Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Retrospective Theses and Dissertations Dissertations 1948 Design and development of a tractor mounted grain windrower Erwin Roy Johnson Iowa State College Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd Part of the Acoustics, Dynamics, and Controls Commons, and the Bioresource and Agricultural Engineering Commons Recommended Citation Johnson, Erwin Roy, "Design and development of a tractor mounted grain windrower" (1948). Retrospective Theses and Dissertations. 16303. https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd/16303 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Dissertations at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Retrospective Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. DB61Q1 A*) MSVELOIWirr OF A TRACTOR HOOTTK) ORAm WIKDBOIfKR Krwln R» Johnson A ThO0ls Svibnlttod to tho Gra<Swto Fftcnlty In Partial FnlflllsMut of The ItoqnlroBiantt for th« T>e|^«e of SSABTFR OF SCTERCF •tjor Snbject: Agrlcttltural Engineering Signatures have been redacted for privacy lova State Collefo 1948 -11- TABU? OF COmTBTS Fage XHTB<:®IXmON 1 !bipoTtaiie« of Corool Qrains •••••«•*••• 1 l&iTTostiBC Fraeodnros for Smll Orals 1 Boasona for Vlndrovlsg Orals la Icm ••••«• 2 ffiftchlnes tTsod to Wlsfirov Grala ••••••••• 3 Vlndrower Grain Losses 8 OBJFCTIVF^ 12 FrVTF^ (F LITFPATtB^T? ..• 13 SUHVKY OF H/PVESTimS »^HODS 17 Mpthod of Conducting the Survey ••••••••• 17 BxmB&Tj of Hprvestlng ^^ethods •••••••*•• 17 Sumnery of Vlndrowlag Hethods ••*»•••••• 20 sxmrt OF OBSTRnrrro firu) TOirasTKBS .• 22 Msthod of Coaduetlng the Svrvey ••••»«.•• 22 Snmnry of Kesalts 22 mrmmaim pfstcit ..• 24 jQStlflcatlon 24 Study of Fequlrenents ••••••••••*••• 25 Preliminary Ski^tchea 26 Original Specifications ••••••••••••• 27 Framework Design ••.«•••••••••••• 30 Page Siekle Drive Design 31 Wobble plate and eable drive •••••••• 31 Cranky pltinan and rocker arn drive • • • • • 40 Canvas Drive Design 41 Peel Drive Design 46 Specifications as Bnllt ••«•••«•••••• 49 PocommendiRtlons for Iwproved Design .«••••• 50 Sickle 50 Feel drive 52 Framework bracing ....••••••••• 52 Haterlals and assembly ••••»••••*• 52 Proposed Specifleatlona •«•••••*«»••• 55 TRACTflBR COfTTFOL DKSIOH 57 Beqtilrerants 57 Design of 8W Ford Controls ••••••««••• 57 Becfvwnendatlons for 8lf Ford Controls •••••• 6l PffPFnpl^ATrF rw THF GFATIf WTTOPrfffTP 63 OT>enlng Losses 63 Wlndrowlng t.osses •••••••••*••«••* 65 Windrow Placement •••••••••••••••• 67 Changes Incorporated for Better Performance • • • 73 Mounting clearance •••••••• 73 Sway brace 73 Pecomendatlons for Improved Perfornanee •••• 75 Discharge opening •.»•*•••••••• 75 -IT- Pag« Discharge pan shape 75 Wlndrower noimting ..•*••••••••• 77 COWCLIJETOHS AKC 79 Conclusions 79 Heeoaii«ndatiosis ••*•••••••••••••• ^ BTOMMOr 81 tlTFRA?®! CITED 83 84 APWHDIX 85 LIST OF FIOimFS TUwrm 1. Alllg ChalH»rB pull typ« wlndrower ^ 2« Aetna tractor nountad wlndrower •«.•••••• ^ 3« H* D« Htma Co, poa wlndrovar •«••••••••• ^ 4, Hftrold Folkart'a self isropellod wlndrowar • « • • 6 5. Grain binder converted by removing the packers and tying mechanism 7 Grain binder converted by altering the rear frame 7 ?• Pull type wlndrower opening a grain field • • • • 9 8, Perimeter of oat fields on flat and contoured land 9, General layout of the tractor mounted wlndrower . 28 10, Bear main 33 11, Repair of the up|>er rear main frame over the right tend support bracket 3^ 12, Repair of the upper rear main frame over the left hft^ support bracket 34 13, Break In the tension meiriier over tl^ discharge opening 35 14, Bepnir of tl» break in upper end of the tension member 35 15* Bepalr of break In lower end of the tension member 36 16. tJpper support link bracket 36 17. Plsn view of cable drive 37 18. Wobble plate drive 38 19. V^ood rocker arm 42 -•i- Flgurtt 20. 6tecl rock#r arm 42 21. Types of sections •••«••••••••••• 43 22. Pltsisn crank in horlzontsl shaft 44 23. Platform canvas drive 45 24. Platforis end changes ••••••••«••••• 47 25* B««l drlT« for tractor noontcd vlnAroMr •••• 48 26. V b«lt drive to pitsan 51 27m V belt and worm reel drive ••••••••«•• 53 28, Platfora fra«e for vindrover 54 29« Onarter view of vlndrover shoving tractor con trols 59 30» Close view of tractor controls •«•«••••• 59 31. Close view of clutch controls ••••••••• 60 32. Iieft hand quarter view of wlndrower •*•••• 60 33« Improvf?d steering control for 8l? Ford tractor • 62 34. Windrow produced at 2.8 miles per hour with trapasoldel shaped discharge pan •••••••• 69 35» Windrow produced at 3.6 nlles per hour with trapazoldal shaped discharge pan ••••««•• 69 36. Opening windrow in heavy grain •••. 70 37. Opening windrow In light grain 70 38. Square discbarge pan In flexlWe position , • • 72 39. Trapasoidal dlschnrge pan In fixed position • . 72 40. Fxtenslon mounting bracket 74 41. Semi ridged apT>er support link used for a svaj brace 74 42. Discharge opening enlargement *•••••.•• 76 -vii- Figure Page 4 .. Im roved U · r eonn ct1ng link . .. ·• • • • • 78 44. Test stand for determining wet friction eo ficient • • • • .. .. • • • .• • • • • • • • • 86b -viii- LBT or TABIJSB Table I, Jwly rainfall in Iowa 5-5 2« Principal crops produced in Iowa in 19*5 .•. 3» Oat production 19?^-19^ 4, Svirvey of harvesting methods In Iowa l8 5, Distribution of types of wlndrowers In Iowa • • 21 6, Obstructed field ppriweters 23 7# Mst of failures 32s 8. Sarrejiting losses for e Hassey Harris self pro pelled 84'» combine fro« a windroe on July 22, W 9, Harrestins losses for a Ifeissey Harris self pro- p«»lled 84« combine from a windrow on August 3t ^ 10, Coefficients of friction under dynamic conditions II. Original data on tmrvesting methods Allison, Iowa, trip " 12, Original data on harvesting methods Ft« Dc^ge, Iowa, trip •••••«•••»••• 91 •1- mTKflDDCTTON Importance of Cereal Qralns Cereal grain erops are prodaeed in all tenperate, semi- tropical and tropical regions in the world• These cereal grains, eorn| oats, wheat, rice, etc., are used for hnnan food. In moderately populated countries, such as the TTnited States, Australia and Argentina, these grains are frequently converted into meat and dairy prof^ucts prior to human consumption. In densely populated countries, such as China, Kalny States, India and the rhlllnpine Islnnds, these grains are more likely to be consumed directly by the human population. Fven in the more moderately populated countries many of the cereal grains are used for human food. The most important cereal grains produced in the United States are corn, oats and wheat. Of the 1,547,663*<>00 bushels of oats produced in the United States in 19^5 (9*1946,p.54), Iowa produced 214,440,000 bushels. This was 13.8 per cent of the crop produced In the Ohited States. Oats are superseded only by corn in importance in the state of Iowa, Hrrvesting Procedures for Small Grain Harvesting grain in the United States is a highly meehanlEed procea« today. Two general procedures are used* The older method of binding the grain into bundles and trans porting the bundles to a stationary threshing rasehlne Is being replaced by the more modern method of hnrvestlng the grain In the field. The new method consists of cutting nnd threshing the grain in one field or>erstlon with a machine known as a harvester thresher or combine, X)ireet oombiningi i.e. cattiiv and threshing in one opera- tion, is practiced in almost all parts of the TTnited States. The procedure requires uniform thorough ripening of the grain and favorable weather condltiona during the harvest season* Vhere these conditions are not found, pickup combining^ i.e. threshing from a previously cut and dried windrow (or swath) of grain, must be practiced. The process of cutting th«» grain is known as wlndrowing. Heasons for Wlndrowing Grain in Iowa Iowa has all the conditions which promote wlndrowing of grain as mentioned by Davidson (2,p.205)* Where grain does not ripen evenly, or where the growth of weeds Is heavy, the grnln may be cut with a wlndrower or swather, and left in an open windrow upon the stubble to dry before threshing. ... In case of heavy rains, the windrows may be turned for drying with a side delivery rake. The glacial drift which covers all parts of Iowa contains un even soil conditions, resulting In uneven ripening of the grain. -3- Weeds ar® prominent «nd roln oft«>n causes lodging of th« grain so It cannot b® eonbln^d directly. Th« affect of thesa adTeraa eoi«SltlOT8 ean ba raducad or raMvad by tha propar alxidrovlng ef grain* Kaehinaa Uaad to Wlndrov Grain Vaehlnea nsad to wlndroa grain ara of comparatively racant daralopvent. Thay war«» developad as the combine moved from vest of the Bocky Voontalns to the wldwestern states during and following World Sar I. ^11 type vlndroaers are manufactured by several compan ies# Figure 1 shows a pull type wlndrower which has bean usad by Iowa State College slnea 1941. It has a 6 foot eat and nakea a very tinlforsi windrow. Tractor noiinted wlndrewara ara built by only a few eom- panlaa. Figures 2 and 3 show two of these machinas. The wlndremar in Figure 2, as advertised In the Farm Traplement ffaws (39p»^)y is nade by the Aetna ristrlbutors. Ltd, of Winnipeg, Canada. The wlndrower is swunted on the front of a tractor and has a 14 foot cut. Since the slee of the wlndrower should be approximately equal to the sire of the combine usad^ this wlndrower is too big for use in Iowa. The eofAinaa usad In Towa have a 5 to ^ foot cut. The traetor nonntad wlndrower, produced by tha H. D. Bnaa Co., ^andota, Illinois, la a apeelal purpose aachlna designed -4. 4r/f t Fig. 1. Allls Chalmers pull type wlndrower. Flg» 2. Aetna tractor mounted wlndrower -5- to Tflndrow green peas. It has a 7 foot cut with a special cutter T)ar and reel to handle the heavy tangled pea vines.