combine

Abstract

The present invention provides a combine harvester that can apply a sorting airflow to the threshed material falling from the threshing section, thereby improving the processing capacity of the sorting section. [Solution] A combine harvester comprising a threshing unit 7 for threshing crops and an oscillating sorting device 43 for sorting the threshed material from the threshing unit 7, wherein the combine harvester comprises a winnowing machine 47 for blowing sorting air to the oscillating sorting device 43 and a secondary winnowing machine 71 located at a higher position than the winnowing machine 47, and the oscillating sorting device 43 includes a chaff sieve 120 for sorting the threshed material, a grain sieve 130 located below the chaff sieve 120, an upper feed pan 111 located at the front of the oscillating sorting device 43, a middle feed pan 112 located below the upper feed pan 111 and in front of the chaff sieve, and a lower feed pan 113 located between the chaff sieve 120 and the grain sieve 130.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a combine harvester equipped with a rocking sorting device for sorting grains threshed by a threshing unit.

Background Art

[0002] Some combine harvesters are configured to convey the crops cut by a cutting unit to a threshing unit by a conveying device and supply them to the threshing unit, and to sort the grains (threshed products) threshed by the threshing unit by a sorting unit provided below the threshing unit. The sorting unit has a rocking sorting device that sorts grains by rocking. The rocking sorting device includes, as sorting components, a chaff sieve having a plurality of fins and a grain sieve provided below the chaff sieve. In addition, the sorting unit is provided with a configuration for generating sorting air for obtaining a winnowing effect, such as a winnower or a fan.

[0003] Regarding the configuration of the sorting unit, Patent Document 1 describes providing a sorting member, which is a net-like member similar to the grain sieve, at a position on the upstream side in the conveying direction of the threshed product in the space between the chaff sieve and the grain sieve, providing an upper feed pan (grain pan) in front of the chaff sieve and a lower feed pan (grain pan) below the front end of the chaff sieve, and sending out sorting air from a winnower at a position between the upper and lower feed pans.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] According to the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1, although the sorting air from the winnowing machine helps to disperse the threshed material that has fallen from the threshing section onto the lower feed pan, sufficient sorting is not achieved. As a result, when the processing volume of the threshing section increases, the processing time becomes longer, and consequently, there is a problem of insufficient processing capacity.

[0006] This invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a combine harvester that can apply a sorting airflow to the threshed material falling from the threshing section, thereby improving the processing capacity of the sorting section. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The combine harvester according to the present invention comprises a threshing unit for threshing crops and an oscillating sorting device for sorting the threshed material obtained by the threshing unit, the combine harvester comprising a winnowing machine for blowing sorting air to the oscillating sorting device and a secondary winnowing machine provided at a higher position than the winnowing machine for blowing sorting air to the oscillating sorting device, the oscillating sorting device comprising a chaff sieve for sorting the threshed material, a grain sieve provided below the chaff sieve, an upper feed pan provided at the front of the oscillating sorting device, a middle feed pan provided below the upper feed pan and in front of the chaff sieve, and a lower feed pan provided between the chaff sieve and the grain sieve.

[0008] The combine harvester according to the present invention is configured such that the winnowing machine is provided so that sorting air is supplied to the grain sieve, and the auxiliary winnowing machine is provided so that sorting air is supplied above the upper feed pan, between the upper feed pan and the middle feed pan, between the chaff sieve and the lower feed pan, and between the lower feed pan and the grain sieve.

[0009] The combine harvester according to the present invention is provided with a sieving section on the rear side of the upper feed pan, in which a plurality of sieving wire sections are arranged in parallel, and the middle feed pan is located below the sieving section.

[0010] In the combine harvester according to the present invention, the central feed pan and the lower feed pan are arranged so that at least a portion of them overlap when viewed from above.

[0011] The combine harvester according to the present invention is provided with a guide member on the upper feed pan that guides the grains to the left and right sides towards the center.

[0012] The combine harvester according to the present invention is characterized in that the oscillating sorting device has a support member that supports the grain sieve relative to the lower feed pan.

[0013] The combine harvester according to the present invention is characterized in that the support member has a rectifying plate portion that acts on the sorting airflow.

[0014] The combine harvester according to the present invention is configured such that the oscillating sorting device is located below the lower feed pan and has a wind direction member that, together with the lower feed pan, forms an air passage for the sorting air from the auxiliary winnowing machine. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the present invention, a sorting airflow can be applied to the threshed material falling from the threshing section, thereby improving the processing capacity of the sorting section. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] This is a left side view of a combine harvester according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a right side view of a combine harvester according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] It is a plan view of a combine according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] It is a diagram showing a power transmission configuration in a combine according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] It is a left side cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a threshing unit and a sorting unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] It is a left side cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a sorting unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] It is a plan cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a sieve portion provided in an upper feed pan according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] It is a plan cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a grain sheath and its vicinity according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] It is a left side cross-sectional view showing the support configuration of the front portion of a grain sheath according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] It is a left side cross-sectional view showing the support configuration of the rear portion of a grain sheath according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] It is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in FIG. 9. [Figure 12] It is a left side cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a sorting unit and the flow of sorting air according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] It is a left side cross-sectional view showing the connection structure of a sieve portion to an upper feed pan according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] Using FIGS. 1 to 5, the overall configuration of the combine 1 according to the present embodiment will be described. In the following description, the left side (the lower side in FIG. 3) and the right side (the upper side in FIG. 3) toward the front of the combine 1 are defined as the left side and the right side in the combine 1, respectively.

[0018] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the combine harvester 1 according to this embodiment is a conventional combine harvester that collects harvested field crops (rice, wheat, soybeans, corn, etc.) into the machine body, threshes, sorts, stores the grain, and allows for appropriate transport outside the machine. The combine harvester 1 has a self-propelled traveling body 2 and a harvesting unit 3 provided at the front end of the traveling body 2. The harvesting unit 3 is configured as a harvesting device that cuts and collects unharvested grains such as rice and wheat, and is mounted on the traveling body 2 so as to be able to move up and down.

[0019] The running machine body 2 is equipped with a running machine 4 configured as a crawler-type running device having a pair of left and right crawler sections 5, 5. A machine frame 6 is installed between the left and right crawler sections 5, 5. Each crawler section 5 has a plurality of rotating bodies, including a drive sprocket 5a provided at its front end, and tracks 5c wound around these rotating bodies. The drive sprocket 5a is rotationally driven by power transmitted from the engine 25 of the combine harvester 1.

[0020] On the left side of the machine frame 6, there is a threshing unit 7 for threshing the stalks of grain that have been cut and supplied by the harvesting unit 3, and a sorting unit 8 for sorting the grains threshed by the threshing unit 7. The threshing unit 7 and the sorting unit 8 are arranged behind the harvesting unit 3, with the threshing unit 7 on the upper level and the sorting unit 8 on the lower level.

[0021] On the machine frame 6, a grain storage section 9 is provided to the right of the threshing section 7 and sorting section 8, and has a grain tank 10 for storing grain (clean grain) sorted in the sorting section 8. Inside the grain tank 10, a lower discharge conveyor 11 is provided to transport the stored grain toward the discharge port of the grain tank 10 (see Figure 4). A vertical conveyor 12 is erected vertically so as to communicate with the discharge port of the grain tank 10. A grain discharge conveyor 13 is connected to the upper end of the vertical conveyor 12. The grain discharge conveyor 13 is provided so as to be able to rotate horizontally and swing up and down around a horizontal axis. The grain in the grain tank 10 is transported by these conveyors and discharged from a paddy input port 14 provided at the tip of the grain discharge conveyor 13 to the bed of a truck or a container.

[0022] On the machine frame 6, the driver's compartment 15 is located in front of the grain storage section 9, that is, in the front right position on the machine frame 6, where the operator sits. The driver's compartment 15 is covered by a cabin 16. The driver's compartment 15 is equipped with a driver's seat 17, a steering wheel 18 located in front of the driver's seat 17, and various operating parts such as a main gear lever 19, a sub-gear lever, and a work clutch lever (see Figure 2). The work clutch lever is an operating tool for engaging and disengaging the threshing clutch 57 and the harvesting clutch 75 (see Figure 4).

[0023] Below the control unit 15 on the aircraft frame 6, an engine 25 is provided as the power source. The engine 25 is located in the space below the control unit 15, on the front right side of the aircraft frame 6. The engine 25 is, for example, a diesel engine.

[0024] The harvesting unit 3 will now be described. The harvesting unit 3 includes a feeder 30 as a conveying device, a platform 31 as a grain header, a cutting blade device 32, a pair of left and right grass dividers 33, 33, and a raking reel 34.

[0025] The feeder 30 is a supply and conveying device that transports the grain stalks harvested in the harvesting section 3 and supplies them to the threshing section 7. The feeder 30 has a feeder house 35 as a housing and a conveyor 36 for transporting grain stalks (see Figure 4) provided inside the feeder house 35. The feeder house 35 is configured as a roughly rectangular tube with its longitudinal direction as the front-to-back direction in a plan view. The feeder 30 is located to the left of the cabin 16 (see Figure 3) and is provided with the rear end opening of the feeder house 35 communicating with the front threshing opening 7a of the threshing section 7 (see Figure 1).

[0026] The platform 31 is configured in a horizontally elongated bucket shape and is connected to the front side of the feeder 30 so as to communicate with the front end opening of the feeder house 35. A scraping auger (platform auger) 37 is provided inside the platform 31. The scraping auger 37 is mounted on an axis so as to be rotatable with the left-right direction as the axis of rotation.

[0027] The cutting blade device 32 is provided on the front lower edge of the platform 31 and is configured in the shape of a clipper. The pair of left and right grass dividers 33, 33 are provided so as to protrude forward from the left and right sides of the front of the platform 31. The raking reel 34 is a reel with a tine bar and is provided in a position in front and above the raking auger 37. The raking reel 34 is supported so as to be rotatable with the left-right direction as the axis of rotation between the tips of a pair of left and right reel support arms 34a, 34a, whose base ends are pivotally supported on the platform 31. The raking reel 34 rotates and continuously acts on the podded portion of the grain stalk, raking the podded portion of the grain stalk towards the raking auger 37. Power from the engine 25, transmitted via various transmission mechanisms, is used for the operation of each part of the cutting unit 3.

[0028] A front rotor 26 is provided at the rear of the feeder 30 to feed the stalks of grain being transported by the conveyor 36 to the threshing opening 7a. The front rotor 26 is located between the end of the conveyor 36 and the threshing opening 7a. The front rotor 26 has a roughly cylindrical rotor body 27, also called a beater, and a front rotor shaft 28 (see Figure 4) whose axis is oriented in the left-right direction. The stalks of grain transported by the feeder 30 are fed from the end of the conveyor 36 through the threshing opening 7a into the threshing chamber 7b of the threshing unit 7 by the front rotor 26.

[0029] The conveyor 36 inside the feeder house 35 has a harvesting unit input shaft (feeder house conveyor shaft) 38, which is located at the front of the threshing unit 7 and has its axial direction in the left-right direction, as a drive shaft that pivots at the end of the feeder house. The rear end of the feeder 30 is supported so as to be rotatable relative to the traveling machine body 2, with the harvesting unit input shaft 38 as the pivot axis. In addition, a lifting cylinder 39 (see Figure 1), which is a hydraulic cylinder, is interposed between the lower surface of the feeder house 35 and the machine frame 6.

[0030] The harvesting unit 3 is designed to move up and down by the rotation of the feeder 30 relative to the traveling machine body 2, which occurs as a result of the extension and retraction of the lifting cylinder 39. The height of the harvesting unit 3 is adjusted by the lifting and lowering of the harvesting unit 3, with the harvesting unit input shaft 38 as the pivot axis. The lifting and lowering of the harvesting unit 3 is operated by a predetermined operating unit provided on the driver's unit 15.

[0031] The threshing section 7 and the sorting section 8 will now be described. The threshing section 7 has a threshing drum 40 located in a threshing chamber 7b with a threshing opening 7a facing forward, and a receiving net 42 positioned below the threshing drum 40. The threshing chamber 7b is formed by a machine frame 21 provided on the machine frame 6.

[0032] The threshing drum 40 is rotatably supported by a threshing drum shaft 41 whose axis is oriented in the front-rear direction. As shown in Figure 5, the threshing drum 40 has a cylindrical main body with the threshing drum shaft 41 aligned along its central axis, and a plurality of threshing drum rods 40a protrude from the outer circumferential surface of the main body. On the upper side of the threshing drum 40, a plurality of dust supply valves 22 for adjusting the conveying speed (residence time) of the threshed grain in the threshing chamber 7b are provided so as to be angle-adjustable relative to the top surface 7c of the threshing chamber 7b. The receiving net 42 is for allowing the grain to leak out and is provided so as to be along the outer circumferential surface of the lower part of the threshing drum 40.

[0033] The sorting unit 8 includes an oscillating sorting device 43, which is positioned below the threshing unit 7 via a receiving net 42, an oscillating mechanism 44 including an oscillating shaft 44a, a first conveyor 45, a second conveyor 46, and a winnowing machine 47 (see Figure 5). The oscillating mechanism 44 rotates the oscillating shaft 44a with rotational power from a drive source, causing the oscillating sorting device 43 to oscillate back and forth in a predetermined direction which is the front-to-back direction in a plan view. A secondary winnowing machine 71 is provided as a pre-fan in front of and above the winnowing machine 47. A second fan 72 is provided behind the winnowing machine 47, in a position between the first conveyor 45 and the second conveyor 46 in the front-to-back direction.

[0034] The oscillating sorting device 43 has a configuration for specific gravity sorting, which includes an upper feed pan 111, a chaff sieve 120 positioned behind the upper feed pan 111 to adjust the amount of grain that leaks out (the amount that falls out) for rough sorting, a lower feed pan 113 positioned below the chaff sieve 120, and a grain sieve 130 positioned below the chaff sieve 120.

[0035] The first conveyor 45 is positioned within the first trough 45b, which extends in the machine width direction, to collect the first grain (first grade). The second conveyor 46 is positioned behind the first conveyor 45 and is positioned within the second trough 46b, which extends in the machine width direction, to collect the second grain (second grade). The winnowing machine 47 blows sorting air to the oscillating sorting device 43, which exits from the front lower to the rear upper.

[0036] A return conveyor 48 is provided on the right side of the machine body where the threshing section 7 and sorting section 8 are located (see Figure 4). The return conveyor 48 is connected to the second conveyor 46 with its lower end positioned near the second conveyor 46, and its upper end is positioned near the front end of the threshing drum 40, extending in an upward sloping manner. To the right of the return conveyor 48 is a vertically extending grain lifting conveyor 49. The grain lifting conveyor 49 transports the first grain, which has been sent by the first conveyor 45, into the grain tank 10.

[0037] The combine harvester 1, having the configuration described above, raises the harvesting unit 3 to a desired height (the harvesting height of the grain stalks) relative to the ground by the raising and lowering motion of the feeder 30, with the harvesting unit input shaft 38 as the central pivot shaft, in the field, and moves from a non-working state to a working state, in which state it moves on the traveling machine body 2. As a result, the combine harvester 1 separates the harvested crop into those to be harvested and those not to be harvested by the left and right dividers 33, 33, and while the pod-bearing portion of the grain stalks to be harvested is raked in by the raking reel 34, the pod-bearing portion of the grain stalks is cut by the cutting blade device 32.

[0038] The podded portions of the grain stalks, harvested at the desired cutting position, are raked into the platform 31 by a rotating auger 37. The auger 37's feeding action also gathers the stalks near the intake of the feeder house 35 within the platform 31, where they are then drawn into the feeder house 35. The grain stalks drawn into the feeder house 35 are then transported by a conveyor 36 through the feeder house 35 to the threshing opening 7a by the front rotor 26, and supplied to the threshing unit 7.

[0039] The podded portions of the grain stalks supplied to the threshing unit 7 are threshed by the threshing unit 7. Specifically, the grain stalks supplied to the threshing unit 7 are conveyed backward by the rotating threshing drum 40, and are threshed mainly between the threshing drum 40 and the receiving screen 42. Threshed grains smaller than the mesh size of the receiving screen 42 leak through the receiving screen 42. Straw and other debris that do not leak through the receiving screen 42 are discharged into the field through the dust outlet 8a (see Figure 5) located at the rear of the sorting unit 8 by the conveying action of the threshing drum 40.

[0040] Meanwhile, the grains that have been threshed in the threshing section 7 and have leaked out of the receiving screen 42 are sorted in the sorting section 8. Specifically, the threshed grains that have been threshed in the threshing drum 40 and have leaked out of the receiving screen 42 are sorted into fine grains (first grade), grains with stems and other parts attached and mixed with straw (second grade), and straw scraps, etc., by the specific gravity sorting action of the oscillating sorting device 43 and the wind sorting action of the winnowing machine 47, and then removed.

[0041] The grain (first-grade) that falls from the oscillating sorting device 43 after sorting in the sorting section 8 is transported to the grain tank 10 by the first conveyor 45 and the connected lifting grain conveyor 49. The second-grade grain is returned to the threshing start end of the threshing drum 40 by the second conveyor 46 and the connected return conveyor 48, where it undergoes threshing again. Straw and other debris are discharged into the field from the dust discharge port 8a located at the rear of the sorting section 8.

[0042] Next, the power transmission configuration of the combine harvester 1 according to this embodiment will be explained with reference to Figure 4. The combine harvester 1 uses the rotational power of the engine 25 to drive the harvesting unit 3, the traveling unit 4, the threshing unit 7, the sorting unit 8, and the grain storage unit 9.

[0043] The engine 25 has a first output shaft 25a and a second output shaft 25b. The rotational power of the first output shaft 25a is transmitted to the traveling section 4, the threshing section 7, the sorting section 8, and the harvesting section 3. The rotational power of the second output shaft 25b is transmitted to the grain storage section 9. The engine 25 also has a work equipment pump shaft that drives a charge pump 54 which operates the lifting cylinder 39 and the like.

[0044] Regarding the power transmission system to the running section 4, the rotational power of the first output shaft 25a is transmitted to the HST input shaft 52 by the first belt transmission mechanism 51 and input to the transmission 53, which includes the running HST and the turning HST. Here, "HST" refers to a hydraulic continuously variable transmission that employs a method of converting hydraulic pressure generated by driving a hydraulic pump back into rotational force using a hydraulic motor. The driving force of the transmission 53 rotates the drive sprocket 5a of the crawler section 5 that constitutes the running section 4.

[0045] Regarding the power transmission system to the threshing unit 7, the rotational power of the first output shaft 25a is transmitted to the threshing unit input shaft 56 by the second belt transmission mechanism 55. The second belt transmission mechanism 55 is provided with a threshing clutch 57 that transmits the rotational power of the first output shaft 25a to the threshing unit input shaft 56 intermittently as needed.

[0046] The rotational power of the threshing unit input shaft 56 is transmitted to the threshing drum input shaft 59 by the third belt transmission mechanism 58. The rotational power of the threshing drum input shaft 59 is transmitted to the threshing drum shaft 41 via the threshing speed change device 60, through a first bevel gear 115 fixed to the threshing drum input shaft 59 and a second bevel gear 116 fixed to the threshing drum shaft 41. The threshing speed change device 60 performs a two-stage speed change, for example, between high speed and low speed, for the rotational power input from the threshing drum input shaft 59 to the threshing drum shaft 41.

[0047] With this configuration, the driving force of the engine 25 is transmitted to the threshing unit 7. Then, by operating the work clutch lever provided on the driver's unit 15, the threshing clutch 57 is turned ON / OFF, thereby intermittently transmitting power to the threshing unit 7.

[0048] Regarding the power transmission system to the sorting section 8, the threshing section input shaft 56 has a support shaft for the winnowing machine 47, and the rotational power of the threshing section input shaft 56 is transmitted by the fourth belt transmission mechanism 61 to a pulley rotating body 63 supported on the threshing intermediate shaft 62. The rotational power of the pulley rotating body 63 is transmitted to the auxiliary winnowing machine 71 and the winnowing machine 47 by a predetermined transmission mechanism. In addition, the rotational power of the threshing section input shaft 56 is transmitted by a predetermined transmission mechanism to the rotating shafts of the first conveyor 45, the second fan 72, and the second conveyor 46, respectively.

[0049] The rotational power of the first conveyor 45 is transmitted to the grain lifting conveyor 49 by a predetermined transmission mechanism. The rotational power of the second conveyor 46 is transmitted to the oscillating shaft 44a of the oscillating mechanism 44 by the fifth belt transmission mechanism 64. The rotational power of the second conveyor 46 is transmitted to the return conveyor 48 via a bevel gear.

[0050] Regarding the power transmission system to the harvesting unit 3, the rotational power of the pulley rotating body 63 is transmitted to the front rotor shaft 28 by the sixth belt transmission mechanism 73. The sixth belt transmission mechanism 73 is equipped with a harvesting clutch 75 that transmits the rotational power of the pulley rotating body 63 to the front rotor shaft 28 intermittently as needed. The rotational power of the front rotor shaft 28 is transmitted to the harvesting unit input shaft 38 by the first chain transmission mechanism 65. The rotational drive of the harvesting unit input shaft 38 operates the conveyor 36 inside the feeder house 35.

[0051] The rotational power of the harvesting unit input shaft 38 is transmitted to the PF (platform) drive shaft 67 via the second chain transmission mechanism 66. The rotational power of the PF drive shaft 67 is transmitted to the PF auger shaft 37a, which rotates the raking auger 37, via the third chain transmission mechanism 68. The rotational power of the PF drive shaft 67 is also transmitted to the cutting blade drive shaft 32a, which drives the cutting blade device 32, via the seventh belt transmission mechanism 69. Furthermore, the rotational power of the PF drive shaft 67 is transmitted to the reel shaft 34b, which rotates the raking reel 34, via the fourth chain transmission mechanism 76, which includes the reel counter shaft 70.

[0052] With this configuration, the driving force of the engine 25 is transmitted to the harvesting unit 3. Then, by operating the work clutch lever provided on the driver unit 15, the harvesting clutch 75 is turned ON / OFF, and the power transmission to the harvesting unit 3 is interrupted.

[0053] Regarding the power transmission system to the grain storage section 9, the rotational power of the second output shaft 25b is transmitted to the lower discharge conveyor 11 by a power transmission mechanism including the grain tank intermediate shaft 77, and the rotational power of the lower discharge conveyor 11 is transmitted to the vertical conveying conveyor 12 via bevel gears. The rotational power of the vertical conveying conveyor 12 is transmitted to the grain discharge conveyor 13 by a predetermined transmission mechanism. The grain storage section 9 is equipped with a suction fan 78 and a compressor 79, which are driven by the rotational power transmitted from the grain tank intermediate shaft 77.

[0054] As described above, the combine harvester 1 according to this embodiment includes a threshing unit 7 for threshing crops and an oscillating sorting device 43 for sorting the threshed material from the threshing unit 7. The combine harvester 1 also includes a winnowing machine 47 in the sorting unit 8 that blows sorting air to the oscillating sorting device 43, and a secondary winnowing machine 71 located higher than the winnowing machine 47 that blows sorting air to the oscillating sorting device 43. The oscillating sorting device 43 includes a chaff sieve 120 for sorting the threshed material, a grain sieve 130 located below the chaff sieve 120 for sorting the threshed material sorted by the chaff sieve 120, and a plurality of feed pans (111, 112, 113).

[0055] The oscillating sorting device 43 has multiple feed pans, including an upper feed pan 111 and a lower feed pan 113, as well as a middle feed pan 112, and the feed pans have a three-tiered configuration of upper, middle, and lower. Specifically, the oscillating sorting device 43 has an upper feed pan 111 located at the front of the device, a middle feed pan 112 located below the upper feed pan 111 and in front of the chaff sieve 120, and a lower feed pan 113 located between the chaff sieve 120 and the grain sieve 130 to receive threshed material that leaks from the chaff sieve 120.

[0056] Thus, the combine harvester 1 is configured as a threshing apparatus that includes a winnowing machine 47 and a secondary winnowing machine 71 that send sorting air to an oscillating sorting device 43 for sorting the threshed material (hereinafter also simply referred to as "processed material") that has leaked down from the receiving net 42 of the threshing chamber 7b, a grain sieve 130 for letting the first material leak down from the oscillating sorting device 43, and upper, middle, and lower feed pans (111, 112, 113). The configuration of the sorting section 8 will be explained below with reference to Figures 5 to 13.

[0057] The oscillating sorting device 43 has a frame 140 that is configured to be roughly rectangular in shape with the front-to-back direction as the longitudinal direction when viewed from above, and the oscillating sorting plate that oscillates in the front-to-back direction when viewed from above. The frame 140 has left and right side plates 141, a front plate portion 142 provided between the front ends of the left and right side plates 141, and a rear plate portion 143 provided between the rear ends of the left and right side plates 141, and these plate portions are configured to be roughly rectangular in shape.

[0058] The side plate 141 is a long plate-shaped member with its longitudinal direction in the front-to-back direction. In a side view, its upper edge is horizontal, and its lower front edge is sloped upwards. The side plate 141 has a vertical surface with its thickness direction in the left-to-right direction, and has an inner surface 141a and an outer surface 141b. Various sorting components that constitute the oscillating sorting device 43 are provided between the left and right side plates 141.

[0059] As shown in Figure 8, the oscillating sorting device 43 is installed between the left and right side plate sections 139 that extend from the threshing section 7 to the sorting section 8. The oscillating sorting device 43 is installed so that the left and right side plates 141 of the frame 140 are positioned parallel to the side plate sections 139 and near the left and right inner sides of the side plate sections 139.

[0060] The frame 140 is connected to the rocking mechanism 44 at the lower rear end. The operation of the rocking mechanism 44 causes the frame 140 and the various sorting components supported by it to rock together as a single unit.

[0061] An upper feed pan 111 is provided at the front end between the left and right side plates 141. The upper feed pan 111 receives the processed material that falls from the receiving net 42 and moves the processed material backward while leveling it as the oscillating sorting device 43 oscillates.

[0062] The upper feed pan 111 has a main body portion 111a, which is made up of a plate-like member installed between the left and right side plates 141. The main body portion 111a has a horizontal or substantially horizontal section in the front and rear middle section, which makes up the majority of the main body portion 111a. The plate-like member making up the main body portion 111a is fixed to the left and right side plates 141, 141 by fasteners such as bolts or pins that pass through the mounting pieces 111c, or by welding, with mounting pieces 111c formed at right angles to the inner surfaces 141a of the left and right side plates 141, while the mounting pieces 111c are aligned with the inner surfaces 141a of the left and right side plates 141.

[0063] A guide plate 114 is provided on the main body 111a of the upper feed pan 111, serving as a guide member to guide grain towards the left and right center. The guide plate 114 is a longitudinal member with an L-shaped cross-section, and one of its surfaces 114a is fixed to the main body 111a at two points, front and back, by bolts 117. The other surface 114b has a rectangular outer shape when viewed from the side, with the front-to-back direction as the longitudinal direction, and is erected perpendicular to the main body 111a. The bolts 117 are screwed into nuts provided on the underside of the main body 111a.

[0064] The guide plate 114 is inclined in its longitudinal direction relative to the front-to-back direction in a plan view, so that it moves from the front to the rear and from the left and right outer sides to the inside (see Figure 7). In this embodiment, the guide plate 114 is provided in three locations, two on the right side and one on the left side, so as to create a symmetrical inclination on both sides. Note that the number of guide plates 114 placed on the upper feed pan 111 and the inclination angle are not limited to this embodiment. Furthermore, the shape of the guide member is not limited as long as it provides a guiding function to lead the grain on the main body 111a of the upper feed pan 111 towards the left and right center.

[0065] A lower feed pan 113 is provided below the upper feed pan 111 and below the front of the chaff sieve 120. The lower feed pan 113 is a bent plate-shaped member installed between the left and right side plates 141. Plate-shaped mounting pieces 113c are formed at right angles on the left and right edges of the lower feed pan 113 for fixing the lower feed pan 113 to the left and right side plates 141, 141. The lower feed pan 113 is fixed to the left and right side plates 141, 141 by fasteners such as bolts or pins that pass through the mounting pieces 113c, or by welding, with the left and right mounting pieces 113c aligned along the inner surface 141a of the side plate 141.

[0066] The lower feed pan 113 has a feed pan body portion 113a, a front inclined surface portion 113b provided on the front side of the feed pan body portion 113a, and a rear inclined surface portion 113d provided on the rear side of the feed pan body portion 113a. The feed pan body portion 113a is a horizontal or substantially horizontal portion and constitutes substantially the entire lower feed pan 113 excluding the front and rear ends. The front inclined surface portion 113b is a portion that slopes downward towards the rear and forms an obtuse angle together with the feed pan body portion 113a. The rear inclined surface portion 113d forms an obtuse angle together with the feed pan body portion 113a.

[0067] The lower feed pan 113 has its feed pan body 113a positioned below the front of the chaff sieve 120. The feed pan body 113a is positioned at approximately the same height as the upper end of the winnowing machine 47 in the vertical direction. The rear inclined surface 113d is the part that forms the rear end of the lower feed pan 113 and is formed as an inclined surface that slopes slightly upward at the rear of the feed pan body 113a. The lower feed pan 113 is positioned behind the upper feed pan 111 in the front-rear direction.

[0068] In the vertical direction, a middle feed pan 112 is provided at a height between the upper feed pan 111 and the lower feed pan 113. The middle feed pan 112 is a bent plate-shaped member installed between the left and right side plates 141. Plate-shaped mounting pieces 112c are formed at right angles on the left and right edges of the middle feed pan 112, for fixing the middle feed pan 112 to the left and right side plates 141, 141. The middle feed pan 112 is fixed to the left and right side plates 141, 141 by fasteners such as bolts or pins that pass through the mounting pieces 112c, or by welding, with the left and right mounting pieces 112c aligned along the inner surface 141a of the side plate 141.

[0069] The central feed pan 112 has a plate-like portion that forms a curved shape in a side view, and from the front to the rear, it has, in order, a front inclined surface portion 112a, an intermediate inclined surface portion 112b, and a rear horizontal surface portion 112d. The front inclined surface portion 112a is the front end portion of the central feed pan 112 and is inclined downwards towards the rear. The intermediate inclined surface portion 112b is the front portion of the central feed pan 112 and is inclined upwards towards the rear, and together with the front inclined surface portion 112a, it forms an obtuse angle. The rear horizontal surface portion 112d is the rear portion of the central feed pan 112 and is a horizontal portion, and together with the intermediate inclined surface portion 112b, it forms an obtuse angle.

[0070] The central feed pan 112 has its front inclined surface portion 112a and intermediate inclined surface portion 112b positioned below the rear of the upper feed pan 111. The central feed pan 112 is positioned entirely within the outer diameter range of the secondary winnowing machine 71 in the vertical direction. The central feed pan 112 is also positioned entirely within the arrangement range of the chaff sieve 120 in the vertical direction. The central feed pan 112 is positioned in front of the front end of the chaff sieve 120, and its rear end (the rear end of the mounting piece portion 112c) is positioned directly in front of (near the front of) the upper end of the chaff fin 121 located at the front end.

[0071] Below the central feed pan 112, a first wind deflector 118 is provided that acts on the sorting air from the auxiliary winnowing machine 71. The first wind deflector 118 is a plate-shaped member installed between the left and right side plates 141. Plate-shaped mounting pieces 118c are formed at right angles on the left and right edges of the first wind deflector 118 for fixing the first wind deflector 118 to the left and right side plates 141, 141. The first wind deflector 118 is fixed to the left and right side plates 141, 141 by fasteners such as bolts or pins that pass through the mounting pieces 118c, or by welding, with the left and right mounting pieces 118c aligned along the inner surface 141a of the side plate 141.

[0072] The first wind deflector 118 is provided so as to follow the upward-sloping edge of the front lower side of the side plate 141 when viewed from the side, with a surface that slopes downward towards the rear in line with the upward-sloping edge of the front lower side of the side plate 141. At the front end of the first wind deflector 118, a forward-sloping surface portion 118a is bent and formed so as to form an obtuse angle with the main body portion of the first wind deflector 118 when viewed from the side.

[0073] The first wind deflector 118 has its front end positioned approximately in the center of the upper feed pan 111 in the front-rear direction, and its rear end positioned on the front inclined surface 113b of the lower feed pan 113. The rear end of the first wind deflector 118 is positioned so as to overlap the front end of the lower feed pan 113 in a plan view. In the vertical direction, the upper end of the first wind deflector 118 is positioned at the height of the lower part of the auxiliary winnowing machine 71, and its lower end is positioned below the lower feed pan 113.

[0074] Behind the first wind deflector 118, a second wind deflector 119 is provided, continuous with the first wind deflector 118, as a wind deflector member that acts on the sorting wind from the auxiliary winnowing machine 71. The second wind deflector 119 is a plate-shaped member installed between the left and right side plates 141. The second wind deflector 119 is a horizontal or nearly horizontal portion, and in a side view, it is provided so as to follow the lower edges of the left and right side plates 141, 141. The second wind deflector 119 is provided in a position near the bottom of the lower feed pan 113, parallel to the feed pan body portion 113a of the lower feed pan 113. In the front-rear direction, the second wind deflector 119 is provided in approximately the same range as the feed pan body portion 113a.

[0075] On the left and right edges of the second wind deflector 119, plate-shaped mounting pieces 119c are formed, bent at a right angle, for fixing the second wind deflector 119 to the left and right side plates 141, 141. The second wind deflector 119 is fixed to the left and right side plates 141, 141 by fasteners such as bolts or pins that pass through the mounting pieces 119c, or by welding, with the left and right mounting pieces 119c aligned along the inner surface 141a of the side plate 141.

[0076] The second wind deflector 119 has its front end abutted against the rear end of the first wind deflector 118, which slopes downwards at the rear. The first wind deflector 118 and the second wind deflector 119 form a curved wind deflector surface with their respective upper surfaces. The first wind deflector 118 and the second wind deflector 119 are installed between the left and right side plates 141, 141, forming a partial bottom surface of the frame 140 at the underside of the front of the frame 140.

[0077] In the vertical direction, a chaff sieve 120 is provided at a height between the upper feed pan 111 and the lower feed pan 113. The chaff sieve 120 is configured to roughly sort the material being processed and adjust the amount of material that leaks out, and has a plurality of fins, which are chaff fins 121.

[0078] The chaff fin 121 is a narrow, rectangular plate-shaped member with its longitudinal direction running horizontally, and is installed between the left and right side plates 141 in a forward-sloping orientation. Multiple chaff fins 121 (for example, more than twenty) that make up the chaff sieve 120 are arranged in parallel with a predetermined interval between them. The chaff sieve 120 is configured to allow adjustment of the inclination angle of the multiple chaff fins 121.

[0079] The chaff sieve 120 has its front chaff fins 121 positioned near the front end of the feed pan body 113a of the lower feed pan 113, and its rear chaff fins 121 positioned behind the rear end of the grain sieve 130. As the oscillating sorting device 43 oscillates, the chaff sieve 120 sieves the processed material that has leaked out of the receiving screen 42 and the processed material sent from the upper feed pan 111 and the middle feed pan 112, separating the grain from impurities by density.

[0080] As shown in Figure 6, a front guide plate section 145 is provided, which forms a downward sloping surface towards the first conveyor 45, extending from the lower rear of the chaff sieve 120 to the lower part of the grain sieve 130. The front guide plate section 145 is made up of a metal plate-like member or a rubber sag made of an elastic material such as rubber. The threshed grain (first batch) that falls from the grain sieve 130 is guided to the first conveyor 45 by the front guide plate section 145.

[0081] Behind the chaff sieve 120, there are two straw racks 135, a front straw rack 135A and a rear straw rack 135B. The two straw racks 135 are located at the rear or rear end between the left and right side plates 141. The straw rack 135 is composed of a plurality of straw rack members 136 that are spaced apart at predetermined intervals in the left-right direction.

[0082] The straw rack member 136 is a plate-shaped member with a zigzag-like uneven shape on its upper side, and is installed with its front end fixed to a support member 137 that is installed between the left and right side plates 141. The straw rack member 136 of the rear straw rack 135B extends to the rear and is longer in front-to-back length than the straw rack member 136 of the front straw rack 135A. The front end of the straw rack member 136 of the rear straw rack 135B is located below the rear end of the straw rack member 136 of the front straw rack 135A, and the front and rear straw racks 135 are installed to be continuous in the front-to-back direction.

[0083] The straw rack 135 performs specific gravity separation on the threshed grain sent from the chaff sieve 120. The straw rack 135 is configured to allow secondary materials (such as grains with stems and ear fragments) that are lighter in specific gravity than the grain to flow down, while also sending the discarded straw and other materials outside the machine.

[0084] Below the front and rear straw racks 135, there is a rear guide plate section 146 that forms a downward sloping surface towards the second conveyor 46. The rear guide plate section 146 is made up of metal plate-like members or rubber sags made of elastic material such as rubber. The threshed grain that falls from the straw racks 135 is guided to the second conveyor 46 by the rear guide plate section 146.

[0085] The grain sieve 130 receives the grain threshed by the threshing unit 7 and is installed in the oscillating sorting device 43 as a sieve for sorting the first grain. Above the grain sieve 130 is a chaff sieve 120 having multiple chaff fins 121, and the grain sieve 130 further sorts the processed material sorted by the chaff sieve 120. The grain sieve 130 is located above the first conveyor 45 and distributes the processed material to be transported to the first conveyor 45 and the second conveyor 46.

[0086] As shown in Figures 6 and 8, the grain sieve 130 is a substantially flat plate-shaped member with a substantially rectangular plate-like outer shape. The grain sieve 130 has a width dimension (dimension in the left-right direction) corresponding to the distance between the left and right side plates 141, 141, and is provided in a range that extends substantially across the entire distance between the left and right side plates 141, 141 in the left-right direction.

[0087] The grain sieve 130 includes a plate-shaped grain sieve body portion 161 through which numerous holes 163 for sorting materials are formed. The grain sieve body portion 161 is a flat, porous portion that makes up substantially the entire grain sieve 130, which has a rectangular outer shape, and has an upper surface 161a and a lower surface 161b as plate surfaces.

[0088] Numerous holes 163, which serve as openings, are formed through most of the grain sieve body 161, excluding the front and rear edges. These numerous holes 163 are basically arranged in a two-dimensional grid along the rectangular outer shape of the grain sieve 130. The grain sieve 130 allows grain to fall into the grain tank 10 through the holes 163, while leaving other impurities on the grain sieve 130. The holes 163 have an opening shape that is roughly square or roughly rectangular with rounded corners. However, the opening shape of the holes 163 is not particularly limited.

[0089] The grain sieve 130 has a front edge 162 and a rear edge 164 in the grain sieve body 161, which are areas where the holes 163 are not formed. The front edge 162 and the rear edge 164 are plate-like portions that are provided with a substantially constant width over the entire width direction (left-right direction) of the grain sieve 130. Vertical bars 165 are provided on the left and right sides of the lower surface 161b of the middle part of the grain sieve body 161 in the width direction. The vertical bars 165 are straight members that run along the front-rear direction in a plan view, have a substantially U-shaped cross-section with the lower side open, and are fixed to the lower surface 161b of the grain sieve body 161 by welding or the like (see Figure 10). In addition, through-type openings aligned with the holes 163 are formed in the portions of the vertical bars 165 that correspond to each hole 163.

[0090] The grain sieve 130 has its front end positioned below the rear end of the feed pan body 113a of the lower feed pan 113. The grain sieve 130 also has its rear end positioned below and near the rear end of the chaff sieve 120.

[0091] In the grain sieve 130, a front bent surface portion 166 is formed on the front side of the grain sieve body portion 161, which is bent downward at a right angle from the front end of the front edge portion 162 (see Figure 9). Also, on both the left and right sides of the grain sieve body portion 161, lateral bent surface portions 167 are formed, which are bent downward at a right angle from the left and right ends of the grain sieve body portion 161. Furthermore, a rear bent surface portion 168 is formed on the rear side of the grain sieve body portion 161, which is a bent portion that forms a roughly L shape in side view (see Figure 10). The rear bent surface portion 168, which forms a roughly L shape in side view, has a vertical surface portion 168a that is bent downward at a right angle from the rear end of the rear edge portion 164 of the grain sieve body portion 161, and a horizontal surface portion 168b that is bent rearward at a right angle from the lower end of the vertical surface portion 168a.

[0092] The support configuration of the grain sieve 130 in the oscillating sorting device 43 will now be described. The grain sieve 130 is supported on both the front and rear sides and on both the left and right sides by a front support portion 171, a rear support portion 172, and left and right lateral support portions 173, 173. The grain sieve 130 and its support configuration are configured symmetrically or substantially symmetrically.

[0093] At the front support section 171, the grain sieve 130 fixes and supports the front edge 162 of the grain sieve body 161 with respect to the rear edge of the lower feed pan 113 via the beam member 180 and the left and right support brackets 200 which act as support members.

[0094] The beam member 180 is a straight member having approximately the same dimensions as the lower feed pan 113 in the left-right direction, and is provided to extend almost the entire distance between the left and right side plates 141, 141. The beam member 180 is a bent plate-like member having a certain cross-sectional shape, and together with the rear edge of the lower feed pan 113, forms a roughly rectangular cylindrical space 181 with both the left and right sides open (see Figure 9).

[0095] As shown in Figure 9, the beam member 180 has the following surfaces forming its cross-sectional shape: a front fixed surface 182 along the lower surface of the feed pan body 113a of the lower feed pan 113; a front side surface 183 bent obtusely downward from the rear end of the front fixed surface 182; a bottom surface 184 bent at a right angle to the rear from the lower end of the front side surface 183; a rear side surface 185 bent at a right angle upward from the rear end of the bottom surface 184; and a rear fixed surface 186 bent at a right angle to the rear from the upper end of the rear side surface 185, which is along the lower surface of the rear inclined surface 113d of the lower feed pan 113. The beam member 180 has a roughly hat shape in a side cross-sectional view (as a cross-sectional shape) due to these surfaces.

[0096] The beam member 180 is fixed to the lower feed pan 113 by welding or other means to the front fixed surface portion 182 and the rear fixed surface portion 186 of the lower feed pan 113, respectively to the feed pan body portion 113a and the rear inclined surface portion 113d of the lower feed pan 113. A cylindrical space portion 181 is formed by the front side portion 183, bottom portion 184 and rear side portion 185 of the beam member 180 fixed to the lower feed pan 113, the rear edge portion of the feed pan body portion 113a and the front edge portion of the rear inclined surface portion 113d.

[0097] The beam member 180 is provided with screw members 187 for receiving the support brackets 200. Two screw members 187 are provided for each support bracket 200 at predetermined intervals in the left-right direction, for a total of four locations. The screw members 187 are, for example, welding bolts, which penetrate the bottom surface 184 of the beam member 180, with a disc-shaped head 187a fixed to the upper side of the bottom surface 184 by welding, and a threaded portion 187b protruding downward from the bottom surface 184.

[0098] As shown in Figures 9 and 11, the support bracket 200 is a member formed by bending a strip-shaped plate member having a predetermined width into a predetermined shape. The support bracket 200 has, as its bent form, an upper fixed surface portion 201 that follows the lower surface of the bottom surface portion 184 of the beam member 180, side portions 202 that are bent diagonally downward to the left and right outward from both ends of the upper fixed surface portion 201, and a lower fixed surface portion 203 that is bent at an obtuse angle to the left and right outward from the lower ends of each side portion 202 and follows the upper surface of the front edge portion 162 of the grain sheave main body portion 161. The support bracket 200 has a substantially hat shape as a bent form due to these surfaces.

[0099] The support bracket 200 is fixed to the beam member 180 with its upper fixing surface 201 overlapping the bottom surface 184 from below. The support bracket 200 is fastened and fixed to the beam member 180 at two points on the left and right by nuts 188 that are screwed into the protruding portions of the threaded parts 187b that extend downward from the upper fixing surface 201.

[0100] The support bracket 200 is fastened and fixed to the grain sheave 130 by bolts 205, with the left and right lower fixing surfaces 203 overlapping the front edge 162 of the grain sheave body 161 from above. The bolts 205 pass through the front edge 162 of the grain sheave body 161 and the lower fixing surfaces 203 of the support bracket 200 from below and are screwed into nuts 204 provided on the upper side of the lower fixing surfaces 203.

[0101] As described above, a support bracket 200 is provided at the inlet 230 located between the lower feed pan 113 and the grain sieve 130 to support the grain sieve 130 relative to the lower feed pan 113. The support bracket 200 is fixed to the beam member 180 and the grain sieve 130, respectively. The support bracket 200 is provided at two locations on both the left and right sides between the beam member 180 and the front edge 162 of the grain sieve 130 (see Figure 11). The support bracket 200 has a dimension of approximately 1 / 3 of the left-right dimension of the grain sieve 130 in the left-right direction, and each support bracket 200 is positioned within a dimension range of approximately 1 / 3 of the left and right sides of the grain sieve 130. In the area where the support bracket 200 is positioned between the beam member 180 and the grain sheave 130, a roughly trapezoidal space 206 is formed as a space enclosed by the support bracket 200 and the grain sheave main body 161, with both the front and rear sides being open and the upper fixed surface 201 and the grain sheave main body 161 serving as the upper and lower bases, respectively.

[0102] In this configuration, where a support bracket 200 is interposed between the lower feed pan 113 forming the inlet 230 and the grain sieve 130 at the front support section 171, the left and right side portions 202 of each support bracket 200 exist as parts that are installed between the beam member 180 and the grain sieve 130. The side portions 202 of the support bracket 200 act as straightening plates that act on the sorting air from the winnowing machine 47 passing through the inlet 230.

[0103] The side portion 202 of the support bracket 200 is a plate-like portion with its surface aligned in the front-to-back direction and its thickness direction roughly aligned in the left-to-right direction. In the support bracket 200 that forms a roughly trapezoidal space 206 as described above, the side portion 202 is an inclined surface that is tilted with respect to the vertical direction. This is merely an example, but in the view shown in Figure 10, the angle that the side portion 202 makes with respect to the vertical direction is about 10°. Note that the side portion 202 may also be a vertical surface aligned with the vertical direction. The side portions 202 are provided in a total of four locations by the two support brackets 200 interposed between the beam member 180 and the grain sheave 130. The four side portions 202 are provided so that their external shapes in side view match, that is, so that their entirety overlaps each other in side view.

[0104] The rear support section 172 is provided with a support beam 210 that supports the rear end of the grain sieve 130. The support beam 210 is installed horizontally between the left and right side plates 141, 141. Thus, the support section that supports the rear of the grain sieve 130 is provided as a beam-like portion installed between the left and right side plates 141, 141 of the oscillating sorting device 43.

[0105] The support beam 210 is a straight member extending in the left-right direction, a bent plate-like member having a certain cross-sectional shape, and is installed between the left and right side plates 141. The support beam 210 has a cross-sectional surface that forms the shape of its cross-section, which includes an upper support surface 211 that receives the fixation of the grain sheave main body 161, a rear surface 212 that is bent downward at a right angle from the rear end of the upper support surface 211, and a lower surface 213 that is bent forward at a right angle from the lower end of the rear surface 212. The support beam 210 has a roughly "J" shaped cross-section due to these surfaces.

[0106] The upper support surface 211 is a downward-sloping surface that follows the downward-sloping incline of the grain sheave 130. The lower surface 213 has a length that extends forward from the rear surface 212 that is approximately 1 / 3 to 1 / 2 the length of the upper support surface 211.

[0107] The support beam 210 has rectangular projections 214 that protrude outwards to the left and right at both left and right ends of the upper support surface 211 (see Figure 8). The projections 214 are provided in such a manner that they partially protrude outwards to the left and right from the front and rear intermediate portions of the upper support surface 211. The support beam 210 is fixed to the left and right side plates 141 by welding or the like, with the projections 214 inserted into narrow rectangular openings 141c formed through the left and right side plates 141 and the left and right end faces in contact with the inner surfaces 141a. In the support beam 210, a space 215 is formed where three sides are surrounded by the rear, rear surface 212 and bottom surface 213 of the upper support surface 211, and both left and right sides are closed by the side plates 141 (see Figure 10).

[0108] The grain sheave 130 is fastened and fixed to the support beam 210 by bolts 216, with the rear edge 164 of the grain sheave body 161 overlapping the upper support surface 211 of the support beam 210 from below, and the rear bent surface 168 positioned within the space 215. The bolts 216 penetrate the rear edge 164 and the upper support surface 211 from below and are screwed into nuts 217 provided on the upper side of the upper support surface 211.

[0109] Between the bolt 216 and the rear edge 164 of the grain sheave body 161, the L-shaped fitting 218, which is aligned with the rear edge 164 and the lateral bent surface 167 of the grain sheave body 161, has its surface portion 218a aligned with the rear edge 164 interposed with the bolt 216 passing through it. The fixing points of the grain sheave 130 to the support beam 210 by the bolt 216 are provided at two locations on both the left and right ends of the support beam 210 (see Figure 8).

[0110] In the lateral support section 173, the grain sheave 130 is fixedly supported to the lower ends of the left and right side plates 141 via lateral support brackets 220. The lateral support brackets 220 are provided for approximately one-quarter of the front portion of the grain sheave 130 that extends downward from the side plate 141. In the side plate 141, along the lower edges of the main body portion of the side plate 141, which form the inner surface 141a and outer surface 141b, a lower bent surface portion 141d is formed with a predetermined width, which is bent perpendicularly inward to the left and right main body portion of the side plate 141.

[0111] The lateral support bracket 220 is a bent plate-shaped member whose longitudinal direction is in the front-rear direction and which has a crank-shaped bend when viewed from the rear. The lateral support bracket 220 has, as its bent shape, an upper vertical surface portion 221 that follows the outer surface 141b of the side plate 141, a horizontal surface portion 222 that is bent at a right angle inward to the left and right from the lower end of the upper vertical surface portion 221 and follows the lower surface of the lower bent surface portion 141d of the side plate 141, and a lower vertical surface portion 223 that is bent at a right angle downward from the left and right inner ends of the horizontal surface portion 222 and follows the lateral bent surface portion 167 of the grain sheave 130. The upper vertical surface portion 221 and the lower vertical surface portion 223 are surfaces whose left-right direction is the thickness direction, and the horizontal surface portion 222 is a surface whose up-down direction is the thickness direction.

[0112] In the lateral support bracket 220, the lateral surface portion 222 is provided to form a horizontal surface. The lower vertical surface portion 223 has an inclined edge that follows the downward slope of the front of the grain sheave 130 so that its lower edge coincides with the lower edge of the lateral bent surface portion 167 of the grain sheave 130 in a side view, and a forward-sloping inclined edge that coincides with the front edge of the support bracket 200 in a side view, and has a substantially triangular shape in a side view.

[0113] The lateral support bracket 220 is integrally provided with the grain sheave 130 by fixing its lower vertical surface portion 223 to the lateral bent surface portion 167 of the grain sheave 130 from the left and right outer sides by welding or the like.

[0114] The lateral support bracket 220 is fastened and fixed to the side plate 141 by bolts 225, with the upper vertical surface portion 221 overlapping the side plate 141b from the outer surface 141b side and the lateral surface portion 222 overlapping the lower curved surface portion 141d from below. The bolts 225 penetrate the upper vertical surface portion 221 and the side plate 141 from the left and right outer sides and are screwed into nuts 226 provided on the inner surface 141a side of the side plate 141. The fixing parts by bolts 225 are provided at two locations, front and rear, on the upper edge of the lateral support bracket 220 (see Figure 8). In the lateral support bracket 220, the lower vertical surface portion 223 is the part that extends downward from the side plate 141, and the grain sheave 130 is fixed to this lower vertical surface portion 223 in such a manner that the lateral curved surface portion 167 is aligned with the lower part of the lower vertical surface portion 223.

[0115] As described above, the grain sieve 130, supported by the front support portion 171, the rear support portion 172, and the left and right lateral support portions 173 on the frame 140, is installed in a downward sloping shape, for example, at an inclination angle of approximately 5 to 10° with respect to the horizontal direction. Note that the support configuration of the grain sieve 130 in the oscillating sorting device 43 is not limited to this embodiment.

[0116] In the sorting unit 8 having the above configuration, as shown in Figure 11, an inlet 230 is provided between the lower feed pan 113 and the grain sieve 130 to guide the sorting air from the winnowing machine 47 upwards to the grain sieve 130.

[0117] The grain sieve 130 is positioned with its front end below the rear end of the lower feed pan 113, and is connected and supported to the rear end of the lower feed pan 113 (the rear end of the feed pan body 113a) via a support bracket 200 and a beam member 180. In this configuration, a gap exists between the front end of the grain sieve 130 and the rear end of the lower feed pan 113 due to the difference in height (drop) between the two, and this gap serves as an inlet 230 into which the sorting air from the winnowing machine 47 is introduced.

[0118] In detail, the inlet 230 is the portion that forms the space between the beam member 180 and the front edge 162 of the grain sheave 130, and is an opening formed by the bottom surface 184 of the beam member 180, the front edge 162 of the grain sheave 130, and the left and right side plates 141. The space formed by the inlet 230 is divided by the left and right support brackets 200 into an inner space 206 of the support brackets 200, a space between the left and right support brackets 200, and a space between the left and right outer side plates 141 of the support brackets 200 (see Figure 11).

[0119] With respect to the area where the inlet 230 is formed, the feed pan body portion 113a of the lower feed pan 113 extends horizontally forward, and the grain sieve 130 extends inclined upward and backward. In the configuration with the inlet 230, there is a drop (see arrow B1) between the path running along the feed pan body portion 113a from front to rear and the path running along the grain sieve 130 from front to rear, the amount of the gap forming the inlet 230 (see Figure 12).

[0120] In this configuration, in which an inlet 230 is provided between the lower feed pan 113 and the grain sieve 130, the winnowing machine 47 is installed so that sorting air is sent to the grain sieve 130. In this embodiment, the winnowing machine 47 is installed so that sorting air is sent below the second wind deflector 119, which is upstream of the inlet 230, and above and below the grain sieve 130.

[0121] In other words, as shown in Figure 12, in the sorting section 8, the sorting airflow from the winnowing machine 47 (hereinafter also referred to as "winnowing machine sorting airflow") is divided into a first flow of winnowing machine sorting airflow (arrows C1, C2) flowing below the second wind deflector 119 and a second flow of winnowing machine sorting airflow (arrows C1, C3~C6) flowing below the grain sieve 130. The first flow of winnowing machine sorting airflow includes a path portion that passes through the inlet 230 from front to rear.

[0122] Multiple guide plate sections (241-245) are provided as guide sections for forming air passages that guide the sorting air of the winnowing machine 47. Each guide plate section is composed of a plate-like member of a predetermined thickness that is installed between the left and right side plate sections 139 (see Figures 5 and 8), and the guide surface formed by the plate surface of the plate-like member is provided to extend across the entire space between the left and right side plate sections 139 in the left-right direction. Each guide plate section is provided so that its guide surface is perpendicular to the plate surface of the side plate section 139.

[0123] As shown in Figure 12, the first to fifth guide plate sections 241 to 245 are provided as guide plates that guide the sorting air of the winnowing machine 47.

[0124] The first guide plate portion 241 is a substantially cylindrical surface portion provided to surround most of the winnowing machine 47, excluding the rear lower side (lower right side in Figure 12). The first guide plate portion 241 forms a substantially cylindrical housing space 250 that houses the winnowing machine 47.

[0125] The second guide plate section 242 has an upward-sloping surface, with its front side continuous with the lower end of the first guide plate section 241 and its rear side connected to the front upper end of the first gutter 45b. The rear end of the second guide plate section 242 is located below the front end of the grain sieve 130. The inclination angle of the second guide plate section 242 is approximately the same as the inclination angle of the grain sieve 130.

[0126] The third guide plate section 243 is located above the second guide plate section 242 and is provided as a rearward-sloping surface that is substantially parallel to the second guide plate section 242. The front of the third guide plate section 243 is connected to the rear end of the first guide plate section 241. The third guide plate section 243 is located below the first wind deflector 118 and the second wind deflector 119, with its front end positioned below the front-to-rear middle section of the first wind deflector 118 and its rear end positioned below the front-to-rear middle section of the second wind deflector 119. Together with the second guide plate section 242, the third guide plate section 243 forms a rearward-sloping air passage 251 that is continuous with the containment space 250 behind the winnowing machine 47. The air passage 251 is a passage that guides the winnowing machine sorting air from the containment space 250 mainly to the space below the grain sieve 130.

[0127] The fourth guide plate section 244 is provided above the third guide plate section 243 as a downward-sloping surface. The fourth guide plate section 244 is located near the bottom of the first wind deflector 118 and is provided parallel to the first wind deflector 118. The front end of the fourth guide plate section 244 is positioned in front of the first wind deflector 118, and the rear end is positioned below the front of the second wind deflector 119. The rear end of the fourth guide plate section 244 is connected to the rear end of the third guide plate section 243, and together with the third guide plate section 243, it forms an acute-angled corner in a side view.

[0128] The fifth guide plate surface 245 is located between the second guide plate surface 242 and the third guide plate surface 243 in the vertical direction, and is positioned above the rear end of the second guide plate surface 242. The fifth guide plate surface 245 has a front inclined surface 245a that slopes upward at the rear and a rear inclined surface 245b that slopes downward at the rear, and these surfaces form an obtuse angled bend shape with the upper side convex when viewed from the side. The length of the front inclined surface 245a in a side cross-sectional view is longer than that of the rear inclined surface 245b. In the front-rear direction, the rear inclined surface 245b of the fifth guide plate surface 245 is positioned below the front end of the grain sheave 130.

[0129] As described above, the airflow configuration for the sorting air of the winnowing machine 47 using multiple guide plate sections (241-245) creates a first winnowing machine airflow path that forms a first flow of winnowing machine sorting air (see arrows C1 and C2) flowing below the second wind deflector 119, and a second winnowing machine airflow path that forms a second flow of winnowing machine sorting air (see arrows C1, C3-C6) flowing below the grain sieve 130.

[0130] The first winnowing machine airflow path is an airflow path (see arrows C1 and C2) that passes from airflow path 251 through the space between the second wind direction plate 119 and the forward inclined surface portion 245a of the fifth guide plate surface portion 245, through the inlet 230, and through the space above the grain sieve 130 in a rearward and upward direction. The first flow of winnowing machine sorting air is directed towards the rear of the chaff sieve 120.

[0131] The second winnowing airflow path includes an airflow path (see arrows C1 and C3) that passes from airflow path 251 through the space between the fifth guide plate surface 245 and the grain sieve 130, and through the space below the grain sieve 130 in a diagonal upward and rearward direction, and an airflow path (see arrows C1, C4, and C5) that passes from airflow path 251 through the passage 252 between the second guide plate section 242 and the fifth guide plate surface 245, and through the space above the first conveyor 45, and through the space between the grain sieve 130 and the front guide plate section 145 in a diagonal upward and rearward direction. The second flow of sorting air flows toward the front straw rack 135A. Regarding the second flow of winnowing airflow, a flow (see arrow C6) is formed that passes through the group of holes 163 from the bottom to the top of the grain sieve 130.

[0132] As described above, the sorting unit 8 is configured so that the sorting air from the winnowing machine 47 is sent to the space below the second wind deflector 119, which is upstream of the inlet 230, as well as to the spaces above and below the grain sieve 130.

[0133] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 12, the auxiliary winnowing machine 71 is positioned in front of and above the winnowing machine 47, at approximately the same height as the chaff sieve 120, and is located in front of the chaff sieve 120. The sorting air from the auxiliary winnowing machine 71 (hereinafter also referred to as "auxiliary winnowing machine sorting air") passes through the air passage base 260 for the auxiliary winnowing machine 71, which is provided above the winnowing machine 47, and is guided towards the oscillating sorting device 43. The air passage base 260 is provided behind the auxiliary winnowing machine 71 so as to communicate with the space where the auxiliary winnowing machine 71 is housed.

[0134] The air duct base 260 has a configuration that branches into a lower air duct 261 and an upper air duct 262 as the air duct configuration downstream of it. The air duct base 260, the lower air duct 261 and the upper air duct 262 are formed by plate-like members of a predetermined shape that are installed between the left and right side plate sections 139, or by plate-like members of a predetermined shape that are installed between the left and right side plates 141, similar to the guide plate sections (241-245).

[0135] A lower guide plate portion 271 is provided extending from below to the rear of the auxiliary winnowing machine 71. The lower guide plate portion 271 has its front end positioned directly in front of the lower part of the auxiliary winnowing machine 71 in the front-rear direction, and its rear end is connected to the front end of the fourth guide plate portion 244. The lower guide plate portion 271 has a front inclined surface portion 271a that slopes downward to the rear and a rear inclined surface portion 271b that slopes upward to the rear, and these surfaces form an obtuse angled bend shape with the lower side being convex when viewed from the side.

[0136] A lower guide plate portion 272 is provided on the rear upper side of the auxiliary winnowing machine 71, which together with the lower guide plate portion 271 forms the air passage base portion 260. The lower guide plate portion 272 has its front end positioned directly above the front-to-rear intermediate portion of the auxiliary winnowing machine 71 in the front-to-rear direction, and its rear end positioned above the front end of the oscillating sorting device 43. The lower guide plate portion 272 has a front inclined surface portion 272a which slopes downward at the rear, an intermediate inclined surface portion 272b which slopes upward at the rear, and a rear horizontal surface portion 272c which is a horizontal surface portion, and these surfaces form a predetermined bent shape when viewed from the side.

[0137] The front inclined surface portion 272a is provided as a surface portion that is inclined substantially parallel to the front inclined surface portion 271a, at a position opposite to the front inclined surface portion 271a of the lower guide plate portion 271 with respect to the auxiliary winnowing machine 71, and the auxiliary winnowing machine 71 is interposed between it and the front inclined surface portion 271a. The intermediate inclined surface portion 272b extends diagonally backward from the rear end of the front inclined surface portion 272a so as to form an obtuse angle with the front inclined surface portion 272a in a side view, and is located above the rear inclined surface portion 271b of the lower guide plate portion 271. The intermediate inclined surface portion 272b has a steeper upward slope than the slope of the rear inclined surface portion 271b, and together with the rear inclined surface portion 271b, it forms an air passage base portion 260 that goes from the auxiliary winnowing machine 71 to the front end of the oscillating sorting device 43.

[0138] The rear horizontal section 272c extends horizontally backward from the upper end of the intermediate inclined surface section 272b. The rear horizontal section 272c is located above the front end of the oscillating sorting device 43. In the front-rear direction, the rear end of the rear horizontal section 272c is positioned at the front end of the area where the receiving net 42 is installed.

[0139] A material guide plate section 273 is provided on the upper rear side of the rear horizontal section 272c. The material guide plate section 273 is a downward sloping surface that receives the material leaking down from the front end of the area where the threshing rod 40a is installed in the threshing drum 40 via the receiving net 42 and guides it to the upper feed pan 111 on the lower rear side. The material guide plate section 273 is made up of a part of the bent plate-shaped member that forms the lower guide plate section 272, or a member separate from that member.

[0140] A branching guide section 265 is provided directly in front of the upper feed pan 111, which acts on the sorting airflow from the auxiliary winnowing machine 71. The branching guide section 265 is composed of a bent plate-shaped member of a predetermined shape, which is installed between the left and right side plates 141. The branching guide section 265 is located between the rear inclined surface 271b of the lower guide plate section 271 and the rear horizontal surface 272c of the lower guide plate section 272. The branching guide section 265 is located at the rear of the upper part of the auxiliary winnowing machine 71.

[0141] The branching guide section 265 has a vertical first surface section 265a with the front-to-back direction as the plate thickness direction, and a second surface section 265b which is an inclined surface section extending diagonally upward and rearward from the lower end of the first surface section 265a, and these surfaces form an acute-angled corner in a side view. The first surface section 265a is the surface section that forms the front plate section 142 of the frame 140 of the oscillating sorting device 43, and is provided so as to follow the front edge of the side plate 141. The rear end of the second surface section 265b is positioned directly below the front end of the upper feed pan 111.

[0142] The first surface 265a of the branching guide section 265 is located behind the intermediate inclined surface 272b of the lower guide plate section 272, and together with the intermediate inclined surface 272b and the rear horizontal surface 272c, forms the upper air passage 262. The second surface 265b of the branching guide section 265 is located above the rear of the rear inclined surface 271b of the lower guide plate section 271, and together with the rear inclined surface 271b, forms the lower air passage 261.

[0143] With the above configuration, the auxiliary winnowing machine 71 is installed so that sorting air is supplied above the upper feed pan 111, between the upper feed pan 111 and the middle feed pan 112, between the chaff sieve 120 and the lower feed pan 113, and between the lower feed pan 113 and the grain sieve 130.

[0144] In other words, as shown in Figure 12, in the sorting section 8, the sorting airflow from the auxiliary winnowing machine 71 is formed as follows: a first flow of auxiliary winnowing sorting air flowing above the upper feed pan 111 (see arrows E1, E2), a second flow of auxiliary winnowing sorting air flowing between the upper feed pan 111 and the middle feed pan 112 (see arrows E3, E4), a third flow of auxiliary winnowing sorting air flowing between the chaff sieve 120 and the lower feed pan 113 (see arrows E3, E5, E6), and a fourth flow of auxiliary winnowing sorting air flowing between the lower feed pan 113 and the grain sieve 130 (see arrows E3, E5, E7, E8).

[0145] Therefore, the airflow path configuration for the sorting air of the auxiliary winnowing machine 71 is as follows: an auxiliary winnowing machine first airflow path that forms the first flow of the auxiliary winnowing machine sorting air (arrows E1, E2); an auxiliary winnowing machine second airflow path that forms the second flow of the auxiliary winnowing machine sorting air (arrows E3, E4); an auxiliary winnowing machine third airflow path that forms the third flow of the auxiliary winnowing machine sorting air (arrows E3, E5, E6); and an auxiliary winnowing machine fourth airflow path that forms the fourth flow of the auxiliary winnowing machine sorting air (arrows E3, E5, E7, E8).

[0146] The first air passage of the secondary winnowing machine branches off from the air passage base 260 into the upper air passage 262 and passes through the space between the intermediate inclined surface 272b and the rear horizontal surface 272c and the first surface 265a, passing through the space above the upper feed pan 111 toward the rear (see arrows E1 and E2). The first flow of the secondary winnowing machine sorting air is a flow that goes from the upper feed pan 111 toward the rear along the upper side of the middle feed pan 112 and the chaff sieve 120. Here, there is a drop in elevation (see arrow B2) between the path that goes from front to rear along the upper feed pan 111 and the path that goes from front to rear along the rear horizontal surface 112d of the middle feed pan 112, due to the difference in the height positions of the two feed pans.

[0147] The second airflow path of the secondary winnowing machine branches off from the airflow path base 260 into the lower airflow path 261 and passes through the space between the upper feed pan 111 and the middle feed pan 112 toward the rear (see arrows E3 and E4). The second flow of the secondary winnowing machine sorting airflow is a flow that goes from above the middle feed pan 112 along the upper side of the chaff sieve 120 toward the rear.

[0148] The third airflow path of the secondary winnowing machine branches off from the airflow path base 260 into the lower airflow path 261 and passes through the space between the central feed pan 112 and the first wind deflector 118, and then through the space between the chaff sieve 120 and the lower feed pan 113 toward the rear (see arrows E3, E5, and E6). The third flow of the secondary winnowing machine sorting air flows toward the rear along the underside of the chaff sieve 120. Thus, the lower airflow path 261 has a downstream airflow configuration in which it branches into an airflow path above the central feed pan 112 and an airflow path below the central feed pan 112.

[0149] The fourth auxiliary winnowing machine airflow path branches off from the airflow path base 260 into the lower airflow path 261 and passes through the space between the middle feedpan 112 and the first wind deflector 118, and the space below the lower feedpan 113, and then through the space between the lower feedpan 113 and the grain sieve 130 toward the rear (see arrows E3, E5, E7, E8). The fourth auxiliary winnowing machine airflow path includes a lower airflow path 263, which is a horizontal airflow path formed by the lower feedpan 113 (its feedpan body portion 113a) and the second wind deflector 119, located below the lower feedpan 113.

[0150] The fourth flow of the secondary winnowing airflow is a flow that flows backward along the grain sieve 130 via the inlet 230, and merges with the first flow of the winnowing airflow (arrows C1, C2) near the inlet 230. Thus, the lower airflow of the middle feedpan 112, which branches off from the lower airflow 261, has a downstream airflow configuration that branches into an upper airflow of the lower feedpan 113 and an airflow of the lower feedpan 113.

[0151] As described above, the sorting unit 8 is configured so that the sorting air from the auxiliary winnowing machine 71 is sent to the space above the upper feed pan 111, the space between the upper feed pan 111 and the middle feed pan 112, the space between the chaff sieve 120 and the lower feed pan 113, and the space between the lower feed pan 113 and the grain sieve 130.

[0152] Furthermore, the oscillating sorting device 43 according to this embodiment has the following configuration. Specifically, as shown in Figures 6, 7, and 13, in the oscillating sorting device 43, a sieving section 390 is provided on the rear side of the upper feed pan 111, in which a plurality of sieving wire sections 391 are arranged in parallel.

[0153] The sieving section 390 is provided over substantially the entire area of ​​the main body 111a of the upper feed pan 111 in the left-right direction (see Figure 7). Therefore, the sieving section 390 is provided over substantially the entire area between the left and right side plates 141 in the left-right direction. The sieving section 390 is composed of two sieving members 395 arranged adjacent to each other on the left and right sides (see Figure 7).

[0154] The sieving member 395 is a bent plate-shaped member having a predetermined bend shape, and comprises a fixed plate portion 392 and a sieving body portion 393 including a plurality of sieving wire portions 391, and these portions form an obtuse-angled bent line shape when viewed from the side.

[0155] The fixed plate portion 392 is a rectangular plate-shaped portion with its longitudinal direction running horizontally, and its horizontal dimension is approximately half the horizontal dimension of the upper feed pan 111. The sieve body portion 393 has a base portion 394 that forms the front edge of the sieve body portion 393 and a plurality of sieve wire portions 391 that extend rearward from the base portion 394, and has a comb-like shape.

[0156] The base portion 394 is a plate-shaped part formed in the same area as the fixed plate portion 392 in the left-right direction, and forms the extended base of a plurality of sieve wire portions 391. The base portion 394 is connected to the rear side of the fixed plate portion 392 and together with the fixed plate portion 392 forms an obtuse-angled bent surface portion. The sieve wire portion 391 is a narrow, straight portion extending from the base portion 394 in a predetermined direction. The plurality of sieve wire portions 391 are formed in the same plane as the base portion 394 and are arranged in parallel with predetermined intervals in the left-right direction.

[0157] The sieving member 395, which constitutes the sieving section 390, has a fixing plate portion 392 fixedly supported on the rear edge of the upper feed pan 111, that is, on the rear edge of the main body portion 111a. The sieving member 395 is fixed to the upper feed pan 111 by bolts 396 with the fixing plate portion 392 superimposed on the rear edge of the upper feed pan 111. The bolts 396 pass through the fixing plate portion 392 of the sieving member 395 and the rear edge of the upper feed pan 111, and are screwed into nuts 397 provided on the back (lower) side of the main body portion 111a (see Figure 13). In each sieving member 395, the fixing portions by bolts 396 are provided at three locations in the left-right direction: both ends and the center of the fixing plate portion 392.

[0158] At the rear end of the upper feed pan 111, a rear inclined surface portion 111d is formed, which forms an obtuse angle with the main body portion 111a, following the curved shape of the sieving member 395 formed by the fixing plate portion 392 and the sieving body portion 393. The rear inclined surface portion 111d overlaps the base portion 394 of the sieving member 395 and the base portions of each sieving wire portion 391 from below.

[0159] The sieving section 390 has multiple sieving wire sections 391 positioned above the central feed pan 112. In other words, the central feed pan 112 is positioned below the sieving section 390. In this embodiment, the entire or substantially entire rear horizontal surface 112d of the central feed pan 112 is included within the arrangement range of the sieving wire sections 391 in the front-rear direction, and the arrangement ranges of the sieving wire sections 391 and the rear horizontal surface 112d substantially coincide with each other in the front-rear direction (see Figure 6).

[0160] In the sieving section 390, the multiple sieving wire sections 391 are arranged in an upward-sloping manner. In the example shown in Figure 6, the angle that the multiple sieving wire sections 391 make with respect to the horizontal direction is, for example, about 10°. The magnitude of the inclination angle of the sieving wire sections 391 with respect to the horizontal direction is not particularly limited.

[0161] As described above, in the oscillating sorting device 43, a sieving section 390 is provided above the rear of the central feed pan 112, and is composed of two sieving members 395 attached to the rear side of the upper feed pan 111. In this embodiment, the sieving section 390 is composed of two sieving members 395 arranged adjacent to each other on the left and right, but the number of sieving members 395 constituting the sieving section 390 is not limited. The sieving section 390 may be composed of a single sieving member or of three or more sieving members.

[0162] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 6, 8, and 9, in the oscillating sorting device 43, a sieving section 190 is provided on the rear side of the lower feed pan 113, with a plurality of sieving wire sections 191 arranged in parallel. The sieving section 190 provided for the lower feed pan 113 is the second sieving section of the oscillating sorting device 43, and is provided in the same manner as the sieving section 390, which is the first sieving section provided for the upper feed pan 111.

[0163] The sieve section 190 is provided over substantially the entire feed pan body 113a of the lower feed pan 113 in the left-right direction (see Figure 8). Therefore, the sieve section 190 is provided over substantially the entire area between the left and right side plates 141 in the left-right direction. The sieve section 190 is composed of two sieve members 195 arranged adjacent to each other on the left and right sides (see Figure 8).

[0164] The sieving member 195 is a bent plate-shaped member having a predetermined bend shape, and comprises a fixed plate portion 192 and a sieving body portion 193 including a plurality of sieving wire portions 191, and these portions form an obtuse-angled bent line shape when viewed from the side.

[0165] The fixed plate portion 192 is a rectangular plate-shaped portion with its longitudinal direction running horizontally, and its horizontal dimension is approximately half the horizontal dimension of the grain sieve 130. The sieve body portion 193 has a base portion 194 that forms the front edge of the sieve body portion 193 and a plurality of sieve wire portions 191 that extend rearward from the base portion 194, and has a comb-like shape.

[0166] The base portion 194 is a plate-shaped part formed in the same area as the fixed plate portion 192 in the left-right direction, and forms the extended base of a plurality of sieve wire portions 191. The base portion 194 is connected to the rear side of the fixed plate portion 192 and together with the fixed plate portion 192 forms an obtuse-angled bent surface portion. The sieve wire portion 191 is a narrow, straight portion extending from the base portion 194 in a predetermined direction. The plurality of sieve wire portions 191 are formed in the same plane as the base portion 194 and are arranged in parallel with predetermined intervals in the left-right direction.

[0167] The sieving member 195, which constitutes the sieving section 190, has its fixing plate portion 192 fixedly supported on the rear edge of the lower feed pan 113, that is, on the rear edge of the feed pan body portion 113a. The sieving member 195 is fixed to the lower feed pan 113 by bolts 196 with the fixing plate portion 192 superimposed on the rear edge of the lower feed pan 113. The rear inclined surface portion 113d of the lower feed pan 113 overlaps the base portion 194 of the sieving member 195 from below. The bolts 196 pass through the fixing plate portion 192 of the sieving member 195 and the rear edge of the lower feed pan 113, and are screwed into nuts 197 provided on the back (underside) of the feed pan body portion 113a (see Figure 9). The nut portion 197 is located within a cylindrical space 181 formed by a beam member 180 located below the feed pan body portion 113a and the rear inclined surface portion 113d. In each sieve member 195, the fixing portion by bolts 196 is provided at three locations in the left-right direction: both ends and the center of the fixing plate portion 192.

[0168] The sieve section 190 has multiple sieve wire sections 191 positioned between the front of the grain sieve 130 and the front-to-back intermediate section of the chaff sieve 120. In the sieve section 190, the multiple sieve wire sections 191 are arranged in an upward sloping manner so as to be approximately parallel to the grain sieve 130. In the example shown in Figure 6, the angle that the multiple sieve wire sections 191 make with respect to the horizontal direction is, for example, about 10°. The magnitude of the inclination angle of the sieve wire sections 191 with respect to the horizontal direction is not particularly limited.

[0169] The sieve section 190 is provided so as to overlap with the grain sieve 130 in a plan view (see Figure 8). In the front-to-back direction, the sieve section 190 is provided so that the tips (rear ends) of the multiple sieve wire sections 191 are positioned above the front of the grain sieve 130, and it extends over approximately one-quarter of the front of the grain sieve 130. The extension length of the multiple sieve wire sections 191 is not particularly limited. In the left-to-right direction, the sieve section 190 extends over approximately the entire grain sieve 130.

[0170] As described above, in the oscillating sorting device 43, a sieving section 190 is provided above the front of the grain sieve 130, consisting of two sieving members 195 attached to the rear side of the lower feed pan 113. In this embodiment, the sieving section 190 is composed of two sieving members 195 arranged adjacent to each other on the left and right, but the number of sieving members 195 constituting the sieving section 190 is not limited. The sieving section 190 may be composed of a single sieving member or of three or more sieving members.

[0171] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6, in the oscillating sorting device 43, the central feed pan 112 and the lower feed pan 113 are arranged so that at least a portion of them overlap in a plan view. That is, in the front-to-back direction, the rear end of the central feed pan 112 is located behind the front end of the lower feed pan 113, which is located below the central feed pan 112, and in a plan view, the rear of the central feed pan 112 and the front of the lower feed pan 113 overlap each other.

[0172] In this embodiment, in the front-to-back direction, the rear end of the central feed pan 112 is located above the front part of the lower feed pan 113. The majority of the rear side of the rear horizontal surface 112d of the central feed pan 112 is located above the front end of the feed pan body 113a and the front inclined surface 113b of the lower feed pan 113, and the central feed pan 112 is provided so that the majority of the rear side of the rear horizontal surface 112d overlaps the lower feed pan 113 in a plan view.

[0173] In this embodiment, the middle feed pan 112 is provided so as to partially overlap the lower feed pan 113 in a plan view. However, the middle feed pan 112 may also be provided so as to completely or substantially completely overlap the lower feed pan 113 in a plan view. Furthermore, the front part of the middle feed pan 112 is positioned below the rear part of the upper feed pan 111, and it is provided so as to partially overlap the upper feed pan 111 in a plan view.

[0174] According to the combine harvester 1 of this embodiment, which has the above configuration, the sorting unit 8 can apply sorting air to the threshed material falling from the threshing unit 7, thereby improving the processing capacity of the sorting unit 8.

[0175] In the sorting section 8, the oscillating sorting device 43, which receives sorting air from the auxiliary winnowing machine 71, has a configuration that includes a chaff sieve 120 and a grain sieve 130, as well as an upper feed pan 111, a middle feed pan 112, and a lower feed pan 113. That is, the oscillating sorting device 43 has a three-tiered configuration of upper, middle, and lower feed pans for the chaff sieve 120 and the grain sieve 130. These feed pans (111, 112, 113) are positioned offset from the front to the rear from top to bottom. The oscillating sorting device 43, with its three-stage feed pan configuration, forms a first air passage for the auxiliary winnowing machine 71 that forms a first flow (arrows E1, E2), a second air passage for the auxiliary winnowing machine 71 that forms a second flow (arrows E3, E4), a third air passage for the auxiliary winnowing machine 3 that forms a third flow (arrows E3, E5, E6), and a fourth air passage for the auxiliary winnowing machine 4 that forms a fourth flow (arrows E3, E5, E7, E8) (see Figure 12).

[0176] With this configuration, the first to fourth auxiliary winnowing air passages are formed, allowing the flow of sorting air from the auxiliary winnowing machine 71 to be formed in each of the spaces (each air passage) separated vertically by the three-stage configuration of the feed pan. As a result, the sorting air from the auxiliary winnowing machine 71 can be effectively directed onto the material being processed in each air passage, thus improving the sorting efficiency and accuracy of the material being processed despite the compact structure.

[0177] Furthermore, the difference in height between the upper feed pan 111 and the middle feed pan 112 at the rear (see Figure 12, arrow B2) causes the processed material to fall from the upper feed pan 111 onto the middle feed pan 112, creating a floating state for the processed material. The second flow of the secondary winnowing air acts on this floating processed material as it falls, making it easier to separate the processed material and improving the separation of grains from dust. As a result, the sorting efficiency and accuracy of the processed material can be improved despite the compact structure.

[0178] Similarly, at the rear of the inlet 230, the drop at the rear of the lower feed pan 113 (see arrow B1 in Figure 12) causes the material to fall from the lower feed pan 113 onto the grain sieve 130, creating a floating state for the material. The first flow of winnowing air and the fourth flow of secondary winnowing air act on this floating material as it falls, making it easier to separate the material and improving the separation of grain from dust. As a result, the sorting efficiency and accuracy of the material can be improved despite the compact structure.

[0179] Furthermore, the winnowing machine 47 is configured to deliver sorting air to the grain sieve 130 via the first winnowing machine air passage and the second winnowing machine air passage, and the auxiliary winnowing machine 71 is configured to deliver sorting air above the upper feed pan 111, between the upper feed pan 111 and the middle feed pan 112, between the chaff sieve 120 and the lower feed pan 113, and between the lower feed pan 113 and the grain sieve 130 via the first to fourth auxiliary winnowing machine air passages.

[0180] With this configuration, the sorting air from the winnowing machine 47 and the auxiliary winnowing machine 71 can be routed through dedicated air passages, thereby suppressing interference between the two sorting airflows and enabling stable airflow. As a result, the sorting air from the winnowing machine 47 and the auxiliary winnowing machine 71 can be effectively directed onto the material being processed, improving the sorting efficiency and accuracy of the material.

[0181] As described above, the sorting unit 8 according to this embodiment has multiple air passages that apply sorting air to the material being processed as it falls from the receiving net 42 to the grain sieve 130, and also has multiple air passages that are formed between the chaff sieve 120 and the grain sieve 130, thereby improving the processing capacity of the material being processed.

[0182] Furthermore, a sieve section 390 is provided on the rear side of the upper feed pan 111, and the middle feed pan 112 is positioned below the sieve section 390. With this configuration, the sieve section 390 acts on the processed material leaking from the receiving screen 42 and the processed material being sent from the upper feed pan 111 above the middle feed pan 112, and sieves the material in conjunction with the oscillation of the oscillating sorting device 43. This allows for efficient removal of straw and other debris, suppresses leakage of processed material from the middle feed pan 112, and effectively improves the sorting efficiency and accuracy of the processed material.

[0183] Furthermore, a sieve section 190 is provided on the rear side of the lower feed pan 113 so as to overlap with the grain sieve 130 in a plan view. With this configuration, the sieve section 190 acts on the processed material leaking from the chaff sieve 120 and the processed material being sent from the lower feed pan 113 above the front of the grain sieve 130, and sieves the material in conjunction with the oscillation of the oscillating sorting device 43. This allows for efficient removal of straw and other debris, and effectively improves the sorting efficiency and sorting accuracy of the processed material.

[0184] Furthermore, the central feed pan 112 and the lower feed pan 113 are arranged so that at least a portion of them overlap when viewed from above.

[0185] This configuration prevents the processed material that falls from the central feed pan 112 from falling directly into the grain sieve 130. This effectively improves the sorting efficiency and sorting accuracy of the processed material in the sorting section 8.

[0186] Furthermore, a guide plate 114 is provided on the upper feed pan 111 to guide the grain towards the left and right center. With this configuration, the flow of grain moving backward on the upper feed pan 111 can be directed towards the left and right center, thereby effectively improving the sorting efficiency and sorting accuracy of the processed material.

[0187] Furthermore, the oscillating sorting device 43 has a support bracket 200 that supports the front end of the grain sieve 130 relative to the lower feed pan 113. With this configuration, the air passage area (of the inlet 230) between the lower feed pan 113 and the grain sieve 130 can be secured with a simple structure.

[0188] Furthermore, the support bracket 200 has left and right side portions 202 that function as rectifier plates. With this configuration, the sorting air from the winnowing machine 47 and the auxiliary winnowing machine 71 passing through the inlet 230 from front to back can be rectified at the inlet 230. This allows the sorting air from the winnowing machine 47 and the auxiliary winnowing machine 71 to act effectively on the material being processed, thereby improving the sorting efficiency and accuracy of the material being processed.

[0189] Furthermore, the oscillating sorting device 43 has a second wind deflector plate 119 located below the lower feed pan 113, which together with the lower feed pan 113 forms a lower air passage 263 for the sorting air from the auxiliary winnowing machine 71. With this configuration, the space below the lower feed pan 113 where the fourth flow of the auxiliary winnowing machine sorting air (see Figure 12, arrows E3, E5, E7, E8) is formed can be partitioned off from the flow path of the sorting air from the winnowing machine 47 (first winnowing machine air passage, see Figure 12, arrows C1, C2) as the lower air passage 263. This allows the sorting air from the winnowing machine 47 and the auxiliary winnowing machine 71 to act effectively on the material being processed, improving the sorting efficiency and accuracy of the material being processed.

[0190] The embodiments described above are examples of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. Therefore, even in embodiments other than those described above, various modifications are possible depending on the design, etc., as long as they do not depart from the technical spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, the effects described in this disclosure are merely examples and are not limiting, and other effects may also exist.

[0191] In the embodiment described above, combine harvester 1 is a conventional combine harvester, but the present invention is also applicable to other combine harvesters, such as a self-propelled combine harvester.

[0192] This technology can take the following configurations. Note that the configurations described below can be selected and combined as desired.

[0193] (1) A combine harvester comprising a threshing unit for threshing crops and an oscillating sorting device for sorting the threshed material obtained by the threshing unit, A winnowing machine that blows sorting air onto the aforementioned oscillating sorting device, The system comprises a secondary winnowing machine, which is positioned higher than the winnowing machine and blows sorting air to the oscillating sorting device, The aforementioned oscillating sorting device is A chaff sieve for sorting threshed grain, A grain sieve provided below the chaff sieve, The upper feed pan provided at the front of the aforementioned oscillating sorting device, A middle feed pan is provided below the upper feed pan and in front of the chaff sieve, A lower feed pan is provided between the chaff sieve and the grain sieve. A combine harvester characterized by the following features. (2) The winnowing machine is configured such that sorting air is sent to the grain sieve. The auxiliary winnowing machine is provided so that sorting air is supplied above the upper feed pan, between the upper feed pan and the middle feed pan, between the chaff sieve and the lower feed pan, and between the lower feed pan and the grain sieve. The combine harvester according to (1) above, characterized in that it is a combination harvester. (3) The rear side of the upper feed pan is provided with a sieving section in which multiple sieving wires are arranged in parallel. The aforementioned central feed pan is positioned below the sieve section. The combine harvester according to (1) or (2) above, characterized in that it is the same as described above. (4) The middle feed pan and the lower feed pan are arranged so that at least a portion of them overlap when viewed from above. A combine harvester according to any one of the above items (1) to (3), characterized in that it is a combine harvester. (5) Guide members are provided on the upper feed pan to guide the grain towards the left and right center. A combine harvester according to any one of the above items (1) to (4), characterized in that it is a combine harvester. (6) The oscillating sorting device has a support member that supports the grain sieve relative to the lower feed pan. A combine harvester according to any one of the above items (1) to (5), characterized in that it is a combine harvester. (7) The support member has a rectifier plate portion that acts on the sorting airflow. The combine harvester according to (6) above, characterized in that it is a combination harvester. (8) The oscillating sorting device has a wind direction member located below the lower feed pan and, together with the lower feed pan, forms an air passage for the sorting air from the auxiliary winnowing machine. The combine harvester according to (2) above, characterized in that it is a combination harvester. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0194] 1 combine harvester 7. Threshing section 8. Sorting Department 43. Oscillating sorting device 47 Karawinoo 71 Vice-Karangine 111 Upper feed pan 112 Chubu Feed Pan 113 Lower feed pan 114 Guide plate (guide member) 119. Second wind deflector (wind deflector member) 120 Chaff Sieve 130 Glen Seeve 200 Support bracket (support member) 202 Side part (straightening plate part) 263 Lower airway (airway) 390 Phloem 391 Sieve section

Claims

1. A combine harvester comprising a threshing unit for threshing crops and an oscillating sorting device for sorting the threshed material obtained by the threshing unit, A winnowing machine that blows sorting air onto the aforementioned oscillating sorting device, The system comprises a secondary winnowing machine, which is positioned higher than the winnowing machine and blows sorting air to the oscillating sorting device, The aforementioned oscillating sorting device is A chaff sieve for sorting threshed grain, A grain sieve provided below the chaff sieve, The upper feed pan provided at the front of the aforementioned oscillating sorting device, A middle feed pan is provided below the upper feed pan and in front of the chaff sieve, A lower feed pan is provided between the chaff sieve and the grain sieve. A combine harvester characterized by the following features.

2. The winnowing machine is configured such that sorting air is sent to the grain sieve. The auxiliary winnowing machine is provided so that sorting air is supplied above the upper feed pan, between the upper feed pan and the middle feed pan, between the chaff sieve and the lower feed pan, and between the lower feed pan and the grain sieve. The combine harvester as described in feature 1.

3. The rear side of the upper feed pan is provided with a sieving section in which multiple sieving wires are arranged in parallel. The aforementioned central feed pan is positioned below the sieve section. A combine harvester according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The middle feed pan and the lower feed pan are arranged so that at least a portion of them overlap when viewed from above. The combine harvester as described in feature 1.

5. Guide members are provided on the upper feed pan to guide the grain towards the left and right center. The combine harvester as described in feature 1.

6. The oscillating sorting device has a support member that supports the grain sieve relative to the lower feed pan. The combine harvester as described in feature 1.

7. The support member has a rectifier plate portion that acts on the sorting airflow. The combine harvester according to feature 6.

8. The oscillating sorting device has a wind direction member located below the lower feed pan and, together with the lower feed pan, forms an air passage for the sorting air from the auxiliary winnowing machine. The combine harvester according to feature 2.

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