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US 8,313,362 B2Granted
Agricultural combine with on-board baler and dust suppression capability
AssigneeCNH America LLC
InventorsMartin J. Roberge, John H. Posselius
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A self-propelled agricultural combine having a capability for baling crop residue produced by operation of the combine, including chaff from the cleaning system. The combine can also incorporate a dust suppression capability. The crop residue produced by threshing is in a compressed state, and is routed directly to a baler of the combine is essentially a continuous, compressed stream, while still in that state, and the chaff is mixed in before compaction into the bales. The dust suppression apparatus uses air flow of a cleaning system of the combine, to carry the dust and separates the air such that the dust will fall from the combine.
Claims24
A self-propelled agricultural combine, comprising:
- harvesting apparatus configured and operable for cutting and gathering crops from a field and conveying the gathered crops to a threshing system contained within a housing of the combine, the threshing system being configured and operable for separating the crops into a first flow consisting essentially of crop residue discharged from a first location, and a second flow consisting essentially of grain and chaff discharged at a second location separate from the first location;
- a grain cleaning system disposed within the housing for receiving the second flow of the grain and the chaff from the threshing system and creating a third flow consisting essentially of chaff, wherein the grain cleaning system comprises a fan configured and operable for generating a flow of air through the cleaning system for separating the chaff and dust from the grain and for carrying the dust from the cleaning system, and the combine further comprises dust suppression apparatus including ducts positioned to receive the flow if air and the dust, the ducts containing baffles configured and operable to separate at least a substantial portion of the dust from the air and direct the separated dust downwardly from the combine;
- a chaff conveyor system configured and operable for conveying at least a substantial portion of the third flow to a location adjacent to the first location and discharging the conveyed flow into the first flow;
- and
- a baler disposed within the housing and including an inlet passage positioned for receiving the mixture of the chaff and the crop residue of the first flow, the baler being configured and operable for compressing the chaff and the crop residue received from the input path into bales and discharging the bales from the combine.
2 more elements
A self-propelled agricultural combine, comprising:
- harvesting apparatus configured and operable for cutting and gathering crops from a field and conveying the gathered crops into a housing of the combine;
- a combined threshing and baling system contained within the housing of the combine, the threshing and baling system including threshing apparatus configured and operable for receiving the conveyed gathered crops and separating the crops into a first flow consisting essentially of larger crop residue which will be discharged in a compressed state into an inlet passage of a baler of the combined system, and a second flow consisting essentially of grain and chaff generally smaller than the crop residue and discharged separately from the first flow, the inlet passage of the baler having a size and shape for at least substantially maintaining the crop residue in the compressed state and including apparatus for propelling the crop residue into a bale forming chamber of the baler, the baler including plunger apparatus configured and operable for reciprocatingly compacting the crop residue into bales within the bale forming chamber and discharging the bales therefrom;
- a grain cleaning system disposed within the housing for receiving the second flow of the grain and the chaff from the threshing apparatus and separating the chaff from the grain to create a third flow consisting essentially of the chaff, wherein the grain cleaning system comprises a fan configured and operable for generating a flow of air through the cleaning system for separating the chaff and dust from the grain and for carrying the dust from the cleaning system, and the combine further comprises dust suppression apparatus including ducts positioned to receive the flow of air and the dust, the ducts containing baffles configured and operable to separate at least a substantial portion of the dust from the air and direct the separated dust downwardly from the combine, wherein the ducts include at least one upwardly extending duct having a first end in connection with the cleaning system and an opposite second end in connection with a downwardly extending duct, and wherein the baffles are disposed in an upper end of the downwardly extending duct;
- and
- a chaff conveyor system configured and operable for conveying at least a substantial portion of the third flow consisting essentially of the chaff to the inlet passage of the baler and discharging the chaff into the first flow therein so as to be baled with the crop residue by the baler.
2 more elements
A self-propelled agricultural combine having a capability for baling crop residue produced by operation of the combine, comprising:
- harvesting apparatus configured and operable for cutting and gathering crops from a field and conveying the gathered crops into a housing of the combine;
- a combined threshing and baling system contained within the housing of the combine, the threshing and baling system including threshing apparatus configured and operable for receiving the conveyed gathered crops and separating the crops into a first flow consisting essentially of larger crop residue which will be discharged in a compressed state into an inlet duct of a baler of the combined system, and a second flow consisting essentially of grain and chaff generally smaller than the crop residue and discharged separately from the first flow, the inlet duct of the baler having a size and shape for at least substantially maintaining the crop residue in about the compressed state and including apparatus for propelling the crop residue into a bale forming chamber of the baler, the baler including compacting apparatus configured and operable for compacting the crop residue path into bales within the bale forming chamber and apparatus for discharging the bales therefrom;
- a grain cleaning system disposed within the housing for receiving the second flow of the grain and the chaff from the threshing apparatus and separating the chaff from the grain to create a third flow consisting essentially of the chaff, wherein the grain cleaning system comprises a fan configured and operable for generating a flow of air through the cleaning system for separating the chaff and dust from the grain and for carrying the dust from the cleaning system, and the combine further comprises dust suppression apparatus including ducts positioned to receive the flow of air and the dust, the ducts containing baffles configured and operable to separate at least a substantial portion of the dust from the air and direct the separated dust downwardly from the combine;
- and
- a chaff conveyor system configured and operable for conveying at least a substantial portion of the third flow consisting essentially of the chaff, including an element extending into the inlet duct of the baler for discharging the chaff directly into the first flow therein for mixing with the crop residue so as to be baled therewith.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.