GB2132462A - Crop engaging device - Google Patents

Abstract

A crop engaging rotor for conveying and/or conditioning crop comprises a number of support members 12,14,14A, and a plurality of outwardly extending crop engaging elements 11. Each crop engaging element 11 comprises an elongate strip 20 of stiff resilient synthetic plastics material folded to form two outwardly extending arms 21 and 22 generally in a V-shape. The folded strip 20 is secured to a support flange 14A by a bolt 23 and a bracket 50 which encloses a base portion of the element 11. The bolts 23 passes through a rubber cone 24A which urges the element 11 against the flange 14A, but allows yielding of the element 11 by a pivoting movement away from the flange 14A. An extension 50A protrudes from the floor of the bracket 50. During yielding of the conditioning element 11, the bracket 50 pivots by contact of the extension 50A with the underside of the flange 14, and the bolt 23 tilts relative to the flange 14A. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Crop engaging device The present invention relates to a crop engaging device. The invention is concerned in one aspect with apparatus for conditioning of crops especially, but not exclusively, grasses, and is concerned in other applications with pick-up and conveying rotors for collecting cut crop and conveying the same.

Considering firstly the aspect of the present invention concerned with conditioning of crops, it is well known to treat forage crops such as grasses and legumes in order to assist loss of moisture in the field after cutting prior to storage to provide animal fodder. The speed at which surface and sap moisture evaporate from the cut crop during field exposure depends inter alia on the physical condition of the crop. The principal barrier to moisture loss in the cuticle and the layer of epicuticular wax on the crop surface, and it is now common practice in agriculture to mechanically treat the crop in order to damage this barrier. Such mechanical treatment, which may take the form of crushing, lacerating, bruising, splitting, spiking, bending or scuffing the stems and leaves of the crop, is known as "conditioning".

In our UK Patent No. 1,322,1 65 there are described conditioning elements formed in the shape of a Vor Yand yieldably mounted on a rotor, the elements being yieldable by virtue of being pivoted at their main point of securement to the rotor. This allows the conditioning elements to yield in operation in contact with stones or other foreign objects found in the crop. However a disadvantage of such free pivoting is that the elements can also yield in response to unusually high crop loads, unless they are heavy and the rotor is rotated at a relatively high speed in order to maintain the conditioning elements in an outwardly extending position by virtue of centrifugal force.

In our later UK Patent No. 1,493,574 there are disclosed conditioning elements which also take the form of a V. The conditioning elements are resiliently mounted so as to be maintained in an outward operative position without the need to rely on centrifugal force, but are yieldable by pivotting against the resilient locating means.

Such conditioning means offer many advantages and have found wide acceptance in practice, but are relatively complicated in construction, and expensive to manufacture.

In a US Patent Specification No. 4,021,995 (Hill) there are disclosed conditioning elements which take the form of a U with inclined sides, and which are resiliently mounted. Again the structure is complicated, and each conditioning element is secured by two bolts passing through the entire rotor assembly.

In one aspect the present invention is concerned with providing crop conditioning elements which can be maintained in an outwardly directed operative position without the need to rely upon centrifugal force, which are yieldable when in contact with foreign material in the crop, and which are relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture and maintain.

Considering now another aspect of the invention concerned with pick-up rotors for collecting cut crop, and conveying rotors for crop in general, there have been known previously a number of forms of crop conveying rotors having outwardly directed crop conveying elements, commonly known as tines. One form of such crop conveying element is disclosed in German Patent No. 690268 (Lythal) which discloses U-shaped tines for picking up and conveying crop, in which the arms of the U are secured to a rotor by a bolt passing through a bracket which grips the junction of the arms of the U. The bolt also passes through a spring which presses the tine to its normal operating position. In UK Patent No. 1 98256 (Martin) a similar arrangement is shown in which a U-shaped tine is secured to a rotor by a bolt and spring arrangement.In each case the tine can pivot away from its operating position by compression of the spring. In the German Patent 690268 (Lythal) the retaining bolt is generally at right angles to the main plane of the U-shaped tine. In the UK Patent 198256 (Martin) the retaining bolt is generally in the same plane as the U-shaped tine. In both arrangements, the coupling is complicated, expensive to produce, and is unsuitable for modern crop conveying and conditioning applications.

According to the present invention in one aspect there is provided a crop engaging device for conveying and/or conditioning crop, the device comprising support means and, secured to the support means, a plurality of outwardly extending crop engaging elements for engaging crop flowing past, or conveyed by, the device, each crop engaging element having a base portion for securement to the support means, and a crop engaging portion extending into the crop flow and inclined relative to the support means in a plane generally transverse to the intended movement of the crop engaging portion with or relative to the crop, the support means and each crop engaging element having cooperating abutment regions such as to prevent or inhibit movement of the crop engaging element away from its required operating position under normal load conditions, but such as to allow the crop engaging element to be yielding under an abnormal load by movement of the crop engaging portion rearwardly in relation to the intended movement of the element with or relative to the crop, the said support means comprising a support member including at least one support flange transverse to the said intended movement of the crop engaging portions of the elements with or relative to the crop, a plurality of fastening means for fastening the elements to the support member, a plurality of resilient biasing means for urging the elements to the normal operating position, and a plurality of support brackets for supporting the elements, each bracket comprising at least one end flange transverse to the said intended movement and two inclined side flanges, the flanges being arranged to enclose at least partially the base region of the element, each fastening means having a principal axis along which it extends through the end flange of the bracket and through the support flange of the support member, and the arrangement being such that the retaining force exerted by the fastening means is predominantly tension along the axis of the fastening means, each bracket including an extension protruding from the main body of the bracket and cooperating with the support member to locate the bracket relative to the support member.

It will normally be preferred in applications of the invention that the said yielding movement is predominantly a pivoting movement of the element about an axis transverse to the principal axis of the axial fastening means. It is also preferred that the said support flange and end flange are both substantially perpendicular to the general direction of the intended movement of the elements with or relative to the crop.

In many preferred forms, the said support member comprises an elongate support member extending transverse to the intended movement of the crop engaging elements relative to the crop with a plurality of crop engaging elements positioned along the elongate support member, cooperating abutment regions being arranged to prevent or inhibit rotation of the element about an axis extending into the crop perpendicular to the said elongate support member, and the said yielding movement comprising predominantly a pivoting movement about an axis generally aligned along the length of the elongate support member.

In accordance with a preferred feature of the invention, the bracket may be arranged to move wholly or predominantly with the crop engaging element during the said yielding movement, and may be arranged to pivot about a region of contact of the bracket extension with the support member.

In accordance with a preferred feature of the invention the said cooperating abutment surfaces include cooperating abutment surfaces on the support member and on the said bracket extension which are effective to prevent or inhibit rotation of the crop engaging element about the principal axis of the fastening means.

Also preferably each bracket includes a floor flange positioned substantially perpendicular to the said end flange, and the said extension of the bracket protrudes from the said floor flange away from the main body of the bracket.

Preferably it is arranged that the axial fastening means passes through openings in the end flange of the bracket and the support flange of the support member with clearances sufficient to allow angular movement of the axial fastening means, and in which during the said yielding movement of the crop engaging elements, the axis of the fastening means tilts relative to the support member.

It is particularly preferred that the said support flange of the support member is arranged to shield the base portion of the crop engaging element by extending in front of the base portion of the crop engaging element relative to the said intended movement of the crop engaging element with or relative to the crop. Conveniently the element abuts directly against the trailing face of the support flange and is urged against the support flange by the said resilient biasing means.

In accordance with yet another feature, for each bracket, one or both of the said inclined side flanges is or are shaped to support a portion of the element at the said angle of inclination relative to the support means.

In one preferred form, the crop engaging element is formed of stiff resilient material and is folded at the base region to produce two divergent portions biased apart by virtue of the springiness of the said material and arranged to bear against the inclined sides of the bracket, which sides retain the divergent portions in the required configuration against the bias urging the portions apart.

Conveniently each crop engaging element comprises an elongate member shaped to produce a configuration in which the member forms two outwardly extending arms which diverge from each other in the outward direction and in a plane generally transverse to the intended movement of the arms with or relative to the crop, the elongate member being secured to the support member at the region of conjunction of the two arms.

The invention provides a particularly advantageous construction where each said elongate member is formed of stiff resilient material, and is folded to produce the said configuration, the said divergent arms being biased apart by virtue of the springiness of the said material and being arranged to bear against the inclined sides of the bracket, which sides retain the arms in the said configuration against the bias urging the arms apart.

Most preferably each elongate member is a flat strip of material arranged with the flat outer surfaces of the two arms bearing against the said bracket sides. Also preferably the flat strip is folded about an axis at right angles to the length of the strip and lying in the plane of the strip.

However, in other arrangements the strip may be folded in more than one place, for example to produce a generally U-shaped configuration (but with at least slightly divergent arms) rather than a V-shaped configuration, and it is also possible for the strip to be folded about an axis which is inclined to the length of the strip at an angle other than a right angle. Rod-like or tubular material may also be used in place of strip.

In one preferred form, the said support member comprises a transverse right angle section support member, the said base portions of the elements being shielded by one flange of the member, and the other flange extending forwardly relative to the said intended movement.

In some arrangements at least some of the cooperating abutment regions are constituted by the rear surface of the shielding region of the support member and the leading surfaces of the crop engaging devices and/or surfaces of said brackets, the arrangement being such that during the said yielding movement the crop engaging portion of a yielding element tips rearwardly away from the said shielding region of the support means with the said abutment regions moving apart. Conveniently each elongate member may be formed from a flat strip of material arranged with an edge surface of the strip abutting against the said shielding region of the support means.

The said yielding movement may be produced by any one or a combination of different effects, for example by pivoting, rocking and/or twisting, but it is preferred that the said yielding movement is produced at least in part by a rocking movement of the element as a whole, e.g. about an axis perpendicular to the axis of the axial fastening means. In other arrangements, or in combination with this arrangement, the said yielding movement may be produced at least in part by bending and/or twisting of the crop engaging portion of the element.

Conveniently each crop engaging element is secured by a single axial fastening means which may comprise a bolt secured to the support means by a nut and washer arrangement. The axial fastening means may conveniently include resilient biasing means urging the base portion of the crop engaging element against the support member but allowing movement of the element away from the support member along the direction of the axis of the fastening means to provide at least in part the said yielding movement. Thus where for example the fastening means comprises a bolt there may be provided a component of elastomeric material such as rubber, through which the bolt passes, holding the element base portion against the support member but allowing movement of the element as a whole in a rocking movement deforming the block of elastomeric material.

It is an advantage that the said support means can be arranged both to support the crop engaging elements, and also to afford protection against damage by stones and like objects in the crop, the shielding region of the support member being ahead of the element relative to movement between the crop and the element in operation, for the purpose of shielding the base of the element against damage by stones and like foreign matter in the crop.

The invention finds particular but not exclusive application where the said elements are made of stiff resilient material, for example synthetic plastics material, conveniently nylon, polypropylene or polyethylene, or of spring steel, although rigid non-resilient material may be used.

Conveniently the elements may be cut from sheets of plastics material.

The crop engaging device finds application either when in the form of a vertical or horizontal rotor for conveying and/or conditioning crop by rotation of the rotor, or when in the form of a stationary device positioned adjacent a crop flow so as to condition crop being propelled past the device by other means. Where the crop engaging device is in the form of a rotor, the elements may be returned after yielding to their undeflected dispositions by a combination of the yielding arrangements described, aided also by centrifugal force, and where the crop engaging device comprises a stationary device, the elements may be returned to their undeflected dispositions after yielding by means only of the biasing arrangements described.In general, a crop engaging device according to the invention finds application in arrangements such as described in our published pending UK Patent Application No.

8012426 (EX PCT/GB 79/00053), where the crop engaging e(ements of the present invention may replace the brush tufts disclosed in that specification.

Crop engaging devices embodying the invention may be provided which are applicable to conditioning, tedding, turning, scoring, fibrillating, threshing or otherwise treating crops.

The present invention provides, at least in preferred embodiments thereof, a number of advantages over previously known crop engaging elements for conveying and/or conditioning crop.

Although the crop engaging elements of the invention may be produced from other materials such as steel, it is particularly preferred that the elements are made of synthetic plastics material, and the invention affords a particularly simple and inexpensive construction. Such elements of plastics material have the attractions of lightness, cheapness, low risk of damaging following machinery if lost, and have a much less complex method of mounting than has been used previously.

In preferred embodiments the invention provides a divergent, two-arm element located and prevented from turning by abutment regions and secured by a single bolt and bracket arrangement so that fore and aft movement of the element is possible and the arms themselves can twist or deflect laterally.

There is also provided in accordance with a further aspect of the present invention a crop engaging device for conveying and/or conditioning crop, the device comprising a support member and, secured to the support member, an outwardly extending crop engaging element for engaging crop flowing past, or conveyed by, the device, the crop engaging element comprising an elongate member shaped to produce a configuration in which the member forms two outwardly extending arms which diverge from each other in the outward direction and in a plane generally transverse to the intended movement of the arms with or relative to the crop, the crop engaging element being secured to rear of the support member by an axial fastening means having a principal axis along which it extends through the support member and through a bracket engaged with a base portion of the element at the region of conjunction of the arms, there being provided a resilient biasing means urging the base portion of the element against the support member but allowing yielding of the element under abnormal load, and the bracket including an extension extending forwardly of the base portion of the element and engaging the support member to locate the bracket.

Various preferred features which have been set out hereinbefore may also be applied in connection with this further aspect of the invention, and also in connection with any combination of features of the two aspects.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of examples with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a rear perspective view of a crop engaging element embodying the invention; Figure 2 is a side view taken along direction A in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a perspective view from the rear of the element and its support means shown in Figure 1; Figure 4 is a perspective view of the components of the element and the support means shown in Figure 3, the components being disassembled; Figure 5 shows a development of a bracket shown in the preceding Figures; Figure 6 is a perspective view of a crop conditioning and/or conveying rotor having conditioning elements as shown in preceding Figures; Figures 7 and 8 show in diagrammatic crosssection modifications of the element shown in the preceding figures.

Referring firstly to Figures 1 and 2 there is shown a crop engaging element for conveying and/or conditioning crop, indicated generally by the reference 11, and forming one of a plurality of such elements mounted on a rotor having a plurality of transverse support members parallel to the axis of the rotor, of which one is indicated generally by the reference 12.

The support member 12 comprises a right angle section support member having a first, leading base flange 14 and a second, upstanding, shielding flange 14A, also referred to as a supporting flange.

The crop engaging element 11 comprises an elongate member in the form of a flat strip 20 of stiff resilient material, conveniently a strip of synthetic plastics material. For example the flat strip 20 may be cut from a sheet of polypropylene of 9 mm thickness, the strip being for example 40 mm in width and the entire strip 20 being 25 cm in length.

As shown in Figure 1, the flat strip 20 is folded, by heating if necessary, to form two outwardly extending arms 21 and 22 generally in the form of a V-shape, and is secured to the shielding flange 14A of the support member 12 by a bolt 23 passing through an opening 13 in the flange 14A.

The bolt 23 extends along a principal axis 23A of the bolt. The opening 13 needs to be substantially larger than the diameter of the bolt 23, to allow for the deflection of the bolt. The bolt 23 retains the strip 20 in place by means of a bracket 50 the bolt 23 being secured by a nut 25 on the outer side of the shielding flange 14A.

The arms 21 and 22 of the element 11 diverge from each other in the outward direction away from the support member 12. The arms 21 and 22 are biased apart by virtue of the outwardly directed springiness of the material of the strip 20, and bear against sides 70 and 71 of the bracket 50. The sides 70 and 71 retain the arms 21 and 22 in the V-shape configuration against the bias urging the arms apart.

The bolt 23 passes through the region of the fold of the strip 20 and through the shielding flange 1 4A of the support member 12. The element strip 20 is supported in the required inclined configuration by the bracket 50 which is shown in detail in Figures 3, 4 and 5. The bracket 50 comprises side flanges 70 and 71 positioned at right angles to the inner surface 1 4C of the upstanding flange 1 4A of the support member 12, but inclined upwardly and outwardly relative to the base flange 14 of the support member 12. The bracket 50 has a rear linking portion 72 which forms an end flange parallel to the upstanding flange 1 4A of the support member 12 and joins together the two side flanges 70 and 71.The end flange 72 has an aperture 73 through which the bolt 23 passes, to secure the bracket 50 and arms 21 and 22 to the support member 12. The bracket has a floor flange 50B forming a floor of the inner space of the bracket, and the extension 50A protrudes from the floor flange 50B.

Inside the bracket 50 is positioned a packing piece 74, shown in detail in Figure 4, which fits inside the fold of the strip 20. The packing piece 70 has an aperture 75 through which the bolt 23 passes. The packing piece retains the folded strip 20 in the bracket 50 against forces acting outwardly from the base portion 14 of the support member 12, for example centrifugal forces when the support member 12 forms part of a rotor.

Conveniently the packing piece 74 is made of hard rubber although metal may be used. Preferably the strip 20 is made of stiff resilient synthetic plastics material, although metal may be used.

On the other surface of the flange 1 4A is positioned a rubber cone 24A through which the bolt 23 passes, the bolt being provided with a washer 57. The bolt is normally slightly pretensioned against the rubber block 24A to hold the element 11 against the flange 1 4A in the required operating position. In alternative arrangements, not shown, the elastomeric element 24A can be fitted between the trailing bracket face 72 and the nut 25 of bolt 23. This has some advantage in that the hole 13 in the transverse support member 12 need then only be slightly oversize to accommodate the required movements.

At the base of the bracket 50, a bracket extension 50A extends forwardly (relative to the direction of movement of the element 11 with or through the crop) of the element 11 under the flange 14 of the support member 12. The extension 50B takes the form of a locating lip which is curved -away from the flange 14. The curved end of the lip 50A may be fairly sharply curved as shown in full lines in Figure 2, or may follow a more gentle curve as shown in broken lines, depending on the deflection characteristic required.

The bracket extension 50A serves two main functions. First, the extension 50A locates the bracket relative to the support member 12 and prevents or inhibits unwanted rotation of the arms 21 and 22 of the element 11 about the axis 23A of the bolt 23. Second, the curved end of the extension 50A provides a pivot region for the element 11 and bracket 50 to pivot about when the element 11 experiences an abnormal load and tips rearwardly.

In Figure 2 the sense of rotation of the crop engaging rotor will be such as to move the support member 12 to the right, so that the crop engaging element 11 conveys crop towards the right.

Should the element 11 meet with a stone, piece of tramp metal, or like foregin object in the crop, the element 11 is not free to rotate to any great extent about the axis 23A of the fastening bolt 23 but is free to pivot rearwardly by a rocking movement by means of compression of the cone 24. During such pivoting, the bolt 23 will tilt relative to the support member 12. The rocking movement of the element may be the sole yielding movement of the crop engaging element 11, or there may in addition be some movement of the element 11 due to yielding of the element by virtue of the resilience of the material from which it is made. It is also to be noted that the arms 21 and 22 may be deflected in the plane of Figure 1, that is to say from side to side, in addition to the rearward yielding of the element.Furthermore, the yielding of the element may also be produced by excess load conditions due to a particularly dense portion of crop, in addition to yielding to avoid foreign objects.

It is an advantage of the arrangement shown that in response to a sharp blow on only one of the element arms, the bracket can lift away from its seat momentarily on one side. Thus to this extent the elements and their retaining brackets can marginally rotate.

Predominantly, the yielding movement of the element 11 will be about an axis transverse to the axis 23A of the bolt 23. The rocking movement of the element 11 will not of course take place about a clearly defined axis, but where the whole element tips rearwardly the movement may be regarded approximately as a pivoting movement about-an axis parallel to the member 1 2 in the general region indicated at 20B. It is to be appreciated that in practice, especially where the strip 20 is formed of resilient plastics material, the yielding movement will not be a simple pivoting movement but will include a twisting and deforming of the arms 21 and 22.

The embodiment shown is also suitable for use where the element 11 is formed from steel or other metal, or other material which is not particularly yielding in itself, since the yielding can be provided by the block 24A. It is also to be noted that the rubber block 24A may be replaced by plastics resilient material or by a steel spring. Also the packer 74 may be made of plastic, steel or other suitable material.

In operation the arms 21 and 22 are prevented, or inhibited, from rotating, under normal crop loads, about an axis 23B (which passes through the bolt axis 23A at right angles thereto perpendicular to the base portion 1 4 of the support member 12) by the effect of abutment regions on the leading edges on the arms 21 and 22, cooperating within the rear surface of the upstanding flange 14A. When the element 11 is affected by an abnormal load, the element tips rearwardly by compression of the rubber cone 24A. During such yielding movement, the bolt 23 is predominantly under tension, generally along the axis of 23 of the bolt.

One advantage of the arrangement shown is that the bolt 23 does not actually pass through a hole in the strip 20, so that weakening of the strip 20 by the hole is avoided. Also the end flange 72 of the bracket 50 gives support to the rear edges of the arms 21 and 22 at the back region thereof.

Another advantage is that little or no strain is placed on the packing piece 74 during the yielding movement.

There is also shown in Figures 1 and 2, in chain dotted lines at 71 A and 72B, a modification of the bracket 50. In this modification, the end flange 72 extends upwardly at 72B to provide more support for the arms 21 , 22, and the flange portion 72B is curved rearwardly slightly.

In Figure 6 there is shown a perspective view of a rotor 40 embodying the invention and having an array of conditioning elements 11 as shown in the preceding Figures, the rotor 40 being an open squirrel-cage type of rotor. In Figure 6 the rotor 40 is shown mounted on a frame 50 with a rear housing 61 lifted up from its normal position to show the rotor 40. Figure 6 is a rear view of the machine. The rotor 40 rotates in such a manner as to lift crop upwardly and rearwardly over the rotor 40, the crop being picked up from the rear of twin cutting rotors, or multi-disc cutters, or from the ground.

With all the conditioner embodiments disclosed suitable speeds at the tips of the conditioning elements range from 1 5 to 30 m/s, preferably 20 to 25 m/s. By way of example, the conditioning elements may be mounted to form a rotor of diameter in the range 500 to 600 mm.

In Figure 7 there is shown in diagrammatic side section a modification of the bracket 50 shown in previous figures. In Figure 7, and also in Figure 8, components corresponding generally to those shown in preceding figures will be indicated by like reference numerals.

In Figure 7, the floor flange 50B of the bracket 50, extends upwardly into a further end flange 72A parallel to the main end flange 72, and the bracket extension 50A then extends rearwardly from the top of the end flange 72A. The bracket 50 and element 11 are secured to the upstanding support flange 1 4A generally in the same manner as in the previous figures. The arrangements shown in Figure 7 may be provided on a rotor 12 which may rotate in either direction. Where the element 11 in Figure 7 moves to the right, an excess load will cause pivoting of the conditioning element 22 to the left in Figure 7, so that pivoting takes place between the top of the support flange 1 4A and the underside of the bracket extension 50A.If the direction of movement of the element 11 in Figure 7 is reversed so as to move normally to the left, then if the element meets a foreign object such as a stone, it will tend to pivot to the right, again compressing the rubber cones 24A. In this case pivoting will take place about the iower left hand edge of the bracket floor 50B where this contacts the support flange 14A.

Referring to Figure 8, there is shown a yet further variation. In this arrangement the support flange 1 4A extends outwardly from the rotor (not shown) and is in the form of a dog leg. The bracket 50 has only a single end flange 72, and the extension 50A extends from the floor flange 50B.

The preferred movement of the flange and bracket in Figure 8 in operation is towards the left, so that upon striking a stone or the like, the conditioning element 11 will pivot to the right about a region of contact of the extension 50A with the support flange 14A.

Claims (17)

1. A crop engaging device for conveying and/or conditioning crop, the device comprising support means and, secured to the support means, a plurality of outwardly extending crop engaging elements for engaging crop flowing past, or conveyed by, the device, each crop engaging element having a base portion for securement to the support means, and a crop engaging portion extending into the crop flow and inclined relative to the support means in a plane generally transverse to the intended movement of the crop engaging portion with or relative to the crop, the support means and each crop engaging element having cooperating abutment regions such as to prevent or inhibit movement of the crop engaging element away from its required operating position under normal load conditions, but such as to allow the crop engaging element to be yielding under an abnormal load by movement of the crop engaging portion rearwardly in relation to the intended movement of the element with or relative to the crop, the said support means comprising a support member including at least one support flange transverse to the said intended movement of the crop engaging portions of the elements with or relative to the crop, a plurality of fastening means for fastening the elements to the support means, a plurality of resilient biasing means for urging the elements to the normal operating position, and a plurality of support brackets for supporting the elements, each bracket comprising at least one end flange transverse to the said intended movement and two inclined side flanges, the flanges being arranged to enclose at least partially the base region of the element, each fastening means having a principal axis along which it extends through the end flange of the bracket and through the support flange of the support member, and the arrangement being such that the retaining force exerted by the fastening means is predominantly tension along the axis of the fastening means, each bracket including an extension protruding from the main body of the bracket and cooperating with the support member to locate the bracket relative to the support member.

2. A device according to Claim 1 in which the bracket is arranged to move wholly or predominantly with the crop engaging element during the said yielding movement, and is arranged to pivot about a region of contact of the bracket extension with the support member.

3. A device according to Claim 1 or 2 in which the said cooperating abutment surfaces include cooperating abutment surfaces on the support member and on the said bracket extension which are effective to prevent or inhibit rotation of the crop engaging element about the principal axis of the fastening means.

4. A device according to any preceding claim in which each bracket includes a floor flange positioned substantially perpendicular to the said end flange, and the said extension of the bracket protrudes from the said floor flange away from the main body of the bracket.

5. A device according to any preceding claim in which the axial fastening means passes through openings in the end flange of the bracket and the support flange of the support member with clearances sufficient to allow angular movement of the axial fastening means, and in which during the said yielding movement of the crop engaging elements, the axis of the fastening means tilts relative to the support member

6. A device according to any preceding claim in which the said support flange of the support member is arranged to shield the base portion of the crop engaging element by extending in front of the base portion of the crop engaging element relative to the said intended movement of the crop engaging element with or relative to the crop.

7. A device according to Claim 6 in which the element abuts directly against the trailing face of the support flange and is urged against the support flange by the said resilient biasing means.

8. A device according to any preceding claim in which for each bracket, one or both of the said inclined side flanges is or are shaped to support a portion of the element at the said angle of inclination relative to the support means.

9. A device according to Claim 8 in which the crop engaging element is formed of stiff resilient material and is folded at the base region to produce two divergent portions biased apart by virtue of the springiness of the said material and arranged to bear against the inclined sides of the bracket, which sides retain the divergent portions in the required configuration against the bias urging the portions apart.

10. A device according to any preceding claim in which each crop engaging element comprises an elongate member shaped to produce a configuration in which the member forms two outwardly extending arms which diverge from each other in the outward direction and in a plane generally transverse to the intended movement of the arms with or relative to the crop, the elongate member being secured to the support member at the region of conjunction of the two arms.

11. A device according to Claim 10 in which each said elongate member is formed of stiff resilient material, and is folded to produce the said configuration, the said divergent arms being biased apart by virtue of the springiness of the said material and being arranged to bear against the inclined sides of the bracket, which sides retain the arms in the said configuration against the bias urging the arms apart.

12. A device according to any preceding claim in which each crop engaging element is a flat strip of material arranged with one flat surface of the strip bearing against one of the said inclined flanges of the bracket.

1 3. A device according to any preceding claim in which at least some of the cooperating abutment regions are constituted by the rear surface of the shielding region of the support member and the leading surfaces of the crop engaging devices and/or surfaces of said brackets, the arrangement being such that during the said yielding movement the crop engaging portion of a yielding element tips rearwardly away from the said shielding region of the support means with the said abutment regions moving apart.

14. A device according to any preceding claim wherein each crop engaging element is formed from a flat strip of material arranged with an edge surface of the strip abutting against the said shielding region of the support means.

1 5. A device according to any preceding claim in which the said resilient biasing means comprises e component of elastomeric material through which the said axial fastening means passes.

1 6. A device according to any preceding claim in which the crop engaging elements are made of stiff resilient synthetic plastics material.

17. A device according to any preceding claim in which the device is in the form of a rotor for conveying or conditioning crop by rotation of the rotor.

1 8. A crop engaging device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one or any combination of the accompanying drawings.