US 5,205,114 AGranted

Peanut combine

OwnerOliver K. Hobbsinventor

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A peanut combine having a header for lifting peanut laden vines off the ground, an auger for distributing the peanut laden vines, a series of picking or thrashing cylinders for thrashing the peanut laden vines and a series of separator cylinders for removing the peanuts from the peanut laden vines. The separator cylinders include fingers which propel the vines and which rotate at a variable flailing speed. The fingers include tips which vary in angle with respect to the path which the fingers define as they rotate on the separator cylinders.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A peanut combine for thrashing peanuts from their vine comprising:

a combine body including first and second spaced apart side walls defining a flow path through said body;
a rotatable header cylinder for receiving cut peanut vines from the ground;
a first picking cylinder rotatably mounted between said first and second walls for carrying the peanut vines from the header and for separating peanuts from the peanut vines;
a second picking cylinder rotatably mounted between said first and second walls for receiving peanut vines from said first picking cylinder and for separating peanuts from said peanut vines;
a third picking cylinder rotatably mounted between said first and second walls for receiving peanut vines from said second picking cylinder and for separating peanuts from their vines, said first, second and third picking cylinders being located in said flow path downstream from each other with the third picking cylinder being at a higher elevation above the ground than the first picking cylinder;
first, second and third concave screens each disposed in a spaced relationship respectively beneath said first, second and third picking cylinders in a lengthwise direction;
first, second and third covers each disposed in a spaced relationship over each said picking cylinder in a lengthwise direction;
said header cylinder and said picking cylinders being positioned and rotated for routing peanut vines from said header cylinder to said first picking cylinder over said first concave screen and beneath said first picking cylinder to beneath said second picking cylinder over said second concave screen and to beneath said third picking cylinder over said third concave screen;
vine control means for routing selected ones of said peanut vines from beneath said third picking cylinder over a top of said rotating third picking cylinder and into a space between said third picking cylinder and said third cover;
a first doffer means downstream of said third picking cylinder;
a first pair of rotatable separating cylinders disposed downstream from said third picking cylinder, said first pair of separating cylinders comprising a first separating cylinder disposed in substantially the same horizontal plane as said third picking cylinder and a second separating cylinder downstream of said first separating cylinder and at a higher elevation with respect to the horizontal than said first separating cylinder;
said first doffer means being positioned to route said selected ones of said peanut vines from beneath said third picking cylinder to said first pair of separating cylinders;
a second doffer means downstream of said first pair of separating cylinders;
a second pair of rotatable separating cylinders downstream of said second doffer means and comprising a third separating cylinder disposed in substantially the same horizontal plane as said first separating cylinder and a fourth separating cylinder downstream of said third separating cylinder and disposed at a higher elevation with respect to the horizontal than said third separating cylinder;
vine slide means for routing peanut vines beneath said first and second pairs of separating cylinders;
said second doffer means being positioned to route first selected ones of said peanut vines from said first pair of separating cylinders to said second pair of separating cylinders, the arrangement being such that peanut vines not so selected are routed to go back again beneath said first pair of separating cylinders;
said vine slide means further comprising spaced apart tine means for allowing peanuts separated from their vines to fall therethrough;
and
a third doffer means positioned to accept said first selected vines from said second pair of separating cylinders and routing said second selected vines downstream of said third doffer means, the arrangement being such that vines not so selected are routed to go back again beneath said second pair of separating cylinders.

16 more elements

A peanut combine for thrashing peanuts from their vine comprising:

,
a header cylinder for receiving cut peanut vines from the ground;
a first rotatable picking cylinder for carrying the peanut vines from the header and for separating peanuts from the peanut vines;
a second rotatable picking cylinder for receiving peanut vines from said first picking cylinder and for separating peanuts from said peanut vines;
a third rotatable picking cylinder for receiving peanut vines from said second picking cylinder and for separating peanuts from their vines, each said first, second and third picking cylinders being located downstream from each other with the third picking cylinder being at a higher elevation above the ground than the first picking cylinder;
first, second and third concave screens each disposed respectively in a spaced relationship beneath each said first, second and third picking cylinder in a lengthwise direction thereof;
first, second and third covers each disposed respectively in a spaced relationship above each said first, second and third picking cylinder in a lengthwise direction thereof;
said header cylinder and said first picking cylinder being positioned and rotated to cause routing of peanut vines from said header cylinder to said first picking cylinder over said first concave screen and beneath said first picking cylinder to beneath said second picking cylinder and over said second concave screen and to beneath said third picking cylinder and over said third concave screen when said first, second and third picking cylinders are rotated;
vine control means for routing selected ones of said peanut vines from beneath said third picking cylinder over a top of said rotating third picking cylinder and into a space between said third picking cylinder and said third cover;
and
a series of substantially identical pairs of separating cylinders downstream from said first, second and third picking cylinders, said pairs of separating cylinders being positioned downstream from each other, each said pair of separating cylinders comprising a first separating cylinder disposed at generally the same elevation as said third picking cylinder and a second separating cylinder downstream of said first separating cylinder and at an higher elevation than said first separating cylinder.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

A peanut combine for thrashing peanuts from their vine comprising:

a combine body including first and second spaced apart side walls defining a flow path through said body;
a rotatable header cylinder for receiving cut peanut vines from the ground;
a first picking cylinder rotatably mounted between said first and second walls for carrying the peanut vines from the header and for separating peanuts from the peanut vines;
a second picking cylinder rotatably mounted between said first and second walls for receiving peanut vines from said first picking cylinder and for separating peanuts from said peanut vines;
a third picking cylinder rotatably mounted between said first and second walls for receiving peanut vines from said second picking cylinder and for separating peanuts from their vines, said first, second and third picking cylinders being located in said flow path downstream from each other with the third picking cylinder being at a higher elevation above the ground than the first picking cylinder;
first, second and third concave screens each disposed in a spaced relationship respectively beneath said first, second and third picking cylinders in a lengthwise direction;
first, second and third covers each disposed in a spaced relationship over each said picking cylinder in a lengthwise direction;
said header cylinder and said picking cylinders being positioned and rotated for routing peanut vines from said header cylinder to said first picking cylinder over said first concave screen and beneath said first picking cylinder to beneath said second picking cylinder over said second concave screen and to beneath said third picking cylinder over said third concave screen;
vine control means for routing selected ones of said peanut vines from beneath said third picking cylinder over a top of said rotating third picking cylinder and into a space between said third picking cylinder and said third cover;
a first doffer means downstream of said third picking cylinder;
a first pair of rotatable separating cylinders disposed downstream from said third picking cylinder, said first pair of separating cylinders comprising a first separating cylinder disposed in substantially the same horizontal plane as said third picking cylinder and a second separating cylinder downstream of said first separating cylinder and at a higher elevation with respect to the horizontal than said first separating cylinder;
said first doffer means being positioned to route said selected ones of said peanut vines from beneath said third picking cylinder to said first pair of separating cylinders;
a second doffer means downstream of said first pair of separating cylinders;
a second pair of rotatable separating cylinders downstream of said second doffer means and comprising a third separating cylinder disposed in substantially the same horizontal plane as said first separating cylinder and a fourth separating cylinder downstream of said third separating cylinder and disposed at a higher elevation with respect to the horizontal than said third separating cylinder;
vine slide means for routing peanut vines beneath said first and second pairs of separating cylinders;
said second doffer means being positioned to route first selected ones of said peanut vines from said first pair of separating cylinders to said second pair of separating cylinders, the arrangement being such that peanut vines not so selected are routed to go back again beneath said first pair of separating cylinders;
said vine slide means further comprising spaced apart tine means for allowing peanuts separated from their vines to fall therethrough;
and
a third doffer means positioned to accept said first selected vines from said second pair of separating cylinders and routing said second selected vines downstream of said third doffer means, the arrangement being such that vines not so selected are routed to go back again beneath said second pair of separating cylinders.

16 more elements