Harvester head assembly

Abstract

An improved harvester head assembly is provided. The harvester head includes a housing which is rotatable between a horizontal orientation and a vertical orientation. The harvester head further includes feeding system with a central feed roller and a pair of outer feed rollers that are moveable relative to the housing. The harvester head also includes top and bottom saws. A pair of delimbing knives are pivotable relative to the housing. A manifold and valve assembly is disposed in the housing and includes a plurality of solenoid valves which are configured to channel hydraulic fluid to motors and actuators to power and/or move a plurality of the components. The manifold and valve assembly includes a manifold with a rectangular shape and which is oriented with its long dimension extending in a longitudinal direction. The solenoid valves are spaced from one another in the longitudinal direction.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A harvester and a harvester head assembly, comprising:
 a wheeled harvester having a plurality of wheels and a boom extending along a length to a distal end;   a harvester head secured with said boom at said distal end; and   said harvester head comprising;
 a frame, 
 a housing which extends in a longitudinal direction between opposing first and second longitudinal ends, 
 a feed system including a plurality of feed rollers that are moveable relative to said housing, 
 a first saw located adjacent one of said longitudinal ends of said housing and a second saw located adjacent the other of said longitudinal ends of said housing, 
 at least two non-stationary delimbing knives pivotably coupled with said housing and pivotable between open and closed positions, 
 a hydraulic manifold and valve assembly operable to receive a hydraulic fluid and to channel the hydraulic fluid to at least power said feed system and to power said first and second saws and to pivot said delimbing knives, and 
 said hydraulic manifold and valve assembly further including a plurality of solenoid valves, each solenoid valve having a spindle that is moveable in opposite lateral directions that are generally perpendicular to a longitudinal direction. 
   
     
     
         2 . The harvester and harvester head assembly as set forth in  claim 1  wherein each of said spindles in said solenoid valves is moveable in said opposite lateral directions by no more than one inch. 
     
     
         3 . The harvester and harvester head assembly as set forth in  claim 1  further including a plurality of solenoid valves includes a plurality of first saw valves for controlling movement of said first saw, said first saw valves being separate from said hydraulic manifold and valve assembly. 
     
     
         4 . The harvester and harvester head assembly as set forth in  claim 3  wherein said plurality of first saw valves includes a first saw motor solenoid valve for channeling the hydraulic fluid to a first saw hydraulic motor to power said first saw. 
     
     
         5 . The harvester and harvester head assembly as set forth in  claim 4  wherein said plurality of first saw valves further includes a first saw actuator solenoid valve for channeling the hydraulic fluid to a first saw hydraulic actuator to pivot said first saw relative to said housing. 
     
     
         6 . The harvester and harvester head assembly as set forth in  claim 5  wherein said plurality of first saw valves further includes a first saw actuator proportional valve for controlling a volumetric flow rate of hydraulic fluid to said first saw hydraulic actuator. 
     
     
         7 . The harvester and harvester head assembly as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said first saw has a maximum cutting diameter of seventeen inches. 
     
     
         8 . The harvester and harvester head assembly as set forth in  claim 7  wherein said second saw has a maximum cutting diameter of approximately twenty-two inches. 
     
     
         9 . The harvester and harvester head assembly as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said feed rollers are located longitudinally between said first and second saws. 
     
     
         10 . The harvester and harvester head assembly as set forth in  claim 1  wherein at least two of said plurality of feed rollers are mounted on arms that are pivotable relative to said housing. 
     
     
         11 . A harvester head assembly, comprising:
 a frame,   a housing which extends in a longitudinal direction between opposing first and second longitudinal ends,   a feed system including a plurality of feed rollers that are moveable relative to said housing,   a first saw located adjacent one of said longitudinal ends of said housing and a second saw located adjacent the other of said longitudinal ends of said housing,   at least two non-stationary delimbing knives pivotably coupled with said housing and pivotable between open and closed positions,   a hydraulic manifold and valve assembly operable to receive a hydraulic fluid and to channel the hydraulic fluid to at least power said feed system and to power said first and second saws and to pivot said delimbing knives, and   said hydraulic manifold and valve assembly further including a plurality of solenoid valves, each solenoid valve having a spindle that is moveable in opposite lateral directions that are generally perpendicular to a longitudinal direction.   
     
     
         12 . The harvester head assembly as set forth in  claim 11  wherein each of said spindles in said solenoid valves is moveable in said opposite lateral directions by no more than one inch. 
     
     
         13 . The harvester head assembly as set forth in  claim 11  further including a plurality of solenoid valves includes a plurality of first saw valves for controlling movement of said first saw, said first saw valves being separate from said hydraulic manifold and valve assembly. 
     
     
         14 . The harvester head assembly as set forth in  claim 13  wherein said plurality of first saw valves includes a first saw motor solenoid valve for channeling the hydraulic fluid to a first saw hydraulic motor to power said first saw. 
     
     
         15 . The harvester head assembly as set forth in  claim 14  wherein said plurality of first saw valves further includes a first saw actuator solenoid valve for channeling the hydraulic fluid to a first saw hydraulic actuator to pivot said first saw relative to said housing. 
     
     
         16 . The harvester head assembly as set forth in  claim 15  wherein said plurality of first saw valves further includes a first saw actuator proportional valve for controlling a volumetric flow rate of hydraulic fluid to said first saw hydraulic actuator. 
     
     
         17 . The harvester head assembly as set forth in  claim 11  wherein said first saw has a maximum cutting diameter of seventeen inches. 
     
     
         18 . The harvester head assembly as set forth in  claim 17  wherein said second saw has a maximum cutting diameter of approximately twenty-two inches. 
     
     
         19 . The harvester head assembly as set forth in  claim 11  wherein said feed rollers are located longitudinally between said first and second saws. 
     
     
         20 . The harvester head assembly as set forth in  claim 11  wherein at least two of said plurality of feed rollers are mounted on arms that are pivotable relative to said housing.