Crop threshing or separating – Separator – Straw walker
Reexamination Certificate
1998-03-02
2001-02-20
Pezzuto, Robert E. (Department: 3671)
Crop threshing or separating
Separator
Straw walker
C460S113000, C460S901000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06190253
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to a straw walker combine having a supplemental rotary separator located above the straw walkers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
DE-OS-1 904 406 discloses a combine with a tine-equipped rotor operating as an undershot conveyor located above straw walkers. This tine-equipped rotor is composed of a rotor housing, an axle supported eccentrically in bearings therein and tines rotatively supported in bearings on the axle and extending through the wall of the rotor housing. During the rotation of the rotor housing, the tines projecting to the greatest amount at the bottom of the rotor housing are moved in the direction of conveying of the straw walkers and tear apart the mat of straw, resulting in an increase in the separation of kernels still retained in the straw. To increase the rate of separation the tines are either fastened to the shaft through wobble plates or the shaft is constantly moved axially by means of an eccentric-drive motor. In this way the free ends of the tines also move in the axial direction of the rotor and further tear apart the mat of straw.
DE-OS-22 35 061 discloses a combine in which an overshot conveyor similar to a pick-up is located in its region between straw walkers and straw hood. In a forward region of the straw walkers this overhead conveyor takes up straw and delivers it again further downstream. In the region underneath the short straw can be separated. The overhead conveyor can also be provided immediately following a walker. A similar arrangement is also known from FR-PS-1,473,891 and DE-AS-2 103 981, where the arrangement according to the latter citations can be brought into a non-operating position.
According to GB-PS-698,324 an overhead conveyor is also provided above straw walkers that consists of a drum and on which toothed strips are mounted in the trailing direction.
DE-OS-2 431 588 teaches a supplementary separator in the delivery region of the thresher arrangement of a combine, that is provided with movable or flexible tines supported on a rotor which perform undershot conveying of the crop. The tines are flexible, but always extend with their full length into the crop. It is also proposed that several supplementary separators be arranged one after another.
According to DE-C3-42 09 020 a separator drum operating as overhead conveyor is inserted between a threshing assembly and a straw walker which catches the crop coming from the threshing assembly which has been threshed out and decelerates it so that kernels contained in the mass of the crop are deposited on the surface of the separator drum while the straw is passed along to the straw walkers.
DE-A1-41 27 118 shows a combine with straw walkers and a crop processing arrangement located above the walkers, which performs undershot conveying on the crop. Ahead of the crop processing arrangement a belt of tines is provided that also performs undershot conveying which tears apart the mass of crop and throws it at high speed into the slot between the crop processing arrangement and the straw walker.
SUMMARY
It is an object of the present invention to provide a supplementary separating arrangement located above the straw walkers.
In this way the mass of the crop is intensively processed over a longer path. Due to the transition between at least two rotors a continuous acceleration and separation effect is achieved since the mass of the crop cannot be transported as a homogeneous band. These changes in motion promote the discharge of kernels still contained in the straw. This effect is apparent with any possible method of operation of the two rotors.
If the two rotors rotate in the same direction, the rotors can perform either overshot or undershot conveying, the straw is handled gently, which is of particular advantage with very dry straw, since there the separation is not overloaded by a high proportion of short straw. Furthermore this straw can be handled better in subsequent processing operations.
Rotors that rotate in opposite directions, wherein one rotor performs overshot conveying and the other rotor performs undershot conveying, are advantageous where a high degree of processing of the mass of the crop is required and/or the quality of the straw is less important. This arrangement also leads to a secure adherence of the straw to the straw walkers, which avoids jamming, for example, with rape straw or long straw.
Since the consistency of the crop and therewith its stiffness can frequently change, its handling is improved by varying the aggressiveness of the conveying by the tines.
A projection on the walkers that extends between the circumference of the two rotors, has the effect of braking the mass of the crop resulting in additional separation. If the projection is provided with separator openings, the kernels can fall out directly after the separating process. The projection also has the effect of promoting reliable conveying of the crop, so that there is no jamming in the intermediate region between two rotors.
Due to the possibility of changing the direction of rotation and/or the eccentricity of the tines, that is, the amount of their projection beyond the rotor housing, further accommodation to the conditions of the crop and types of crop can be attained.
A change in the distance between the rotors and the straw walkers can be useful, for example, to stop operation of the rotor during breakage of corn or to conform the degree of action of the tines to the immediate requirements.
The application of a guide arrangement above the rotors, in any case above the first rotor, assures that jamming is avoided, particularly with hard, coarse stalks. Instead the crop is continuously guided along the wall.
A rotor conveying more rapidly than the straw walkers has the effect that the mass of straw grasped by it is thinned out and thereby performs separation more easily.
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Database WPI Section PQ Week 9218 Derwent Publications Ltd., Londaon, GB; Clas P12, AN 92-148629 XP002064934 & SU 1 664 167 A (Mosc Agric Prod Eng).
Deere & Company
Kováacs ÁArpáad Fáabiáan
Pezzuto Robert E.
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