WO2021144701A1 - Système de nettoyage de grains de moissonneuse-batteuse - Google Patents

Système de nettoyage de grains de moissonneuse-batteuse Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2021144701A1
WO2021144701A1 PCT/IB2021/050211 IB2021050211W WO2021144701A1 WO 2021144701 A1 WO2021144701 A1 WO 2021144701A1 IB 2021050211 W IB2021050211 W IB 2021050211W WO 2021144701 A1 WO2021144701 A1 WO 2021144701A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
grain
pan
combine harvester
airstream
threshing
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/IB2021/050211
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Alastair MORRISON
Original Assignee
Agco International Gmbh
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Agco International Gmbh filed Critical Agco International Gmbh
Publication of WO2021144701A1 publication Critical patent/WO2021144701A1/fr

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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
    • A01F12/444—Fanning means
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
    • A01D—HARVESTING; MOWING
    • A01D41/00—Combines, i.e. harvesters or mowers combined with threshing devices
    • A01D41/12—Details of combines
    • A01D41/127—Control or measuring arrangements specially adapted for combines
    • A01D41/1276—Control or measuring arrangements specially adapted for combines for cleaning mechanisms

Definitions

  • the invention relates to the processing of a crop stream in a combine harvester and more particularly to the means to convey material separated from the crop stream to a grain cleaning unit.
  • self-propelled combine harvesters have been used by farmers to harvest a wide range of crops including cereals, maize and oil-seed rape.
  • a combine harvester cuts the crop material, threshes the grain (or seed) therefrom, separates the grain from the straw, and cleans the grain before storing in an on board tank. Straw and crop residue is ejected from the rear of the machine.
  • Combine harvesters typically have a threshing and separating apparatus arranged to convey a cut crop stream in a generally rearward direction.
  • a threshing cylinder rotating on a transverse axis conveys the crop stream tangentially underneath. Grain dislodged from the crop stream falls through a concave grate onto an underlying oscillating pan, hereinafter termed a stratification pan.
  • the remaining crop stream is conveyed to the separating apparatus which, in this case, comprises a pair of axial separating rotors.
  • Grain and material other than grain (MOG) falls through a grate arrangement disposed under the rotors onto an oscillating return pan which conveys the grain and MOG forwardly to a front edge from where it falls onto the stratification pan.
  • the grain and MOG collected by the stratification pan is conveyed rearwardly by the oscillating motion, to a rear edge from where it falls into a cleaning unit having a plurality of sieves and the like.
  • Agricultural combines typically include a cleaning system below and rearward of the threshing unit.
  • the cleaning system includes a cleaning fan oriented horizontally and transversely across the combine to create airflow through one or more sieves. Controlling the air speed in a cleaning system is a balance between either too little air velocity (in which case the system will not effectively blow out the chaff) and too much air velocity (in which case the system will blow out the grain).
  • a combine harvester comprising threshing and separating apparatus arranged to convey in a generally rearward direction, and process, a cut crop stream and comprising a grate arrangement through which material separated from the crop stream falls under gravity onto grain conveyance means arranged below the threshing and separating apparatus, the grain conveyance means comprising a stratification pan located below a front region of the threshing and separating apparatus and a return conveyor located below a rear region of the threshing and separating apparatus, the return conveyor positioned to catch material falling through the grate above and driven to convey said material in a forward direction to a front edge thereof which is located above the stratification pan, a cleaning unit comprising a cleaning fan oriented to direct a cleaning airstream generally rearwardly in the cleaning unit; a secondary fan positioned forward of the cleaning fan and oriented to direct a secondary airstream generally rearwardly across the stratification pan; a controller coupled with the cleaning fan and secondary fan and operable to independently control the output airstream ve
  • positional terms such as ‘front’, ‘rear’, ‘forward’ and ‘backward’ are made with reference to the forward direction of travel of the combine harvester wherein a cutterbar is typically located at the front and the crop residue is ejected at the rear.
  • References to ‘upstream’ and ‘downstream’ are made with reference to the moving stream of cut crop material and grain as it passes through the combine harvester.
  • the secondary fan provides a relatively higher velocity airstream to assist in separating grain and chaff as they fall to the stratification pan, with the velocity controlled to manage stratification, which improved stratification enables the cleaning fan to use a relatively lower velocity airstream to reduce blowing losses (blowing grain out of the back of the combine).
  • the return conveyor preferably comprises a return pan driven in an oscillating manner.
  • the return pan may comprise an endless belt wrapped around a pair of rollers and having a front edge which may be in close proximity to at least one or more accelerator rollers.
  • the rotation axis of the accelerator roller is preferably disposed in front of the front edge of the return conveyor.
  • the swept envelope of the accelerator roller and paddles may extend above the height of the return pan. This is because the aggressiveness of the oscillating motion may throw the grain and MOG upwardly to an extent as it reaches the front edge thereof.
  • the endless belt wrapped around a pair or rollers may have at least one or more paddles.
  • the endless belt has at least two or more, at least three or more, at least four or more, at least 5 or more, at least 6 or more, at least 7 or more or at least 8 or more paddles.
  • the paddles can accelerate the material to maintain a downwards trajectory of crop material, particularly the chaff.
  • the secondary fan is positioned adjacent to, and upstream of, the main (cleaning) fan. Where one or more accelerator rollers are provided, the secondary fan can deliver a very high velocity airstream to the grains that have been accelerated, with the cleaning fan providing a lower velocity air stream to assist the transportation of chaff along the cleaning shoe whilst avoiding blowing loss.
  • the two or more sensors are positioned on the stratification pan, preferably towards the rear end where the chaffer and lower sieve are positioned. Preferably, there are at least three, at least four, at least five, or more sensors.
  • the at least two sensors effectively work in a closed loop with the secondary fan.
  • the sensors sense information representative of grain load contacting the sensors on the stratification pan.
  • the sensors are configured to output this information representative of the grain load landing on the sensor to the controller.
  • the controller automatically determines the information and the representative fan speed for the measured grain load and outputs a signal operable to control the rotational speed of the secondary fan as a function of the information representative of the sensed grain load.
  • the air velocity of the secondary fan will be increased. Conversely, if the grain load is contacting the rear sensor which is positioned on the stratification pan closest to the chaffer and lower sieve, the air velocity of the secondary fan is decreased.
  • the cleaning unit further comprises at least one or more accelerator rollers which are rotatably driven on a transverse axis proximate to the front edge of the return conveyor.
  • the accelerator roller projects the grain and MOG from the return pan forwardly towards the front of the stratification pan.
  • the grain is more dense than the MOG and is thus projected further.
  • the MOG is more affected by air resistance and is not projected as far as the grain.
  • the result is improved stratification of the grain and MOG wherein a larger proportion of the grain settles onto the lower layers whilst the MOG comes to rest on top.
  • the or each accelerator roller is preferably driven so that the top circumferential edge moves forwardly so as to project the material from the return pan forwardly rather than downwardly.
  • the advantage of using the accelerator roller or rollers in combination with the secondary fan allows for a higher wind speed to be used to blow away the chaff.
  • the material that has been accelerated maintains its downward trajectory and therefore the system is less likely to suffer blowing loss in terms of grain being blown out the rear of the combine.
  • the front edge of the return conveyor is preferably located above the stratification pan so that the material on the return conveyor is carried forward before being ejected onto the roller.
  • the invention lends itself to any known processing system including conventional, hybrid and axial systems.
  • Figure 1 is a schematic side elevation view of a combine harvester showing the outline of the combine harvester in ghost form;
  • Figure 2 is a schematic vertical section through the combine harvester of Figure 1 showing the return pan and grain cleaning unit.
  • Figure 3 is a schematic vertical section through the combine harvester of Figure 1 showing the return pan, grain cleaning unit and accelerator rollers according to a second embodiment of the invention.
  • Figure 4 is a schematic vertical section through a combine harvester of Figure 1 showing the return conveyor and grain cleaning unit.
  • FIG. 5 is a schematic vertical section through a combine harvester of Figure 1 showing the return conveyor, grain cleaning unit and accelerator rollers according to a second embodiment of the invention.
  • a combine harvester 10 is shown in ghost form whilst the threshing apparatus 12, separating apparatus 14, conveyance pans 16 and grain cleaning unit 20 embodied therein are shown with solid lines.
  • Combine 10 includes a front elevator housing 22 at the front of the machine for attachment of a header (not shown).
  • the header when attached serves to cut and collect the crop material as it progresses across the field, the collected crop stream being conveyed up through the elevator housing 22 into threshing apparatus which is represented schematically at 12.
  • the threshing apparatus comprises a cylinder including a rotating drum and a concave-shaped grate below (not shown).
  • the cylinder includes rasp bars (not shown) which act upon the crop stream to thresh the grain or seeds from the remaining material, the majority of the threshed grain passing through the underlying grate and onto a stratification pan 26.
  • the transverse threshing cylinder may be replaced by a feed beater which carries out minimal threshing action and instead serves to feed the crop material tangentially underneath to axial rotors which carry out both a threshing and separating function.
  • the transverse cylinder may be omitted so that the crop stream is fed directly from the elevator 22 into a front end of one or more axial rotors.
  • the separating apparatus 14 may include a plurality of parallel, longitudinally-aligned, straw walkers (straw-walker combine).
  • the separating apparatus 14 may include one or two longitudinally-aligned rotors which rotate on a longitudinal axis and convey the crop stream rearwardly in a ribbon passing along a spiral path (axial or hybrid combine).
  • the separating apparatus serve to separate further grain from the crop stream which passes through a grate-like structure onto an underlying return conveyor, which conveyor may comprise an oscillating return pan 28 (Figs. 2 and 3) or an endless belt 60 (Figs.
  • the combine 10 includes a driver’s cab 32 and an unloading auger 34, shown in the transport position in Figure 1.
  • the threshing 12 and separating 14 apparatus do not remove all MOG from the grain and the crop stream collected by the stratification pan 26, and return pan 28 (or belt 60) typically includes a proportion of straw, chaff, tailings and other unwanted material such as weed seeds, bugs, and tree twigs.
  • a grain cleaning unit 20 is provided to remove this unwanted material thus leaving a clean sample of grain to be delivered to the tank.
  • the term ‘grain cleaning apparatus’ used hereinafter is intended to include the stratification pan 26, the return pan 28 (or belt 60) and the cleaning unit 20 comprising a main (cleaning) fan 52, secondary fan 57, chaffer 40 and one or more sieves 42, as will be described in more detail below.
  • the stratification pan 26 and return pan 28 (in Figs. 2 and 3) are driven in an oscillating manner as in known machines to convey the grain and MOG accordingly.
  • the drive and mounting mechanisms for the stratification pan 26 and return pan 28 are not shown, it should be appreciated that this aspect is well known in the art of combine harvesters and is not critical to disclosure of the invention.
  • the two pans 26, 28 may take a ridged construction as is known in the art.
  • stratification pan 26 conveys the crop stream rearwardly towards the rear edge 26R of stratification pan 26. Whilst conveyed across the stratification pan 26 the grain and MOG undergoes stratification wherein the heavier grain sinks to form a bottom layer adjacent the upper surface of the stratification pan 26 and the lighter/larger MOG rises to form a top layer or layers.
  • the return pan (return conveyor) comprises an endless belt 60 wrapped around a pair or rollers
  • the endless belt has a plurality of regularly spaced ribs or paddles (thirteen are shown in Fig. 4).
  • the paddles serve to accelerate the material to maintain a downwards trajectory of crop material, particularly the chaff, before it falls onto the stratification pan 26.
  • the chaffer 40 Upon reaching the rear edge 26R, the stratified crop stream falls onto a chaffer 40 which is also driven in a fore-and-aft oscillating motion.
  • the chaffer 40 is of a known construction and includes a series of transverse ribs or louvers which create open channels or gaps therebetween.
  • the chaffer ribs are angled upwardly and rearwardly so as to encourage MOG rearwardly whilst allowing the heavier grain to pass through channels or gaps in the chaffer onto an underlying sieve 42.
  • MOG which reaches the rear section of the chaffer 40 either passes over the rear edge and out of the machine or through an associated grate before being conveyed to a returns auger (not shown) for rethreshing in a known manner. It should be appreciated that the majority of materials passing through the extension section (not shown) is, and is intended to be, unthreshed tailings.
  • Grain passing through chaffer 40 is incident on sieve 42 which is also driven in an oscillating manner and serves to remove tailings from the stream of grain before being conveyed to an on-board tank (not shown) by a grain collecting auger (not shown) which resides in a transverse trough (not shown) at the bottom of the cleaning unit 20 in a known manner.
  • Tailings ‘blocked’ by sieve 42 are conveyed rearwardly by the oscillating motion thereof to a rear edge from where the tailings are directed to the returns auger (not shown) for reprocessing in a known manner.
  • the grain cleaning apparatus further comprises a fan unit 50 for generating a cleaning air stream which is directed through the falling grain/MOG stream as it falls from the rear edge 26R, and through the sieve 42 and chaffer 40.
  • the fan unit 50 includes a main cleaning fan 52 which rotates on a transverse axis 54 in a known manner.
  • the main fan 52 includes a plurality of impellor blades which draw in air from the transverse ends open to the environment and generates an air stream directed through channel 56 in a generally rearward direction.
  • the air stream (designated generally by arrows Y) creates a pressure differential across the chaffer 40 and sieve 42 to encourage lighter MOG rearwardly and upwardly whilst allowing the grain to pass through the chaffer 40 and the sieve 42.
  • the air stream Y also passes above chaffer 40 and below a part of stratification pan 26 thus acting upon the crop stream as it falls from the rear edge 26R of the stratification pan 26 towards the chaffer.
  • a secondary fan 57 which is adjacent to (and forward of) the main fan 52 provides an additional relatively higher velocity airstream which is independent of the relatively lower velocity airstream generated by the main fan 52.
  • the specific velocities of the airstreams from the two fans 52, 57 are not relevant to the present invention (and may be determined by variables such as the size of the machine and/or operational or crop conditions) save that the secondary fan outputs a faster stream than the main fan.
  • the stratification pan 26 is provided with a number of spaced apart sensors 59 able to sense information representative of grain load on the respective portions of the stratification pan.
  • sensors 59 are shown, linearly spaced in the fore and aft direction, but it will be understood that different arrangements of two or more sensors may be provided, for example in linearly spaced pairs, with each sensor of a pair laterally offset from the centreline of the stratification pan 26.
  • the sensors output this information representative of the grain load landing on the stratification pan 26 in their respective locations to a controller 58, which controller 58 automatically determines from this information relative loading across the pan and determines (for example from a stored look-up table) the representative fan speed for the measured grain load and outputs a signal operable to control the rotational speed of the secondary fan 57 as a function of the information representative of the sensed grain load and load distribution.
  • the air velocity of the secondary fan 57 will be increased. Conversely, if the grain load is contacting the rear sensor which is positioned on the stratification pan closest to the chaffer 40 and lower sieve 42, the air velocity of the secondary fan is decreased accordingly.
  • each of the rollers, or at least the swept envelope of the rollers 36 may extend (even intermittently) above the height of the return pan front edge 28F depending on the speed and frequency (i.e. aggressiveness) of the oscillating motion of the return pan 28 in the embodiment of Fig. 3, but level with or below the front-most roller of the endless belt 60 in Fig. 5.
  • the at least one accelerator roller 36 is a generally cylindrical body comprising a sheet metal core (although other materials may be used) and a plurality of axially aligned paddles 38 which extend along the width of the roller and which correspond closely to the width of the return pan 28 or conveyor belt 60. As the grain and MOG fall onto the roller or rollers 3636, the paddles 38 propel the material forwardly before it falls onto the stratification pan 26 and on top of the material conveyed from the threshing unit 12.
  • the grain in the falling grain and MOG is more dense than the MOG and is thus projected further forward.
  • the MOG is more affected by air resistance and is not projected as far as the grain. The result is improved stratification of the grain and MOG over the pan 26 wherein a larger proportion of the grain settles onto the lower layers whilst the MOG comes to rest on top.
  • the oscillating motion of stratification pan 26 conveys the combined crop streams rearwardly towards the rear edge 26R of stratification pan 26. Whilst conveyed across the stratification pan 26 the grain and MOG undergoes further stratification wherein the heavier grain sinks to the bottom layers adjacent stratification pan 26 and the lighter/larger MOG rises to the top layers.
  • the inclusion of the one or more accelerator rollers 36 allows for a relatively higher airstream velocity (wind speed) to be utilised by the forward mounted secondary fan 57 to blow away the chaff from the grain settling to the lower layers on the stratification pan 26.
  • Having the secondary fan 57 able to generate a high velocity airstream to the grains that have been accelerated by the accelerator rollers 36 improves stratification on the pan 26, enabling the main fan 52 to generate a lower velocity airstream to assist with the transportation of chaff along the cleaning shoe whilst reducing or minimising any blowing loss, namely blowing grain out the rear of the combine harvester.
  • the above present invention allows for a system in which the exact air velocity can be independently controlled as well as assist in accelerating the grain by the use of accelerator rollers to effectively separate the chaff from the grain before the grain reaches the chaffer.
  • a combine harvester comprises a stratification pan 26 located below a front region of a threshing and separating apparatus 12, 14 and a return conveyor 28 located below a rear region of the threshing and separating apparatus 12, 14, the return conveyor 28 positioned to catch material falling from the rear region and driven to convey that material in a forward direction to a front edge thereof which is located above the stratification pan 26.
  • a controller 58 independently controls the output airstream velocities of each of a cleaning fan 52 and secondary fan 57 and increases or decreases the airstream velocity of the secondary fan 57 based on sensor inputs 59 indicating material distribution on the stratification pan 26.
  • One or more accelerator rotors 36 may be provided to direct crop material towards the front edge of the stratification pan 26.

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  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Environmental Sciences (AREA)
  • Threshing Machine Elements (AREA)

Abstract

La présente invention concerne une moissonneuse-batteuse comprenant un bac de stratification (26) situé en-dessous d'une région avant d'un appareil de battage et de séparation (12, 14) et un transporteur de retour (28) situé en-dessous d'une région arrière de l'appareil de battage et de séparation (12, 14), le transporteur de retour (28) positionné pour piéger les matières tombant de la région arrière et entraîné pour transporter les matières dans un sens de l'avant vers un bord avant de ce dernier qui est situé au-dessus du bac de stratification (26). Un dispositif de commande (58) régule indépendamment les vitesses du flux d'air de sortie de chacun d'un ventilateur de nettoyage (52) et d'un ventilateur secondaire (57) et augmente ou réduit la vitesse du flux d'air du ventilateur secondaire (57) sur la base des entrées de capteur (59) indiquant la distribution des matières sur le bac de stratification (26). Un ou plusieurs rotors d'accélération (36) peuvent être prévus pour diriger les matières récoltées vers le bord avant du bac de stratification (26).
PCT/IB2021/050211 2020-01-16 2021-01-13 Système de nettoyage de grains de moissonneuse-batteuse WO2021144701A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB2000643.3 2020-01-16
GBGB2000643.3A GB202000643D0 (en) 2020-01-16 2020-01-16 Combine harvester grain cleaning system

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WO2021144701A1 true WO2021144701A1 (fr) 2021-07-22

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Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20220240453A1 (en) * 2021-02-02 2022-08-04 Cnh Industrial America Llc Closed loop combine cleaning fan control
US11419266B2 (en) * 2018-07-16 2022-08-23 Cnh Industrial America Llc Variable fan drive dependent on cleaning fan drive load

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0302210A1 (fr) * 1987-06-30 1989-02-08 Deere & Company Mécanisme de nettoyage
WO2015091034A1 (fr) * 2013-12-18 2015-06-25 Agco A/S Système de nettoyage du grain de moissonneuse-batteuse
EP3038451A1 (fr) * 2013-08-27 2016-07-06 CNH Industrial Belgium nv Ensemble de nettoyage pour moissonneuse
EP3216340A1 (fr) * 2016-03-07 2017-09-13 CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH Moissonneuse-batteuse

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0302210A1 (fr) * 1987-06-30 1989-02-08 Deere & Company Mécanisme de nettoyage
EP3038451A1 (fr) * 2013-08-27 2016-07-06 CNH Industrial Belgium nv Ensemble de nettoyage pour moissonneuse
WO2015091034A1 (fr) * 2013-12-18 2015-06-25 Agco A/S Système de nettoyage du grain de moissonneuse-batteuse
EP3216340A1 (fr) * 2016-03-07 2017-09-13 CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH Moissonneuse-batteuse

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US11419266B2 (en) * 2018-07-16 2022-08-23 Cnh Industrial America Llc Variable fan drive dependent on cleaning fan drive load
US20220240453A1 (en) * 2021-02-02 2022-08-04 Cnh Industrial America Llc Closed loop combine cleaning fan control
US11944040B2 (en) * 2021-02-02 2024-04-02 Cnh Industrial America Llc Closed loop combine cleaning fan control

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