Patent
1982-08-02
1985-02-26
Swiatek, Robert P.
56 146, 130 27AB, A01F 1210
Patent
active
045012822
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to crop threshing mechanisms of the type that includes a rotating threshing cylinder that is located adjacent a concave so as to thresh crop fed tangentially between the cylinder and concave.
The rate of threshing of the aforesaid mechanism is determined by the dimensions of the cylinder and concave and the distance between them and the speed of rotation of the cylinder. Increasing the speed of rotation increases the threshing rate but also increases the aggressiveness of the threshing action which in turn can damage the grain.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to improve the performance of a grain threshing mechanism of the aforesaid type, especially as far as threshing rate and grain damage are concerned.
This object is achieved according to the present invention by providing a driven crop conveyor, such as a roller or continuous band-type conveyor, along the front edge of the concave so that crop passes over it into the space between the cylinder and concave and the speed of crop flow is thereby controlled, the speed of the conveyor being changeable.
The conveyor may operate at a speed so as to speed up the flow of crop supplied by primary feed means such as a combine harvester crop elevator. The relative speed of the crop and cylinder may therefore be reduced, thereby reducing the aggressiveness of the cylinder threshing action and reducing grain damage. Alternatively, the increased crop flow speed can be matched by an increase in the speed of rotation of the cylinder so as to give an increased threshing rate whilst avoiding an increase in grain damage.
The extent to which the conveyor speeds up the flow of crop will vary with different crops and conditions and the threshing results required. Possibly, the peripheral speed of the conveyor may approach that of the cylinder. In other cases, the conveyor may even serve to slow down the flow of crop supplied by a primary feed means.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which
FIG. 1 is a general side view of one embodiment of a combine harvester having a crop threshing mechanism according to the invention,
FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view of the crop threshing mechanism of FIG. 1,
FIG. 3 is a scrap view of the threshing mechanism of FIG. 2, and
FIG. 4 is a side view of a second embodiment of a crop threshing mechanism according to the invention.
BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
The illustrated combine harvester has a chassis with two front drive wheels 1 and two rear steering wheels 2. A threshing cylinder 3 is mounted transversely between the front wheels 1 and a crop gathering table 4 is mounted on the front of the combine and feeds cut crop to the cylinder via a crop elevator 5. The crop is threshed between the cylinder 3 and an open grate concave 6 and the straw is fed onto straw walkers 7 that pass it rearwards. A grain elevator 8 in the form of an endless conveyor collects grain that falls through the concave 6 and passes this via a grain pan 9 to a shaker shoe 10. The shaker shoe also receives grain from the straw walkers via a grain pan 11. Clean grain is fed from the shaker shoe to a grain tank 12 by an elevator 13. The tank 12 is located behind the driver's cab 14 and combine engine 15, and is in the form of a saddle that straddles the straw walkers. Grain is unloaded from the tank through a discharge pipe 16.
The table 4 is mounted on the front of the combine so that it is pivotable about the axis 17 of the threshing cylinder 3. U.S. Pat. No. 3,662,763 shows how the table of a combine might be pivotally mounted about the axis of the threshing cylinder and also shows the concave mounted to pivot with the table. The table carries a cutterbar 18 along its front edge and a cross auger 19 behind the cutterbar that feeds cut crop inwards from both sides of the table to a central feed rotor 20 that is integral with the auger. The rotor 20 has feed fingers 21 projecting from it
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McNaught James B.
Muller Jean Claude
Farris Robert L.
Massey-Ferguson Services N.V.
Swiatek Robert P.
Weiss John G.
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