Tractor mounted corn harvester

Claim 2

A corn harvester assembly for use on a conventional tractor being driven rearwardly with respect to its normal direction of movement and having steering wheels on one end of an engine housing, a transverse drive wheel axle housing adjacent the other end of said engine housing, a power takeoff shaft and hitch means adjacent said drive wheel axle housing at the rear portion of the tractor during its normal direction of movement, said harvester assembly comprising a supporting frame, connector means on said supporting frame dimensioned and structured for enabling connection of said supporting frame to said hitch means to be supported by said hitch means, a plurality of individual row corn harvester units mounted on said supporting frame and facing rearwardly with respect to the normal direction of operation of said tractor when said supporting frame is mounted on said hitch and power transmission means positioned to be connectable to said power takeoff shaft for providing driving power to said corn row harvester units when said supporting frame is mounted on said hitch whereby said harvester assembly can be employed for harvesting closely spaced corn rows when said tractor is operated in a direction of movement opposite its normal forward direction of movement.

Claim 3

The invention of claim 1 additionally including collecting conveyor means connectable to said tractor for receiving corn from said harvester units in a receiving area adjacent said corn harvester units for conveying said corn to a elevated discharge position trailing the direction of movement of said tractor during a corn harvesting operation so that harvested corn can be deposited in a trailing vehicle.

Claim 4

The invention of claim 1 additionally including collecting conveyor means connectable to said tractor for receiving corn from said harvester units in a receiving area adjacent said corn harvester units for conveying harvested corn to an elevated discharge position trailing the tractor during a corn harvesting operation so that harvested corn can be deposited on a trailing vehicle, each corn harvester unit including an inclined auger-trough conveyor having an upper discharge end positioned to discharge harvested corn onto said collecting conveyor means and variable speed hydraulic auger drive motor means for rotatably driving the auger of said inclined auger-trough conveyor means.

Claim 5

The invention of claim 3 wherein said corn harvester units comprise a left outboard single row harvester unit, a left inboard single row harvester unit, a right inboard single row harvester unit and a right outboard single row harvester unit.

Claim 6

The invention of claim 4 wherein said collecting conveyor means includes a horizontal left infeed conveyor positioned beneath the upper discharge end of said auger-trough conveyor of the left outboard harvester unit for receiving corn therefrom and feeding said corn inwardly toward the centerline of said tractor into a left collecting area positioned beneath the upper end of the auger-trough conveyor of the left inboard harvester unit, a left front to rear extending removal conveyor mounted beneath the drive axle housing of said tractor for receiving corn from said left infeed conveyor and said left inboard harvester unit and conveying said corn to a downstream end in a position alongside and beneath said engine housing, left elevator conveyor means extending upwardly alongside said engine housing and having a lower infeed end positioned beneath the downstream end of said left removal conveyor for receiving corn therefrom and conveying said corn to an upper discharge end defining said discharge position.

Claim 7

The invention of claim 5 wherein said collecting conveyor means additionally includes a horizontal right infeed conveyor having one end positioned beneath the upper discharge end of said right outboard harvester unit for receiving corn therefrom and feeding said corn inwardly toward the centerline of said tractor into a right collecting area positioned beneath the discharge end of the auger-trough conveyor of the right inboard harvester unit, a right front to rear extending removal conveyor mounted beneath the drive axle housing of said tractor for receiving corn from said right collecting area and conveying said corn to a downstream end in a position alongside and beneath said engine housing, elevator conveyor means extending upwardly alongside said engine housing and having a lower infeed end positioned beneath the downstream end of said right removal conveyor for receiving corn therefrom and conveying said corn to an upper discharge end defining said discharge position.

Claim 8

The invention of claim 6 additionally including blower means having first and second discharge openings respectively for directing an air blast into said left and right collecting areas for blowing trash from said collecting areas.

Claim 9

The invention of claim 7 additionally including a left rotatably mounted trash removing paddle means mounted between said left outboard harvester unit and said left inboard harvester unit and a right rotatably mounted trash removing paddle means mounted between said right outboard harvester unit and said right inboard harvester unit and wherein said power transmission means includes mechanical means connectable to the power takeoff of said tractor for drivingly rotating said left and right trash removing paddle means.

Claim 10

The invention of claim 6 additionally including a left conveyor drive hydraulic motor means drivingly connected to said left removal conveyor and said left elevator conveyor to drive said left removal conveyor and said left elevator conveyor in unison.

Claim 11

The invention of claim 9 additionally including a right conveyor drive hydraulic motor means drivingly connected to said right removal conveyor and said right elevator conveyor to drive said right removal conveyor and said right elevator conveyor in unison.

Claim 12

The invention of claim 10 wherein said power transmission means includes a high capacity hydraulic pump means having a high pressure outlet, support means mounting said hydraulic pump means on said tractor frame, power coupling means connecting said power takeoff of said tractor to said hydraulic pump means, power conduit means connecting the high pressure outlet of said hydraulic pump means to said left conveyor drive hydraulic motor, and to said right conveyor drive hydraulic motor and speed control valve means in said power conduit for adjusting the amount of fluid flowing through said conduit to adjust the speed of operation of said left removal conveyor, said left elevator conveyor, said right removal conveyor and said right elevator conveyor in unison.

Claim 13

The invention of claim 11 wherein said auger drive motor means includes a left auger drive hydraulic motor drivingly connected to the augers of said left outboard and left inboard harvester units and a right auger drive hydraulic motor drivingly connected to the augers of said right outboard and right inboard harvester units.

Claim 14

The invention of claim 12 additionally including a lower capacity hydraulic pump drivingly connected to said power takeoff and supported on said tractor frame and having a high pressure outlet, conduit means connecting said high pressure outlet to said left hydraulic auger drive motor and said right auger drive motor and valve means in said last-mentioned conduit means for varying the speed of operation of said right and left auger drive motors in unison.

Claim 15

The invention of claim 13 additionally including a left infeed conveyor drive hydraulic motor drivingly connected to said left infeed conveyor and power supplying conduit means connecting said left infeed hydraulic conveyor drive motor to the exhaust outlet of said left auger drive motor for providing hydraulic drive power for said left infeed conveyor drive motor, a right infeed conveyor drive hydraulic motor drivingly connected to the right infeed conveyor and power supplying conduit means connecting said right infeed conveyor hydraulic drive motor to the exhaust outlet of said right auger drive motor for providing hydraulic power to said right infeed conveyor drive hydraulic motor.

Claim 16

The invention of claim 1 wherein said hitch means comprises a three-point hitch on said tractor including two parallel lower support arms and a central coupling link arm positioned above and between said two parallel lower support arms, said two parallel lower support arms and said central coupling link arm all being pivotally connected to said tractor and said connector meAns comprising first and second aligned support pins positioned on said frame to be connected to the ends of said two parallel lower support arms and a central retaining pin positioned on said frame above and between said first and second aligned support pins to be connected to said central coupling link arm, wherein said corn harvester units include a left outboard single row harvester unit, a left inboard single row harvester unit, a right inboard single row harvester unit and a right outboard single row harvester unit and wherein each of said harvester units includes a power driven inclined auger-trough conveyor having a rearward upper discharge end from which harvested corn from each harvester unit is discharged.

Claim 17

The invention of claim 1 wherein said hitch means comprises a three-point hitch on said tractor including two parallel lower support arms and a central coupling link arm positioned above and between said two parallel lower support arms, said two parallel lower support arms and said central coupling link arm all being pivotally connected to said tractor and said connector means comprising first and second aligned support pins positioned on said frame to be connected to the ends of said two parallel lower support arms and a central retaining pin positioned on said frame above and between said first and second aligned support pins to be connected to said central coupling link arm, wherein said corn harvester units include a left outboard single row harvester unit, a left inboard single row harvester unit, a right inboard single row harvester unit and a right outboard single row harvester unit each of said harvester units including a power driven inclined auger-trough conveyor having a rearward upper discharge end from which harvested corn from each harvester unit is discharged and including collecting conveyor means for receiving corn from said harvester units in a receiving area adjacent said harvester units for conveying corn from said harvester units to an elevated discharge position trailing the tractor during a corn harvesting operation for depositing harvested corn in a trailing vehicle.

Claim 18

The invention of claim 16 wherein said collecting conveyor means includes right and left elevator conveyor means respectively extending upwardly alongside said opposite sides of said engine housing having an infeed end beneath and adjacent said engine housing and having an upper discharge end above and lengthwise spaced from said engine housing defining said discharge position, a horizontal left infeed conveyor mounted on said frame in a position to receive corn from the upper discharge end of said auger-trough conveyor of said left outboard harvester unit and a right horizontal infeed conveyor mounted on said frame in a position to receive corn from the upper discharge end of said right outboard harvester unit, said power transmission including two hydraulic motors for driving said right infeed conveyor and said left infeed conveyor to move corn on said conveyors to right and left inward discharge locations at which corn on said infeed conveyors is discharged, right and left front to rear extending removal conveyors having upstream ends respectively in said right and left inward discharge locations extending beneath the drive axle housing of said tractor for conveying corn lengthwise of said tractor to the infeed ends of said right and left elevator conveyors.

Claim 19

The invention of claim 16 wherein said collecting conveyor means includes right and left elevator conveyor means respectively extending upwardly alongside said opposite sides of said engine housing having an infeed end beneath and adjacent said engine housing and having an upper discharge end above and lengthwise spaced from said engine housing defining said discharge position, a horizontal left infeed conveyor mounted on said frame in a position to receive corn from the upper discharge end of said auger-trough conveyor of said left outboard harvester unit and a right horizontal infeed conveyor mouNted on said frame in a position to receive corn from the upper discharge end of said right outboard harvester unit, said power transmission means including hydraulic pump means connected to hydraulic motors for driving said right infeed conveyor and said left infeed conveyor to move corn on said conveyors to right and left inward discharge locations at which corn on said infeed conveyors is discharged, right and left fron to rear extending removal conveyors having upstream ends respectively in said right and left inward discharge locations extending beneath the drive axle housing of said tractor for conveying corn lengthwise of said tractor to the infeed ends of said right and left elevator conveyors, hydraulic motor means drivingly connected to said right removal conveyor and said right elevator conveyor for driving said right removal conveyor and said right elevator conveyor in unison, further hydraulic motor means connected to said left removal conveyor and said left elevator conveyor for driving said left removal conveyor and said left elevator conveyor in unison.

Claim 20

The invention of claim 18 additionally including blower means having first and second discharge openings respectively for directing air blasts onto said left and right horizontal infeed conveyors for blowing trash from said infeed conveyors.

Claim 21

The invention of claim 19 additionally including a left rotatably mounted trash removing paddle means mounted between said left outboard harvester unit and said left inboard harvester unit and a right rotatably mounted trash removing paddle means mounted between said right outboard harvester unit and said right inboard harvester unit and mechanical drive means forming part of said power transmission means for rotating said left and right trash removing paddle means.