McLeod yard plant

• US 5,795,222 A
• Filed: 11/01/1996
• Issued: 08/18/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mcleod Harvest, Inc.
• Original Assignee: BOB Mcleod Incorporated
• Inventors: McLeod, Robert H.
• Primary Examiner(s): MELIUS, TERRY L
• Application Number:
  US08/742,623
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 460/97, 460/23, 460/65, 460/75, 460/59, 460/79, 460/85, 460/111, 460/112, 460/118, 460/119, 460/149, 460/150, 460/903, 56/14.6, 56/14.5, 56/194, 56/122, 56/DIG. 1, 56/DIG. 2, 209/661, 209/677, 209/678
• US Class Current: 460/97
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 41/00 Combines, i.e. harvesters or mowers combined with threshing devices
• CPC Class Codes: A01F 7/00 Threshing apparatus

Abstract

A harvesting method gathers and threshes grain in the field, leaving behind the straw. It removes chaff and weed seeds from the field with the harvested grain, and separates the chaff, grain leavings and weed seeds from the grain in a separate yard plant. The chaff, grain leavings and weed seeds are compacted and crushed in a mill for use as animal feed. The simplified harvest units have augmented holding tanks, one version of which can be attached to (and detached from) existing farm tractors. An automated integrated yard plant (1) separates and cleans harvested grain and (2) compacts and crushes chaff, grain leavings and weed seeds for use as animal feed.

Claims

1. In a cleaning system separate from a mobile harvester for a grain mixture containing grain, chaff, grain leavings and weed seeds, comprising means to separate said chaff, grain leavings and weed seeds from said grain, the improvement comprising mill means to compact and crush said chaff, grain leavings and weed seeds, to form a densified product suitable as an animal feed, and means to convey said chaff, grain leavings and weed seeds to said mill means.

2. System of claim 1, wherein said mill means is hammer mill means.

3. System of claim 1, wherein said mill means is roller mill means.

4. System of claim 1, wherein said means to separate said chaff, grain leavings and weed seeds from said grain comprises a multi-screen grain separation means having grain outlet means and chaff, grain leavings and weed seeds outlet means, said chaff, grain leavings and weed seed outlet means forming part of said means to convey said chaff, grain leavings and weed seeds to said mill means.

5. System of claim 4, wherein said mill means is roller mill means.

6. System of claim 4, wherein said mill means is hammer mill means.

7. System of claim 4, comprising receiving surge bin means having connected thereto auger means leading to said grain separation means, said grain outlet means of said grain separation means having connected thereto auger means leading to grain storage bins.

8. System of claim 4, comprising receiving surge bin means having connected thereto auger means leading to said grain separation means, said grain outlet means of said grain separation means having connected thereto auger means leading to grain dryer means, said grain dryer means having outlet means having connected thereto auger means leading to grain storage bins.

9. Cleaning system for grain containing chaff, grain leavings and weed seeds comprising

aspiration means to separate liftings from the residual grain having air inlet means, inlet means for grain, outlet means for aspirated liftings, and outlet means for the residual grain and

multi-screen grain cleaning means, having residual grain inlet means connected to said residual grain outlet means of said aspiration means, and sequentially first screening means having apertures to pass grain and remove larger material, second screening means having apertures to pass grain and remove larger material, said second screening means having apertures smaller than said first screening means, third screening means having apertures smaller than said grain to pass fine material, cleaning fan means to pass air through grain falling from said second screening means to said third screening means, clean grain outlet means to receive grain from said third screening means, fine material outlet means to receive material passing through said third screening means, residual material outlet means to receive material removed from the grain by said first and second screening means and said air from said cleaning fan means, and

cyclone means having inlet means connected to said liftings outlet means of said aspiration means, said cyclone means having material outlet means and air outlet means, said air outlet means being connected to cyclone fan means, said material outlet means being connected to airlock valve means and

conveying means connected to said fine material outlet means and said residual material outlet means of said multi-screen grain cleaning means, and said cyclone airlock valve means, to remove material from said outlet means.

10. System of claim 9, wherein said conveying means convey material from said outlet means to mill means to compact and crush chaff, grain leavings and weed seeds.

11. System of claim 10, wherein said mill means is hammer mill means.

12. System of claim 10, wherein said mill means is roller mill means.

13. System of claim 10, wherein said aspiration means, said multi-screen grain cleaning means, said cyclone fan means, said airlock valve means and said mill means are actuated by motor means.

14. System of claim 10, wherein said aspiration means, said multi-screen grain cleaning means, said cyclone fan means, said airlock valve means and said mill means are actuated by sheave and belt means actuated by single rotary shaft means.

15. System of claim 14, wherein said single rotary shaft means is actuated by single phase written pole motor means.

16. System of claim 14, wherein said single rotary shaft means is actuated by diesel motor means.

17. Method of cleaning a mixture of chaff, grain, grain leavings and weed seeds, comprising:

aspirating said mixture to remove liftings, leaving an aspirated mixture;

screening said aspirated mixture to remove matter larger than said grain, to produce a first screened grain mixture and a large matter discharge;

screening said first screened grain mixture to remove matter smaller than said grain, to produce a second screened grain mixture and a small matter discharge;

blowing said second screened grain mixture to remove matter lighter than said grain, to produce a cleaned grain product and a blown matter discharge; and

milling at least one of said liftings, said large matter discharge, said small matter discharge and said blown matter discharge, to produce a densified product useful as an animal feed.

18. Method of claim 17, comprising the additional step of uniting and treating said liftings, said large matter discharge, said small matter discharge and said blown matter discharge with anhydrous ammonia.

19. Method of claim 17, comprising uniting and milling all of said liftings, said large matter discharge, said small matter discharge and said blown matter discharge.

20. Method of claim 19, comprising the subsequent step of treating said united and milled liftings, large matter discharge, small matter discharge and blown matter discharge with anhydrous ammonia.

21. A grain mixture cleaning and densifying yard plant separate from a mobile harvester, comprising:

an inlet for receiving a harvested and threshed grain crop mixture containing grain and substantially all additional products of threshing other than straw;

a separation apparatus connected to said inlet for separating said grain as a cleaned grain product from said additional products of threshing other than straw; and

milling apparatus connected to said separation apparatus for milling and densifying said additional products of threshing other than straw to produce a feedstuff suitable for animals.

22. A method of separating and treating a harvested and threshed grain crop mixture containing grain and substantially all additional products of threshing other than straw, comprising:

receiving said harvested and threshed grain crop mixture at a location remote from land on which said grain crop is harvested;

separating grain as a cleaned grain product from said additional products of threshing other than straw; and

milling and densifying at least some of said additional products of threshing other than straw to produce a feedstuff suitable for animals.