Combine harvester processing system having adjustable concaves on a suspension system
First Claim
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1. A combine harvester having a crop processing rotor, comprising:
- a pair of opposite facing concaves extending at least partially beneath the rotor in a circumferential manner and moveable in a generally symmetrical and concentric manner therefrom, each concave of said pair of concaves has side rails having distal ends defining circumferentially extending hook-shaped lugs; and
a suspension assembly for supporting said pair of concaves and for substantially simultaneously adjusting the operating clearance between each concave of said pair of concaves and the rotor, said suspension assembly comprising a common axial shaft and a hold down member cooperating with one another to detachably retain said concaves on said common axial shaft when resting on said common axial shaft, wherein said hook-shaped lugs are received on said common axial shaft to provide pivoting movement of said concaves about said common axial shaft.
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Abstract
A combine harvester where opposing concaves on either side of a rotor of a processing system substantially simultaneously travel symmetrical paths. The concaves of the processing system may be supported on a suspension system such that the concaves are pivotally supported from a common axial location at one end and translationally adjusted at another end to move the concaves generally radially toward or away from the rotor.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A combine harvester having a crop processing rotor, comprising:
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a pair of opposite facing concaves extending at least partially beneath the rotor in a circumferential manner and moveable in a generally symmetrical and concentric manner therefrom, each concave of said pair of concaves has side rails having distal ends defining circumferentially extending hook-shaped lugs; and a suspension assembly for supporting said pair of concaves and for substantially simultaneously adjusting the operating clearance between each concave of said pair of concaves and the rotor, said suspension assembly comprising a common axial shaft and a hold down member cooperating with one another to detachably retain said concaves on said common axial shaft when resting on said common axial shaft, wherein said hook-shaped lugs are received on said common axial shaft to provide pivoting movement of said concaves about said common axial shaft. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A combine harvester having a crop processing rotor, comprising:
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a pair of opposite facing concaves extending at least partially beneath the rotor in a circumferential manner and moveable in a generally symmetrical and concentric manner therefrom; a suspension assembly for supporting said pair of concaves and for substantially simultaneously adjusting the operating clearance between each concave of said pair of concaves and the rotor, said suspension assembly comprising a common axial shaft supporting said pair of concaves and a pair of transversely oriented and axially spaced cross members for tangentially supporting said common axial shaft, said pair of cross members coupled to said combine for pivoting movement about an axis substantially parallel to an axis of the rotor, said pair of cross members being coupled to a rockshaft such that rotational movement of said rockshaft causes said common axial shaft to move in a generally vertical direction to move said pair of concaves toward or away from the rotor; a plurality of guide assemblies, each of said guide assemblies having a first portion and a second portion cooperating with one another to define a guide slot; and a pair of axially extending support members alongside the rotor, said support members interacting with said guide slots for detachably affixing said pair of concaves in spaced proximity to the rotor, said slots of said guide assemblies permitting only up and down sliding movement of said support members to permit translational movement of said pair of concaves. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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21. A method for a combine harvester having rotor, said method comprising the steps of:
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mounting a plurality of concaves on a common axial shaft by hooking hooked-shaped lugs on distal ends of side rails of said concaves over said axial shaft and detachably retaining said concaves on said common axial shaft with a hold down member; rotating the rotor over said plurality of concaves at least partially positioned underneath the rotor; moving said plurality of concaves toward or away from the rotor such that said plurality of concaves simultaneously travel symmetrical paths relative to one another; removing one of said plurality of concaves from a first position; and replacing said one concave with another of said plurality of concaves from a second position. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification