Grain mass flow sensor for an agricultural combine

An agricultural combine for harvesting, threshing, separating and cleaning an agricultural crop, the combine comprising:

• a frame;
• ground engaging means extending downwardly from the frame for supporting and propelling the combine;
• a harvesting means mounted to the frame for harvesting an agricultural crop;
• threshing and separating means mounted to the frame for threshing and separating the harvested agricultural crop;
• cleaning means mounted to the frame for cleaning the threshed and separated agricultural crop;
• a clean grain elevator for receiving the clean grain from the cleaning means and directing the clean grain to the a clean grain tank, the elevator is provided with a paddle elevator which lifts the clean grain from the cleaning means into a transition housing wherein the clean grain from the elevator is thrown outwardly from the elevator into the transition housing where it is received by a loading auger which directs the clean grain to the clean grain tank;
• a grain mass flow sensor is positioned in the transition housing, the grain mass flow sensor is provided with an impact plate having an arm defining an axis that is coincident with the outwardly thrown clean grain, the arm of the impact plate is coupled to a force measuring assembly for measuring impact force of grain impacting on the impact plate and a potentiometer is coupled to the force measuring assembly for providing an electric signal of the impact force.