Combine harvester with straw chute and straw conveyor

Abstract

A combine harvester (10) having a chassis (12) movable in a forward direction across a field, a crop processing device (26) having an outlet (62) for straw, which can be fed to a straw chute (76) in a swathing operation, and a straw conveyor (86) associated with the straw chute (76) and conveying the straw overshot, which comprises an axially extending, rotatable conveyor rotor (114) with drivers (116) distributed in the circumferential direction and in the axial direction around the conveyor rotor (114), characterized in that the drivers (116) are distributed helically around the conveyor rotor (114),that a scraper (118) is arranged between axially adjacent carriers (116) and that the axis of rotation (88) of the conveyor rotor (114) is arranged flush with the top of the straw chute (76) and the scraper (118) extends in an arc from an end arranged upstream of the conveyor rotor (114) upwards and to the rear of the conveyor rotor (114).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a combine harvester with a chassis movable in a forward direction over a field, a crop processing device with an outlet for straw which can be fed to a straw chute in a swathing operation, and a straw conveyor assigned to the straw chute, which conveys the straw overshot and comprises an axially extending, rotatable conveyor rotor with drivers distributed in the circumferential direction and in the axial direction around the conveyor rotor. State of the art

[0002] Agricultural combine harvesters are large machines that harvest, thresh, separate, and clean agricultural crops containing grain. The resulting clean grain is stored in a grain tank mounted on the combine harvester. The threshed straw is typically either chopped and spread across the field across the header width, or passed around the straw chopper and deposited in a swath on the field in an unchopped form for later baling. Crop residue remaining at the rear outlet of the cleaning device, such as chaff and small straw pieces, is spread across the field by a chaff spreader or passed through the straw chopper and spread across the field. The latter solution has the advantage of eliminating the need for a separate chaff spreader, but requires the straw to be passed behind the straw chopper when operating in swathing mode.

[0003] An example of such a combine harvester is described in DE 10 2008 040 125 A1, which is considered generic. The straw discharged from the axial threshing and separating device is discharged rearward by a drum conveyor. During chopping, it impacts a pivoting flap, which directs it downwards into the straw chopper. The flap can be pivoted upwards for swath formation, in which the straw is discharged onto a straw chute located above the straw chopper, where it slides downwards and is discharged rearward and above the straw chopper onto the field. An undershot or overshot straw conveyor, which can be designed as a drum conveyor or conveyor belt, is located above the straw chute.

[0004] DE 10 2007 005 173 A1 shows another combine harvester with an undershot drum conveyor with outwardly projecting, controlled fingers, which discharges the straw in swathing mode through a rear opening to the rear onto the field, while in chopping mode it discharges the straw downwards into the straw chopper. Object of the invention

[0005] The straw deposited in the swath should be as loose as possible so that it can dry out a little if necessary and be easily collected with a crop collector. The drum or belt conveyor known from the state of the art, as described in DE 10 2008 040 125 A1, is capable of conveying the straw, but can hardly fluff it up.

[0006] The object underlying the invention is to provide a combine harvester of the type mentioned at the outset in which the problems mentioned do not occur or occur to a reduced extent. Solution

[0007] This object is achieved according to the invention by the teaching of patent claim 1, wherein the further patent claims list features which further develop the solution in an advantageous manner.

[0008] A combine harvester is equipped with a chassis movable in a forward direction across a field, a crop processing device with an outlet for straw that can be fed to a straw chute during swathing, and a straw conveyor associated with the straw chute, which conveys the straw overshot. The conveyor comprises an axially extending, rotatable conveyor rotor with flights distributed circumferentially and axially around the conveyor rotor. The flights are distributed helically around the conveyor rotor. This ensures that the flights comb through the straw one after the other, loosening it.

[0009] A wiper is arranged between axially adjacent carriers.

[0010] The rotational axis of the conveyor rotor is flush with the top of the straw chute, i.e., it is in the same plane as the straw chute. The scraper can extend upwards and to the rear of the conveyor rotor in an arc. This prevents straw wrapping problems on the conveyor rotor and the flights.

[0011] The drivers can have a hook at the axially outer end that runs in the direction of rotation.

[0012] In one possible embodiment, the drivers are supported on a shaft arranged eccentrically to the axis of the conveyor rotor, as is known per se from discharge conveyors of cutting units.

[0013] The conveyor rotor can be equipped at the end with cross conveyors for swath formation, in particular conveyor spirals. Example

[0014] Five embodiments of the invention are explained using the figure. It shows: Fig. 1 a partially sectioned side view of a combine harvester with a straw chute and a straw conveyor associated with it for straw removal, Fig. 2 an enlarged perspective view of the straw conveyor of the Fig. 1, Fig. 3 a side view of the conveyor rotor of the straw conveyor from Fig. 1, Fig. 3a a side view of a second embodiment of the conveyor rotor of the straw conveyor from Fig. 1 Fig. 4 a perspective view of a third embodiment of a straw conveyor, Fig. 5 a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of a straw conveyor, Fig. 6 a perspective view of a fifth embodiment of a straw conveyor, and Fig. 7 a vertical section through the straw conveyor of the Fig. 6.

[0015] The Fig. Figure 1 shows an agricultural combine harvester 10 having a chassis 12 with ground-engaging wheels 14 which are attached to the chassis 12 and serve to propel the combine harvester 10 in a forward direction which is Fig. 1 runs to the left. The operation of the combine harvester 10 is controlled from the operator's cab 16. A header 18 is used to harvest grain-containing crop and feed it to a feederhouse 20. The harvested crop is fed by the feederhouse 20 to a guide drum 22. The guide drum 22 directs the crop through an inlet transition section 24 to an axial crop processing device 26. In the following, directional references such as front and rear refer to the forward direction of the combine harvester 10.

[0016] The crop processing device 26 comprises a rotor housing 34 and a rotor 36 arranged therein. The rotor 36 comprises a hollow drum 38 to which crop processing elements for a feeding section 40, a threshing section 42, and a separating section 44 are attached. The feeding section 40 is arranged at the front of the axial crop processing unit 26. The threshing section 42 and the separating section 44 are located longitudinally downstream and rearward of the feeding section 40. The drum 38 is frustoconical in the feeding section 40. The threshing section 42 comprises a frustoconical front section and a cylindrical rear section. The cylindrical separating section 44 of the drum 38 is located at the end of the axial crop processing unit 26.Instead of an axial crop processing unit 26, a tangential threshing drum and a following axial separating device or straw walker can also be used.

[0017] Grain and chaff falling through a concave associated with the threshing section 42 and a separating grate associated with the separating section 44 are fed to a cleaning system 28 having a fan 46 and oscillating louvre screens 48, 50. The cleaning system 28 removes the chaff and feeds the clean grain via a screw conveyor 52 to a clean grain elevator (not shown). The clean grain elevator deposits the clean grain in a grain tank 30. The clean grain in the grain tank 30 can be unloaded onto a grain wagon, trailer, or truck via an unloading screw conveyor 32. Crop remaining at the rear end of the lower louvre screen 50 is fed back to the crop processing device 26 by means of a screw conveyor 54 and a tailings conveyor (not shown).The crop residues discharged at the rear end of the upper lamella sieve 48, which essentially consist of chaff and small straw particles, are conveyed by a vibrating floor conveyor 56 to the rear into an inlet 58 of a straw chopper 60.

[0018] Threshed straw leaving the separation section 44 is ejected from the crop processing device 26 through an outlet 62 and fed to an ejection drum 64. The ejection drum 64, which interacts with a base 66 arranged underneath, ejects the straw to the rear. Rear of the ejection drum 64 and approximately at the vertical height of its axis of rotation is a flap 68, which serves to switch between a swath depositing mode and a chopping mode. Above the ejection drum 64 and the flap 68, an upper wall 82 extending horizontally and in the forward direction is attached, which closes off an engine compartment 84 located above it at the bottom. The flap 68 is pivotally connected to the wall 76 at its front end adjacent to the ejection drum 64 about an axis 70 extending horizontally and transversely to the forward direction between a swath depositing position and a chopping position.In its chopping position, shown in solid lines, the flap 68 extends diagonally backward and downward from the axis 70. Below the lower and rear end of the flap 68, a sheet metal panel 72 is seamlessly connected to the chassis. This panel transitions into a straw chute 76 extending diagonally backward and downward, along which the straw can slide down to the field soil during swathing. The straw swath can be further shaped into the desired position by guide skids or straw guide rakes (not shown) attached to the top of the straw chute 76.

[0019] The flap 68 is pivotable about the axis 70 between the chopping position, in which it is shown in the figure with solid lines, and a swath depositing position, in which the flap 68 is shown in the figure with dashed lines and extends parallel to the wall 82. At the beginning of the straw chute 76, a straw conveyor 86 is attached. The straw conveyor 86 extends horizontally and transversely to the forward direction and can be rotated by a suitable drive about its axis 88 (on which it is rotatably but otherwise fixedly attached to the chassis 12) in a direction of rotation in which it operates overshot and in which Fig. 1 rotates clockwise, as indicated by the arrow. A hydraulic motor is typically used to drive the straw conveyor 86.

[0020] Below the straw chute 76 is the straw chopper 60, which consists of a housing 94 and a rotor 96 arranged therein, which is rotatable about an axis transverse to the forward direction and horizontally extending, with chopping knives 98 distributed around the circumference of the rotor 96 and suspended in a pendulum manner. Downstream of an outlet 100 of the straw chopper 60, two fans 102 are arranged side by side below the straw chute 76, of which Fig. 1 only a single one is visible. The fans 102 comprise a number of air blades 104, each of which is rigidly connected to a shaft 106 extending orthogonally to the straw chute 76. The shaft 106 can be rotated by a hydraulic motor 108. In the swath depositing position, the straw chopper 60 conveys only the crop residues from the cleaning system 28 to the fans 102, which distribute them on the field floor approximately across the width of the cutting unit 18. Instead of the fans 102, a number of rigid or vibrating straw guide plates arranged side by side can also be used. Furthermore, the straw chopper 60 could also have an upper housing independent of the straw chute 78, to which the fans 102 could also be attached.

[0021] For swath deposition (long straw deposition) of the straw, the flap 68 can be moved into its swath deposition position (shown in dashed lines) by manually actuating a suitable lever by the operator, or by means of a power-operated drive (not shown) from the operator's cab 16. The straw is fed from the outlet 62 of the crop processing device 26 to the discharge drum 64, which throws it in free flight through the opening opened by the flap 68 to the straw conveyor 86. The lateral distribution of the straw can be optimized by preferably adjustable guide skids 110 arranged downstream of the discharge drum 68. The straw conveyor 86 is operated with an overshot action. Thus, the straw is actively conveyed rearward by the straw conveyor 86 and along the straw chute 76, on which it slides through a rear discharge opening 112 of the combine harvester 10 onto the field soil.

[0022] In the chopping position, the flap 68 is pivoted downwards about the pivot axis 70 relative to the swath depositing position, as shown in the Fig. 1. The straw thrown by the discharge drum 64 against the flap 68 is deflected downward by the flap 68 and falls into the inlet 58 of the straw chopper 60, which chops it together with the crop residue from the cleaning system 28 and distributes it on the field soil by means of the blowers 106. During chopping operation, the straw conveyor 86 can be stationary.

[0023] The Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 show the straw conveyor 86 of the Fig. 1 in an enlarged view. The straw conveyor 86 comprises a conveyor rotor 114, to which axially spaced conveyor discs 124 with attached drivers 116 are fastened. The conveyor rotor 114 has a modular design, i.e., it comprises a central shaft 132 onto which the plate-shaped conveyor discs 124 with the drivers 116 and cylindrical sections 126 are alternately placed and fixed. Such a conveyor rotor 114 is described, for example, in DE 10 2014 220 830 B3 and DE 10 2014 225 898 A1 as well as DE 10 2012 204 416 A1 and the documents cited therein, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference into these documents.

[0024] The conveyor discs 124 each comprise two diametrically opposed drivers 116. The drivers 116 have hooks 122 at their outer ends, which extend in the direction of rotation. On the upstream side, scrapers 118 are assigned to the conveyor rotor 114, each of which is located between two conveyor discs 124. The scrapers 118 extend in an arc from a front guide plate 120, which is attached to the straw chute 76 or the plate 72 and could also be omitted, backwards and upwards and then downwards again to the rear of the cylindrical sections 126. The scrapers 118 arranged on both sides of a conveyor disc 124 leave a gap 128 between them, through which the driver 116 can extend upwards.Scrapers 118, each arranged between two columns 128, are connected to each other by a ramp 130, which is recessed in a trough-like manner in the transverse direction relative to the scrapers 118 and rises in an arc-shaped manner in the direction of flow of the crop and descends again in front of the cylindrical sections 126. The axis 88 of the conveyor rotor 114 lies approximately in the plane of the upper side of the straw chute 76 or slightly above it.

[0025] As in the Fig. 3, the carriers 116 are arranged in a spiral shape. This results in a combing, straw-loosening effect of the straw conveyor 86. The (in the Fig. 2) scrapers 118 prevent the straw from wrapping around the conveyor rotor 114, which is also helped by the ramps 130 that lift the straw and guide it over the cylindrical sections 114. The carriers 116 can also be diamond-shaped, as in the Fig. 3a shown.

[0026] The Fig. 4 shows a third embodiment of a conveyor rotor 114 of a straw conveyor 86, which is used instead of the conveyor rotor 114 of the Fig. 1 to 3. In the conveyor rotor 114, the star-shaped conveyor discs 124 each comprise five drivers 116. The drivers 116 are also arranged in a spiral shape.

[0027] The Fig. 5 shows a fourth embodiment of a conveyor rotor 114 of a straw conveyor 86, which is used instead of the conveyor rotor 114 of the Fig. 1 to 3. At the outer ends, the conveyor rotor 114 is equipped with helical transverse conveyors 134 for swath formation. For this purpose, the straw chute 76 must be provided with corresponding cutouts. The carriers 116 have straight, approximately radially extending or forwardly curved leading edges. The straight or curved leading edges could also be angled backwards, opposite to the direction of rotation, analogous to the embodiment according to Fig. 3a.

[0028] The Fig. 6 and Fig. 7 show a fifth embodiment of a conveyor rotor 114 of a straw conveyor 86, which is used instead of the conveyor rotor 114 of the Fig. 1 to 3. The conveyor rotor 114 comprises an eccentrically mounted, fixed axle 136, on which the finger-shaped drivers 116, which extend through guides in the casing of the conveyor rotor 114, are individually mounted. Such arrangements are known per se from discharge conveyors of cutting units, cf. EP 1 040 749 A1. The fingers can extend radially or can be all inclined to the side (cf. DE 10 2013 206 515 A1) or only at the outer, conical ends of the conveyor rotor 114 (cf. EP 2 769 612 A1) in order to form the swath. In the fourth embodiment, the scrapers 118 could be omitted.

Claims

[1] A combine harvester (10) having a chassis (12) movable in a forward direction across a field, a crop processing device (26) having an outlet (62) for straw which can be fed to a straw chute (76) in a swathing operation, and a straw conveyor (86) associated with the straw chute (76) and conveying the straw overshot, which comprises an axially extending, rotatable conveyor rotor (114) with drivers (116) distributed in the circumferential direction and in the axial direction around the conveyor rotor (114), characterized bythat the drivers (116) are distributed helically around the conveyor rotor (114), that a scraper (118) is arranged between axially adjacent drivers (116) and that the axis of rotation (88) of the conveyor rotor (114) is arranged flush with the top side of the straw chute (76) and the scraper (118) extends in an arc from an end arranged upstream of the conveyor rotor (114) upwards and to the rear of the conveyor rotor (114). [2] Combine harvester (10) according to claim 1, wherein the drivers (116) have a hook (122) leading in the direction of rotation at the axially outer end. [3] Combine harvester (10) according to one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the drivers (116) are supported on a shaft (136) arranged eccentrically to the axis of rotation (88) of the conveyor rotor (114). [4] Combine harvester (10) according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the conveyor rotor (114) is equipped at the end with transverse conveyor means (134) for swath formation, in particular conveyor spirals.

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