RU2810031C2 - Harvesting machine - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: agriculture.

SUBSTANCE: harvesting machine includes a hopper for the harvested crop and a transport auger located inside the hopper, which extends from an inlet provided on the wall of the hopper for the harvested crop into the hopper for the harvested crop. The transport screw contains at least one proximal section located near the inlet opening and one distal section separated from the inlet opening by at least one proximal section, which are installed with the possibility of rotation around transportation axes extending in different directions. The transport auger is configured to be activated in an operating position in which the transport axis of the far section has a steeper angle of steepness than the transport axis of the proximal section. The transport auger is rotatably connected to the wall using a first hinge defining a first hinge axis. The slope angle of the at least one proximal portion can be changed by rotation about the first hinge axis.

EFFECT: reliable lifting of the harvested crop to the unloading point located at the highest possible height is ensured.

13 cl, 5 dwg

Description

Field of technology to which the invention relates

The present invention relates to a harvesting machine, in particular to a combine harvester, and more specifically to the filling of the crop hopper of the harvesting machine, as well as to a transport auger designed for this purpose.

State of the art

Because threshing separates the grain from the non-grain components of the crop and dumps it downwards, it must then be transported upward to fill the grain bin of the combine harvester. This is often done by using a lift with scrapers running on a rotating chain that pick up grain that has accumulated at the bottom of the thresher, lift it, and dump it into the grain bin through a grain entry hole provided in the wall of the grain bin. In this case, the grain bin can be filled no higher than the lower edge of the grain entry hole.

In order to make greater use of the grain tank's capacity, DE 4419435 C2 proposes a transport auger, which, when rotatably mounted inside the grain tank at the grain inlet, receives the grain supplied by the elevator and lifts it further. The grain discharge hole of the transport auger rests on the surface of the grain collected in the hopper, so the incoming grain can be unloaded smoothly. Since the outlet can be raised to the height of the top edge of the grain bin walls, the grain bin can be filled to this level.

In this case, the possible loading height is limited by the horizontal dimensions of the grain bin, since a transport auger with a slight slope must be placed inside the bunker.

From patent document EP 1120027 B1 there is known a transport auger with two sections installed with the possibility of rotation around transport axes intersecting with each other. Since the proximal portion immediately adjacent to the grain entry hole of the hopper has a vertical conveying axis, a large height difference can be achieved on a small horizontal surface, however, a problem arises that the grain lifted by the conveying auger tends to backflow through the grain entry hole into the elevator, which can block the elevator and necessitate interruption of the harvesting process.

Disclosure of the invention

The object of the invention is to provide a harvesting machine, or more precisely, a transport auger, which is designed to be installed in the crop hopper of a harvesting machine, and which, on the limited horizontal surface of the crop hopper, ensures reliable lifting of the harvested crop to the unloading point located at the highest possible height .

This problem is solved, firstly, using a harvesting machine with a hopper for the harvested crop and a transport auger installed inside the hopper, which extends from an inlet hole provided in the wall of the hopper for the harvested crop into the hopper for the harvested crop and contains at least one proximal section adjacent to the inlet opening, and one distal portion separated from the inlet opening by at least one proximal portion, which are installed to be driven into rotation around transport axes extending in different directions for transporting the harvested crop, wherein the transport auger is configured to actuation in a working position in which the transport axis of the far section is oriented at a greater angle of steepness than the axis of the near section. The specified relatively small angle of steepness of the near section ensures the unhindered transfer of material from the lift, as well as the transfer of material from the near section to the far section, despite the large angle of steepness of the latter, since the near section of the auger, unlike the lift, can move the harvested crop under pressure to the next one auger section.

In this case, the transport axis of the distant section in the working position can run vertically.

The outer section in working position should be located, if possible, in the central part of the crop hopper, so that the top of the mound cone formed near the outlet is, if possible, far from the walls of the hopper and can protrude high above the top edge of the hopper for harvested crops. Therefore, the distances from the outlet to the two opposite walls of the hopper should preferably differ from each other by no more than half the distance. The outlet opening should preferably be no more than 100 mm away from the center of the cross-section of the hopper, preferably no more than 50 mm.

The transport auger can be designed as a coupled structural unit which is connected to the wall in a rotatable manner, preferably by means of a first hinge defining a first hinge axis, such that the inclination angle of at least the proximal portion can be changed by rotation about the first hinge axis . This first articulation axis may be oriented horizontally and parallel to the wall, however, a different orientation may also be desirable so that the transport auger can be compactly placed in a resting position in the crop bin.

To move the distal portion from a vertical operating position orientation to a more compact non-operating position orientation, the distal portion may be pivotally coupled to the proximal portion by a second hinge defining a second hinge axis.

To change the angle between the transport axes of the far and near sections, the second articulated axis can intersect the transport axes.

According to one preferred embodiment, the angle between the transport axes of the distal and proximal sections is fixed, and the transport axis of the proximal section coincides with the hinge axis of the distal section.

Said joints may be coupled to each other to simultaneously rotate to jointly actuate the proximal and distal portions for transition from the operating position to the non-operating position and vice versa. Such a connection can be made, in particular, by means of a belt or rod connected to the distal portion and the wall of the grain bin remote from the first hinge axis.

The near and far sections of the transport screw can also be made in the form of structural units separate from each other. Since both of them are installed with the possibility of moving separately from each other between the working and non-working positions and only in the working position are installed so close to each other that material transfer between them is possible, a particularly compact non-working position can be realized, since the outlet end of the proximal section and the inlet end of the distal portion in the non-operating position may be spaced apart.

It is well known that in order to increase the grain capacity without exceeding the limits of the overall height of the combine harvester established by the StVZO (Straftenverkehrs-Zulassungs-Ordnung, Regulations on the admission of vehicles to road traffic), the combine harvester is equipped with a folding hopper attachment, which can be folded into during road traffic and unfold during crop loading to increase the height of the hopper. However, a problem that arises when using such a hopper attachment is that when the level of grain in the hopper attachment becomes higher than the outlet of the transport auger, the newly arriving grain has to be pressed in, overcoming the pressure of the already accumulated grain at the outlet in the grain hopper. This is only possible with the application of high drive energy, which increases greatly as the filling level of the bunker increases, resulting in increased crushing of grain, as well as wear of the drive mechanism and augers. Therefore, it is especially important for such a combine harvester to have a transport auger that can overcome large differences in height in a smaller area, and thus the hopper combine harvester represents a preferred application of the present invention.

In the case of a harvester with a hopper attachment, the transport auger in working position must pass from below into the hopper attachment in order to fill the hopper to the maximum possible level without having to overcome the resistance of the hopper contents.

The outlet of the distal section in the operating position of the transport auger and hopper attachment is preferably located at least at a height corresponding to the lowest point of the upper edges of the wall panels.

In the non-working position, the transport auger must be lowered below the level of the upper edges of the hopper so as not to interfere with the folding of the hopper attachment.

The drive mechanism for moving the transport auger between the non-working position and the working position must be controlled remotely, in particular, using a control element installed in the driver's cabin.

To carry out the rotation of the distal section of the transport screw, both sections are preferably connected to each other by means of an angular transmission. In this case, one drive is sufficient, which, for example, is connected to the proximal section via a rotating joint in the wall of the grain bin, in order to also drive the distal section.

The sections of the transport screw are preferably connected by means of an angular gear. Such an angular transmission may include, in particular, a cardan joint or a wide-angle joint.

In order to ensure reliable reception of the harvested crop supplied by the lift and its transport, as little loss as possible, the transport auger must be surrounded by a pipe. This makes it possible to eliminate, in particular, unnecessary crushing of grain and high drive energy consumption for useless operation of the transport auger in high load mode, which would occur if the grain in the bunker freely poured to the transport auger and could again be freely fill the volume from which the grain is removed under the action of the transport auger.

Said pipe may contain at least one opening located on its perimeter, which allows the crop to exit the pipe into the crop bin while it is not yet filled to the height of this opening. This also helps to minimize both the energy consumption for transporting the harvested crop and the content of the crushed part in the harvested crop.

It is possible to use a continuous curved pipe to cover both sections of the transport auger. However, the design can be significantly simplified if the near and far sections of the transport screw are surrounded by the near and far pipe sections, respectively. In this case, the gap between both sections can form the above-mentioned opening, through which the harvested crop can exit the transport auger without actually reaching the outlet opening.

Alternatively, it may be advisable to ensure that only the near section of the conveyor auger has pipe, leaving the further section unsurrounded by pipe, i.e. the transport screw may be surrounded by a pipe at least part of its length.

A gap through which grain can directly exit into the hopper can also be provided between the wall and the proximal pipe section, whereby the crop can completely bypass the transport auger until the hopper fill level is low enough to allow the harvest to pass through specified clearance into the hopper.

In order not to create a load on the harvested crop entering the near area or from the near to the far area from the weight of the harvested crop, which may be adjacent to it in the bunker from above, and to eliminate unnecessary work in high load mode associated with the reverse flow of grain from the bunker to transport auger, it is preferable that the gap extends only in the lower part of the perimeter of the transport auger.

The rotation speed of the transport auger can be controlled using a mass flow sensor. Such a sensor may be provided at any point in the crop flow in the combine harvester, preferably in the flow of grain or a mixture of grain and chaff after exiting the threshing apparatus. By adjusting the rotation speed of the transport screw taking into account the mass flow, preferably in proportion to it, energy consumption and operation in high load mode can also be minimized.

The problem of the invention is also solved due to the fact that for a transport auger intended for installation in the inlet hole in the wall of the hopper for the harvested crop of a harvesting machine and containing a proximal section and a distal section, which are installed with the ability to rotate around transportation axes intersecting each other, a base is provided, made with the possibility of fastening to the wall and connected with the possibility of rotation to the proximal section using the first hinge.

Brief description of drawings

Other features and advantages of the invention appear from the following description of embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show:

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a combine harvester with a transport auger according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is an axonometric view of the grain tank attachment of a combine harvester in a closed position for road traffic;

FIG. 3 grain tank attachment in open position with transport auger in non-operating position;

FIG. 4 grain tank attachment in open position with transport auger in working position; And

FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the transport unit.

Carrying out the invention

In FIG. Figure 1 shows a schematic longitudinal section view of a grain harvester 1 with a folding attachment 2, designed to increase the volume of the grain bin 3. The grain harvester 1 is equipped with a header 4 at the front, which is installed at the inclined conveyor 5. With the header 4, the grain harvester 1 grabs the harvested crop 6 and feeds it onto the inclined conveyor 5. The inclined conveyor 5 transfers the harvested crop 6 to the threshing apparatus 7 installed further. The threshing apparatus 7 processes the harvested crop 6, while it is divided into a mixture 8 of grain and chaff and a flow 9 of material consisting of threshed straw. The mixture 8 of grain and chaff through the preparation board 10 is sent directly to the cleaning device 11, which separates the grain 12 from the non-grain components 13, i.e. from straw and chaff.

Behind the threshing apparatus 7 there is a counter-clockwise rotating beater 14, which directs the flow 9 of material consisting of threshed straw to the key straw walker 15. The key straw walker 15 separates the grain 12, still contained in the material flow 9, chopped straw 16 and chaff 17, which enter the return transport board 18, and then also into the cleaning device 11. The grain 12, separated by the cleaning device 11, is fed by the grain elevator 19 into the grain bin 3. A mass flow sensor 50, designed to measure the mass flow of grain, can be installed, for example , on the path of grain movement from the cleaning device 11 to the grain elevator 19.

The grain elevator 19 contains an endless rotating belt 23 equipped with scrapers 22. The scrapers 22 take the grain coming out of the cleaning device 11 and transport it through the channel upward to the hole 24 in the wall 25 of the grain bin 3.

The grain tank 3 is made in the form of a container with a substantially rectangular base and is installed behind the driver's cabin 26 of the combine harvester 1. The upper side of the grain tank 3 is open, with a plurality of panels 27, 28 hingedly connected to the upper edges 21 of its walls, forming a nozzle 2. The panels 27, 28 are rotatably mounted between a closed position in which they overlap each other over the opening and that shown in FIG. 1 working position, in which the nozzle 2 takes the shape of a funnel and increases the height of the grain bin 3.

In FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the grain tank attachment 2 in a closed position. The open top side of the grain bin 3 has a rectangular, but not necessarily square, shape, with the short edges of the rectangle extending in the longitudinal direction of the combine harvester 1, and the panels 27 hinged to them are sized such that their edges 29 farthest from the hinges barely touch each other , and so that they completely cover the panels 28 located underneath them.

In FIG. 3, as in FIG. 1, the panels 27, 28 are shown rotated into a working position in which they, together with the triangular elements 30 connected to the short edges of the panels 27, 28, form a funnel shape and increase the height of the grain bin 3.

In FIG. 3 panels 27, 28 provide a view of the transport unit 31 located inside the grain bin 3. The transport unit 31 contains two pipe sections 33, 34 meeting each other at an obtuse angle at an elbow 32, and a transport auger 35 (see FIG. 1 ), with the proximal section 37 located in the pipe section 33, and the distal section 38 in the pipe section 34. The base 36 of the transport unit 31 is mounted on the wall 25 adjacent to the hole 24 in order to ensure that the pipe section 33 is located in front of the hole 24 and receives grain fed through hole 24 to transport auger 35.

To achieve this, the open end of the pipe section 33 can be positioned immediately in front of the opening 24. The open end is preferably offset from the opening to the side and downwards. The sideways displacement allows the shaft to pass through the wall 25 without interference from the grain elevator 19, while due to the downward displacement, the grain fed through the hole 24 can be dumped in front of the open end and there enter the transport auger 35.

The pipe section 33 is installed with the possibility of rotation around a horizontal hinge axis 39, parallel to the wall 25. Sections 37, 38 of the transport screw 35 are connected with each other and with the drive shaft 40 passing through the hole 24 using cardan joints 41, and are installed with the possibility of rotation around transport axes 42, 43 coinciding with the longitudinal axes of the pipe sections 33, 34. The pipe sections 33, 34 run in the position shown horizontally or, in any case, with a slight rise from the hole 24, so even in the closed position of the nozzle 2 there is enough for them places in the grain bin 3.

The pipe section 34 is connected to the pipe section 33 with the possibility of rotation around the hinge axis 44, which in this case coincides with the proximal transport axis 42. A belt 45 is stretched between the pipe section 34 and the wall of the grain bin 3, which gives the pipe section 34 a slight lifting orientation. Instead of the belt 45, a lever can also be provided, which is pivotally connected to the pipe section 34 and to the wall.

The pipe sections 33, 34 do not surround the transport screw 35 without gaps along their entire length. In FIG. 3, a gap 46 can be seen between the pipe sections 33, 34 on the outside of the elbow 32. A corresponding gap 46 (see FIG. 1) may be provided between the pipe section 33 and the wall 25.

The drive shaft 40 may be permanently or detachably coupled to the drive of the elevator 19 so that it is always forced or only as needed to move with the elevator 19. As long as the fill level of the grain tank 3 is located below the hole 24, the grain supplied by the elevator 19, can enter the grain tank 3 through the gap 47, while the transport auger 35 rotates idle or can be turned off.

As soon as the grain level in the grain tank 3 reaches the gap 47, and the newly arriving grain can no longer exit through the specified gap, the transport auger 35 is driven into rotation. This may first occur in the position shown in FIG. 3, and will primarily cause most of the grain to exit the transport unit 31 through the gap 46. Since the height difference between the gaps 47 and 46 is small, the required drive power is negligible.

It is also possible to install the transport unit in the operating position shown in FIG. 4, immediately before starting the harvesting operation. In this position, the pipe section 33 and the proximal section 37 of the transport screw 35 running inside it are rotated around the hinge axis 39 to an inclined lift position. In this case, the angle of inclination of the proximal transport axis 42 is at least 30°, preferably about 45°. The elbow 32 is located centrally above the open top side of the grain bin. The pipe section 34 is rotated to a vertical position under the action of the traction force of the belt 45.

In this position, the grain also exits into the grain hopper 3 through the gap 47 until the level of grain in the hopper 3 reaches the gap 47, after which the incoming grain will be transported further to the gap 46 and forms a bulk cone in the hopper 3 with a central vertex located under gap 46.

Once this top reaches the level of the gap 46 and the grain can no longer exit it, the grain will be lifted by the distal portion 38 of the transport auger 35 to the outlet 48 located at the upper end of the pipe portion 34. Thus, the grain filling level can continue to rise, and even when the top of the filling cone reaches the outlet 48, the grain in the hopper 3 or in the nozzle 2 can be further compacted using the transport auger 35, so the grain filling level can exceed the level of the outlet 48. Thanks to the central location of the outlet, the filling cone, shown in FIG. 1 and designated by reference number 49, can extend significantly above the upper edges of the panels 27, 28 of the nozzle 2, and the capacity of the nozzle 2 can be fully utilized before emptying by the discharge conveyor 20 is required.

As long as the transport unit 31 is covered with grain, its position in the hopper 3 and nozzle 2 is stationary. Once the grain fill level has dropped sufficiently to clear the transport unit 31 again, it can be rotated back to the position shown in FIG. 3, wherein the weight of the pipe section 34 is sufficient that when the pipe section 33 is rotated downwards about the hinge axis 39, the pipe section 34 is also rotated downwards about the hinge axis 44.

The rotational movements of the panels 27, 28 and the pipe section 33 can be mechanically coupled to each other or carried out using jointly controlled motors to ensure that the transport unit 31 automatically moves to the position shown in FIG. 4, when opening the nozzle 2 or timely movement of the transport unit 31 down when closing the nozzle 2, so as not to interfere with the movement of the panels 27, 28. A control element with which the motors for rotating the panels 27, 28 and the pipe section 33 can be controlled is provided in driver's cab 26.

In one embodiment not specifically shown, the distal pipe portion 34 may be omitted. As a result, if the far section 38 of the transport auger is not yet completely immersed in the grain, then the grain coming from the transport auger is fed directly only to the surface of the grain accumulated in the hopper and is removed from the auger there. Therefore, the feed height does not exceed the absolutely necessary value, which has a beneficial effect on the energy consumption of the drive.

FIG. 5 shows a schematic section through the base 36 of the transport unit 31 according to one preferred embodiment. The cut runs parallel to the wall 25 in a plane that contains the hinge axis 39. The drive shaft 40 is located perpendicular to the cut plane and intersects the wall 25 in a section offset to the side relative to the elevator 19, where a place is provided on the outer side of the wall 25, outside the grain bin 3 for a motor or drive driving the drive shaft 40. This motor may be an electric or hydraulic motor, which in turn is driven by the traction motor of the combine harvester 1. At least one of the hydraulic motor and the pump may have an adjustable displacement to change the rotation speed ratio between the traction motor and the shaft 40. As a variable speed ratio drive, for example, a continuously variable belt drive can be used. The rotation speed of the shaft 40 or the rotation speed ratio is adjusted based on the grain mass flow rate measured by the above-mentioned mass flow sensor 50. In FIG. 5 shows a horizontal section through the corner of the grain bin 3. The section passes through the upper deflection shaft 51 of the grain elevator and the adjacent hole 24 of the wall 25. The drive shaft 40 runs under the cut plane parallel to the deflection shaft 51, which simplifies their connection using a belt drive 52. Between An angular gear 56 is mounted on the drive shaft 40 and the proximal portion 37 of the transport auger 35. A casing 53 installed inside the grain bin 3 encloses the opening 24 and the open end 54 of the pipe portion 33 of the transport auger. The casing 53 has a hole 55 on the bottom side, so grain entering through the hole 24 can spill out of the casing without reaching the transport auger as long as the filling level of the grain tank 3 is lower than the hole 55. Only after the hole 55 is blocked by the grain , the level of filling of the casing 53 with grain increases so much that the transport auger 35 begins to capture the grain. Therefore, operation of the transport auger 35 with a significant amount of drive power is only required when the opening 55 is blocked and the grain is actually lifted by the transport auger 35.

List of reference designations

1 Combine Harvester

2 Nozzle

3 Grain tank

4 Header

5 Incline conveyor

6 Harvested crop

7 Threshing apparatus

8 Mixture of grain and chaff

9 Material flow

10 Prep board

11 Cleaning device

12 Grain

13 Non-grain components

14 Impact beater

15 Key straw walker

16 Chopped straw

17 Chaff

18 Transport return board

19 Grain lifter

20 Unloading conveyor

21 Top edge

22 Scraper

23 Tape

24 Hole

25 Wall

26 Driver's cabin

27 Panel

28 Panel

29 Edge farthest from the hinge

30 Triangular element

31 Transport unit

32 Knee

33 Pipe section

34 Pipe section

35 Transport auger

36 Base

37 Near area

38 Far section

39 Pivot axle

40 Drive shaft

41 Cardan joint

42 Transport axis

43 Transport axis

44 Pivot axle

45 Belt

46 Gap

47 Gap

48 Outlet

49 Bulk cone

50 Mass flow sensor

51 Deflection shaft

52 Belt drive

53 Casing

54 Open end

55 Hole

56 Angular gear

Claims (13)

1. A harvesting machine with a hopper (3) for the harvested crop and a transport auger (35) located inside the hopper, which runs from the inlet (24) provided on the wall (25) of the hopper (3) for the harvested crop into the hopper (3) for the harvested crop and contains at least one proximal section (37), located near the inlet (24), and one distal section (38), separated from the inlet (24) by at least one proximal section (37), which are installed with the possibility of rotation around transportation axes (42, 43) passing in different directions, characterized in that The transport auger (35) is configured to be activated in a working position in which the transport axis (43) of the distal section (38) has a greater angle of steepness than the transport axis (42) of the proximal section (37), wherein the transport auger (35) is rotatably connected to the wall (25) by means of a first hinge defining a first hinge axis (39), wherein the steepness angle of at least one proximal portion (37) can be changed by rotation around the first hinge axis (39). 2. The machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the transport axis (43) of the distant section (38) is oriented vertically in the working position. 3. The machine according to one of the previous paragraphs, characterized in that the far section (38) is connected with the possibility of rotation to the near section (37) using a second hinge defining a second hinge axis (44). 4. The machine according to claim 3, characterized in that the second articulated axis (44) is a transport axis (42) of the proximal section (37). 5. The machine according to one of the previous paragraphs, characterized in that it contains a hopper attachment (2) with wall panels (27, 28), which are hingedly connected to the upper edges of the walls (25) of the hopper (3) for the harvested crop and are installed with the possibility of rotation between a non-working position in which they lie on the crop hopper (3) and a working position in which they rise above the upper edges in order to increase the height of the crop hopper (3). 6. The machine according to claim 5, characterized in that the transport auger (35) in the working position passes into the bunker nozzle (2), and in the non-working position is lowered below the upper edges of the bunker (3) for the harvested crop. 7. The machine according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the outlet (48) of the distant section (38) in the operating position of the transport auger (35) and the hopper nozzle (2) is located at least at the same height as the most low point of the upper edges of the wall panels (27, 28). 8. Machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the transport screw (35), at least part of its length, is surrounded by a pipe (33, 34). 9. The machine according to claim 8, characterized in that the pipe (33, 34) on its perimeter contains at least one gap (46, 47), which allows the harvested crop to exit the pipe into the hopper (3) for the harvested crop. 10. The machine according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the pipe (33) surrounds the proximal section (37) of the transport auger (35), while the distal section (34) of the transport auger (35) is not surrounded by a pipe. 11. Machine according to one of paragraphs. 8-10, characterized in that an open gap (46, 47) is provided between two pipe sections (33, 34) running at an obtuse angle relative to each other, and/or between the pipe and the wall (25). 12. The machine according to claim 11, characterized in that said at least one gap (46, 47) runs in the lower part of the perimeter of the transport screw (35). 13. The machine according to one of the previous paragraphs, characterized in that the rotation speed of the transport screw (35) is adjustable using a mass flow sensor.

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