Vibratory seed crop harvesting method and apparatus

A method for harvesting seed crop having kernels carried by plant growth, the method comprising the steps of providing a support surface for the crop having perforations of a sufficient size to permit kernels to pass therethrough;

• providing a plurality of members spaced from and movable relative to the surface;
• moving the crop onto the surface;
• engaging the crop on the surface with the members;
• moving the members and therewith the crop relative to the surface at a substantially constant speed in a downstream direction;
• with members alternatingly accelerating and decelerating the crop on the surface substantially parallel to the downstream direction to thereby induce the separation of the kernels from the plant growth;
• collecting kernels which pass through the perforations;
• and collecting the plant growth, including some loose kernels, after they have passed the surface.

A method for harvesting a seed crop having kernels carried by plant growth with a combine adapted to move about a seed crop field, the method comprising the steps of gathering the seed crop;

• directing the crop onto a concave, perforated surface defining an axis and having perforations permitting the passage of kernels therethrough;
• engaging the crop on the surface with a multiplicity of elongated, spaced apart tines having free ends which are spaced from the surface;
• with the tines moving the crop across the surface in a downstream direction by rotating the tines about an axis substantially concentric with the axis of the surface at a speed about equal to the speed with which the combine moves about the field;
• while moving the tines subjecting them to angular accelerations and decelerations about the axis of rotation at a frequency of at least about 300 cycles per minute to thereby sepatate the kernels from the plant growth;
• yieldingly resisting the downstream movement of the crop over the surface to facilitate the kernel separation from the plant growth as a result of the tine cyclical accelerations and decelerations;
• receiving the plant growth, including some loose kernels, downstream of the surface;
• subjecting the plant growth, including some loose kernels, to vibratory oscillations in an approximately horizontal direction to enable the loose kernels to gravitationally move relative to the plant growth until they are separated therefrom;
• and collecting kernels passing through the surface perforations and freed from the plant growth for subsequent use.

A method for harvesting seed crop having kernels carried by plant growth, the method comprising the steps of providing a support surface of the crop having perforations of a sufficient size to permit kernels to pass therethrough;

• moving the crop relative to the surface at a substantially constant speed in a downstream direction;
• while on the surface repeatedly subjecting the crop to oppositely acting inertial forces acting generally parallel to the downstream direction and of a magnitude sufficient to thereby effect the separation of the kernels from the plant growth;
• collecting kernels which pass through the perforations;
• and collecting the plant growth, including some loose kernels, after they have passed the surface.

Apparatus for harvesting a seed crop having kernels carried by plant growth, the apparatus comprising a mobile frame including means for moving the frame about a seed crop field at a given travel speed;

• a trough-shaped screen having a multiplicity of openings through which kernels can pass;
• a crop moving and vibrating mechanism including hub means substantially coaxially rotatable relative to the screen and a multiplicity of crop engaging first members projecting from the hub means towards the screen and being spaced from the screen;
• first drive means for rotating the hub means so that the first members move relative to the screen at a speed which is on the order of about the travel speed;
• second drive means for subjecting the hub means and therewith the first members to a multiplicity of cyclical accelerations and decelerations as any given members moves along the screen;
• and segregating means downstream of the screen, adapted to receive plant growth and lose kernels suspended in the growth from the screen and including means for subjecting the plant growth and loose kernels to relative motions to segregate the loose kernels from the plant growth;
• whereby seed crop entering the screen is moved towards the segregating means at cyclically varying rates of speed which causes the separation of the kernels from the plant growth and loose kernels can be collected for subsequent use beneath the screen and beneath the segregating means.

Apparatus for harvesting a seed crop having kernels carried by plant growth, the apparatus comprising:

• a frame including means for moving the frame about a seed crop field;
• a concave, approximately semi-cylindrically shaped screen having openings through which kernels can pass and including a multiplicity of members, the members projecting a given distance generally radially inwardly from the screen and being arranged in a plurality of axially spaced, circumferentially arranged rows so that opposing sides of the members of adjacent rows define between them unobstructed paths which extend circumferentially from an upstream end to a downstream end of the screen;
• a vibrator carried by the frame and defined by a hub which is coaxilly rotatable relative to the screen and a multiplicity of elongated tines projecting from the hub and having free ends which are spaced from the screen less than the given distance, the tines having a width less than the spacing between opposing sides of members in adjacent rows and being further arranged on the hub so that the tines move along the unobstructed paths when the hub rotates;
• first variable speed drive means operatively coupled with the hub for rotating the hub at a speed selectable to be on the order of the speed of the frame about the field and rotationally moving the tines from the upstream end to the dowmstream end of the screen;
• second drive means operatively coupled with the hub for cylically varying the rotational speed of the hub a multiplicity of times as any given tine moves from the upstream end to the downstream end of the screen, the second drive means being adjustable so that the cyclical rotational speed variations result in cyclical accelerations and decelerations of the tines which, when imparted to the seed crop carried on the screen, causes a separation of the kernels from the plant growth;
• a plurality of elongated, flexible seed crop hold-down straps for biasing the seed crop on the screen towards the screen, each hold-down strap having a first end fixed relative to the frame, extending about a portion of the hub in close proximity of the screen and a second end which is movable relative to the frame in the direction of the strap length, the straps being disposed over portions of the screen outside the unobstructed paths, whereby the straps permit the passage over the screen of seed crop accumulations of varying heights while at all times biasing the plant growth towards the screen and preventing it from wrapping about the rotating hub;
• shaker means downstream of the screen for receiving plant growth and loose kernels discharged from the screen, and for causing the loose kernels to move downwardly relative to the plant growth until segregated therefrom;
• and
• means for collecting kernels separated from the plant growth.