Abstract: A reel for a harvester, such as for a combine harvester. The reel includes a reel supporting pipe and star-shaped supports at the ends of the reel, the star arms being connected to each other by means of tine rods which run parallel to the supporting pipe, wherein the star-shaped supports are specifically at least partially reinforced as a result of which at least one of the tensile and compression forces acting on the supporting pipe can be absorbed by one or more tine rods.

Abstract: A reel (108) for an agricultural harvesting head (104) has thrust bearings at the ends of its bat supports (128) that counteract sagging of the reel under the force of gravity.

Abstract: A tool for replacing rake tines, having inner and outer ends, of a rake wheel which includes a central disc-shaped support plate means and a peripheral rim spaced outwardly of the support plate means with the peripheral rim having a plurality of spaced-apart openings formed therein which receive the rake tines extending therethrough so that the outer ends of the rake tines are positioned outwardly of the peripheral rim, and means removably securing the inner ends of the rake tines to the support plate means. The tool comprises a plurality of spaced-apart body members adapted to be secured to tines not needing replacement and to replacement tines to maintain the replacement tines to be secured to the rake wheel.

Abstract: A removable bat attachment to be applied when required over the tine tubes and fingers of reel of a harvesting machine is formed by an elongate flexible plastic extruded member having a first wall lying against the leading face of the plurality of fingers, a second wall at the inner edge of the first wall wrapping around the tine tube to define a generally cylindrical channel shaped receptacle to receive the tine tube therein and a third wall at the outer edge. In one arrangement the outer edge wraps around an outer end of the fingers and is snap fit onto the outer ends of the fingers and on to the tine tube so as to be held in place thereon by the snap fit. In another arrangement the outer edge has an end wall with a series of holes one for each finger so that the fingers project outwardly from the outer edge.

Abstract: A tine carrier arrangement for a reel of a harvester for cereals has a tine carrier (1) rotatably attached on the reel around a rotational axis D. An adjustment element (3) is connectable to an adjustment arrangement of the reel for rotating the tine carrier (1) around the rotational axis D. The connection mechanism detachably connects the tine carrier (1) and the adjustment element (3) to each other to enable different rotational positions of the tine carrier relative to the rotational axis D.

Abstract: A crop harvesting header includes a reel mounted on a pair of forwardly extending arms carried on a header frame above a table and cutting knife. The reel is rotatable about a longitudinal axis and includes bats with fingers which pivot each about a respective bat axis so the angle of the fingers varies as the reel rotates. The angle of the fingers can be varied to increase and decrease the angle at the knife. The arms include a forward portion which is arranged at an angle to a main portion so as to be inclined downwardly and forwardly therefrom. As the reel supports on the arms is moved forwardly along the arms and engages onto the forward portion, the reel is moved downwardly and forwardly which simultaneously changes the angle to provide a more aggressive action as the reel is moved forwardly of the knife.

Abstract: A crop harvesting header includes a reel mounted on a pair of forwardly extending arms carried on a header frame above a table and cutting knife. The reel is rotatable about a longitudinal axis and includes bats with fingers which pivot each about a respective bat axis so the angle of the fingers varies as the reel rotates. The angle of the fingers can be varied to increase and decrease the angle at the knife. The arms include a forward portion which is arranged at an angle to a main portion so as to be inclined downwardly and forwardly therefrom. As the reel supports on the arms is moved forwardly along the arms and engages onto the forward portion, the reel is moved downwardly and forwardly which simultaneously changes the angle to provide a more aggressive action as the reel is moved forwardly of the knife.

Abstract: A reel of a header comprises a tube which is mounted on arms at ends of the tube for rotation about a longitudinal axis of the tube. At axially spaced positions along the length of the tube is provided a plurality of support members each lying in a radial plane of the tube and forming a disc surrounding the tube. The disc carries a plurality of brackets extending radially outwardly from the edge of the disc and each bracket carries a respective one of a plurality of bats extending longitudinally of the tube and at angularly spaced positions around the tube. As the tube rotates the bats pass over a sickle knife of the header and sweep the crop onto a table of the header. The brackets are adjustable radially relative to the discs so that the brackets at the center of the tube are moved radially inwardly and the brackets at the ends of the tube are moved radially outwardly.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A combined mechanical air reel for harvesting equipment has a control support-manifold tube and a plurality of depending tubes mounted on the support-manifold tubes that direct a curtain of air against grain to be cut to move the grain toward a cutter bar on which the reel is mounted. At the same time a rotatable finger carrying bat type mechanical reel, also mounted on the central support-manifold tube, is used to feed material to the cutter bar. The mechanical reel bats rotate around the outside of the support-manifold tube. The bats extend parallel to the cutter bar, and the postion of fingers on the bats is controlled by a cam action that permits the bats and the fingers to enter and exit the grain substantially vertically to reduce shattering of the grain. A positive cam drive is provided for actuating the fingers.

Abstract: A header for a harvesting machine having a frame, a cutterbar operable to a cut standing crop and mounted on the front of the frame, and a reel also mounted on the frame and operable to sweep crop material towards and over the cutterbar, the cutterbar being adjustable relative to the frame in a fore-and-aft direction, is disclosed wherein the header includes an interlock mechanism extending between the reel and the cutterbar such that the position of the reel relative to the cutterbar is automatically adjusted upon the fore-and-aft movement of the cutterbar to maintain a substantially constant reel-cutterbar spacing.

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 controller for maintaining pick-up tines on harvesting reels at predetermined orientation in space as the reel is rotated for severing crops from the ground having inherent structural self-compensation for wear and dimensional tolerance stack-up in the assembly of parts thereof and induced reduction of peak loads thereon by means of a pendulously-suspended control spider which is pivotally mounted on the machine in the direction against and nominally on the line of action of the applied load on said spider from the gathering and cutting of crops by the pick-up reel of said machine.