Rear weight assembly for mounting on a forage harvester

Abstract

A rear weight assembly (124) for attachment to a frame (12) of a forage harvester (10) comprises: a supporting structure (126), weights (132, 134) detachably attachable to the supporting structure (126), and one or more brackets (128, 130) that can be attached to or are attached to the frame (12) of the forage harvester (10) and that are provided with positive locking features for supporting the supporting structure (126). The positive locking features interact with the underside of the supporting structure (126).

Description

The invention relates to a rear weight assembly for a forage harvester and to a forage harvester equipped therewith.Prior ArtForage harvesters are used for harvesting plants which are picked up or cut off from a field, are fed to a chopper drum and comminuted by it, and are finally overcharged onto a transport vehicle. For this task, a driven ejection accelerator is provided downstream of the chopper drum (or a conditioning device that can be inserted into the crop flow for the corn crop downstream of the chopper drum), which conveys the chopped crop material upward into a transition housing. At the upper end of the transition housing, a lower part of an ejection elbow rotatable about the vertical axis is mounted on a swivel ring, on which lower part the upper part of the ejection elbow is mounted pivotable about a horizontal axis.The forage harvester is built on a supporting frame to which, inter alia, a drive motor, the chopper drum, the conditioning device, the ejection accelerator and the ejection elbow are fastened directly or indirectly, i.e. via supporting intermediate elements. The frame usually comprises two side members spaced apart from one another by cross members connected to one another and extending over the length of the forage harvester. In the rear region of the longitudinal beams, the drive motor is fastened on the top side, while in the front region the chopper drum is mounted.In order to achieve an adequate distribution of the weight to the front and rear axles, balances are attached to the rear end of the frame, which are also referred to as rear weights. A rear weight is usually mounted when a relatively heavy header is mounted on the front, while a lighter or no rear weight is mounted when a lighter pick-up is used which is also supported on the ground by supporting wheels.In the prior art, the rear weights are generally designed as flat plates which are fastened to a holder connected to the frame of the forage harvester. Usually a desired number of weights are loosely placed one above the other, positioned under the support with a suitable equipment, e.g. forklift truck, lifted and fixed there by vertical bolts extending through holes in the balances and the support. For this purpose, reference is made, for example, to the drawing BGZ 11310 in the substitute catalog of the Fa. Claas for the Jaguar forage harvester 900 to 830. This procedure is relatively cumbersome and troublesome, especially as the weights must first be aligned with each other before the bolt can be inserted.Another arrangement available in the prior art and considered generic for fastening a rear weight (operating instructions Crown Big X 780, printing mark 150000767_02_de page 245) comprises two receiving channels of rectangular cross section which extend in the direction of travel and are detachably fastened next to one another to the underside of the frame of the forage harvester and on the underside of which a slot is provided in the middle. Into these receiving channels are inserted suitable holders which are fastened to the upper side of the rear weight and which are connected to the actual rear weight by tilting bolts. A distance is left between the upper side of the rear weight and the holders produced by spacers so that the holders can be inserted into the receiving channels. The spacers are then received within the slot. The actual rear weight is composed of a number of weight plates arranged one above the other, to the top side of which the holders are fastened by the vertical screw bolts. The bolts also fix the weight plates to each other. This arrangement allows mounting and dismantling of the whole rear weight in the mounted state. However, in addition to the receiving channels attached to the frame of the forage harvester, the holders are also required, which makes the entire arrangement quite complex. In addition, access to the underside of the rear weight is required to attach the screw bolts for the holders, so that the weight plates have to be raised for this purpose. This in turn makes it more difficult to attach and remove further weight plates.The object is to provide a method for performing a processThe present invention aims to reduce or avoid these disadvantages.SolutionThis object is achieved according to the invention by the teaching of patent claims 1 and 10, features which develop the solution in an advantageous manner being listed in the further patent claims.A rear weight assembly for attachment to a frame of a forage harvester comprises a supporting structure, weights releasably attachable to the supporting structure, and one or more brackets attachable or attached to the frame of the forage harvester and provided with positive engagement features for supporting the supporting structure. The positive features cooperate with the underside of the supporting structure.In other words, the supporting structure, to which the weights are also fastened, is supported by form-fitting features of the holder(s). These positive features cooperate with the underside of the supporting structure. In this way, the separate holders of the prior art are not required, since the underside of the supporting structure takes over its tasks and parts are saved and the assembly of the supporting structure and the weights is also simplified, since the holders are not yet to be fastened to it and the configuration of the rear weight can take place when it is standing on the floor, since then weights can be attached or removed.Exemplary EmbodimentAn exemplary embodiment of the invention is explained with reference to the figures. The following are shown: FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a field chopper, FIG. 2 is a side view of the frame of the forage harvester of FIG. 1 with components attached thereto, FIG. 3 is a perspective rear view of the frame with a rear weight assembly mounted thereon, FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but in exploded view, FIG. 5 is a bottom view of FIG. 4.A self-propelled forage harvester 10 shown in Figure 1 is mounted on a frame 12 which is supported on the ground by driven front ground engaging means 14 in the form of wheels and rear ground engaging means 16 in the form of steerable wheels. The operation of the forage harvester 10 takes place from a driver's cab 18, from which a harvesting attachment 20 suitable for harvesting stalk-like plants can be seen. Crop, for example corn, cereals or the like, picked up from the ground by means of the harvesting header 20, which in the embodiment shown is a row-independently operating corn bit, is fed by upper pre-press rollers 30 and lower pre-press rollers 32 arranged in a feed housing 36 to a chopper drum 22, which chops it into small pieces and delivers it to an ejection accelerator 24. The crop leaves the forage harvester 10 to a trailer traveling next to it via an ejection elbow 26 whose position can be adjusted.Between the chopper drum 22 and the conveying device 24 there extends a conditioning device 28 with two cooperating rollers 38, 40 through which the material to be conveyed is fed tangentially to the ejection accelerator 24. In the following, unless otherwise mentioned, directional references such as front, rear, left and right refer to the forward direction V of the forage harvester 10, which extends from right to left in FIG. 1.Between the crop header 20 and the chopper drum 22, the crop is transported by an infeed conveyor having lower infeed rollers 32 and upper infeed rollers 30 mounted within the infeed housing 36. The upper pre-pressing rollers 30 are prestressed by spring force against the lower conveying rollers 32 so that the crop material is pre-compressed between the conveying rollers 30, 32 and can be cut better. The chopper blades distributed around the circumference of the chopper drum 22 cooperate with a counter-blade to chop the crop.FIG. 2 shows the frame 12 with the panels removed. The frame 12 comprises two longitudinal beams 42, of which only one can be seen in FIG. 2. The other longitudinal member 42 extends laterally offset with respect to the longitudinal member 42 shown and parallel thereto and is connected to the longitudinal member 42 shown by transverse connections (inter alia 100 to 104, not shown in FIG. 2, cf. however FIGS. 3 to 5 ). Fastened to the longitudinal member 42 are, inter alia, a rear member 100 extending transversely between the rear ends 54 of the longitudinal members 42, a drive motor 44 supported in the rear region of the forage harvester 10 at rear transverse connections 102 and 104 for driving the movable components of the forage harvester 10, and in front of this a cooling unit 46 having heat exchangers and a blower for drawing in air which draws in air from a maintenance space 48. The side rail 42 extends from a rear end 54 that is proximate the rear end of the forage harvester 10 to a front end 52.In the rear third of the longitudinal member 42 there are attached to the underside thereof attachment means 58 for attaching the rear ground engaging means 16, which comprise a hydraulic motor 60 for driving the ground engaging means and a transversely extending axle arrangement 64 with flanges 62 on both sides for attaching the rear ground engaging means 16. The axle arrangement 64 comprises, in a manner known per se, an optional drive train between the optional hydraulic motor 60 and the flanges 62, which are rotatable about their axis and which can be rotated about the vertical axis by steering means in order to preset the direction of travel of the forage harvester 10. A possible embodiment of the attachment means 58 is shown in DE 10 2013 222 254 A1, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.Adjacent to the front end of the side member 42 are attachment means 66 for attaching the front ground engaging means 14, which comprise a fastening plate 68 which is positioned on the outside of the side member 42 and is screwed to the side member 42 via a transverse connection designed as a front axle. Mounted on the mounting plate 68 are end drives 72 which in turn are provided with rotatable flanges 70 for mounting the front ground engaging means 14. The flanges 70 are drivingly connected by the final drives 72 to mechanical or hydrostatic or electric drive means which in turn are drivable by the drive motor 44. If the ground engaging means 14, 16 are designed as wheels as shown in FIG. 1, the rims of the wheels are connected to the flanges 62, 70 as shown in FIG. 1. If, on the other hand, the ground engaging means are designed as track-type running gear units, a drive wheel of the track-type running gear unit is connected to the flange 62 or 70.At the front end 52 of the longitudinal member 42 there are also holders 80 for mounting the chopper drum 22, each of which comprises a fastening assembly 82, of which the fastening assembly arranged on the left is mounted on the longitudinal member 42 and extends the longitudinal member 42 forward, and the fastening assembly 82 arranged on the right is offset inward with respect to the longitudinal member 42 there and is connected to the transverse connection realized as a front axle. The mounting assemblies 82 extend forwardly beyond the forward end 52 of the side rail 42 and include a fork at the forward end for receiving bearings of the chopper drum 22. The feed housing 36 is also rotatable about the axis of rotation of the chopper drum 22 in a manner known per se and is adjustably supported by a hydraulic cylinder not shown in the figures.The conditioning device 28 is designed as an assembly that can be removed from the crop duct as a whole, as is described, for example, in DE 10 2010 002 509 A1, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. The rollers 38, 40 are driven via a belt which is driven by a belt pulley coupled to the shaft of the ejection accelerator 24 and rotates around belt pulleys coupled to the rollers 38, 40 and a freely entrained belt pulley, respectively. In the operating position shown, the conditioning device 28 is supported indirectly on the longitudinal member 42 via suitable means.A support 98 of a pivot bearing 90 of the spout 26 which allows the spout 26 to rotate about an exact or approximately vertical axis is supported by a frame structure 86 on the longitudinal beams 42. The frame structure 86 includes a rear auxiliary support 94 which extends upwardly from a lower mounting point 88 located about one-quarter of the length of the side member 42 and is secured to the rear end of the support 98. In addition, a front auxiliary carrier 96 is provided, the lower end of which is fastened to the longitudinal carrier 42. From the lower end, the front auxiliary support 96 extends vertically upwards over the height of the axis of rotation of the ejection accelerator 24, and is there connected to a horizontal auxiliary support 92 which is connected to the rear auxiliary support 94 and supports the support 98, and at the front region of which the cabin 18 is also fastened. Said auxiliary supports 94, 96 and 92 are present on both sides of the frame and are coupled to the longitudinal supports 42 there and are preferably also connected to one another by cross braces. Unlike the description here, the support 98 of the pivot bearing 90 could also be fastened to the longitudinal supports 42 by an auxiliary frame construction which is independent of the frame construction 86 serving as a holder for the cabin 18, as is described in DE 10 2019 215 146 A1.Reference is now made to Figures 3 to 5. An upper frame structure 106 includes longitudinal struts 108 that extend rearward from the upper portion of the support 98. At a coupling point 114, the rearward ends of the longitudinal struts 108 are connected to a cross strut 112 and vertical struts 110. The vertical struts 110 are bent inward at approximately half the height in order to connect them directly to the longitudinal beams 42 with their lower ends. The upper frame structure 106 with the longitudinal struts 108, the transverse strut 112 and the vertical struts 110 serves, inter alia, to support the outer cladding of the forage harvester 10.In the rear portions of the side rails 42 are mounted storage compartments 116 which are constructed as box-shaped assemblies having lower plates 118 and upper plates 120, respectively. The storage compartments 116 may hold components such as batteries or any material such as a tool and may be closed by flaps 122 (see FIG. 3 ).Further, Figs. 3 to 5 show a rear weight assembly 124. The rear weight assembly 124 includes a support structure 126, two brackets 128, 130, and two weights 132, 134. The brackets 128, 130 each have a vertically extending wall 136 and upper flanges 138 and lower flanges 140 extending transversely thereto, i.e., horizontally. The upper flanges 138 are bolted by bolts 142 to mating portions of the side rails 42. The holders 128, 130 accordingly extend downward from the longitudinal supports 42 in the assembled state, cf. FIG. 3. The vertically extending walls 136 are disposed in a plane extending vertically and in the forward direction V. An arrangement of the walls 136 extending transversely to the forward direction V would also be conceivable, so that the supporting structure 126 would in this case be installed and removed in the lateral direction.The supporting structure 126 extends in a horizontal plane and is thus flat and configured as a plate in itself, although it could also be equipped with ribs, beads or the like for stiffening and / or for displacing the centre of gravity downwards in a step-like manner. It comprises two outer regions 144 and a central region 146 therebetween. Between the outer regions 144 and the central region 146, forwardly open indentations 148 are provided. The supporting structure 126 rests in the assembled state from above on the lower flanges 140 of the holders 128 (extending outwards from the walls 136) and is fixed there by means of screw bolts 150 which extend through suitable openings in the outer regions 144 of the supporting structure 126 resting from above on the lower flanges 140. The walls 136 of the brackets 128 are positioned with their rearward portions within the indentations 148.The weights 132, 134 can be constructed from individual individual individual weights which are arranged one above the other and are flat in themselves in order to be able to load the rear of the forage harvester 10 more or less depending on the weight of the harvesting attachment 20 by positioning more or less individual weights on the supporting structure 126 and fastening them thereto. The weights 132, 134 are disposed on top of the outer portions 144 of the support structure 126 and are fixed there by bolts 152 that extend through vertical openings in the weights 132, 134 and the support structure 126. The attachment of the bolts 152 to the supporting structure 126 may be by nuts which may preferably be permanently attached, e.g. welded, to the underside of the supporting structure 126, or by threads in the supporting structure 126. This eliminates raising of the supporting structure 126 to retain the nuts. Covers 158 may be hinged to the front, outer ends of the supporting structure 126 by hinges that, in use, cover the weights 132, 134 rearwardly and laterally.Between the walls 136 of the holders 128, 130, a space 154 remains in which, for example, a silicone medium tank or tank for other liquids, such as water, operating medium or the like, can be accommodated. In the middle of the rear carrier 100, a mounting plate 156 for attaching a trailer coupling is fastened.After all, it can be seen that the supporting structure 126 is not only coupled to the holders 128, 130 (force-locking) by the screw bolts 150, but also rests on the lower flanges 140 of the holders 128, 130, i.e. is supported on the holders 128, 130 by means of form-locking features. That is, the assembly and disassembly of the supporting structure 126 is facilitated in that the bolts 150 can be removed and attached even if the supporting structure 126 is not supported on the ground by a separate lifting device (front fork of an agricultural tractor, forklift, or the like).Thus, if one wishes to disassemble the supporting structure 126 to remove or add individual weights of the weights 132, 134, the bolts 150 may first be disassembled. In this case, the supporting structure 126 can be supported by the separate lifting device, but does not have to be supported, which facilitates access. After the bolts 150 are removed, the supporting structure 126 is raised slightly by the lifter and pulled rearward below the forage harvester 10. Individual weights of the weights 132, 134 can then be added or removed and the supporting structure 126 can be attached again to the field chopper 10 in the reverse sequence, wherein the attachment of the screw bolts 150 and their tightening can again take place without support by lifting apparatus. The number of individual weights required can accordingly be prefabricated outside the field chopper 10 in order to be placed as an already preassembled weight unit per side on the supporting structure 126. The entire load bearing structure 126 is then attached to the field chopper 10.Another advantage of the described rear weight assembly 124 is that the space 154 remains between the walls 136, in which space a silicone medium tank can be installed, for example. This space 154 is protected rearward by the mounting plate 158 and the supporting structure 126, so that the lubricant tank cannot be damaged, or at least less easily damaged by obstacles during rearward travel.Furthermore, a start-up guard (for example an elastomer or rubber buffer) can be attached to the rear side of the supporting structure 126 (in particular in the central region thereof lying between the indentations 148). Since the supporting structure 126 can remain on the forage harvester 10 even if no weights 132, 134 are required, for example in the case of the grass harvester in which the weights 132, 134 are not required, the start protection is also present in this case, unlike in the generic prior art in which the rear weight is replaced in this case by a mudguard without start protection.References included in the specificationThis list of documents cited by the applicant has been produced in an automated manner and is only included for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent application or utility model application. The DPMA does not take any adhesion for any faults or omissions.Patent Literature citedDE 10 2013 222 254 A1

[0016] DE 10 2010 002 509 A1

[0019] DE 10 2019 146 A1

[0020]

Claims

A rear weight assembly (124) for attachment to a frame (12) of a forage harvester (10) comprising: a supporting structure (126); weights (132, 134) releasably attachable to the supporting structure (126); and one or more bracket(s) (128, 130) attachable or attached to the frame (12) of the forage harvester (10) and provided with positive engagement features for supporting the supporting structure (126); characterised in that the positive engagement features cooperate with the underside of the supporting structure (126).Rear weight assembly (124) according to claim 1, wherein the interlocking features are formed by horizontally extending regions of the holder(s) (128, 130) on which the supporting structure (126) rests from above in the assembled state.The rear weight assembly (124) of claim 2 wherein two laterally spaced brackets (128, 130) are provided.The rear weight assembly (124) of claim 3 wherein the brackets (128, 130) each include a vertically and forwardly extending wall (136) at the lower end of which extends horizontally a flange (140) which serves as a positive engagement feature for supporting the supporting structure (126).The rear weight assembly (124) of claim 4 wherein the support structure (126) includes forwardly open indentations (148) in which at least a portion of the wall (136) is received.The rear weight assembly (124) of any of claims 4 or 5, wherein the flange (140) extends outwardly from the wall (136).The rear weight assembly (124) of any of claims 3 to 6, wherein the support structure (126) comprises two outer regions (144) and a central region (146) therebetween, and the weights (132, 134) are secured to the outer regions (144), while the central region (146) is disposed between the brackets (128, 130) in the assembled state.Rear weight assembly (124) according to one of claims 3 to 7, wherein a space (154) remains between the holders (128, 130), in which a tank, in particular a silicone medium tank, can be or is mounted.Rear weight assembly (124) according to one of Claims 1 to 8, wherein the weights (132, 134) are arranged on the upper side of the supporting structure (126), which is in particular flat in itself.Forage harvester (10) having a supporting frame (12) which is movable in a forward direction (V) over a field, a drive motor (44), a chopper drum (22) for crushing crop material picked up by means of a harvesting header (20), an ejection accelerator (24), and an ejection elbow (26) arranged downstream of the ejection accelerator (24), wherein a rear weight assembly according to one of the preceding claims is attached to the rear end of the frame (12).

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