1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to the crop processing systems of combine harvesters, and more particularly to adjustable crop flow control vanes in the threshing mechanism of the combine
2. Description of Related Art
In one type of processing system for combine harvesters, the crop travels axially parallel to and helically around the rotational axis of one or more rotary processing devices commonly referred to as rotors. In other systems, during at least a portion of its travel through the system the crop travels in a transverse or tangential direction relative to the rotational axis of a rotary processing device commonly referred to as a threshing cylinder. In each case, grain is processed between elements affixed to the periphery of the rotary device and arcuate, usually foraminous, stationary processing members in the form of threshing concaves or separating grates that partially wrap around the lower portion of the rotor.
It is known to mount a plurality of vanes on the inner surface of a rotor casing to assist in directing the movement of the crop material. The crop transport vanes cooperate with the rotor of the mechanism to direct the crop material generally helically through the threshing mechanism of the combine to conveniently control the rate of movement of the material through the mechanism. Because processing systems are utilized to harvest a wide variety of different crops, they must function properly in many different operating conditions. Generally, axial rotor combines perform best when the region between the rotor and rotor casing is full or operating at the upper end of its capacity. If a large capacity rotor is operating in conditions that cannot keep the region at full capacity, whether it be poor yielding crop or header limited, the amount of grain lost from the processing system increases. It would be desirable to adjust the running clearance in the region between the rotor and the rotor casing to best accommodate variables that may be encountered.
In one embodiment, the invention relates to a combine harvester having a threshing mechanism. The threshing mechanism includes a generally cylindrical elongated rotor for moving crop materials, and a plurality of separator tines secured thereon for threshing crop material. A generally cylindrical elongated rotor chamber surrounds the rotor and receives crop material at an open end to be threshed and separated. The rotor is journalled for rotation within the chamber. The rotor chamber has a top casing forming an upper portion of the rotor chamber, with the top casing defining a volume of space between the rotor and the top casing for processing the crop material. The threshing mechanism also includes a plurality of crop transport vanes extending away from an inward surface of the top casing in radially spaced relation to the separator tines on the rotor for coacting with the bars upon rotation of the rotor to direct the crop material generally helically along the chamber. The vanes have a rotor-facing edge at an outer end away from the inward surface of the top casing. The vanes are positionable between a base position and at least one extended position with respect to the rotor, wherein in the base position, the rotor-facing edge is positioned a greater distance radially from the rotor than when in the at least one extended position. The vanes are radially adjustable between the base position and the at least one extended position to adjust the distance between the rotor-facing edge and the rotor. The threshing mechanism also has an operating mechanism for adjusting the radial position of the vanes relative to the rotor to selectively vary the rate of movement of the crop material through the chamber.
These and other features and advantages of this invention are described in, or are apparent from, the following detailed description of various example embodiments of the systems and methods according to this invention.
The above mentioned and other features of this invention will become more apparent and the invention itself will be better understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the views of the drawings.
The invention will now be described in the following detailed description with reference to the drawings, wherein preferred embodiments are described in detail to enable practice of the invention. Although the invention is described with reference to these specific preferred embodiments, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to these preferred embodiments. But to the contrary, the invention includes numerous alternatives, modifications and equivalents as will become apparent from consideration of the following detailed description.
The exemplary combine harvester 10 selected for illustration in
As well understood by those skilled in the art, in the illustrated embodiment combine harvester 10 includes a harvesting header (not shown) at the front of the machine that delivers collected crop materials to the front end of a feeder house 14. Such materials are moved upwardly and rearwardly within feeder house 14 by a conveyer 16 until reaching a beater 18 that rotates about a transverse axis. Beater 18 feeds the material upwardly and rearwardly to a rotary processing device, in this instance to a rotor 22 having an infeed auger 20 on the front end thereof. Auger 20, in turn, advances the materials axially into the processing system 12 for threshing and separating. In other types of systems, conveyor 16 may deliver the crop directly to a threshing cylinder.
Generally speaking, the crop materials entering processing system 12 move axially and helically therethrough during threshing and separating. During such travel the crop materials are threshed and separated by generally cylindrical rotor 22 operating in a generally cylindrical chamber 23 which concentrically receives the rotor 22. The lower part of the chamber 23 contains a threshing concave assembly 24 and a separator grate assembly 26. The upper part of the chamber contains a top casing 27. A plurality of vanes 28 (
A blower 31 forms part of the cleaning mechanism 30 and provides a stream of air throughout the cleaning region below processing system 12 and directed out the rear of the machine so as to carry lighter chaff particles away from the grain as it migrates downwardly toward the bottom of the machine to a clean grain auger 32. Auger 32 delivers the clean grain to an elevator (not shown) that elevates the grain to a storage bin 34 on top of the machine, from which it is ultimately unloaded via an unloading spout 36. A returns auger 37 at the bottom of the cleaning region is operable in cooperation with other mechanism (not shown) to reintroduce partially threshed crop materials into the front of processing system 12 for an additional pass through the processing system 12.
As is known in the art, the concave assembly 24 is desirably made of a plurality of concaves 40 positioned axially along the forward portion of the rotor 22. Each concave 40 wraps around a bottom portion of the rotor 22 in a circumferential manner. In the illustrated embodiment of
With reference now to
In one embodiment depicted in
An operating mechanism, broadly denoted by numeral 56, is mounted on the rock shaft 54 and adjustably moves the vanes 28 toward and away from rotor 22 to adjust the position of the rotor-facing edge 42 of each vane 28 relative to rotor 22. The operating mechanism 56 contains an actuator 58 and a linkage assembly, broadly denoted by numeral 60, connecting the actuator 58 to the rock shaft 54. Preferably, the actuator 58 is remotely operable, such as from the cab of harvester 10. In one embodiment, the actuator 58 comprises an electrically powered linear actuator. However, one skilled in the art will understand that the actuator 58 may be selected from a number of different actuating devices known in the art, such as a hydraulic cylinder or a turnbuckle, for example. Such actuators 58 are well known to one skilled in the art and need not be described in detail herein. In one embodiment, the linkage assembly 60 includes a lever 62 connecting the actuator 58 to the rock shaft 54. However, the linkage assembly 60 may contain other structural components chosen using sound engineering judgment. In the illustrated embodiment, the hinge point 46 about which the vane 28 pivots is located at the proximal end 44 of the vane 28 and the vanes 28 are mounted on a common rockshaft 54 at the distal end 50 of the vanes 28. However, one skilled in the art will understand that the rockshaft 54 may be located at other positions relative the vanes 28, such as near the middle of the vanes 28, using sound engineering judgment. Additionally, it is to be understood that each vane 28 may have is own operating mechanism 56 without departing form the scope of the invention.
In operation position of the vanes 28 relative the rotor 22 controls the running clearance between rotor 22 and vanes 28 and thus the shape of the threshing region. Positioning the vanes 28 closer to the rotor 22 reduces the throughput of the processing system 12 and allows more aggressive threshing by making the crop have more revolutions in the processing system 12 as the rotor 26 moves crop material in a generally helical path through the casing. As crop types and conditions may require, the amount of insertion of the vanes 28 may be selectively varied to vary the flow rate of material through the processing system 12.
While this invention has been described in conjunction with the specific embodiments described above, it is evident that many alternatives, combinations, modifications and variations are apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the preferred embodiments of this invention, as set forth above are intended to be illustrative only, and not in a limiting sense. Various changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/564,704 filed Nov. 29, 2011, entitled “THROUGHPUT CONTROL ADJUSTABLE VANES ON AGRICULTURAL COMBINE HARVESTER”.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61564704 | Nov 2011 | US |