GB2057838A

GB2057838A - Combine harvester

Info

Publication number: GB2057838A
Application number: GB8028682A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Deere and Co
Current assignee: Deere and Co
Priority date: 1979-09-08
Filing date: 1980-09-05
Publication date: 1981-04-08
Also published as: DE2936339B1; FR2469101A1; GB2057838B; FR2469101B1; DE2936339C2

Abstract

An axial flow combine harvester comprises a threshing and separating drum 4 working within a basket 6, 8 to thresh crop material fed up to an infeed portion 10 of the drum by an auger conveyor. The first part 8 of the basket where threshing occurs completely surrounds the drum with a small gap. In order to reduce the power required to drive the drum 4, the axially downstream part of the basket 6 provides a larger gap so that the axial feed effect on the crop would be poor. However, a belt conveyor 16 provided in the gap at the top of the basket 6 effects good axial feed. The belt conveyor 16 can be transversely convex to conform to the periphery of the drum and can be driven with a variable speed depending upon the crop throughout as sensed by a mechanism 22 in the gap between the drum and basket. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Combine harvester The invention relates to an axial flow combine harvester with a threshing and separating drum fed by a crop gathering arrangement, and which is embraced by a threshing and separating basket having through openings.

In such combine harvesters, the crop is worked on over the periphery of the threshing and separating drum and also fed axially along the surface of the threshing and separating basket. In order to guarantee a good conveying effect on the crop in the axial direction of the threshing and separating basket, the gap between the surface of the threshing and separating drum and the threshing and separating basket must be very small. Accordingly the crop is very strongly compressed, so that a great expenditure of energy for driving the threshing and separating drum is necessary.

The object of this invention is to achieve good conveying ofthe crop with only small crop compression.

According to the present invention, there is provided an axial flow combine harvester comprises ing a threshing and separating drum fed by a crop gathering arrangement, and which is embraced by a threshing and separating basket having through openings, and wherein a part of the basket is replaced over a predetermined length of arc by a drivable conveyor device adapted to drive the crop axially along the drum. By use of the conveyor device, the gap between the surface of the basket and the drum no longer needs to be so small as previously since the conveyor member now also helps to advance the crop in the axial direction.

The conveyor device is preferably in a gap extending in the upper half of the basket in the axial di mc tion. The conveyor device can adjoin a threshing part which is completely embraced by the basket. Since a high friction is necessary within the threshing zone for threshing out the crop material, the conveyor member does not have to be provided in this region.

The conveyor device can be convex to as to adapt to the outer periphery of the drum.

It is preferable if the gap between the drum and the conveyor device along the side of the conveyor device which is upstream relative to drum rotation is greater than the gap between the basket and the drum, whereas the gap along the downstream side is equal to or smaller than the gap between the basket and the drum. In this way it is guaranteed that there is no slowing down of material in the transition region between the basket and the conveyor device.

A measuring arrangement can be provided for sensing the throughput of crop material in the drum basket gap. By means of a control device it is then possible to control the conveying velocity and/or gap breadth of the conveyor member in dependence upon the throughput. By adapting the feed velocity to the varying crop throughput, optimal separation of the crop is possible, and, even with extremely small crop throughput, the adaptation of the conveying velocity to the throughput guarantees an adequate separation of the crop material.

The invention will be described in more detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows a threshing and separating arrangement embodying the invention in a view from the rear, Fig. 2 is a part view of the threshing and separating section with this conveyor member in section along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Athreshing and separating arrangement 2 comprises a threshing and separating drum 4 which is embraced by a threshing and separating basket 6 more or less completely. The forward part of the basket 6 is formed as a pure threshing basket 8 which, in cooperation with the forward part of the drum 4, rubs the ears to thresh the crop. The drum 4 comprises a conical infeed part 10 in its receiving region, which is fed with crop material by way of a conveyor partially shown in Fig. 2. The threshing basket 8 completely embraces the forward part of the drum 4. The part of the basket following the threshing basket 8 is interrupted in the upper region and forms between its two flank edges 12 and 14 (Fig 1 ) a gap extending in the axial direction of the basket, in which is arranged a conveyor device 16.The conveyor device can be formed as a belt conveyor and be equipped with conveyor elements such as slats or studs. The conveyor device 16 is driven by way of a drive shaft 18 which comprises a variable ratio pulley 20 for the belt of a steplessly variable belt drive.

The conveyor device 16 is so arranged in relation to the drum 4 that, in the infeed or upstream region of the conveyor member, the gap between the basket 6 and the drum 4 is smaller than the gap between the conveyor device 16 and the drum. In the outfeed or downstream region of the conveyor device 16, the gap between the conveyor device 16 and the drum 4 is equal to or smaller than the gap between the following part of the drum and the basket as can be seen in Fig. 1. In this manner it is guaranteed that, in the transition region between the conveyor device and the basket 6, no slowing of material takes place.

The conveyor device is preferably provided in the upper region of the drum 4, so that crop material thrown outwardly by the centrifugal effect can fall back below after rebounding from the conveyor device 16. It is thus guaranteed that the crop material returns again to the gap between the drum 4 and the basket 6.

As appears from Fig 1 a measuring arrangement 22 is provided in the gap between the drum 4 and the basket 6, and is in operative connection with the drive arrangement of the conveyor member 16 by way of a transducer not represented in the drawings, so that it is possible to control the velocity of the conveyor member 16 in dependence upon the crop throughput.

The threshing and separating drum 4 is equipped with numerous conveyor elements, which according to Fig 3 can be formed as spikes 24, which are directed rearwardly, i.e. in the conveying direction of the crop material.

The conveyor device 16 can also be formed con vexly, i.e. it can be conformed to the outer surface of the drum 4. Furthermore it is possible to provide the threshing section of the drum 4 with parallel running threshing strips having a uniform spacing from one another, following which can be arranged helically formed conveyor strips instead of the spikes 24. The infeed part 10 can moreover be equipped with spirally formed conveyor strips which feed the crop to the following threshing part. The conveyor device 16 shown in Fig 2 can end shortly before the outfeed end of the threshing and separating drum 4 or have approximately the same length as the part of the threshing and separating basket following the threshing basket 8.

Claims

1. An axial flow combine harvester comprising a threshing and separating drum fed by a crop gathering arrangement, and which is embraced by a threshing and separating basket having through openings, and wherein a part of the basket is replaced over a predetermined length of arc by a drivable conveyor device adapted to drive the crop axially along the drum.

2. A combine harvester according to claim 1, wherein the basket possesses a gap in its upper half extending in the axial direction ofthe basket, in which gap is arranged the conveyor device.

3. A combine harvester according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the conveyor device adjoins a threshing part of the basket which completely embraces the drum.

4. A combine harvester according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the conveyor device is concave so as to conform to the outer periphery of the drum.

5. A combine harvester according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the gap between the drum and the conveyor device along the side of the conveyor device which is upstream relative to drum rotation is greater than the gap between the basket and the drum, whereas the gap along the downstream side is equal to or smaller than the gap between the basket and the drum.

6. A combine harvester according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the conveyor device is a belt conveyor with axially directed belt runs.

7. A combine harvester according to any of the preceding claims, comprising a measuring arrangement sensing the through put ofthe crop in the gap between the basket and the drum, and control means responsive to the measuring arrange ment to control the conveying velocity and/or gap breadth ofthe conveyor device in dependence upon the throughput.