CA-3004683-C - TEXTURED DRAPER BELT FOR AN AGRICULTURAL HARVESTER

Abstract

A conveyor belt for an agricultural harvesting head includes a base web of elastomer-impregnated fabric; elongate cleats that extend upward from the base web and extend across substantially the entire width of the base web; and a plurality of textured protrusions that extend upward from the web between adjacent elongate cleats, wherein the textured protrusions are organized in rows of pockets between adjacent cleats and extend over substantially the entire width of the base web.

Inventors

• ANTHONY M. HASENOUR
• Daniel S. Hoffman
• Anthony J. Washburn

Assignees

• DEERE & COMPANY

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20180511

Priority Date

20171023

Claims (16)

1. 8 CLAIMS: 1. A conveyor belt configured to extend along a conveyor of an agricultural harvesting head, the conveyor belt comprising: a base web of elastomer-impregnated fabric having a first edge and a second edge; elongate cleats that extend upward from the base web and extend across substantially the entire width of the base web, wherein each of the elongate cleats extend perpendicularly to the first edge and the second edge; and a plurality of protrusions that extend upward from the web between adjacent elongate cleats, wherein each of the protrusions includes a terminating end and defines a pocket, and wherein the protrusions are organized in adjacent rows aligned between adjacent cleats and the terminating end of each of the plurality of protrusions of one row is directed toward one of the pockets of an adjacent row of protrusions.
2. 2. The conveyor belt of Claim 1, wherein the rows of protrusions extend in a direction parallel to a direction of travel of the belt and perpendicular to a longitudinal extent of the cleats.
3. 3. The conveyor belt of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of protrusions is curved in plan view.
4. 4. The conveyor belt of Claim 3, wherein a gap is provided between adjacent protrusions of a row of protrusions through which grain can leak.
5. 5. The conveyor belt of Claim 3, wherein the protrusions are semicircles.
6. 6. The conveyor belt of Claim 1 wherein no gap is provided between adjacent protrusions in a row, and wherein each protrusion abuts its adjacent protrusion. CA 3004683 9
7. 7. The conveyor belt of Claim 1, wherein each row of adjacent protrusions forms a zigzag pattern and wherein that pattern extends in a direction of movement of the conveyor belt and perpendicular to a longitudinal extent of the cleats.
8. 8. The conveyor belt of Claim 5, wherein each protrusion of a first row of protrusions has a convex side facing an uphill edge of the conveyor belt, and wherein a second row of protrusions adjacent to the first row has a concave side facing the uphill edge of the conveyor belt.
9. 9. The conveyor belt of Claim 2, wherein the rows of protrusions protrude upward from the base web a distance sufficient to catch and hold grain rolling downhill in a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of the conveyor belt.
10. 10. The conveyor belt of Claim 2, wherein each row of the rows of protrusions extends between two adjacent cleats and terminates at the two adjacent cleats.
11. 11. The conveyor belt of Claim 5, wherein the semicircles have the same diameter and are spaced the same distance apart.
12. 12. The conveyor belt of Claim 7, wherein each row of protrusions in the zigzag pattern extends between and terminates at two adjacent cleats.
13. 13. The conveyor belt of Claim 12, wherein each row of protrusions in the zigzag pattern extends perpendicular to a longitudinal extent of the cleats and extends from one cleat to an adjacent cleat.
14. 14. The conveyor belt of Claim 13, wherein each of the zigzag protrusions defines an obtuse angle of between 90 and 150° at each zigzag.
15. 15. The conveyor belt of Claim 14, wherein the obtuse angle is between 100 and 130° at each zigzag.
16. 16. The conveyor belt of Claim 14, wherein the obtuse angle is between 105 and 125° at each zigzag.

Description

TEXTURED DRAPER BELT FOR AN AGRICULTURAL HARVESTER Field of the Invention: This invention relates to agricultural harvesters. More particularly it relates to agricultural harvesting heads. Even more particularly, it relates to endless belt conveyors for agricultural harvesting heads. Background of the Invention: Agricultural harvesters such as combines or windrowers, travel through fields of agricultural crop harvesting the crop. In one common arrangement, agricultural harvesting heads extend forward from the agricultural harvester to engage the plant stalks, sever them, and carry the severed crop into the body of the agricultural harvester itself for further processing. To do this, the agricultural harvesting head has a reciprocating knife supported on the frame of the harvesting head. This reciprocating knife extends laterally, perpendicular to the direction of travel of the agricultural harvester. It extends substantially the entire width of the agricultural harvesting head. The reciprocating knife severs the crop across the width of the agricultural harvesting head and permits it to fall rearward into a laterally extending conveyor. This conveyor conveys cut crop from opposing lateral ends of the agricultural harvesting head to a central region of the head. In the central region, the conveyor changes the direction of crop flow and conveys it rearward into a feeder house of the agricultural harvester. The cut crop conveyors on the head are typically made in three sections, left section that conveys the cut crop inwardly from the left side of the harvesting head to the central region, a right section that conveys the crop inwardly from the right side of the harvesting head to the central region, and a center conveyor that receives the crop from the left section in the right section and conveys it rearward into the feeder house of the agricultural harvester. The left and right sections are typically formed as endless flexible belts supported at 1 their inner end and their outer end on elongate rollers mounted to the frame of the agricultural harvesting head. These belts have a forward edge that is tilted downward toward the ground immediately adjacent to the reciprocating knife in order to catch all of the cut crop material as it falls onto the harvesting head immediately behind the reciprocating knife. These belts have a rear edge that is elevated above the front edge. As a result, the upper surface of the belt is tilted. The tilt of the belt permits grain in the cut crop material to roll down the belt until it reaches the forward edge of the belt adjacent to the reciprocating knife. If the grain reaches the forward edge of the belt, it eventually falls through gaps between the belt and the frame of the harvesting head, falls onto the ground and is lost. What is needed is an endless belt for an agricultural harvesting head that reduces the ability of the grain to roll down the surface of the endless belt. It is an object of this invention to provide such a belt. Summary of the Invention: In accordance with a first aspect of the invention a conveyor belt for an agricultural harvesting head comprises: a base web of elastomer-impregnated fabric; elongate cleats that extend upward from the base web and extend across substantially the entire width of the base web; and a plurality of textured protrusions that extend upward from the web between adjacent elongate cleats, wherein the textured protrusions are organized in rows of pockets between adjacent cleats and extend over substantially the entire width of the base web. The rows of pockets may extend in a direction parallel to a direction of travel of the belt and perpendicular to a longitudinal extent of the cleats. The pockets may be curved in plan view. A gap may be between adjacent pockets through which grain can leak. The pockets may be semicircles. 2 No gap may be provided between adjacent pockets in a row, and each pocket may abut its adjacent pocket. Each row of adjacent pockets may form a zigzag pattern and that pattern extends in a direction of movement of the conveyor belt. Each pocket of a first row of pockets may have a convex side facing an uphill edge of the conveyor belt, and a second row of pockets adjacent to the first row may have a concave side facing the uphill edge of the conveyor belt. The rows of pockets may protrude upward from the base web a distance sufficient to catch and hold grain rolling downhill in a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of the conveyor belt. Each row of the rows of pockets may extend between two adjacent cleats and terminate at the two adjacent cleats. The semicircles may have the same diameter and may be spaced the same distance apart. Each row of pockets in the zigzag pattern may extend between and terminates at two adjacent cleats. Each row of pockets in the zigzag pattern may extend perpendicular to a longitudinal extent of the cleats and may extend from one cleat to an adjacent cleat. Each of t