WO1993016581A1 - Improvements in and to combine harvesters - Google Patents
Improvements in and to combine harvesters Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO1993016581A1 WO1993016581A1 PCT/AU1993/000075 AU9300075W WO9316581A1 WO 1993016581 A1 WO1993016581 A1 WO 1993016581A1 AU 9300075 W AU9300075 W AU 9300075W WO 9316581 A1 WO9316581 A1 WO 9316581A1
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- air
- grain
- threshed
- threshing unit
- flow
- Prior art date
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Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
- A01F—PROCESSING OF HARVESTED PRODUCE; HAY OR STRAW PRESSES; DEVICES FOR STORING AGRICULTURAL OR HORTICULTURAL PRODUCE
- A01F12/00—Parts or details of threshing apparatus
- A01F12/44—Grain cleaners; Grain separators
Definitions
- This invention relates generally to combine harvesters and, more particularly, to improved means and method of achieving the separation of the relatively heavy threshed grain from the lighter chaff/straw during the threshing operation-
- a shaking grain tray is used to convey threshed material from the threshing area to the cleaning sieves, and overloading occurs in the threshing unit, a significant amount of grain will be lost due to it not being able to gravitate downwardly through the chaff/straw mixture which is also on the tray, by the time the grain reaches the end of the shaking tray.
- an improved method of threshing crop material in a combine harvester having an infeed mechanism for feeding crop material into the threshing unit of the harvester, a grain cleaning mechanism and grain transfer means for conveying threshed material from the threshing unit to an intake of the cleaning mechanism, characterised by subjecting the material, being threshed by the threshing unit, to a high velocity, low volume directional flow of air which is directed along a path between the underside of the threshing unit and the transfer means, said directional flow of air being effective to assist the delivery of the threshed material away from the threshing unit and to pre-clean the threshed grain moving along the transfer means by urging the chaff and straw into an airborne state prior to reaching the cleaning mechanism.
- a jet of air having a velocity in the order of 4000 to 6000 ft/minute and a flow rate in the range of 1800 to 4000 cubic ft/minute is used to dissipate and to pre-clean the threshed material.
- the jet of air is preferably injected into the threshing area through a narrow, elongate nozzle opening which is orientated so as to direct the jet of air in an upwardly inclined plane with respect to the plane of the grain transfer means.
- the upwardly inclined directional flow of air essentially prevents threshed grain moving along the transfer means being "blown" therefrom and expelled with the lighter residue.
- the high velocity flow of air blowing across the top of the grain transfer means creates a series of vortices (turbulent flow) immediately above the transfer means which are effective to put the light residue material which might otherwise remain with the threshed grain, into an airborne state.
- relatively clean grain accumulates at the distal end of the transfer tray and it has been found in practice, that the threshed grain can be up to 75% pre- cleaned prior to entering the intake of the grain cleaning mechanism.
- the jet of air is created by an externally mounted centrifugal fan connected to air delivery means which has an elongate nozzle at its exit end located approximately immediately below the discharge end of the infeed mechanism to the threshing unit.
- the air delivery means comprises a distributor manifold having a series of aligned air outlets and an inlet which connects to the fan by means of a flexible conduit and an injection manifold having a series of air inlets and an outlet which forms the elongate nozzle, the air inlets being respectively connected to the air outlets of the distributor manifold by separate hoses.
- a distributor manifold having a series of aligned air outlets and an inlet which connects to the fan by means of a flexible conduit and an injection manifold having a series of air inlets and an outlet which forms the elongate nozzle, the air inlets being respectively connected to the air outlets of the distributor manifold by separate hoses.
- the nozzle of the injection manifold is defined by an opening or aperture having a width in the order of 20-25mm and a length which may vary between 750-1500mm depending on the length of the threshing drum.
- the discharge nozzle is provided with an adjustable flap for adjusting the direction of the jet of air issuing therefrom.
- the nozzle of the injection manifold has its leading edge adjacent the upstream end of a grain shaker tray or pan of the grain transfer means which receives threshed grain directly from the threshing unit, such grain being transferred along the length of the shaker tray into cleaning sieves.
- an improved combine harvester machine of the type comprising an infeed mechanism for feeding crop material into a threshing unit, a grain cleaning mechanism for cleaning unwanted residue from the threshed grain, and grain transfer means for conveying threshed grain from the threshing unit to the grain cleaning mechanism
- the improvements comprising: blower means mounted on the machine, air delivery means, one end of which is connected to said blower means, the other exit end of which terminates at a location proximate to and below the discharge end of said infeed mechanism, said blower means and said air delivery means being operable to create a high velocity, low volume directional flow of air which flows essentially longitudinally of the machine, between the threshing unit and the grain transfer means, said directional flow of air being effective to assist the movement of the threshed material away from the threshing unit and also to pre-clean the threshed grain, prior to reaching said cleaning mechanism, by urging the lighter waste material, eg chaff, into an airborne state.
- the capacity of the combine harvester can increase by up to 100%, such an increase being attributable to the increased efficiency of separating the threshed grain and the straw/chaff in the actual threshing area of the machine and during the transference of the threshed grain to the cleaning mechanism, and the avoidance of any blockage or choking occurring in the threshing unit.
- the cleaning mechanism comprises a walker system
- the increased capacity is in part due to the easier separation of the threshed grain and the straw/chaff being conveyed along the walkers as a result of the straw/chaff being in a dynamic state.
- FIG 1 shows schematically a blower arrangement according to a first embodiment, incorporated into a conventional combine harvester having a cleaning mechanism which includes straw walkers;
- Fig 2 is a perspective view of a combined blower and air injection system for fitment to a harvester according to a second embodiment
- Fig 3 is a view similar to Fig 1 but incorporating the air injection system shown in Fig 2;
- Fig 4 is a sectional view of the injection manifold shown in Fig 2; whilst
- Fig 5 is a schematic view of the blower arrangement shown in Fig 2 fitted to a harvester of the rotary-type.
- a crop harvesting machine 10 commonly referred to as a combine, is of conventional construction and is arranged to sever crop material, consolidate it and feed it upwardly through an infeed conduit 11 which normally houses a chain elevator (not shown) for conveying the consolidated crop material into a threshing unit 12 for threshing the crop material in order to separate the relatively heavy grain from the lighter chaff/straw and other residue, the threshed material being conveyed to a cleaning mechanism 13 for final separation and collection of the cleaned grain.
- a chain elevator not shown
- the threshing unit 12 in accordance with known art, comprises a rotating threshing drum 14 which has fixed around its outer circumference and extending lengthwise thereof a plurality of circumferentially spaced threshing bars 15, and a concave 16 which encircles part of the drum circumference so as to provide an area of grain separation surface.
- the concave is adjustable to correspond exactly with the threshing requirements of any crop or condition change.
- a grain transfer mechanism 18 which, in this embodiment, comprises a shaker tray or pan (of known form) for conveying unclean threshed grain received directly from the threshing unit 12 to the sieve area of the cleaning mechanism 13.
- the cleaning mechanism 13 comprises straw walkers 20 for receiving threshed material after it leaves the threshing unit 12.
- the threshed material should spread in an even layer over the whole of the straw walker system in order to achieve optimum grain separation effect.
- the straw walkers 20 are driven in a manner to ensure that threshed material moves uniformly therealong to enable the threshed grain to separate from the chaff/straw material prior to the discharge of the unwanted residue from the discharge end of the machine 10.
- Located below the walkers 20 are sieves 22 through which the threshed grain gravitates in-order to produce cleaned grain free from any remaining residue such as chaff and short pieces of straw. After being cleaned, the cleaned grain is then transported to a grain tank (not shown) .
- a blower fan 24 is positioned to one side of the sieves 22 and directs a flow of air across the surface of the sieves to effect a final separation of any unwanted residue from the cleaned grain.
- a centrifugal fan 25 secured to the frame of the machine 10 which is operable to produce a jet of air from the exit end of an air delivery conduit 26.
- the discharge end of the conduit 26 is located immediately below the exit end of the delivery conduit 11 and comprises a narrow elongate opening 27, designed to direct the incoming air jet at an upwardly inclined angle between the underside of the concave 16 and the upper side of the tray 18 to thereby urge a large percentage of the chaff and straw into an airborne state immediately upon threshing.
- the threshed material is already partially cleaned before reaching the cleaning mechanism 13.
- a high velocity, low volume flow of air be created by the blower 25 in order to dissipate the threshed aterial efficiently and also to cope with the large amount of crop material being forced through the concave of the threshing unit 12.
- a jet of air having a velocity in the order of 4000 to 6000 feet per minute, and a velocity pressure in the range of 3 to 14" of water, is required.
- the volume of flow may range between 1800 to 4000 cubic f /minute.
- An adjustable flap 28 can be conveniently hingedly mounted at the discharge end of the delivery conduit 26 to enable the direction of the jet of air issuing from the conduit 26 to be adjusted.
- the discharge opening 27 of the delivery conduit 26 is a nozzle opening having a width of between 20-25mm.
- the stream of pressure air blown from the opening 27 retains its directional effect for a considerable distance beyond the plane of the opening.
- the directional effect of the air stream is required to be maintained approximately along the full length of the machine to ensure that the airborne residue material is effectively expelled from the rear thereof and cannot re-mix with the threshed grain being fed into the cleaning sieves 22.
- the efficiency of the separation of the threshed material moving along the walkers 20 is significantly improved by virtue of the jet of air creating an air flow across the underside of. the walkers 20, such air flow causing some turbulence on the underside of the walkers 20 which in turn causes the relatively light waste material, i.e. chaff, to "jump", such dynamic movement enabling the threshed grain to separate more easily and in turn be allowed to gravitate into the sieves 22.
- the centrifugal blower 25 is mounted on the machine 10 adjacent its cab, the blower 25 being connected to a distributor manifold 31 by a flexible conduit 32, the manifold 31 in turn being connected to an injector manifold 33 by a plurality of short-length hoses 36.
- the injector manifold 33 is mounted in an elongate transverse opening in an end wall of the machine 10 just below the exit end of the infeed conduit 11, the manifold 33 having a transverse horizontal -elongate nozzle opening 34 which communicates with the space below the concave 16.
- the hoses 36 ensure that the flow of pressure air is delivered into the manifold 33 evenly across its full width, and in turn blown from the opening 34 uniformly across its entire length which can vary between 750-1500mm.
- the manifold 33 is provided with a pair of opposed parallel walls 35, 35' which terminate at the nozzle opening 34, so that air issues from the opening 34 in a linear or straight stream at a slightly upwardly inclined angle with respect to the shaker tray 18.
- the stream of jetted air undergoes minimal dissipation, at least initially, as it flows across the top of the tray 18 so as to maintain its directional effect.
- a blower assembly similar to that shown in Figs 2-4 is shown fitted to a rotary combine harvesting machine, which incorporates a rotary cylindrical threshing drum 37 and concave 38 which extends lengthwise of the machine (rather than transversely) and a grain transfer auger 39 (rather than a shaker tray) which conveys threshed grain and lighter waste material to the cleaning sieves 40. No walkers are used.
- pressure air is blown through a flexible delivery duct to a distributor manifold which splits the air up into a number of separate flow paths by means of hoses, before passing into the injection manifold 33 which has its discharge nozzle 34 located below the threshing mechanism 37, 38 and at the upstream end of the auger 39.
- the fast flowing airstream 40 flows between the underside of the concave 38 and the auger 39 at a slightly inclined angle with respect to the axis of the auger 39.
- the number and size of the hoses 36 will vary according to the size and width of the machine.
- the machine has a cleaning fan 42 for getting rid of chaff residue which may accumulate on the sieves 41; with the clean grain passing through the sieves 41 into a delivery auger 43 which delivers the clean grain to a collection bin or tank.
- threshing and cleaning units can be of other designs, as will be well known to those skilled in the art.
Abstract
Description
Claims
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
AU36216/93A AU670575B2 (en) | 1992-02-21 | 1993-02-22 | Improvements in and to combine harvesters |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
AUPL099292 | 1992-02-21 | ||
AUPL0992 | 1992-02-21 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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WO1993016581A1 true WO1993016581A1 (en) | 1993-09-02 |
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ID=3776002
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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PCT/AU1993/000075 WO1993016581A1 (en) | 1992-02-21 | 1993-02-22 | Improvements in and to combine harvesters |
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Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
EP3158854A1 (en) * | 2015-10-23 | 2017-04-26 | CNH Industrial Belgium nv | Agricultural harvester cleaning system having early grain evacuation |
Citations (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US1949725A (en) * | 1928-06-23 | 1934-03-06 | Caterpillar Tractor Co | Threshing machine |
US2589440A (en) * | 1946-08-21 | 1952-03-18 | Robert H Sharpe | Thresher with suction and blast fans mounted in housing |
DE866863C (en) * | 1949-12-17 | 1953-02-12 | Claas Maschf Gmbh Geb | Cleaning device in threshing machines |
DE1130643B (en) * | 1960-04-08 | 1962-05-30 | Helmut Claas Dipl Ing | Cleaning blowers in threshing machines, in particular in combine harvesters |
AU1542776A (en) * | 1975-07-02 | 1978-01-05 | Allis-Chalmers Corp. | Improved grain accelerator precleaner fora grain harvester |
AU2164283A (en) * | 1982-11-29 | 1984-06-07 | Winston, R.R. | Improvements relating to headers |
-
1993
- 1993-02-22 WO PCT/AU1993/000075 patent/WO1993016581A1/en active Application Filing
Patent Citations (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US1949725A (en) * | 1928-06-23 | 1934-03-06 | Caterpillar Tractor Co | Threshing machine |
US2589440A (en) * | 1946-08-21 | 1952-03-18 | Robert H Sharpe | Thresher with suction and blast fans mounted in housing |
DE866863C (en) * | 1949-12-17 | 1953-02-12 | Claas Maschf Gmbh Geb | Cleaning device in threshing machines |
DE1130643B (en) * | 1960-04-08 | 1962-05-30 | Helmut Claas Dipl Ing | Cleaning blowers in threshing machines, in particular in combine harvesters |
AU1542776A (en) * | 1975-07-02 | 1978-01-05 | Allis-Chalmers Corp. | Improved grain accelerator precleaner fora grain harvester |
AU2164283A (en) * | 1982-11-29 | 1984-06-07 | Winston, R.R. | Improvements relating to headers |
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
EP3158854A1 (en) * | 2015-10-23 | 2017-04-26 | CNH Industrial Belgium nv | Agricultural harvester cleaning system having early grain evacuation |
US10542678B2 (en) | 2015-10-23 | 2020-01-28 | Cnh Industrial America Llc | Agricultural harvester cleaning system having early grain evacuation |
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