Combine with adjustable feed plate
AssigneeSperry Rand Corporation
InventorEdward W. Rowland-Hill
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a combine having a header to cut crop material and an elevator to deliver the cut crop material to auger means in an undershot manner for feeding the same to threshing rotor of an axial flow combine, there is provided an adjustable transition or feed plate between the upper end of the elevator and the forward end of the rotor means to adapt the combine to accommodate crops of different types of texture, bulk, character and moisture content and prevent back-feeding of the crop material down the elevator. The adjustment is readily made manually and externally of the combine.
Claims12
In an axial flow combine having means for elevating crop material from the field to a terminal end there of and at least one axially arranged threshing and separating unit, said unit including an elongated casing having a forward inlet opening for receiving crop material being disposed rearwardly from said terminal end of said elevating means, a rotor arranged coaxial with and mounted for rotation relative to said casing and elements arranged along said rotor and said casing for coaction together to thresh and separate crop material upon rotation of said rotor, said rotor having feeding means on a forward end thereof adjacent said casing inlet opening and being operable for feeding crop material to said casing inlet opening and said rotor end upon rotation of said rotor, the improvement which comprises:
- feed ramp means being spaced below said feeding means and together therewith defining a passageway for crop material from said terminal end of said elevating means to said casing inlet opening, said ramp means defining the lower boundary of said passageway and being adapted to guide crop material from said elevating means through said passageway upon operation of said feeding means;
- and means for adjusting said ramp means toward and away from said feeding means to vary the cross-sectional size of said passageway in accordance with the nature and bulk of said crop material and thereby effect efficient feeding of said crop material by said feeding means from said eevating means to said casing inlet opening and said rotor end.
The combine according to claim 10 in which said feed ramp means further comprises spring means engagable with said additional guide plate and operable to bias said opposite end thereof into engagement with said surface portions of said first and second plates depending upon the respective adjusted position thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.