US 4,287,707 AGranted

Harvesters

AssigneeFMC Corporation

InventorsGustaaf M. Persoons, Corneel C. Wijts

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A harvester for beans and like crop includes a pick-up reel having a width equal to the overall width of the harvester and leading to a first, cleaning, conveyor which terminates at an air passage incorporating a fan for generating a generally vertical air flow. Where the vertical air passage meets the cleaning conveyor, a rotary valve is provided which permits the passage of the beans and other parts of the crop but prevents or at least restricts the passage of the air flow into the space above the upper run of the conveyor. The rotary valve may take the form of a rotary vaned assembly having six vanes each of which is secured to one face of a hexagonal shaft and various forms of rotary valve are also described.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A bean harvester assembly arranged for mounting on a tractor, said assembly comprising a casing enclosing;

the upper peripheral portion of a crop pick-up device, a first generally horizontal rearwardly extending conveyor arranged to receive crop and trash such as leaves and vine fragments from said pick-up device and a second conveyor disposed transversely to and positioned to receive crop and a portion of the trash discharged by said first conveyor and transport them laterally relative to said first conveyor;
said casing having a rearwardly extending wall overlying said first conveyor and including an inclined downwardly directed portion terminating in an edge above the discharge end of said first conveyor, said first conveyor together with the edge of said casing portion defining a generally rectangular passageway through which crop and trash are discharged for reception by said second conveyor, means forming a closure for said rectangular passageway for restricting the passage of air therethrough while allowing the passage of crop and trash, said second conveyor lying below said first conveyor a sufficient distance to form an opening therebetween, means for producing high velocity air flow traveling in an upwardly directed path through said opening between the first and second conveyors such that air currents pass in substantial cross current relationship with the crop and trash traveling downwardly from said first to said second conveyor, said air currents entraining and removing a substantial portion of the trash from the heavier subsequently collected crop, a third conveyor having its inlet underlying the discharge end of said second conveyor and positioned normally with respect thereto to convey crop and remaining trash in a direction opposite to the direction of tractor movement, an elevating conveyor in longitudinal alignment with said third conveyor and having its inlet underlying and vertically downwardly spaced from the discharge of said third conveyor to produce a gap, means for producing upwardly flowing high velocity air currents traversing said gap to thereby entrain and remove additional trash from the crop to be collected, and storage means for collecting the crop conveyed thereto by said fourth conveyor.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

A bean harvester assembly arranged for mounting on a tractor, said assembly comprising a casing enclosing;

the upper peripheral portion of a crop pick-up device, a first generally horizontal rearwardly extending conveyor arranged to receive crop and trash such as leaves and vine fragments from said pick-up device and a second conveyor disposed transversely to and positioned to receive crop and a portion of the trash discharged by said first conveyor and transport them laterally relative to said first conveyor;
said casing having a rearwardly extending wall overlying said first conveyor and including an inclined downwardly directed portion terminating in an edge above the discharge end of said first conveyor, said first conveyor together with the edge of said casing portion defining a generally rectangular passageway through which crop and trash are discharged for reception by said second conveyor, means forming a closure for said rectangular passageway for restricting the passage of air therethrough while allowing the passage of crop and trash, said second conveyor lying below said first conveyor a sufficient distance to form an opening therebetween, means for producing high velocity air flow traveling in an upwardly directed path through said opening between the first and second conveyors such that air currents pass in substantial cross current relationship with the crop and trash traveling downwardly from said first to said second conveyor, said air currents entraining and removing a substantial portion of the trash from the heavier subsequently collected crop, a third conveyor having its inlet underlying the discharge end of said second conveyor and positioned normally with respect thereto to convey crop and remaining trash in a direction opposite to the direction of tractor movement, an elevating conveyor in longitudinal alignment with said third conveyor and having its inlet underlying and vertically downwardly spaced from the discharge of said third conveyor to produce a gap, means for producing upwardly flowing high velocity air currents traversing said gap to thereby entrain and remove additional trash from the crop to be collected, and storage means for collecting the crop conveyed thereto by said fourth conveyor.