AU646580B2 - Clover seed harvester - Google Patents

Description

40669 PJW:LD4 6 P/00/011 AUSTALIARegulation 3.2 Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

SName of Applicant: :ROBERT KEITH MOORE Actual Inventor: ROBERT KEITH MOORE .::.Address for Service: C4 GGL-LSONOC 7-1-7-King-WIliam-Stre-Adelaide,-S-A-5QO 00 z V lIT91 FLXQ, I <Irij. WILL1 STREET ADLAibe S q 5c6c0 Invention Title: '4ro CLOVER SEED HARVESTER Details of Associated Provisional Appication: Australian Patent Application No. PK7184 dated 1 1th July, 1991 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of perfo~rming it known to us: 2 This invention relates to a method and apparatus for the harvesting of clover seeds that are especially suited for the harvesting of subterranean clovers.

Subterranean clover grows in a complex of vines with clover seed being found in a burr, each burr containing three seeds, sometimes four. The burr is supported on a stem and is usually found in a vine slightly above the ground level, sometimes on the ground and occasionally below the ground level, depending on the ground type and seasonal conditions. At times burr can be buried one two to four centimetres below the surface. Clover is harvested after the plant has died and dried up.

The harvesting of clover seeds is made difficult by the complexity of the clover plant. A quite extensive vine supports a burr containing the quite small seeds.

The complexity of the vine and root systems means that extensive preparation of the ground is necessary to ensure that an economic proportion of the plants and seed is removed fromthe ground. However, preparation that is too 15 extensive leads to breaking open or damage to too great a proportion of burrs and subsequent loss of yield. Furthermore collection of the plant from such 0 0:0 prepared soil inevitably requires means to avoid the collection of soil and other debris, or separation of debris from the clover plant.

A traditional method of collecting clover seed entailed the collection of clover plants manually and processing the harvested clover seeds through two 0 0threshers. It is however far more efficient to have a combine harvester collect and thresh and separate the seeds, from the rest of the clover plant and collected debris.

Veoo..

One known method of seed removal entails the removal of clover from the ground by suction, however the difficulty is that quite extensive ground **preparation is required because the force exerted by suction is not sufficient to remove plants from a ground surface not well prepared. According to this known method the harvested material is then fed through one tllresher to break up the burrs and seeds and separate out the seeds.

A problem with this method is that the thresher is easily clogged up by the excess and complex structure of the clover vine. Furthermore damage to the thresher is effected by extraneous materials such as rocks which damage by 0 3 their impact, or by granulate material such as sand which has an abrasive action on the thresher.

A further method of harvesting clover is described in United States Patent specification number 4823541.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method of harvesting clover which will obviate or minimize any one of the foregoing disadvantages in a simple yet effective manner or at least provide the public with a useful choice.

It is also an object of this invention to provide an apparatus for separating clover seeds from a clover plant that is mobile.

In one form the invention could be said to reside in a mobile combination harvester and threshing apparatus for harvesting of clover from a prepared ground surface, said apparatus comprising: a pick-up broom for picking up clover plants from the prepared ground surface, means for transporting such picked-up material to a sieve means, said sieve means adapted for sieving out granular debris, means for conveying the sieved material to a cutting means, the cutting means adapted for cutting clover vines from clover burrs, means for carrying the cut material to a first thresher means, the first thresher means adapted for separating such vines from the burrs, *a second conveyor means to convey the threshed material to a second thresher means, said second thresher means adapted for breaking such burrs to release clover seeds, means for transferring the threshed material from the second thresher to a separator mean, said separator mean adapted for sepaTating the broken burrs from the seeds, and third conveyor means to convey the seeds to a container.

°•boo Preferably the pick-up broom is of the type having stiff radial bristles supported on a driven shaft, the driven shaft supported such that the bristles when in contact with the ground are rotated in a direction reverse to the direction of travel of the apparatus, and positioned so that the seed is flung with at least a partially upwards trajectory. This is found to provide for a very efficient means for picking up clover plants even where such plants are somewhat below the r- 4 surface of the ground.

In a first alternative form of the invention the pick-up broom extends to substantially the same width as the apparatus, and wherein a disposal conveyor is supported on the conveyor and is positioned in the line of travel, and for disposal of material over the downstream end of the pick-up broom, and the apparatus including separate chutes for feeding debris from, the sieving means, the space between the sieving means and the cutting means, the first thresher, the second thresher and the separating table, onto the disposal conveyor.

Preferably in the first alternative form of the invention an auger is positioned within the trough for conveying the collected material to an elevator conveyor for elevating the harvested material to the sieve means.

In a second alternative form of the invention the pick up broom extends only a portion of the width of the apparatus, and a side delivery broom to sweep :6o 15 material upstream of the pick-up broom so as to create a windrow of material S.:o to one side of the apparatus, and where the apparatus includes separate 9,o means for feeding debris form, the sieving means, the space between the sieving means and the cutting means, the first thresher, the second thresher and the separating table, onto that portion of the apparatus not in line with the pick-up broom, or the side delivery broom.

;Preferably there is a gap between the end of the sieving means and the cutting means, whereby the means to transfer the sieved material comprises an air-blowing means positioned to give an updraft of air from below the downstream end of the sieving means and so as to carry the clover plants into a housing of the cutting means. The air stream whilst of sufficient force to carry clover plant material into the cutting means is not sufficiently strong to carry stones and other heavier objects, wtich consequently fall into the gap, and are not processed further.

Preferably the passage of material through the cutting means, and the first thresher is assisted by the flow of air produced by the air blowing means, and that air flow also assists the passage of that material from the first thresher though a conduit and into the second thresher.

Preferably the first thresher is so constructed to create a further air flow in the direction of travel of the material being threshed.

Preferably a slinger assists or is the principal means of conveying material from an outlet of the first thresher to an inlet on the second thresher, and is assisted by the airflow or the air blowing means and the air flow created by the construction of the first thresher.

Preferably both the first and second threshers are both axial flow threshers.

In an alternative form the invention could be said to reside in a method of har, and separating clover seed from clover plants, comprising the step. T: picking up the clover plants from prepared ground surface into a collection trough using a pick-up broom, passing the picked up clover plants through a means for sieving out granular **debris, cutting the clover vines from the clover burrs, separating such vines from the burrs in a first thresher means, breaking the burrs from the seeds in a second thresher means and separating the burrs from the seeds, and storing the seed.

For a better understanding the invention will now be described with reference to embodiments which will be described with reference to the drawings in which FIG 1 is a flow chart of the steps of one embodiment of the method of according to the invention also listing the parts of an apparatus that can be used to perform each step, FIG 2 is a schematic plan view from above of a first embodiment of an apparatus according to this invention showing the general layout of the parts of the apparatus, FIG 3 is a schematic side plan view aQ, ,ording to the first embodiment of this invention, FIG 4 is a plan view from the front of the first apparatus embodiment of 6 the invention, FIG 5 shows detail of an embodiment of the pick up broom in relation to the collection trough, auger and elevator conveyor, FIG 6 shows some detail of an embodiment of the sieve means, FIG 7 is a cut-away section of the cutting means taking the form of a peg-drum, FIG 8 is a schematic plan view irom above of a second embodiment of an apparatus according to this invention showing the general layout of the parts of the apparatus, FIG 9 shows the arrangement of the conveyor means for conveying material between the first and second thresher in a specific alternative embodiment, FIG 10 -12 show detail of an arrangement for elevating the pick-up brooms ee •e S"and side delivery brooms of the embodiment shown in FIG 8.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Dimensions of certain of the parts as shown in the drawings may have been modified and/or exaggerated for the purposes of clarity of illustration.

The first illustrated embodiment of the clover harvester is supported on a 20 trailerable frame la which supported by two wheels 1,2, and which can be .eoooi hitched onto a towing vehicle such as a tractor 3.

A pick up broom 4 is supported for rotation at the rear of the clover harvester, and is connected to hydraulic motors. The broom is rotated in direction such that when in contact with the ground surface it rotates counter to the direction of travel of the harvester. The broom comprises stiff bristles protruding radially away from a supporting shaft and which bristles are so positioned in relation to the ground surface so as to fling up clover plants from the ground surface and with an, at least in part, upwardly trajectory.

A collection trough 5 is located parallel and close to the pick up broom and positioned so that material flung up by the broom Is collected In the trough.

The material collected includes clover plants, sand, pebbles and like material.

An auger 6 is located within a collection trough 5 and the spiral flights of the auger deliver the collected material to the right hand side of the harvester as illustrated. The collection trough is generally enclosed, except that the trough is open towards to the broom, to allow for collection of the harvested material, and includes a forward opening so as to deliver such harvested material to a drag elevator 7.

The drag elevator 7 comprises a plurality of spaced apart bars 7a interconnected on a web 7b and enclosed within an elevator housing 7c. A lower portion 7d of the elevator housing comprises support against which the bars drag the harvested material and so elevate the material. The drag oloo elevator takes the material up and drops the material onto a sand sieve 8 through chute 7e.

The sand sieve is supported within a sand sieve housing 9. The sand sieve slopes slightly forwards and is shaken with oscillations of about three inches.

The sieving surface is angled slightly forward so as to give a gentle forward throwing motion to the material.

The sieve in this embodiment is a web of material with punched out holes that are slightly smaller than the smallest burrs, and are formed into steps 9a, about three inches long and each stepped down half an inch relative to an adjacent step. This allows for a more positive forward motion to the material.

This becomes particularly relevant where the harvester is operating on a slope. An alternative construction of the sieve could be where the sieve is made of an expanded metal web with appropriately sized apertures, the expanded metal itself forming the step.

Sand and other debris that falls through the sieve is collected on the floor of the sieve housing, which in this embodiment is four inches below the sieve, and is angled towards a sand disposal chute 11. The housing is also shaken, and is integral with the sieve, so that sand small stones and dirt are shaken towards the disposal chute for removal.

The sand disposal chute delivers the debris to a disposal conveyer belt 12.

The disposal conveyor belt runs along the length of the harvester collecting debris from a number of sources and disposing of the waste to the ground surface behind the pick-up broom 4.

A rotary fan 13 creates an upwardly directed blast of air, which controlled blast of air is strong enough to lift the burr and other material from a forward edge of the sand sieve, and into a housing leading to and encasing a peg drum 14, located at a distance of about 8 to 12 inches away from the ends of the fingers.

The gap of 8 to 12 inches allows for stones and other like material to fall down and be collected and chuted to the disposal conveyor.

A plurality of spaced apart fingers 15 extend from the end of the sand sieve and the blast of air passes through the fingers to lift the burr and other light material upwards. Heavier objects such as stones, sticks and pieces of wood oooo that are not small enough to pass through the sand sieve can drop through the fingers or over the end of the fingers and into a second disposal chute 16, and onto the disposal conveyor 12.

°o The peg drum includes rotary blades 17 and protrusions 18 extending inwardly from the peg drum housing 19, so that a shearing is effected between the blades and the protrusions to sever the burr from the vines, Some burrs are also broken open. Whilst the material is in the peg drum it is still under the influence of the blast of air from the rotary fan 13, and this assists in throwing the material onwards and into a first axial flow thresher :°oooo The material is fed in at a first end of the thresher and is then worked forward by the motion of the rasp bars and the t hresher bars. As the material is worked forward it is separated through, a concave mesh surrounding the S•thresher bars; the vine and straw being moved forward, and the burr and seed passing through the concave mesh. The concave is mesh and approximately two to two and a half centimeters square. On reaching the forward end of the thresher the vine and straw is deposited onto a vine disposal chute 21 which directs the vines and straw onto the disposal conveyor 12. The first axial flow thresher includes a vent 22 which allows for the exhausting of air directed into the thresher by the rotary fan 13.

The burr and seed is forced through the concave mesh onto a floor of the thresher which is formed into a burr chute 23 and directs burr and seeds onto a lifting conveyor 24. The lifting conveyor is of the "tubulator" type which is found to be a very quick and efficient means of delivering the burr and seed to the front of a second axial flow thresher The second axial flow thresher 25 provides a more rigorous separation and the rasp bars and the thresher bars are set to a much closer tolerance, with the mesh much finer. Thus the mesh in this embodiment is three millimetre wire mesh. The broken burr and seed after passing through the mesh falls onto a preparation table 26.

A small elongate opening is left in the concave to allow any unthreshable material to pass through, this joins the threshed material on the preparation table. The second axial flow thresher 25 does not act to separate out the threshed from unthreshed material but acts as a means for mechanically breaking up the clover burys.

15 The preparation table leads to a sieve 27 and material is fed from the **a preparation table to the sieve. A fan (not shown) situated below the sieve 27 S" and forward of the sieve provides a blast of air through the sieves, removing all chaff and allowing the cleaned seed to drop through. Material too large to pass through the sieves and too heavy to be lifted by the air will drop ove- the 00. 20 rear of the sieves and returned by return elevator 28 back into the second axial flow thresher 25, for rethreshing. Chaff and dust that is lifted by the air is blown out over the rear of the machine and is directed by a chute 31 to the ground behind the pick-up broom.

Seed that falls through the sieve is elevated by a seed elevator 29 to a final screen 30 located above the second axial flow thresher 25. The final screen is a revolving screen which has directional fins inside to ensure the gentle passage through and out the left hand side to drop directly into a seed box 32.

The revolving screen is fine enough to not allow any whole seeds to pass through, but will remove any cracked and broken seeds, fine dust, dirt and sand. A final screen debris chute 33 directs such debris onto the disposal conveyor 12.

There is sufficient room between the two main sections of the harvester; the left and right hand side,, for an observation platform with hand-rails and steps allowing a person to monitor and adjust the machine while in motion.

The second illustrated embodiment shown is Figures 8 to 12 is similar to that described fo" the first embodiment except where otherwise described.

In this second embodiment the pick-up broom is narrower, and picks-up matera' from a windrow 34 of material which the apparatus drives over. The pick-up broom is of a width similar to the width of the elevator conveyor 7. No disposal conveyor is provided, instead, any waste materials simply chuted out to that side of the apparatus from which the pick-up broom does not pick up material nor from which the windrow is formed, and which has already been harvested.

In this embodiment the elevator conveyor takes the form of a endless conveyor web entrained about two end roller, and unlike the elevator conveyor of the first embodiment, does not act as a drag conveyor, but rather has the harvested material flung onto the conveyor belt when on the upperside of the rollers, so that the web of the conveyor belt supports the material. This alleviates the problem found with a drag conveyor where once the machine is stopped the stationary weight of sand and other material in the picked-up material is too heavy to allow the elevator to start up. Great difficulty can be experienced in cleaning out the sand to start the conveyor again.

The sand sieve 8 and extending fingers operate in a similar way and the air blower 13 carries the harvested material into a peg drum of similar construction to that in the first embodiment. In this embodiment however the means of conveying cut material, from the peg drum through the first thresher and then through the second thresher is somewhat different. Instead of providing for a vent in the housing of the first thresher, the air blast from the air blower 13 is used to carry material through the first thresher.

The first thresher is also somewhat modified to enhance the effect of air assisted carrying of material. The thresher is generally constructed of a rotary thresher frame supporting thresher bars, which bars co-operate with a concave mesh to thresh the material harvested. In this embodiment the rotary thresher frame has a plurality of fan biades, which are angled somewhat forward of the lateral so as Co enhance the air flow through the thresher.

Where the rotary thresher frame includes a solid lateral support, vents are cut through the lateral supports so as to assist the passage of material. An outlet chute 21 is provided for the waste at the downstream end of the thresher.

Material passing through the concave is collected by a further chute 35 as it is in the first embodiment, however instead of loading the threshed material onto a conveyor, it is passed through a slinger 36 The slinger comprises a radial fan including a plurality of radially spaced vanes 37 supported on a driven shaft, and so driven that the vanes act to sling the threshed material up a slinging duct 38 to the second thresher 25. The slinger also acts as an air pump, and is assisted in this by air pressure produced by the air blower 13 and' "e fan arrangeme i, on the first thresher.

Material threshed in the second thresher passes onto a separating table and a seive 27, and this operates in the same way as in the first embodiment with unwanted chaff simply blown of the back of the apparatus. The arrangement Shere however is somewhat simpler in that the pick-up broom doe,, not need to be circumvented. In this embodiment there is not provision for a return conveyor to return threshed material back to the second thresher, and the seed is lifted by conveyor 29, and chuted over the second thresh er through a rotary screen as in the first embodiment into the storage container 32.

As best seen from FIG 8 the pick-up broom picks-up material from windrow 34.

The windrow being formed by two side delivery brooms 39 and 40. The side delivery brooms are of a similar construction to the pick-up broom in having stiff bristles radially supported on a driven shaft, the driven shaft driven counter to the direction of travel by hydraulic motors such as at 43, being connected to one end of the shaft.

The side delivery brooms are each supported on a respective side delivery 'frame 41 and 42, and the two side delivery frames are pivotable with respect to each other .nd each supported by two wheels. The first side delivery frame is connected to a yoke 44 supported together with the elevator conveyor.

The windrow formed by the two pick-up brooms is formed but is not picked up at the same time as the apparatus travels over that part of the field, but rather a windrow formed by an earlier pass is picked-up.

To assist in transport of the apparatus, it is desirable to have all three brooms supported so that they can be elevated. The elevator conveyor and pick-up broom are supported on a subframe 45, and pivotable to an upright member 46 of the trailerable frame la at 47, which subframe is supported on jockey wheels during use.

A hydraulic ram (not shown) can lift subframe 45 with respect to the trailerable frame la so as to lift its rear end, and thereby to elevate the pick-up broom and the elevator conveyor.

The wheels of each of the side delivery frames is supported so as to be pivotable between a raised or lowered position with respect to the ground.

Each of the wheels is counterweighted by counterweight such as shown at 48.

A cable arrangement can be used to raise or lower the wheels as appropriate for transport or harvesting.

Various features of the invention have been particularly shown and described in connection with the illustrated embodiments of the invention, however, it M 15 must be understood that these particular arrangements merely illustrate and I that the invention is to be given its fullest interpretation within the terms of the appended claims.

Claims (27)

1. A mobile combination harvester and threshing apparatus for harvesting of clover from a prepared ground surface, said apparatus comprising a pick-up broom for picking up clover plants from the prepared ground surface, means for transporting such picked-up material to a sieve means, said sieve means adapted for sieving out granular debris, means for conveying the seived material to a cutting means, the cutting means adapted for cutting clover vines from clover burrs, means for carrying the cut material to a first thresher means, the first thresher means adapted for separating such vines from the burrs, a second conveyor means to convey the threshed material to a second thresher means, said second thresher means adapted for br,'.Xing such burrs to release clover seeds, means for transferring the thresher material from the second thresher to a separator mean, said separator mean adapted for separating the broken burrs from the seeds, and third conveyor means to convey the seeds into a container.

2. The apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the pick-up broom is of the type having stiff radial bristles supported on a driven shaft, the driven shaft supported such that the bristles when in contact with the ground are rotated in a direction reverse to the direction of travel of the apparatus, and positioned so that the picked-up material is flung with an at least partially upwards trajectory.

3. The apparatus as in any one of the preceding claims wherein the pick- up broom deliver the picked up material to a collection trough, which collection trough has a backwardly facing open portion corresponding to the width of the pick-up broom.

4. The apparatus as in any one of the preceding claims wherein the pick- up broom extends substantially to a width of the apparatus, and wherein a disposal conveyor is supported on the conveyor and is positioned in the line of travel, and for disposal of material downstream of the pick-up broom, and the apparatus including separate chutes for chuting debris from, the sieving means, the first thresher, the second thresher and the separating table, onto the disposal conveyor.

The apparatus as in claim 4 when referring to claim 3 wherein an auger is positioned within the collection trough for conveying the collected material to an elevator conveyor for elevating the harvested material to the sieve means.

6. The apparatus as in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the pick-up broom extends for only a portion of the width of the apparatus, and the apparatus includes a side delivery broom to sweep material downstream of the pick-up broom so as to create a windrow of material to an unharvested side of the apparatus, and the apparatus includes separate means for feeding debris from, the sieving means, the first thresher, the second thresher and the separating table, onto a portion of the prepared field already harvested and not in line with the pick-up broom, or the side delivery broom.

7. The apparatus as in claim 6 wherein the side delivery broom is supported by a delivery broom trailerable frame which delivery broom frame is connected to the harvester supporting frame.

8. The apparatus as in claim 7 wherein height adjusting means are t provided to adjust the height of a delivery broom trailerable support frame relative to the harvester support frame so as to engage or disengage the side delivery brooms with the ground surface.

9. The apparatus as in any one of the preceding claims wherein the means conveying the picked up material to the sieve means comprises a drag conveyor of the type having a plurality of lateral bars interconnected to form an f 25 endless belt and entrained about two rollers, and driven so that the under portion of the endless belt is adapted to drag the picked-up material up against a supporting surface of the drag conveyor, to thereby elevate said picked-up material.

The apparatus as in any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein the means conveying the picked up material to the sieve means comprises an endless belt conveyor having an endless belt entrained about two rollers, the endless belt adapted to carry the picked up material, and so that the endless belt supports the picked up material when upwardly facing to carry the picked-up material upwards to the sieve means.

11. The apparatus as in any of the preceding claims wherein the sieve means comprises a sieving surface supported for reciprocal or rotary motion, and including a plurality of spaced apart apertures adapted for debris to fall through whilst supporting clover plants and parts thereof.

12. The apparatus as in claim 11 wherein the sieving surface is stepped, the steps going downwards in the direction of travel of the harvested material.

13. The apparatus as in with claim 11 or 12 wherein the sieving surface is formed by an expanded metal mesh.

14. The apparatus as in any one of the preceding claims wherein a further sieving means is provided the further sieving means including a plurality of spaced apart fingers extending from the downstream end of the sieving surface, the finger being spaced apart that elongate debris can fall therebetween.

The apparatus as in any one of the preceding claims wherein there is a gap between the end of the sieving means and the cutting means, whereby the means to transfer the sieved material comprises an air-blowing means positioned to give an updraft of air from below the downstream end of the sieving means so as to carry the sieved material into a housing of the cutting means.

16. The apparatus as in any one of the preceding claims whereby the i~o, cutting means is a radial flow peg drum comprising a plurality of rotating tines supported on a driven shaft, said rotating tines supported for rotation in the direction of flow of the ha:vested material, and a plurality of complementary tines supported so that such rotating tines move oppositely relative to the complementary tines, so as to effect a cutting of the harvested material between adjacent rotary and complementary tines,

17. The apparatus as in either claims 15 or 16 wherein a conduit connects the cutting means with the first thresher, and the first thresher is an axial flow thresher, and the passage of cut material is assiSted by the flow of air 16 produced by the air blowing means.

18. The apparatus as in claim 17 whereby air blown by the air blowing means assists the passage of the harvested material through the first thresher means.

19. The apparatus as in claim 18 whereby the first thresher includes a first thresher supporting frame for supporting a plurality of thresher bars, for cooperating with a surrounding mesh to thresh the harvested material, and fan blades being provided for rotation with the thresher supporting frame so as to assist with the passage of harvested material through the first thresher, and wherein at a downstream end of the first thresher is an outlet for disposal of material not threshed through the surrounding mesh.

The apparatus as in any one of the preceding claims wherein underneath the first thresher there is provided a chute for collection of material 1 that has passed through the surrounding mesh of the first thresher and the chute feeds the threshed material into a tubular duct communicating with the second thresher, and a slinger is supported at the beginning of the tubular duct, for slinging the threshed material through the tubular duct and into the second thresher so as to create a positive air pressure to assist in the carrying of material through the second thresher, the second thresher being an axial flow thresher and there being provided an outlet at the downstream end of the second thresher for the unthreshed material to pass through. *at

21. The apparatus as in claim 17 whereby a housing encosing the first thresher means includes a vent for venting off air flow produced by the air blowing means, so as to prevent pressure build up within the first thresher. 25

22. The apparatus as in claim 21 wherein a chute is positioned underneath the first thresher for collection of material that has passed through the surrounding mesh and threshed material is directed by the chute onto a second elevator, for elevating the material and feeding such material into the second thresher, the second thresher being an axial flow thresher.

23. The apparatus as in any one of the preceding claims wherein the second thresher includes threshing bars for movement in co-operation with a surrounding mesh to thresh material, and a chute to direct the material passing through the mesh to fall on a separating table of the type having a plurality of apertures of a size to allow for the seed to fall through, said separating table being supported for reciprocal or rotary motion in the plane of the table, and positioned so that the material not falling through the apertures is discarded off a downstream end of the separating table, and wherein a fan assists in blowing of broken burr from the downstream end of the separating table.

24. The apparatus as in claim 23 wherein the apparatus includes a return feed for returning material falling off the downstream end of the separating table to an inlet of the second thresher for rethreshing.

A method of harvesting and separating clover seed from clover plants, comprising the steps of: picking up the clover plants from prepared ground surface into a collection S: 1 trough using a pick-up broom, passing the picked up clover plants through a means for sieving out granular debris, 0& cutting the clover vines from the clover burrs, separating such vines from the burrs in a first thresher means, breaking the burrs from the seeds in a second thresher means 20 and separating the burrs from the seeds, and storing the seed. °a

26. A method of harvesting and separating clover seed from clover plants, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the described embodiments. a.

27. A combination harvester and threshing machine for harvesting of clover seed substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the described embodiments. Dated this 10th day of July 1992 ROBERT KEITH MOORE By his Patent Attorney GGlT SOGN-&-G& M2 o s R.P.T. PRAT-rT AND a MftRK OTTOIoS 4C 4/ 1'r ABSTRACT A mobile combination harvester and threshing apparatus for harvesting clover from a prepared ground surface, the apparatus has a pick-up broom for picking up clover plants into a collecting trough, a sieve for sieving out granular debris, a cutter to cut clover vines from clover burrs, a first coarse thresher, and a second fine thresher respectively for separating vines from burrs and for breaking the burrs, and a separating table, for blowing off chaff, and including a sieve for allowing seed to drop into a collection chute. *se* S S aSOS