GB2024595A

GB2024595A - Axial flow combine harvester

Info

Publication number: GB2024595A
Application number: GB7923675A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Deere and Co
Current assignee: Deere and Co
Priority date: 1978-07-08
Filing date: 1979-07-06
Publication date: 1980-01-16
Also published as: GB2024595B; FR2430179B1; DE2830069A1; FR2430179A1

Abstract

An inclined conveyor feeds crop from a cutter head up into an axial flow threshing and separating drum 48 in a housing 18. The drum shaft 50 is approximately coaxial with the shaft of an internal combustion engine 64 and is driven through a transmission unit 60. Threshed material falls through the housing 18 onto a separating conveyor on device 76 which oscillates. Grain falls through to an auger conveyor 110 feeding a transverse conveyor 119 which feeds a vertical conveyor 121 carrying the grain up to a saddle grain tank 24. A blower 140 carries chaff rearwardly. Residual material drops through to another conveyor 111. In the grain tank another cleaning device 116 and axially extending distributing screws are provided. The cleaning devices, blower and conveyors are all driven from two lateral shafts extending parallel to the drum axis and coupled to the engine shaft by belt and pulley drives. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Axial flow combine harvester The invention relates to an axial flow combine harvester having a threshing and separating drum which extends axially through a threshing and separating drum housing, a collecting container in which at least one distributor member is arranged, a cleaning unit with an axial blower, a conveyor means which is associated with the cleaning unit, and an internal combustion engine for driving the shafts of the associated working members.

A combine harvester is described in U.S. patent specification No. 122499 which operates on the axial flow principle and which has a threshing and separating drum housing extending in the longitudinal direction, below which there is disposed a conveyor which extends in the axial direction of the combine harvester and which is disposed in the same vertical centre plane as the threshing and separating drum and which feeds the crop material which is discharged from the threshing and separating drum housing to conveyor members which then convey the crop material to a collecting container.

In comparison with this art, the object of the present invention is to arrange and dispose all working members for processing and conveying the crop material and the shafts of the working members and the internal combustion engine in combine harvesters in such a way as to provide for a very good flow of power for driving the individual members, in addition to arranging the individual members in a compact manner.

According to the present invention, there is provided an axial flow combine harvester having a threshing and separating drum which extends axially through a threshing and separating drum housing, a collecting container in which at least one distributor member is arranged, a cleaning device with an axial blower, a conveyor which is associated with the cleaning means, and an internal combustion engine for driving the shafts of the associated working members, wherein the engine, the drum and the or each distributor member all have shafts extending parallel to each other substantially parallel to the longitudinal centre axis of the combine harvester.

If all the working members for processing and conveying the crop material and the shafts of the working members and also the internal combustion engine are aligned with respect to the longitudinal axis of the combine harvester, the resulting structure provides for a very compact arrangement of ail the individual members in the combine harvester. In addition, it is advantageous for the shafts also to be arranged with their axis parallel to the longitudinal centre axis of the combine harvester. It is thus possible to use a much smaller number of drive components as it is no longer necessary for the power line to be turned.The output drive of the internal combustion engine which is arranged in the longitudinal centre line is made by way of gear wheels or transmissions involving belts (which may be chains) without an angle transmission device such as bevel gears having to be provided between the internal combustion engine and the individual driven shafts. For this purpose, it is advantagous for all shafts for driving the working members and/or the threshing and separating drum housing to be arranged horizontally with respect to the surface on which the combine harvester stands. The combine harvester is of low height, by virtue of the horizontal arrangement of the threshing and separating drum housing and the individual shafts.

It is also advantageous for the internal combustion engine to extend approximately coaxially with respect to the threshing and separating drum and to be connected to the threshing and separating drum by way of the engine output shaft and a transmission unit, wherein further belt drives extending transversely with respect to the longitudinal centre axis are derived from the output shaft and drive shafts which are provided on both sides of the internal combustion engine and which extend parallel to the longitudinal centre axis. As all shafts are arranged to extend parallel to each other, the shafts are also suitable for use as drive shafts for further shafts connected to the output thereof.In this way it is possible for the drive to the distributor screw or the discharge pipe to be effected only by way of two transmissions involving belts, which transmissions are disposed one after the other, without the provision of an additional angle drive therebetween. As the internal combustion engine also extends on the longitudinal centre line of the combine harvester, the combine harvester can be made substantially narrower than hitherto. In orderto provide for a better distribution of power to the shafts, it is also advantageous for two drive wheels to be provided on an input shaft of the transmission unit, one drive wheel being directly or indirectly drivingly connected to a countershaft on one side of the internal combustion engine and the other drive wheel being directly or indirectly connected to the cleaning shaft on the other side of the internal combustion engine.It is also advantageous for the transmission unit to be in the form of a steplessly adjustable gear-change transmission unit, an epicyclictransmission unit, or a split transmission unit, and to be provided between the drive wheels of the internal combustion engine and the threshing and separating drum, and to be displaced laterally or downwardly or upwardly with respect to the longitudinal centre axis and to be drivingly connected to the drive shaft of the threshing and separating drum, by way of drive members.It is should be necessary for structural reasons, then by virtue of the particularly advantageous alignments of the individual shafts, the internal combustion engine can also be displaced laterally with respect to the longitudinal centre axis, wherein the engine connection shaft can be connected by way of a transmission belt type or a spur gear transmission, to the shaft which extends in the longitudinal centre plane, for driving the threshing and separating drum housing.

It is also advantageous for the two driven drive wheels of the cleaning shaft and the counter shaft to be disposed approximately in the same plane, and for at least one of the shafts of the drive assembly to have a connection shaft for driving further working members or machines. Machines which are provided outside of the combine harvester can be easily driven by using a PTO shaft which also extends in the longitudinal direction of the combine harvester.

It is particularly advantageous for the threshing and separating drum housing to extend axially below a saddle tank and to be disposed above a first cleaning device on to which the axial blower blows, wherein the front land wheel axle is adapted to the blower housing of the axial blower. This arrangement provides for a very compact combine harvester construction, with good weight distribution between the axles. It is also advantageous for the middle part of the saddle tank to comprise a downwardly open, V-shaped part and for the land wheel axle to be formed from an upwardly open V-shaped part, wherein the two parts extend on the longitudinal centre axis of the combine harvester and accommodate between them the threshing and cleaning members.The V-shaped arrangement of the bottom of the saddle tank which also extends in the longitudinal centre line of the combine harvester and the V-shaped arrangement of the transverse support member of the land wheel axle provide that a large number of working members can be disposed between these two parts, to form a compact arrangement. Forthis purpose, it is advantageous for the threshing and separating housing, the first cleaning housing and a conveyor housing of one or two conveyor screws to be disposed between the Vshaped parts, wherein the bends forming the points of the V-shaped parts are disposed on the longitudinal centre plane.

In a further embodiment of the invention, it is advantageous for the housing of the axial blower to be incorporated into the transverse support member and/or for the transverse support member to be a part of the blower housing. It is also advantageous for the threshing and separating drum housing and the first cleaning housing to be formed as selfsupporting longitudinal support members, wherein the conveyor housing of the conveyor screws can be part of the longitudinal support member. By virtue of the V-shaped configuration of the land wheel axle, the axial blower for the first cleaning action can be easily disposed in a compact arrangement between the threshing and cleaning housing and the conveyor housing.

It is advantageous for a distributor member to be provided in the saddle tank above the threshing and separating drum on the longitudinal centre plane, which distributor member can be in the form of a second cleaning means beside which further, parallel conveyor members and/or conveyor members which are formed as cleaning means are disposed. It is also advantageous for a separating wall to be arranged stationarily in the conveyor housing and to divide the conveyor housing into a section for cleaned crop material and for the residue material, wherein a displaceable flap is connected to the separating wall and extends into the region of the cleaning means.It is also advantageous for the first cleaning means which is disposed in the longitudinal centre plane to have a conveyor member for the cleaning operation and a conveyor memberforthe residue material, which conveyor members can be separated from each other by way of an axially displaceable separating wall.

It is advantageous for the separating wall to be carried in guide members and to be displaceable in the conveyor housing by way of an adjusting device.

It is also advantageous for the conveyor housing to have an outlet opening for the residue material and an outlet opening for the cleaned crop material.

As the first cleaning action is provided below the threshing and separating drum housing, the conveyor housing may also be provided below the cleaning device and can therefore carry out two functions. On the one hand, the conveyor housing serves to receive the residue material and on the other hand the cleaned crop material. Depending on the nature of the crop material which is discharged from the threshing and separating drum housing, the proportion of the housing provided for receiving the residue material can be increased or reduced in size. This is advantageously effected by a partitioning wall which is displaceable in the longitudinal direction and which can also be displaced by way of a control device or a screw linkage assembly.

It is also advantageous for the axes or shafts of the conveyor screws, the axial blower, the first cleaning means, the threshing and separating drum housing and the second cleaning means, which axes or shafts extend in the axial direction of the combine harvester, to be disposed in the longitudinal centre plane of the combine harvester. This arrangement provides for a very compact structure in respect of the various working members in the combine harvester.

The invention will now be described in greater detail hereinafter with reference to an embodiment illustrated in the drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a view in cross-section of a combine harvester with a threshing and separating drum housing which is arranged in the longitudinal direction, the driver's platform having been omitted for the sake of simplicity of the drawing, Figure 2 is a diagrammatic front view of the collecting container with threshing and separating device and cleaning means, the other parts such as the driver's cabin and the inclined conveyor housing being omitted from the drawing, Figure 3 shows the layout of the drive means, Figure 4 is a front view of the drive means of Figure 3, Figures 5 and 6 show different front axle configurations of the combine harvester, with an axial blower for the cleaning means, arranged above the axle, and Figure 7 is a plan view of the Figure 5 construction.

In Figure 1 a combine harvester 10 is provided with an inclined conveyor 12 which is disposed below a driver's cabin (not shown). The combine harvester 10 has two front drivable land wheels 14 and two rear steerable wheels 16. The combine harvester 10 comprises a threshing and separating drum housing 18 and a cleaning housing 20 which is arranged below the housing 18, and a conveyor housing 22 which is arranged below the cleaning housing, for receiving the cleaned crop material and the residue material respectively. The three housings 18, 20 and 22 form a rigid structure for the combine harvester 10, which frame structure extends in the longitudinal direction of the combine harvester. The housings are all arranged on the vertical centre plane of the combine harvester 10.

Disposed above the threshing and separating drum housing 18 is a collecting container 24 which can advantageously be formed as a saddle tank. The collecting container 24 (Figure 2) comprises side walls 26 and 28, a front wall 30 and a rear wall 32.

The collecting container 24 also has a bottom 34 in which there are two trough-like depressions 36 and 38. The middle part of the bottom 34 comprises a downwardly open, V-shaped part 40 whose apex 42 is arranged on the longitudinal centre plane. The V-shaped part 40 defines the upper part of the threshing and separating drum housing 18. The collecting container 24 is covered by a cover 44.

The crop material which is picked up by the inclined conveyor 12 is fed by way of an inlet opening 45 to the entry region 46 of the threshing and separating drum housing 18. Athreshing and separating drum 48 is mounted rotatably within the threshing and separating drum housing 18 and is provided with a shaft 50 which extends in the longitudinal centre plane. The front end of the shaft 50 is rotatably mounted by means of a bearing 52 in the front end wall 54 while the rear end of the shaft 50 is rotatably mounted in a bearing 56 provided in the rear end wall 58.

As can be seen in particularfrom Figure 3, the shaft 50 of the threshing and separating drum 48 is extended and connected to a transmission unit 60 whose input shaft 62 is driven by an internal combustion engine 64. The transmission unit 60 can be in the form of a spur or epicyclic gear-change or a steplessly adjustable transmission unit or in the form of a split transmission unit. The internal combustion engine 64, the transmission unit 60 and the threshing and separating drum 48 extend approximately in the longitudinal centre plane.As the internal combustion engine 64 extends approximately coaxially with respect to the threshing and separating drum 48, the drum 48 can be driven directly by way of the transmission unit 60 so that there is no need for a universal joint or bevel gears orthetube between the drive output of the internal combustion engine 64 and the drive to the threshing and separating drum 48.

As can be seen in particular from Figure 3, the input shaft 62 is provided with two pulleys 66 and 68, of which the pulley 66 is drivingly connected by way of a belt 70 to a pulley 74 which is provided on a cleaning shaft 72. The cleaning shaft 72 is provided for indirectly driving a cleaning device (Figures 1 and 2) 76 which is provided in the cleaning housing 20. A PTO shaft 79 may be provided at the end of the cleaning shaft 72, so that other machines can be driven thereby. The second pulley 68 is connected by way of a belt 78 to a pulley 82 on a counter-shaft 80.

The counter-shaft 80 can drive a second cleaning shaft 88 and a discharge tube shaft 90 by way of further belt transmissions 84 and 86. It is also possible for further working members in the com bine harvester to be driven by way of the cleaning shaft 72 and the counter-shaft 80 respectively. It is advantageous in that all shafts are so arranged that they extend parallel to each other. This can therefore provide for a relatively simple drive to all shafts, without angle transmission means (e.g. bevel gears) being required for this purpose. As the cleaning shaft 72 is disposed diametrically opposite to the counter shaft 80, the input shaft 62 of the transmission unit 60 is subjected to a uniform radial loading.

As can be seen in particular from Figures 1 and 2, the threshing and separating drum 48 is arranged in the threshing and separating drum housing 18 which comprises a front threshing portion 92 and a rear separation or extraction portion 94. The threshing portion 92 has threshing bars 96 which are arranged in a spiral configuration and the separating portion 94 also has spirally extending separating bars 98.

The threshing and separating drum housing 18 comprises an upper cylindrical cover 100 which can be closed or provided with through openings. The threshing and separating drum housing 18 is also formed from a screen-like threshing and separating basket 102 which is provided with numerous openings 104. Disposed below the threshing and separating basket 102 is the cleaning device 76 which can be formed for example as a screen belt 105 which is mounted for oscillating movement and which is provided with an upper and lower run 106. The cleaning device 76 or screen belt 105 has numerous through openings which crop material or partially cleaned crop material passes. The crop material which passes through the openings in the screen belt 105 is then received by the conveyor housing 22, in the depression 108 of which a conveyor screw 110 and 111 is rotatably disposed.The conveyor housing 22 may be provided in the rearward region with an outlet opening 113 for the residue material and the middle region with an outlet opening 115 for the cleaned crop material. So that the residue material and the cleaned crop material are not mixed, a separating wall 112 is provided within the conveyor housing 22, and an adjustable flap 117 is pivotally connected to the separating wall. The flat 117 can be secured in at least three positions, and thereby increases or reduces the size of the residue material region of the screen belt 105. The flap 117 can be adjusted by way of a control device. Therefore, depending on the crop material nature, the flap 117 can be displaced further towards the left or further towards the right (Figure 1), so that the amount of the residue material can be increased or reduced. If there is no separating wall 112, the cleaned crop material is fed by way of a residue material elevator 114. In the embodiment illustrated, however, the elevator 114 is connected to the threshing and separating drum housing 18, while a conveyor screw 119 is provided in the conveyor housing 22 in the region of the outlet opening 115. The conveyor screw 119 passes the cleaned material to a further elevator 121 from which the crop material passes to the second cleaning means 116 which can be in the form of a distributor member provided with a housing 122 in which a conveyor member 124, for example a conveyor screw, is disposed. Besides the second cleaning means 116, it is also possible to provide further cleaning means 126 and 128 which are similar to the second cleaning means 126.In order to ensure that the collecting container 24 is uniformly emptied, conveyor screws 130 and 132 are disposed in the trough-like depressions 36 and 38.

The collecting container 24 is emptied by way of an emptying tube (not shown). As the cleaning means or distributor members 116, 126 and 128 and the conveyor screws 130 and 132 also extend in the longitudinal direction of the combine harvester 10 and are arranged parallel to each other, they can be easily driven by way of the drive means. At the front end of the conveyor screws 130 and 132, there is a transversely extending discharge screw 118 which may be arranged with its upper edge somewhat below the lower edge of the conveyor screws 130 and 132. The discharge screw 118 passes the crop material to a discharge conveyor.

As can be seen in particular from Figure 2, the front land wheels 14 are arranged on a land wheel axle 134 which comprises an upwardly open, Vshaped transverse support 136 which is so constructed that a part of the depression 108 may be incorporated into the transverse support 136. As can be seen from Figures 1 and 2, the trough-like depression 108 with the conveyor screw 110 is provided below the cleaning housing 20 of the first cleaning means 76 which in the embodiment illustrated is formed of a screen bolt 105. The trough-like depression 108 can also be incorporated into the rear axle ofthe land wheels 16. As the axle 134 is of a V-shaped configuration, a blower housing 138 with an axial blower 140 may also be disposed above the V-shaped part of the transverse support 136. Thus the overall height of the combine harvester 10 can be kept relatively small.The axial blower 140 is disposed at the forward end of the first cleaning means 76 or screen belt 105. The blower housing 138 is provided with a suction intake conduit 142 by way of which fresh air is fed to the screen belt 105. As can be seen from Figures 1 and 2, the blower housing 138 is fixediy connected to the cleaning housing 20 and also to the transverse support 136.

The axle 134 (Figures 5 to 7) can also be formed as a straight transverse support 136. So that the axial blower 140 nonetheless has sufficient space between the threshing and separating drum housing 18 and the axial 134, the central part of the transverse support is recessed or provided with a circular depression 144 having a bottom 146. The bottom 146 is a part of the transverse support 136 and at the same time a part of the blower housing 138. It is also possible for the transverse support (Figure 6) to be of a triangular configuration in front view and for the blower housing 138 to be completely incorporated into the transverse support 136. For this purpose, the transverse support 136 has side portions 148 which can be part of the blower housing 138.It is also possible for the side portions 148 only to serve as support struts between the transverse support 136 and the blower housing 138.

The screen belt 105 over which air is blown by way of the axial blower 140 passes over a front roller 150 and a rear roller 152. A number of support rollers 154 for the upper run 106 are also disposed between the two rollers 150 and 152. The drive for the front roller 150 is by way of a pulley 156 which can be drivingly connected to one of the shafts of the drive means or directly or indirectly to the cleaning shaft 72, by way of a belt (not shown).

As the middle part of the collecting container 24 is provided with the downwardly open, V-shaped part 40 and the axle 134 is formed from an upwardly open, V-shaped part, the threshing and separating drum housing 18, the first cleaning housing 20 and the depression 108 can be provided substantially between the two V-shaped parts. In this way the height of the combine harvester 10 can be kept low and the centre of gravity of the combine harvester can also be at a low position. In this case, it is advantageous for the axes of the conveyor screws 110 and 111, the axial blower 140, the first cleaning means 76, the threshing and separating drum housing 18 and the second cleansing means 116, which axes extend in the axial direction of the combine harvester, to be disposed in the longitudinal centre plane. This arrangement provides for very good distribution of weight of the working members, between the wheels 14 and 16.

Claims

1. An axial flow combine harvester having a threshing and separating drum which extends axially through a threshing and separating drum housing, a collecting container in which at least one distributor member is arranged, a cleaning device with an axial blower, a conveyor which is associated with the cleaning means, and an internal combustion engine for driving the shafts of the associated working members wherein the engine, the drum and the or each distributor member all have shafts extending parallel to each other substantially parallel to the longitudinal centre axis of the combine harvester.

2. A combine harvester according to claim 1, wherein all shafts for driving the working members and the threshing and separating drum housing are arranged to extend horizontally with respect to the surface on which the combine harvester stands.

3. A combine harvester according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the internal combustion engine extends approximately coaxially with respect to the threshing and separating drum and is connected to the threshing and separating drum by way of the engine output shaft and a transmission wherein unit wherein further drives extending transversely with respect to the longitudinal centre axis are derived from the output shaft and drive shafts which are provided on both sides of the internal combustion engine and which extend parallel to the longitudinal centre axis.

4. A combine harvester according to claim 3, wherein two drive wheels are provided on an input shaft of the transmission unit, one said drive wheel being directly or indirectly drivingly connected to a countershaft one one side of the internal combustion engine and the other drive wheel being directly or indirectly drivingly connected to a cleaning shaft on the other side of the internal combustion engine.

5. A combine harvester according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the transmission means unit is in the form of a steplessly adjustable gear-change transmission unit, an epicyclic transmission unit or a split transmission unit, and is provided between the drive wheels or the internal combustion engine and the threshing and separating drum.

6. A combine harvester according to claim 3,4 or 5, wherein the transmission means unit is displaced laterally or upwardly or downwardly with respect to the longitudinal centre axis and is drivingly connected to the drive shaft of the threshing and separating drum by way of drive members.

7. A combine harvester according to claim 4, wherein the two driven wheels on the cleaning shaft and the counter shaft are disposed approximately in the same plane.

8. A combine harvester according to any of claims 3 or 7, wherein at least one of the shafts has a PTO shaft for driving further machines.

9. A combine harvester according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the threshing and separating drum housing extends axially below a saddle tank constituting the collecting container and is disposed above the cleaning means on to which the axial blower blows, and wherein the front land wheel axle is adapted to accommodate the blower housing of the axial blower.

10. A combine harvester according to claim 9, wherein the middle part of the saddle tank comprises a downwardly open, V-shaped part and the land wheel axle is formed from an upwardly open, V-shaped part, wherein the two parts extend on the longitudinal centre axis of the combine harvester and accommodate between them the threshing and cleaning members.

11. A combine harvester according to claim 10, wherein the threshing and separating drum housing, the first cleaning housing and a conveyor housing of one or two conveyor screws are provided between the V-shaped parts wherein the bends forming the points of the V-shaped parts are disposed on the longitudinal centre plane.

12. A combine harvester according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the blower housing of the axial blower is incorporated into the transverse support member of the wheel axle and/or that the transverse support member is a part of the blower housing.

13. A combine harvester according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the threshing and separating drum housing and the cleaning means housing are formed as self-supporting longitudinal support members.

14. A combine harvester according to claim 10 or 11, wherein a distributor member is provided in the saddle tank above the threshing and separating drum on the longitudinal centre plane, which distributor member is in the form of a second cleaning means beside which further, parallel conveyor members and/or conveyor members which are formed as cleanimg means are disposed.

15. A combine harvester according to any of the preceding claims, wherein a separating wall is disposed stationarily in the conveyor housing and divides the conveyor housing into a section for cleaned crop material and a section for the residue material, wherein a displaceable flap is connected to the separating wall and extends into the region of the cleaning means.

16. A combine harvester according to any of claims 1 to 14, wherein the cleaning means which is in the longitudinal centre plane has a conveyor member for the cleaning operation and a conveyor member for the residue material, which conveyor members are separated from each other by way of an axially displaceable separating wall.

17. A combine harvester according to claim 16, wherein the separating wall is carried in guide members and is displaceable by means of an adjusting device in the conveyor housing.

18. A combine harvester according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the conveyor housing has an outlet opening for the residue material and an outlet opening for the cleaned crop material.

19. A combine harvester according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the axes or shafts of the conveyor screws, the axial blower, the first cleaning means, the threshing and separating drum housing and a second cleaning means which axes or shafts extend in the axial direction of the combine harves ter are disposed in the longitudinal centre plane of the combine harvester.

20. An axial flow combine harvester substantial ly as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.