Rotary combine

A rotary combine for threshing and separating crop material, said combine comprising crop feed means, a large capacity rotary threshing assembly operable to receive crop from said crop feed means at a central entrance portion, said threshing assembly comprising a substantially cylindrical rotor, a threshing cap around the upper periphery of said rotor and a concave around the lower periphery of said rotor, two respective rotary separator assemblies, said separator assemblies being located at respective end portions of said threshing assembly and mounted so as to extend substantially transversely and rearwardly thereto and having entrance areas adjacent the end portions of said threshing assembly, guide means in said threshing assembly operable to divide said crop and convey portions thereof to each of said end portions, exit means in said thresher assembly at said end portions located adjacent entrance areas of each of said separator assemblies whereby crop is adapted to pass from said exit areas of said thresher assembly to said entrance areas of said separator assemblies and the separator assemblies can be made sufficiently long to accommodate the quantity of crop being threshed in said threshing assembly and the width and length of the combine can be kept to a minimum for a given capacity thresher.

A rotary combine for threshing and separating crop material comprising crop feed means, a large capacity rotary threshing assembly mounted transversely to the longitudinal axis of said combine, said threshing assembly comprising a substantially cylindrical rotor, a threshing cap around the upper periphery of said rotor and a concave around the lower periphery of said rotor, said threshing assembly having an entrance area located in its central portion operable to receive crop from said crop feed means, helical guide vanes located in said threshing assembly and operable to divide said crop at said entrance area and convey it to respective end portions of said threshing assembly, exit areas adjacent each respective end portion of said threshing assembly, and two rotary separator assemblies mounted substantially parallel and extending rearwardly from each end portion of said threshing assembly, each separator assembly having an entrance area located adjacent a corresponding exit area of said threshing assembly and operable to receive crop therefrom, whereby the separator assemblies can be made sufficiently long to accommodate the quantity of crop being threshed in said threshing assembly and the width and length of the combine can be kept to a minimum for a given capacity thresher.

A method of threshing and separating crop material comprising the steps of receiving crop through an entrance area in a rotary threshing assembly mounted transverse to the longitudinal axis of said combine, said entrance area being located in the central portion of said threshing assembly, dividing said crop at said central portion and conveying it while threshing said crop to each respective end portion of said threshing assembly by helical guide vanes located therein, passing said crop from exit means located in each respective end portion to entrance areas in respective rotary separator assemblies mounted substantially transverse to said threshing assembly and adjacent each respective end portion thereof, separating said crop while conveying it rearwardly in said separator assemblies and discharging said crop residue from said combine.

A method of threshing and separating crop material comprising the steps of receiving crop through an entrance area in the central portion of a large capacity rotary threshing assembly mounted substantially transversely to the longitudinal axis of a combine, said threshing assembly having a substantially cylindrical rotor operable to rotate about an axis transverse to said longitudinal axis, threshing said crop and dividing it by guide vanes located on the inside of said threshing assembly, conveying said crop outwardly from said central portion by said guide vanes while threshing said crop, passing said crop from exit areas located in each respective end portion of said threshing assembly to the entrance areas of two respective substantially parallel rotary separator assemblies, each separator assembly mounted substantially transversely to said threshing assembly and having entrance areas located adjacent said exit areas of said threshing assembly and separating said crop while conveying it rearwardly in said separating assemblies and discharging crop residue from said combine, whereby the separator assemblies can be made sufficiently long to accommodate the quantity of crop being threshed in said threshing assembly and the width and length of the combine can be kept to a minimum for a given capacity thresher.