is disposed forward of the reel axis, to have an operating angular orientation about the bat axis wherein said at least one finger of said first reel bat extends substantially radially outwardly from and relative to the reel axis;
- and
- said header further operable such that when the header is stationary and configured for transportation across a surface and said reel bat positioner is in the transport configuration, the reel bat positioner causes the first reel bat having the angular position about the reel axis to have a transport angular orientation about the bat axis which differs from the operating angular orientation, wherein when said first reel bat is in said transport angular orientation, said at least one finger of said first reel bat is operable to extend further from the surface when compared to said at least one finger of said first reel bat when said first reel is in the operating angular orientation such that said at least one finger is operable to be substantially protected from damage during transport of the header.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.