BRPI0804905B1 - A combined threshing mechanism having a combined support structure and method of threshing and separating harvesting materials into a combined - Google Patents

Abstract

A combined threshing mechanism having a combined support structure and method of threshing and separating harvesting materials into a combined. A threshing and splitting mechanism for a combination is disclosed including an elongate rotor mounted for rotation about a combined rotor shaft within a rotor housing. the rotor has a threshing part and a separation part. The rotor has a rotor tube that is tapered continuously at the threshing portion and has threshing elements extending from the rotor tube. The housing has a threshing section and a separation section, corresponding to the threshing part and the separation part. the housing surrounds the rotor and is spaced from the rotor tube to form an annular space between the rotor tube and the crop material housing to flow in an axial crop flow direction from an inlet end of the housing to an outlet end of the accommodation. The housing includes a smooth transition section between the threshing section and the housing separation section.

Description

(54) Title: DEBULATING MECHANISM FOR A COMBINATION THAT HAS A COMBINED SUPPORT STRUCTURE AND METHOD OF DEBULATING AND SEPARATING HARVEST MATERIALS IN A COMBINED (73) Owner: DEERE & COMPANY, North American Company. Address: One John Deere Place, Moline, Illinois 61265, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (US) (72) Inventor: GLENN E. POPE; AARON J. BRUNS; EDWARD L. FARWELL.

Validity Term: 10 (ten) years from 11/27/2018, subject to legal conditions

Issued on: 11/27/2018

Digitally signed by:

Alexandre Gomes Ciancio

Substitute Director of Patents, Computer Programs and Topographies of Integrated Circuits “DEBULATING MECHANISM FOR A COMBINATION THAT HAS A SUPPORT STRUCTURE, COMBINED, AND, METHOD OF DEBULATING AND SEPARATING HARVEST MATERIALS IN A COMBINED”

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to rotors and housings for axial rotary agricultural combinations.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Combined agricultural products are large machines that harvest, thresh, separate and clean an agricultural crop. The resulting clean grain is stored in a grain tank located in the combined. The cleaned grain can then be transported from the bulk tank to a truck, bulk trailer or other receiving compartment via an unloading auger.

Combined rotary machines have one or two large engines for threshing and separating harvested harvest material. In most rotary combinations, the rotor, or rotors, are arranged along the longitudinal axis of the machine. These rotors are provided with a feed section for receiving harvested harvest material, a threshing section for threshing harvested harvest material received from the feed section and a separation section for releasing grain trapped in the threshed harvest material received from the harvesting section. threshing.

Rotors have been provided to be combined in a variety of configurations to optimize harvest efficiency for a wide variety of crops and harvest conditions. Examples are shown in U.S. patents 5,445,563 and 5,688,170 granted to the applicant for the present application. These two patents disclose rotary crop processing units that have two or more sections. The relationship between the rotor axis and the housing axis varies from section to section. The rotor axis becomes

Petition 870180124998, of 9/3/2018, p. 7/24 increasingly displaced from the housing axis in the direction of the harvest flow from the housing entrance to the housing exit. This is accomplished by abrupt transitions in the housing structure between sections where the shape of the housing changes. As the shape of the housing changes, the axis of the housing rises in relation to the axis of the rotor and the clearance between the rotor and the top of the housing increases with each step in the housing.

U.S. patent 7,070,498 describes a combination rotor that has both feed and threshing sections on a common truncated cone portion of the rotor drum. The rotor in the feeding section is provided with helical feeding elements located in the front region of the trunk's conical part of the drum. Immediately downstream of the feed section, the threshing section is provided with several threshing elements. A part of the threshing elements is attached to the back of the trunk's conical part of the drum, with the remainder being attached to the rear cylindrical part.

In such rotary combinations, because of the shape and dimensions of the housing covers, the rotor housing expands in stages as the material moves backwards. The first step is about the threshing area. The other expansion point is on the part of the rotor separator. For a rotor design as disclosed in U.S. Patent 7,070,498, a defined annular clearance between the top cover and the rotor tapers to a minimum at the midpoint of the threshing section. The annular clearance defined between the rotor and the cover step expands again at the beginning of the separation section. This abrupt expansion causes excess or waste of energy consumption, excess wear and damage to the straw without increasing the threshing capacity.

The present inventors realized that food material that enters the threshing area of a combined rotor needs to be accelerated at full speed as quickly as possible to help

Petition 870180124998, of 9/3/2018, p. 8/24 threshing. As the material is accelerated, it is also compressed between the scraping bars and the concave for threshing and separation. There is considerable material other than between the scraping bars and the concave at any given time. This material is compressed between the surface of the cylindrical rotor and the upper covers, rails, concave and blades. When the material is compressed in this way, it is not being threshed, but it is just moving.

The present inventors realized that a tapered rotor volume helps in reducing energy consumption and in controlling the slow harvest through the separator. The present inventors have realized that there is a need to provide a rotor and housing for an axial rotating agricultural combination that provides efficient energy consumption, a longer service life and less damage to the threshing of the harvested grain.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides a threshing and separation mechanism for a combination. The mechanism includes an elongated rotor mounted for rotation about a rotor axis within a combined rotor housing. The rotor has a threshing part and a separation part. The rotor comprises a rotor tube with threshing elements that extend radially from the tube within the threshing part. According to the invention, when viewed in a vertical section along the axis of the housing, the rotor tube is substantially tapered along the entire length of the threshing section. The rotor tube preferably has a constant linear taper along the length of the threshing part of the rotor.

The housing has a threshing section and a separation section corresponding to the threshing and separation part. The housing surrounds the rotor and is spaced from the rotor to form an annular space between the rotor and the housing for harvest material to flow through

Petition 870180124998, of 9/3/2018, p. 9/24 an axial harvest flow direction from an inlet end of the housing to an outlet end of the housing.

The housing has a top that protrudes above the rotor in order to define a first distance between the top of the threshing section of the housing and the axis of the rotor, and a second distance between the top separation section of the housing and the axis of the housing. rotor.

The housing includes a transition section between the threshing section and the housing separation section. The transition section is arranged over an outlet part of the threshing part of the rotor and an inlet part of the rotor separation part. The top of the housing protrudes above the rotor at an entry end of the transition section in order to define a third distance between the rotor axis and the top of the transition section. The top of the housing protrudes above the rotor at an outlet end of the transition section in order to define a fourth distance between the rotor axis and the top of the transition section, the third distance substantially equal to the first distance, and the fourth distance substantially equal to the second distance.

This configuration provides a smooth, energy efficient, wear resistant and crop protection transition from the harvest material flow between the threshing section and the rotor housing separation section.

The invention also provides an axial flow combination for harvesting, threshing and separating harvest material that includes a support structure, wheels, tracks and the like that extend from the support structure to transport the support structure around a field, and a threshing and separation mechanism supported on the support structure.

The threshing and separation mechanism includes a rotor housing located within the support structure. The rotor housing is provided with a threshing section in which

Petition 870180124998, of 9/3/2018, p. 10/24 harvest is threshed and a separation section in which the threshed grain is separated from the threshed harvest material. A rotor with a rotor shaft is located in the rotor housing, where the rotor has a tapered rotor tube along the threshing section in length and the tube is provided with crop fitting sets to fit the crop material passing through the rotor housing. The threshing section of the rotor housing is arranged so that the threshing axis has a first eccentricity in relation to the rotor axis, and the separation section of the rotor housing is arranged so that the separation shaft has a second eccentricity with respect to the rotor axis, the first eccentricity being less than the second eccentricity. A substantially conical transition section connects the threshing section of the rotor housing to the separation section of the rotor housing.

The threshing area of the rotor tube according to the invention is remodeled to be completely tapered. The front diameter of the rotor tube is similar to current tapered rotor tubes, as described in US patent 7,070,498, and the rear of the rotor tube has the same diameter as the rest of the rotor tube, but relocated back until end of the threshing part of the rotor. The oscillating diameter of the threshing elements remains unchanged, so the threshing geometry is ideal for the separation features. However, all the threshing elements are located in the conical part of the rotor tube, instead of some of the threshing elements being located in a cylindrical part of the rotor tube. Combined with the conical top cover, the increase in available volume is between 15 and 20%. Compared with current partially tapered rotor tubes, as described in US patent 7,070,498, in which the volume of the open area between the rotor and the surrounding resources reaches its minimum point (becomes cylindrical) at a point approximately 57% along of

Petition 870180124998, of 9/3/2018, p. 11/24 length of the threshing area of the rotor, and about 30% along the length of the entire rotor, the present invention moves the minimum point considerably backwards because of the extended taper of the rotor and the corresponding taper of the top cover.

According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the point of minimum distance between the surface of the rotor and the housing occurs at about 89 percent of the length of the threshing section. The complete compression of the crop occurs at about 57 percent of the length of the entire rotor, whereas the point of complete compression of the crop in the rotors of the prior art occurred at about 30 percent of the length of the entire rotor. The result is a smooth transition in which the conical to cylindrical convergence is located deep in the rotor, which greatly helps in the straw flow and reduces straw damage. The significant increase in open volume also significantly reduces energy requirements.

Numerous other advantages and features of the present invention will be readily apparent from the following detailed description of the invention and its modalities, and from the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side view of an agricultural combination of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic side view of a crop processing unit made from the combination shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a lid for a crop processing unit in Figure 2;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the lid for a crop processing unit in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a side view of the cover shown in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a base view of the cover shown in Figure 3;

Petition 870180124998, of 9/3/2018, p. 12/24

Figure 6 is a base perspective view of the cover shown in Figure 3;

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken in general along line 7-7 of Figure 2;

Figure 8 is a sectional view taken in general along line 8-8 of Figure 2; and

Figure 9 is a sectional view taken in general along line 9-9 of Figure 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Although this invention is susceptible to modalities in many different ways, they are shown in the drawings, and will be described here in detail, specific modalities thereof, with the understanding that the present disclosure should be considered an example of the principles of the invention, and is not intended limit the invention to the specific modalities illustrated.

Figure 1 shows an agricultural combination 10 comprising a support structure 12 which has wheels for engagement with the ground 14 extending from the support structure. Combined operation is controlled from the operator's cabin 15. A harvesting platform 16 is used to harvest a harvest and direct it to a feed chamber 18. The harvested harvest is directed by the feed chamber 18 to a beater 20. The beater directs the harvest upward through an inlet transition section 22 to the axial harvest processing unit 24.

The harvest processing unit 24 thresh and separate the harvested harvest material. Grain and straw fall through the crates at the base of the unit 24 into the cleaning system 26. The cleaning system 26 removes the straw and directs the cleaned grain to a clean grain elevator (not shown). The clean grain elevator deposits the smooth grain in the bulk tank 28. The clean grain in the tank 28 can be discharged in a

Petition 870180124998, of 9/3/2018, p. 13/24 grain trailer or truck through the unloading auger 30. Threshed and separated straw is discharged from the axial harvest processing unit 24 through outlet 32 into the unloader 34. The unloader 34 in turn drives the straw to the rear of the combined.

As shown in Figure 2, the axial harvest processing unit 24 comprises a rotor housing 36 and a rotor 37 located within housing 36. The front part of rotor 37 and the housing of rotor 36 define the feed section 38 of the unit harvest processing. Longitudinally downstream of the feed section 38 are the threshing section 39 and the separation section 40. The rotor 37 comprises a tube of the rotor 100 in which harvest processing elements for the feed section, threshing section and separation section are posted. The rotor tube 100 comprises a rear cylindrical portion 102 and a forward-extending conical portion 104.

Unlike the rotor tube shown in US patent 7,070,498, the rotor tube 100 within the threshing section 39 includes a long tapered profile throughout the threshing section 39, without the cylindrical part within the threshing section, as described in US patent 7,070,498.

The rotor 37 in the feed section 38 is provided with helical feed elements 42 located in the tapered portion of the rotor tube 100. The helical feed elements 42 fit harvested harvest material received from the beater 20 and an inlet transition section 22.

In the threshing section 39, the rotor 37 is provided with several threshing elements 122 attached to the rotor tube 100 to thresh the harvested harvest material received from the feed section 38. The threshing elements 122 are explained in more detail in

Petition 870180124998, of 9/3/2018, p. 14/24 U.S. patent 7,070,498, incorporated herein by reference.

The separation section 40 of the rotor includes protruding teeth 126 similar to the teeth disclosed in Figures 11 and 12 of U.S. Patent 5,112,279, incorporated herein by reference.

The threshing section 39 of the rotor housing is provided with a concave 146 and the separation section 40 is provided with a grid 148. Grain and straw released from the harvest blanket fall through the concave 146 and the grid 148. The concave and the grid prevents the passage of material from the harvest larger than the grain or straw from entering the cleaning system 26.

The rotor is arranged axially in the combination and defines an axis of the central rotor RA. The axis of the RA rotor is a straight line that passes through the feeding, threshing and separating parts of the rotor.

As seen in figure 7, the feed section 38 of the rotor housing 36 is provided with a closed cover 162 and a closed base 164. The cover 162 is provided with helical indexing blades 165. The cover and base are screwed into the rails axial 166 and 168. The front of the closed base 164 is provided with an inlet transition section which is similar to one disclosed in US patents 70,070,498 or 5,344,367, incorporated herein by reference.

The closed cap 162 of the feed section 38 defines a feed axis IA. The feed axis IA is parallel and substantially collinear with the rotor axis RA defined by the rotor. As such, the feed part of the rotor is arranged substantially concentric in the feed section 38 of the rotor housing, defined by the cap 162.

As seen in figure 8, the threshing section 39 is provided with a closed threshing lid 172 which has helical blades 174. The lid is screwed on axial rails 166 and 168. The hollow 146 is pivot-mounted on the combined chassis below the rail 168

Petition 870180124998, of 9/3/2018, p. 15/24 at 175. An adjustment set 176 for adjusting the concave clearance is mounted on the combined chassis below the rail 166. The concave 146 is provided with a closed extension 178.

The threshing cap 172 defines a threshing shaft TA which is parallel to the axis of the rotor RA. The threshing axis is located above the axis of the RA rotor. In addition, the threshing shaft is moved slightly to the side of the rotor shaft in a downstream direction. As such, the cover of the threshing section is arranged eccentrically in relation to the threshing part of the rotor.

The separation section 40 is provided with a separation cover 180 which has helical blades 182. The cover is screwed on axial rails 166 and 168. The grid 148 is also screwed on rails 166 and 168. The grid 148 is similar to the revealed grid in US patent 4,875,891.

The separation cover 180 defines a separation axis SA that is parallel to the axis of the rotor RA. The separation axis is located above the axis of the RA rotor. Furthermore, the separation axis is moved to the side of the rotor axis in a downstream direction. As such, the cover of the separation section is arranged eccentrically in relation to the separation part of the rotor.

According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a truncated conical transition section 200 is provided between the threshing section 39 and the separation section 40, overlapping each section.

The transition section 200 includes a cap 210 that has a substantially conical curvature. Cover 210 includes paddles 214a, 214b. The blade 214a has a relatively large width similar to the blades 174 of the threshing section 39. The blade 214a is substantially continuous with the last blade 182a of the separation section 40. The blade 214b has a section in the relatively large width 214c similar to the width of the shovel 174 of the threshing section 39, and a section of relatively smaller width 214d similar to

Petition 870180124998, of 9/3/2018, p. 16/24 blade width 182 of separation section 40.

Preferably, for a smooth and energy efficient flow, the cap 210 has a taper angle G that is substantially equal to the taper angle Ή of the rotor tube 100 in the threshing section 39 for the rotor shown in figure 2.

Some rotors provide an additional reverse tapered part

220 of the rotor drum 100 at the outlet end of the processing unit 24 which has a taper angle J. A baffle plate 180a in the separation cover 180 can be arranged on the reverse taper 10 220 to provide a smooth and efficient flow in terms of energy of the harvest material. Preferably, the taper angle of the baffle plate K is preferably substantially equal to the angle of the rotor J.

From the above, it is observed that innumerable variations and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

It should be understood that no limitation is intended or implied in relation to the specific apparatus illustrated here.

Petition 870180124998, of 9/3/2018, p. 17/24

Claims (20)

1. Threshing mechanism for a combination (10) that has a support structure, the mechanism comprising: an elongated rotor (37) for moving harvesting materials; 5 an elongated housing (36) to surround the elongated rotor (37) and define a spatial volume between the rotor (37) and the housing (36); the housing (36) and the rotor (37) mounted on the support structure; the rotor (37) having a rotor tube (100) with a tapered profile 10 throughout a threshing section (39) of the rotor (37); and a plurality of threshing elements (122) mounted on a surface of the rotor tube (100) in the threshing section (39); wherein the rotor (37) comprises a separation section (40) for separating crops from threshed harvest materials, and the threshing section (39) of the rotor (37) corresponds to a threshing section of the housing (36) and the separation section (40) of the rotor (37) corresponds to a separation section of the housing (36); characterized by the fact that the housing (36) comprises a top that protrudes above the rotor in order to define a first distance between the top of the threshing section (39) of the housing (36) and the rotor axis (RA) , and a second distance between the top of the housing separation section and the rotor axis; the housing (36) having a transition section (200) between the threshing section (39) and the separation section (40) of the housing (36), and 25 arranged on an external part of the threshing section (39) of the rotor (37) and an inlet part of the separating section (40) of the rotor (37), the top of the housing (36) protruding above the rotor (37 ) at an entry end of the transition section (200) in order to define a third distance between the top of the transition section (200) and the rotor axis (RA), the top of the Petition 870180124998, of 9/3/2018, p. 18/24 housing (36) protruding above the rotor (37) at an exit end of the transition section (200) in order to define a fourth distance between the top of the transition section (200) and the rotor axis, the third distance equal to the first distance and the fourth distance equal to the second distance. 2. Threshing mechanism, according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the housing (36) is circular in a radial section. 3. Threshing mechanism according to claim 2, characterized by the fact that the threshing section (39) of the housing (36) has a threshing diameter and the separation section (40) of the housing (36) has a separation diameter, the threshing and separation diameters being different. 4. Threshing mechanism, according to claim 3, characterized by the fact that the diameter of the housing separation section (36) is greater than the diameter of the threshing section of the housing (36). 5. Threshing mechanism, according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the transition section (200) of the housing (36), when seen in a vertical section along the axis of the housing, is conical, and the distance between the rotor axis (RA) and the top of the housing (36) continuously increases in the flow direction of the harvest from the threshing section (39) to the separation section (40). 6. Threshing mechanism, according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the housing (36) has an inlet section that is cylindrical and located in front of the threshing section in the flow direction of the harvest. 7. Threshing mechanism, according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the housing (36) comprises a top that protrudes above the rotor (37) in order to define a distance Petition 870180124998, of 9/3/2018, p. 19/24 between the top of the housing separation section (36) and a rotor axis (RA), the housing separation section (36) has a separation axis defined by a cylindrical shape of the housing (36), and the housing (36) is arranged so that the separation axis is located parallel and above the rotor axis (RA). 8. Threshing mechanism according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the separation section (40) of the housing (36) includes a separation grid. 9. Threshing mechanism according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the housing (36) comprises a plurality of helical blades (214a, 214b, 214c, 214d) mounted on the transition section (200) of the housing (36 ) and extending to the space between the rotor (37) and the transition section (200) to fit the harvest material around and direct it in a backward spiral. 10. Threshing mechanism, according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the rotor (37) compresses harvesting materials between the rotor (37) and the housing (36), and the rotor (37) has a maximum crop compression greater than 30 percent along the length of the rotor (37). 11. Threshing mechanism, according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the rotor (37) compresses harvest materials between the rotor (37) and the housing (36), the rotor (37) has a maximum point crop compression at the rotor separation part (37). 12. Combined (10) comprising: a feeding section (38) for receiving harvested harvest materials; a threshing and sorting mechanism for threshing and sorting harvested harvest materials; Petition 870180124998, of 9/3/2018, p. 20/24 the threshing and separation mechanism having an elongated rotor (37) for moving harvesting materials, an elongated housing (36) for enveloping the elongated rotor (37) and defining a spatial volume between the rotor (37) and the housing (36); and the housing (36) and the rotor (37) mounted on a combined support structure; the rotor (37) having a rotor tube (100) with a tapered profile throughout the threshing section (39) of the rotor (37); a plurality of threshing elements (122) mounted on the surface of the rotor tube (100) in the threshing section (39); wherein the rotor (37) comprises a separation section (40) for separating crops from threshed harvest materials, and the threshing section (39) of the rotor (37) corresponds to a threshing section of the housing (36) and the separation section (40) of the rotor (37) corresponds to a separation section of the housing (36); characterized by the fact that the housing (36) comprises a top that protrudes above the rotor in order to define a first distance between the top of the threshing section of the housing and the rotor axis (RA), and a second distance between the top of the housing separation section and the rotor shaft; the housing (36) having a transition section (200) between the threshing section (39) and the separation section (40) of the housing (36), and arranged on an outlet part of the threshing section (39) of the rotor (37) and an entrance part of the separation section (40) of the rotor (37), the top of the housing (36) protruding above the rotor (37) at an entrance end of the transition section (200) of in order to define a third distance between the top of the transition section (200) and the rotor axis (RA), the top of the housing (36) protruding above the rotor (37) at an exit end of the transition section ( 200) in order to define a fourth distance Petition 870180124998, of 9/3/2018, p. 21/24 between the top of the transition section and the rotor axis, the third distance equal to the first distance and the fourth distance equal to the second distance. 13. Combined according to claim 12, characterized by the fact that the housing (36) is circular in a radial section, the threshing part of the housing (36) having a threshing diameter and the separation part of the housing having a separation diameter, the threshing and separation diameters being different. 14. Combined, according to claim 12, characterized by the fact that the transition section (200) of the housing (36), when seen in a vertical section along the axis of the housing (36), is conical, and the distance between the rotor axis (RA) and the top of the housing continuously increases in the flow direction of the harvest from the threshing section (39) to the separation section (40). 15. Combined, according to claim 12, characterized by the fact that the housing (36) comprises a top that protrudes above the rotor (37) in order to define a distance between the top of the housing separation section (36 ) and a rotor axis (RA), the housing separation part (36) has a separation axis (SA) defined by a cylindrical shape of the housing (36), and the housing (36) is arranged so that the separation axis (SA) is located parallel and above the rotor axis (RA). 16. Combined, according to claim 12, characterized by the fact that the separation section (40) of the housing (36) includes a separation grid. 17. Combined according to claim 12, characterized by the fact that the housing (36) includes a plurality of helical blades (214a, 214b, 214c, 214d) mounted on the transition section (200) of the housing (36) and extending to the space between the rotor (37) and the transition section (200) to fit harvest material around and direct it in Petition 870180124998, of 9/3/2018, p. 22/24 a spiral backwards. 18. Combined, according to claim 12, characterized by the fact that the rotor (37) compresses harvest materials between the rotor (37) and the housing (36); the rotor has a maximum compression point of the crop greater than 30 percent along the length of the rotor (37). 19. Combined, according to claim 12, characterized by the fact that the rotor (37) compresses harvest materials between the rotor (37) and the housing (36), and the rotor (37) has a point of maximum compression of the harvest on the rotor separation part (37). 20. Method of threshing and separating harvest materials in a combined (10), comprising the steps of: providing harvest materials in an input section of a combined threshing mechanism (10); transporting harvest materials through the mechanism; threshing harvest materials with a rotor (37) that has a tapered profile throughout the threshing section of the rotor (37) of the threshing mechanism; separating crops from threshing harvest materials into a separation section of the threshing mechanism; the method being characterized by the fact that it additionally comprises the step of maximally compressing harvest materials at one point in the separation section. Petition 870180124998, of 9/3/2018, p. 23/24 1/5 2/5 3/5 O AND 5/5 148