Specification
FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT 1970
(39 of 1970)
AND
THE PATENTS RULES, 2003
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (See Section 10; rule 13)
TITLE OF THE INVENTION
A CLEANING APPARATUS AND A FULL FEED COMBINE INCLUDING SUCH A CLEANING APPARATUS
APPLICANT(S)
Deere & Company, a US corporation, One John Deere Place, Moline, Illinois, 61265, USA
PREAMBLE TO THE DESCRIPTION
The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed.
Technical Field
The invention relates to a cleaning apparatus, particularly to a cleaning apparatus for a small type full feed combine. The invention also relates to a full feed combine including such a cleaning apparatus.
Background
In threshers and combines, separating between grains and tailings shall be performed on the crop mixture passing the separator. Generally, the cleaning apparatus provided downstream of the separator is used to perform cleaning. The principles are to perform separation utilizing the difference in the physical and mechanical properties between the component parts of the separating targets.
Separation may be performed based on the aerodynamic properties of the grain, that is, by means of air-flow separation, and the principle lies in that the separation is performed utilizing the difference in the aerodynamic properties of the grain and other trashes. When objects of different shapes and weights are in the air flow, the air-flow speed making the objects suspended reflects the floatation characteristic of the objects. The objects of different floatation characteristics moving relative to the air-flow are subject to different forces by the air flow. Based on this principle, the objects to be separated can be raised after it is slung in the air or by the airflow generated by the fan, and those objects may be separated due to different forces applied to those objects by the air flow.
The separation may also be performed utilizing the dimensions of the grain. In the grain cleaning machine operating at a fixed site, the grain can be precisely graded by the grading sieves (round hole sieve and long hole sieve) and assorting cylinders according to the width, thickness and length.
However, as for the grain combine operating in the field, it is not required for the grain to be precisely cleaned or graded in a hurry; rather, the grain shall be separated from the tiny objects to be separated, thus, screen sieves (woven sieves, fish scale sieves etc.) are generally used to separate the grain from the tailings utilizing the difference in their dimensions.
Among combines, the most commonly used cleaning apparatus is the type of air classifying combined with cleaning. Since when using only sieves for separation, the grain mixed in the objects to be separated has very litter chance to directly pass the sieve meshes, and the sieve meshes are always blocked by the mixture. With the cooperation of the air flow, the light tailings can be blown away from the sieve and from the cleaning apparatus, which helps to the separation of the grain.
For prior art small type full feed combine, due to limit on dimension, its cleaning apparatus can not sufficiently meet the requirement of separation. And the vibration of the cleaning apparatus during operation impairs the strength of the machine. And it is not adapted to work with different crops.
Summary of the Invention
An object of the invention is to provide a cleaning apparatus which improves the capability of cleaning and the stability of the components.
According to the invention, a cleaning apparatus is provided to be used to clean the threshed crop mixture, including a frame, blower, upper sieve, tower sieve and at feast one set of crank-rod driving assembly, which are mounted on the frame, wherein the at least one set of crank-rod driving assembly drives the upper sieve and the lower sieve to move in a reverse direction relative to each other.
In one aspect of the invention, a cleaning apparatus is proposed which is provided with one set of crank-rod driving assembly at each side.
In one aspect of the invention, a cleaning apparatus is proposed, wherein said crank-rod driving assembly includes an eccentric means which may be an eccentric wheel and a rod.
In one aspect of the invention, a cleaning apparatus is proposed, wherein the upper sieve and the lower sieve are attached to the frame via driving swing arms articulated to the rod, the ends of the driving swing arms are articulated to the upper sieve and the lower sieve respectively, and the middle portions of the driving swing arms are articulated to the frame.
In one aspect of the invention, a cleaning apparatus is proposed, wherein the upper sieve and the lower sieve are attached to the frame via driven swing arms.
In one aspect of the invention, a cleaning apparatus is proposed, wherein the upper sieve includes a fish scale sieve piece, the opening degree of which is adjustable.
In one aspect of the invention, a cleaning apparatus is proposed, wherein the lower sieve includes a fish scale sieve piece, the opening degree of which is adjustable.
In one aspect of the invention, a cleaning apparatus is proposed, wherein the upper sieve includes a trail sieve.
In one aspect of the invention, a cleaning apparatus is proposed, wherein the trail sieve is a finger-like sieve or a fish scale sieve.
In one aspect of the invention, a cleaning apparatus is proposed, wherein the upper and/or lower sieve is provided with a longitudinal compartmentation.
A full feed combine is also provided, including: a harvesting apparatus for harvesting crops from a field; a feeding apparatus for transmitting the crops harvested by the harvesting apparatus; a separator receiving the crops transmitted by the feeding apparatus and performing the threshing function; a cleaning apparatus according to the invention, positioned below the separator and receiving and sieving the threshed crops to separate the grain from the threshed mixture; a grain auger for transferring grain to a grain tank; and a tailing auger for transferring the tailing to the separator, or transferring it to the cleaning apparatus after re-threshing.
In one aspect of the invention, a full feed combine is proposed, wherein the separator, the cleaning apparatus, the grain auger and the tailing auger are mounted on a frame.
In one aspect of the invention, a full feed combine is proposed which further includes a moving apparatus, on which the frame is mounted.
In one aspect of the invention, a full feed combine is proposed, wherein the moving apparatus is a pedrail apparatus.
In one aspect of the invention, a full feed combine is proposed which is a lengthwise axial small full feed combine.
The cleaning apparatus and the full feed combine according to the invention feature the little vibration and high cleaning efficiency.
Brief Description of the Drawings
The invention will be better understood on reading the following detailed description and referring to the accompanied drawings. The components in the drawings are not required to comply with the specific scales; conversely, it is emphasized to illustrate the principle of the invention.
Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numbers represent like components in different views.
Fig. 1 diagrammatically shows the cleaning apparatus according to the
invention;
Fig. 2 illustrates a perspective view of the cleaning apparatus according the
invention;
Fig. 3 illustrates another perspective side view of the cleaning apparatus
according to the invention;
Fig. 4 illustrates a front view of the cleaning apparatus according to the
invention;
Fig. 5 illustrates a perspective view of the upper sieve of the cleaning
apparatus according to the invention;
Fig. 6 illustrates a bottom view of the upper sieve of the cleaning apparatus
according to the invention;
Fig. 7 illustrates a perspective view of the lower sieve of the cleaning
apparatus according to the invention;
Fig. 8 illustrates a bottom view of the lower sieve of the cleaning apparatus
according to the invention;
Fig. 9 shows the fish scale sieve piece of the cleaning apparatus according
to the invention;
Fig. 10 shows the bottom of the fish scale sieve piece with an opening
degree adjuster thereof; and
Fig. 11 shows a full feed combine according to the invention.
Detailed Description of the drawings
Fig. 1 shows a cleaning apparatus according to the invention, which includes a blower 1 providing air flows. The air flows blown from the blower 1 blow the lighter trashes off the threshed mixtures from the separator (not shown). An upper sieve 2 and a lower sieve 3 are arranged substantially parallel to each other at the right side of the blower 1.
As shown in Fig. 1, the upper sieve 2 and the lower sieve 3 are attached to each other via driving swing arms 7 and driven swing arms 8. Ends of the driving swing arms and driven swing arms are articulated to the upper sieve 2 and the lower sieve 3, respectively. Hinges 9 and 10 articulated to the frame 11 are provided at the middle portions of the driving swing arms 7 and the driven swing arms 8. With such an arrangement, the upper sieve 2 and the lower sieve 3 moves in a reverse direction relative to each other. That is, when the upper sieve 2 moves to the left, the lower sieve 3 to the right; vice versa. The motions of the upper and lower sieves in reverse directions contribute to counteract the impact and vibration to the whole machine. The sieving effect when the crops drops from the upper sieve 2 to the lower sieve 3 moving in a reverse direction is better than the effect when the upper and lower sieves move in same direction. Since the fact the upper and lower sieves moves in same direction may cause the crops to pass through the sieve meshes of the upper sieve 2 and the lower sieve 3, the sieving effect may be impaired.
In one embodiment, driven swing arms may be in form of two segments, one of which articulates to the frame 11 and the upper sieve 2 and the other of which articulates to the frame 11 and the lower sieve 3, as shown in Fig. 2.
As shown in Fig. 1, an eccentric wheel 5 and a rod 6 constitute the crank-rod mechanism. One end of the rod 6 is attached to the eccentric wheel 5, and the other end is articulates to one end of the driven swing arm 7. The eccentric wheel 5 drives the rod 6 by means of the transmission (not shown) so that the driving swing arms 7 swing about the hinge 9 in reciprocal motion. Driven by the driving swing arms 7, the upper sieve 2 and the lower sieve 3 perform reciprocal motion both in left-right direction and in up-down direction. When the lengths of the rod 6 and the swing arms 7, 8 are greatly bigger than the up-down amplitudes of the upper and lower
sieves 2, 3, the motions of the upper and lower sieves 7, 8 may be considered as left-right linear reciprocal motions.
The eccentric wheel 5, rod 6, driving swing arms 7, driven swing arms 8 and corresponding attachments thereof may be arranged at one side of the cleaning apparatus, as shown in Fig. 1.
In one embodiment, one set of the eccentric wheel 5, rod 6, driving swing arms 7, driven swing arms 8 and corresponding attachments thereof may be arranged at both sides of the cleaning apparatus, that is, the cleaning apparatus is driven at both sides. Fig. 3 shows the swing arms at the other side. Driving at both sides makes the operation of the cleaning apparatus more stable.
Figs. 5-8 illustrate the embodiment of the upper sieve 2 and lower sieve 3. Fig. 9 shows the enlarged view of the fish scale sieve.
The upper sieve 2 is a fish scale sieve. Each fish scale sieve piece 13 may rotates about the rotary shaft 14 and the opening degree can be changed. A tooth-shaped plate provided in the longitudinal direction attached to each fish scale sieve piece 13. The tooth-shaped plate is dragged so that the fish scale sieve pieces 13 rotates about the rotary shaft 14 in order to adjust the opening degree of the fish scale sieve pieces 13.
Fig. 10 shows the opening degree adjuster of the fish scale sieve piece provided at the bottom of the upper sieve 2. The opening degree adjuster includes a screw rod 15 attached to the fish scale sieve piece 13 by the tooth-shaped plate. And it may also include a hut block 16 secured on the frame of the upper sieve 2. The screw rod 15 and the nut block 16 are connected by threads. When the screw rod 15 is rotated, it moves axially relative to the nut block 16 in order to drag the tooth-shaped plate so that the fish scale sieve piece 13 rotates about the rotary shaft 14. In this way,
the opening degree of the fish scale sieve piece 13 may be adjusted. The opening degree adjuster may also be a handle connected to the tooth-shaped plate. The opening degree of the fish scale sieve piece may be adjusted by dragging the handle which further dragged the tooth-shape plate.
The lower sieve 3 and the opening degree adjuster thereof are similar to the upper sieve 2 and its adjuster; however, the lower sieve 3 may have fish scale sieve pieces which are different from those of the upper sieve 2. For example, the fish scale sieve pieces of the lower sieve 3 may be smaller than those of the upper sieve 2 so as to refine the crops.
In one embodiment, a trail sieve 17 may be provided at the back end of the upper sieve 2 so as to hold up the bigger trashes in the mixture to be separated as shown in Fig. 5. The grain with husks enters into the tailing auger (not shown) via the trail sieve 17 so as to be further threshed and cleaned. The trail sieve 17 may be a finger-like sieve or a fish scale sieve.
In one embodiment, the upper sieve 2 may be provided with two compartmentations or fishbones 18 along the longitudinal direction. The longitudinal compartmentations 18 may be provided along the longitudinal direction of the upper sieve 2. Although Fig. 5 shows two longitudinal compartmentations 18, it shall be understood that there may be one, three or more compartmentations. Providing longitudinal compartmentations on the upper sisve 2 may divide the upper sieve 2 into a plurality of longitudinal zones so th$t the mixture on the upper sieve 2 that needs cleaning wiff not pile up and the cleaning efficiency may be increased. Meanwhile, during cleaning operation on a slope, the mixture that needs cleaning may be prevented from piling up toward the lower side of the sieve. Similarly to the upper sieve 2, the longitudinal compartmentations may also be provided on the lower sieve.
Fig. 11 dramatically illustrates a full feed combine including a cleaning apparatus 4000 according to the invention. The full feed combine includes: a harvesting apparatus 2000 for harvesting crops from a field; a feeding apparatus 3000 for transmitting the crops harvested by the harvesting apparatus 2000; a separator 1000 receiving the crops transmitted by the feeding apparatus 3000 and performing the threshing function; a cleaning apparatus 4000, positioned below the separator 1000 and receiving and sieving the threshed crops to separate the grain from the threshed mixture 1000; a grain auger (not shown) for transferring grain to a grain tank (not shown); and a tailing auger (not shown) for transferring the tailing to the separator 1000, or transferring it to the cleaning apparatus 4000 after re-threshing.
In one embodiment, the separator 1000, the cleaning apparatus 4000, the grain auger and the tailing auger are mounted on a frame 1.
The full feed combine may further include a moving apparatus 5000, on which the frame 1 is mounted. In one embodiment, the moving apparatus is a pedrail apparatus.
The full feed combine according to the invention may be a lengthwise axial small full feed combine.
While various embodiments have been illustrated and described, the above description is merely illustrative and does not intent to be limitative. Many embodiments and implementations can be made within the scope of the invention by those skilled in the art. Thus, the invention shall not be limited except by the teachings of the claims and its equivalents. In addition, various modifications and changes can be made within the scope defined by the claims.
We claim:
1. A cleaning apparatus for applying to clean the threshed crop mixture,
including a frame, blower, upper sieve, lower sieve and at least one set of
crank-rod driving assembly, which are mounted on the frame,
wherein the at least one set of crank-rod driving assembly drives the upper sieve and the lower sieve to move in a reverse direction relative to each other.
2. The cleaning apparatus of Claim 1, wherein the cleaning apparatus is provided with one set of crank-rod driving assembly at each side.
3. The cleaning apparatus of Claim 1, wherein said crank-rod driving assembly includes an eccentric means and a rod.
4. The cleaning apparatus of Claim 1, wherein said eccentric means is an eccentric wheel or a crank.
5. The cleaning apparatus of Claim 3, wherein the upper sieve and the lower sieve are attached to the frame via driving swing arms articulated to the rod, the ends of the driving swing arms are articulated to the upper sieve and the lower sieve respectively, and the middle portions of the driving swing arms are articulated to the frame.
6. The cleaning apparatus of Claim 3, wherein the upper sieve and the lower sieve are attached to the frame via driven swing arms.
7. The cleaning apparatus of Claim 1, wherein the upper sieve includes a fish scale sieve piece, the opening degree of which is adjustable.
8. The cleaning apparatus of Claim 1, wherein the lower sieve includes a fish scale sieve piece, the opening degree of which is adjustable.
9. The cleaning apparatus of Claim 1, wherein the upper sieve includes a trail sieve.
10. The cleaning apparatus of Claim 9, wherein the trail sieve is a finger-like sieve or a fish scale sieve.
11. The cleaning apparatus of Claim 1, wherein the upper and/or lower sieve is provided with a longitudinal compartmentation.
12. A full feed combine, including:
a harvesting apparatus for harvesting crops from a field;
a feeding apparatus for transmitting the crops harvested by the harvesting
apparatus;
a separator receiving the crops transmitted by the feeding apparatus and
performing the threshing function;
a cleaning apparatus of any one of Claims 1-11, positioned below the
separator and receiving and sieving the threshed crops to separate the
grain from the threshed mixture;
a grain auger for transferring grain to a grain tank; and
a tailing auger for transferring the tailing to the separator, or transferring it to
the cleaning apparatus after re-threshing.
13. The full feed combine of Claim 12, wherein the separator, the cleaning apparatus, the grain auger and the tailing auger are mounted on a frame.
14. The full feed combine of Claim 13, further including a moving apparatus, on which the frame is mounted.
15. The full feed combine of Claim 14, wherein the moving apparatus is a pedrail apparatus.
16. The full feed combine of Claim 12, which is a lengthwise axial small full feed combine.
