Dual research plot harvester with unconventional grain flow

• US 20060046801A1
• Filed: 08/31/2005
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alan B. Meiners, Brian W. Meier, Dan Larson, John M. Gass, Kevin W. Meier, Mike J. Argetsinger, Terry Henning
• Original Assignee: Alan B. Meiners, Brian W. Meier, Dan Larson, John M. Gass, Kevin W. Meier, Mike J. Argetsinger, Terry Henning
• Inventors: Larson, Dan, Henning, Terry, Meier, Kevin W., Gass, John M., Meier, Brian W., Meiners, Alan B., Argetsinger, Mike J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,681,383 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 460/59
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 41/127 Control or measuring arrangements specially adapted for combines

Abstract

The invention relates generally to harvesters and, more particularly, to a combine for harvesting row crops, which has been modified, to collect and measure grain from two separate small strip test plots.

Claims

1. A combine harvester comprising:

a main frame;

two compartments each comprising a separate threshing, separating and cleaning assembly mounted to said main frame adapted to extract clean grain portions, said threshing and separating assemblies divided by a rotor dividing plate;

two separate conveying means for moving two separate clean grain portions;

two weigh buckets positioned for receiving and measuring two separate clean grain portions; and

,

a grain tank for receiving commingled clean grain portions weighed by the weigh buckets.

2. A harvester for collecting and measuring grain from more then one individual variety and constructed from a conventional harvester which moves the grain laterally of the conventional harvester and then upwardly for discharge into a weigh bucket repositioned above a clean grain reservoir, the harvester comprising:

(a) two separate and distinct sections of the threshing, separating and cleaning assemblies formed to avoid grain migration from one section to the other section

(b) two separate and distinct lateral conveyor for moving grain to a side of the harvester;

(c) two substantially vertical conveying means for conveying grain from each of said lateral conveying means upwardly to a discharge;

(d) two weigh buckets positioned below the clean grain bin for receiving grain from the discharge of said conveying means;

(e) microprocessor associated with the weigh buckets for measuring at least one physical characteristic of a sample of grain in each of said weigh buckets; and

(f) means for conveying grain from said weigh buckets to the clean grain tank.

9. A harvester as defined in claim 2, wherein said intake compartment includes two separate feeder house drums which are floatably mounted.

3. A harvester for collecting crop material and grain from at least two plots, simultaneously, which discards the crop material which is substantially debris and separately measures the grain, from each two plots, said harvester comprising:

a movable harvester frame having a clean grain reservoir side and a weighing grain side and a fore and aft;

a clean grain reservoir positioned on said frame; and

a first and second divided compartment, positioned on said harvester frame, said first and second divided compartments, form a separate right and left grain path adapted to moving the grain from one plot in the respective path grains, from therefore to aft of the harvester through the intake, threshing, separation and cleaning assemblies, to separate debris in each respective right and left grain path from the grain without commingling the grain of one plot with the grain of the other plot wherein resultant grain is first and second cleaned grain from one of each respective plots,

a first and second grain conveyor adapted to respectively move said first and second cleaned grain laterally, without commingling of the first and second cleaned grain, for discard into a weigh bucket wherein each respective first measured, and then said measured clean grain is discarded, and

a discard conveyor for conveying the discarded measured clean grain to the clean grain reservoir side of the harvester for discard within the clean grain reservoir.

4. A harvester as defined in claim 3, wherein said first and second conveyor conveys the first and second cleaned grain to the weighing grain side of the harvester.

5. A harvester as defined in claim 3 constructed from a conventional harvester, wherein the conventional harvester includes an auger which is operated in a first direction to move the grain to said clean grain reservoir side of the harvester and wherein said first and second grain conveyor has an auger operated in a direction opposite to said clean grain reservoir side.

6. A harvester as defined in claim 4, wherein said a discard conveyor for conveying grain which can be commingled from said first and second grain paths from said weigh bucket to the clean grain reservoir includes a second lateral discard conveyor for moving the grain to the clean grain reservoir side of the harvester and a further conveyor for upward conveying the grain upwardly from said second lateral discard conveyor into the clean grain reservoir.

7. A harvester as defined in claim 3, further comprising means for suspending two of said weigh buckets from the harvester for free swinging movement of said bucket.

10. A harvester as defined in claim 3, wherein a digital processor and memory store the grain measurements for each respective first and second clean grain.

8. A harvester for collecting and measuring noncommingled grain from two respective plots, the harvester being constructed from a conventional harvester having an undivided compartment for intake, threshing, separation, and cleaning assemblies and a lateral conveyor for conveying noncommingled grain laterally to a first side of the harvester, the harvester comprising:

(a) divided compartments for intake, threshing, separation, and cleaning assembles wherein there are two separate grain flow pathways within the harvester;

(b) a weigh bucket positioned generally below said reservoir and on a second, opposite side of the harvester;

(c) a lateral conveyor adapted to convey clean noncommingled grain in an opposite direction to said second opposite side of the harvester instead of conveying grain to said first side;

(d) a pair of weight buckets located proximate one another for measuring at least one physical characteristic of the noncommingled grain in the weigh bucket.