Bar rail for side cutting unit
A side cutting unit for a cutting unit of an agricultural harvesting machine. The side cutting unit comprises a support frame designed as a bar rail, wherein the bar rail supports, in the longitudinal direction, at least one oscillating knife bar using blade holding apparatuses, and at one end is coupled to a drive that causes the oscillating movement of the at least one knife bar, with the bar rail being designed as a one-piece profiled tube, such as an extruded profiled tube.
1. A side cutting unit of a cutting unit of an agricultural harvesting machine comprising:
a support frame designed as a bar rail, wherein the bar rail supports, in a longitudinal direction, at least one oscillating knife bar using one or more blade holding apparatuses and at one end is coupled to a drive that causes an oscillating movement of the at least one oscillating knife bar,
wherein the bar rail is designed as a one-piece profiled tube,
wherein an inside of the profiled tube comprises a plurality of reinforcing bars, and
wherein the plurality of reinforcing bars divide a cross-section of the profiled tube into a middle region and at least two seating regions on either side of the middle region.
2. The side cutting unit of claim 1 , wherein the bar rail is designed as an extruded profiled tube.
3. The side cutting unit of claim 1 , wherein the at least two seating regions abut the middle region.
4. The side cutting unit of claim 1 , wherein one of the at least two seating regions is configured as a guide rail of a holding element that is adjustable in position; and
wherein another of the at least two seating regions is configured as a seat for the one or more blade holding apparatuses.
5. The side cutting unit of claim 4 , wherein the at least one oscillating knife bar comprises a double blade, with each of the double blades being positioned on a flank of the another of the at least two seating regions seating the at least one oscillating knife bar.
6. The side cutting unit of claim 1 , wherein the middle region of the profiled tube forms a U-profile structure with at least one of the reinforcing bars and transitions into flanks that converge towards each other in a direction of another reinforcing bar.
7. The side cutting unit of claim 1 , wherein one of the at least two seating regions configured as a guide rail of a retaining element that is adjustable in position has converging flanks in a cross-section, and comprises a guide cavity in its interior to seat one or more connecting elements in a positionally variable manner.
8. The side cutting unit of claim 7 , wherein convergence of the converging flanks is in a direction of flow of material.
9. The side cutting unit of claim 1 , wherein one of the at least two seating regions is configured as a seat for the one or more blade holding apparatuses and forms a box profile with at least one of the plurality of reinforcing bars adjacent thereto to seat the one or more blade holding apparatuses.
10. The side cutting unit of claim 1 , wherein wall thickness of a horizontal section of the middle region is greater than wall thicknesses of one or both of the at least two seating regions, the horizontal section being perpendicular to one of the plurality of reinforcing bars that define the middle region.
11. The side cutting unit of claim 2 , wherein the extruded profiled tube comprises aluminum.
12. A method of operating a side cutting unit of a cutting unit of an agricultural harvesting machine, the method comprising:
using the side cutting unit that is seated on one or both side regions of the cutting unit, the side cutting unit including:
a support frame designed as a bar rail, wherein the bar rail supports, in a longitudinal direction, at least one oscillating knife bar using one or more blade holding apparatuses and at one end is coupled to a drive that causes an oscillating movement of the at least one oscillating knife bar,
wherein the bar rail is designed as a one-piece profiled tube,
wherein an inside of the profiled tube comprises a plurality of reinforcing bars, and
wherein the plurality of reinforcing bars divide a cross-section of the profiled tube into a middle region and at least two seating regions on either side of the middle region.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the agricultural harvesting machine comprises a combine.
14. The method of claim 12 ,
wherein one of the at least two seating regions acts as a guide rail of a holding element that is adjustable in position; and
wherein another of the at least two seating regions acts as a seat for the one or more blade holding apparatuses.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the one of the at least two seating regions that acts as the guide rail of a retaining element is adjustable in position and has converging flanks in a cross-section, and comprises a guide cavity in its interior to seat one or more connecting elements in a positionally variable manner.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein convergence of the converging flanks is in a direction of flow of material.
17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of reinforcing bars divide a cross-section of the profiled tube into a middle region and at least two seating regions on either side of the middle region; and
wherein one of the at least two seating regions acts a seat for the one or more blade holding apparatuses and forms a box profile with at least one of the plurality of reinforcing bars adjacent thereto to seat the one or more blade holding apparatuses.