Center Crop Deflector for Draper Header Flow Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional grain harvesting headers with flexible cutterbars are ineffective in collecting all severed crop material, particularly when following ground contours at high speeds, and fail to convey the material effectively to the feeder house, with issues in controlling header height and durability when in sliding contact with the ground.
Innovation Solution
A harvesting header design featuring a flexible cutterbar assembly with pivotally coupled support arms, a draper assembly including side and fore-and-aft drapers, and a crop material deflector to manage crop flow and convey severed material efficiently, along with a header height sensing system for adaptive height control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a flexible cutterbar is used to follow ground contours, then the header can adapt to terrain changes, but severed crop material is not effectively collected and conveyed to the feeder house
Solution Approach 1:
The draper assembly is divided into multiple independent drapers (first draper, second draper, third draper) that can flex and move independently to follow terrain contours while maintaining continuous crop material conveyance. Each draper segment handles a specific portion of the crop flow, ensuring no material is lost during terrain transitions.
Solution Approach 2:
The third draper acts as an intermediary component positioned between the first and second drapers to intercept and redirect severed crop material that would otherwise be lost. This intermediate draper captures material from the first draper and transfers it to the second draper, ensuring complete crop collection even when the header follows ground contours.
2Productivity
If the header operates in sliding contact with the ground to collect grain, then most grain can be collected, but the header becomes damaged when operating in close proximity to the ground with significant terrain contours
Solution Approach 1:
The draper assembly uses flexible belts that can conform to ground contours and terrain variations without rigid contact. These flexible elements follow the ground profile to maintain grain collection efficiency while avoiding the damage that would occur with rigid sliding contact, as the flexible material can absorb terrain irregularities without structural damage.
3Productivity
If the flexible header follows ground contour at high speed, then harvesting productivity increases, but the header becomes ineffective at receiving all severed crop material
Solution Approach 1:
The draper assembly is designed with dynamic capabilities where each draper can independently adjust its position and follow terrain variations at high harvesting speeds. The flexible belts and support arms allow the system to maintain effective crop material reception despite high-speed operation and ground contour variations, preventing material loss while maintaining productivity.
Data Source
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AI summary
A harvesting machine includes a harvesting header (40) with a header frame (42), a cutterbar assembly (48) attached to the header frame along the length thereof and configured to cut a crop, and a draper assembly (50) positioned behind the cutterbar assembly and operable to receive severed crop material from the cutterbar assembly. The draper assembly includes a center fore-and-aft draper (54) that delivers crop material rearwardly to a feeder house of the harvesting machine and oppositely spaced side drapers (52) that deliver crop material laterally to the center draper. The fore-and-aft includes a draper frame (244,252,256) and a draper belt (250) supported on the draper frame to present an upper rearwardly moving run for conveying the crop rearwardly. A crop material deflector (284) is attached relative to the draper frame in front of the draper belt (250). The deflector (284) extends in the fore-and-aft direction from in front of the draper belt (250) to a location over the draper belt, with the deflector operable to restrict severed crop delivered from each of the side drapers (52) from flowing to the other side drapers.