Crop harvesting header with cam controlled movement of the reel fingers

Abstract

A crop harvesting header includes a cutter bar arranged across a forward edge of a header frame structure, a draper or auger transport arrangement for transporting the cut crop for further processing, and a reel mounted on reel arms for controlling movement of the crop in the area over the cutter bar with the reel having a plurality of reel bats at spaced positions around the reel axis each reel bat having reel fingers projecting generally radially outwardly from the reel axis, the reel bats all lying on a common bat circle around the reel axis so that rotation of the reel causes the reel bats to follow a path of movement lying on the bat circle. A non-circular stationary cam track surrounds the reel axis within the bat circle so that the end most fingers of the bats are located in line with the cam and immediately adjacent-the end sheet. Each bat is pivoted by a crank attached to the bat and a control link having one end freely pivotally connected to the outer end of the bat lever and having a cam follower the other end. A pulling link communicates rotation of the reel to the control link such that the cam follower thereof is caused to move along the cam track at a predetermined position therein. The crank is adjustable relative to the control link to change bat finger angle to provide a change in crop lift before the cutter bar while maintaining finger pattern. The cam location is adjustable around the reel axis to change the finger pattern.