GB2122065A

GB2122065A - Self-propelled combine harvester

Info

Publication number: GB2122065A
Application number: GB08317090A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Helmut Claas; Winfried Busse; Heinrich Hemker; Franz Heidjann; Hermann Albrecht
Original assignee: Claas KGaA mbH
Current assignee: Claas KGaA mbH
Priority date: 1982-06-26
Filing date: 1983-06-23
Publication date: 1984-01-11
Also published as: GB8317090D0; DE3223927A1; GB2122065B; FR2536242A2; FR2536242B2

Abstract

In a self-propelled combine harvester having a per se known threshing and separating mechanism disposed in the form of an independent unit between the cutter table and the inclined conveyor, the threshing and separating mechanism comprises at least two threshing and separator drums which have the same or opposite directions of conveying movement. When the threshing and separator drums convey material in the same direction, two outlet openings 23%, 23_ for threshed material are provided in the housing which is disposed around the two threshing and separator drums (Fig. 4), whereas when the threshing and separator drums have opposite directions of conveying movement, the assembly has a single outlet opening (Fig. 1, not shown). In the latter case, the material is only deposited in a single swath while, when the threshing and separator drums convey material in the same direction, the material is deposited on the field in two strips which are relatively close together. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Self-propelled combine harvester The invention concerns a self-propelled combine harvester, which operates on an axial threshing principle, having a front driving axle, a rear steering axle, a front cutter table, an inclined conveyor and an air sifting means, wherein an axial threshing and separating mechanism is arranged in the form of an independent unit in front of the driving axle between the inclined conveyor and the cutter table and is releasably connected to said two assemblies which are also in the form of separate units, wherein the axial threshing and separating mechanism comprises at least.two threshing and separator drums which are mounted in a common housing and which are separately charged with material through a respective transfer opening, associated with each threshing and separator drum, in the rear wall of the cutter table.Such a harvester is described in our German Published Patent Application OLS 31 25659.

In a combine harvester in accordance with OLS 31 25 659, the threshed straw is discharged on to the ground from two outlet openings in the two end regions of the housing disposed around the threshing and separator drums. Particularly when the combine harvester has a very wide cutter table, this results in a swath arrangement which makes it difficult for it to be picked up by pick-up balers.

According to the invention there is provided a self-propelled combine harvester which operates on an axial threshing principle, having a front driving axle, a rear steering axle, a front cutter table, an inclined conveyor and an air sifting means, wherein an axial threshing and separating mechanism is arranged in the form of an independent unit in front of the driving axle between the inclined conveyor and the cutter table and is releasably connected to said two assemblies which are also in the form of separate units, wherein the axial threshing and separating mechanism comprises at least two threshing and separator drums which are mounted in a common housing and which are separately charged with material through a respective transfer opening associated with each threshing and separator drum, in the rear wall of the cutter table, wherein the threshing and separator drums are mounted at an axial spacing from each other and have mutually oppositely directed conveying directions, and wherein the housing only has a single central outlet opening associated with the discharge ends of the two threshing and separator drums.

The invention also provides a self-propelled combine harvester which operates on an axial threshing principle, having a front driving axle, a rear steering axle, a front cutter table, an inclined conveyor and an air sifting means, wherein an axial threshing and separating mechanism is arranged in the form of an independent unit in front of the driving axle between the inclined conveyor and the cutter table and is releasably connected to said two assemblies which are also in the form of separate units, wherein the axial threshing and separating mechanism comprises at least two threshing and separator drums which are mounted in a common housing and which are separately charged with material through a respective transfer opening, associated with each threshing and separator drum, in the rear wall of the cutter table, wherein the threshing and separator drums have the same conveying directions, and wherein the housing has a central outlet opening and an outlet opening disposed in an end region of the housing.

In accordance with a preferred feature of the invention, it has been found advantageous for choppers to be associated with the outlet openings.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the diagrammatic drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a plan view of the front part of a combine harvester, Figure 2 shows a view in section taken along line Il-I I in Figure 1, Figure 3 shows a view in section taken along line Ill-Ill in Figure 1, and Figure 4 shows a modified embodiment of the front part of the combine harvester shown in Figure 1.

The illustrated combine harvester is similar to that described and shown in OLS 31 25 659 to which the reader's attention is directed.

Referring to Figures 1 to 3, reference numeral 1 denotes the front part of a self-propelled combine harvester, in which the per se known axial threshing mechanism 2 is fixedly locked to the inclined conveyor 3 by means of quick release couplings 4. The axial threshing mechanism 2 carries the cutter table 5, also by means of quick release couplings 6. Therefore, both the cutter table and the axial threshing mechanism can be easily removed, when the harvester is to travel along roads. Consequently, the construction of those assemblies is not subject to any limitations in respect of width. On the contrary, they can be designed solely from the point of view of a high throughput. For that purpose, the cutter table 5 has a central divider finger 7 which divides into two flows the strip of stalked crop material to be cut.The two flows of material are each passed to a respective one of two transfer openings 8 and 9 in the rear wall of the cutter table 5. In order to ensure that happens in a satisfactory manner, the feed roller 10 is fitted with two groups, disposed in the region of the openings 8 and 9, of controlled feed fingers 11 and 12. The material to be threshed is fed to the fingers 11 and 12 by two pairs of helical plates 14 and 1 5 which are fitted on the roller 10 and which convey in opposite directions.As shown in particular in Figure 2, feeder drums 1 6 and 1 7 have arms 1 9 provided with resilient conveyor bar members 18, which pass through the openings 8 and 9 and engage and feed the material to be threshed into the axial threshing mechanism 2. The axial threshing mechanism 2 has two threshing and separator drums 21 and 22 which are arranged in a housing 20 at a spacing from each other and with conveyor means which operate in opposite directions. The threshing and separator drums 21 and 22 discharge the threshed straw or the like on to the ground, through a single outlet opening 23 disposed centrally in the housing 20, after the straw or the like has been cut up into smaller size by a chopper 24 associated with the outlet opening (see Figure 3).Disposed below the threshing and separator drums 21 and 22, on each side of the chopper 24, is a respective thrower conveyor 25 and 26, each provided on its outside with a coaxial auger to draw in the threshing and separator drums 21 and 22. The thrower conveyors 25, 26 feed the grain to the two scraper chains 29 and 30 which are arranged parallel to and at a spacing from each other in the inclined conveyor passage 3, by way of intermediate conveyors 27 which correspond to the width of the conveyors 25 and 26.

The front part of the combine harvester as illustrated in Figure 4 differs from that shown in Figure 1, insofar as the housing 20' has two outlet openings 23' and 23" to which the threshed straw or the like is fed by two threshing and separator drums 21' and 22',the conveying direction of the separator drums 21' and 22' being the same. It will be appreciated that, in this arrangement, the transfer openings 8' and 9' of the cutter table 5' must be positioned in such a way that they are each disposed in front of the feed region of the threshing and separator drums 21' and 22'. The feed roller 10' is fitted with suitable helical plate members which feed the crop material to the groups of feed fingers, disposed in front of the transfer openings 8' and 9'.

Claims

1. A self-propelled combine harvester which operates on an axial threshing principle, having a front driving axle, a rear steering axle, a front cutter table, an inclined conveyor and an air sifting means, wherein an axial threshing and separating mechanism is arranged in the form of an independent unit in front of the driving axle between the inclined conveyor and the cutter table and is releasably connected to said two assemblies which are also in the form of separate units, wherein the axial threshing and separating mechanism comprises at least two threshing and separator drums which are mounted in a common housing and which are separately charged with material through a respective transfer opening associated with each threshing and separator drum, in the rear wall of the cutter table, wherein the threshing and separator drums are mounted at an axial spacing from each other and have mutually oppositely directed conveying directions, and wherein the housing only has a single central outlet opening associated with the discharge ends of the two threshing and separator drums.

2. A self-propelled combine harvester which operates on an axial threshing principle, having a front driving axle, a rear steering axle, a front cutter table, an inclined conveyor and an air sifting means, wherein an axial threshing and separating mechanism is arranged in the form of an independent unit in front of the driving axle between the inclined conveyor and the cutter table and is releasably connected to said two assemblies which are also in the form of separate units, wherein the axial threshing and separating mechanism comprises at least two threshing and separator drums which are mounted in a common housing and which are separately charged with material through a respective transfer opening, associated with each threshing and separator drum, in the rear wall of the cutter table, wherein the threshing and separator drums have the same conveying directions, and wherein the housing has a central outlet opening and an outlet opening disposed in an end region of the housing.

3. A self-propelled combine harvester according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein choppers are associated with the outlet openings.