Corn stalk roll arrangement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11129332-B2
Application number	US-201816024301-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2018
Priority date	Jun 29, 2018
Publication date	Sep 28, 2021
Grant date	Sep 28, 2021

Abstract

A corn harvester includes a first stalk roll having a plurality of first blades circumferentially spaced apart by a first angle. A second stalk roll has a plurality of second blades circumferentially spaced apart by a second angle. The first and second stalk rolls are rotatable about parallel first and second axes that are separated by a centerline therebetween. In an operational state when a tip of one first blade is aligned with the centerline, a tip of one second blade is angularly offset from the centerline by a third angle. The third angle is less than 45% of the second angle. The one first blade forms a cross section perpendicular to the first axis having an altitude extending from the tip toward the first axis along a first blade altitude. The cross section of the one first blade is asymmetric about the first blade altitude.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A stalk roll assembly for a corn harvester, the stalk roll assembly comprising:
a first stalk roll having a first elongate cylinder and a plurality of first blades, each first blade of the plurality of first blades circumferentially spaced around a perimeter of the first elongate cylinder from an adjacent first blade by a first angle, the first stalk roll being rotatable about a first axis by a power source;
a second stalk roll having a second elongate cylinder and a plurality of second blades, each second blade of the plurality of blades circumferentially spaced around a perimeter of the second elongate cylinder from an adjacent second blade by a second angle, the second stalk roll being rotatable about a second axis parallel to the first axis by the power source;
a first plate positioned above the first stalk roll; and
a second plate positioned above the second stalk roll, the first and second stalk rolls being spaced apart to permit corn stalks to move between the first and second plates and to separate corn ears from corn stalks;
wherein the first and second axes are separated by a centerline therebetween, and
wherein in an operational state when a tip of one first blade of the plurality of first blades is aligned with the centerline, a tip of one second blade of the plurality of second blades is angularly offset from the centerline by a third angle wherein the third angle is less than 45% of the second angle, and
wherein the one first blade forms a cross section perpendicular to the first axis having an altitude extending from the tip toward the first axis along a first blade altitude, the cross section of the one first blade being asymmetric about the first blade altitude.

2. The stalk roll assembly of claim 1 wherein the one first blade forms a triangle with a cross section perpendicular to the first axis and having an altitude extending from the tip and forming a first base angle and a second base angle, the first base angle being at least 3° greater than the second base angle.

3. The stalk roll assembly of claim 2 , wherein the centerline divides the one first blade into a first portion defining a fourth angle between the centerline a first edge of the first blade and a second portion defining fifth angle between the centerline and a second edge of the first blade, and wherein the fourth angle is between 10% and 50% greater than the fifth angle.

4. The stalk roll assembly of claim 3 , wherein the fourth angle is between 20% and 40% greater than the fifth angle.

5. The stalk roll assembly of claim 3 , wherein the first base angle is at least 5° greater than the second base angle.

6. The stalk roll assembly of claim 2 , wherein in an operational state when a tip of the one second blade is aligned with the centerline, the centerline divides the one second blade into a first portion defining a sixth angle between the centerline and a first edge of the second blade and a second portion defining a seventh angle between the centerline and a second edge of the second blade, and wherein the sixth angle is substantially equal to the seventh angle.

7. The stalk roll assembly of claim 6 , wherein the fifth angle is substantially equal to the sixth angle and is substantially equal to the seventh angle.

8. The stalk roll assembly of claim 6 , wherein the one second blade forms a triangle with a cross section perpendicular to the first axis and having an altitude extending from the tip and forming a third base angle and a fourth base angle, the third base angle being substantially equal to the fourth base angle.

9. The stalk roll assembly of claim 2 , wherein the third angle is between 10% and 40% of the second angle.

10. The stalk roll assembly of claim 1 , wherein the one first blade forms a triangle with a cross section perpendicular to the first axis and having an altitude extending from the tip and dividing the cross-sectional angle thereof unequally.

11. The corn harvester of claim 10 , wherein the centerline divides the one first blade into a first portion defining a fourth angle between the centerline a first edge of the first blade and a second portion defining fifth angle between the centerline and a second edge of the first blade, and wherein the fourth angle is between 10% and 50% greater than the fifth angle.

12. The corn harvester of claim 11 , wherein the fourth angle is between 20% and 40% greater than the fifth angle.

13. The corn harvester of claim 11 , wherein the second edge of the first blade is configured to contact the corn stalk upon rotation of the first stalk roll.

14. The corn harvester of claim 10 , wherein in an operational state when a tip of the one second blade is aligned with the centerline, the centerline divides the one second blade into a first portion defining a sixth angle between the centerline and a first edge of the second blade and a second portion defining a seventh angle between the centerline and a second edge of the second blade, and wherein the sixth angle is substantially equal to the seventh angle.

15. The corn harvester of claim 14 , wherein the fifth angle is substantially equal to the sixth angle and is substantially equal to the seventh angle.

16. The corn harvester of claim 14 , wherein upon rotation of the first stalk roll and the second stalk roll, the second edge of the first blade is configured to contact the corn stalks and the first edge of the second blade is configured to contact the corn stalks.

17. The corn harvester of claim 10 , wherein the third angle is between 10% and 40% of the second angle.

18. The stalk roll assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first blade altitude divides the one first blade into a first portion defining a fourth angle between the first blade altitude and a first edge of the first blade and a second portion defining a fifth angle between the first blade altitude and a second edge of the first blade, and wherein the fourth angle is between 10% and 50% greater than the fifth angle.

19. The stalk roll assembly of claim 1 , wherein in an operational state when a tip of the one second blade is aligned with the centerline, the centerline divides the one second blade into a first portion defining a sixth angle between the centerline and a first edge of the second blade and a second portion defining a seventh angle between the centerline and a second edge of the second blade, and wherein the sixth angle is substantially equal to the seventh angle.

20. The stalk roll assembly of claim 19 , wherein the fourth angle is between 20% and 40% greater than the fifth angle, wherein the third angle is between 10% and 40% of the second angle, and wherein the fifth angle is substantially equal to the sixth angle and is substantially equal to the seventh angle.

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Coon Steve A
• Krehbiel Nathan E
• Silver Dennis P

Classifications

• A01D41/12

  Details of combines · CPC title

• A01D45/02 Primary

  of maize {, i.e. kernel harvesting (for ensilage maize A01D43/081)} · CPC title

• A01F11/06

  for maize, e.g. removing kernels from cobs · CPC title

• A01D45/025 Primary

  Snapping rolls · CPC title

• A01D43/082

  Gathering units · CPC title