Crop straw flow disruption device for use on crop harvesting machine separation grate

A crop straw flow disruption device for installation on a cylindrical grain separation grate of a machine for harvesting a crop from a field, said device comprising:

• (a) a top member adapted for installation on an interior side of a grain separation grate in a crop harvesting machine, said top member including
• (i) a lower mating portion having an exterior bottom surface, a pair of opposite exterior side surfaces extending upwardly from and in substantially perpendicular relation to said exterior bottom surface and in substantially parallel relation to one another, a pair of opposite exterior end surfaces extending in oppositely inclined relation upwardly and outwardly from said exterior bottom surface and between said opposite exterior side surfaces, and a central hole being open at said exterior bottom surface,
• (ii) an upper clamping portion having a pair of opposite end flanges extending outwardly beyond said exterior oppositely inclined end surfaces of said lower mating portion being for positioning against the interior side of the grain separation grate, and
• (iii) an upright crop engaging portion extending upwardly from a central location on said upper clamping portion and outwardly from the interior side of the grain separation grate so as to project across and interrupt the path of flow of crop straw about the interior side of the grate to disrupt the occurrence of intertwining of crop straw and thereby the formation and discharge of an elongated rope of crop straw on a harvested field;
• (b) a bottom member adapted for installation on an exterior side of the grain separation grate, said bottom member including
• (i) an upper mating portion having an interior top surface, a pair of opposite interior end surfaces extending in oppositely inclined relation upwardly and outwardly from said interior top surface so as to define a cavity therein for receiving said lower mating portion of said top member, a pair of opposite exterior end surfaces extending parallel to one another, and a pair of opposite exterior side surfaces extending parallel to one another and coplanar respectively with said opposite exterior side surfaces of said lower mating portion of said top member when said lower mating portion of said top member is inserted in said cavity in said upper mating portion of said bottom member,
• (ii) a lower clamping portion having a pair of opposite end flanges extending outwardly beyond said opposite exterior end surfaces of said upper mating portion for positioning against the exterior side of the grain separation grate, and
• (iii) means defining a passageway through said bottom member being open at opposite ends at said interior top surface of said upper mating portion and at an exterior bottom surface of said lower clamping portion;
• and
• (c) a fastener extending through said passageway of said bottom member into said central hole in said lower mating portion of said top member for clamping said upper clamping portion of said top member and said lower clamping portion of said bottom member against the interior and exterior sides of the grain separation grate so that said upright crop engaging portion of said top member projects above said upper clamping portion thereof and the interior side of the grain separation grate and across the crop straw flow path.

A grain separation apparatus for use in a crop harvesting machine, said apparatus comprising:

• (a) a grain separation grate having an interior side and an opposite exterior side, said grate including
• (i) a plurality of spaced apart transverse curved bars disposed in substantially parallel relation to one another, each of said curved bars having a pair of opposite side surfaces and a pair of opposite interior and exterior surfaces, and
• (ii) a plurality of spaced apart longitudinal straight bars disposed in substantially parallel relation to one another and mounted to and in substantially perpendicular relation to said transverse curved bars, each of said straight bars having a pair of opposite side surfaces and a pair of opposite interior and exterior surfaces, said plurality of spaced apart longitudinal straight bars and said transverse curved bars defining a plurality of rows of openings being circumferentially spaced from one another around said grate;
• and
• (b) a plurality of crop straw flow disruption devices being disposed in selected ones of said openings of said grate, each of said devices including
• (i) a top member adapted for installation on an interior side of said grain separation grate between an adjacent pair of said transverse curved bars and an adjacent pair of said longitudinal straight bars and extending into said opening therebetween, said top member including an upright crop engaging portion extending upwardly and outwardly from said interior side of said grain separation grate so as to project across and interrupt the path of flow of crop straw about said interior side of the grate to disrupt the occurrence of intertwining of crop straw and thereby the formation and discharge of an elongated rope of crop straw on a harvested field,
• (ii) a bottom member adapted for installation on an exterior side of the grain separation grate between said adjacent pair of transverse curved bars and said adjacent pair of said longitudinal straight bars and extending into said opening therebetween, and
• (iii) a fastener extending into said opening between said adjacent pair of transverse curved bars and said adjacent pair of said longitudinal straight bars and engaged with said top and bottom members for releasably clamping said top member and said bottom member respectively against said interior and exterior sufaces of said adjacent pair of transverse curved bars of said grate and adjacent to one another through said opening in said grate.