Title - ELECTRICALLY DRIVE AND CONTROLLED TRANSMISSION BOX FOR CORN HEADERS

Abstract

It is a transmission designed for use in harvesting machines of the type that have integrated headers to guide and channel the harvested plant, and then remove the crop from its unusable residue. It comprises an electric motor (9) that drives a set of central shafts and gears (15) and (16), through which rotation is distributed to the shafts (11) of the lifting chains for each row, as well as to the shafts (12) that drive the rollers for the same row. The same central shaft and gears (15) and (16) are used to drive the shaft (13) of a cutting blade. The output shaft of the electric motor (9) rotates counterclockwise, as indicated by arrow (F1), with respect to a horizontal axis, in which case the drive shafts (11) for the lifting chains rotate in opposite directions (F2) and (F3).The same motor output shaft (9) is coupled to and transmits rotation to a central gear (15), mounted on a central shaft (17), as well as gears (20) and (21) mounted on the same shaft. The central gears (15) and (16) are associated with respective gears (18) and (19) to produce the rotation of the roller shafts (12) in opposite directions.

Description

Title of the Invention ELECTRICALLY DRIVEN AND CONTROLLED CORN HEAD GEAR BOX Scope of the Invention The present invention, for which a patent is requested, has as its main objective a TRANSMISSION BOX FOR CORN HEADS ELECTRICALLY DRIVEN AND CONTROLLED, especially designed to be applied in harvesting machines of the type that have built-in heads to guide and channel the plant being harvested, to then remove the crop from its useless remains. More specifically, the present invention relates to a novel electrically driven transmission box, mounted in correspondence with each row of the head itself, replacing the conventional control resources used to date, which are mechanically driven. As is known, the transmission boxes for corn headers that are currently known, one is used per furrow, and are distinguished because they receive control through a power transmission shaft, at a pre-established speed and power, their function being to multiply and / or reduce to activate all the other assemblies that make up the header, such as gears, chains, and tips; which are basically in charge of 2214993 of 12 to channel the plant, harvest it, separate the useful parts and dispose them for subsequent phases carried out by the harvesting machine. In this regard, it is noteworthy that the transmission box referred to in this invention presents a cutting-edge option that takes into account the technological advances being made in the agricultural machinery industry worldwide. Mechanical assemblies are evolving to work electrically, from simple drive tools to integrated agricultural machines that operate remotely and autonomously. This operating principle leads us to require transmissions with these characteristics to also operate electrically, so they can be synchronized and connected to the machine's other components and systems, as well as achieve efficiency close to 99%. One of the main advantages is that it offers a direct relationship with the individual progress of the combine, i.e., row by row. This allows the transmission's working speed to be automatically synchronized with the corresponding speeds for that progress as the forward speed increases, a virtue that the mechanical version cannot achieve in this way. It is also worth noting that when working on plateaus and / or when making curves while harvesting, this invention allows individual operation and autonomous adjustment of each box to increase speeds. 2214993 of 12 This is an invention that defines a new combination of means designed to achieve a superior result, which is unpredictable and surprising even to an expert in the field. Consequently, in addition to being novel, its constructive and functional design demonstrates a clear inventive step, thus meeting the conditions required by law to be considered a patent. Prior Art As is well known, these gearboxes are currently mechanically driven, which means they are composed of a large number of components that, when working together mechanically, result in a poor machine's final efficiency. This is because there are losses due to heat generation due to friction and grinding, and this occurs in all the rows, which, according to the market, average 20 rows per machine. Furthermore, since they do not contain electronic components and have very little internal space, it is not feasible to incorporate them into the monitoring and control systems already present in the harvester itself. Optimal harvesting speed (the ratio of linear forward speed to box rpm) is a key factor in reducing loss. The speed limit is determined by the condition of the crop, among other factors. Therefore, with the current system (mechanical control), it is not possible to dynamically adjust the optimal harvesting speed to meet the varying conditions of the crop in different areas. 2214993 of 12 Similarly, but to a lesser extent, as mentioned above, in high-width headers, when turning at the headlands of fields, the boxes continue to work at the same rpm, which produces variations in the quality of the plant's harvest in the different working rows. The gearbox rpm is linked to the linear feed rate of the machine. Therefore, for different feed rates, the gear wheel settings must be manually changed to synchronize both speeds. This has three problems: first, the speed ratios are limited; second, they require the user to use a large number of combinations; and third, this task must be performed manually. Brief Description of the Invention - Advantages One of the main objectives of this invention is to be a cutting-edge option in the face of technological advances being made by the global agricultural industry in machinery, mechanical assemblies, and other applications, which are evolving from simple drives to integrated agricultural machines that operate remotely and autonomously. This electrification requires transmissions with these characteristics to also operate electrically, enabling them to be synchronized and connected to the machine's other components and systems. This also requires achieving efficiency close to 99%. 2214993 of 12 One of the main advantages of using an electrically driven gearbox is that it offers a direct relationship with the advance of the combine harvester individually, i.e. furrow by furrow, which allows the working speed of the transmissions to be automatically synchronized with the corresponding speeds for such advance as the forward speed increases, a virtue that the mechanical version cannot achieve in such a way. It's also worth noting that when working on plateaus and / or when making curves while harvesting, this invention allows for individual operation and autonomous adjustment of the speeds in each box to meet the harvesting speed requirements. As is known, in these cases, the speed at one end of the header will be higher than at the middle, where there will be a lower speed, and at the opposite end, an even lower speed, due to the radii described in the working path. It can be said that self-generation of energy, reduction of emissions, as well as the consumption of energy sources is and will be increasingly requested, as well as robotization in this type of machinery, which will require an electric drive box such as the one described in the present invention. Furthermore, this invention contemplates the use of a torque limiter (which may be arranged both internally and externally), which is a safety element of the device since in the event of excessive peaks of torque / tension that 2214993 of 12 can force the box due to variations in the terrain being worked on or blockages of some kind that frequently occur. This release acts by decoupling the power transmission link to the box, or by limiting the intensity of the electric current and / or voltage, which could eliminate the need for conventional limiters. In this sense, it is highlighted that the difference with respect to the mechanical release in all boxes is beneficial, since it eliminates a part that is composed of multiple mechanical components that can cause failures, also ensuring that they all work in the same way, reducing costs, etc. It is also noteworthy that, with the electrically driven gearbox of this invention, it can be controlled, communicated with, and operated from the same monitor, interface, and electronics that today's machines already have. This allows everything to work with greater control, harmony, and coordination between the parts, while also achieving complete control over the system for its control and improved operational performance. Another advantage of the invention is the noise reduction throughout the entire head, which improves the operator's perception and comfort. The transmission box referred to in the present invention is distinguished because it includes an electric motor that controls a set of central shafts and gears through which they distribute the rotation towards the axes of the lifting chains of each furrow, as well as to the axes that control the rollers of the same furrow. 2214993 of 12 The same shaft and central gears can be used as a drive for controlling a cutting blade. It should be noted that both the internal arrangement and configuration of all the aforementioned gears and the mounting position of the electric drive motor may vary depending on the housing design, but the operating principle and internal relationship remain the same. Inventive Activity No transmission box for corn headers currently known proposes, or even suggests, the constructive solution that arises from what is indicated in the preceding paragraphs, which is why this is a proposal that, in addition to being novel, possesses a clear inventive step. Synthetic Description of the Figures In order to specify the advantages thus briefly commented, to which users and experts in the specialty may add many more, and to facilitate the understanding of the constructive, constitutive and functional characteristics of the invented transmission box, a preferred embodiment example is described below, which is illustrated schematically and without a specific scale, in the attached sheets, with the express clarification that, precisely because it is an example, it is not appropriate to assign to it a limiting or exclusive character of the scope of protection of the present invention, but simply has a merely explanatory and illustrative intention of the basic conception on which it is based. 2214993 of 12 Figure 1 is a schematic perspective showing the mechanical control currently used by transmission boxes in corn headers in general. Figure 2 is an exterior perspective view showing a corn header furrow including the transmission box of this invention. Figure 3 is also a perspective view of the same transmission box as in the previous figure, without the casing that closes it. Figure 4 is also a perspective showing the combination of gears that make up the box of this invention. Figure 5 is an exploded perspective of the same gear combination as in figure three. Figure 6 is an exploded perspective similar to the previous figure, observed from another side. It is clarified that, in all figures, the same reference numbers and letters correspond to the same or equivalent parts or constituent elements of the assembly, according to the example chosen for the present explanation of the invented transmission box. Detailed Description of a Preferred Example 2214993 of 12 Previous Art: Figure 1 is a graphic representation of what the current control for operating a corn header looks like. It can be seen that it is arranged on a chassis (1) which has a platform that connects it to the harvester. On said chassis (1) are mounted the transmission boxes (3) that control the harvesting system. The number of boxes (3) or furrows depend on the configuration of the header and determine the working width, together with the distance between furrows. The mechanical drive of the boxes (3) is carried out through a kinematic control system composed of the control bar (4) coupled to the power take-off of the harvester (2) on one side, and the sprockets (5) and (6), the lateral control chain (7), and the control bar to the boxes (8). Invented Transmission Box If we now observe figures 2, 3 and 4, it is possible to appreciate that the transmission box for corn heads of the present invention is distinguished because it is driven by an electric motor (9) that projects out of the box, by one of its lateral sides, which gives control to the entire set of central shaft and gears that distribute the rotation towards the shafts (11) of the lifting chains, the shafts that control the rollers (12), and may or may not have the cutting blade control shaft (13). 2214993 of 12 Both the internal distribution and configuration of all the gears and the mounting position of the electric motor (9) may vary depending on the design of the box, but the construction and operating principle would be the same. If we now look at figure 5, we can see that, in this embodiment, the invented transmission box has the electric motor shaft (9) arranged to rotate counterclockwise, as indicated by the arrow (Fi) with respect to a horizontal axis, in which case the aforementioned control shafts (11) for the lifting chains rotate as indicated by the arrows (F2) and (F3) with respect to their respective vertical axes. Likewise, the central axis (17) (indicated in figure 6) produces a counterclockwise rotation (F4), while the rollers (12) will have respective rotations (F5) and (Fg). Likewise, observing figures 3 to 6 it can be seen that the gear (14) mounted on the output shaft of the engine (9), couples and transmits the rotation to the gear (15), which produces the aforementioned counterclockwise rotation (F4) of the shaft (17), as well as the gears (20) and (21) mounted on it. In this way it is achieved that the control shafts (11) rotate in opposite directions to each other to generate the subsequent transfer of the plant from its place of origin, and channel it in the direction of the harvester once started. Likewise, by means of the link between the gears (15) and (16) which respectively mesh with the gears (18) and (19) they produce the rotation of the axes of the rollers (12) in the opposite direction to each other, which is also a 2214993 of 12 necessary condition since these work together to channel, direct the crop, and remove the excess from the lower area of ​​the machine chassis, which will be cut by the blades that are anchored to the shaft of the aforementioned cutting blade (13). Precisely, figure 6 shows that the gear (15) is linked to the gear (24) that drives the cutting blade command shaft (13). 2214993 of 12 LISANDRO COLL ARECO - 20234663691 Digitally signed by PORTALTRAMITES - INPI Date: 2023.03.23 11:07:00 -03:00 Reason: Digitally signed by the INPI Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina 2214993

Claims

1. A transmission box for electronically driven and controlled corn headers for harvesting machines of the type having incorporated headers to guide and channel the plant being harvested for subsequent cultivation of its unusable residue, characterized in that: it comprises an electric motor (9) mounted externally on one of the walls of the box; inside the box, and by means of a gear (14) mounted on an output shaft of the electric motor (9), in a position substantially perpendicular to a central axis (17), said electric motor (9) provides motion to an assembly consisting of said central axis (17) and central gears (15) and (16) fixed to said central axis (17); said assembly transmits the motion to drive shafts (11) of lifting chains and roller shafts (12). Six claims follow.