Threshing basket for a combine harvester

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a threshing concave for a combine harvester according to the preamble of claim 1. 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. Threshing is typically carried out using tangential threshing devices with a threshing concave and a threshing drum that conveys the crop tangentially, or using axial threshing devices with axial threshing rotors that convey the crop axially and also interact with a threshing concave. The threshing concaves consist of curved and cross bars that leave spaces between them. The threshing concave surrounds part of the circumference of the threshing drum and forms a gap with it through which the crop to be threshed is forced. As the crop is conveyed through the gap, crop particles (the grain) separate, fall through the gaps, and are fed to a cleaning device.Depending on the nature of the crop, certain components can be extracted more or less easily, so it makes sense to be able to adapt the threshing concaves to the respective crop.

[0003] For example, it may be useful to provide a crop processing device at the concave inlet as an additional threshing means. This device is movable between an active and inactive position, usually rotatable, in order to thresh the crop at the concave inlet more or less aggressively. Reference is made, for example, to the prior art according to DE 1 130 641 A, DE 1 130 640 A, US 1 334 910 A, EP 2 036 425 A1, and DE 10 2014 224 780 A1.

[0004] Furthermore, various adjustable elements arranged downstream of the inlet of the threshing concave have also been proposed, such as finger rakes which can be moved between an active position running approximately tangentially to the threshing drum and a pivoted-out position (US 2 457 259 A, FR 637 181 A, US 4 875 891 A, FR 2 621 216 A1, DE 10 2009 047 287 A1), or so-called deawner plates which can be brought into a closed position between adjacent threshing bars so that the crop cannot run through between the threshing bars and is thus freed from the awns by the prolonged action of the threshing drum (DE 1 989 612 U). Typically, a mechanism is provided that allows all elements to be moved together, either manually or by means of a power-operated actuator that can be controlled from the cab of the combine harvester by an operator or by an automatic system.Similarly, the adjustment of the crop processing device at the inlet of the threshing drum is usually carried out manually or by an actuator.

[0005] In the state of the art, threshing concaves which have both a deactivatable crop processing device arranged at the inlet and adjustable elements (arranged downstream of the inlet of the threshing concave) require two actuating elements in the form of manually actuated levers or similar, or in the form of actuators in the case of automatic or remote actuation, which entails a relatively high level of effort.

[0006] US 2019 / 0254233 A1 shows an axial combine harvester with a rotor and a threshing concave that is adjustable relative to the rotor and can be moved into an inactive position by means of an actuator. Object of the invention

[0007] The object underlying the invention is seen in providing a threshing concave of the type mentioned at the outset for a combine harvester in which the problems mentioned do not exist or are present to a reduced extent. Solution

[0008] 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.

[0009] A threshing concave for a combine harvester is provided with a crop processing device arranged on the threshing concave, which is adjustable between an active and an inactive position, elements arranged downstream of the inlet of the threshing concave, which are adjustable between an active and an inactive position, and an adjustment mechanism for separately adjusting the crop processing device and the adjustable elements, which comprises a movable adjustment element coupled to the crop processing device and the adjustable elements.

[0010] The adjusting element is coupled to the crop processing device and the adjustable elements in such a way that in a first position of the adjusting element the crop processing device and the adjustable elements are in the active position, in a second position of the adjusting element the adjustable elements are in the inactive position and the crop processing device is in the active position (or vice versa) and in a third position of the adjusting element the crop processing device and the adjustable elements are in the inactive position.

[0011] In this way, by manually or actuator-driven adjustment of only the adjustment element, both the crop processing device and the adjustable elements can be moved separately between an active and an inactive position. Therefore, only a single actuating element is required.

[0012] It should also be noted that the crop processing device and / or the adjustable element can be moved not only between an active and inactive position by the movable element of the adjustment mechanism, but in one possible embodiment can also be moved into one or more or any number of intermediate positions between the active and inactive positions. Thus, the degree of action of the adjustable element and / or the crop processing device can be varied in more than one stage or continuously, each independently of one another. Furthermore, any third, fourth, etc. adjustable device of the threshing concave could be moved by the movable element of the adjustment mechanism.

[0013] The crop processing device can be a rotatable body mounted at the concave inlet with threshing elements in the form of projections attached to it. The adjustable elements can be deawning plates or finger bars.

[0014] The adjusting element can be a rotatable disc provided with two cams, each of which is coupled to the crop processing device and the adjustable elements via cams and coupling elements.

[0015] The threshing concave can interact with a tangentially conveying threshing drum or an axially conveying axial threshing rotor. Example

[0016] An embodiment of the invention is explained with reference to the figures. It shows: Fig. 1 a partially sectioned side view of a combine harvester with a threshing concave, Fig. 2 a perspective view of the front area of ​​the threshing concave from Figure 1from below, Fig. 3 a view similar to that of Figure 2 with the adjusting element in a first position, Fig. 4 a view similar to that of Figure 2 with the adjusting element in a second position, and Fig. 5 a view similar to that of Figure 2 with the adjustment element in a third position.

[0017] The Figure 1 shows a self-propelled combine harvester 10 with a frame 12, which is supported on the ground by front, driven, and rear steerable wheels 14 and is moved by these. The wheels 14 are rotated by drive means (not shown) in order to move the combine harvester 10, for example, across a field to be harvested.

[0018] A crop harvesting device 18 in the form of a cutting unit is detachably connected to the front end of the combine harvester 10. During harvesting, the harvested crop, in the form of grain or other threshable stalk crops, is harvested from the field and fed upwards and backwards through an inclined conveyor 20 to a multi-drum threshing unit which, arranged one behind the other in the direction of travel V, comprises a threshing drum 22, a stripping drum 24, an overshot conveyor drum 26, a separating drum 28, and a discharge conveyor 30. Downstream of the discharge conveyor 30 is a straw walker 32. The threshing drum 22 is surrounded in its lower and rearward region by a threshing concave 34.A cover 35, either open or closed, is arranged below the conveyor drum 26, while a fixed cover is arranged above the conveyor drum 26, and a separating basket 36 with adjustable finger elements is arranged below the separating drum 28. A separating grate 38 is arranged below the undershot discharge conveyor 30.

[0019] A front conveyor floor 40 is located below the multi-drum threshing unit. A rear conveyor floor 42 is arranged below the straw walker 32. The conveyor floors 40, 42 transport the mixture of grain, short straw, and chaff from the threshing concave 34, the separating concave 46, the separating grate 38, and the straw walker 32 to a cleaning device 46. Grain cleaned by the cleaning device 46 is fed by a grain auger 48 to an elevator (not shown), which transports it to a grain tank 50. A return auger 52 returns unthreshed ear parts to the threshing process via another elevator (not shown). The chaff can be ejected at the rear of the screening device by a rotating chaff spreader, or it can be discharged by a straw chopper (not shown) arranged downstream of the straw walker 32.The cleaned grain from the grain tank 50 can be unloaded through an unloading system with cross screws 54 and an unloading conveyor 56.

[0020] The aforementioned systems are driven by an internal combustion engine 58 and controlled and operated by an operator from a driver's cab 60. The various devices for threshing, conveying, cleaning, and separating are located within the frame 12. Outside the frame 12 is an outer shell, most of which can be opened. In another embodiment, the threshing mechanism could also comprise only the threshing drum 22, the stripping drum 24, and the discharge conveyor 30, i.e., it could be designed as a conventional tangential threshing mechanism without the separation drum 28 and without the conveyor drum 26, in which the discharge conveyor 30 directly follows the threshing drum 22. In the following, all directional references, such as front, rear, above, and below, refer to the forward direction of travel V of the combine harvester 10.

[0021] It is now time to Figures 2 to 5The threshing concave 34 itself is of conventional construction and comprises two curved side walls 62 adapted to the radius of the threshing drum 22, between which threshing bars 68 extend (in the front region of the threshing concave 34). Following the threshing bars 68 in the circumferential direction of the threshing drum 22 (i.e. in its rear region), the threshing concave 34 comprises further curved bars 64, between which circumferentially extending concave wires 76 are arranged. Further concave wires 78 are also arranged between the threshing bars 68. These are thinner than the concave wires 76 arranged between the curved bars 64 in the rear region of the threshing concave 34, but are present in greater number.

[0022] A crop processing device 84 is arranged upstream of the threshing concave 34 with respect to the flow direction of the crop. The crop processing device 84 comprises a body 66 that extends between the side walls 62 and is mounted there for rotation about its longitudinal axis. Threshing elements 80 are attached to the body 66, which are moved by rotation of the body 66 about its longitudinal axis between an active position (see Figures 2 , 3 and 4 ), in which they are in contact with the crop and provide a certain threshing effect, and an inactive position ( Figure 5 ), in which they are spaced from the crop. In particular, the crop processing device 84 can be designed according to EP 2 036 425 A1 or DE 10 2014 224 780 A1, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference into the present documents.

[0023] Furthermore, the front area of ​​the threshing concave 34 (designed as a removable insert by a suitable mechanism 132, cf. DE 10 2015 205 992 A1, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference into the present documents) in which the threshing bars 68 are located is provided with adjustable elements 86, which in the illustrated embodiment are designed as so-called de-awning plates 82. The adjustable elements 86 are (as shown in the Figures 3 to 5 recognizable) between an open position (in Figure 2 , 4 and 5 shown) and a closed position (in Figure 3shown) are movable. The deawner plates 82 serve to prevent crop components (in particular grain) from passing between the threshing bars 68 in the closed position, so that the crop is processed more intensively in the front area of ​​the threshing concave than when the deawner plates 82 are open and can only pass downwards between the concave wires 74 in the rear area of ​​the threshing concave 34 at the earliest. The deawner plates 82 are known per se (cf. DE 1 989 612 U), and in another embodiment could be replaced by adjustable finger bars (cf. the prior art mentioned at the beginning) as adjustable elements.

[0024] The threshing concave 34 accordingly comprises an adjustable crop processing device 84 and the adjustable elements 86, which are separately adjustable between an active and an inactive position. In the prior art, as discussed above, separate actuating means in the form of manually operated levers or actuators are assigned to the crop processing device 84 and the adjustable elements 86 for adjustment. The present invention relates to an adjustment mechanism 92 that allows both the crop processing device 84 and the adjustable elements 86 to be moved separately between an active and inactive position with a single adjustment element 88.

[0025] The adjusting element 88, designed as a cam disc 90, is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to a shaft 96 extending orthogonally to the plane of the side cheek 62, mounted centrally on the cam disc 90, which is rotatably mounted on a downwardly extended section 94 of one of the side cheeks 62. The shaft 96 and thus the adjusting element 98 are in turn moved by the said actuating means about their longitudinal and rotational axes between two end positions, one of which is in Figure 3 and one in Figure 5 shown, rotatable, while the Figure 4 shows an intermediate position.

[0026] The cam disc 90 comprises two curved tracks 98, 100 designed as curved slots.

[0027] A first control cam 102 engaging and cooperating with the first cam track 98 is attached to a first lever 104, which is supported by a first bearing 106 at the lower region of the section 94. The angular first lever 104 is rotatably connected at its second end to a first push rod 108, which in turn is rotatably coupled at its rear end to a forwardly extending first bracket 110. The front ends of the adjustable elements 86 (de-awning plates 82) are pivotally connected to the first bracket 110, and their rear ends are supported on crossbars 112. Accordingly, when the cam disc 90 is rotated by the shaft 96, the first lever 104 rotates about the first bearing 106 and moves the first push rod 108 forwards or backwards, and its movement is transmitted to the first holder 110, which moves the front ends of the adjustable elements 86 forwards and upwards or downwards.moved backward and downward, while the rear ends of the adjustable elements 86 rotate around the crossbars 112. Thus, the first cam track 98 moves the adjustable elements 86 between an active and an inactive position via the first control cam 102, the first push rod 108, and the first bracket 110. The first cam track 98 is dimensioned such that the adjustable elements 86 are in the left end position of the adjustment element 98 (see . Figure 3 ) are in the active (closed) position, while in the middle position ( Figure 4) and the right end position are in the inactive (open) position. It should also be noted that adjustable elements 86 are or can be mounted in the central region of the threshing concave 34, which are coupled to the adjustable elements 86 by suitable coupling elements. For this purpose, the adjustable elements 86 are connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the respective crossbars 112, which in turn are mounted on the threshing concave 34 so as to be rotatable about their longitudinal axes.

[0028] A second control cam 116 engaging the second cam track 100 is connected to a second lever 118, which is rotatably supported at the lower end of the section 94 by means of a second bearing 120. The angular second lever 118 is rotatably connected at its other end to a second push rod 122, which in turn is coupled by means of a pivot bearing to a second bracket 124 fastened to the body 66 of the crop processing device 84. When the cam disk 90 is rotated by the shaft 96, the second lever 118 rotates about the second bearing 120 and moves the second push rod 122 up or down, and its movement is transmitted to the second bracket 124, which rotates the body 66. Thus, the cam track 100 moves the crop processing device 84 between an active and an inactive position via the second control cam 116, the second push rod 118 and the second holder 124.The cam track 100 is dimensioned such that the threshing elements 80 of the crop processing device 84 are in the left end position of the adjusting element 98 (see . Figure 3 ) and in the middle position ( Figure 4 ) are in the active position, while in the right end position they are in the inactive position.

[0029] Wave 96 is, as in the Figure 3 shown, outside a side wall 126 of the frame 12, against which the side cheek 62 rests, connected to a (single) actuating element 128, which comprises an actuator 130, which can be designed as an electric or hydraulic motor and causes the shaft 96 to rotate between the three described rotational positions (cf. Figures 3 to 5). The shaft 96 thus extends through an opening in the side wall 126. The actuator 130 can be actuated by means of an operator interface arranged in the driver's cab 60, or by means of an automatic system that can automatically control the actuator 130 based on sensor-detected properties of the crop. In another embodiment, the actuating element 128 is designed as a lever with which the shaft 86 can be rotated manually between the described positions. In any case, the adjustment mechanism 92 according to the invention avoids the need for a second opening in the side wall 126 in order to guide a second shaft through the side wall 126 for separate actuation of the adjustable elements 86 and the crop processing device 84. The manual or actuator-based adjustment takes place outside the side wall 126, which improves accessibility and speeds up any necessary manual adjustment.The actuator 130 can also be installed outside the crop flow.

[0030] If the threshing concave 34 is adjustable in distance from the threshing drum 22 (cf. DE 10 2014 209 219 A1), the opening in the side wall 126 through which the shaft 96 extends could be designed as an elongated hole or slot and the actuating element 128 could be adjusted by a corresponding coupling with the threshing concave 34.

[0031] The described adjustment mechanism 92 represents a first position of the adjustment element 88 (left end position, in Figure 3 shown) in which the crop processing device 84 and the adjustable elements 86 are in the active position, a second position of the adjusting element 88 (middle position, in Figure 4shown), in which the adjustable elements 86 are in the inactive position and the crop processing device 84 is in the active position, and a third position of the adjusting element 88 (right end position, in Figure 5 shown), in which the crop processing device 84 and the adjustable elements 86 are in the inactive position. These three positions have proven to be practical, because an active position of the adjustable elements 86 with the crop processing device 84 inactive is not required in practice. Should this nevertheless be the case, this fourth position could also be made possible by modifying the shape of the cam tracks 98, 100.

Claims

1. Threshing concave (34) for a combine harvester (10), comprising: a crop processing device (84) which is arranged on the threshing concave (34) and can be adjusted between an active and an inactive position, elements (86) which are arranged downstream of the inlet to the threshing concave (34) and can be adjusted between an active and an inactive position, and an adjustment mechanism (92) for separate adjustment of the crop processing device (84) and of the adjustable elements (86), wherein the adjustment mechanism (92) comprises a movable adjustment element (88) which is coupled to the crop processing device (84) and to the adjustable elements (86), characterized in that the adjustment element (88) is coupled to the crop processing device (84) and to the adjustable elements (86) in such a way that in a first position of the adjustment element (88) the crop processing device (84) and the adjustable elements (86) are in the active position, in a second position of the adjustment element (88) the adjustable elements (86) are in the inactive position and the crop processing device (84) is in the active position, and in a third position of the adjustment element (88) the crop processing device (84) and the adjustable elements (86) are in the inactive position.

2. Threshing concave (34) according to Claim 1, wherein the adjustment element (88) can be adjusted by hand or via an actuator (130).

3. Threshing concave (34) according to either of Claims 1 and 2, wherein the crop processing device (84) is a rotatable body (66) which is arranged at the inlet to the threshing concave (34) and has threshing elements (80) fitted thereto.

4. Threshing concave (34) according to one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the adjustable elements (86) are awner plates (82).

5. Threshing concave (34) according to one of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the adjustment element (88) is a rotatable disc (90) provided with two cams (98, 100) which are each coupled via pins (102, 116) and coupling elements (104, 108, 118, 122) to the adjustable elements (86) and the crop processing device (84).

6. Combine harvester (10) comprising a threshing concave (34) according to one of Claims 1 to 5, which interacts with a tangentially conveying threshing drum (22) or an axially conveying axial threshing rotor.