Concave shaped grain tank on an agricultural combine

• US 6,367,234 B1
• Filed: 08/10/2000
• Issued: 04/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Blue Leaf IP Incorporated (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Original Assignee: New Holland North America Incorporated (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Inventors: Hurlburt, Joseph C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pezzuto, Robert E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kovács, Árpád Fab
• Application Number:
  US09/636,411
• Time in Patent Office: 607 Days
• Field of Search: 460/114, 460/12, 460/119, 460/903, 460/13, 460/11, 414/502-505, 56/166
• US Class Current: 56/16.6
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 41/1208 Tanks for grain or chaff for threshing machines A01F12/60
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 41/1217 Unloading mechanisms

Abstract

The invention is a grain tank which pivots about an axis transverse to the direction of travel to facilitate grain flow to the unloading system. The grain tank is sloped and curved to allow the grain to be easily and completely discharged from the tank. Grain is delivered from the clean grain system to a first auger which transports the grain to either a second auger or bubble up auger. The grain can enter the grain tank by the bubble up auger or may be discharged to the unloading system via a second auger. While unloading, the tank pivots from its lowest position to its highest position, only as needed, to maximize output.

Claims

1. In a combine harvester, said combine having a header with a header frame and a sicklebar cutter, said header operationally connected to a threshing and separating system by a feederhouse, said threshing and separating system operationally connected to a grain tank, said grain tank operationally connected to a grain unloading system, said combine having an engine and a chaff spreader, said combine having a frame and a forward direction of travel, said grain tank further comprising:

a. a pair of opposing sidewalls, each sidewall having a pivot axis transverse to the forward direction of travel, wherein the pivot axis approximates an intersection with and is generally co-axial to an extended unloading auger tube;

b. means to rotate the tank sidewalls about said pivot axis;

c. a concave auger region co-axial to the pivot axis and affixed to the sidewall;

d. an inner region having a window, the inner region affixed to the sidewall and auger region;

e. a top region affixed to the sidewall and auger region; and

f. a concave region affixed to the sidewall, top region and inner region.

2. The improvement in claim 1 where a grain elevator discharges a volume of grain into the auger region and said volume of grain is discharged from the auger region directly to the grain unloading system.

3. The improvement in claim 1 wherein the pivot axis is located higher than the tank is in the lowered position.

4. The improvement in claim 1 wherein the combine is equipped with a cab and the concave auger region is positioned proximate to an upper rear corner of the cab.

5. The improvement in claim 3, wherein the top region and inner region are sloped to direct a volume of grain to the concave auger region when the means to rotate the tank is extended.

6. The improvement in claim 5, wherein the threshing system is a twin rotor system.

7. The improvement in claim 5, wherein the threshing system is an axial flow rotor system.