Concave cover plate system and methods
OwnerBrian Robertsoninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention comprises a removable cover plate assembly, which may be quickly attached, detached and adjusted to the exterior of a concave grate of a combine harvester in order to adjust the flow characteristics of the concave or separator grate assemblies. The cover plate assembly improves the threshing capability of the rasp bar threshing cylinder while simultaneously capturing additional threshed grain. Moreover, the cover plate assembly of the present invention enables a single set of concave grate assemblies to better harvest a wider variety of crop types.
Claims20
A method for adjusting the flow characteristics of a concave grate on a rasp bar threshing cylinder system, the method comprising:
- attaching a cover plate assembly to the exterior surface of the concave grate, the cover plate assembly comprising
- an elongated body dimensioned to fit between two parallel arcuate side rails on the exterior of the concave grate;
- said elongated body having two opposing ends, each end having a clasp element formed therein for grasping onto separate axial bars spanning the parallel arcuate rails and locking said body in a supinated position against the exterior of said concave grate;
- and
- a latching mechanism for maintaining the position of said elongated body relative to said concave grate so that each of said clasp elements maintain its grasp on its respective axial bar, wherein said latching mechanism comprises an anchor bracket attached to an exterior-facing side of said elongated body and selectively connected to an anchor device secured to said concave grate.
A method for enhancing the harvesting effectiveness of a combine harvester having a rasp bar threshing cylinder system, the method comprising:
- adjusting the flow characteristics of crop material through a threshing section by attaching a cover plate assembly to an exterior surface of a concave threshing grate, the cover plate assembly comprising:
- an elongated body dimensioned to fit between two parallel arcuate side rails on the exterior of the concave grate;
- said elongated body having two opposing ends, each end having a clasp element formed therein for grasping onto separate axial bars spanning the parallel arcuate rails and locking said body in a supinated position against the exterior of said concave grate;
- and
- a latching mechanism for maintaining the position of said elongated body relative to said concave grate so that each of said clasp elements maintain its grasp on its respective axial bar, wherein said latching mechanism comprises at least one side latching mechanism attached to an exterior-facing side of said elongated body for securing said elongated body to at least one of said side rails.
A method for enhancing the harvesting effectiveness of a combine harvester, having a rasp bar threshing cylinder system, when harvesting crops having MOG around seed, the method comprising:
- attaching a cover plate assembly to the exterior surface of a concave grate to act as a course filter to filter out a significant portion of MOG during harvesting, the cover plate assembly comprising:
- an elongated body dimensioned to fit between two parallel arcuate side rails on the exterior of the concave grate;
- said elongated body comprising a plurality of holes formed in said elongated body and having two opposing ends, each end having a clasp element formed therein for grasping onto separate axial bars spanning the parallel arcuate rails and locking said body in a supinated position against the exterior of said concave grate;
- and
- a latching mechanism for maintaining the position of said elongated body relative to said concave grate so that each of said clasp elements maintain its grasp on its respective axial bar, wherein said latching mechanism comprises at least one side latching mechanism attached to an exterior-facing side of said elongated body for securing said elongated body to at least one of said side rails.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.