Harvester reel having adjustable tine bars and method for resetting same
A harvester reel for an agricultural harvester header includes a central rotatable shaft; a plurality of reel tine bars and a cam assembly for guiding rotation of the plurality of reel tine bars. The reel tine bars extend widthwise across the reel and are connected to the central rotatable shaft for rotation therewith. Each of the plurality of reel tine bars include a tine. The cam assembly includes a cam and a diverter adjacent the cam. The diverter is movable between a disengaged position, in which the cam does not guide rotation of the tine bars, and an engaged position, in which the cam does guide rotation of the tine bars. The diverter is biased toward the engaged position.
1 . A harvester reel of an agricultural harvester header comprising:
a central rotatable shaft;
a plurality of reel tine bars extending widthwise across the harvester reel and connected to the central rotatable shaft for rotation therewith, each of the plurality of reel tine bars comprising a cam follower and a tine; and
a cam assembly selectively guiding rotation of the plurality of reel tine bars;
wherein the cam assembly comprises a primary cam associated with a primary tine bar guiding mechanism and a secondary cam associated with a secondary tine bar guiding mechanism and a diverter operably attached to the secondary cam;
wherein the diverter is selectively movable between a disengaged position, in which the secondary cam does not guide rotation of the tine bars, and an engaged position, in which the secondary cam does guide rotation of the tine bars; and
wherein the diverter is biased toward the engaged position and operates in conjunction with the secondary cam in pivoting the cam follower that enables retraction of the tine along a central longitudinal axis into a cammed state with the retracted tine being positioned at an acute angle to the perimeter of the harvester reel, resulting in an enlarged opening between the plurality of reel tine bars, the tine, and a cutterbar that does not enable contact between the cutterbar and the tine.
2 . The harvester reel of claim 1 , wherein the cam assembly further comprises:
a system that moves the diverter between the disengaged and engaged positions.
3 . The harvester reel of claim 2 , wherein the system comprises a biasing element being biased in moving the diverter from the disengaged position to the engaged position.
4 . The harvester reel of claim 3 , wherein the biasing element comprises a tension spring.
5 . The harvester reel of claim 4 , wherein the spring is mounted to the diverter and a fixed point on the harvester reel.
6 . The harvester reel of claim 3 , wherein the system further comprises:
an electromagnet mounted to a fixed point on the harvester reel,
wherein the electromagnet has an active state that magnetically attracts the diverter against the bias of the biasing element, and an inactive state that does not magnetically attract the diverter.
7 . The harvester reel of claim 6 , wherein the electromagnet is movably mounted to a fixed point on the harvester reel in which an orientation of the electromagnet relative to the fixed point can change for mating with the diverter.
8 . The harvester reel of claim 7 , wherein the electromagnet includes a shaft moveably mounted to the fixed point on the harvester reel, and a compression spring positioned about the shaft that biases the electromagnet away from the fixed point on the harvester reel.
9 . The harvester reel of claim 6 , wherein when the diverter is positioned in the disengaged state, the electromagnet switches from the active state to the inactive state enabling the diverter to move to the engaged state under the bias of the biasing element.
10 . The harvester reel of claim 6 , wherein the system further comprises:
a moveable cylinder mounted to the diverter.
11 . The harvester reel of claim 10 , wherein a moveable end of the movable cylinder is slideably mounted in a slot formed in the diverter.
12 . The harvester reel of claim 11 , wherein in the engaged position of the diverter, the moveable end is positioned at a first end of the slot, and in the disengaged position, the moveable end is positioned either at or near a second end of the slot that is opposite the first end.
13 . The harvester reel of claim 10 , wherein the movable cylinder comprises a hydraulically powered cylinder having an internal piston.
14 . The harvester reel of claim 10 , further comprising:
a sensor that detects a position of the cutterbar with respect to the harvester reel,
wherein the sensor is operatively in communication with the electromagnet and the moveable cylinder in moving the diverter between the disengaged position and the engaged position.
15 . The harvester reel of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of reel tine bars further comprises:
a cam follower that engages at least one of the primary cam and the secondary cam of the cam assembly.
16 . The harvester reel of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of reel tine bars further comprises a cam follower extending from the each of the plurality of reel tine bars, and
wherein in the engaged position of the diverter, the secondary cam engages the cam follower of at least one of the plurality of reel tine bars pivoting the at least one of the plurality of reel tine bars about its longitudinal axis, and in the disengaged position of the diverter, the secondary cam does not engage the cam follower of the at least one of the plurality of reel tine bars.
17 . The harvester reel of claim 1 , further comprising:
a biasing member that biases each reel tine bar to rotate about the central longitudinal axis of the each reel tine bar.
18 . The harvester reel of claim 1 , wherein in the engaged position, the cam follower of at least one of the plurality of reel tine bars is positioned in the cammed state against the diverter and the secondary cam upon rotation of the central rotatable shaft.
19 . An agricultural harvester header comprising:
a central rotatable shaft;
a plurality of reel tine bars extending widthwise across a harvester reel and connected to the central rotatable shaft for rotation therewith, each of the plurality of reel tine bars comprising a cam follower and a tine;
a cam assembly selectively guiding rotation of the plurality of reel tine bars,
wherein the cam assembly comprises a primary cam associated with a primary tine bar guiding mechanism and a secondary cam associated with a secondary tine bar guiding mechanism and a diverter operably attached to the secondary cam,
wherein the diverter is selectively movable between a disengaged position, in which the secondary cam does not guide rotation of the tine bars, and an engaged position, in which the secondary cam does guide rotation of the tine bars, and wherein the diverter is biased toward the engaged position and operates in conjunction with the secondary cam in pivoting the cam follower that enables retraction of the tine along a central longitudinal axis into a cammed state with the retracted tine being positioned at an acute angle to the perimeter of the harvester reel, resulting in an enlarged opening between the plurality of reel tine bars, the tine, and a cutterbar that does not enable contact between the cutterbar and the tine; and
the cutterbar arranged below the harvester reel.
20 . An agricultural harvester with an agricultural harvester header comprising:
a central rotatable shaft;
a plurality of reel tine bars extending widthwise across a harvester reel and connected to the central rotatable shaft for rotation therewith, each of the plurality of reel tine bars comprising a cam follower and a tine;
a cam assembly selectively guiding rotation of the plurality of reel tine bars, wherein the cam assembly comprises a primary cam associated with a primary tine bar guiding mechanism and a secondary cam associated with a secondary tine bar guiding mechanism and a diverter operably attached to the secondary cam,
wherein the diverter is selectively movable between a disengaged position, in which the secondary cam does not guide rotation of the tine bars, and an engaged position, in which the secondary cam does guide rotation of the tine bars, and
wherein the diverter is biased toward the engaged position and operates in conjunction with the secondary cam in pivoting the cam follower that enables retraction of the tine along a central longitudinal axis into a cammed state with the retracted tine being positioned at an acute angle to the perimeter of the harvester reel, resulting in an enlarged opening between the plurality of reel tine bars, the tine, and a cutterbar that does not enable contact between the cutterbar and the tine; and
the cutterbar arranged below the harvester reel.