Grain transportation apparatus for a combine
AssigneeAgri-Technology
InventorMark R. Underwood
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A combine has a conveyor for returning clean grain and grain returns to a grain bin and threshing rotor, respectively, using a single conveyor housing which is divided by a partition into separate clean grain and grain returns compartments. A plurality of paddles are mounted within the compartments and are driven by a flexible linkage which extends around the frame of the combine within the conveyor housing. The grain bin is pivotally mounted along a pivot axis which allows the grain bin to be pivoted toward an opening of the grain bin to facilitate the flow of grain from the grain bin to an unloader for discharging the grain from the combine.
Claims14
In a combine having a frame mounted on wheels, a threshing rotor for removing grain from crop, a sieve section wherein clean grain is separated from grain returns such as tailings, and a grain bin for collecting the clean grain, the improvement comprising in combination:
- a conveyor housing mounted to the frame of the combine having an interior, the interior being divided into a returns compartment and a grain compartment by a partition extending along the length of the housing, each of the compartments having a receiving end located adjacent to the sieve section and a discharge end, the receiving end of the returns compartment located below the sieve section for receiving returns from the sieve section, and the receiving end of the grain compartment located below the sieve section for receiving clean grain from the sieve section, the discharge end of the grain compartment located above the grain bin, and the discharge end of the returns compartment located above the threshing rotor;
- a plurality of paddles which are spaced apart from each other at intervals within each of the compartments;
- and
- drive means for moving the paddles through each of the compartments past the receiving ends to the discharge ends, the paddles in the grain compartment forcing the grain from the receiving end to the discharge end where the clean grain is discharged to the grain bin, the paddles in the returns compartment forcing the returns from the receiving end to the discharge end where the returns are discharged to the threshing rotor for rethreshing.
In a combine having a frame mounted on wheels, a threshing rotor for removing grain from crop, a sieve section wherein clean grain is separated from grain returns such as tailings, and a grain bin for collecting the clean grain, the improvement comprising in combination:
- a conveyor housing mounted to the frame of the combine having an interior, the interior being divided into a returns compartment and a grain compartment by a partition extending along the length of the housing, each of the compartments having a receiving end located adjacent to the sieve section and a discharge end, the receiving end of the returns compartment located below the sieve section for receiving returns from the sieve section, and the receiving end of the grain compartment located below the sieve section for receiving clean grain from the sieve section, the discharge end of the grain compartment located above the grain bin, and the discharge end of the returns compartment located above the threshing rotor;
- a plurality of paddles which are spaced apart from each other at intervals within each of the compartments;
- and
- drive means having a continuous drive chain, the chain being mounted to and rotatably driven around a series of sprockets so that the chain extends and can be continually passed through the interior of the housing, the paddles being joined to the drive chain so that the paddles move through each of the compartments past the receiving ends to the discharge ends, the paddles in the grain compartment forcing the grain from the receiving end to the discharge end where the clean grain is discharged to the grain bin, the paddles in the returns compartment forcing the returns from the receiving end to the discharge end where the returns are discharged to the threshing rotor for rethreshing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.