Separating device for a combine harvester

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9414545-B2
Application number	US-201514687054-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 15, 2015
Priority date	Apr 24, 2014
Publication date	Aug 16, 2016
Grant date	Aug 16, 2016

Abstract

A separating device for a combine harvester that operates according to the principle of axial flow includes a housing with a separating grate arrangement and a cover arrangement that jointly form a hollow cylinder. A separating rotor is accommodated in the hollow cylinder in a rotatably supported manner such that an intermediate space (Z 1 ) is defined between the housing and the separating rotor for conveying crop circumferentially and along a longitudinal axis (LA) of the separating rotor. Crop stream engagement means provided on an inner surface of the cover arrangement facing the separating rotor engages radially, in a ramp-type manner around the circumference of the separating rotor, into a crop stream that circulates in the intermediate space. The crop stream engagement means are adjustable to change a radial engagement depth. Drive means connected to the crop stream engagement means are activated from outside the housing to drive the adjustment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A separating device for a combine harvester that operates according to the principle of axial flow, the separating device comprising:
a housing having a separating grate arrangement and a cover arrangement that together jointly form a hollow cylinder; and
a separating rotor arranged in the hollow cylinder of the housing in a rotatably supported manner such that an intermediate space (Z 1 ) is defined between the housing and the separating rotor for conveying crop circumferentially and along a longitudinal axis (LA) of the separating rotor;
a plurality crop-stream engagement elements disposed lengthwise on an inner surface of the cover arrangement facing the separating rotor, one behind the other along the longitudinal axis (LA) of the separating rotor;
wherein each crop stream engagement element engages radially, in a ramp-type manner, around a circumference of the separating rotor, into a crop stream that circulates in the intermediate space (Z 1 ) during the circumferential conveyance of the crop stream; and
a plurality of drive units connected respectively to each of the crop stream engagement elements drive an adjustment depth thereof into the intermediate space (Z 1 );
wherein each of the drive units is activated from outside the housing in order to drive each respective adjustment.

2. The separating device according to claim 1 , wherein each crop stream engagement element has a width that is bordered by two longitudinal edges extending along the longitudinal axis (LA) of the separating rotor and a length that extends along the longitudinal axis (LA) of the separating rotor that corresponds to at least a portion of an axial extension of an inner surface of the cover arrangement.

3. The separating device according to claim 2 , wherein one of the two longitudinal edges of the crop stream engagement element is pivotably mounted on a pivot axis (S 1 ) extending along the longitudinal axis (LA) of the separating rotor such that, in order to adjust the crop stream engagement element, an angling (W 1 ) defined between the inner surface of the cover arrangement and the crop stream engagement element is changed by pivoting the crop stream engagement element about the pivot axis (S 1 ).

4. The separating device according to claim 3 , wherein a passage slot that extends lengthwise along the longitudinal axis (LA) of the separating rotor is formed in the cover arrangement; wherein the crop stream engagement element is inserted lengthwise into the passage slot such that the one longitudinal edge that is mounted on the pivot axis (S 1 ) protrudes outwardly out of the housing and another longitudinal edge of the crop stream engagement element is disposed within the housing; and wherein a pivot axis (S 2 ) is disposed outside of the housing.

5. The separating device according to claim 4 , wherein the passage slot has such a width around the circumference of the separating rotor that the crop stream engagement element rests against the inner surface of the cover arrangement given a minimum angling (W 1 ).

6. The separating device according to claim 4 , wherein the crop stream engagement element, given a minimum angling (W 1 ) thereof, closes the passage slot in a region of the length of the crop stream engagement element.

7. The separating device according to claim 5 , further comprising a covering arrangement having a length along the longitudinal axis (LA) of the separating rotor that corresponds at least to the length of the passage slot and a width around the circumference of the separating rotor that is greater than the width of the passage slot; wherein the covering arrangement is disposed radially outward of the pivot axis (S 1 ) and lengthwise along the length of the passage slot such that the covering arrangement covers the passage slot so as to span the width thereof.

8. The separating device according to claim 7 , wherein the covering arrangement comprises at least one passage opening in a region of the pivot axis (S 2 ), wherein the drive units are disposed outside of the housing and wherein each crop stream engagement element is drivingly connected to the respective drive unit through the at least one passage opening.

9. The separating device according to claim 8 , wherein each crop stream engagement element is designed to be closed in a planar manner over a predetermined width section proceeding from the one longitudinal edge supported on the pivot axis (S 1 ), wherein a plurality of engagement fingers adjoin the width section that is closed in the planar manner and wherein the engagement fingers extend next to one another in a comb-like manner with free ends that jointly define the other longitudinal edge of the crop stream engagement element.

Assignees

• Claas Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen Gmbh

Inventors

• Diekamp Andreas

Classifications

• A01F7/067 Primary

  with material-flow influencing means · CPC title

• A01D41/12

  Details of combines · CPC title

• A01F12/442 Primary

  Rotary cleaners · CPC title