MULCHER FOR PROCESSING PLANT STUBBLES IN A FIELD WITH PENDULUM ANGLE LIMITATION

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a mulching device for processing plant stubble in a field according to the preamble of claim 1, a harvesting attachment equipped therewith and a harvesting machine equipped therewith. State of the art

[0002] In many cases, mulching equipment is attached below harvesting heads for grain or corn harvesting to shred and / or shred the plant stumps remaining in the field after harvest, whether to protect the tires of vehicles driving in the field, to improve the decomposition of plant residues, or to destroy the overwintering habitat of the European corn borer ( Ostrinia nubilalis ) .

[0003] The mulching devices comprise blunt or cutting tools that are rigidly or freely pivoting connected to a holder which is attached to a shaft extending at least approximately vertically (EP 3 272 199 A1) or are pre-tensioned into an approximately radial orientation by positive locking features on the tool and the bushing used for bearing, in addition to the effect of centrifugal force (DE 10 2016 213 919 A1).

[0004] EP 0 365 019 A1, US 3 762 137 A and US 9 010 078 B2 disclose mulching machines with tools suspended from a rotating bracket. When the bracket is rotating, the tools are approximately radially aligned by centrifugal force, and their forward rotation angle is limited by features of the bracket. When the bracket is stationary, the tools can also strike each other.

[0005] German patent DE 10 2005 023 012 A1 describes a cutting arrangement used in grain harvesting to shred the remaining stalks after the ears have been cut. The arrangement comprises flail blades mounted on a pivoting bracket rotating around the vertical axis. Stops are provided on the blades and the bracket to limit the forward rotation of the flail blades. This ensures that, due to centrifugal force, the flail blades are positioned at a maximum angle of attack that lags behind the radius, thus guaranteeing the desired relative position of the cutting edge during the cutting process.

[0006] US Patent 4,062,171 A discloses a lawnmower with blades freely suspended from a rotating bracket. These blades have two sections: one extending outward from the pivot axis when the bracket rotates, equipped with a cutting edge, and the other extending inward from the pivot axis. When the bracket rotates, the inner sections are in contact with each other. This allows the blades to deflect backward upon impact with an obstacle, and each deflecting blade also deflects the other blade backward to avoid collision. Task

[0007] A disadvantage of tools rigidly mounted to the holder is that an impact of the tool against a foreign object, such as a stone, often results in damage to the gearbox that drives the shaft. Freely oscillating tools, which are radially aligned with respect to a bushing mounted on the holder by centrifugal force during operation and rotate relative to the bushing, can, for example, be set into a continuous oscillating motion upon impact with a corn stalk or other foreign object, leading to wear on the bushing and the blade. While this oscillating motion is reduced in the arrangements according to DE 10 2016 213 919 A1 and DE 10 2005 023 012 A1, this requires specially shaped blade bearings on the holder or separate stops on the blade and the holder.

[0008] The present invention aims to provide a mulching device, a harvesting attachment equipped with it, and a harvesting machine equipped with it, which is improved compared to the prior art. Solution

[0009] This problem is solved according to the invention by the teaching of claims 1, 5 and 6, wherein further claims list features which advantageously develop the solution further.

[0010] A mulching device for processing plant stubble in a field, in particular for attachment to a harvesting header, comprises a holder connected to a shaft and set into rotation by the shaft, two diametrically opposed tools mounted on the holder which are freely pivoting on the holder by means of pendulum bearings with pendulum axes running parallel to the axis of rotation of the shaft, and means for limiting the pendulum angle of the tools in the direction of rotation of the shaft to a maximum angle, which means comprise interacting areas of the tools.

[0011] In other words, the limitation of the tools' pendulum angle—that is, the angle by which the tools can oscillate around the pendulum axis in the direction of rotation (leading relative to the shaft and the holder)—is achieved by the tools having interacting (abutting) areas. In this way, the desired limitation of the pendulum angle, which is used to prevent the aforementioned wear, is achieved without significant effort.

[0012] The means for limiting the pendulum angle of the tools are configured to restrict the maximum angle assumed by the tools when the shaft is rotating to a position that lags behind a precisely radial alignment. This dampens the pendulum motion, because the centrifugal force prevents the tools from being brought into the radial alignment where they are at a local minimum of the acting forces and from which they can perform the unwanted pendulum motion.

[0013] The tools comprise a distal part which, in the position of the tools assumed when the shaft is rotating, extends outwards from the pendulum bearing, and a proximal part which, in the position of the tools assumed when the shaft is rotating, extends inwards from the pendulum bearing, with the interacting areas being provided on the proximal parts.

[0014] The interacting areas comprise a hook that engages with the proximal portion of each other tool. The hook rests against a surface of the other tool located between the inner end of the proximal portion and the pendulum bearing. The hooks can form a central opening through which an imaginary extension of the shaft's axis of rotation passes.

[0015] The tools at the outer end of the distal area may be provided with cutting edges and / or striking elements that are manufactured as a single piece with the rest of the tool or connected to it in any way.

[0016] The two tools can be identical in construction and rotated 180° relative to each other with respect to an axis extending transversely to the longitudinal axis of the shaft.

[0017] In addition to allowing the tools to rotate around the axis parallel to the axis of rotation of the shaft, the pendulum bearings can also permit a limited pendulum movement of the tools around a horizontal axis of rotation oriented tangentially to the direction of rotation of the mulcher. Example of implementation

[0018] The drawings illustrate an exemplary embodiment, which is described in more detail below. They show: Fig. 1 a side view of a harvesting machine with a harvesting header attached, to which mulching tools are mounted, Fig. 2 a perspective view of a mulching tool from the front and below, Fig. 3 a perspective view of the mounting and tools of the mulching tool, Fig. 4 a section through the mounting and tools along line 4-4 of the Figure 3 , Fig. 5 a section according to Figure 4, however, with the holder stationary and the tools rotated out of the position assumed with the shaft rotating, Fig. 6 shows a vertical section through the holder and the tools, and Fig. 7 shows a vertical section through the holder and the tools adjusted in a vertical direction.

[0019] One in the Figure 1The agricultural harvesting machine 10 shown, in the form of a self-propelled forage harvester, is built on a frame 12 supported by front and rear wheels 14 and 16. The front wheels 14 serve as the main drive wheels, while the rear wheels 16 are steerable. The harvesting machine 10 is operated from a driver's cab 18, from which a harvesting head 20 is visible. Crop picked up from the ground by the harvesting head 20, e.g., corn, is fed via a feed housing 30 to a chopping drum (not shown) inside the harvesting machine 10, which chops the crop into small pieces and delivers them to a conveying device (also not shown). The material leaves the harvesting machine 10 via a discharge spout 28 that is rotatable around the vertical axis and adjustable in height, and is transported alongside a trailer. A secondary shredding device (not shown) may be arranged between the chopping drum and the conveying device.Although the invention is illustrated here on a forage harvester, it can also be used on combine harvesters with associated harvesting attachments in the form of corn pickers. In the following, directional terms such as front, behind, side, and above refer to the forward direction of the harvesting machine 10 and the harvesting attachment 20, which are shown in the figure below. Figure 1 runs to the left.

[0020] The harvesting header 20, which is attached to the front of the harvesting machine 10 in the forward direction, serves to collect the harvested crop. In the illustrated embodiment, the harvesting header 20 is a known corn header, comprising a central section 38 and two side sections 40 arranged laterally to the left and right of the central section 38 (relative to the forward direction of the harvesting machine 10). The side sections 40 are pivotally attached to the central section 38 for road transport and can be hydraulically pivoted downwards for harvesting, so that they run parallel to the central section 38 during harvesting. They can then be pivoted back up. Figure 1Figure 1 shows the side sections 40 in the raised position. In the present embodiment, four harvesting units 32 with lower cutting discs for cutting the plants and upper conveying discs for transporting the plants are attached to the central section 38, while two harvesting units 32 are attached to each of the two side sections 40. The harvesting header 20 is equipped in a manner known per se with stem dividers 36, the harvesting units 32, divider tips 34, cover plates, and conveying means to feed the harvested material to the chopping drum of the harvesting machine 10. During operation, the harvesting header 20 draws in the stems of the crop in an upright position, cuts them, and feeds them to the intake housing 30, from which they are conveyed to the chopping drum of the harvesting machine 10.

[0021] The harvesting header 20 comprises a support frame with a lower crossbeam 42 and an upper crossbeam 44. The lower crossbeam 42 extends along the bottom rear of the harvesting header 20 and comprises three segments, one each assigned to the central section 38 and each to the side section 40. Gearbox housings 46 are bolted to the front of the lower crossbeam 42, each serving to drive a harvesting unit 32. A drive shaft 48 for driving the harvesting units 32 via gearboxes arranged in the gearbox housings 46, which also drives the other conveying elements of the harvesting header 20 and is driven by an output shaft of the harvesting machine 10, extends laterally within the hollow lower crossbeam 42.

[0022] The upper crossbeam 44 extends laterally above the inlet of the intake housing 30, across its width. It is connected to hook-shaped support elements, which are partially engaged by complementary support elements of the intake housing 30 and serve to attach the header 20 to the harvesting machine 10. It is connected to the lower crossbeam 42 by vertically extending beams and connecting plates. The support frame with the crossbeams 42, 44, and the vertically extending beams and connecting plates thus forms a skeleton for the header 20, which supports all other elements of the header 20.

[0023] A mulching unit 50 is mounted behind each harvesting unit 32. The mulching unit 50's axis of rotation is positioned laterally behind the axis of rotation of the corresponding harvesting unit 32. During normal harvesting operation, the plants enter the unit at this point. If a harvesting unit 32 harvests multiple rows of plants, it can be assigned several mulching units 50, with their axes of rotation positioned behind the expected entry points of the plant rows. Alternatively, the mulching units 50 could be distributed across the entire working width of the harvesting header 20, either continuously or with small gaps.

[0024] It is now time to Figure 2 The mulching device 50 comprises two diametrically opposed tools 54, which are connected to a central bracket 56 via pendulum bearings 58, allowing them to pivot about the vertical axis. The bracket 56 is in turn connected to a shaft 60 (see...). Figure 3) connected, whose axis of rotation extends parallel to the axes about which the tools are pivotably mounted on the holder 56 by means of the pendulum bearings 58.

[0025] The shaft 60 is connected at its lower end to the bracket 56 and at its upper end to a drive mechanism 62, which is driven by the drive shaft 48. The shaft 60 is freely pivotable about the axis of the drive shaft 48 relative to the drive shaft 48 and the lower cross member 42. A cover 64, which covers the mulcher to the rear and upwards behind the shaft 60, encloses the shaft 60 and moves with the shaft 60 and the mulcher 50 in a ground-following manner about the axis of the drive shaft 48. Further details are described in EP 3 272 199 A1, the disclosure of which is incorporated into the present documents by reference.

[0026] The holder 56 comprises an upper part 68, which is connected to the shaft 60, and a lower part 66. The tools 54 are positioned between the two parts 66 and 68. The two parts 66 and 68 are connected to each other by the pendulum bearings 58.

[0027] The tools 54 each comprise a distal part 70, which extends radially outward from the pendulum bearings 58 (when the shaft 60 rotates and the tools 54 are pulled outward by centrifugal force and are not affected by foreign objects), and a proximal part 72, which extends inward from the pendulum bearings 58 (when the shaft 60 rotates and the tools 54 are pulled outward by centrifugal force and are not affected by foreign objects), the details and use of which are explained below. At the outer end of the distal part 70 are striking elements 74, which serve to crush plant stubble left in the field after harvesting. The striking elements 74 are designed as cylinders with inwardly and upwardly rising outer edges, but could have any other shape and / or be replaced or supplemented by cutting edges.While the distal part 70 and the proximal part 72 of the tool 54 are preferably manufactured in one piece, the impact elements can be manufactured as separate elements and detachably (e.g. by screws) or indetachably connected to the distal part 70, or also be manufactured in one piece with the rest of the tool 54, e.g. as a milled, cast or forged part.

[0028] The two tools are identical in construction and, when assembled, are rotated 180° relative to each other with respect to an axis extending transversely to the longitudinal axis of the shaft, as shown in the Figures 3 to 5 This is evident. Therefore, two different tools 54 are not needed for the mulcher 50, which simplifies spare parts management.

[0029] It is now time to Figure 4Reference is made to the figure in which the mulcher 50 is shown in a top or bottom view, in order to illustrate in particular the shape and function of the proximal parts 72. The proximal parts 72 extend inwards from the pendulum bearing 58 and beyond the axis of rotation of the shaft 60. The leading edge 80 of the proximal part 72, with respect to the direction of rotation in normal operation (illustrated by the arrows 78), is straight, while the trailing edge 82 approaches the leading edge 80 in a straight line as it extends inwards. Beyond the axis of rotation of the shaft, the proximal part 72 is shaped as a hook 84; that is, the trailing edge 82 initially extends away from the leading edge 80 and forms a stop that abuts the trailing edge 82 of the proximal part 72 of the other tool 54.The adjacent areas of the hook 84 on the one hand and the trailing edge 80 of the proximal part 72 of the other tool 54 on the other hand are aligned parallel to each other in order to achieve the largest possible contact area.

[0030] In this way, a stop is obtained between the two proximal parts 72 of the two tools 54, which limits the possible angle that the tools 54 can rotate about the pendulum axes 58 in the leading direction, as shown by the arrows 78. The tools 54 therefore cannot extend exactly radially, as can be seen from the Figure 4 This prevents the unwanted pendulum motion of the tools 54 around the pendulum axes 58 from interfering with each other. However, the tools 54 can easily move away from the direction of rotation, for example, when impacting a foreign object, as shown in the Figure 5 shown.

[0031] The proximal parts 72 form a recess in their center through which a nut 76 is accessible, which serves to fasten the shaft 60 to the bracket 56.

[0032] The tools 54 can be pre-tensioned into an almost radial orientation by means of positive locking features on the tool 54 and the bushing used for bearing in the pendulum bearing 58, in addition to the effect of centrifugal force, as described in DE 10 2016 213 919 A1, the disclosure of which is incorporated into the present documents by reference.

[0033] As in the Figures 6 and 7 As shown, the pendulum bearings 58 allow, in addition to the rotation of the tools 54 about the axis running parallel to the axis of rotation of the shaft 60, also a limited pendulum movement of the tools about a horizontal axis of rotation oriented tangentially to the direction of rotation of the mulcher 50.

Claims

1. Mulching apparatus (50) for processing plant stubble in a field, in particular for attaching to a harvesting header (20), comprising a mount (56), which is connected to a shaft (60) and can be set in rotary motion by the shaft (60), two tools (54), which are attached to the mount (56) diametrically opposite one another and are mounted on the mount (56) so as to swing freely by means of pendulum bearings (58) having pendulum pins running parallel to the axis of rotation of the shaft (60), and also means for limiting the pendulum angle, which arises as a result of the centrifugal force when the shaft (60) is rotating, of the tools (54) in the direction of rotation of the shaft (60) to a maximum angle, said means being configured to limit the maximum angle, which is assumed due to the centrifugal force when the shaft (60) is rotating, of the tools (54) into a trailing position in relation to an exactly radial alignment of the tools (54), wherein the means for limiting the pendulum angle of the tools (54) comprise regions of the tools (54) that interact when the shaft (60) is rotating, wherein the tools (54) comprise a distal part (70), which extends outwards from the pendulum bearing (58) in the position assumed by the tools (54) when the shaft (60) is rotating, and a proximal part (72), which extends inwards from the pendulum bearing in the position assumed by the tools (54) when the shaft (60) is rotating, and wherein the interacting regions are provided on the proximal parts (70, 72), characterized in that the interacting regions comprise a hook (84), which interacts with the proximal part (72) of the respective other tool (54), and in that the hook (84) in each case bears against a surface of the other tool (54), said surface being located between the inner end of the proximal part (72) and the pendulum bearing (58).

2. Mulching apparatus (50) according to Claim 1, wherein the tools (54) are provided with blades and / or impact bodies (74) at the outer end of the distal region (70).

3. Mulching apparatus (50) according to either of the preceding claims, wherein the two tools (54) are structurally identical and are rotated by 180° relative to one another with respect to an axis extending transversely to the longitudinal axis of the shaft.

4. Mulching apparatus (50) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the pendulum bearings (58), in addition to rotating the tools (54) about the axis running parallel to the axis of rotation of the shaft (60), also allow a limited pendulum movement of the tools about a horizontal axis of rotation oriented tangentially to the direction of rotation of the mulching apparatus (50).

5. Harvesting header (20) having a mulching apparatus (50) according to one of the preceding claims.

6. Self-propelled harvesting machine (10) having a harvesting header (20) according to Claim 5.