Hcc, Inc.

Deere + Company

Edward Patrick Jasper

Roderick James Jensen

Thomas G Truckenbrod

Gary L Kunz

James M Gessel

Joshua U Echelbarger

James M Frederick

A bat tube for use with a harvester pick-up reel. The bat tube is configured to resist torsional loads, without having to use fasteners that engage holes in the bat tube. Preferably, the external surface of the bat tube provides at least one key or keyway that engages a corresponding keyway or key in the band or strap portion of the tines. As such, once a tine is engaged with the bat tube, the tine is generally prevented from rotating about the bat tube. Additionally, by not using fasteners to engage holes in the bat tube, spacing between the tines can be varied. The bat tube allows for tine fastening and torsional resistance without drilling or punching holes, which allows for easily variable tine spacings. It also allows for improved crop gathering and crop entry characteristics over a typical round profile.

Tubular bat shape with longitudinal key, for use with the pick-up reel of a harvester

A tine for use with a harvester. The tine is preferably an injection molded polymer pickup reel tine, which uses a front-to-rear mold parting line direction. The tine preferably has a snap ring or strap portion which is configured to engage a bat tube, as well as a finger portion which is configured to engage the crop during harvesting. Preferably, the front-to-rear parting line is along both portions. The front-to-rear parting line allows for the ability to provide a deep front-to-rear cross section for rigidity at the high stress area of the tine. Two front-to-rear material saving features can be utilized to minimize material usage and allow for relative consistent wall thickness, which results in a rigid cross section that maintains deflection stability in the normal direction of deflection. The preferred form of the tine cross section includes three deep oval sections or projections, connected by two oval depressions, but other variations are entirely possible while still resulting in effectively the same benefits.

Harvester tine having a front-to-rear parting line in its strap and finger portion and one or more depressions on its finger portion

Harvester tine

A pickup reel is provided with an anti-wrap extension that can be easily mounted to one of the elongated tubes. The anti-wrap extension increases the size of the bat to prevent wrapping. The tine is provided with an upstanding projection having a mounting screw for securing the anti-wrap extension to the tine. In addition, the extension is provided with a downwardly projecting flange having mounting apertures into which the tines are inserted.

Bat for a reel having an anti-wrap extension

A reel for a harvesting machine includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced radially extending support arms, a plurality of axially extending bat tubes rotatably supported on the outer end portions of the support arms, a plurality of axially spaced tines, preferably made from a synthetic thermoplastic or thermosetting material, mounted on each bat tube and a spring having one end connected to each bat tube and a support carried by the reel. The spring holds the bat tube in an operating position where the tines are at a predetermined angular orientation relative to the rotational axis of the reel during normal operation. If one or more tines on one bat tube engages a plug of wet hay or other obstruction, the spring permits the bat tube to rotate in a direction opposite to the rotational direction of the reel to a deflected position where the tine(s) can ride over the obstruction.

Harvesting machine reel

An improved harvester pickup reel tine and bat structure results in light weight, ease of assembly and non-snagging operation. A one-piece tine and attachment is formed by molding a plastic tine integral with a split ring to clamp it onto the support tube. A single split in the ring and the integral construction permits an assembly with no protrusions on the rear surface of the reel which otherwise catches on accumulated material in the harvester. An alternate embodiment includes extension wings which interlock with adjacent structures to form a continuous bat thus affording the reel assembly which is convertible between a structure with or without bats.

Harvester reel tine and bat assembly

A snap-away auxiliary tine for harvester reels. The tine is attached to its supporting shaft by a split cylinder which partially encloses a shaft fitting. Rounded axial grooves in the inside of the split cylinder interlock with splines on the shaft fitting and prevent normal rotation of the tine. Extreme force on the tine, such as that when the tine hits a hard object, causes the split cylinder to spread slightly, disengage the grooves and rotate on the shaft, thus preventing tine breakage. Manual rotation repositions the tine.

Growing community of inventors

Mendota, IL, United States of America

Edward Patrick Jasper