US 6,350,197 B1Granted

Offset auger feed for a combine clean grain elevator

AssigneeCase Corporation

InventorsWilliam L. Cooksey, Robert A. Matousek, Daniel Reints

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Abstract

An offset auger feed assembly for use with a grain harvesting combine. A grain elevator is used to lift the grain into a storage tank on the combine. The grain elevator encloses a plurality of paddles connected to a continuous chain. Sprockets located at the top and bottom of the grain elevator support the continuous chain. An auger trough is connected to the bottom of the grain elevator. An auger positioned in the auger trough feeds grain into the bottom of the grain elevator. The shaft of the auger is offset from lower sprocket that supports the continuous chain at the bottom of the grain elevator in such a manner that the lower sprocket and the continuous chain do not interfere with the flow of grain into bottom of the grain elevator.

Claims40

Dependent claims

An offset auger feed assembly for use with a grain harvesting combine, wherein said offset auger feed assembly comprises:

a) a grain elevator for lifting grain into a storage tank on said combine, said grain elevator comprising a plurality of paddles connected to a continuous chain, said continuous chain being supported by an upper sprocket and a lower sprocket, said upper sprocket being supported by an upper sprocket shaft connected to a head portion of said grain elevator, said lower sprocket being supported by a lower sprocket shaft connected to a boot portion of the grain elevator, said boot portion comprising an interior side and an exterior side;
and
b) an auger assembly for collecting and moving said grain into said clean grain elevator, said auger assembly comprising an auger positioned in a trough, said trough being connected to the interior side of said boot portion, said auger comprising auger flighting spirally affixed about a centrally located auger shaft, said auger shaft projecting through an opening in the interior side of said boot portion and comprising an end rotatably supported by said boot portion of said grain elevator, wherein said auger shaft is offset from said lower sprocket shaft, and further wherein said boot portion comprises a tapered area between said interior side and said exterior side for directing the flow of grain towards said paddles, said tapered area being formed by a wall connected between said interior side and said exterior side, said wall being disposed at an angle relative to said auger shaft.

An auger and grain elevator assembly for use with a grain harvesting combine, wherein said auger and grain elevator assembly comprises:

a) a grain elevator comprising a housing having a head portion, a middle portion, and a boot portion, said boot portion comprising an interior side and an exterior side;
b) a chain and paddle assembly enclosed in said housing, said chain and paddle assembly comprising a plurality of paddles connected to a continuous chain, said continuous chain being supported by an upper sprocket and a lower sprocket, said upper sprocket being supported by a upper sprocket shaft connected to the head portion of said housing, said lower sprocket being supported by a lower sprocket shaft connected to the interior side and the exterior side of the boot portion of the housing;
and
c) an auger assembly connected to the boot portion of the housing, said auger assembly comprising an auger positioned in a trough, said trough being connected to the interior side of said boot portion, said auger projecting through an opening in the interior side of said boot portion and comprising auger flighting spirally affixed about a centrally located auger shaft, said auger shaft comprising an end rotatably supported by the exterior side of the boot portion of the housing, wherein said auger shaft is offset from said lower sprocket shaft, and further wherein said boot portion comprises a tapered area between said interior side and said exterior side for directing the flow of grain towards said paddles, said tapered area being formed by a wall connected between said interior side and said exterior side, said wall being disposed at an angle relative to said auger shaft.

1 more element

A combine for harvesting grain comprising:

a) one or more sieves for cleaning grain harvested by said combine, said sieves comprising a plurality of openings which permit said clean grain to fall through said sieves;
b) a panel positioned beneath said sieves for collecting the clean grain falling through said sieves, said panel having a lower edge towards which the clean grain on said panel will tend to travel under the influence of gravity;
c) a trough position along the lower edge of said panel for collecting the clean grain on said panel;
d) an auger positioned in said trough for moving the clean grain collected in said trough along the length of said trough, said auger comprising a spiral blade affixed about an auger shaft, said auger shaft having an axis of rotation about which said auger rotates;
and
e) a grain elevator for lifting the clean grain upwardly whereby it is deposited in a storage tank on said combine, said grain elevator comprising a housing having a head and a boot, said boot being configured so as to receive the clean grain in said auger trough, said grain elevator further comprising a chain and paddle assembly within said housing, said chain and paddle assembly being supported by an upper sprocket rotatably connected to the head of said housing and a lower sprocket rotatably connected to the boot of said housing, said lower sprocket having an axis of rotation that is offset from the axis of rotation of said auger shaft, wherein said boot comprises an interior side and an exterior side, said interior side being connected to said trough, with a portion of said auger shaft projecting through an opening in said interior side and connecting to said exterior side of said boot, and wherein said boot portion comprises a tapered area between said interior side and said exterior side for directing the flow of grain towards said chain and paddle assembly, said tapered area being formed by a wall connected between said interior side and said exterior side, said wall being disposed at an angle relative to said auger shaft.

3 more elements

An auger and grain elevator assembly for use with a grain harvesting combine, wherein said auger and grain elevator assembly comprises:

a) a grain elevator comprising a housing having a head portion, a middle portion, and a boot portion, said boot portion comprising an interior volume defined by an interior side and a spaced apart exterior side, said interior side comprising an open portion, said boot portion further comprising a tapered grain feed formed by a conically shaped end wall connected between said interior side and said exterior side, said tapered grain feed being aligned with said open portion of said interior side, said tapered grain feed having a cross-sectional area that decreases from the interior side to the exterior side;
b) a chain and paddle assembly enclosed in said housing, said chain and paddle assembly comprising a plurality of spaced apart paddles connected to a continuous chain, said continuous chain being supported by an upper sprocket and a lower sprocket, said upper sprocket being supported by a upper sprocket shaft connected to the head portion of said housing, said lower sprocket having an axis of rotation and being supported by a lower sprocket shaft connected between the interior side and the exterior side of said boot portion, said lower sprocket shaft being disposed adjacent to said tapered grain feed;
and
c) an auger assembly connected to the boot portion of the housing, said auger assembly comprising an auger trough connected to the interior side of said boot portion and aligned with the open portion of said interior side and said tapered grain feed, said auger assembly further comprising an auger positioned in said auger trough, said auger comprising auger flighting spirally affixed about a centrally located auger shaft, said auger shaft extending through the open portion of the interior side and the tapered grain feed, and connecting to the exterior side of said boot portion, wherein said auger shaft comprises an axis of rotation that is parallel to and offset from said axis of rotation of said lower sprocket.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.