ES379827A1 - Apparatus operable to harvest and to thresh wheat or a similar grain crop - Google Patents

Abstract

A combine harvester characterised in that the grain crop after cutting is moved by a conveyor means in a direction parallel to the cutter bar to a threshing mechanism at one end of the transfer means, and the crop after threshing is moved through a separating means in a direction colinear with but opposed to the direction of unthreshed crop movement, the straw emerging at the end remote from the threshing means comprises in Fig. 3 an auger drum 3 with a auger 2 mounted for rotation parallel to the cutter bar and feeding crop to a threshing cylinder 8 and concave 9 via conveyor drum 7. Threshed crop then enters mesh drum 13 from deflector plate 12 which is cam oscillated on rollers 18 to provide a longitudinal motion, or alternatively may have an internal auger, to eject straw from the end remote from the thresher. Separated grain falls through mesh drum 13 and is fed to auger conveyor 11 and thence to a further cleaner or grain tank by auger 15 on the outside of the mesh drum. In a further embodiment the auger drum 3 itself may comprise sieve material and separated grain emerging from it is transferred to a grain pan and auger by vanes on the drum. In other embodiments the movement of crop to and from the threshing cylinder may be provided by a set of timed rotors 24 mounted on axes transverse to the cutter bar or by an endless belt leaving upstanding tines, the separating being achieved by a grille through which the tines pass, the grain falling to a grain pan covered by a grille behind the cutter bar and having a auger. In another embodiment (Fig. 15) the threshing drum 58 and concave 57 are arranged for axial flow threshing and are adjacent the mesh drum 63 and enclosing grain screen 61. The threshing drum 58 and straw auger 64 are driven in the opposite direction to the mesh drum 63 and threshing cylinder 57. Cut crop is fed to the threshing cylinder by conveyor 59. Grain and chaff leaving mesh drum 63 fall onto grain screen 61 where the chaff is separated and conveyed by auger 65, the grain passing through screen 61, where it is conveyed by auger 62 to the grain tank. In further embodiments the slow screw auger 63 may be replaced by a tapered cone auger. The combine harvester may comprise two combine units (Fig. 11) as described mounted with the cutter bars in longitudinal alignment with the thresher units 7 outermost with the auger drums 2 of opposite hand and positioned end to end in coaxial alignment. The harvester is self propelled or tractor mounted.