Latch mechanism for a grate in an agricultural combine

In an agricultural harvester having a crop processing unit comprising a rotating crop processing member within a housing having a grate, a latch mechanism for attaching the grate to the crop processing unit comprising:

• a cylindrical support bar oriented parallel to the rotating crop processing member and extending along the crop processing unit for supporting the concave;
• a concave shaped support receptacle extending along the grate for supporting the grate from the support bar, the support receptacle having an upper lip with a pry hole, and a lower lip with a retaining slot, the support bar being enveloped by the support receptacle when the grate is attached to the crop processing unit by the latch mechanism;
• a latch handle for securing the support receptacle against the support bar, the latch handle having a handle end, a handle body, and a pry nose, the pry nose being inserted into the pry hole, and handle body seating against the support bar when the grate is attached to the crop processing unit by the latch mechanism;
• a latch retainer for securing the latch handle against the support bar, the latch retainer having a retainer body, and a handle slot, the retainer body extending through the retainer slot, and the handle end extending through the handle slot when the grate is attached to the crop processing unit by the latch mechanism;
• a latch pin for securing the latch retainer to the latch handle, the latch pin extending through a retainer pin hole on the latch retainer, and the latch pin extending through a handle pin hole on the latch handle when the grate is attached to the crop processing unit by the latch mechanism.

In an agricultural harvester having a crop processing unit comprising a rotating crop processing member within a housing having a grate, and a latch mechanism comprising a support bar extending along the crop processing unit, a support receptacle extending along the grate, a latch handle, and a latch retainer, the support receptacle having an upper lip with a pry hole, and a lower lip with a retaining slot, the latch handle having a handle end, a handle body, and a pry nose, and the latch retainer having a retainer body, and a handle slot, a method for attaching the grate to the crop processing unit with the latch mechanism comprising:

• placing the grate in a desired location along the crop processing unit and lifting the grate such that the support receptacle envelops the support bar;
• inserting the pry nose of the latch handle into the pry hole on the upper lip of the support receptacle from a side of the upper lip adjacent to the support bar;
• moving the handle body of the latch handle toward the support bar by the handle end, through the retainer slot on the lower lip, and against the support bar until the support receptacle is substantially seated against the support bar;
• placing the latch retainer against the latch handle such that the handle slot of the retainer envelops the handle end, and the retainer body aligns with the retainer slot on the lower lip of the support receptacle;
• forcing the latch retainer into the retainer slot.