Rotary combine
First Claim
1. A rotary combine having a frame, a body carried on said frame and defining an internal area, an elongated rotor assembly mounted on the frame in the internal area of the body for threshing crop materials presented thereto, said rotor assembly comprising a rotor arranged for rotation about a fixed axis and within a rotor casing, said rotor casing is supported on the frame within said internal area of the body and includes a perforated threshing section defined by two adjacent concave members extending in circumferential relation relative to said rotor, and wherein the concave members are each supported by a common elongated carrier that extends generally parallel to the rotor, and a concave adjustment assembly is arranged within said internal area for simultaneously adjusting the relative spacing between the rotor and the concave members, said concave adjustment assembly comprising a powered motor assembly arranged within said internal area, linkage arranged within said internal area and that pivots about an axis extending generally parallel to the fixed axis of rotation of the rotor, said linkage being operably connected to and simultaneously moves said concave members toward and away from the rotor to variably control the cooperative threshing relationship between the rotor and the concave members, a screw drive mechanism driven by a gear arrangement and disposed between said motor assembly and said linkage, said screw drive mechanism including a screw rotatable about its longitudinal axis and is prevented from axial movement therealong, and wherein the screw of the screw drive mechanism is arranged in the internal area defined by the body of the combine.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A rotary combine including an elongated rotor assembly having a rotor mounted within a rotor casing for threshing crop materials passing through the rotor assembly. The rotor casing includes an axially elongated threshing section defined by a plurality of concaves that define an arcuate section extending axially along a underside of the rotor casing. Each concave extends in partial circumferential relation relative to the rotor and is supported for movement toward and away from the rotor. An improved concave adjustment mechanism including a powered motor assembly is operably disposed between the frame of the combine and each of the concaves so as to permit on-the-go adjustment of the concaves in unison relative to the rotor to variably control the cooperative threshing relationship between the rotor and the concaves.
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Citations
22 Claims
- 1. A rotary combine having a frame, a body carried on said frame and defining an internal area, an elongated rotor assembly mounted on the frame in the internal area of the body for threshing crop materials presented thereto, said rotor assembly comprising a rotor arranged for rotation about a fixed axis and within a rotor casing, said rotor casing is supported on the frame within said internal area of the body and includes a perforated threshing section defined by two adjacent concave members extending in circumferential relation relative to said rotor, and wherein the concave members are each supported by a common elongated carrier that extends generally parallel to the rotor, and a concave adjustment assembly is arranged within said internal area for simultaneously adjusting the relative spacing between the rotor and the concave members, said concave adjustment assembly comprising a powered motor assembly arranged within said internal area, linkage arranged within said internal area and that pivots about an axis extending generally parallel to the fixed axis of rotation of the rotor, said linkage being operably connected to and simultaneously moves said concave members toward and away from the rotor to variably control the cooperative threshing relationship between the rotor and the concave members, a screw drive mechanism driven by a gear arrangement and disposed between said motor assembly and said linkage, said screw drive mechanism including a screw rotatable about its longitudinal axis and is prevented from axial movement therealong, and wherein the screw of the screw drive mechanism is arranged in the internal area defined by the body of the combine.
- 6. A rotary combine having a mobile frame, a housing including an operator station arranged at a forward end of the frame, an elongated rotor assembly mounted within an internal area defined by said housing, said rotor assembly comprising a rotor arranged within a stationary rotor casing to cooperate together in threshing crop materials presented to the rotor assembly, said rotor casing including an axially elongated threshing section defined by a plurality of perforated concaves arranged in adjacent relationship relative to each other, each concave defining an arcuate section in the lower region of the casing, with each concave being supported toward one end for pivotal movement about a common axis extending generally parallel to an elongated rotational axis of the rotor, and a concave adjustment assembly is arranged within said internal area of the combine housing and is operably connected to each of the concaves such that the concaves can be simultaneously raised and lowered about said common axis on-the-go relative to the rotor of the rotor assembly.
- 12. A rotary combine having a frame, a housing mounted on said frame, an elongated rotor assembly mounted on the frame and within an internal area defined by said housing for threshing crop material presented thereto, said rotor assembly comprising a rotor arranged within a rotor casing for rotation about a fixed axis, said rotor casing being mounted to the frame and includes a perforated threshing section extending axially along an underside portion of the casing, said threshing section including at least two concave members arranged in side-by-side relation relative to each other, an axially elongated mounting member defining an elongated axis extending generally parallel to said fixed axis and that commonly mounts the concave members for movement toward and away from the rotor, and a concave adjustment mechanism arranged within the internal area of the housing and including a powered motor assembly operably connected between the frame and the concave members for vertically moving the concave members in unison toward and away from the rotor on-the-go and about said elongated axis to vary the threshing relationship between the rotor and the concaves.
- 17. A self-propelled rotary combine having a wheeled frame, a housing including a cab region arranged at a forward end of the frame and a housing carried by said frame rearwardly of said cab region, an elongated rotor assembly mounted within an internal area defined by said housing, said rotor assembly comprising a rotor arranged within a stationary rotor casing to cooperate together in threshing crop materials presented to the rotor assembly, said rotor casing including an axially elongated threshing section defined by a plurality of perforated concaves, each concave defining an arcuate section in the lower region of the casing and that is arranged in at least partial circumferential relation relative to said rotor, with each concave being supported toward one end for pivotal movement about a common axis extending generally parallel to an elongated rotational axis of the rotor, and a concave adjustment assembly is operably connected between the frame and each concave, said concave adjustment assembly including a powered motor assembly connected to a selectively operated switch mounted within the cab region of the combine for allowing the operator to simultaneously adjust on-the-go the circumferential spacing between the concaves and the rotor thereby varying the threshing relationship between the rotor and the concaves as the combine is driven across a field.
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21. A concave adjustment mechanism for a rotary combine including a mobile frame, a housing mounted on the frame and defining an internal area, an elongated rotor assembly mounted on the frame within the internal area defined by the housing of the combine, said rotor assembly including a rotor arranged within a rotor casing for threshing crop materials directed through the rotor assembly, said rotor casing including an axially elongated threshing section defined by a plurality of side-by-side concaves, each concave defining an arcuate section in the lower region of the casing, and wherein each concave is supported for movement toward and away from the rotor about a common axis, said concave adjustment mechanism comprising:
an electrically powered motor assembly mountable within the internal area of the combine housing, said powered motor assembly being connected to and simultaneously adjusts the concaves toward and away from the rotor, a linkage assembly that connects each of the concaves to the powered motor assembly, and wherein said powered motor assembly includes a bidirectional motor operably connected to the linkage assembly for moving the concaves on-the-go toward and away from the rotor. - View Dependent Claims (22)
Specification