US3603063A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Combine
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1969-12-10
•
Granted: 1971-09-07
•
Expires: 1989-12-10
Abstract
Abstract An airflow system for a combine harvester to more effectively float and carry away the straw and chaff and thus increase the efficiency of the separating and cleaning mechanism which includes conveying apparatus, straw walkers, a cleaning shoe mechanism comprising an adjustable chaffer and an adjustable sieve and a fan means for delivering an airflow up through the cleaning shoe mechanism all as is well known. This invention may be used with combines employing either a concave or a concave grate in relation to the threshing cylinder and includes means for utilizing the fan normally providing an undershot airflow to the cleaning shoe mechanism to also provide an overshot flow of air directed to pass intermediate the conveyor apparatus and the threshing cylinder in a rearward direction upwardly through and over the straw walkers and to float the chaff and straw out of the rear of the machine without preventing the heavier grain on the conveyor apparatus from reaching the cleaning shoe mechanism or the grain on the walker from falling either through the openings therein into the trough below or back onto the conveyor apparatus where it can move to the cleaning shoe mechanism. This invention also includes the mounting of a vertically adjustable air flow barrier between the underside of the straw walkers and the rearward end of the cleaning shoe mechanism so that a portion of the airflow will be deflected upwardly and somewhat forwardly relative to the cleaning shoe mechanism and then upwardly through the straw walkers and out of the rear of the machine.
Inventors
- 👤 Clark E Stroburg
- 👤 Eldon L Stroburg
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 08:23
CPC Classifications
A; A01; A01F; A01F12/00; A01F12/44; A01F12/444
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
224 words
In a combine harvesting machine of a type having a forwardly disposed crop-harvesting apparatus, a housing enclosing cleaning and separating apparatus which includes a threshing cylinder in crop-receiving relationship to said crop-harvesting apparatus, a concave or concave grate below said threshing cylinder a conveyor apparatus in crop-receiving relationship to said cylinder to move said crop toward the rear of said machine to a cleaning shoe mechanism, a straw walker separating mechanism in crop-receiving relation to said cylinder to receive threshed crops not passing to said conveyor apparatus, said straw walker including a foraminous rack for threshed material to either sift through into an enclosed trough or onto said conveyor apparatus for movement to said cleaning shoe mechanism, and a cleaning fan disposed below the conveyor and forwardly of the cleaning shoe mechanism to deliver a forced flow of air rearwardly up through the cleaning shoe mechanism to blow the chaff out of the rear of the combine, the improvement in said machine comprising: an airflow conduit operatively mounted at one end relative to said cleaning fan to intercept an airflow therefrom and at its other end oriented to direct said airflow so that at least a portion thereof passes intermediate said cylinder and conveyor apparatus in a rearward direction upwardly through and over the straw walkers and out of the rear of the machine.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
224 words
In a combine harvesting machine of a type having a forwardly disposed crop-harvesting apparatus, a housing enclosing cleaning and separating apparatus which includes a threshing cylinder in crop-receiving relationship to said crop-harvesting apparatus, a concave or concave grate below said threshing cylinder a conveyor apparatus in crop-receiving relationship to said cylinder to move said crop toward the rear of said machine to a cleaning shoe mechanism, a straw walker separating mechanism in crop-receiving relation to said cylinder to receive threshed crops not passing to said conveyor apparatus, said straw walker including a foraminous rack for threshed material to either sift through into an enclosed trough or onto said conveyor apparatus for movement to said cleaning shoe mechanism, and a cleaning fan disposed below the conveyor and forwardly of the cleaning shoe mechanism to deliver a forced flow of air rearwardly up through the cleaning shoe mechanism to blow the chaff out of the rear of the combine, the improvement in said machine comprising: an airflow conduit operatively mounted at one end relative to said cleaning fan to intercept an airflow therefrom and at its other end oriented to direct said airflow so that at least a portion thereof passes intermediate said cylinder and conveyor apparatus in a rearward direction upwardly through and over the straw walkers and out of the rear of the machine.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
50 words
A device as defined in claim 1 including: said cleaning fan having a front and rear side with the airflow therefrom to the cleaning shoe mechanism being from said rear side, and said other end of said airflow conduit being operatively associated with the front side of said blower fan.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
33 words
A device as defined in claim 2 including: the airflow from the rear side of said cleaning fan being undershot, and the airflow from the front side of said cleaning fan being overshot.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
133 words
A device as defined in claim 1 including: said conveyor apparatus being an endless conveyor means with an upper crop moving level moving from front to rear over an upper pan and a lower return level moving from rear to front over a lower pan, said lower pan being provided with an opening intermediate its front and rear ends, and said other end of said airflow conduit being secured to said lower pan in registration with said opening whereby air discharged from said conduit will be deflected by said upper pan so as to flow in part forwardly between said pans, around the forward end of the conveyor apparatus and then rearwardly between said cylinder and conveyor apparatus and upwardly through and over the straw walkers out of the rear of said machine.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
43 words
A device as defined in claim 4 including: said air discharged from said conduit flowing in part rearwardly between said pans to the rear end of said conveyor apparatus and then upwardly through said straw walkers out of the rear of said machine.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
123 words
A device as defined in claim 1 including: said conveyor apparatus being an endless conveyor means with an upper crop moving level moving from front to rear over an upper pan and a lower return level moving from rear to front over a lower pan, said lower pan being provided with an opening intermediate its front and reAr ends, and said other end of said airflow conduit being secured to said lower pan in registration with said opening whereby air discharged from said conduit will be deflected by said upper pan so as to flow in part rearwardly between said pans to the rear end of said conveyor apparatus and then upwardly through said straw walkers out of the rear of said machine.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
72 words
A device as defined in claim 1 including: a vertically disposed airflow barrier member secured to and within said housing intermediate said straw walkers and the rearward end of said cleaning shoe mechanism whereby a part of said airflow will be deflected by said barrier member to move upwardly through said straw walkers and out of the rear of the machine to supplement the cleaning effect of the airflow from said conduit.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
28 words
A device as defined in claim 7 including means for vertically adjusting the plane of the lower edge of said barrier member relative to said cleaning shoe mechanism.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
77 words
A device as defined in claim 7 including: the upper edge of said barrier member being just below the lowermost plane of movement of said straw walkers, and the lower edge of said barrier member being spaced upwardly from said cleaning shoe mechanism whereby a substantial portion of chaff caught in the airflow from said cleaning fan up through the cleaning shoe mechanism will be floated below said barrier member out of the rear of the machine.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
234 words
In a combine harvesting machine of a type having a forwardly disposed crop-harvesting apparatus, a housing enclosing cleaning and separating apparatus which includes a threshing cylinder in crop-receiving relationship to said crop-harvesting apparatus, a concave or concave grate below said threshing cylinder a conveyor apparatus in crop receiving relationship to said cylinder to move said crop toward the rear of said machine to a cleaning shoe mechanism, a straw walker separating mechanism in crop-receiving relation to said cylinder to receive threshed crops not passing to said conveyor apparatus, said straw walker including a foraminous rack for threshed material to either sift through into an enclosed trough or onto said conveyor apparatus for movement to said cleaning shoe mechanism, and a cleaning fan disposed below the conveyor and forwardly of the cleaning shoe mechanism to deliver a forced flow of air rearwardly up through the cleaning shoe mechanism to blow the chaff out of the rear of the combine, the improvement in said machine comprising: an airflow conduit operatively mounted at one end to said cleaning fan and extending outwardly therefrom from below one side of said housing and then upwardly with said other end of said airflow conduit secured through said housing so that airflow therefrom is directed between said cylinder and conveyor apparatus and will move rearwardly therefrom upwardly through and over said straw walkers and out of the rear of the machine.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
234 words
In a combine harvesting machine of a type having a forwardly disposed crop-harvesting apparatus, a housing enclosing cleaning and separating apparatus which includes a threshing cylinder in crop-receiving relationship to said crop-harvesting apparatus, a concave or concave grate below said threshing cylinder a conveyor apparatus in crop receiving relationship to said cylinder to move said crop toward the rear of said machine to a cleaning shoe mechanism, a straw walker separating mechanism in crop-receiving relation to said cylinder to receive threshed crops not passing to said conveyor apparatus, said straw walker including a foraminous rack for threshed material to either sift through into an enclosed trough or onto said conveyor apparatus for movement to said cleaning shoe mechanism, and a cleaning fan disposed below the conveyor and forwardly of the cleaning shoe mechanism to deliver a forced flow of air rearwardly up through the cleaning shoe mechanism to blow the chaff out of the rear of the combine, the improvement in said machine comprising: an airflow conduit operatively mounted at one end to said cleaning fan and extending outwardly therefrom from below one side of said housing and then upwardly with said other end of said airflow conduit secured through said housing so that airflow therefrom is directed between said cylinder and conveyor apparatus and will move rearwardly therefrom upwardly through and over said straw walkers and out of the rear of the machine.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
87 words
A device as defined in claim 10 including: a second conduit having one end in airflow communication with said airflow conduit, and said second conduit extending outwardly from below the opposite side of said housing and then upwardly with said other end of said second conduit secured through said other side of said housing so that air flows from said respective conduits will impact between said cylinder and conveyor apparatus and then move rearwardly through and over said straw walkers out of the rear of said machine.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
216 words
In a combine harvesting machine of a type having a forwardly disposed crop-harvesting apparatus, a housing enclosing cleaning and separating apparatus which includes a threshing cylinder in crop-receiving relationship to said crop-harvesting apparatus, a concave or concave grate below said threshing cylinder a conveyor apparatus in crop-receiving relationship to said cylinder to mover said crop toward the rear of said machine to a cleaning shoe mechanism, a straw walker separating mechanism in crop-receiving relation to said cylinder to receivE threshed crops not passing to said conveyor apparatus, said straw walker including a foraminous rack for threshed material to either sift through into an enclosed trough or onto said conveyor apparatus for movement to said cleaning shoe mechanism, and a cleaning fan disposed below the conveyor and forwardly of the cleaning shoe mechanism to deliver a forced flow of air rearwardly up through the cleaning shoe mechanism to blow the chaff out of the rear of the combine, the improvement in said machine comprising: a vertically disposed airflow barrier member secured to and within said housing intermediate said straw walkers and the rearward end of said cleaning shoe mechanism whereby a part of said airflow will be deflected by said barrier member to move upwardly through said straw walkers and out of the rear of the machine.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
216 words
In a combine harvesting machine of a type having a forwardly disposed crop-harvesting apparatus, a housing enclosing cleaning and separating apparatus which includes a threshing cylinder in crop-receiving relationship to said crop-harvesting apparatus, a concave or concave grate below said threshing cylinder a conveyor apparatus in crop-receiving relationship to said cylinder to mover said crop toward the rear of said machine to a cleaning shoe mechanism, a straw walker separating mechanism in crop-receiving relation to said cylinder to receivE threshed crops not passing to said conveyor apparatus, said straw walker including a foraminous rack for threshed material to either sift through into an enclosed trough or onto said conveyor apparatus for movement to said cleaning shoe mechanism, and a cleaning fan disposed below the conveyor and forwardly of the cleaning shoe mechanism to deliver a forced flow of air rearwardly up through the cleaning shoe mechanism to blow the chaff out of the rear of the combine, the improvement in said machine comprising: a vertically disposed airflow barrier member secured to and within said housing intermediate said straw walkers and the rearward end of said cleaning shoe mechanism whereby a part of said airflow will be deflected by said barrier member to move upwardly through said straw walkers and out of the rear of the machine.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
28 words
A device as defined in claim 12 including means for vertically adjusting the plane of the lower edge of said barrier member relative to said cleaning shoe mechanism.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
77 words
A device as defined in claim 12 including: the upper edge of said barrier member being just below the lowermost plane of movement of said straw walkers, and the lower edge of said barrier member being spaced upwardly from said cleaning shoe mechanism whereby a substantial portion of chaff caught in the airflow from said cleaning fan up through the cleaning shoe mechanism will be floated below said barrier member out of the rear of the machine.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-09-06 | 1975-03-08 | 1975-09-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-09-06 | 1979-03-08 | 1979-09-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-09-06 | 1983-03-08 | 1983-09-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |