The present invention relates to an inclined conveyor for a combine harvester according to the preamble of claim 1.
Combine harvesters are equipped with an attachment which has a reel for collecting the harvested crop, and a cross auger, situated downstream from the reel, which compacts the harvested crop and conveys it toward the center to an inclined conveyor. The inclined conveyor is situated in a duct, and conveys the harvested crop into a threshing device of the combine harvester.
Inclined conveyors of this general type for combine harvesters are well known in the prior art, for example from DE 1199039, U.S. Pat. No. 3,555,790, DE 4132246 A1, DE 4311054 C2, DE 102009036104 B4, EP 1733607 B1, and DE 102005027841 A1. These inclined conveyors have at least two endless traction means which extend in parallel to one another and which are interconnected by carrier bars situated transversely with respect to the conveying direction. The carrier bars feed the harvested crop into an undershot conveyor duct of a threshing unit of the combine harvester. The carrier bars are connected to the traction means by screws.
The endless traction means revolve in a conveyor duct whose end faces are open toward the reel and the threshing unit, but which are otherwise closed all around. The conveyor duct is divided into an undershot conveyor duct and an overshot return duct by means of an intermediate floor which is situated between the upper run and the lower run of the traction means and which extends over a large portion of the length of the conveyor duct.
Standard steel profiles such as U, L, and T profiles which are not heat-treated are used as carrier bars according to the prior art. These carrier bars have a low profile height and a limited conveying action due to their low form resistance to the harvested crop. In addition, the profiles are very smooth, and therefore have a very low degree of frictional engagement with the harvested crop. Due to the friction of the harvested crop at the bottom of the conveyor duct and the moderate entrainment effect of the carrier bars, during operation there is a considerable difference in speed between the carrier bars and the harvested crop stream (slip). This results in a high level of energy consumption, a high degree of wear, a high load on the traction means, and a premature threshing effect.
It is known from the prior art to eliminate or at least reduce the above-described slip between the carrier bars and the harvested crop stream via aerodynamic measures. A combine harvester is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,555,790 in which a threshing cylinder situated at the outlet of the conveyor duct of the inclined conveyor is redesigned in such a way that it acts as a fan, and thus exerts a suction effect on the harvested crop present in the conveyor duct.
A similar approach is described in EP 1 733 607 B1. The chains of this inclined conveyor, which are used as traction means, revolve around a lower traction means guide and an upper traction means guide. The upper traction means guide has a drive shaft upon which chain wheels used for driving the chains rest in a rotationally fixed manner. A drum which is provided with bars or pins on its shell is situated on the drive shaft, between the chain wheels. Due to this design, the upper traction means guide likewise exerts a suction effect on the harvested crop present in the conveyor duct, thus reducing the difference in speed between the carrier bars and the harvested crop stream.
An object of the invention is to provide a further inclined conveyor of this type for a combine harvester, wherein the difference in speed between the carrier bars and the harvested crop stream is eliminated, but at least reduced, by additional acceleration of the harvested crop stream.
This object is achieved according to the invention by an inclined conveyor having the features of claim 1.
Due to the at least 30% overlap of the smallest internal cross section of the undershot conveyor duct by the carrier bars, the carrier bars act as a fan and produce a negative pressure at the inlet of the conveyor duct. The harvested crop is thus additionally accelerated, and the conveying action of the carrier bars is aerodynamically assisted. It is thus possible, with the same conveying capacity, to reduce the belt speed, and thus the energy consumption and the wear. Reducing the slip between the harvested crop and the carrier bars results in gentler conveying of the harvested crop and fewer broken grains, and a decrease in premature threshing.
In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the relatively large cross section of the carrier bars is achieved by using rods with a circular cross section instead of the heavy standard steel profiles known from the prior art. Although they are lightweight in comparison to the standard steel profiles, rods having such a cross section absorb bending moments and torsional moments acting on them in an ideal manner during operation of the inclined conveyor.
If only one circular rod is provided for each carrier bar, it is necessary to furnish the circular rod with a casing which increases friction, on the one hand in order to increase the conveying cross section of the carrier bar, and on the other hand to improve the frictional engagement with the harvested crop and to thus increase the entrainment effect.
Instead of only one rod having a circular cross section, the carrier bars may have at least two rods having a circular cross section, which are situated one on top of the other in the conveying stream and are connected as individual rods to the traction means or drive means or drive elements. These at least two rods may likewise be provided with a casing which increases friction in order to increase the conveying cross section and the entrainment effect on the harvested crop.
Further advantageous embodiments of the invention result from the other dependent claims.
The invention is explained in greater detail below with reference to embodiments. In the accompanying drawings:
As is best seen in
In the embodiments, the traction means 13 is a roller chain. A cam belt made of a polymer reinforced with high tensile strength plies may be used as the traction means 13 instead of a roller chain. This has the advantage that elongation of the traction means 13 due to wear, and thus, abrasion of the carrier bars 14 against the duct walls, is avoided.
In the embodiment according to
It is apparent from the illustration according to
In the embodiment according to
In the embodiment according to
In the embodiment according to
In all the embodiments, the casing 19, 23, 26 may be vulcanized onto the rods 17, 22, 23, or the casings 19, 23, 26 are extruded profiles which are pushed onto the rods 17, 21, 22 and optionally integrally joined to same.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
10 2012 009 979 | May 2012 | DE | national |
This is a continuation of International PCT Application No. PCT/DE2013/100179, filed on May 16, 2013, which claims priority from Germany Application No. 10 2012 009 979.7, filed May 21, 2012, both of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
285664 | Pearce | Sep 1883 | A |
2588984 | Kubisiak | Mar 1952 | A |
2906395 | Greer | Sep 1959 | A |
2956385 | Porter | Oct 1960 | A |
3253699 | Schneider | May 1966 | A |
3315788 | Anderson | Apr 1967 | A |
3339712 | Anderson | Sep 1967 | A |
3555790 | Quick | Jan 1971 | A |
3589502 | Maillet | Jun 1971 | A |
3618747 | Hammond | Nov 1971 | A |
3699753 | Peak | Oct 1972 | A |
3734269 | Ross | May 1973 | A |
3780851 | Bichel | Dec 1973 | A |
3976192 | Muller | Aug 1976 | A |
3985224 | Harvey | Oct 1976 | A |
4023671 | Kramer | May 1977 | A |
4653632 | Timmer et al. | Mar 1987 | A |
4712668 | Gray | Dec 1987 | A |
4724909 | Link | Feb 1988 | A |
4815587 | Musil | Mar 1989 | A |
4965993 | Butler | Oct 1990 | A |
5099548 | Loosli | Mar 1992 | A |
5168981 | Ruff | Dec 1992 | A |
5176248 | Allen et al. | Jan 1993 | A |
5358095 | Curl | Oct 1994 | A |
5480352 | Luscombe | Jan 1996 | A |
5671839 | Sanderson | Sep 1997 | A |
5692598 | Röhrs | Dec 1997 | A |
5738223 | Rohrs | Apr 1998 | A |
6106391 | Tjabringa | Aug 2000 | A |
6896125 | Webster et al. | May 2005 | B2 |
6997194 | Maconachy | Feb 2006 | B2 |
7182202 | Kalverkamp | Feb 2007 | B2 |
7308786 | Mulder | Dec 2007 | B2 |
7766736 | Ramp | Aug 2010 | B2 |
9033138 | Mulder | May 2015 | B2 |
9033139 | Jäger | May 2015 | B2 |
20040250523 | Schulz | Dec 2004 | A1 |
20050109000 | Mulder | May 2005 | A1 |
20080202405 | Kern | Aug 2008 | A1 |
20120043263 | Kalverkamp | Feb 2012 | A1 |
20120186949 | Gentz | Jul 2012 | A1 |
20150141098 | Mulder | May 2015 | A1 |
20150173298 | Jäger | Jun 2015 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
0861071 | Dec 1952 | DE |
1199039 | Aug 1965 | DE |
2715108 | Dec 1978 | DE |
34 41 605 | May 1986 | DE |
3737066 | Jun 1989 | DE |
3733712 | Jul 1992 | DE |
41 32 246 | Apr 1993 | DE |
4311054 | Oct 1994 | DE |
195 20 925 | Dec 1996 | DE |
195 20 927 | Dec 1996 | DE |
297 03 270 | May 1997 | DE |
200 11 436 | Nov 2000 | DE |
10308823 | Sep 2004 | DE |
102004023705 | Jun 2005 | DE |
10 2005 027 841 | Jan 2007 | DE |
102005027841 | Jan 2007 | DE |
202007015687 | Feb 2008 | DE |
10 2007 049 839 | Jun 2009 | DE |
102009036104 | Feb 2011 | DE |
10 2009 036104 | Feb 2012 | DE |
10 2010 035043 | Feb 2012 | DE |
0080238 | Jun 1983 | EP |
1733607 | Jul 2008 | EP |
9523497 | Aug 1995 | WO |
Entry |
---|
German Office Action dated Feb. 11, 2013 in priority application No. DE10 2012 010280, filed May 21, 2012, priority for U.S. Appl. No. 14/548,813 (4 pages). |
International Search Report (ISR) in parent PCT application No. PCT/DE2013/100180, ISR dated Aug. 21, 2013 for U.S. Appl. No. 14/548,813 (6 pages). |
International Search Report (ISR) from parent PCT application No. PCT/DE2013/100179, ISR dated Aug. 21, 2013 in this U.S. Appl. No. 14/548,111 (6 pages). |
German Office Action dated Feb. 12, 2013 in priority application No. DE10 2012 009 979.7, filed May 21, 2012 for this U.S. Appl. No. 14/549,111 (4 pages). |
EPO Office Action, dated Oct. 27, 2014, in counterpart European Application No. 14 17 1472 filed Jun. 6, 2014, which claimed the priority of U.S. Appl. No. 13/916,277, filed Jun. 12, 2013, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,033,139, issued May 19, 2015. (7 pages). |
EPO Office Action, dated Nov. 7, 2014 in counterpart European Application No. 14 17 1465 filed Jun. 6, 2014, which claims the priority of U.S. Appl. No. 13/916,224, filed Jun. 12, 2013, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,033,138, issued May 19, 2015 (8 pages). |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20150141099 A1 | May 2015 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
Parent | PCT/DE2013/100179 | May 2013 | US |
Child | 14549111 | US |