Abstract: A reel for a harvesting machine comprises a plurality of bats arranged for rotation around an axis defined by a shaft. The bats are pivotal about a bat axis parallel to the shaft and are driven in pivoting movement by an eccentric ring member interconnected to each of the bats by a rigid link controlled by the eccentric ring member. The ring member is free to rotate relative to the shaft but is driven by each in turn of the links when the respective bat reaches an extreme position as defined by a sliding link coupled between the rigid link and the ring member. The bats comprise folded sheet metal in tubular form defining a plurality of pockets each for receiving a plastics finger for projecting from a leading edge of the bat. Each bat is formed from separate bat portions coupled together by tubes extending into an end of the bat and bolted to the tubes so as to depress material from the bat into a punched hole formed in a groove in the tube.

Abstract: A reel for a harvesting machine comprises a plurality of bats arranged for rotation around an axis defined by a shaft. The bats are pivotal about a bat axis parallel to the shaft and are driven in pivoting movement by an eccentric ring member interconnected to each of the bats by a rigid link controlled by the eccentric ring member. The ring member is free to rotate relative to the shaft but is driven by each in turn of the links when the respective bat reaches an extreme position as defined by a sliding link coupled between the rigid link and the ring member. The bats comprise folded sheet metal in tubular form defining a plurality of pockets each for receiving a plastics finger for projecting from a leading edge of the bat. Each bat is formed from separate bat portions coupled together by tubes extending into an end of the bat and bolted to the tubes so as to depress material from the bat into a punched hole formed in a groove in the tube.