Removable concaves for axial flow combines

• US 6,485,364 B1
• Filed: 06/11/2001
• Issued: 11/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/1999
• 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: Lehman, Barry E., Cromheecke, Eric L. A., Van Quekelberghe, Eric P. J., Gryspeerdt, José G. T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Will, Thomas B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kovács, Árpád F
• Application Number:
  US09/857,812
• Time in Patent Office: 533 Days
• Field of Search: 460/109, 460/107, 460/69, 460/71, 460/72, 460/79, 460/80, 460/81, 460/83, 460/108, 460/120
• US Class Current: 460/107
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 41/1271 for measuring crop flow
• CPC Class Codes: A01F 12/26 Multi-part threshing concaves
• CPC Class Codes: A01F 12/442 Rotary cleaners

Abstract

A combine harvester comprises a threshing and separating arrangement mounted to a main firm and including a generally cylindrical chamber having a generally longitudinal axis. Part of the chamber is constituted by a separating concave assembly comprising at least two separating concaves, the one located behind the other. The concaves are taken from a choice of less and more aggressive separating concaves. The chamber comprises mounting device operable to receive and hold each of the separating concaves. The front and/or the rear concaves can be removed and replaced.

Claims

1. A combine harvester comprising:

a main frame;

a threshing and separating arrangement mounted to said main frame said threshing and separating arrangement further comprises a left and right generally cylindrical chambers each having a rotor assembly mounted therein and left and right separating concave mounting means, said separating concaves and their mounting means are symmetrical with respect to their transverse middle plane, such that said separating concaves can be mounted invariably to the left or right chambers wherein said threshing and separating arrangement further comprises left and right generally cylindrical chambers each having a rotor assembly mounted therein, left and right threshing concaves and left and right threshing concave mounting means; and

said left and fight threshing concaves and their mounting means are symmetrical with respect to their transverse middle plane, such that said threshing concaves can be mounted invariably to the left or right chambers, having;

a generally cylindrical chamber having a generally longitudinal axis and comprising a separating concave assembly wherein at least one of said separating concaves further comprises a gate constituted by a set of spaced, longitudinally arranged slats and a set of curved wires extending transversely through said slats and wherein at least an additional separating concave further comprises a grate constituted by curved plate having substantially rectangular apertures therein; and

a rotor assembly mounted for rotation in said chamber and comprising a generally cylindrical rotor body with a separating section associated with said separating concave assembly, wherein said separating concave assembly comprises at least two separating concaves, the one located behind the other; and

said chamber having mounting means operable to receive and hold each of said choice of separating concaves and wherein said threshing concave assembly further comprises at least one removable concave;

said harvester comprises a cleaning assembly arranged below said concave assembly

said main frame includes an outer portion; and

said combine harvester further comprises transverse rest means arranged between said outer portion and between said threshing and separating arrangement and said cleaning assembly for resting thereon said removable concave.

2. The combine harvester described in claim 1, wherein said rest means has an opening permitting free flow of threshed and separated crop material from said threshing and separating arrangement to said cleaning assembly.

3. The combine harvester described in claim 2, wherein said rest means further comprise a pair of supports extending transversely of the harvester between said side walls.

4. The combine harvester described claim 3, wherein said supports further comprise tubular members connected at their ends to side mounting members.

5. The combine harvester described claim 4, wherein the front tubular member extends at a lower level than the rear tubular member.