APPARATUS FOR MEASURING QUANTITIES OF GRANULAR MATERIAL SUCH AS CORN GRAINS OR SIMILAR CROPS

• US 3,610,252 A
• Filed: 12/02/1968
• Issued: 10/05/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/1967
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sperry RAND Belgium SA
• Original Assignee: Daniel C.C. Dewaele, Frans J De Coene
• Inventors: De Coene, Frans J., Dewaele, Daniel C. C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Guida, Antonio F.
• Application Number:
  US04/780,489
• Time in Patent Office: 1,037 Days
• Field of Search: 130/27,24,26
• US Class Current: 460/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 41/1273 for measuring grain loss
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 56/15 Condition responsive

Abstract

This invention relates to an apparatus for measuring quantities of granular material, more especially corn, small grains or similar crops, consisting of letting the grains beat against a diaphragm or vibrating plate, whereby the mechanical impulses thus obtained are converted into electric impulses or vibrations, which are subsequently fed into a measuring or counting device.

Claims

1. In combination with a combine adapted to be propelled forwardly over a field of crop material and having a threshing drum rotatively mounted at its forward end and adapted upon rotation to detach grain from other crop material, a threshing cage which cooperates with the threshing drum and through which most of detached grain passes, shaking devices mounted to the rear of said threshing drum and threshing cage which receive the other crop material and grain which does not pass through the threshing cage and which shakes most of the unpassed grain from the other crop material, first grain-separating and -cleaning screen means disposed below said threshing cage and said shaking devices, and first fan means operable to direct a blast of air through said separating and cleaning screen means;

the combination therewith of a grain loss detection device for measuring and indicating the loss of grAin which passes over the rear end of the shaking devices, said detection device comprising a funnel means carried by at least one of said shaking devices and operable to divert from discharge a representative portion of the other crop material and grain which did not pass through the threshing cage and shaking devices, second grain-separating and cleaning screen means mounted below said funnel means and operable to receive said representative portion and through which only grains and small refuse can pass, second fan means mounted below and forwardly of said second screen means and operable to direct a stream of air up through said second screen means for evacuating the chaff and other refuse which does not pass through the second screen means from said combine, measuring and indicating means including a sensing device mounted below said second screen means and operable to create impulses on engagement by said grain, and an indicator disposed so as to be readily visible to the operator of the combine and responsive to the sensing device to indicate the grain loss.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which said sensing device is made of relative rigid and elastic material and fixed in such a way that it is relatively insensitive to sound waves but shows a marked characteristic vibration frequency which is located below the frequency spectrum which is produced by the machine during operation.