Sieve assembly for a crop processing system of an agricultural harvester

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11771007-B2
Application number	US-202017036321-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2020
Priority date	May 2, 2018
Publication date	Oct 3, 2023
Grant date	Oct 3, 2023

Abstract

A sieve assembly for use within an agricultural harvester may generally include a sieve, a crop material sheet, and at least one support element. The sieve extends along a length defined between a first sieve end and a second sieve end and processes a flow of harvested crop material. The sieve also defines a plurality of openings through which cleaned crop material of the flow of crop material is directed. The crop material sheet extends along a length defined between a first sheet end and a second sheet end and receives the cleaned crop material directed through the sieve's openings. The crop material sheet then directs the flow of cleaned crop material towards a separate component of the crop processing system. In addition, the support element(s) is directly coupled between the sieve and the crop material sheet and structurally connects the sieve to the crop material sheet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sieve assembly for use in a crop processing system of an agricultural harvester, the sieve assembly comprising:
a sieve extending along a length defined between a first sieve end and a second sieve end, the sieve configured to process a flow of crop material, the sieve defining a plurality of openings through which cleaned crop material of the flow of crop material is directed;
a crop material sheet extending along a length defined between a first sheet end and a second sheet end, the crop material sheet configured to receive the cleaned crop material directed through the plurality of openings of the sieve, the crop material sheet transporting the cleaned crop material towards a separate component of the crop processing system;
at least one support element directly coupled between the sieve and the crop material sheet, the at least one support element structurally connecting the sieve to the crop material sheet, the at least one support element comprising a lateral support element directly coupled between the sieve and the crop material sheet, the lateral support element extending at least partially along a lateral width of the sieve assembly, the lateral width being substantially transverse to the flow of crop material along the sieve; and
wherein the sieve assembly further comprises a mounting bracket coupled to a lateral end of the lateral support element, the mounting bracket being configured to mount the sieve assembly within an interior of the agricultural harvester.

2. The sieve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first sieve end corresponds to an upstream end of the sieve and the second sieve end corresponds to a downstream end of the sieve relative to the flow of crop material, and wherein the first sheet end corresponds to an upstream end of the crop material sheet and the second sheet end corresponds to a downstream end of the crop material sheet relative to a flow of the cleaned crop material, the second sieve end and the first sheet end being fixedly coupled to the lateral support element.

3. The sieve assembly of claim 2 , wherein a gap is defined between the second sieve end of the sieve and the first sheet end of the crop material sheet, the lateral support element being positioned relative to the sieve and the crop material sheet such that the lateral support element extends across the gap along the lateral width of the sieve assembly.

4. The sieve assembly of claim 1 , wherein a lower side of the sieve contacts a top side of the lateral support element and an upper side of the crop material sheet contacts a bottom side of the lateral support element.

5. The sieve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one support element further comprises at least one vertical support element coupled directly between the sieve and the crop material sheet.

6. The sieve assembly of claim 5 , wherein the at least one vertical support comprises a plurality of vertical support elements coupled between the sieve and the crop material sheet, the plurality of vertical support elements being spaced apart along the lateral width of the sieve assembly.

7. The sieve assembly of claim 6 , wherein the lateral width is defined between a first lateral side of the sieve assembly and a second lateral side of the sieve assembly, the plurality of vertical support elements comprising a first side support element extending vertically between the sieve and the crop material sheet along the first lateral side of the sieve assembly and a second side support element extending vertically between the sieve and the crop material sheet along the second lateral side of the sieve assembly.

8. The sieve assembly of claim 7 , wherein the first and second side support elements are configured to at least partially enclose a lateral interior space defined between the first and second lateral sides of the sieve assembly.

9. The sieve assembly of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of vertical support elements further comprises at least one interior support element extending vertically between the sieve and the crop material sheet at a location between the first and second side support elements.

10. The sieve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the crop material sheet includes a first angled section and a second angled section, the first angled section being oriented at a first angle relative to a reference plane and the second angled section being oriented at a second angle relative to the reference plane, the first angle differing from the second angle.

11. A crop processing system of an agricultural harvester, the crop processing system comprising: a crop delivery apparatus;
a storage tank configured to receive a flow of cleaned crop material from the crop delivery apparatus; and
a sieve assembly positioned upstream of the crop delivery apparatus relative to the flow of cleaned crop material, the sieve assembly comprising:
a sieve extending between a first sieve end and a second sieve end, the sieve configured to process a flow of crop material, the sieve defining a plurality of openings through which the flow of cleaned crop material is directed, a crop material sheet extending between a first sheet end and a second sheet end, the crop material sheet configured to receive the flow of cleaned crop material directed through the plurality of openings of the sieve, the crop material sheet transporting the flow of cleaned crop material towards the crop delivery apparatus, and at least one support element directly coupled between the sieve and the crop material sheet, the at least one support element structurally connecting the sieve to the crop material sheet, the at least one support element comprising a lateral support element directly coupled between the sieve and the crop material sheet, the lateral support element extending at least partially along a lateral width of the sieve assembly, the lateral width being substantially transverse to the flow of crop material;
wherein the crop delivery apparatus is configured to transport the flow of cleaned crop material received from the sieve assembly to the storage tank of the agricultural harvester; and
wherein the sieve assembly further comprises a mounting bracket coupled to a lateral end of the lateral support element, the mounting bracket being configured to mount the sieve assembly within an interior of the agricultural harvester.

12. The crop processing system of claim 11 , wherein the first sieve end corresponds to an upstream end of the sieve and the second sieve end corresponds to a downstream end of the sieve relative to the flow of crop material, and wherein the first sheet end corresponds to an upstream end of the crop material sheet and the second sheet end corresponds to a downstream end of the crop material sheet relative to the flow of cleaned crop material, the second sieve end and the first sheet end being fixedly coupled to the lateral support element.

13. The crop processing system of claim 12 , wherein a gap is defined between the second sieve end of the sieve and the first sheet end of the crop material sheet, the lateral support element being positioned relative to the sieve and the crop material sheet such that the lateral support element extends across the gap along the lateral width of the sieve assembly.

14. The crop processing system of claim 11 , wherein a lower side of the sieve contacts a top side of the lateral support element and an upper side of the crop material sheet contacts a bottom side of the lateral support element.

15. The crop processing system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one support element further comprises at least one vertical support element couple

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Duquesne Frank Rik
• Hillen Curtis F
• Cannegieter Todd
• Scotese Kevin N

Classifications

• A01F12/446 Primary

  Sieving means · CPC title

• A01F12/46

  Mechanical grain conveyors · CPC title

• A01F12/32 Primary

  with shaker screens or sieves · CPC title