Crop cleaner

• US 5,697,451 A
• Filed: 12/21/1995
• Issued: 12/16/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nicholson Machinery Limited
• Original Assignee: Nicholson Farm Machinery Company Limited
• Inventors: Nicholson, Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Melius, Terry Lee
• Assistant Examiner(s): BATSON, VICTOR D
• Application Number:
  US08/576,062
• Time in Patent Office: 726 Days
• Field of Search: 171/133, 171/63, 171/111, 171/113, 171/115, 171/126, 198/588, 198/812, 198/781.01, 198/810.01, 193/35 TE
• US Class Current: 171/133
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 17/06 with rollers or disc screens
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 1/15 using corrugated, grooved or ribbed rollers
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 1/4636 Regulation of screen apertures

Abstract

A crop cleaner comprising a generally parallel array of first and second rollers each first roller being scrolled and each second roller generally unscrolled, the first rollers alternating with second rollers with pairs of adjacent rollers being carried on frames with each frame being displaceable relative to an adjacent frame and a drive for independently rotating each pair of rollers.

Claims

1. A crop cleaner comprising a generally parallel array of first and second rollers, each first roller being scrolled and each second roller being generally unscrolled, the said rollers being carried on a plurality of frames, each frame carrying a said first roller and a said second roller, the first rollers alternating with second rollers, each frame being displaceable relative to an adjacent frame, and a drive for independently driving each pair of rollers.

2. The crop cleaner of claim 1, wherein the drive is capable of independently driving each roller.

3. The crop cleaner of claim 1, wherein the rate of rotation of one or more rollers is adjustable.

4. The crop cleaner of claim 2, wherein the direction of rotation of at least some of the rollers is reversible.

5. The crop cleaner of claim 1, wherein the drive drives the first roller at a rate of rotation different from the rate of rotation of the second roller carried on the same frame as said first roller by about 25 to 40% calculated on the rate of rotation of the said second roller.

6. The crop cleaner of claim 1, wherein the drive comprises a hydraulic motor.

7. The crop cleaner of claim 1, wherein means of displacing adjacent frames are provided.

8. The crop cleaner of claim 4, wherein a sensor to detect overloaded rollers and means for reversing the rotation of said overloaded rollers are provided.

9. The crop cleaner of claim 1, wherein the rollers each comprise a resilient member carried on a drive shaft.

10. A crop cleaner comprising a generally parallel array of first and seconde rollers, each firsst roller being scroller, the scrolling comprising a first, right handed, scroll portion and a second, left handed scroll portion and each second roller being generally unscrolled, the said rollers being barried on a plurality of frames, each frame carring a said first roller and a second roller, the first rollers alternating with second rollers, each frame being displaceable relative to an adjacent frame, and a drive for independently driving each pair of rollers.