Rotary shoe cleaner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11224169-B2
Application number	US-201916581936-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 25, 2019
Priority date	Sep 25, 2019
Publication date	Jan 18, 2022
Grant date	Jan 18, 2022

Abstract

A rotary cleaning system for a combine harvester that includes a hollow drum having a plurality of apertures along at least a portion of a length of an exterior surface of the drum, the drum having a feeding end configured to receive a harvested crop and a discharge end configured to expel chaff from the harvested crop and a guiding vane positioned in an interior of the drum, wherein one of the drum and the guiding vane is configured for rotation while the other one of the drum and the guiding vane is stationary to expel grain through the plurality of apertures in the drum. A feeding mechanism can be attached to supply the crop to the hollow drum. A fan can be attached to the rotary cleaning system to generate an air flow stream. A plurality of fingers can be positioned in the drum.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A rotary cleaning system for a combine harvester, the rotary cleaning system comprising:
a hollow drum having a plurality of apertures along at least a portion of a length of an exterior surface of the drum, the drum having a feeding end that receives a harvested crop and a discharge end through which chaff is expelled from the harvested crop;
a hollow guiding vane positioned in an interior of the drum, the guiding vane includes an opening that receives the harvested crop therein, wherein one of the drum and the guiding vane is rotatable while the other one of the drum and the guiding vane is stationary to move chaff through the guiding vane to the discharge end and expel grain through the plurality of apertures in the drum; and
a plurality of fingers positioned near an interior surface of the drum, wherein the plurality of fingers pass through the guiding vane when either the drum or the guiding vane rotates.

2. The rotary cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein the drum is rotatable and the guiding vane is stationary.

3. The rotary cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein the guiding vane is rotatable and the drum is stationary.

4. The rotary cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein the guiding vane is a spiral shape that extends along the length of the interior of the hollow drum.

5. The rotary cleaning system of claim 4 , wherein the guiding vane includes one or more discrete guiding vanes.

6. The rotary cleaning system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of fingers are attached to the drum, the drum and the plurality of fingers rotate together.

7. The rotary cleaning system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of fingers are stationary and the drum rotates about the plurality of fingers.

8. The rotary cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of apertures vary in size or spacing from one another along the length of the drum.

9. The rotary cleaning system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a fan or a blower that generates an air flow stream through the drum to expel the grain through the plurality of apertures and the chaff through the discharge end.

10. The rotary cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein the guiding vane has a vane height that is adjustable relative to a type of the crop or a crop flow rate through the feeding end.

11. The rotary cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein the guiding vane has a vane pitch that is adjustable relative to a type of the crop or a crop flow rate through the feeding end.

12. The rotary cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein both of the drum and the guiding vane have an orientation relative to a ground surface that is adjustable from parallel relative to the ground surface to an inclined angle relative to the ground surface.

13. The rotary cleaning system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a feed mechanism attached to the hollow drum, wherein the feed mechanism supplies the harvested crop to the feeding end of the drum.

14. The rotary cleaning system of claim 13 , wherein the feed mechanism is an auger that pushes the harvested crop into the feeding end of the drum.

15. The rotary cleaning system of claim 13 , wherein the feed mechanism is one of a hopper, a belt, or a step pan.

16. The rotary cleaning system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of fingers positioned on the guiding vane.

17. The rotary cleaning system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a crop conveyor positioned under the drum for transporting the grain.

18. The rotary cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein the guiding vane includes a first shape that extends along a first portion of the length of the drum, the guiding vane includes a second shape that extends along a second portion of the length of the drum, wherein the first shape is different from the second shape, the combination of the first and second portions being equal to or less than the length of the drum.

19. The rotary cleaning system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second hollow drum having a second plurality of apertures along at least a portion of a length of a surface of the second hollow drum, the second hollow drum having a second discharge end that expels chaff from the crop, the first hollow drum is positioned within the second hollow drum and the size of the first plurality of apertures of the first hollow drum is larger than the size of the second plurality of apertures of the second hollow drum, the second hollow drum receives the crop that passes through the first plurality of apertures of the first hollow drum to separate chaff from grain of the crop and expel chaff through the second discharge end; and
a second guiding vane positioned in an interior of the second hollow drum, wherein one of the second drum and the second guiding vane is rotatable while the other one of the second drum and the second guiding vane is stationary to move chaff to the second discharge end and expel grain through the second plurality of apertures of the second hollow drum.

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Chen Mingyong
• Brammeier Tyler S
• Meschke Michael T

Classifications

• B07B1/24 Primary

  with fixed or moving interior agitators · CPC title

• B07B1/20

  Stationary drums with moving interior agitators · CPC title

• A01F7/062

  with a rotating cage · CPC title

• A01F7/067

  with material-flow influencing means · 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