GB2078481A - Haymaking machines - Google Patents

Abstract

A haymaking machine has four rotors 4 which have tines distributed around their periphery and which are mounted to rotate about axes which are substantially vertical but slightly inclined forwards and upwards with respect to the direction of machine travel. The two outer rotors are connected to arms 7 which are pivotally connected to a rotor support frame 9. A hydraulic piston/cylinder unit 1 is connected to the support frame 9 and to the two arms 7 by a linkage comprising a lever 2 and a chain 3. The two outer rotors can move up and down in response to irregularities of the ground, and when hydraulic fluid is pumped under pressure into the piston/cylinder unit 1 the two outer rotors are lifted from their normal working position to a raised transport position thus reducing the overall width of the haymaking machine. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Haymaking machines The present invention relates to haymaking machines and is concerned with that type of machine having at least two rotors which have working members distributed around their periphery and which rotate about axes which are substantially vertical but which are slightly inclined forwards and upwards with respect to the direction of machine travel and one of which may be lifted from its normal working position to a transport position. The reason for lifting one or more of the rotors is to reduce the breadth of the haymaking machine so as to enable it to be used on a thin strip of land or to enable it to pass through a relatively narrow gap.

According to the present invention a haymaking machine has at least two rotors which have working members distributed around their periphery and are mounted to rotate about axes which are substantially vertical but slightly inclined forwards and upwards with respect to the direction of machine travel and a hydraulic piston/cylinder unit connected to at least one rotor and so arranged that when hydraulic fluid is pumped under pressure into the piston/cylinder unit the rotor is lifted from its working position into a transport position.

It has been suggested that one or more rotors of a haymaking machine may be lifted by means of a suction piston/cylinder unit, that is to say a unit in which the hydraulic fluid is placed under reduced pressure and thereby withdrawn from the cylinder so as to actuate it, that is to say so as to lift the or each rotor.

In contrast to this the present invention utilises a pressure piston/cylinder unit, that is to say a unit which is actuated by hydraulic fluid under pressure.

Suction piston/cylinder units are not only more expensive than pressure units, but their construction and control are also more complicated partially due to the inertia of the oil and the cylinder.

The piston/cylinder unit, which is conveniently oil actuated, is preferably of single acting type. In the preferred embodiment the machine has at least four rotors and the two outer rotors are connected to a single common piston/cylinder unit. Preferably the or each liftable rotor is pivotally connected to the rotor support frame and connected to the piston/cylinder unit by a linkage which permits movabil ityoftheworking position in response to irregularities of the ground. Thus in one embodiment the connecting linkage comprises a lever pivotally connected to the support frame and acted on at one end by the piston/cylinder unit and connected at the other end directly or indirectly to the rotor by a member which permits relative movement. This member may comprise a rope, a chain, a strut, e.g. of steel, in which a longitudinal slot is formed or the like.The use of a single pressure piston/cylinder unit enables a particularly simple lifting linkage to be used which can also ensure a free movability of the liftable rotors in response to irregularities of the ground over which the haymaking machine is moving.

In the preferred embodiment the machine incorporates one or more abutments which determine the transport position of the or each liftable rotor. Thus an abutment may be provided which is contacted by the piston rod of the piston/cylinder unit, or some member connected to it, or alternatively the abutment may be positioned to be contacted by the liftable rotor or a member to which it is connected.

Preferably the or each abutment is so positioned that the or each liftable rotor can move from its transport position to its working position under the influence of gravity, or in other words the or each abutment is so positioned that when the or each liftable rotor is in its transport position its centre of gravity lies outside a line passing vertically up through the axis about which the rotor is pivotally connected to the support frame.

Further features and details of the invention will be apparent from the following description of one specific embodiment which is given by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a diagrammatic view of a haymaking machine from the rear with respect to the direction of machine travel.

The machine comprises a support frame 9 to which four rotors 4 are rotatably connected extending transverse to the direction of machine travel. The rotors are supported by ground wheels 6 and carry working elements, in this case resilient tines 12, distributed around their periphery. The axes of rotation of the inner rotors lie in substantially vertical foreand-aft planes but are slightly inclined forwards and upwards with respect to the direction of machine travel. The two outer rotors are connected to respective arms 7 about axes which are normally parallel to those of the inner rotors and the arms 7 are themselves connected to the frame 9 to pivot freely about axes which extend in the direction of machine travel.

Connected to each arm 7 is a respective intermediate member constituted by a chain 3 which is connected to one end of a lifting lever 2 which in turn is pivotally connected about a pivot 10 to the frame 9. The other end of each lifting lever 2 is connected to a common oil actuated single action hydraulic piston/cylinder arrangement 1 which is secured to the frame 9.

In use on level ground, the four axes of rotation of the rotors are parallel and the two outer rotors adopt the normal working position illustrated in which the ground wheel is designated 6. Due to the movability of the outer rotors, these can compensate for irregularities in the ground and move downwards to the position in which the ground wheel is illustrated in dotted lines on the left hand side of the drawing and designated 6' or upwards to the position in which the rotor bearing housing is illustrated in dotted lines on the right hand side of the drawing and designated 6".

If it is desired to use the machine on a narrow strip of ground or to move it through, for instance, a narrow gate the piston/cylinder unit 1 is actuated thereby pivoting the two levers 2 and thus lifting the arms 7 and outer rotors 4 upwardly into a transport position 8, shown in dotted lines. The precise loca tion of the transport position is limited by means of an abutment 5 which may be positioned to contact the piston rod or lever 2, as shown on the left hand side of the drawing, orto contact one or both ofthe arms 7, as shown on the right hand side of the draw ing. The abutment 5 is so positioned that when in the transport position the centre of gravity of each rotor 4 and associated arm lies outside a vertical line extending up through the point about which the arm 7 is pivoted so that the rotors will return to their working position under gravity alone.This allows the piston cylinder unit to be of single acting type rather than the more expensive double acting type.

Releasable locking means (not shown) are provided to lock the outer rotors in the transport position.

It will be appreciated that an important advantage of the present invention which stems from the use of a pressure cylinder is that it permits the use of a linkage between the pressure cylinder and the or each liftable rotor which allows the rotorto move freely in response to irregularities of the ground over which it is passing. If a suction piston/cylinder unit were to be used this would have to be fixedly connected to the or each movable rotor with the result that the latter can only move slowly in response to ground irregularities since it must of necessity move a volume of oil in the cylinder. Thus whilst movement of the or each movable rotor if a suction cylinder were used would be associated with a considerable inertia, in the construction of the present invention this movement is both unimpeded and rapid so that substantially no hay is left unturned. In the drawing the right hand outer rotor is shown slightly lower than normal so the chain 3 is shown taut whilst the left hand rotor has been raised slightly by a ground irregularity so the associated chain 3 is slack.

Claims (9)

1. A haymaking machine having at least two rotors which have working members distributed around their periphery and are mounted to rotate about axes which are substantially vertical but slightly inclined forwards and upwards with respect to the direction of machine travel and a hydraulic piston/cylinder unit connected to at least one rbtor and so arranged that when hydraulic fluid is pumped under pressure into the piston/cylinder unit the rotor is lifted from its working position into a transport position.

2. A machine as claimed in Claim 1 in which the piston/cylinder unit is oil actuated.

3. A machine as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which the piston cylinder unit is single acting.

4. A machine as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3 having at least four rotors, the two outer rotors being connected to a single common piston/cylinder unit.

5. A machine as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the or each liftable rotor is pivotally connected to the rotor support frame and connected to the piston/cylinder unit by a linkage which permits movability of the working position in response to irregularities of the ground.

6. A machine as claimed in any one ofthe preceding claims which includes one or more abutments which determine the transport position of the or each liftable rotor.

7. A machine as claimed in Claim 6 in which the or each abutment is so positioned that the or each liftable rotor can move from its transport position to its working position underthe influence of gravity.

8. A machine as claimed in any one of the preceding claims including locking means arranged to lock the or each liftable rotor in its transport position.

9. A haymaking machine substantially as specifically herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.