Threshing system and chopper for combine harvester

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12520767-B2
Application number	US-202117918204-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 7, 2021
Priority date	Apr 9, 2020
Publication date	Jan 13, 2026
Grant date	Jan 13, 2026

Abstract

A combine ( 20 ) harvester includes a cage ( 32 ′) at least partially surrounding a rotor ( 28 ′) for threshing crops in the space ( 34 ) between the cage ( 321 ) and the rotor ( 28 ′). An auger ( 302 ) is at least partially positioned within the cage ( 32 ′) and is connected to the rotor ( 28 ′) for rotating therewith. The auger ( 302 ) includes vanes ( 312 ) for transporting crop from the rotor ( 28 ′) and towards an outlet of the cage ( 32 ′). A chopper ( 320 ) is positioned either at or adjacent the outlet ( 310 ) of the cage ( 32 ′). A rotational axis ( 30 ) of the chopper ( 320 ) is substantially aligned with an axis of rotation of the auger ( 302 ) and the rotor ( 28 ′).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A combine harvester comprising:
a cage; a rotor for threshing crops in a space between the cage and the rotor, the rotor being at least partially surrounded by the cage, said rotor comprising rotor vanes for transporting crop in a transport direction towards an outlet of the cage; an auger at least partially positioned within the cage and non-rotatably connected to said rotor by a shaft for rotating with the rotor, said auger comprising auger vanes for transporting crop in the transport direction from the rotor and towards the outlet of the cage; and a chopper positioned either at or adjacent the outlet of the cage, wherein a rotational axis of the chopper is substantially aligned with an axis of rotation of the auger and the rotor.

2 . The combine harvester of claim 1 , wherein the auger has a body and the auger vanes extend from an exterior surface of the body.

3 . The combine harvester of claim 2 , wherein a height of the auger vanes decreases in the transport direction, wherein a pitch of the auger vanes increases in the transport direction, and wherein a volume space disposed between adjacent convolutions of the auger vanes is substantially constant in the transport direction.

4 . The combine harvester of claim 1 , wherein the cage includes a concave disposed beneath the rotor, and wherein the cage includes openings disposed beneath both the rotor and the auger.

5 . The combine harvester of claim 1 , wherein the chopper includes a body and knife blades extending from the body, and wherein the knife blades are releasably mounted to a body of the chopper.

6 . The combine harvester of claim 1 , further comprising means for driving the chopper, and wherein the means are configured for driving the chopper at a different rate of rotation than a rate of rotation of the auger and the rotor.

7 . The combine harvester of claim 1 further comprising a spreader positioned at an output of the chopper.

8 . The combine harvester of claim 1 , wherein the rotor has a cylindrical shaped body and the rotor vanes extend from the cylindrical shaped body, and wherein the auger has a frustoconical shaped body and the auger vanes extend from the frustoconical shaped body.

9 . The combine harvester of claim 1 , wherein a downstream end of the rotor is spaced apart in an axial direction from an upstream end of the auger by a gap and the shaft extends along the gap.

10 . The combine harvester of claim 1 , wherein the auger vanes are non-continuous with the rotor vanes.

11 . A combine harvester comprising:
a cage; a rotor for threshing crops in a space between the cage and the rotor, the rotor being at least partially surrounded by the cage, said rotor comprising rotor vanes for transporting crop in a transport direction towards an outlet of the cage; an auger at least partially positioned within the cage and non-rotatably connected to said rotor by a shaft for rotating with the rotor, said auger comprising auger vanes for transporting crop in the transport direction from the rotor and towards the outlet of the cage, wherein the auger has a body and the auger vanes extend from an exterior surface of the body, and wherein a height of the auger vanes decreases in the transport direction, a pitch of the auger vanes increases in the transport direction, and a volume space disposed between adjacent convolutions of the auger vanes is substantially constant in the transport direction; and a chopper positioned either at or adjacent the outlet of the cage.

12 . The combine harvester of claim 11 , wherein a rotational axis of the chopper is substantially aligned with an axis of rotation of the auger.

13 . The combine harvester of claim 11 , wherein the chopper includes a body and knife blades extending from the body, and wherein the knife blades are releasably mounted to the body of the chopper.

14 . The combine harvester of claim 11 , further comprising means for driving the chopper, wherein the means are configured for driving the chopper at a different rate of rotation than a rate of rotation of the auger and the rotor.

15 . The combine harvester of claim 11 , wherein the rotor has a cylindrical shaped body and the rotor vanes extend from the cylindrical shaped body, and wherein the auger has a frustoconical shaped body and the auger vanes extend from the frustoconical shaped body.

16 . The combine harvester of claim 11 , wherein a downstream end of the rotor is spaced apart in an axial direction from an upstream end of the auger by a gap and the shaft extends along the gap.

17 . The combine harvester of claim 11 , wherein the auger vanes are non-continuous with the rotor vanes.

18 . A combine harvester comprising:
a cage; a rotor for threshing crops in a space between the cage and the rotor, the rotor being at least partially surrounded by the cage, said rotor comprising rotor vanes for transporting crop in a transport direction towards an outlet of the cage; an auger at least partially positioned within the cage and non-rotatably connected to said rotor by a shaft for rotating with the rotor, said auger comprising auger vanes for transporting crop in a transport direction from the rotor and towards the chopper, and said rotor including rotor vanes that are non-continuous with said auger vanes; a chopper positioned either at or adjacent the outlet of the cage, wherein a rotational axis of the chopper is substantially aligned with an axis of rotation of the rotor; and means for driving the chopper at a different rate of rotation than a rate of rotation of the rotor.

19 . The combine harvester of claim 18 , wherein the rotor has a cylindrical shaped body and the rotor vanes extend from the cylindrical shaped body, and wherein the auger has a frustoconical shaped body and the auger vanes extend from the frustoconical shaped body.

20 . The combine harvester of claim 18 , wherein a downstream end of the rotor is spaced apart in an axial direction from an upstream end of the auger by a gap and the shaft extends along the gap.

Assignees

• Cnh Ind America Llc

Inventors

• Shonk Jason L

Classifications

• A01F12/185

  Mounting means · CPC title

• A01F7/062

  with a rotating cage · CPC title

• A01F7/067 Primary

  with material-flow influencing means · CPC title

• A01F7/06 Primary

  with axles in line with the feeding direction {; Axial threshing machines} · CPC title