Agricultural grain cleaner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10314236-B2
Application number	US-201715617260-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 8, 2017
Priority date	Jun 8, 2017
Publication date	Jun 11, 2019
Grant date	Jun 11, 2019

Abstract

An agricultural grain cleaner includes an inlet chute having an inlet end and an outlet end positioned below the inlet end. A crop distribution member is positioned adjacent the outlet end of the inlet chute. The crop distribution member includes a distribution disc rotatable relative to the inlet chute about a vertical central axis to impart a horizontal trajectory, away from the central axis, to crop material supplied to the distribution disc from the inlet chute. A fan is operable to generate an air stream from below the crop distribution member, across the horizontal trajectory, to an air-chaff outlet. A grain collection chute has an inlet to receive grain that is cleaned of chaff by the air stream. A tailings collection chute is positioned adjacent to the grain collection chute on a radially inner side thereof.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An agricultural grain cleaner comprising:
an inlet chute having an inlet end and an outlet end positioned below the inlet end;
a crop distribution member positioned adjacent the outlet end of the inlet chute, the crop distribution member including a distribution disc rotatable relative to the inlet chute about a vertical central axis to impart a horizontal trajectory, away from the central axis, to crop material supplied to the distribution disc from the inlet chute;
a fan operable to generate an air stream from below the crop distribution member, across the horizontal trajectory, to an air-chaff outlet;
a grain collection chute having an inlet to receive grain that is cleaned of chaff by the air stream; and
a tailings collection chute positioned adjacent to the grain collection chute on a radially inner side thereof,
wherein the fan is adjustable to operate at a plurality of different speeds, independent of a rotation speed of the crop distribution member.

2. An agricultural grain cleaner comprising:
an inlet chute having an inlet end and an outlet end positioned below the inlet end;
a crop distribution member positioned adjacent the outlet end of the inlet chute, the crop distribution member including a distribution disc rotatable relative to the inlet chute about a vertical central axis to impart a horizontal trajectory, away from the central axis, to crop material supplied to the distribution disc from the inlet chute;
a fan operable to generate an air stream from below the crop distribution member, across the horizontal trajectory, to an air-chaff outlet;
a grain collection chute having an inlet to receive grain that is cleaned of chaff by the air stream; and
a tailings collection chute positioned adjacent to the grain collection chute on a radially inner side thereof, wherein a radially inner wall of the grain collection chute and a radially outer wall of the tailings collection chute are formed by a common separator wall.

3. The agricultural grain cleaner of claim 2 , wherein the common separator wall is axially adjustable with respect to the crop distribution member.

4. The agricultural grain cleaner of claim 2 , wherein the common separator wall is fixedly secured to a shroud defining an air supply channel in which the fan is positioned.

5. The agricultural grain cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the fan is arranged to rotate about the central axis so that the air stream generated is an axial air stream directed at an end of the distribution disc.

6. The agricultural grain cleaner of claim 1 , wherein a radially outer wall of the grain collection chute is formed by an outer shell of the grain cleaner.

7. The agricultural grain cleaner of claim 6 , wherein the outer shell has a tapered section that reduces in diameter toward the air-chaff outlet.

8. The agricultural grain cleaner of claim 1 , further comprising an auger operable within the inlet chute to carry the crop material toward the outlet end of the inlet chute.

9. An agricultural grain cleaner comprising:
an inlet chute having an inlet end and an outlet end;
a crop distribution member including a distribution disc positioned adjacent the outlet end of the inlet chute to receive crop material supplied through the inlet chute, the crop distribution member being rotatable about a central axis to propel the crop material airborne along a cleaning path in a direction away from the central axis;
an air supply channel extending to direct an air stream toward the distribution disc and across the cleaning path;
a grain collection chute having an inlet to receive grain that is cleaned of chaff by the air stream as it traverses the cleaning path;
a tailings collection chute having an inlet positioned nearer the central axis than the inlet of the grain collection chute so that the tailings collection chute receives tailings that fall from the cleaning path; and
a fan operable to generate the air stream, wherein the fan is adjustable to operate at a plurality of different speeds, independent of a rotation speed of the crop distribution member.

10. The agricultural grain cleaner of claim 9 , wherein the air supply channel extends in an axial direction and is positioned along the central axis directly under the crop distribution member.

11. The agricultural grain cleaner of claim 9 , wherein the distribution disc includes a plurality of distribution paddles operable to propel the crop material along the cleaning path.

12. An agricultural grain cleaner comprising:
an inlet chute having an inlet end and an outlet end;
a crop distribution member including a distribution disc positioned adjacent the outlet end of the inlet chute to receive crop material supplied through the inlet chute, the crop distribution member being rotatable about a central axis to propel the crop material airborne along a cleaning path in a direction away from the central axis;
an air supply channel extending to direct an air stream toward the distribution disc and across the cleaning path;
a grain collection chute having an inlet to receive grain that is cleaned of chaff by the air stream as it traverses the cleaning path; and
a tailings collection chute having an inlet positioned nearer the central axis than the inlet of the grain collection chute so that the tailings collection chute receives tailings that fall from the cleaning path,
wherein a radially inner wall of the grain collection chute and a radially outer wall of the tailings collection chute are formed by a common separator wall.

13. The agricultural grain cleaner of claim 12 , wherein the common separator wall is axially adjustable with respect to the crop distribution member.

14. The agricultural grain cleaner of claim 12 , wherein the common separator wall is fixedly secured to the air supply channel.

15. The agricultural grain cleaner of claim 9 , wherein a radially outer wall of the grain collection chute is formed by an outer shell of the grain cleaner, and the outer shell has a tapered section that reduces in diameter toward an air-chaff outlet.

16. The agricultural grain cleaner of claim 9 , further comprising an auger operable within the inlet chute to carry the crop material toward the outlet end of the inlet chute.

17. A method of cleaning threshed grain in a grain cleaning device, the method comprising:
directing threshed crop material, including grain and chaff, to a crop distribution member;
projecting the crop material with the crop distribution member in an airborne trajectory along a cleaning path, wherein the crop distribution member projects the crop material at least predominantly horizontally;
providing an air stream transverse to the cleaning path;
arranging a grain collection chute to be horizontally spaced from the crop distribution member so that the grain projected from the crop distribution member lands in the grain collection chute, while the chaff is blown away from the grain trajectory so that the grain is cleaned of the chaff without sifting or sieving; and
adjusting one of a speed that the crop material is projected from the crop distribution member or a speed of the air stream, independent of the other, to adjust grain cleaning performance.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising arranging a tailings collection chute between the crop distribution member and the grain collection chute so that tailings having mass greater than the grain fall down from the cleaning path and into the tailings collection chute before reaching the grain collection chute.

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Puvak Jared

Classifications

• A01F12/444

  Fanning means · CPC title

• B07B11/04

  Control arrangements · CPC title

• B07B9/00

  Combinations of apparatus for screening or sifting or for separating solids from solids using gas currents; General arrangement of plant, e.g. flow sheets · CPC title

• B07B9/02

  Combinations of similar or different apparatus for separating solids from solids using gas currents · CPC title

• A01F12/48

  Air conduits or blowers for grain · CPC title