Multiple row forage harvester

Claim 2

A forage harvester for harvesting standing plant stalks, gathering dividers forming a plurality of gathering passages including a pair of side gathering passages and a center gathering passage positioned between said side gathering passages, the harvester having a narrow rear opening of a width substantially less than the spacing between the side gathering passages, the gathering passages having fore portions that are substantially straight and disposed at a relatively small angle in the direction of movement of the harvester and converging rearwardly, sickle means at the rear ends of said fore portions, means conveying the standing stalks rearwardly in the fore portions of the gathering passages and comprising means along the sides of each passage conveying the stalks in the gathering passages to respective portions of said sickle means and said side passages having aft portions with sides positioned at an abrupt angle to the direction of movement, and conveying means along the sides of the aft portions having a common transfer connection with the conveying means in said respective fore portions for conveying the material after it is cut abruptly laterally inwardly toward and through said narrow rear opening.

Claim 3

A wide span forage harvester for harvesting a plurality of rows of standing crops without excessively bending them laterally while attached to the ground comprising a harvesting component having a rear central area and a plurality of gathering dividers including one center gathering divider and a pair of side gathering dividers defining a plurality of gathering passages between adjacent ones thereof and forming a pair of side gathering passages and a center gathering passage positioned between said side gathering passages, gathering chains on opposite sides of each gathering passage and including outermost ones of such gathering chains on outermost sides of the side gathering passages, said outermost chains including forward portions adjacent to the direction of travel of the harvester and rearward portions inclined laterally inwardly toward each other relative to the forward portions, means mounting adjacent ends of the forward and rear chain portions on a common axis, the gathering chains all being effective for confining crop stalks and moving them rearwardly and the rearward portions of said outermost gathering chains also moving the stalks of the corresponding rows laterally inwardly, all into said rear central area having a lateral extent substantially less than the maximum transverse range of the gathering passages.

Claim 4

A wide span forage harvester for harvesting a plurality of rows of standing crops without excessively bending them laterally while attached to the ground comprising a harvesting component having a rear central area and a plurality of gathering dividers including one center gathering divider and a pair of side gathering dividers defining a plurality of gathering passages between adjacent ones thereof and forming a pair of side gathering passages and a center gathering passage positioned between said side gathering passages, gathering chains on opposite sides of each gathering passage and including outermost ones of such gathering chains on outermost sides of the side gathering passages, said outermost chains including forward portions adjacent to the direction of travel of the harvester and rearward portions inclined laterally inwardly toward each other relative to the forward portions, means mounting adjacent ends of the forward and rear chain portions on a common axis, the gathering chains all being effective for confining crop stalks and moving them rearwardly and the rearward portions of said outermost gathering chains also moving the stalks of the corresponding rows laterally inwardly, all into said rear central area having a lateral extent substantially less than the maximum transverse range of the gathering passages.

Claim 5

A forage harvester according to claim 2 wherein the rear central area has a lateral extent less than that between the center lines of said side gathering passages.

Claim 6

A forage harvester according to claim 2 wherein the forward portions of said outermost gathering chains are inclined inwardly rearwardly at a small angle to the direction of movement of the harvester.

Claim 7

A forage harvester according to claim 4 wherein the forward and rearward portions of each of said outermost gathering chains are independent endless chain sections, and the endless chain sections have said common axis as their axis of rotation at the juncture thereof.

Claim 8

A forage harvester according to claim 2 wherein each gaThering passage converges rearwardly into respectively constricted throats, sickle means is provided at the throats, and the rearward sections of said outermost gathering chains extend laterally inwardly from the throats and sickle means.

Claim 9

A forage harvester according to claim 6 wherein the convergence of the gathering passages terminates adjacent the throats and the gathering passages continue rearwardly therebeyond at substantially uniform widths.

Claim 10

A forage harvester according to claim 7 wherein the rearward portions of the gathering passages beyond the throats are of no greater width than the rearmost extremity of the converging forward portions of the passages.

Claim 11

A forage harvester according to claim 5 and including sickle means at the rear end of the forward chain portions, and lower gathering chains positioned rearwardly adjacent to, spaced vertically from, and generally parallel to the rearward portions.

Claim 12

A forage harvester according to claim 9 wherein the lower gathering chains are disposed below said rearward chain portions, and including means for driving the lower gathering chains linearly faster than the upper gathering chains.

Claim 13

A forage harvester according to claim 6 and including lower gathering chains below said rearward portions and also extending generally rearwardly from the throats and sickle means and substantially to said rear central area in direct discharge relation to a trailing component.

Claim 14

A forage harvester according to claim 6 wherein the harvester includes inner gathering chains extending rearwardly to adjacent throats and sickle means, and additionally includes lower gathering chains below said inner gathering chains extending rearwardly substantially to said rear central area.

Claim 15

A forage harvester according to claim 5 wherein the rearward chain portions extend rearwardly into said rear central area.

Claim 16

A forage harvester according to claim 13 wherein lower gathering chains extend rearwardly substantially the extent of the rearward chain portions.

Claim 17

A forage harvester comprising, a plurality of gathering dividers defining a pair of outer gathering passages and a center gathering passage positioned between said side gathering passages, the harvester also including a rear central area of substantially less width than the maximum transverse range of the series of gathering passages, the gathering passages each converging rearwardly to a constricted throat and having a rear portion continuing rearwardly therebeyond and letting out into said rear central area, the rear portion of the center gathering passage continuing substantially straight rearwardly and the rear portions of the side gathering passages being inclined laterally toward each other rearwardly, gathering chains on opposite sides of each gathering passage and those on the outer sides of the converging portions of the outer gathering passages being inclined at only a small angle relative to the direction of movement of the harvester and the outer sides of the rear portions of the outer gathering passages being inclined at an angle relative to the direction of movement of the harvester greater than said small angle, the gathering chains on the outer sides of the outer gathering passages each including a forward and a rearward endless chain section forming continuous chain means and continuing along such outer sides of those gathering passages at the same respective inclinations as the front and rear portions of the latter, the front sections of the outer gathering chains continuing rearwardly to the respective throats and terminating shortly therebeyond, the rear sections of the outer gathering chains continuing throughout the rear portions of the outer gathering passages and substantially into said rear central area, and the remaining gathering chains continuing rearwardly to the respective throats and terminating shortly therebeyond, and means providing a common axis of rotation at the juncture of said forward and rearward chain sections.

Claim 18

A forage harvester comprising, a plurality of gathering dividers defining a pair of outer gathering passages and a center gathering passage positioned between said side gathering passages, the harvester also including a rear central area of substantially less width than the maximum transverse range of the series of gathering passages, the gathering passages each converging rearwardly to a constricted throat and having a rear portion continuing rearwardly therebeyond and letting out into said rear central area, the rear portion of the center gathering passage continuing substantially straight rearwardly and the rear portions of the side gathering passages being inclined laterally toward each other rearwardly, gathering chains on opposite sides of each gathering passage and those on the outer sides of the converging portions of the outer gathering passages being inclined at only a small angle relative to the direction of movement of the harvester and the outer sides of the rear portions of the outer gathering passages being inclined at an angle relative to the direction of movement of the harvester greater than said small angle, the gathering chains on the outer sides of the outer gathering passages each including a forward and a rearward endless chain section forming continuous chain means and continuing along such outer sides of those gathering passages at the same respective inclinations as the front and rear portions of the latter, the front sections of the outer gathering chains continuing rearwardly to the respective throats and terminating shortly therebeyond, the rear sections of the outer gathering chains continuing throughout the rear portions of the outer gathering passages and substantially into said rear central area, and the remaining gathering chains continuing rearwardly to the respective throats and terminating shortly therebeyond, and means providing a common axis of rotation at the juncture of said forward and rearward chain sections.